@RHB Spring Term 2021 by inspiredschools

@RHB

Termly Magazine

Spring 2021

I am unique / open minded / the future /

From 3 months old to Sixth Form, success is within the hands of every bright learner at Reddam House. VISIT REDDAMHOUSE.CO.UK

EMPOWERING POTENTIAL

B O OK YOU R PERSONALISED TOUR

Jungle Book Summer Term Events

I have written a version of Jungle Book for

Early Learning School

which we are excitedly filming! This will be

Bedtime stories

Year 9 students here at Reddam House, streamed at the end of the Summer Term.

International Jazz Day Music Virtual Event

I have just been commissioned by Redbridge

Teddy Bear Picnics

Drama Centre and the Kenneth More Theatre

Virtual Coffee Morning

to re-write my version of Jungle Book as a

Sports Day

three-hander, to tour around schools, and

International Mud Day

I have also been commissioned to write

Goodbye Show

and direct their Christmas show 2021 which

Junior School

will be a new adaptation of Alice in Winter Wonderland.

Field and Track Events

As an actor, I have also just been cast in an

Sports Day

audio play/installation set around the Oxford

PGL Trip

Road in 2050 with Baker Street Productions.

End of Term Performance Family Breakfast

What has been great in this project is that

Prize Giving

the Year 9 students are learning all aspects

Middle and Senior School Prize Giving

of production work, from filming and editing, to directing, lighting design and costume design.

Transition Day

In this picture, you can see some of the

Sports Day

students filming the lead, Mowgli (played by

Year 13 Dinner

Leaho Sibanda). Tiffany King Head of Dramatic Arts

R H B S p r i n g Te r m 2 0 2 1

01 A letter from Principal, Tammy Howard Introduction

’m so proud of how everyone at Reddam

Work began on introducing teaching and learning

House pulled together this term, despite

policies. We set, what felt like, ambitious KPIs – but

trying circumstances. But then I’d expect

then we surpassed them within the first year! The

nothing less from our strong community

previous school on the site had been a mix of 70%

of teachers, staff, parents and students – it’s

boys and 30 % girls; by Christmas 2015, Reddam

the strength of our relationships that makes

House was 50/50. The school went from a culture

Reddam House so special.

of not caring if students went on to university,

When I joined Reddam House in 2015, our magnificent building had seen better days and results were poor. The Reddam House brand already

to seeing our first Cambridge interviewee.

The three pillars

had a very successful model in Sydney Australia,

At Reddam House we follow an ethos of three pillars

so my task was to recreate what’s special about

– strength of academic results, with excellence

the Reddam House model, and translate it for a UK

in sports and performing arts. To begin with, I

market. With the commitment of the passionate

introduced greater focus on academic fields to

teams I assembled around me, by September

encourage parents who look to send children to

that same year the school’s model, reputation

schools that are academically successful. Now that

and results were completely transformed. Fast

our school has reached that level, we will focus on

forward to today and Reddam House is the vibrant,

offering a more competitive sports programme, to

modern school we all know and love, with a brilliant

enable students to get into local competitions and

reputation for academic results and happy students.

teams – I’d like to see Reddam House students make it to the top of the league!

When we opened in that September we had new uniforms, new staff, new teams, new energy and new

The quality of Reddam House’s performing arts is

aspirations for students. While many new students

already very high – with the Berklee project bringing

joined, I wanted to make sure that the experience

the skills and passion of professional performing

was transformed for existing students too.

and recording artists to the school. Now my aim is to attract children who have a talent and desire for

performing arts already in place, and to bring in

During 2020 and the ensuing lockdowns, the

more students playing instruments earlier on,

school’s online learning offering was phenomenal,

to strengthen this pillar.

with many parents commenting that other schools

Attracting only good teachers At Reddam we only hire the most passionate teachers who truly inspire children to learn and have a genuine love for their subject. When children are enjoying learning, we know they learn effectively.

