Headlines books out into the wider world to be shared and passed on; and the amazing music and drama production, The Phantom of the Opera, showcasing the magnificent talent of our students. I was incredibly impressed by the commitment, the enthusiasm and the ability of all who took part, both on and off the stage.
The Spring Term began with the celebration of our 125th birthday on 22nd January. The founding of the school was marked with events as diverse as breathers from 1890, sports competitions against local schools, and traditional lessons, all accompanied by plenty of birthday cake and balloons. It was a great pleasure to welcome so many members of our community, past and present, onto the Park to join us for afternoon tea and to view the stunning light show which created a magical atmosphere at the end of a very special day. Other events commemorating our 125th year this term have included the launch of the 125 Good Deeds initiative by the Houses; the presentation of the beautiful Table of Testimonies, by talented furniture designer, and LP parent, Kathryn Sumroy; a competition to design a Peace Pole, which will be carved on site during the Summer term; the 125 bookcrossing, sending 125
In March I was delighted to welcome jazz pianist, Julian Joseph, with his fellow musicians, to the Park to conduct a series of student workshops followed by a fantastic evening concert featuring Leighton Park musicians alongside the professionals. There have been curriculum related trips this term to London, Warwick, Oxford, Devon, Hampshire and further afield, to Rome and Paris, to reinforce and enrich classroom learning. Sport, as always, has been busy with rugby, netball, swimming and hockey and the first annual Sports Dinner for students generously supported by England Rugby professional, Joe Launchbury, in Oakview. In February we received our report from the Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) following their visit last November and whilst I am pleased that it recognised so many areas of excellence and strength in our school the report highlighted the need, and our commitment, to continue to improve and to offer the best possible educational experience both academically and pastorally. A number of changes have already been implemented in response to the ISI report and I look forward to Leighton Park continuing to go from strength to strength over the next 125 years and beyond. With best wishes, Nigel Williams, Head
ISI Inspection November 2014
Developing Leighton Park In our 125th anniversary year the school has recruited a Development Manager, Celia BlakewayPhillips, to work across the whole school community and lead a fundraising development strategy. Celia will be raising funds through a variety of income streams, such as trusts, regular giving, major gifts and legacy fundraising. All support to the school will enhance and enrich the experience of our students and help ensure the continued strength and success of Leighton Park into the future. Celia commented “I am so thrilled to be working at Leighton Park School and setting up fundraising, particularly as we celebrate our 125th year! I look forward to meeting many of the school community over the coming months.”
Contents News
pages three, four and five
Learning Adventurously pages six and seven
Music and Drama pages eight and nine
Library
pages ten and eleven
125th Birthday
pages twelve and thirteen
Creativity in the Classroom pages fourteen and fifteen
Sport
‘Pupil’s personal development is excellent and they fulfil the school’s aim to educate young people to have integrity and honesty, and be a force for good.’
pages sixteen and seventeen
‘Pupils demonstrate emotional maturity by the time they leave the school. They are confident and assertive, courteous and self-aware, and show a strong awareness of the priorities of Quaker thinking.’
page eighteen
‘Relations between teachers and pupils are generally excellent, reflected in a positive atmosphere in lessons.’ ‘The contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision is excellent. Pupils achieve a good academic standard benefitting from excellent curricular provision and a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom.’ The ISI Report is available at http://www.leightonpark.com/398/about-the-school/inspection-reports.
Sixth Form
Old Leightonians page nineteen
PTA
page twenty Visit www.leightonpark.com for up-to-date news The front cover picture is from the 125th Birthday celebrations.
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News
Amicus in Action
Geography Fieldtrip In February Year 12 Geographers travelled to Slapton Sands in South Devon for their three-day residential field trip. First up: the study of coastal management strategies along Start Bay, which have been put the test, and in some cases, breached and damaged quite dramatically in recent years. The second day saw us tracking the River Harbourne from its source on Dartmoor National Park right down to its lower course close to the estuary of the River Dart. We collected data using electronic flow meters and surveyors levels which we recorded using ipads. Gone are the days of soggy paper on clip boards and throwing orange peel in the river to
measure velocity! Finally we explored the impact of historic sea level change on Prawl Point. The students returned full of new knowledge and understanding of natural processes and the human management of coastal and river environments. Robin Longworth Head of Geography
On 26th March the Julian Joseph Trio spent the afternoon preparing music students for the first Yamaha Education Partnership Programme concert at Leighton Park. Mathilde Bataille (Upper Sixth), Head Girl and bass guitar player, commented “Being able to work with and take advice from a professional such as Julian and his fellow musicians was truly inspiring for all of us”. The evening concert saw performances from the Julian Joseph Trio interspersed with those of our student jazz musicians. Former student, Francesca Mead, recent jazz music graduate from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama was also delighted to be invited to participate in the evening.
Jazz Trio images by James Cumpsty for Yamaha and Dilip Patel, Double-Cross Ltd
Julian Jazz Trio
Members of school’s charity group, Amicus, were sharing the love as they sold roses to students on Valentine’s Day. Money raised went to support The Mustard Seed Project, which works with communities in an urban slum area of Mombasa, Kenya, to help bring individuals out of poverty by giving them access to education and resources. Manu Sidhu (Lower Sixth) commented that “The Valentine roses are a unique way of fundraising for a charity that itself works to promote love and respect in its own community.” Amicus also raised money for the same charity this term with a recreation of the game show ‘Countdown’ with a Leighton Park twist. Supporting Comic Relief the group raised over £500 through the sale of doughnuts, mufti day and ‘Soak the Teacher’.
London Jazz
Julian commented “It was a pleasure and a privilege to spend time listening to your excellent students. We were all so impressed by how the students listened and acted on the comments we made and were also struck by how attentive and receptive they were when listening to the concert. It certainly felt like we were truly amongst peers.”
