park
the
the Leighton Park School newsletter
Spring 2017
Book Week and Writing for Teenagers Conference Reading Schools’ League Netball Victory STEM in Action for British Science Week
Headlines groups with exciting STEM opportunities. In addition to the podium-finish in the UK Maths Challenge Regional Finals in Newbury and the Greenpower activity group’s creation of an electric powered car, we have hosted an inspirational STEM event for our Year 7s and ten visiting primary and prep schools. With industry leaders from corporations including Bion, Cisco and Pfizer, research organisations such as RSSL and the University of Reading, and collaborators from our own science departments, we offered a diverse range of unusual and interesting STEM themed workshops.
This term the building project for the Music and Media Centre (MMC) began in earnest, which has led to exciting solutions having to be found for well-established events. The Senior school production of ‘Woyzeck’ was a triumph for our new Head of Drama, Peter Scoggins, with wonderful action and circus skills being displayed in a big top situated in the grounds. Even House Music had to limit numbers in the Hall and, due to demand, was live-streamed to Peckover Hall for students and parents to enjoy the high quality performances of the evening. With British Science Week in March, STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) has been top of the agenda nationally, as well as at Leighton Park, this term. Our ambition to become a STEM Centre of Excellence is driving many activities beyond the curriculum and is engaging students from all year
Contents News
pages three, four, five and six
Art
page seven
STEM
pages eight and nine
Library
pages ten and eleven
Music
page twelve
Drama
page thirteen
In contrast to the hi-tech world of STEM, a highlight of the term has been the annual Book Week. Incorporating the fourth Writing for Teenagers Conference, the week gave us another opportunity to welcome Year 9s from other local schools to the Park, this time to participate in workshops with five well-known authors.
Sport
The UCAS trip to the University of Surrey, combined with the Careers Fair, has opened up a wealth of future choices for Sixth Formers and younger students keen to consider the myriad of opportunities available upon leaving school. All of the curricular and extra-curricular activities we offer, the nurturing environment and our friendly community, prepare our students for the world outside the Park and I believe that every one of the many school experiences at Leighton Park helps shape our students into citizens fit for the future.
Development
With best wishes, Nigel Williams, Head
Final Collect
Students gathered in Main Hall on Friday 31st March for Final Collect and were treated to two performances from House Music after celebrating this term’s fantastic academic and sporting successes. Reckitt House were pronounced this term’s winners of the Merit Cup (which was filled to the brim with chocolate treats), with just two merits separating them and School House in second place!
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pages fourteen, fifteen and sixteen
Geography
page seventeen
Sixth Form
page eighteen page nineteen
PSC
page twenty Please visit Leightonpark.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-todate news throughout the year. The front cover image shows the Senior Production of Woyzeck, March 2017. Photograph by kind permission of Nigel Blain.
News
A World of Chocolate Year 9 students had the chance to see, experience and learn about George Cadbury and his Quaker beliefs after visiting Cadbury World on Wednesday 1st February. Students enjoyed a selection of activities including a tour of the Bournville Meeting House, a themed trail about the Quaker influences in Bournville village, entry into Cadbury World, an exhibition about the Cadbury family and a special 45 minute talk about Quakerism and Business Ethics. Stocking up on their favourite Cadbury chocolate before heading home was also a necessity of course!
MMC Update
The extension to Main Hall, which will provide a new Music and Media Centre (MMC) for our community once it is completed early in 2018, is now well underway. Over the last term significant progress has been made removing the existing canopy, pillars, steps and planters, clearing the site, digging foundations, laying the groundworks and pouring the first concrete. Inside the hoardings piles of earth have been mounting up, cables have been moved and despite the vagaries of the English weather, our contractors, Basil Wyatt, have worked hard to bring the architect’s vision and our dream off the plans and into a tangible reality. Once finished, the MMC will offer: seven new practice rooms and three new classrooms; a custom built media room with green screen, lighting, editing equipment and surround sound cinema system; a ‘live lounge’ space, inspired by BBC1 for band rehearsals, recording and broadcasting; an extended foyer space for small events such as exhibitions and receptions; and externally there will be new paved and pedestrian areas with seating which all members of the Leighton Park community and visitors to the Park can enjoy as areas for relaxation.
Made by Fryers
Over the spring term students in Year 7 have been working on the creation, production and marketing of their very own brand of chocolate! Designing the logo and packaging using CAD software, carving a wooden frame with the laser cutter and forming PET moulds with draft angles combined imaginative ideas with practical skills. “Students studied typography as part of the brand identity and understood how this could be furthered through social media,” said DT teacher, Mark Smith. “Some of them created t-shirts designed in CAD and then used heat pressed onto fabric using image transfer paper and others laser cut key rings.” He continued, “It’s a brilliant project; they loved it!”. The finale came on Monday 30th January when Fryers were able to make two chocolate bars each and taste the results of their efforts!
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An Edible Education
On Friday 3rd February Year 9 students enjoyed participating in the Chocolate Box Challenge; a fun and informative business game all about chocolate. Run by Inspiring Futures, the event aims to help students develop the skills they will need in the workplace; teamwork, presentation, marketing and negotiation. “It sits nicely with our Year 9s choicemaking for GCSE.” explained Head of Careers, Elaine King.
News
World Kidney Day Staff enjoyed some delicious bakes in the Common Room at break on Thursday 9th March, courtesy of Deirdre Dyson and Rachael Martin, in exchange for supporting World Kidney Day. It proved to be both a scrumptious and successful occasion as they raised £160 for Kidney Research UK!