Teaching children how to learn Our students are taught how to audit their own learning so they can make informed decisions about which subjects need greater attention so they will be ready for external exams. We were able to bring many students over the A and A* boundary at GCSE and A level, because other students at B and C boundaries are also pulled up a level at the same time.

were not achieving anywhere near the same standard as Reddam. The children were delighted that routines and academic rigor continued, and I and the staff were so grateful to receive many thank you emails from parents during that lockdown term.

End of another era, but not just yet… 2021 is to be my last year as Principal at Reddam House and I’m keen to make sure that as the school continues to grow it doesn’t lose that special connection between teachers and students. Every parent wants their child to be happy and successful. Parenting can be challenging at all stages and being a teenager can be tough. The school ethos ensures that parents know that our teaching team work in partnership with them so that their child is well supported in these crucial years.

Ensuring children become the best version of themselves With a focus on nurturing individuality, Reddam House encourages each student to be their best, whether that’s as a leader, a supporter, a teacher, a performer or a sports player. It’s about finding that something special in each child. Students quickly learn that it’s cool to be intelligent and work hard, and through regular Cycle Tests they learn to focus on areas of improvement and to see where they excel. Through

Our predecessor had been a mix of 70% boys and 30% girls; by Christmas 2015, Reddam House was 50/50.

this rigorous and regular testing, by the time students enter external exams they’re happy to show what they can do. It’s no wonder that our academic results are at an all-time high in the

The most important part is the relationships we’ve built together. When you have that connection, the children learn energy and passion from their teachers. It’s these strong bonds between students and teachers, students and students that makes Reddam House so unique. We pride ourselves that every individual student is known, and as the school grows the staff team is committed to maintain that sense of connection and relationship care; structures will be put in place, so we don’t lose this sense of personalised education.

school’s history, and look

The Leadership Team already have ambitious KPIs

set to continue to rise in

for the coming academic year, it will be exciting

the coming academic year.

times ahead for the school.

Year 13 have already shown some incredible results from their mock exams.

Best wishes, Tammy Howard, Principal

R H B S p r i n g Te r m 2 0 2 1

02 Roundup

Whole school news

From sports runs to scavenger hunts and breakout rooms, the whole school excelled this term.

Sport Park Run The challenge of staying active in lockdown is something faced by everyone, and the Reddam House students were particularly impressive with the level of creativity shown to keep fit while waiting for sporting fixtures to return to normal. During the first half term students participated in the Park Run Challenge each weekend to see how far they could run as a community. They were so proud to reach Nice!

A2B@home A2B stands for Aspire to Be, and is the Reddam House Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE), life skills and mental health support programme for students. Lessons are based on encouraging students to be healthy, understanding, inclusive, informed, successful and respectful. A2B lessons are usually discussion based and, as far as possible, practical. While this was more difficult to provide via virtual learning, the creative and innovative staff found ways to make it work!

A2B in the Middle School It was wonderful to be able to use the platform

Teams from Microsoft so that all students could appear on screen at once, with some fun backgrounds! When Year 7 were learning about healthy eating they could use their hands to demonstrate visibly on screen whether they had

A2B in the Junior School Year 2 focused on ‘Celebrating Differences’. They looked at the concept of stereotypes and the story ‘Dulcie Dando the Football Star’. The children thought about things they love and things they are good at, then they drew them inside their star to remind each other of all the ways in which they are each unique.

eaten enough fruit and vegetables. Students then went on to make their own lunch, based on the proportions of the five different food groups advised by the NHS. Middle School students also enjoyed ‘Goosechase’, a scavenger hunt app which sends students on missions around the house to achieve educational goals. Students submitted their answers through a photo or video, which was most effective when learning about being enterprising or practising wellbeing.

A2B in Years 10 and 11 In the Senior School, discussions were facilitated using the app, ‘Mentimeter’. Students anonymously shared their points of view, which provided an excellent basis for discussion. Students then voted in polls, rating importance of different ideas and even quizzing each other through various types of questioning. Students then used the breakout rooms in Teams to have discussions and debates in smaller groups.