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On 12th March the five Upper Sixth Formers comprising Leighton Park’s Jazz Ensemble were invited, through the Yamaha Education Partnership Programme, to entertain guests at a champagne reception in London. Sponsored by Yamaha, Classic FM and the Schools Printed Music Licence, the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence 2015 were hosted in the Grange St Paul’s Hotel opposite the famous cathedral. Ellie Mead, Martin Dixon, Frank Livesey, Mathilde Bataille, and Dan Barber thoroughly enjoyed playing a great jazz set before the ceremony.
News
Busy Boarders Boarding students took part in some great activities over this term, including taking to the track for some weekend Go Karting. A group of 13 boarders also travelled up to London’s West End, to watch the hit London Musical ‘The Commitments’.
A Trip to Paris
A group of 12 Lower Sixth students, set off for Paris on Thursday 5th February for a long weekend of visiting art galleries, monuments and a political conference. After arriving in Paris off the Eurostar and depositing our things at the hotel, we set off on a boat trip and visited Paris’ most famous monument, the Eiffel Tower. The boat took us up and down the centre of Paris. We were able to take in the huge variety of buildings that cover the city, showing what an extensive history Paris has had. The Eiffel Tower was great, but absolutely freezing cold! I don’t think any of us had ever been colder. However the views were outstanding and we were able to see Paris for miles. We were also up the Tower after dark, making the view all the more spectacular. Friday morning began with us visiting le Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, one of the oldest churches in Paris. Upon entering the building we were immediately confronted by an amazingly detailed interior. However we weren’t allowed to take pictures and had to stay quiet as it appeared that the church was mid-service. Later in the day we visited the Pompidou Centre, which was a gallery devoted to modern art. Everyone appeared to appreciate the art to some extent, although lots of it can only be described as bizarre, and this generated mixed opinions on whether some of the works were actually ‘art’.
The main event on Saturday was the young people’s political conference. This was made up of various speakers debating the ‘Future of Europe’, as well as a Question Time-style panel, made up of various MPs and MEPs, including a UKIP MEP who everyone seemed to love to hate. The conference was very interesting in multiple ways, and a highlight for me personally was the ex-John Lewis spokesperson who discussed the ways in which adverts can impact people and their opinion of a brand. The remainder of the day was spent in a more relaxed manner, with some going to watch the rugby, and others going shopping. The day concluded with a final meal, which was unsurprisingly on par with all of the incredible food that we had eaten at various Parisian restaurants over the weekend. Our final day consisted of visiting the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. Both these galleries contained more classical art, and included the Mona Lisa, although this was a lot smaller than I had originally anticipated. Tom Hadman, Lower Sixth Photographs by Giles Hutch (Lower Sixth)
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Inspiration and Information at Careers Fair
Now in its third year, the 2015 Careers Fair was the most successful yet, due to parents, Old Leightonians and people from local businesses generously giving up their time to inform, advise and inspire. The fair, organized by Head of Careers, Elaine King, and the Old Leightonians office, saw a wide range of fields represented including experts from the world of finance, law, film, drama, and engineering.
Beijing Haiden Experimental School
Leighton Park was visited by 27 students from Beijing Haidian Experimental Middle School this term following our own visit to the school in October. Pupils experienced what life is like in a British boarding school; learning from teachers, trialling the facilities and meeting their fellow students.
After the event Old Leightonian and Multimedia Journalist for BBC Business and Economics, Jonathan Frewin commented “I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed coming back to Leighton Park to meet some of your current students and talk about their possible future careers. Thank you so much for inviting me to take part; it was an honour.”
Getting the Scoop on Ice Cream We walked to Reading University’s Food Science Department to learn how to make ice-cream for our third lesson of Food Technology. We were shown exactly how to make it and what machines are used for doing it. We were told what ingredients are needed and we helped to get them. We had a choice of ice cream flavours and we voted for the ones we liked best. While the ice cream was being made in one of their machines, we had a look around at other food departments in the University, including the bakery. Unfortunately, two hours wasn’t enough time for the ice-cream to freeze so Tim Green collected it during our next lessons and was able to give it to us by lunchtime. I really enjoyed the trip to the University’s kitchen, it was really interesting to look at what is inside those big machines and see how they work. Kristina Perepelkina, Year 9
Chess Club Chess club is one of the many lunchtime and after-school activities that take place across the school for students. Held on Tuesdays at lunchtime, the activity, hosted by Prem Samyrao (Mathematics), gives students the perfect opportunity to practise their chess skills. “Chess club has always given me a time to put my logical skill into practice. As a prominent member of the club I have had great pleasure in helping out younger pupils learn to play chess.” - Mundeep Hansra, Upper Sixth “Chess club is a fun environment where we can play against friends of different skill levels. I really enjoy it as it can be competitive or relaxed but either way, I know it will be enjoyable.” Michael Otty, Upper Sixth “Chess shows how strategic and decisive an individual can be. Prem provides this opportunity and I am still trying to beat him!” - Giles Hutch, Lower Sixth
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Learning Adventurously Exploring Rome’s Architecture and Antiquities Over Long Leave I travelled to Rome with 21 other Beliefs and Values students from Years 10 and 11 for the bi-ennial trip to Italy. Led by Shazia Taj, Lan Kuang and Mitch Whitehead, we toured one of the most beautiful cities in Europe visiting popular sites such as the Spanish Steps on foot and other attractions like the Domitilla Catacombs and the Borghese Gallery by coach. My favourite place was the Colosseum as it’s really interesting to see the ruins and then imagine the architecture that would make them whole again. The buildings are on such an impressive scale and in a lot of cases are quite complete considering their age. The architecture is so different to this country. The Beliefs and Values trip does not tie directly into the curriculum but is an opportunity for students to appreciate the culture and history that has influenced the beliefs and values which are held by different social groups in the modern world. The days were very full, with activities starting at 8.30am and the group collapsing exhausted into bed after dinner every night, except for one evening of competitive bowling for everyone to enjoy a different kind of culture! The group worked well together and it was good to get to know students outside my year group. I was involved with ‘Phantom’ before we left and seeing the dark and gloomy catacombs reminded me of the production. That was the only place we had an official guide, the rest of the time Mitch led the group. Fortunately he knows everything about everything so we were very well informed! It was hard to return to the UK after the glories of the Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, the Forum and the Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura, especially since the weather was so much warmer in Italy, but I have brought back plenty of warm memories, new knowledge and over 600 photographs to remind me of my adventure. Ellie Washington, Year 11
Witnessing the Eclipse Excited students gathered on Grove Field on Friday 20th March to witness the partial solar eclipse which captured the interest of the nation. With the moon expected to cover 84% of the sun, the crowd eagerly anticipated being plunged into darkness and was rigorously briefed in the health and safety procedures surrounding the use of the eclipse glasses. Rather disappointingly, given the spectacular nature of the 1999 eclipse and the fact that our next chance for a similar partial eclipse in Britain is not until August 2026, we were somewhat underwhelmed. Thick cloud covered the Park, and the rest of Berkshire, resulting in a rather greyer and gloomier experience than we were hoping for. However, the Physics department’s enthusiastic provision of eclipse viewing glasses, a projecting telescope and a second telescope, with a special solar filter, afforded the opportunity for some fun, especially with the glasses! The solar system forms part of the curriculum for our KS3 Science and GCSE Physics students and the eclipse was a chance to extend their learning beyond the classroom.