EXPO 2017 This year’s EXPO showcased an excellent set of motivated students all of whom demonstrated huge professionalism and passion at the Upper Sixth lectures. Talks covered a range of topics from the logistics of airports and the effects of child marriage in Kenya, to novel forms of medicine, deformation of polymers at high temperature and the acidification of the oceans. “The project was something not a lot people knew about and by presenting our work we are able to give people that knowledge as well and share something we have worked really hard on.” said Ellie Washington. “We had a really inquisitive audience that asked insightful questions. It was a great atmosphere and people were really supportive. It was fun because you get to be the expert in the room and share your knowledge.” added Aiyana Tandon. “Doing the EPQ has been really good; in two university interviews, they directly brought up my EPQ and asked me about it, so it has
been really helpful for that. I would advise students to do it but they need to appreciate how much time the qualification takes up because whilst it’s a side activity it takes up just as much – if not more – time as my other subjects!” commented Ethan Houchen. Ken Sullivan, Head of Teaching and
“The whole evening was exceptional, with a joyful sharing of intellectual curiosity between A Level and IB students, friends, teachers and family.” Learning, said,
Sexpression Oxford Brainstretchers
Sexpression Oxford is a voluntary organisation made up of current Oxford University students dedicated to helping young people make informed choices. On 26th January eight students from the organisation came to the Park to speak to Year 10-13 students on the topic of consent. The whole of the Sixth Form received a presentation in Main Hall that covered an array of important topics for young people and incorporated a quiz to highlight some surprising – and even shocking – statistics. The workshops received by Year 10 and 11 students encouraged them to define what they think ‘consent’ means as well as
discussing scenario cards, myth-busting and communication. Nicky Hardy, Head of Your Life and Welfare, describes the benefit of the workshops commenting,
“The university students were extremely knowledgeable. Their interactive style was much appreciated and valued by our students”. 4
Last term we introduced a new series of the enlightening talks conducted by various members of staff, designed to expand the minds of the Leighton Park community, appropriately called ‘Brainstretchers’! The lectures varied tremendously and could be on anything at all; topics such as life on other planets, artificial intelligence, film music composition and the power of and diverse forms of art were just a few. Each student that attended at least ten of the talks received a badge for their commitment. The most dedicated brainstretcher was Camilla Harding (Year 8), who went to 27 talks in all!
Fryer Dance Workshop
Woodley Festival
Professional performer and dance teacher, Josh Jones, from Art Space Projects, conducted a lively dance workshop for Year 8 boys on the afternoon of Monday 30th January. The workshop included a warm up, games and teamwork and partner tasks, which encouraged students to experiment with choreographic tools and different movement qualities so they can form their own dance sequences.
Chinese New Year Dinner To celebrate the incoming Chinese New Year - year of the ‘Fire Rooster’ - 31 students and six Chinese student visitors staying at Grove House, came together for the festivities and enjoyed a meal at a local Chinese restaurant. Mandarin teacher, Lan Kuang, said, “It was a fantastic evening with a range of students from all year groups. They enjoyed traditional Chinese food such as dumplings, lucky fish, Beijing duck, westlake beef soup and other delicious dishes. All of the students and Chinese student visitors had a great evening.”
Fryers took part in the Woodley Festival of Music and Arts for the second year running with thirteen students performing a variety of acts across Drama, Music, Voice and Verse. The festival took place throughout each weekend in March and the Fryers received brilliant results, achieving five golds, four silvers and five bronzes.
Comic Relief It was Mufti Day on the Park on Friday 24th March as students supported Comic Relief and were able to buy some goodies at lunch time with the proceeds going towards the charity. Some members of staff were very dedicated when it came to supporting the red theme on Red Nose Day (see Head of Boarding, Myles Nash’s hair!). There was also the highly anticipated Student Squad vs. All Star Staff Team hockey match in the afternoon that saw the students win 5 -2!
Angelika Etherington-Smith (Year 8) took part in five events, winning three golds and one silver, Joe Partyka (Year 8) took place in three events, winning one silver and two bronze and Lucy Pither and Olivia Walcott (both Year 8) won gold and the Duologue Cup for the Most Memorable Performance in Duologue Verse Speaking! “It’s great to see so many Fryers volunteer for the Woodley Festival again this year. The really incredible thing is how much support they show for each other; it just highlights the great sense of community within the House.” commented Adrian Stewart, Head of Lower School. Two Sixth Formers also entered events in the festival, Elif Lammel (Upper Sixth) and Henry Middleton (Lower Sixth). Elif won the gold medal for the vocal solo and Henry won the silver in the same event. To top things off, Elif was awarded a trophy for the most promising young singer aged 16-18 and was even asked to sing again for the Festival Finale concert on Sunday 26th March!
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News
Battle of the Batter!
Duke of Edinburgh Award
At the start of term, Ann Munday, Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) Co-ordinator, was delighted to welcome Christian Scott, Director of South East D of E, who presented Leighton Park School with our certification and plaque for becoming an independent Licensed D of E Centre!
Four teams of eight, with equal numbers of boys and girls from Years 7 to Upper Sixth, charged twice around the Park at lunchtime on Tuesday 28th February armed with pans and pancakes.
The leading youth achievement award has continued to be a great success throughout many schools and universities nationwide for over 60 years and Christian highlighted the invaluable skills and qualities the programme develops. The D of E certification allows the school to adopt independence over the scheme and completely embody the D of E ethos, which encompasses many of Leighton Park’s inherent qualities such as respect, integrity, equality and sustainability. Christian commented on this fantastic achievement
The second annual pancake race saw crowds gather outside Oakview to cheer on their House, offer flipping advice and even running alongside the athletes. The crepes provided by Thomas Franks were up to their usual delicious standard and held together well despite the energetic, and not always so expert, pancake tossing skills displayed in the appropriate zones of the relay course.
”I am delighted to present Leighton Park with their own licence; we look forward to working with the school for years to come.” for the school saying,
Over the last term, the D of E groups have undertaken the following tasks: practice of cooking on a trangia, creating meals such as cheesy fusilli, beef stirfry and chicken curry; erecting tents; route planning and map reading, in preparation for their expeditions. There have also been practice walks including the Bronze group’s five hour hike from Mortimer to Silchester on Saturday 4th February.The school’s very first award presentation ceremony under our new licence was held on Sunday 26th March, with four silver and 28 bronze awards being presented by Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire, Mr James Puxley.
