The Park, Summer 2020 by Leighton Park School

THE PARK // SUMMER 2020

ACHIEVEMENT WITH VALUES, CHARACTER AND COMMUNITY

Final Collect In the last week of term, Final Collect, broadcast live from Main Hall, reached almost 500 families via YouTube, sharing musical performances, silent reflection and prize giving across art, drama, sport, science and more. The hotly contested Merit Cup reached new statistical heights as 18,540 merits were awarded over the course of the year. It seemed a timely opportunity to unearth the Sissons Cup, most recently awarded in 1968, to the House with the most co-curricular merits; School House. The overall merit cup in Fryer was picked up by Rowntree and the Senior House overall was School, who also picked up the Richard Coleman Shield, for the first time in 23 years!

Steinberg Certification for Leighton Park

This is to certify that

Virtual Senior Sports Awards Launching the inaugural Virtual Senior Sports Awards, Director of Sport, PE and Wellness, Jeremy Belas, announced “One thing [sport] teaches us is resilience and how to bounce back.” 60 students and staff proved just that, as they dressed up for an exclusive Google Meet. Event organiser and Head of Netball, Zoe Macpherson, commented “The afternoon was inclusive, personal and well balanced to the sporting experiences of the students.” A highlight of the evening was the attendance of Old Leightonian turned Academy Professional Rugby Player

Leighton Park School has been appointed as a

and is authorised to provide educational training courses in Steinberg software and hardware products.

06.04.2020

for London Irish, Chunya Munga, who presented the awards for Female and Male Sport Personality to Kate Hipkins and Alex Barnard (both Upper Sixth). To finish, Outstanding Contribution to Sport was awarded to Ellie Pearson (Lower Sixth).

STEAM Education Winners!

06.04.2021

Steinberg is a renowned worldwide music software company and we are delighted to confirm our new status as a Steinberg Certified Training Centre, giving our students access to industrystandard applications and marketleading training. Director of Music, Rosemary Scales, commented “We are really excited by this new partnership, which will complement and strengthen our links even further with Yamaha. Our students are really looking forward to learning new software to support their creativity in a wide range of genres, working with Steinberg’s professionals and having the opportunity to be well prepared for the next step into the music industry.

Our commitment to interdisciplinary learning has been recognised as the ‘Best KS3-6th Form Co-Ed Day School 2020 – South East England for Excellence in STEAM Education 2020’ by Corporate Vision’s Education and Training Award. Karen Gracie-Langrick, Deputy Head: Academic, commented “A Leighton Park education is committed to inspiring new generations of interdisciplinary learners and innovators of change, by enabling teachers and students to ‘bridge the gap’ between imagination and learning; removing barriers between subjects; and, to aid discovery, such that our students are ‘future-ready’.”

Students and staff were delighted to recently be joined by Dom Sigalas, UK Cubase product specialist for Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, for some online training. Dom introduced Cubase Pro and at the end of the session the participating students each received copies of Cubase LE software from Steinberg, enabling them to practice their newfound skills from home. The participants, including four of our talented Music Scholars, discovered how Cubase could help develop an initial idea into a finished masterpiece through recording, editing and mixing.

ACHIEVEMENT

Excellent A Levels

Public Examinations This summer has not been easy year for those taking public examinations. Matthew Judd, Head, commented, “Set against the background of incredibly difficult circumstances our students achieved spectacular outcomes. They have had to show unprecedented resilience and patience in the run up to these results. They have achieved all we wanted for them. Their results, supported by staff, are excellent, the best in recent times. I congratulate the whole community for their outstanding efforts in the A Levels, IB, GCSEs and BTECs.”

Celebrating GCSE Results

The A Level cohort achieved an impressive 69% A*-B with 17.4% achieving the highest A* grades, against a national average of 8.9%. Top scoring subjects included Chemistry, Computer Science, Design & Technology, Further Maths, Physics and Biology. “I’m delighted to have got into Manchester to study Medicine.” enthused Adriana Ioannou, “I’m thankful for all of my teachers at Leighton Park. It has been a rough ride for the last few months but I’m thrilled as Medicine has been my dream.” Music, always a strength of the school, has been particularly impressive this year with five talented students securing places to continue their musical careers, including at the country’s top conservatoires.