2e A2B in Sixth Form The Sixth Form also made good use of the breakout room feature on Teams, allowing them to discuss topics in smaller groups. They focused on mental health during lockdown. Year 12 continued their focus on university applications and future careers, having already worked on this with tutors.

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03 Words from the Head of ELS Early Learning School

he children took a stroll through the

In our ELS we recognise the significance of children

deep dark wood... the children found

making relationships with their world and why it is

a world to discover, and this world

such an important stage in their time with us.

felt good.

We offer our children greater autonomy as they

Throughout Spring Term in the Early Learning School (ELS), the children have continued to make

become explorers, discovering the beauty in nature around them.

connections with the world around them. This has

The seasonal changes outdoors ignite such awe and

been especially evident in our beautiful grounds

wonder in our children’s minds and curiosity. We use

of one hundred and twenty-five acres of adventure.

this as a great source of teaching and learning in our

As educators, we feel now more than ever, how

school with our little people.

fundamental it is to spend time engaging in outdoor play, and discovery is time much-needed and well spent.

This Spring Term has continued to be a magical experience for our children, connecting with the world around them as they experienced the wonder of snow. From the splashes of powder paint splattered across a fortunate falling of a sea of glistening snow. We reflect as educators and remember that for some of our little people this was their first ever experience of snow. What is this white blanket across my beloved forest? they wonder. To the first touch of cold and retract, to let me try that again. On to the many worlds to discover within our grounds; from the children’s favourite fallen 'dinosaur tree', saying hello to our chickens and the risk-taking as they cross the 'crocodile swamp' and many more.

Not only do we want our children to fall in love with nature and the world around them, we encourage the children to uphold kindness and respect for the world in which they live. These are two of our core values here at Reddam House and we create meaningful opportunities for them to demonstrate these. Within our acres of woodland, the children can enjoy all sorts of wildlife, from observing a mother deer and fawn, to joyful jumping squirrels. These rich experiences foster a positive, long and loving relationship with the world that they continue to discover into adulthood. The excitement is blooming as we say hello to spring and look forward to summer adventures, and a continuum of memories collected that will last a lifetime. Georgina Tait, Head of ELS

The seasonal changes outdoors ignite such awe and wonder in our children’s minds and curiosity. We use this as a great source of teaching and learning in our school with our little people.

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S p r i n g Te r m

Junior School

Introduction from Head of Juniors, Cassie Morris he Spring Term in the Junior School has been a term full of hard work and dedication, not only in terms of academics, but also in dedication to our much-loved community in a time of physical separation. Our brilliant teaching team launched our seamless transition to Virtual School at 8:30am on Tuesday 6th January and were fully committed to

providing the best education possible through the Teams platform. The encouragement and thanks we got from our parents was so gratefully received and spurred us all on to improve and develop our practice each day. We recognised that despite missing all of the opportunities that live school brings, virtual learning was a unique chance to connect with our students in a different way.

Pastoral care is always at the forefront of everything we do and I was delighted to see that on our very recent parent questionnaire, 97% of our parents feel that their child’s Form Tutor knows them really well. Throughout the Spring Term, our fantastic team of tutors have worked hard to stay in close contact with our students and families and our virtual Parent Teacher meetings have been so popular that they might very well be here to stay! This last year has shown us all how adaptable and inventive we need to be in education these days and Reddam House Junior School has certainly proved that we can be at the forefront of providing the most up-to-date and research-based curriculum to fit our students and the times we live in.

Year

Plants Year 1 observed changes to plants they were growing and recorded their findings. The children were full of joy each morning, as they raced to see what had evolved overnight. They noticed the tiniest of changes!

Year

Dance

Science experiments at home Year 5 discovered

Year 3 travelled around

chromatography

the world in Dance, and

during their Science

when they went to Spain

lessons at home.

they learned key moves from flamenco, tango and paso doble.