Who’s Going Overboard?! Inspired by World Book Day celebrations, English teacher, Naomi Bonthrone, ran a balloon debate for her Year 9 English class on Thursday 2nd March. Students adopted the personae of characters from literature, history, the popular press and human rights movements, to argue against one another for a place in the sinking airship. The audience then had to vote to decide who would be saved; JK Rowling or Walt Disney? Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama? Taylor Swift or Beyonce? The decisions were tough!
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Speed was of the essence and Grove House was first over the line in just two minutes 33 seconds, securing the Golden Pan trophy from last year’s winners, Reckitt.
Art
Creative Inspiration in London
Artists in Oakview
Head of Art, Mark Wood, explains why he chose Nick Sheridan (Lower Sixth) to be the Artist in the Spotlight in Oakview, “I chose Nick because his work displays some very topical ideas about migration and displaced communities. He’s had a remarkable journey since the start of Year 12 and has hit the ground running and gathered so much momentum.” Nick explains a bit more about the thoughts behind his bold
“When I began to explore the boundaries and divisions across the world, both on a geographic level and on a socio-economic level, I became shocked and fascinated by the huge differences within societies. My work aims to explore these divisions through use of colour, shape, pattern and line.”
work,
Potters on the Park! Since the beginning of the year, Cáit Gould, Quaker and ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’ series two contestant, has been bringing her brilliantly quirky and creative ceramic skills to the Park and teaching her skills to a group of Fryers.
Students focused their attention on all things man-made, from the urban patterns and brutalist structures of the South Bank to the newly renovated Tate Modern. ‘Love it or hate it’ discussions ensued with reactions to the work of modern masters such as Marcel Duchamp and Eduardo Paolozzi. Students were able to see the expansive cityscapes of Mark Bradford and Julie Mehretu before heading to the top floor viewing deck for an impressive 360 degree bird’s eye view of London. Soon on the move again, artists drew the renaissance splendour at St Paul’s before photographing the ever-evolving city of London.
Fryers have enjoyed throwing their own pottery creations under Cáit’s supervision, learning how to slap, shape and perfect moneyboxes, with designs ranging from food to animals and to monsters! “It’s been really fun.” commented Teigan HarrisonJones, (Year 7). “Students have enjoyed making their money banks; some students really know what they want to do and are quite focused, whereas others get a bit frustrated with their designs! Teaching Fryers has been really great; I used to be a primary school teacher up in Scotland so it’s nice to bring my teaching and ceramic background together here at Leighton Park.” Cáit explains. As Cáit commented in magazine, ‘the Friend’ [17th February 2017], “Quakerism, teaching and ceramics! It’s all been brought together!”
Year 10 Art students were in London on Monday 30th January absorbing everything creative; Art, Architecture and Fashion. A group of 22 Art and Textiles students set off with a packed itinerary to respond to some of London’s most iconic art museums, providing students with new inspiration for their portfolios as they continue to explore the theme ‘Structure and Form’.
Who knows, maybe we will see some of them on ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’ in the future!
Artists Love Life Drawing Sixth Form artists have enjoyed venturing to the Rising Sun Arts Centre in Reading for Life Drawing sessions on several Tuesday evenings throughout the spring term with Sam Heath, Artist in Residence. Models for one of the sessions even included Ken Sullivan, Head of Teaching and Learning, with his dog!
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The final stop on our trip was the Barbican to catch the last week of the ‘Vulgar Fashion’ exhibition. As evening fell, students scrambled aboard a rush hour tube back to Waterloo, which was a fitting contrast to compare to the tranquillity of the Park.
STEM
Intermediate Maths Challenge
Berkshire’s Inaugural Big Bang!
On Thursday 2nd February, Year 9, 10 and 11 mathematicians took part in the annual Intermediate Maths Challenge run by United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT). Over 70 students took part in the popular event that tests students’ knowledge of maths outside the school’s curriculum and encourages them to think differently. The school achieved great results on the first round of the Maths Challenge with 30 students achieving gold (12), silver (9) or bronze (9). Adel Kiss, Head of Maths, said, “It’s so great to see my students take the challenge so seriously. Each student showed great maturity and determination to do well.”
An explosive morning of interactive Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) workshops and presentations from some of the UK’s leading scientific organisations excited pupils from ten local schools on Tuesday 7th March. The first ‘Big Bang Interactive’ to take place in Berkshire was held here on the Park, in conjunction with seasoned organisers, STEM Sussex.
the Physics, Biology and Chemistry staff teamed up to offer a ‘CSI-Crime Scene Investigation’ on the theft of the Head’s Christmas Selection Box and the Maths Department created a number based quiz covering several locations across the 60 acre park.
PunkScience, the Science Museum’s resident comedy team, promised to deliver ‘the most horrible show in the world’. The groans, grimaces and guffaws which accompanied each of the three sessions they led, offered the team lots of audible appreciation for their revolting demonstrations and gross experiments!
“We very much hope that this will become an annual event developing young students into creative, critical thinkers and providing opportunities to learn problem solving skills. If noise and excitement levels are good gauge of success – then I would say that today’s event has taken a tremendous step forward in achieving this aspiration!”
Students from the eleven participating schools were split into ten scientifically appropriate groups such as ‘Stephen Hawkins’, ‘Sir Edward Jenner’ and ‘Marie Curie’. Each group enjoyed two out of a possible ten interactive workshops led by industry experts from global companies and Leighton Park’s Computer Science Department delivered a Robotics session,
Event initiator and Deputy Head (Academic), Karen Gracie-Langrick, said
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Cookie Liu, Maths teacher, was delighted with the results saying, “It is a great achievement to qualify for the second round of the Maths Challenge, which twelve of our students have! Our Intermediate Challenge results significantly outperformed the national average so I feel very proud of our students.” One of our students in particular had cause for celebration, Sophie Park, (Year 11) after she was invited to a summer training maths camp organised by the University of Oxford because of her mathematic ability in the competitive challenges. Sophie was delighted saying, “I was shocked by my result; I was expecting bronze! I thought I had misheard and had to ask my teacher to repeat it! I am looking forward to the five day residential in Oxford; it will be interesting. I want to use maths in my career and if I go to a British university I am thinking I might do maths or maybe computer science.” Good luck to Sophie and we look forward to hearing the next round of results!