This year’s GCSE results have the highest proportion of top level grades for fifteen years, with a phenomenal 60.5% of all grades achieved at level 7- 9, against the national average of 27%. The 82 strong cohort particularly excelled in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, DT, Spanish, Mandarin and Music, each of which were awarded over 70% of their grades at level 7-9. The results included our very first cohort to undertake Engineering and Food Technology GCSEs following their introduction in 2018. Harry Penman was one member of the inaugural Engineering GCSE course. “I have thoroughly enjoyed it since day one.” commented Harry, “The course combined my passion for Physics with my love of problem solving and I wish I could do it all again.”

IB’s Global Success The A Level results followed the School’s IBDP successes of early June when Leighton Park students gained an average of 35 points against a worldwide average of 29.9. Head of Sixth Form, Helen Taylor and IB Co-Ordinator, commented: “The IBO values of open-mindedness, international co-operation, self-reflection and risk-taking dovetail perfectly with Leighton Park’s Quaker values.” Millie Dean-Lewis, who scored 42 points out of a possible 45, and will be studying English and French at the University of Oxford this Autumn, reflected, “Leighton Park is a rarity, and gave me an insane and maybe ill-founded confidence in goodness… I am endlessly grateful for the friends I’ve met in the past five years.”

ACHIEVEMENT Piano Perfection Sofia Ayres (Year 9) was awarded Joint Runner-Up in the Grade 5 piano class of July’s e-MusicMaestro competition. Her piece, Joueur de Harpe by Sibelius, beat a competitive field adjudicated by accomplished professional pianists. Sofia, who has been learning the piano for eight years, also plays double bass and electric bass at Leighton Park. She explained, “When I found out that I finished Joint Runner-Up in Grade 5, I felt happy and proud of my achievement... It has made me realize what I can accomplish on the piano and it is definitely an instrument I want to continue learning.”

Bronze Award for Butterflies Elina Kuscu (Year 7) has paved the way for a butterfly house to be built in the Fryer Orchard as part of the School’s Park Life project; an LP nature watch initiative with STEAM at its centre. Winning a Bronze CREST Award for her efforts, Elina remarked, “I like the species and in my project I looked at how climate change might impact the population of butterflies.” Mark Budge, Park Life mastermind and Club STEAM co-ordinator, commented “We are so proud of Elina, she has worked hard and more than deserves this award. Club STEAM is all about allowing students to explore their passions as a structured project and Elina is a perfect example of this ethos.”

Peter Gets Published Top 40 SoundCloud Songwriter Freida Cartmill (Year 7) was delighted to achieve success with her original composition ‘Yellow Skies’ in the SoundCloud Young Songwriter Competition 2020. Her song made the Top 40 in this year’s 8-12 Years category, competing against almost 200 other entries from young songwriters nationwide. “My inspiration for the song was mainly about how I feel about my friends and how good friends support me. It was also about a friend who is very positive and it’s like she is in her own world which is so beautiful and bright it makes everything better.” said Freida.

In April, Peter Bucek (Lower Sixth) saw his winter wonderland scene published in Outdoor Photography, one of the UK’s leading magazines dedicated to capturing wildlife, nature and landscapes. Last year, Peter was one of five photographers awarded Young Photographer of the Year in Outdoor Photography’s international contest. “Following a very snowy night in the Slovakian High Tatras mountains, I woke up to find a winter wonderland, all white, covered in fresh powdery snow and frost. This scenery is overlooking one of the larger mountain lakes in the area, with the painterly composition of trees near the frozen bank. As it was still snowing at the

time, I had to constantly hide my camera under my jacket as I walked the landscape. I enjoy capturing nature and telling stories of beautiful sceneries and animals through my photos. I love to travel for my photography, be it to new and distant countries or just constantly exploring the surroundings of my countryside.” Peter remarked.