Year

Logan on Blue Peter! Logan in Year 6 appeared on Blue Peter as a live guest. He was there to speak about his role as Tom Gates in the new Sky Kids adaptation of The Brilliant

Year

Ancient Greeks Year 3 studied the Ancient Greeks in History, they looked at the fashion

World of Tom Gates.

of the day and made their

He looked like an absolute

very own headbands in an

professional!

ancient Greek style.

Year

5/6

Cross Country Years 5 and 6 participated in a virtual House Cross Country competition before half term.

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1 Music The Music Department were very excited to be able to resume the children’s individual music lessons. The Junior School showed how well they had been practising during lockdown and particularly enjoyed being able to play together once again when lockdown was lifted.

2 Reddam rocks! Inspired by the Wokingham Rocks idea, the Junior School children were challenged to find a smooth rock on one of their daily walks. They then brought the rock home and decorated it to make it identifiable as a Reddam House Rock. The finished masterpiece was then placed outside for someone else to find on one of their daily walks. This wonderful scheme offered a little motivation to the children to get out into the fresh air.

World Book Day The Junior School had the most fantastic virtual World Book Day. It kicked off with the Masked Reader, followed by a ‘drop everything and read’ session. There were also plenty of themed lessons and the day finished with a very lively assembly. The community made a wonderful effort to dress up, and there were some brilliantly imaginative costumes.

Keep Reading! The Junior School children loved building their very own reading dens, to help them to keep reading throughout lockdown.

S p r i n g Te r m

Middle School

Introduction from Natalie Holsgrove-Jones lthough the closure of schools for the second time came as a surprise to us all in January, the incredible Middle School team and students were not in the least bit phased. Teaching moved seamlessly to Microsoft Teams and our teachers delighted in using some of the new features such as ‘together mode’ and ‘breakout rooms’. Both features

allowed lessons to mirror the physical classroom that little bit more and certainly helped everyone to stay more engaged over the two-month period. The other real benefit of teaching online was the access to resources that would not have been possible in the classroom. A2B lessons on healthy eating could now be done in the kitchen (with a nice meal to eat at the end), Business Studies lessons could make use of all the products around the house that come as a result of entrepreneurship and PE lessons could allow students to do activities of their choice, at their pace and in new places. However, no matter how fabulous the teachers, students and technology, being on screens so much was bound to be difficult! Children’s Mental Health Week (1st to 7th Feb) therefore provided much needed relief with a week dedicated to expressing ourselves, whether that be through sport, expressive arts, or just what we wanted to wear. The Thursday of that week involved a rotation of fun workshops including dance, lip sync, drama masterclasses, art, rap, Zumba and even a seminar delivered by a West End professional. I have been incredibly proud of the resilience our students have shown through this difficult period, and while the virtual weekly one-to-one chats with tutors, tutor group social gatherings and motivational assemblies will have helped our students through, it is a testament to their own mental strength that they have returned to live school happy, excited to see their friends and ready to learn. The sheer number of credits awarded to our students for our school values of courage, integrity, ambition, responsibility, respect and kindness has been staggering and I will very happily be awarding many credit certificates and values badges in the end of term assembly.

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Middle and Senior Wellbeing Day

n the first day back, Middle and Senior School took part in a virtual well-being day. Every year group took part in

three workshops: How to be a Supportive Friend, Online Safety, and Drugs and Alcohol Awareness. Knowing how to be a supportive friend is more important than ever whilst we are in lockdown, so that we can look out for each other in this difficult time. We spoke about how to be a good listener, having empathy, and how to give advice as a part of being a supportive friend. This will help us develop our skills of being supportive and comfortable talking to our friends. Spending much of our time online, it was very helpful to hear the dos and don’ts of online safety. Not only did we learn about some dangers of social media and gaming, but we were also given valuable advice about being aware of our digital tattoo. For Sixth Form, this was especially interesting as we think about applying to universities or jobs that may be interested in how we are perceived online. It was also fascinating to discuss drugs and alcohol safety with the use of a scenario. We were able to have an insightful conversation about peer pressure and how best to deal with any potentially uncomfortable situations. The advice we gained from this workshop will be valuable if we were to find ourselves in a similar scenario. It is so important for all of us to take time to learn about well-being in order to stay safe and happy! That in mind, we would like to thank the school and the guest speakers for organising this day and providing us with all that valuable information. Senior School Judiciary

Year

Middle School Art Year 8 researched Expressionism with the theme of Animals in Art. They really extended themselves in their achievement, with some impressive results.