The Greenpower Project Inspires Students! A mix of 25 engineers and designers from Years 7 -11 have been spending the last few months putting together their car for the Greenpower Project. Each student has adopted their own role, whether it be assembling, designing or fundraising! The Greenpower Education Trust’s objective is to advance education in the subjects of sustainable engineering and technology. They created the Greenpower Project to inspire young people to become interested in engineering by getting them to design, build and race their own electric powered car. The event sparks a lot of interest in pupils nationwide, with 450 schools taking part in the event that involves 2 x 90 minute races at some of the best motor sport venues across the UK! Myles Nash, Head of DT, has been guiding students, “The Greenpower Project is great opportunity for students to focus on their design and technology skills and embrace engineering by looking at aerodynamics, stream-lining and your ability to manage power”. One of our students involved in the Greenpower project who is hoping to race the car, Henry Miles (Year 10), has developed a real passion for kart racing, being awarded Novice Champion in 2015 and Vice Champion 2016 in a National Championship. Henry explains
“I have driven against some of the best young drivers in the UK and Europe in the Ginetta Junior Scholarship and had great feedback on my driving. This year I’m hoping to compete in another National Championship, the GPK series, which offers drivers the chance to race in the karting world finals and Ginetta Junior winter series. This series is brilliant but there a lot of high costs involved with the sport so I’m hoping to get sponsorship in order to keep progressing.” a bit more about his achievements:
Junior Maths Team Challenge The group created Leighton Park history with their podium-finish to come third at the final whistle; the highest regional finish for the school ever, just behind Reading School and Trinity! Cookie Liu, Maths teacher, said, “We were delighted with the team’s performance on the day but, more importantly, the effort in training and preparing for the finals deserved the applause. They were supported by our Sixth Form Senior Maths Team members who acted as their mentors and guides throughout their training so a thank you is also in order for Ben Butcher, Runbei Cheng, Kiki Zheng and Cheney Zheng who made it possible for the Junior Team to excel in the competition!” The Junior Maths Team Challenge took place on Friday 17th March and it was an extraordinary day of mathematical adventures, full of unexpected twists and turns! The team comprised of four members, Andy Ouyang (Year 9), Annie Milhofer (Year 9), Philippos Makridakis (Year 8) and Niam Patel (Year 8), who were all taking part in the Team Maths Challenge for the first time.
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Students Receive ‘Maths Inspiration’ On Monday 28th February a group of Sixth Form mathematicians attended the ‘Maths Inspiration’ enrichment lectures at The Hexagon in Reading. The excellent mathematical content of the event as well as the highly entertaining presentations were much appreciated by students and teachers equally! Kiki Zheng (Upper Sixth), summed up the event saying, “The inspiration was amazing and all of the speakers were fantastic!”
Library Altin’s Pomegranate Tree
Former journalist and newly acclaimed author, Vanessa Altin, visited the school on 24th January with her first novel, ‘The Pomegranate Tree’, which details a harrowing but hopeful story of a young Kurdish teenager living close to the Turkish border, battling to reunite her family that has been ripped apart by terrorists.
Vanessa concluded her visit with hopes that readers will find the book uplifting and that she can spread the message of what is happening on the Turkish and Syrian borders so people don’t turn their backs on Kurdish children. “It is a privilege to talk to the students at Leighton Park and pass on the message for the children I met in Turkey. I’m glad I have met such an appreciative audience here at Leighton Park and it was a pleasure meeting the students.” she said.
Book Week 2017 Leighton Park’s ever-popular Book Week, took place between 27th February and 3rd March, incorporating the global World Book Day celebrations for 2017. Fryer Book Club opened the gloriously colourful book shop in the Cadbury Room on Monday. Commission from the book sales was donated to TheirWorld, a charitable project dedicated to getting Syrian refugee children back into school. Jo Cotterill, author of ‘Electrigirl’, ran creative writing workshops on Tuesday which organiser and librarian, Chris Routh, said
“fantastic because they gave the students permission to break the rules, let their imagination run away with them and produce some really original pieces of creative writing.”
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Members of the Senior Book Group felt enlightened and inspired by the talk. “It was eye opening to learn what is actually happening, as you aren’t sure about the conflict in the novel.” commented Isabella Payne (Year 11). “It makes you realise that what you’re reading happens all the time and we have no idea.” Emily MacKenzie (Year 11) agreed. “Listening to Vanessa describe her thoughts sheds light and insight both contextually on the book and how she went about writing it.” Jonty Hyde (Lower Sixth) added.
Jo Cotterill was delighted by the engagement exhibited by the Fryers and by their literary talents, “I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Leighton Park,” she said, “The students were fizzing with ideas and wrote some great imaginative stories. I look forward to seeing some of the students’ names on the covers of books in the future!”
Let the Magic Begin!
Harry Potter Quiz Night on Thursday 2nd February saw Main Hall magically transformed into Hogwarts with senior House teams representing J K Rowling’s creations. Grove became Gyffindor, School was Slytherin, Reckitt was Ravenclaw and Field, Hufflepuff. As this year’s theme was The Professors of Hogwarts, Graduate Residents Grace Ritchie, Harry Davidson, Rose Kerbyson, Sam Heath plus English teacher Naomi Bonthrone made up a fifth team. A battle of witchcraft and wits, with questions posed by our Deputy Head and Quiz Master Eddie Falshaw, saw Gryffindor emerge victorious.
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Continuing their creativity, the Fryers were entertained on Wednesday by writers Margaret Bateson-Hill, and Anna McQuinn, who shared their experiences of creating, publishing and marketing a children’s book written in both Mandarin and English, ‘Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain’. Subsequent workshops included a presentation on illustration and editing for children and a paper-cutting session that had Year 8 snipping butterflies, flowers and some striking geometric shapes.