CHARACTER

LP Unlocked The very first online event celebrating the creativity of our students in dance, film, music, drama and art was launched on Wednesday 24th June. LP Unlocked: Festival of Creative Communication offered a huge variety of artistic endeavours, linked by the passion and commitment of our gifted students in their chosen medium.

Music for a Summer’s Evening Music for a Summer’s Evening has been an opportunity to get together for a picnic on the Park, enjoy the company of family and friends, and listen to exceptional music from our musicians for more than a decade. This year we may not gathered on Grove Field, but a virtual gathering, enabled the community to continue the annual musical tradition, despite Covid 19.

Assistant Head: Director of CoCurricular and Outreach, Tash Coccia, reflected “This is an amazing piece of work to pull together during lockdown and highlights the value we place on the Arts at Leighton Park. During this time apart, we need the arts more than ever to express and reflect upon the times we are living in.”

Listeners were able to navigate the concert in their own unique audio journey and could choose from solos, ensembles, original compositions and sessions recorded in the Yamaha Live Lounge during the Spring Term. Reflecting on the pupils’ support of and contribution to the online event, Rosemary Scales, Director of Music, commented “I was incredibly impressed with the enthusiasm and resourcefulness of our musicians who taught themselves new technology skills and perfected pieces and then recorded them from home.”

Ooh Look! The LP Art Show 2020 On Wednesday 17th June, our talented creatives from Year 10 to Upper Sixth showcased two rooms of artwork curated to complement each other within a virtual space, complete with a musical soundscape by Joe Gipple (Lower Sixth). With the world in lockdown, the Art Department aimed to bring the community together again to celebrate artistic talent as a shared experience, in absence of the annual show which usually takes place in the Michael Malnick Centre. “From the intricate detail, to the bold statement, this year’s show really is a remarkable collection of creativity from the students of Leighton Park. A fitting close to a bizarre year, a lasting memory that awakes our senses and leaves us in a better place.” commented Head of Art, Mark Wood.

CHARACTER Creativity, Action and Service The Fryer CAS programme took on a new direction during lockdown with students being challenged to complete one of a range of tasks every week and share their achievements in an end of term presentation. The activities included cookery, technology, nature, craft, exercise and well-being, writing and music. Marianne Proctor (Year 7) commented, “I’ve really enjoyed CAS this year. There’s been so many fun activities and I’ve just loved being part of a big group. I’ve loved working outside with nature and doing art and poetry and lots of crafty things.” George Verry (Year 7) concurred, “It’s been truly, truly a treasure to me. You’ve really brought out my confidence and you’ve taught me skills I didn’t even know I had. You’ve really shown me that LP is a good place.”

Fighting Fit in Isolation For many sportspeople, lockdown has led to cancelled fixtures or limited training opportunities. However, our Advance Performer Programme (APP) students were fortunate enough to be supported with a bespoke Strength and Conditioning programme specifically designed around the equipment they had access to at home. Ellie Pearson (Lower Sixth) said, “I am very grateful for the continued support and efforts of the APP team as it means we can all continue to improve and maintain our sports. I feel it is important to keep this community spirit going during these times.” Alongside her fellow athletes, Ellie has gone above and beyond to ensure she is still able to train to the highest level on a daily and weekly basis.

Learning in Lockdown With the use of Google Classroom and Chromebooks embedded into the School’s approaches to learning, the technology and skills needed to provide a quality online educational experience were already in place at the beginning of lockdown. The Guided Distance Learning Programme delivered a full timetable throughout the Summer term through Google Meet live teaching and a range of digital tools. In addition to their immersive lessons, students were able to interact, create and collaborate with their teachers and fellow students through an online co-curricular programme. Pastoral care was provided through weekly one to one calls between tutors and tutees, virtual tutor groups and access to the School’s usual counselling and support services.

Our Upper Sixth and Year 11 students then began a new academic adventure on Monday 11th May with a six-week Bridging Programme appealing to their to intellectual and vocational aspirations. The last three weeks of term also welcomed Year 10 and Lower Sixth students back to the Park to engage in practical subjects and some distanced socialising.

“I can tell you that NOBODY is serving their students as well as LP are. I am very proud of the School’s ethos and the way it lives its values.” commented one parent.