Year

Middle School Art Year 7 students focused on the theme of Marine Life to create moving images. They also created some interesting,

Frankenstein Presentations Year 7 created presentations about Frankenstein, drawing upon their other lessons in school. They included Dance, Drama, Art and Music to represent different ideas about the famous story.

interactive, playful

Year

Middle School Art Year 9 researched Cityscapes, choosing whether to draw or to work digitally using Pixlr.

drawings based on objects found around the home in the style of Victor Nunes.

Year

Music Carolina in Year 8 was chosen as a finalist for the ISA Young

Year

8/9

for Carolina, as it is a

Poetry Competition

nationwide competition,

Year 8 and 9 students

and very prestigious. It is

were invited to participate

a testament to Carolina’s

in an occasional poetry

musicians award. This was a huge achievement

dedication to her

for all competition,

instrument, the Cello, and

which challenged them to

to her talent as a musician.

write a poem inspired by news events that moved, saddened, inspired or angered them.

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A m y i n Ye a r 8

Life in Lockdown Another school day, another Teams call I’d rather be in the pool, or playing football I’ve always been sporty, and I enjoy being in Teams But in the times of COVID, that’s not what this means Before all this I played Hockey, Golf or went Swimming Now I sit at home all day, doesn’t feel like I’m winning It’s hard for the school and the teachers to keep things fresh and new I do enjoy learning but how I wish there was something else to do Every day it’s class after class, and every weekend it rains It’s hard to stay enthusiastic and active with all these energy drains So, I sometimes go with my parents, and we take Rocco for walks After school I go online with Frankie and we play Roblox Nothing in life is perfect right now, but I try to do my best To remind myself every day, that my life is somewhat blessed I am at home with my family, I have friends and a school that I love They are all safe and healthy, these days that’s satisfying enough!

S h r a d d h a i n Ye a r 9

The Accident The wind blows steadily across the f ields Drifting high over hills and valleys. Drops of dew fall from leaf to leaf Spilling down onto the lush green grass. The hands of the clock move. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Seeming to grab time and warp it Into a painful slowness. Drip. Drip. Drip. The sound of sweat splattering onto the hard oak f loorboards, Forming a puddle beneath his feet. He saws away at the wood The grinding echoing in his head Crack. The wood splits. Loose Splinters rain down. He drops the wood into the pile And begins at another Sawing away, when he hears The cry of a bird. Cacaw. Cacaw. Little knew he, that this bird is In fact, crying out to warn of dreadful times. The saw f lies at him, leaps out of his hand. Coming down across his Torso. He falls to the f loor, writhing, shivering, Hot, red seeps through his stained shirt. Implanted deep in his chest is the saw, Glinting off the warm, dusk light. He clenches his f ists. Black patches crowd his vision. His mouth parts slightly. He sucks in his last breath. The wind blows steadily across the f ields Drifting high over hills and valleys. Drops of dew fall from leaf to leaf Spilling down onto the dry red grass

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Science

Mountain Biking Club Mountain Biking Club resumed as soon as our students returned to school. They displayed great bike handling

n the final week of virtual learning, students undertook

skills and more than a touch

a range of different science activities and they also went

of bravery with some of the

on to link science activities with World Book Day.

challenges that they overcame, cycling through the amazing

After reading ‘Women in Science’, some students were inspired

Reddam House forest and around

by two women scientists in particular; Elizabeth Blackwell and

the lake.