Our caterers, Thomas Franks, did us proud for World Book Day on Thursday whipping up an incredible ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ themed spread for the occasion! The menu included ‘Dodo and Toadstool Pie’ (chicken and bacon), plenty of tea party cupcakes and a hand of playing cards modelled by the catering team wearing tabbards! While tucking into their lunches students were treated to a short reading from the novel by Chris and English teacher, Naomi Bonthrone, dressed as the mad hatter. The themed quiz was won by Daisy Butterworth and Kiera Frost (Lower Sixth). Our Year 9s welcomed three visiting schools, Queen Anne’s School, Desborough College and The Piggott School, to Friday’s fourth annual Writing for Teenagers Conference and a series of talks by acclaimed authors. Combined with lunchtime workshops the students had some great opportunities to develop their own ideas and write creatively. There was a ‘Spot the human rights’ exercise with Barbara Band as students hunted down examples of rights being upheld, exercised or infringed on a very detailed poster from Amnesty International. Fascinating characters were dreamed up in Sita Brahmachari’s creative flow workshop as Year 9s imagined who their character might love or what possessions they might carry with them. Jon Walter led a seaside themed writing experience as students wrote and read aloud descriptions of a meeting on a pier in response to prose prompts. Nicky Singer encouraged students to begin making up stories by focusing on a memory and then fictionalizing it to give their creative writing more authenticity. Vanessa Altin gave an inspiring talk about her experiences as a journalist, focusing on why writing stories about real-life situations can help to give a voice to people caught up in challenging circumstances and encourage readers to develop a better understanding of what it’s like to be someone else.
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Music
Raising the Bar and the Roof!
Students Stun in the Soloists’ and Scholars’ Concerts!
Fourteen talented students amazed crowds at the spring term Soloists’ Concert on Wednesday 25th January, performing a variety of outstanding musical pieces from classical to jazz to contemporary. Harry Davidson, Music and Media Graduate Resident, commented on the evening saying, “The concert was superb, with a high standard of performance and a wide variety of music. The event showcased the professionalism of the school’s students, both in the performers’ assured stage presence, as well as in the way the technical crew handled setting up, managing and resetting the stage”.
House Music 2017 kicked off on Thursday 23rd February with more than just a bang, as students made their way into Main Hall chanting, cheering and clanging pots and pans with excitement as they awaited the start of the highly anticipated music competition. The four Senior Houses battled against each other for the House Music trophy and students from Year 9 to Sixth Form astounded the audience with performances of incredible and impressive talent. Director of Music, Rosemary Scales, summed up the occasion, “It’s a phenomenal event; it’s a mixture between a gig, a rugby match and a concert! The students think it is the very best thing that happens all year!” After some difficult adjudication victory was revealed for Field House as they retained the House Music cup for a second year. School House were winners of the Ballard Baton, an award for the House that has shown the greatest community spirit in preparation for and performance at House Music, collected by Will Mackay (Upper Sixth).
Students Cheer for Reading Runners! Staff and students supported runners taking part in the Reading half marathon on Sunday 19th March with musical entertainment, playing both a selection of musical pieces as well as having periods for those that were less musically talented to make some noise and cheer on the runners, especially Reckitt Housemaster, Robin Longworth!
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Stephanie Cameron (Year 10), won the Reinstein Alldis Music Award at the end of last term and performed in the Soloists’ concert, Stephanie commented, “I really enjoyed the concert, not only taking part myself but also listening to the other students performing there was such a wide range of talent throughout the evening!” The school community was treated to a second round of incredible musical talent on Wednesday 1st March in the Scholars’ Concert which ranged across a wide range of styles and instruments. “It was a wonderful evening of performances and as one parent stated as they left, “The standard is incredible”. “Well done to every student who performed in such a memorable concert.” added Rosemary Scales, Director of Music.
Drama Madness and Murder at the Circus!
Amadeus
From 8th – 10th February the Park saw a truly unique performance, both in location as guests gathered in a brilliant striped red circus tent, as well as in theatrical exploration as performers contrasted the murderous plot of ‘Woyzeck’ with the cheerful frivolity of a circus setting. ‘Woyzeck’ is a dark play originally set in a small 19th century German garrison town, however, for the school’s production the setting of ‘Woyzeck’ was transported to a small travelling run-down circus at the start of the 20th century. Performers in the production experienced a variety of outings and workshops to inspire them with how to understand the unusual setting and devise their own circus scenes. Despite the fun circus elements, the tragic central focus of the play remained intact as Christian Wheeler (Lower Sixth) portrayed the down-trodden and inarticulate Franz Woyzeck’s descent into madness. Christian commented, “Playing the disturbed Woyzeck was probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do as an actor but the feeling of achievement
afterwards made all the work worthwhile and despite the pressure and stress, I thoroughly enjoyed taking part.” Vladislav Fedorov (Lower Sixth), who played Andres, Woyzeck’s friend and confidant, revealed the difficult demands for the production due to the unconventional location, “Performing in a circus tent was an interesting experience because we had a few complications with space and the acoustics on our way to the final performance but I would be prepared to go through that journey again and again just to experience that incredible feeling of accomplishment after the curtain call!” Students from Year 9 to the Upper Sixth contributed to the technical crew, the band, costumes and make-up over the three night run and received a monumental round of applause for all of their dedication and hard work. This year has showcased another memorable Senior Production and demonstrated the abundance of talent throughout the school.
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On Monday 27th February Drama students got to see a performance of the acclaimed revival of ‘Amadeus’ by Peter Shaffer at The National Theatre. The play is written to include several theatrical techniques which students first witnessed when they saw Brecht’s ‘Threepenny Opera’, at the same theatre last term. In ‘Amadeus’ students were able to see the combination of direct address, visual spectacle, storytelling and the amazing live music that was so central to the production. Students came away with the images from the production’s amazing mobile scenery and the wonderful music of Mozart that was played and sung live on stage by the Southbank Sinfonia who acted as a chorus to the action throughout.
Sport
Fryer Rugby
Football Update The 1st XI footballers played in the Super 8 League which proved to be a testing tournament! The 2nd XI did well, winning more than half of their matches with members of the team progressing into the 1st XI. The 3rd and 4th teams have made good progress as they have taken part in weekly fixtures and for the first time ever Leighton Park was able to field a 5th XI team!