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Green Fingers at Kew Gardens
Behind-the-Scenes at the BBC
Lower Sixth students received a behind-the-scenes tour of the BBC Studios in Southampton this term. Students were introduced to the world of TV and Radio news, journalism and production. “An incredibly insightful trip. We were very fortunate to see the different aspects of media and journalism in the BBC and how an efficient news team performs in a limited time frame.” Aaron Stewart, Lower Sixth “It was a great to have a look behind the scenes of the news, and it was a unique opportunity to be allowed to be in the radio studio while it was being recorded live. It really gave me a much clearer idea on what it is like to be a journalist and to work for the BBC.” Marijn Vuijk, Lower Sixth
Maths Challenge Success 2015 Leighton Park students achieved 6 golds, 15 silvers and 13 bronzes in this year’s UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge which took place on 5th February. Over 200,000 pupils across the UK sat the Intermediate Maths Challenge with roughly the top 6% receiving a Gold Certificate, the next 13% Silver and the next 21% Bronze. Everett Zhou (Year 11) was invited to sit a follow-on Olympiad round on 19th March. Also Ethan Houchen (Year 11), Cheney Zheng and Kiti Zheng (Year 10) were invited to a multiple choice Europewide Kangaroo round. On 10th April, Year 7 and Year 8 will be writing the Junior Maths Challenge and we wish them every success. On Friday 20th March, Year 8 and 9 students took part in the local heats for the national Maths Challenge Competition. Focused and rearing to go following their training sessions held on Monday’s, the team, which included Shaun Uppal and Jonny Weng (Year 8), and Josh Butcher and Fergus Fox (Year 9), achieved a terrific ranking of 12th out of a total of 28 teams.
On Friday 13th March, 18 Sixth Form Biology students travelled to Kew Gardens to partake in guided workshops and explore species of plants from around the world. While we were there we gained first-hand knowledge from one of the experts about the variety of adaptations and the global economic impact of plants linking directly into the A Level course. From the Victorian greenhouses with African plants to the Redwood Treetop walk, the day provided a welcome opportunity to revise an important part of the course and all the students would like to thank our teachers for taking us there. Alex Granville, Upper Sixth
Marwell Zoo We all had a fabulous time at Marwell Zoo. The weather was very kind to us: a bright and beautiful spring day in the lovely grounds of Marwell. The tapirs, lemurs, giraffes and penguins were firm favourites. But the animals which elicited the most “ahhs” were definitely the family of meerkats who had recently given birth to three playful and inquisitive babies that were very keen to show off. The workshop lead by zoo staff matched the Key Stage 4 biology curriculum perfectly and allowed the students to handle artefacts that had been confiscated from customs officials at Heathrow airport, for example ocelot skins and rhino horns. It was a tangible reminder that these animals are far more beneficial to us alive and in their ecosystems and of the crucial role of international laws in reducing the illegal trade in endangered species. The highlight of the workshop was
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meeting and handling a beautiful, and very large, spiny stick insect and a well behaved python! Gemma Sims, Biology .
Music & Drama The Phantom of the Opera From 10th-13th February Leighton Park School took on the challenge of staging the most commercially successful stage show of all time and produced our most spectacular production ever. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. The performance is a glorious mixture of melodrama, gothic horror, hauntingly beautiful melodies and classical opera pastiche. “It is a real challenge to ensure the iconic moments live up to the audience’s expectations within the constraints of resources a school has to offer, even Leighton Park, where we have some fantastically talented individuals.” commented Geraint Thomas, Head of Drama and Phantom’s Designer and Stage Director, “Achieving what the show demands is a massive, massive stretch. It’s a hugely demanding, monster of a show requiring extraordinary range from the principals.” And it’s not just the principals and the cast who gave their all. With 160 costumes, 82 lighting cues, almost 40 stage movements and a 27 piece orchestra in the pit, over 100 students have got involved. Pupils from Year 9 to Year 13 have contributed to the technical crew, choreography, set design, the costumes, make-up as well as the musical and dramatic performances over the four night run. Following the first night’s performance. Dan Barber (Lower Sixth), who plays the Phantom commented, “Phantom is an epic production and one that I have always wanted to be in. Even though the complexities of the part and the stamina required for the role have been physically and emotionally draining, I’m so excited by the prospect of the next few nights on stage.”
“We had a wonderful evening, what a showpiece to demonstrate the ethos and talent of Leighton Park School.” “An ambitious performance for any school performed to a standard by your leading cast members that would not have looked out of place on the west end stage.” “Much credit needs to go to the school for creating an environment where such individual talent can shine.”
“I am completely in awe of everything that was achieved with this production and am so grateful that my son is part of a school that achieves such excellence and creativity.”