#LPGirlsCan

Established in 2017 by Head of Netball, Zoe Macpherson, #LPGirlsCan Week has become a highlight of the Summer calendar. From Gaelic football to the more traditional sports and our own sportswomen to renowned athletes; there was an activity on offer for everyone online, from Monday 15th to Friday 19th June. “#LPGirlsCan inspires our female students to try different sports and gain opportunities which they may want to continue later. The programme also supports their mental well-being and increases participation in female exercise

which globally suffers a huge dropout rate. We discuss body image and bring strong sport women on board to lead sessions with Q&As for the students too.” explained Zoe. Erin Perkins (Year 9) commented, “Rainy P.T Sweat Fest got all our hearts pumping! I really enjoyed the exhilaration of such a quick workout fitted into half an hour! I also tried Jez’s Recording of Parkour. I have to admit, I wasn’t very good at rolling, but managed the jumping. Even if you can’t do it yet, it’s good to try something new every day!”

Lower Sixth at Lockdown Theatre

Training with a Champion

On Wednesday 20 May, Lower Sixth International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme students experienced a lockdown school theatre trip. All patiently waited until 7.00pm to press play and meet one another online. The group discussed The Barbershop Chronicles by Inua Ellams, as they watched the National Theatre from their homes. th

Ananya Sengupta commented “[The play] shows how universal experiences can be and how colonialism still affects us.” Catherine Douneen replied, “and how between different cultures and generations the idea of what is acceptable changes.”

GB Olympic Athlete and Coach, Danny Williams, continued to impart his expertise throughout lockdown with interactive Google Meet classes in our Judo co-curricular hobby and even extended his invitation to learn the martial art, to all members of the Leighton Park community; staff, students and their families.

VALUES

Hitting the Ground Running

Tim Takes on the Park Head of Boys’ Games, Tim Green, raised over £3,300 for vulnerable families by completing a marathon across the School’s 65-acre site, on Friday 5th June. Running for Whitley Community Development Association, Tim’s contribution will help those whose lives have been significantly impacted by Covid 19. The funds raised will contribute towards distributing food, clothes, toys and small grants. Trisha Bennett, Community Development Coordinator at Whitley CDA, commented “We are so touched that Tim decided to run to raise money for us. All of these funds will go towards providing vital support to the people of Whitley. We will be cheering for Tim!” Hosted by Jeremy Belas, Director of Sport, PE and Wellness, and Andy Gallacher, Head of Rugby and Athletic Development, students, staff and their families tuned into the first and last 5K of Tim’s marathon, cheering him over the finish line with residents of the Park who came out to support. Once recovered from his feat, Tim reflected “I did it – it took a little bit longer than I wanted it to and the last eight miles were very tough, but over £3,300 raised for charity makes it worthwhile. Thank you to all those who have donated and to all the LP community who came out to support me in person and online!”

On Thursday 21st May the whole school community came together to complete a 5K walk or run. In support of the national Run for Heroes campaign, Team LP raised £500 towards NHS Charities Together as part of their Covid 19 Urgent Appeal. Encouraged by Deputy Head, Eddie Falshaw, to “wear them with pride!”, headbands and House colours were donned, and Fryers showcased their most colourful kits, as staff, students and their families set off from their homes; bringing pets, using exercise equipment and one Fryer even unicycling her way to 5K! Those students who were not ready to hang up their trainers, then competed virtually against Shiplake College and Forest School in a CrossFit fixture, and later a 3K event. Mastermind behind the concept, Director of Sport, PE and Wellness, Jeremy Belas, commented “Students miss being part of a team. These events will help re-establish camaraderie and are an opportunity to work towards a common goal with friends again.”

A Global Marathon for a Global Crisis On Saturday 9th May, over 3,000 Foreign Office staff worldwide participated in the Diplomile run to raise over £40,000 for NHS charities and UNICEF to fight Covid 19. The global marathon virtually united and raised the spirits of colleagues and families, including one of our own, as they joined in the run taking place across over 100 countries. As part of the Diplomatic Service, the Lee family enthusiastically got involved. Heewon, mother of Sol Lee (Year 10) and Keanu Lee (Year 8), commented “It was so much fun running for a cause as a family. Sol does not like running but she joined gladly! The children did artwork and we made a donation.”