Alex Fox, Fryer Rugby A Team Coach, gives us the latest on the great achievements Fryers have made this term: “Fryer Rugby has been a huge success this term as we have had more participants playing rugby competitively than ever before.
Cross Country Success
The A team have the best win/loss ratio of the school, winning seven out nine XII a side fixtures and Diamond Edwards (Year 8) has broken the top try records by scoring 25 tries in seven games! Jack Gilbey (Year 8) has captained the team exceptionally well, leading the team on and off the field, increasing the enjoyment, motivation and standard of rugby through all Fryer teams. The B and C teams have also made tremendous improvements, winning 50% of their games, which is a great achievement considering the majority of the C team picked up a rugby ball for the first time in January.
Kirsty Walker (Lower Sixth) and Nicola Lee (Year 8) have both had magnificent cross country seasons. They have represented Reading Athletics Club in the Hampshire X-Country League culminating at the final league match, with Kirsty enjoying her third win of the season and Nicola her first. Kirsty is at the very top of British cross country running coming 6th at the English National Championships, 12th at the UK Counties Athletics Union Championships (representing Berkshire) and 4th at the English Schools Championships (representing Berkshire and of course, Leighton Park). Nicola finished 61st at the National Championships and 65th at the County Championships. Ben Rowe (Year 9) also represented his club (Bracknell) at the English championships in Nottingham.
Netball Summary Our netball teams have had a successful season with all age groups producing excellent performances this term. Fryers have developed tremendously, with recent wins against local schools, Reddam House and St Joseph’s College.The U14s have impressed with their hard work and team interplay winning eight out of their eleven games and the U15s have been unbeaten this season, winning all twelve of their competitive fixtures, winning the Reading Schools Netball League. With such a successful season, Year 9 and 10 are looking forward to their tour in May to Shropshire! The Seniors were promoted to higher divisions in the Super 9 League and on Thursday 23rd March we hosted the finals on our outdoor courts! The 1st VII came 5th from nine teams overall, which was a great success considering it was the first year they have played in the A division!
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Teaching the Fryers has been a fantastic experience this year. Their willingness to learn is really admirable and I am looking forward to what next year brings.”
London Irish Match Day Experience
Pre-season Training
On Saturday 25th February, a group of 20 rugby enthusiasts experienced rugby training and coaching from community and academy coaches on the Park, before heading off to meet some of the players and watch a game at the internationally recognised Madejeski stadium, home to the professional rugby club, London Irish!
Some enthusiastic athletes cut short their Christmas holiday for some fun and intense pre-season training on Friday 6th January.
PE and Games teacher, Alex Fox, accompanied students and commented on what a fantastic day the visit was: “The training sessions were productive and fun and it has been a great opportunity to chat to the players, watch them in action, as well as having a tour of the stadium and even meeting their mascot, Digger! It was great to see the students enjoy the experience; hopefully it has encouraged some of them to consider coming along to the rugby tour to Treviso we are planning in October half-term!”
The netball and football teams made the most of our new Strength and Conditioning Suite as they took part in specialised training drills and fitness sessions, preparing them for the season ahead. The students took part in a power circuit which worked their whole body and another that worked on sport specific movements to reinforce motor patterns. Their fitness was tested in the cardio suite where they got to do circuits on the new equipment. Alex Fox, PE and Games teacher, said, “It is great to have so many senior and junior athletes who are looking at improving their sporting aptitude.”
Porto Football Tour During half term, fifteen Year 10 and 11s went on a sports development tour run by InspireSport to Porto, Portugal, from Monday 13th to Friday 17th February. The trip didn’t involve students soaking up the Mediterranean sun however, our inspired footballers spent their time undertaking intense training sessions with coaches from the FC Porto Academy and playing friendly matches against local academy teams. “It was great to see all the boys develop over the week and perform so well in the matches.” commented Tim Green, PE and Games teacher. “The team had the privilege of watching FC Porto and getting a tour of the Estádio do Dragão which was great but the highlight of the trip had to be our astounding wins for both matches which were 5-1 and 5-0! The games saw some truly fantastic goals by Alex Allison, Markel Olabe and Jimmy Howland-Milne just to name a few!”
New Strength and Conditioning Suite
The Sports Department were delighted to open the refurbished Strength and Conditioning Suite at the start of term. Available for timetabled lessons, extra-curricular sessions and the APP athletes, the new equipment is getting plenty of enthusiastic use!
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Sport
Gaelic Football
Fit for the Stars! Nicola Lee (Year 8) reveals the fun Fryer girls had on Wednesday 22nd March as they experienced one of Ireland’s famous sports, Gaelic football. “Gaelic football is a fast paced mixture of football, rugby and volleyball, which requires tonnes of skill, so who better to teach us than our very own Gaelic football be ban Dia (goddess in Irish), Head of Geography, Eithne Laird, and trusty sidekick, English teacher, Alex Leighton!
Professional fitness trainer, Svava Sigertsdottir (aka The Viking Method) put the Advance Performer Programme (APP) athletes through their paces on Friday 27th January in a modern take on body weight and functional training. Svava’s philosophy revolves around how you feel and perform rather than how you look and is known for her work with celebrities like Nicole Sherzinger and Amanda Holden. Students experienced a tough workout as they tried out Svava’s approach in an hour long session. Jeremy Belas, Director of Sport, said, “It was a great evening for the APP group and one they certainly felt the next day... or two!”