Upper Sixth student, Ellie Mead, playing Christine Daaé, said, “Working as part of the Phantom team has been great. Rose and Geraint have been so supportive. Dan and I even had a singing lesson from one of the Christine’s from the original West End show, which was amazing.” Musical Director, Rosemary Scales commented, “We are so very proud of all of our students involved in this production. 2015 was the year for Phantom because it’s one of the most popular shows of all time and in our 125th anniversary year we wanted to do something truly magnificent.”
“You believed you could do justice to the west end version of Phantom – and you were right.” 8
Photographs by Nigel Blain and Fiona Mowlem
House Music Raises the Roof!
Energy and excitement filled Main Hall on 5th March as the four Senior Houses battled it out for the House Music trophy. Over 300 students aged between 13 and 18 have been practising for weeks to perfect their performances. Each House submitted an act for a soloist, original composition, small ensemble and large ensemble, which includes a group dance.
Choir Voices Captured at Leighton Park We were delighted to welcome 19 students and the Assistant Head of Bulmershe School, Sarah Lant, to Leighton Park on 23rd February for their very first recording session of a range of contemporary songs. The group, which only formed 12 months ago, is composed of boys and girls from Year 10 to Upper Sixth, and includes a pianist, a drummer and 17 singers. The selection process for many competitions now requires choirs to submit their audition pieces on CD or video and Bulmershe School are delighted to have the opportunity to record their submission at Leighton Park. Head of Jazz at Leighton Park, Stuart Henderson, commented “They are an excellent choir; it will be wonderful for their voices to be captured in this way, especially as many of them will be leaving school this year. It will be a great way to remember their involvement in the group.”
As ever, the standard of performances was incredibly high across all four Senior Houses with items ranging from Mozart operatic arias to Rock anthems. Our esteemed panel of professional musicians from the world outside of Leighton Park, were often divided in their opinion of the winner of each category - testimony to the high quality of every submission. Fryer House also had the opportunity to get involved with Fryer Voices singing ‘Hold Back the River’ and a pastiche of the ‘Frozen’ anthem. Following the event, adjudicator and professional guitarist, Kevan Frost tweeted “Fantastic evening judging the Leighton Park House Music competition! My faith in young musicians is restored! Absolutely fantastic school!”
Making Music in Main Hall
The Reading Half Marathon always runs past the school and so it has become something of a tradition for students and staff from Leighton Park to provide roadside entertainment to the runners as they pass by along Shinfield Road. This year was no exception, as the massed band performed a number of well-known tunes, with the “Theme from Rocky” getting the best reception from the thousands of runners.
The Soloist’s Concert on 28th January and the ensembles event, ‘Night At The Movies’, on 18th March, offered Leighton Park’s talented musicians the chance to shine in Main Hall. The Soloist’s Concert was once again a stunning aural treat for everyone who attended. Performances ranged from pieces by Einaudi, Jason Robert Brown and some stunning compositions by Leighton Park students to Albeniz and Peitro Boni. The ‘Night At The Movies’ concert included soloists, brass, wind and guitar ensembles, the full orchestra and the Senior Choir contributions from Fryer Voices, Year 9 Jazzers and more, in an evening of diverse film. The Senior Production for 2016 was also announced and will be Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Photographs by Coco Wu (Year 11), Kester Cambell (Upper Sixth) and Nigel Blain
Reading Half Marathon
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Library
The Leighton Park School Library has been working closely with two charities this year.
Books and beyond: exploring ways of telling stories An established tradition of our annual Book Week is to have a panel of teachers introducing and talking about their favourite books. This year students were introduced to a book about extreme diving, a biography of Churchill and one of the Moomin series of books.
Cord
Cord is a charity which supports communities in conflict and post-conflict environments to address and overcome the root causes of conflict. Established in 1966, Cord has worked in a range of countries, including Vietnam, Chad and Laos, stimulating positive dialogues and providing education, mentoring and coaching. Leighton Park’s Patron of reading, Gillian Cross, is also a patron of the charity.
Teachers had also been invited to recommend titles for the book shop, which were displayed separately with brief explanations or comments. This year the book shop stock was provided by our new supplier, Heath Books and staffed with the help of a team of Sixth Formers, organised by Library Prefect, Adam Stokes. Visited throughout the week by students with their English teachers, this has always been a popular event, and this year the money raised from sales will be donated to the charity Cord.
The Book Bus Charity
An exciting programme of events during the week explored many of the different ways in which stories can be told. On Tuesday storyteller John Kirk spent the morning with Year 7 which began with him telling the story of The Odyssey. While remaining true to Homer’s original story, John also added some modern elements which included audience participation, Justin Bieber’s music and water pistols! This was followed by a practical workshop which culminated in the students’ own re-enactment of Theseus and the Minotaur.
The Book Bus Charity, was set up by Old Leightonian and co-founder of the Booker Prize, Tom Maschler, and works to fund literacy projects in Africa, Asia and South America. The charity works with schools in developing countries and provides a mobile library facility to give children access to resources that they would otherwise be unable to use. The Book Bus also support volunteer story-tellers who are able to encourage children to become confident and literate readers.
On World Book Day, our Patron of reading, Gillian Cross, visited for the second time this year - this time accompanied by illustrator Neil Packer with whom she had collaborated on a wonderful retelling of The Odyssey. They began the day by describing and explaining to Year 9 the processes involved in creating a narrative through the powerful combination of words and pictures. Neil spent the rest of the morning showing and talking about his work, and sharing tips with students from Year 9 and 10 during their regular art lessons. Meanwhile Gillian read the story of Circe to Year 8, who then went on to create their own freeze-frame comic-strip version. On Friday the Writing for Teenagers conference was attended by book groups from 7 local secondary schools: Desborough, Highdown, The Holt, Queen Anne’s, Piggott, Wellington College and Yateley, plus a large group of our own Year 9 and 10 students. It was great to have some of our own staff involved in the presentations this year and it made a fantastic day to finish the week - rich with information, inspiration and enthusiasm.