Florence Blossom. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female doctor in the USA. She fought for women’s rights and founded women’s hospitals. Florence Blossom was the first woman to get a PhD from John Hopkins University. She became the second woman in America to complete a Geology doctorate. Both these women inspired our students because they had to fight to receive an education, following which they both changed the world of science forever. Other students read ‘Ask an Astronaut’ by Tim Peake. The book is full of questions about the life of an astronaut, such as, ‘What does it feel like to sit on top of a 300 tonne rocket?’ or ‘How do you go to the toilet in space’? Many students’ favourite question was ‘Why do we grow two inches in space?’ Many students enjoyed ‘Fantastically GREAT WOMEN in Science’. They learnt about Mae Jemison and were fascinated by how talented and brave she was, and how she was the first black female astronaut. They also read about Marie Curie, who was desperate to learn regardless of the risks. She understood that there must be things smaller than atoms and made new elements for the periodic table. Mrs Towse set another task, linked to her son’s favourite book, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. This involved an experiment with Skittles, looking at the pattern created when water was poured over them – the colour and sugar dissolved into the water and diffused, making the water the colour of the skittle. They then investigated the differences between using hot and cold water!

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S p r i n g Te r m

Senior School Introduction from Head of Senior School, Mike Milner

t has been such a joy to see the students return after another period of national lockdown and it feels like a long time since those days of uncertainty in early January. As before, Reddam's response as a community has been exceptional.

Having operated a full timetable from day one of the first lockdown, our teachers and students switched seamlessly to online learning. Of course, much of the beating heart of the school is difficult to replicate: the spontaneous interactions, the cross-year working, and the family feel to the school. However, with some enthusiasm, students have kept their learning going and our teachers were able to deliver lessons that incorporated even more innovative and engaging elements. We were delighted to see online societies set up and run by our sixth form in debating, feminism and Model United Nations (to name a few). Arts performances have been limited, but academic coverage of arts has continued: students danced, sung and played instruments at home. Students were encouraged to exercise and keep fit, but we can see from the interest in sports activities since reopening that competition is so vital to young people. We hope that fixtures will be able to resume in the next few months. Students were very complimentary overall about their experience online, as last year, and we have remarkably managed to keep all of our students up to date with their studies. In Senior School, this has been so important for those completing their GCSE or A Level courses, with students returning to school with very little work missed. We are so grateful that we will have the opportunity to give these two fantastic year groups a good send off in summer. I would also like to finally add a word of thanks to our boarding staff who looked after a significant number of students in house during lockdown. I am sure that they were all glad (as were many parents) to see school open again!

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his term has been a stressful one but has also been a wonderful time to concentrate on one's studies. We have had the amazing opportunity to have online school consistently during the whole pandemic which has allowed Reddam House to keep on top of the academics. At the beginning of this term, we were thrown into another national lockdown on the first day back to school. Which was very devastating to most of us students as we weren’t able to see anyone yet again for an extended period. We are all glad to be back in the classrooms and our remarkable school for the end of the term. To say that we have all missed school is an understatement. My perspective of online learning will be utterly different from other students in the Reddam community as I have been so lucky to be in the boarding house during most of the pandemic. I have had the opportunities to play sport most days after school with other boarders in our fantastic facilities. This has been a great bonus to boarding as there is no sport in operation due to covid 19. But the boarding house has also been blessed to have our specialised teachers help us after school with our learning. This has all been made possible by the new lateral flow tests. The teachers at Reddam have worked so hard in making online learning fun and enjoyable for all students. From junior school to senior school activities have been provided to keep everyone engaged and involved within the community. Not only this but the students were allowed to set up societies and educate their fellow peers. The societies that were set up by the students of Reddam were the feminist society, History society, debating society, just to name a few. I would just like to say a big thank you on behalf of all students at Reddam House for the teachers and their incredible efforts during this pandemic. They have motivated and taught us through our computers for such a long time, which is a difficult task when students don’t always engage in discussions. Not only this but they have made sure that every student that they teach is cared for and their mental health is strong. I hope that normal life will be back to where it was before, very soon. Lia Shemmans, Sixth Form Judiciary

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S p r i n g Te r m

Senior and 6th Form 1 Dance Workshop Twelve dancers from Years 7 to 13 took part in a virtual dance workshop

Chemistry Olympiad Our Year 13 chemistry students participated in the UK round of the Chemistry Olympiad.