“Their dedication, focus, determination and how they just gave absolutely everything blew me away! Each and every one of them will go so far. Deeply enjoyed the time I had with them and my visit to Leighton Park.” Svava reflected,
Sports Dinner 2017
A celebration of sport took place on Thursday 16th March with guest of honour, Olympic Hockey player, Hollie Webb, joining students from Year 11 to the Upper Sixth in Oakview. The annual Sports Dinner recognises effort and achievement for the schools senior teams across rugby, football, hockey, netball, cricket and basketball and was attended this year by 70 students and 20 staff, scrubbed and sequinned for the occasion! With a welcoming drinks reception, a scrumptious Thomas Franks’ three-course menu, a tri-part awards ceremony and Hollie’s after dinner speech, the night was guaranteed
to be a success. “It was a great evening,” commented Jeremy Belas, Director of Sport, “Hollie Webb was fantastic and answered all of the students’ interesting and insightful questions, such as ‘How did you feel just before you took the penalty that won Gold for Britain in the Rio Olympics?’ and ‘What is your ‘go to’ meal?’.” The students were awed by Hollie’s gold medal and were also able to enjoy their own trophies as awards were given out within each sport for ‘Players’ Player’ and for ‘Coach’s Player’, whilst recognising that in team sport every individual’s dedicated contribution is invaluable.
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We started off by learning the hand pass, the kick pass and travelling with the ball. When you run with the ball you can only run for four steps so after your fourth you have to either bounce it or do a solo, which is where you drop the ball onto your foot and kick it back up to your hands. After we got the basic technique for the game we split into three groups and put our skills to test. We all enjoyed learning the game and are hoping Eithne brings it back next term!”
Geography Exploring the Great Outdoors
Lower Sixth Geographers ventured to Slapton Ley Field Centre in Devon on 1st to 2nd March for a one night residential trip to get first-hand experience on some of their textbook theory. Enthusiastic participant, Jonty Hyde said, “Not only was the trip great fun but also incredibly helpful, both reinforcing and expanding on our geographical knowledge through talks but most importantly experiencing the geography we had spent so long learning.” Fellow student Ben Green agreed, “I had fun; it was interesting to see how rural settlements work and how one business such as the field centre can support a village as much as it does in Slapton.” Head of Geography and trip organiser, Eithne Laird, commented, “It was great to see an appreciation from the students of the benefits of going into the field and experiencing geography first hand.” “It was an amazing experience.” concluded Jacco Hui, “It provided visual aid to our learning of river processes as we were in the river and connected with nature.”
A Test of Knowledge!
Year 8s got creative on 17th March making squatter settlements out of recycled materials to reflect their learning of the topic of ‘Life in a Favela’. “We did a lot of research on Brazilian favelas this term and found out that people literally have ‘rubbish lives’ because their houses are made of things that people from the city do not want. To get a better sense of squatter settlements we spent a lesson building our own miniature favelas.” Toby Cleare explains. “When we built our favelas we had some rules; they had to be shake proof and waterproof.” commented Laoise Morgan. “Once we had made our favelas, we had a durability test to simulate weather. We shook them and poured water on them. Fortunately none of them failed!” added Jamie McLellan.
On Wednesday 18th January, six students took part in the Geography Association (GA) Worldwise Local Quiz at Reading School. 30 schools battled against each other to win a selection of top prizes, with questions comprising a variety of geographical knowledge from capital cities to local counties, landmarks to map reading skills. All of the students agreed the most difficult part of the quiz was the section covering counties in the UK and UK geography! Interestingly, Leighton Park flourished in the International Geography section. “I learnt I need to learn more about counties in the UK. I didn’t know any of the questions which was really embarrassing!” exclaimed Alex Allison (Year 10). “It was really interesting but very competitive; it was a good team effort”, Alex added.
Year 8 Settlements
The exercise was a great success; Jamie Bowsher reveals, “All of the favelas came out very well. This has been my favourite topic this year!”.
Jozef Partyka (Year 8) said, “It was a great experience and a good exercise for teamwork! My advice for participants for next year would be don’t be nervous but make sure you revise; revise a lot!”
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Sixth Form Psychologists in London
UCAS Convention Lower Sixth students ventured to Surrey University on Tuesday 14th March for the UCAS Convention where representatives from 159 organisations presented them with a myriad of opportunities. Helen Taylor, Head of Sixth Form, commented, “It can be a challenge to decide which courses to apply to from the thousands on offer and this is one way in which students can begin to narrow down the huge choice. They have already been using ‘Unifrog’ software to explore options so this will be a very valuable day.”
On Thursday 19th January, nineteen AS Psychology students from the Lower Sixth spent the day in London exploring the wonders of the Natural History and Science Museums. The Human Development Gallery was a highlight of the trip; students enjoyed learning more about the nervous system and stress response and reflected on what they have already covered in class on memory and eyewitness testimony. In the ‘Who Am I?’ gallery, students discovered more about the influence of genetics, such as different types of phobia and factors affecting gender development.
They got to see some sections of one the most famous brains in Psychology, that of Henry Molaison, who had no long term memory. They were also excited to listen to a recorded interview with him. The interactive exhibitions helped bring the syllabus alive and made the topics engaging, “I really enjoyed the trip as I learnt a lot and found the diagrams and games helpful.” commented Ally Eyles. Joseph Blundell agreed, saying, “The trip was fun because I learnt lots of new things and had a good experience. It was very relevant to our course and has definitely helped with learning the AS Psychology syllabus.”
Oooh La La!
A small group of Sixth Formers studying French enjoyed a trip to Paris from 2nd to 5th February. After the cruise on the Seine, students visited the famous Eiffel Tower and soaked up the views of the city. Over the next three days, students absorbed the Parisian culture by visiting art galleries, shopping, visiting the Quartier Latin (a student district which holds many Parisian universities and academic institutions) and dining out! Saturday saw the group at a young people’s current affairs conference that included different speakers debating ‘Your Future in Europe’, exploring topics such as Human Rights, Customer Service, Working Abroad and the UK’s relationship with Europe. The event provoked students to think about and challenge the UK’s role in Europe and its impact on them. After the trip students wrote up diary entries in French of their experience (see Serafina Lee’s entry above)!
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“The convention opened our eyes to our near future. It showed us what we could be achieving and what we need to work on to get to where we want to be. Having the opportunity to ask questions was a great help.” added Shirin Schnelle. As well as the exhibition stands, seminars took place covering student finance, student life and the application process. Those considering a year out after Sixth Form met Gap Year representatives gaining inspiration for using their time effectively. “The day helped me get an overview of the universities and show me a wider range of opportunities; it was definitely a successful trip!” concluded Sara Abassi.