“I really enjoyed the trip because it was really interesting. My favourite talks were the Harry Potter Philosophy talk delivered by Mitch Whitehead and the talk that author Julian Sedgwick did about the new graphic novel he has recently written with his brother, Marcus Sedgwick.” Charlotte, The Holt School “I couldn’t decide on my favourite talk. If I had to choose, I would say it is a tie between the talk on apps for creative writing and the Harry Potter Philosophy.” Jessica, The Holt School
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Leighton Park Releases Books into the Wild! The library has been celebrating the school’s 125th anniversary with a special ‘bookcrossing’ project involving 125 books - one chosen from each year since 1890.
Comic Book Club’s Adventures at Comic Con
The idea behind a ‘bookcrossing’ is that the books are left for the public to find, to enjoy and then to pass on – and hopefully the school will be able to track the books’ journeys locally and maybe even further afield. So far, books have been placed at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, the National Theatre in London, Green Park at junction 11 on the M4, Henry Street Garden Centre in Arborfield, the café at Cisco, Reading station and one will even be starting its journey in San Jose in California!
I am now bankrupt and can’t afford a new Nintendo. Although this saddens me it was entirely worth it. We spent the day going to author talks, stocking up on our favourite comics and looking at merchandise. We went to a talk because the author of Widdershins, Kate Ashwin, was speaking. We learnt a lot about indie comic publishing, which interests a number of members of the Comic Book Club.
The books, which include picture books, short stories, poetry books, books for younger children and older teenagers, have been sponsored by members of the school community. The project has also been actively supported by the school’s Patron of reading, author Gillian Cross. Librarian Chris Routh said: “The project is celebrating 125 years of reading and we hope that it might fuel the imagination of other people. Although it was very difficult to narrow down the choices, we have managed to represent all the Children’s Laureates, including the latest, Malorie Blackman.” The books, which have instructions about the ‘bookcrossing’ printed inside them and space for comments, will be tracked by readers either emailing the school or tweeting with the hashtag #bookcrossing and information will be displayed on the ‘bookcrossing’ website: www.leightonpark.com/bookcrossing Any money raised through sponsorship will be donated to The Book Bus Charity.
Harry Potter at Leighton Park
By lunch most of us were out of money but the others queued for Subway (eat fresh). After lunch we again entered the manic confusion of Comic Con. We avoided the overpriced stalls and harassed cosplayers until they let us take pictures with them. Still looking for a decently priced ‘Edge Of SpiderVerse’ 002... Altogether a fantastic day. Tilly Beckett, Year 9 I really enjoyed Comic Con. We walked into a seemingly never ending room filled to the brim with comics. After trawling through the endless aisles, staring at merchandise and comics, we threw our money into the awaiting hands of vendors. I regret getting back onto the bus but if we stayed we would have been there for days. Noah Curtis-Machin, Year 10
On the evening of the 5th February Leighton Park School joined thousands of people across the country in celebrating the inaugural Harry Potter Book Night. The lecture on ‘The Philosophy of Harry Potter’ in Peckover Hall (restyled as Hogwarts) was greeted by an enthusiastic audience. The following day the magic continued with a Harry Potter mufti day, in aid of The Book Bus and Cord, and a themed lunch and quiz. Students were wowed by the awesome sorting hat cake and the menu which featured some suitably magical meals, including green Gillyweed Soup, Professor Dumbledore’s Treacle Tart, and Butterbeer. Winners of the Harry Potter Quiz were Max Jennings (Lower Sixth), Krish Lakshmi Narayanan (Year 8) and Tom Rolph (Year 8) who were all rewarded with a book token and treats!
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125th Birthday Celebrating 125 Years Leighton Park School enjoyed a fabulous day of celebration on Thursday 22nd January commemorating the 125th anniversary of our founding.
“This has been a day of fun and reflection on our distinctive heritage as a Quaker school whilst highlighting the strengths of our community and committing ourselves to upholding these values in the future.“ Nigel Williams, Head.
The day started in style with a partythemed birthday breakfast in Oakview surrounded by balloons and bunting to accompany the bangers and bacon rolls. Collect and lessons from 1890 took place during the morning with teachers robed in gowns and many people employing language appropriate to the Victorian classroom. Breathers, a nineteenth century form of aerobics, was undertaken by the whole school together, resulting in plenty of laughter. Students from Year 7 to Year 9 created time capsules from 1890 discovering much about life at Leighton Park for the first pupils.
“It was a great insight into a day in the life of a student in 1890.” said Evie Morgan, Year 9. Scrumptious cupcakes were enjoyed by all at break followed by a fantastic 125-shaped photograph of students and staff on the sports field before lunch. A sporting afternoon of girls’ U15 netball against LVS Ascot and boys’ U16 football against Maiden Erlegh was supported by a celebratory 125 crowd getting into the carnival spirit with fun, hotdogs, popcorn and face-painting. Following the sports, the Vintage Old Leightonians, our alumni over the age of 70, shared the official 125th anniversary birthday cake at an afternoon tea. Parents of current students were also welcomed to our modern dining centre, Oakview, to join the party. The cake was cut by our youngest pupil, Maia Stevens (Year 7), and our most senior OL on the Park, Karl Lehmann (left 1939), after a warm welcome by the Head, Nigel Williams. And finally, as a wonderful way to end the birthday celebrations, the Park was visible in a whole new light with students, parents, OLs, governors and staff sharing the enchanting illuminations.
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Table of Testimonies
In February a wonderful piece of furniture, designed and handcrafted by Kathryn Sumroy, a recent graduate from the National Furniture School and one of our parents, was presented to the school. The table is handcrafted from English “pippy” oak, which Kathryn chose because of its beautiful figuring and the resonance of the oak leaf with the heritage of the school. The whole design of the table from the sourcing of the timber, to the simplicity of form and even the material and stitch selected for the tapestry inlay were all chosen because they reflect some aspect of Quaker faith and approach to life. “Simplicity of form was paramount,” explained Kathryn, “and the photographs
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I found of furniture from early Quaker Meeting Houses were a vital inspiration. The inlay depicts the seven words Leighton Park uses to describe the core Quaker Testimonies.” The tapestry panels are removable which allows the design to change and reflect what is happening within the school. This was an intentional, key aspect of the concept and best described by Kathryn, “For me this is a living work. The Leighton Park students will be able to design and make their own inlays, in place of the tapestry testimonies, using whatever medium they choose: photography; ceramics; wood; paint or textiles. It’s this kind of interaction that will make the piece a unique reflection of the Leighton Park Community.”