Face Shields Factory Hub A PPE initiative to support NHS frontline staff tackling Covid 19 quickly became a hub of pop up face shields factories involving 18 schools, one university and three commercial businesses across Berkshire between March and June! Raising over £28,000 for materials through Go Fund Me and delivering almost 39,000 shields, the partnership made a difference to over 500 organisations desperate for vital PPE. The shields were welcomed by hospitals, hospices, pharmacies, care homes, GP surgeries, schools and councils. With a modest ambition of 200 shields, Head of Design and Technology, Mark Smith, initially aimed to help from his workshop over the Easter break. “Not every superhero wears a cape, but they do all wear masks!” he joked, but his cheerful spirit and can-do attitude quickly attracted on-site residents. Using the DT department’s laser cutter to create re-usable plastic headbands, the team attached A4 PVC sheets, sterilised the shields and packed them into batches.

The generosity of the public, providing financial support for materials, was matched by the enthusiasm of other schools and organisations to get involved and commit their resources. It wasn’t long before there was a hub partnership in place, being directed from HQ at Leighton Park. Gareth Williams, Chief Commercial Officer at Choice Care Group, who received 1,600 shields commented “These selfless acts of kindness from the local community are what keeps spirits high and momentum lifted. We all make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give. The school should be very proud of that.” Resident Artist, Ella Shepard, even used her creative talents to contribute to the cause, generously donating a proportion of the proceeds from her pandemic painting ‘Contagious Love’ towards the initiative. The face shields hub also received national television coverage, in the form of BBC One documentary series, ‘Ross Kemp and Britain’s Volunteer Army’.

VALUES Striking the Right Note Wishing to show compassion for those in the care home community amidst lockdown, our IB and A Level Music students pooled their talents into creating a gift for them to enjoy. Collating student recordings ranging from Debussy, to The Beatles, and including some original music, Megan White (Upper Sixth), created an LP Radio Show; a piece of musical medicine for all those shielding. Rosemary Scales, Director of Music, commented “I am conscious of the power of music to raise people’s spirits at any time, but particularly during more challenging times. To hear the students performing, albeit from recordings, I found tremendously uplifting. I really hope that it will help anybody who hears their performances and I am delighted with the way the students embraced this idea, all coordinated brilliantly by Megan.” The care homes which received the radio show also received face shields from Leighton Park to support safe working. Mrs Revathy Jayakumar at Northcourt Lodge Nursing Home, said “The voices were absolutely brilliant; the residents and the staff really appreciated it, most of them were singing along.”

An Education on Inequality Reflecting on his grandparents, who were significant figures in the South African anti-apartheid movement, alongside Nelson Mandela, Hugh said on Facebook, “Real change is made through knowledge and through taking down injustice on levels deeper than the surface, tackling laws, challenging government, risking your own life to see that people with less freedoms get to live better… It’s time for music to serve a bigger purpose than glorifying oneself and one’s material riches.”

On Wednesday 17th June, Old Leightonian, Hugh Macdonald, currently performing as Fairhazel, remotely spoke to our Year 11 IB Music Transition group, who are studying protest songs. From his home in Los Angeles, Hugh, discussed the issue of racism and his own musical plans.

The Amnesty International Student Group also addressed the topic of racism and inequality. Established last year by Letitia Kansime (Upper Sixth), the group has endeavored to educate themselves and the wider community on various injustices and the means by which we can work towards overcoming and eradicating them. In an open letter to all students, the team shared resources and voiced the importance of raising awareness peacefully in relation to the Black Lives Matter global protests.