Development Careers Fair 2017 This year’s Careers Fair welcomed a variety of speakers and workshop leaders on Thursday 16th March to encourage, inspire and educate students. Years 10 to 13 experienced a selection of masterclasses including apprenticeship workshops, psychology exercises, cookery, accountancy, practice interviews and guidance on personal statements. Six Old Leightonians revisited the school to conduct a workshop or host a stand. Thank you to those that joined us: Helen Langwick (Grove, 2001), Leo Packham (Grove, 2009), Edward Braclik (Reckitt, 1994), Andy Gwynn (Reckitt, 1986), Kate Davies (Grove, 1984) and Jesse Dunford Wood (Grove, 1996). The most lively session was with Old Leightonian, Jesse Dunford Wood (Grove, 1996), Chef and Owner of Parlour restaurant in Kensal Green, London. Jesse shared his
OL Hockey and Football Saturday 4th March welcomed OLs and students to the Park for the annual Hockey and Football matches. The student Hockey team beat the OLs 3-1 whilst the OLs won the football 3-1.
expertise, showing a group of students how to make a loaf of bread and zesty lemon possets. “There is an amazing set up in the school. It was great to see all of the students being really attentive; they even washed up at the end which was brilliant!” Jesse enthused. To round off the busy day, year groups took it in turns visiting the Careers Fair held at Peckover Hall, where students had the opportunity to ask lots of questions and pick up some literature. Elaine King, Head of Careers, was pleased the day had been such a success, “I’m glad so many students learnt new things and got so much out of the experience and it was good to see the OLs supporting the school.”
OLCC: 40 Years Young! An informal gathering took place in February to celebrate 40 years of the Old Leightonians’ Cricket Club. Members of the OLCC met in Puttenham, just outside
Guildford, at the pub where two OLs first formed the club in 1977. Since then 190 OLs have played for the club plus 10 Honorary Members. Round the table clockwise from the left: Tom Carter (Hon. Member), Tom Gillmor (School, 1995), Andrew Moss (School, 1962), Susan Moss, Robert Stein (Field, 1970), George Marsh (Grove, 1961), Graham Carter (Grove, 1964), Melinda Crosfield, John Crosfield (School, 1970), Chris Straw (Reckitt, 1995).
Jeremy Belas, Director of Sport, commented, “It was great to meet so many OLs. There were two very competitive fixtures that were closely fought, and it was good to see a win for both sides.”
Development Team Celia Blakeway-Philips, Head of Development Ros Cook, Assistant Development Manager Fiona Jones, Assistant Development Manager celiabp@leightonpark.com 0118 987 9648
Bursary Fund Appeal We have now raised almost £40,000 since launching our Bursary Fund Appeal. To find out more about who has benefited from bursaries and details about the Bursary Fund, visit www.leightonpark.com/support-leighton-park/the-bursary-fund
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PSC Woyzeck Senior Production Bar
With all the work on the new MMC building, we had the joy of the Senior Production in the circus top this February with the PSC pleased to support the carnival atmosphere with a well-manned bar. Our thanks go to all those who gave up their time to ensure our theatre-goers got their pre-show and interval drinks. We were pleased to raise almost £370 for the Drama Department.
Family Quiz Night Our PSC Family Quiz Night made a welcome return on Friday 10th March under the quizmastery of Tim Dean-Lewis. Our thanks go to Thomas Franks for providing a topnotch quiz supper and to Eme Dean-Lewis, for totting up the scores with her very fancy blackboard fabric. It was a fun evening with some impressive general knowledge on show from students, staff and families alike. Tim did a wonderful job of making sure there were questions for everyone to have a crack at. The bar did a roaring trade under the careful management of Julie Shaw and Kate Beauchamp. One quiz-going parent commented, “Thank you so much for all your hard work in organising the quiz - it was enormous fun and a really special event including both parents, pupils and staff working collaboratively, as well as in competition! What was so brilliant about the questions was that they needed a total cross section of general knowledge touching on different people’s interests and expertise as well as knowledge more specific to different age groups - meaning everyone could contribute a winning answer.”
Nearly New Shop Don’t forget we have the Nearly New Shop open in Fryer House from 4.00-5.30pm selling good quality, pre-loved uniform. It’s a very useful source of extra kit and for a good cause, as all proceeds are donated to charity. Friday 5th May Friday 16th June
Lend a Hand to the PSC There are lots of opportunities to help out with events and projects supported by the PSC. Many of the school community’s best loved events couldn’t run without your help and we very much appreciate all the hours that people are able to spare! We have fantastic helpers at events like Open Days through to the Fireworks and Senior Productions. Time contribution can be as much or as little as you can manage. If you would like to get a little more involved, we would love to hear from you! Please email psc@leightonpark.com or come along to our next meeting.
PSC Book Group Our PSC Book Group enjoyed a couple of evenings this spring term discussing the literary merits of ‘Marina’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon in January and ‘A Spool of Blue Thread’ by Anne Tyler in March. All members of the Parent and Staff Community are welcome to join any Book Group evening; the more the merrier! Please email psc@leightonpark.com to be added to the distribution list.
Coming Up in the Summer Term Here are just some of the exciting events coming up over the next few months. Further information on upcoming events can be found in the School Calendar, by emailing psc@leightonpark.com or at www.leightonpark.com/calendar. May June July
Monday 8th PSC Book Group: ‘The Loney’ by Andrew Michael Hurley, 7pm, Library Wednesday 10th PSC Committee Meeting, 6.30-8.30pm, Cadbury Room Monday 19th PSC Book Group: ‘The Course of Love’ by Alain De Botton, 7pm, Library Tuesday 20th PSC Volunteer Thank You, 5.30-6.30pm, Cadbury Room Tuesday 20th PSC Committee Meeting, 6.30-8.30pm, Cadbury Room Saturday 1st PSC BBQ at the Music for a Summer’s Evening, 4.00-8.00pm
www.leightonpark.com The Park is printed using paper from a sustainable source.
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