Creativity in the
Classroom
Chocolate Flavour GCSEs!
Year 8’s Spring Collection
On 29th January Year 9 students took part in the Chocolate Box Challenge; a fun and informative business game all about chocolate. “It is all about making choices and understanding how they impact on others as well as learning about different roles within business and what they do. It’s like a mini-version of The Apprentice and it really sits nicely with our Year 9s choice-making for GCSE.” explained Head of Careers, Elaine King.
Mark Smith, the Regional Director of Inspiring Futures for Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, led the event and presented on the topic of ‘Making Informed Choices at GCSE / iGCSE’. “Employability skills are important for young people” commented Mark, “and this game is a great way to introduce some of the skills they will need for the workplace. Leighton Park students are rising to the challenges of negotiating, marketing and presenting their chocolate companies… and having fun!”
Artists in Oakview At the start of the term Oakview showcased Max Jennings’ (Lower Sixth) exploration the theme of ‘Collections’. Each curious item has a specific relevance to the novel, ‘The Collector’, by John Fowles, a sinister, intriguing tale of identity and possession. Max was introduced to the novel through his English studies and the artwork is his first IB artwork studio piece. Year 7’s stunning collaborative painting followed, with the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, and one of the most famous, Nelson Mandela.
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Year 8 have been getting to grips with constructing costumes using just paper, masking tape and the odd staple. As part of their ‘Adornment’ project students have been studying the vast array of clothing worn across the globe. From head-dresses to kimonos students have worked in small groups to produce some magnificent outfits. Their work is on show in the Art block prior to next term’s Fryer Festival.
Year 10 Artists Head to London
In February our creative Year 10s visited London to look at the contrasts and facades of the city. Arriving in Waterloo, the group were able to experience impressive buildings and artwork from street art adorning the Southbank to the host of international modern art on display at Tate Modern. A short walk took them into the heart of London’s financial district to compare the architecture of Christopher Wren, Norman Foster and Richard Rogers. The visit has already made an impact with sketchbooks taking new directions and etching begun from some astounding photos.
Branching out in Textiles
IB Art Students Inspired by Oxford Five Lower Sixth artists on the IB Diploma course took part in a research trip to Oxford visiting the Ashmolean Museum and the ‘Love is Enough: William Morris & Andy Warhol’ exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. The visit examined comparisons between specific artists as part of their course for the Comparison Study. Art scholar Max Jennings (Lower Sixth) commented that the day had been extremely useful and looking at the Greek and Roman marble statues had helped him with the figure painting he is currently developing.
Year 7 is split into two groups to study Textiles and DT in rotation over the academic year. The first Textiles group saw their final finished pieces on display in the Fryer Dining Room; a colourful exhibition of their hard work. The students have been learning felt and fibre making with various embellishing techniques and have produced some lovely bright Textiles artwork inspired by the theme of ‘Changing Seasons’ and the artwork of painter, Luiza Vizoli. “Not only did we make the art but we learned about the artist and were able to take inspiration from that. There were many different skills and techniques, including taking different coloured fibres and mixing them together with a wire brush and using PVA liquid glue to stick the layers together. My favorite part had to be sewing all the bright colored buttons onto the tree at the end.” Eleanor Hawkins (Year 7)
Fryer’s Historic Castles
In February Year 7 practised their castle construction, building on the term’s History lessons exploring the Norman Conquest. From toilet rolls to chocolate fingers, students used a range of materials to craft some fantastic motte and bailey, square keeps and concentric castles. Howard Shaw (History), commented, “The pupils clearly enjoyed this task and I was astounded by the level of effort and detail that went in to many of the examples.” Jessie Sumroy (Year 7) who baked her castle, explained, “The chocolate fingers look similar to the planks of wood used to make the fences around the bailey to guard the citizens and I let the green icing stay bumpy and uneven, so I could recreate the idea of hilly, grassy land.” The topic continued with an excursion to Warwick Castle on 26th March when students explored the towers and ramparts, the underground world of the medieval town, the world’s largest working siege machine, the trebuchet, and enjoyed an incredible display with the birds of prey in the courtyard.
Bridge Film Festival Leighton Park has submitted two documentaries to the 13th Bridge Film Festival organised by Brooklyn Friend’s School in New York. Judged on the five criteria of communication skill, creativity, technical quality, Quaker relevancy and originality, our students have submitted films on Owen Say’s remarkable swim in aid of Water4All filmed by Ethan Pearce, Fred McArthur and Duncan Klopke (Year 9) and last term’s Sixth Form visit to Africa.
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Sport Rugby 7s Rosslyn Park is the largest school rugby 7s tournament in the world and Leighton Park was privileged to be involved in the 2015 competition. We arrived as the heavens opened and as Leighton Park kicked off their 1st match against Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School, it started to hail. Despite this, it was a great game to watch and we were only one try behind at half time. Throughout the tournament we created lots of chances from invasive running from Will Huntridge (Upper Sixth) and Jung Woo Bae (Year 11). Partnership of the day goes to Rawdie Marks (Year 11) and Connor Burns (Year 11). Rawdie was fantastically composed throughout creating open play that enabled Connor Burns to score a number of tries. Congratulations are also due to Demid Krylov (Year 11), being a borderline 1st team player and his first season playing 7s; he certainly stepped up to the mark for Rosslyn.
U16 England Hockey
Hockey On Thursday 5th March the Year 7 girls travelled to St Mary’s Ascot to compete in the Berkshire schools competition. They played some great hockey and showed fantastic determination throughout the day even though they lost the air guitar competition to Pangbourne! They finished 3rd in the plate competition after heading to penalty strokes in both the semis and the 3rd/4th placing games. Jessie Sumroy (Year 7) proved invaluable in goal as she saved the opposition’s shots. A special mention goes to Ruth Mills (Year 7) for scoring her first ever goal.