It was a tough two hour paper, with questions ranging from the atmosphere of Venus to molecular “social distancing" and exPresident Trump's crackpot coronavirus cures!

with the James Cousins Dance Company, which is one of the six set works specified for GCSE Dance. Our dancers were privileged to have James himself lead the analysis, discussion and question-and-answer session. Company dancer, George, then led a practical session when our wonderful dancers came into their own, showing off their interpretations of the work.

CCF Our Year 9 and 10 students enjoyed some optional CCF activities with camouflage and conceal in the forest.

3 Art During lockdown, Year 10 completed their artist research and began sculpting three-dimensional designs in clay. Year 11 GCSE students worked hard to complete their coursework with some wonderful studies. Years 12 and 13 explored a wide range of media using paper, acrylic and markers.

Year

11 Dance

As soon as the students returned to school, Year 11 filmed two of the three practical performance coursework elements of their GCSE course. Students performed their trio influenced by Infra, by Wayne MacGregor, with themes of relationships of people travelling in the underground. Students also performed their solo set phrase, demonstrating the required skills to meet the criteria. They remembered the choreography well during lockdown and performed at their full potential.

Year

Biology

Year 12 Biologists started the topic of Ecology by

Biology

Year 12 looked at rhubarb cells and were able to see the spirals which make the vessels tough and durable.

exploring our very own beautiful grounds. Students looked at the effect on a habitat of fallen trees, how the swampy area around the lake will eventually turn into forest, ancient plants such as ferns, invasive species such as Rhododendron as well as the medicinal qualities of the Yew and Willow tree. And of, course, students had had a sneaky peek at the ice house which had bats inside. The students were also accompanied by their classmates who have been unable to return to the UK, joining by phone from their home country.

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Boarders' weekend activities in lockdown

uring lockdown, the Boarding Community stayed on the campus at the weekends, which meant that they had plenty of time to study.

They also enjoyed some activities together… with lots of Bingo, house quizzes and plenty of five-a-side on the AstroTurf. Then, one memorable Sunday morning the boarders woke to see the whole campus covered in snow, and even more excitement developed. Many boarders even gave up their usual Sunday morning lay-in! After lots of socially distanced snowball fighting, the afternoon saw some more constructive Snow Art as the boarders created the Snowy Reddam. Another highlight was the masked ball/silent disco, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. It was great to see everyone getting into the swing and spirit of things and for a silent disco, there were lots of tuneful singalongs! Andy Towse, Head of Boarding

i, my name is Jimena. I’m a boarder at Reddam House. Virtual classes have been pretty good so far, specially going to the classes everyday with my friends from the boarding house and following the lessons from there. This way, it gives me the feeling that I’m going to school every day. Although it could get a bit tiring sometimes, I like this new way of learning. Before I came to Reddam House, I was in another Inspired school. Lessons aren’t very different. They’re easy to follow and the teacher makes a lot of interactive tasks which makes it less boring and are always there to help. They’re making this second lockdown much more interesting and fun. Thank you for making this fantastic experience possible at Reddam. Jimena Martín García Moreno, Year 8

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I am unique / trying new things / an inventor in the making RH

At Reddam House we empower every student to fulfil their unique potential. Our unique learning approach is based on supportive academic excellence and life skills to help students discover their strengths and passions; leading to happier, more confident individuals. We offer a broad curriculum covering Academics, Sports and Performing Arts, providing uninterrupted excellence whether in school or online.

E XCELLENCE AN D I N DIVI DUALIT Y

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Bearwood Rd, Sindlesham, Wokingham RG41 5BG, UK

+0118 974 8300 registrar@reddamhouse.org.uk reddamhouse.org.uk