STRIPES in Action The Quaker values of Respect, Integrity, Simplicity, Equality, Peace, Truth, and Sustainability, otherwise known as our ‘STRIPES’, shape our ethos and have directed many of our students individual actions during lockdown. Alain Colangelo (Year 7) went the distance for the NHS by riding from Reading to Milan on his stationary bike. Cycling entirely from his living room and covering a total distance of 1,300km, he raised £1,050 for NHS Charities Together. Another student who raised over £650 for NHS Charities Together and the Virgin Atlantic Foundation, was Zac Charles (Year 11) who sacrificed his luscious locks for charity in April. Jaia Gill (Year 9) has made a difference by producing face masks. What started as an idea to help immediate family, soon grew exponentially. On a similar thread, as a volunteer for ‘Petites Mains and Grand Coeur’, Thomas Baudelet (Lower Sixth) cut fabric, then turned into scrubs for medical staff, at his local hospital, Saint Antoine in Paris. Isla Beardmore (Year 8) and her sister Maisy Beardmore (Lower Sixth) combined enterprise with ethics to provide a solution to uncomfortable face masks, making extenders for medical staff. Whilst many savvy sewers took to making wash bags for the NHS. Jenny Ryan (Upper Sixth) has supported Surrey based initiative ‘Nourish our Nurses’. Fellow volunteer, Jenny’s dad, Matthew, commented “It feels fantastic demonstrating we care in a tangible and healthy way… I’m absolutely thrilled that Leighton Park are leading from the front.” When Marianne Proctor (Year 7) saw a mother’s emotional message about missing her daughter during lockdown, she responded with compassion and creativity, painting and gifting a photo of her daughter. The mother wrote, “Marianne, I am so proud of you for teaching others the impact of kind gestures.” The pair then went on to collaboratively create a canvas for the NHS, which they have donated to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Remembering VE Day Matthew Judd, Head, and Eddie Falshaw, Deputy Head, both residents on the Park, met at 11.00am on Friday 8th May in the newly restored memorial garden to remember the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Matthew read aloud the address by former headmaster, E.B Castle, given at this location at this time, exactly 75 years ago; his words resonate today.

COMMUNITY

Virtual OL Reunion Undeterred by the cancellation of the planned 0s Reunion on Saturday 2nd May, the ever-resourceful class of 1990, went ahead using Zoom to get together and reminisce on their years at Leighton Park.

Patron of Reading Regeneration

Whilst the renowned Patron of Reading baton is yet to be handed over in person, through the wonders of technology and imagination, students saw former holder of the title, Julian Sedgewick, literally regenerate, Doctor Who style, into Steve Cole, who will now take on the prestigious role, and has already introduced himself with remarkable panache!

Mark Simmons: Record Breaker!

Julian reflecting on his experience recalled, “Amongst other things we’ve: written letters from a real wartime Quaker refuge in the Pyrenees; created and flown a haiku blossom storm; imagined mini Japanese ghost dramas and dreamed up dozens of new characters for possible stories. It has been a joy.” Steve remarked “I can’t wait to share my passion and experience with the students and to get building worlds together over the next two years!”

Positive Partnerships The extraordinary efforts of the Leighton Park community during lockdown has taken many guises. Together, we partnered with state schools such as Foundry College PRU, contributed to food banks organised by Whitley CDA and donated hygiene products to Launchpad Reading for the homeless. We supported Red Balloon for Severely Traumatised Children with donations, whilst Age UK Reading received care packages for their clients and protective equipment for their foot care service. One partner, Assisting Berkshire Children to Read (ABC to Read), a charity which aims to improve local literacy, received books and educational games. “Together we have championed integrity, peace and equality through our support of local and national charities, fundraising campaigns and acts of kindness.” remarked Tash Coccia, Assistant Head: Director of Co-curricular and Outreach.

ACHIEVEMENT WITH VALUES CHARACTER AND COMMUNITY www.leightonpark.com 12

At the start of term, Mark Simmons, Head of Year 9, became the longest serving teacher in Leighton Park’s history. Joining in 1980, he is now in his 41st teaching year and in this time has taken on many roles and made an enormous impact on many students. Jakki Marr, Head of Girls’ Games, said of Mark “He gains the trust of his students and they perform to their best. His moral compass is sound, and he will fight for justice both on and off the field.” Old Leightonian, Neil Jackson, recently wrote “You were a great leader, teacher and role model. You have been a true servant and leader within the LP community. Legend.”