At the camp we had four pitch sessions over the two days where we would focus on drills and match play. We had video sessions, where we would watch different teams play matches or watch ourselves play and were tested on our core strength in the gym.
Alex Fox, Sports Resident
On Friday 13th March the Year 7 boys competed in the Berkshire schools competition held here at Leighton Park. The boys had only picked up hockey sticks for the first time the week before. Natural sporting ability shone through as they played some fantastic hockey with Dan Egan and Ben Hodges commanding the middle of the pitch. They played against schools made up of mainly county players and gave them a good run for their money. Special mention goes to Michael Marlow who made his debut in goal and made some outstanding saves. It has been great to see the revival of the senior mixed hockey session on a Tuesday night and also senior boys playing hockey in the spring term. They have had a number of matches and the mixed hockey season has proved a great success.
Students have also taken part this term in the Berkshire County Rugby 7s with the following results: U12 U13 U14 U15 U18
7th in Berkshire Joint 1st Won the vase 7th in Berkshire 6th in Berkshire
Over the Christmas holiday, I went to an England Hockey camp, where people are developed to be put in the England Squad. This camp was one of the first trials and each time the amount of people put through to the camp gets smaller. I found out after the camp that I had got through to the next one.
In the team I play the position of Forward. I am delighted to have achieved my aim of reaching the team this year, a year early. As The Park goes to print I am waiting to hear whether I will be representing the U16 England team in Holland over Easter. Abbie Dixon, Year 10
Hockey U16 National Finals A month ago Abbie and I were part of the Reading U16 Hockey Club at the Regional Finals for the South of England. We were delighted to win three matches against Trojans, Woking and Clifton to become Regional champions. At Easter we will be one of eight teams going to Old Louts Hockey Club in Essex to compete in the National finals; we are really hoping to do well! Anna Gutierrez, Year 10
Running Kirsty Walker (Year 10) was selected for the Berkshire team to compete at the English Schools Cross Country Championships earlier this term. She came 77th out of around 480 runners from the whole of England and the Berkshire team overall were first in the country. Staff members Tim Green, Damon Young, Eithne Laird, Betina Lamprecht-Lieb and Rachel Pither all ran the Reading Half Marathon in March. Tim will also be running in the London marathon at the end of April.
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Staff vs Leavers Netball and Football
After a superb start by the leavers, they finished 4-1 up in the first quarter. There were some notable performances by Tim Green and Fraser Marjoribanks, who managed to keep up with the senior girls. The quick passing and excellent footwork meant the senior girls did not give away many penalty passes and were leading all the way through until the final quarter when super sub Edward Falshaw walked onto the court and started a flurry of staff goals: the eventual score 9-8 to the staff. The football offered some excellent defending on both sides and after an injury sustained by Graham Smith his performance in the staff goal was excellent. The staff scored three of the four goals but with two from Fraser Marjoribanks and one own goal from Alex Fox, it was a tie: 2-2.
Football Over 100 senior and junior boys were involved in football fixtures over the course of the term. The 1st XI finished 5th in the Super 8 competition and the 2nd and 3rd XI teams also finished fifth in their respective leagues. Led by Tim Green, the term concluded with a Year 10 and 11 football tour to Spain, the first ever overseas sports trip. Playing against Spanish and Italian teams at a tournament in Lloret del Mar, 75km from Barcelona, the group played three games over the Easter weekend. As well as enjoying football and the white sands of one of the Costa Brava’s most popular beaches, the team also visited Nou Camp, home of FC Barcelona and Europe’s largest football stadium. After a sunny and successful few days the group ended their football tour with an alternative sport: laserquest!
Netball The girls have had a great season of netball competing in the Reading Schools’ netball leagues and tournaments in their respective age groups as well as the seniors in the Super 8 league and friendly fixtures.
In the Reading Schools Netball Tournaments Year 7s came 4th, three positions up on last year, Year 8s came 4th, again a higher position than last year, Year 9s came 2nd and Year 10s came 3rd. In the Reading Schools Netball League Year 7s came 6th, Year 8s came 6th, Year 9s came 7th and Year 10s came 2nd.
Sports Dinner On the 19th March the first annual Sports Dinner was held in Oakview with special guest and England 1st XV rugby player Joe Launchbury joining the sports department in celebration of another year of sport at Leighton Park. Throughout the evening the various sport captains stood up and spoke fondly about their team’s players, season and experiences in training and competition adding an important personal side to the evening. Following a meal cooked by our catering team in Oakview, events moved to the enlightening and entertaining ‘Q&A’ session with Joe Launchbury presented by Mark Simmons. With questions from the serious to the comical, it provided the chance for many hopeful future sports players to hear from someone not that much older than themselves. The final event of the evening was the presentation of awards to each team followed by shirt signings by Joe, which ended the event perfectly.
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“The sports dinner was an excellent evening which was a great celebration of sporting achievement not to mention the stunning food and great laughs with everyone who came.” Ethan Houchen, Year 11 Alex Granville, (Upper Sixth) The Park Prefect
Sixth Form Africa Inspire Evening
Almost five months to the day when the Africa trips returned home, enlightened, educated and tired, everyone met again for the final phase of the African journey. The Africa Inspire Evening allowed the chance to once more look back and share upon the journey taken by those involved. As the presentations were under way, the groups sat back together to eat a staple African meal of rice and beans that those involved will remember so well; presenters from the separate groups stood up to share their experiences as well as updating everyone on the progress made since then. All the charities that Leighton Park worked for have since progressed with areas of the projects and for the students to see this brought back the feeling of satisfaction that had been so deservedly gained. The event also offered those in Year 10 and 11 the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the trips and the extent of the journey that they may choose to sign up for in their future Leighton Park career. Alex Granville (Upper Sixth), The Park Prefect
PM Question Time Four of the finalists of the 100th JBH speech competition were fortunate enough to view Prime Minister’s Questions in the Gallery of the Chamber of the House of Commons at the start of this term. The tickets had been kindly arranged for the competition speakers by Tony Baldry, MP for Banbury and Old Leightonian.
Upper Sixth EXPO
The EXPO talks signify another major step towards the completion of the EPQ qualification and IB extended essays. It proves to be a very popular and intellectual event reflecting on the past, challenging the present and contemplating the future. With twenty two speakers enlightening the community about their chosen topics, ranging from autonomous vehicles to Guantanamo Bay to psychopaths, there was something of interest for everyone. Not only did this event provide the opportunity for the students to share the many hours of research they had undertaken, it was a show of dedication and passion for a topic that will extend their knowledge and skills; aiding them in their future studies at university and beyond.
“The whole meeting was a lot more rowdy than I had anticipated it being, but this made it far more enjoyable to watch and listen to! I was particularly impressed with how traditional the question time was, and how well organised it seemed to be.” Victoria Roberts, Upper Sixth
Mind over Matter Lower Sixth Psychology students travelled to two of London’s most famous museums this term. Students spent time in the Human Biology section of the Natural History Museum and the ‘Who Am I?’ exhibition in the Science Museum. This year students taking Psychology at AS Level will be studying a variety of topics, including Phobias, Social Influence, Memory and Attachment, alongside the various approaches and research methods utilised by psychologists.
‘I really enjoyed it and it was a very useful opportunity. Putting a different spin on a topic makes you think about what you’re writing and hopefully made others think as well.’
Edward Capstick, Upper Sixth Alex Granville (Upper Sixth), The Park Prefect
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Old Leightonians Phantom PreShow Reception
Standing up for Standing Voice
OLs love coming back to see the senior production and the Old Leightonians Office hosted opening night drinks in the Library before Phantom of the Opera. Enjoying canapes and drinks, the group were welcomed by new Development Manager, Celia Blakeway-Phillips, with Penny Wallington and Cathy Harman.
London Gathering Sharing stories and news across the years is a trademark of OLs events, with leavers from the 1960s mingling happily with those from the 1990s at the London OL network drinks. Chef and OL Jesse Dunford Wood (left 1995) owns Parlour in Kensal Rise, providing a perfect setting for events.
You could hear a pin drop when Old Leightonian Jon Beale spoke in Collect about the suffering and abuse of people with albinism in Tanzania. Having left in 2006, Jon is now Managing Director of the charity, Standing Voice (www.standingvoice.org), set up following the release of the film ‘In the Shadow of the Sun’. The film powerfully illustrates not only the physical challenges faced, such as skin cancer and poor eyesight, but discrimination, persecution and even the murder and mutilation of people with albinism for their body parts to be used in tribal medicine. Film maker Harry Freeland accompanied Jon to a fundraising screening of the film in Peckover. Ken Sullivan, Head of Teaching and Learning, said. “The film is beautifully made, I found it engrossing and saddening. The bravery of Josephat is quite extraordinary in the face of his disabilities, and his indomitable spirit is a counterbalance to the spite of the villagers and the greed of the fisherman and the witch doctor who were clearly ready to kill for money. These are hateful crimes borne of ignorance and greed of the most inhuman kind. It is a source of pride that an old head boy of LP has taken this case upon his shoulders and he deserves our backing, both in words and with open wallets. The forgiveness of Josephat seems to have no limit. I suppose that is another lesson.” www.justgiving.com/Leightonpark-standingvoice
OLs vs LP Football and Mixed Hockey A fabulous sunny morning on 7th March for OLs v LP Football and Mixed Hockey. In a cracking hockey match, the school snuck a winning goal in the final minute, to win 5-4. In the 1st team football, a decisive OL win 4-1; the other match was 8 a-side, with another OL win. Well done to everyone who pitched up, played and cheered. Thanks especially to Nick Hayles, Neil Pipe and Hollie Williams for organising the OL teams and running the Facebook groups.
Dates for the Diary Weds 13th/ Thurs 14th May 2015 Thurs 18th June 2015 Fri 19th June 2015 Sat 27th June 2015
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OL Meet ups in Cambridge and Norwich An OL evening in the Cotswolds Over 70s Afternoon Tea watching OLCC v LP 5s Reunion
PTA Drapes and Drums
Thanks to all who frequented the PTA bar at the fabulous Phantom of the Opera this term. Profits from the bar were split between the Drama and Music departments. Happily, Drama’s share (when added to bar profits from last year’s school plays) was enough to complete funding for some longawaited, beautiful, black wool serge drapes for the studio as you can see here and Music purchased some Djembe drums.
New Defibrillator at the Health Centre The PTA was delighted to purchase a defibrillator for the Health Centre. Research shows that having one available can increase survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest, which can happen at any age, by up to 80%. All staff are being trained to use it. Practice Nurse, Lesley Boulkroune, commented “Although I hope we never need the defibrillator, having it within reach for immediate use reassures us that we can act straightaway.”
West End Musical Theatre Trip All parents and staff are invited to join the next trip to the West End musical, Memphis, Winner of Best New Musical 2015 and four Tony awards. Spaces are limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment. For further information about our appealingly priced stalls tickets and minibus, please contact pta@leightonpark.com.
Thank You to our Volunteers A big ‘Thank You’ to all on our PTA volunteers list. PTA support for the Leighton Park community would not be possible without you: many hands make light work! Please join us for an informal Cheese & Wine evening in June (children welcome). New volunteers are welcome too.
Book Group Outing
Nearly New Shop Dates Come and visit the shop in Fryer for good quality school clothing. Shop dates (16:00-17:30) April Thursday 30th June Wednesday 3rd June Tuesday 30th
The PTA Book Group enjoyed visiting the National Theatre in February to see David Hare’s adaptation of Katherine Boo’s ‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’. We found the production imaginatively staged and true to the book, which we read last year. We also took the chance to deliver one of the LP125 Book Crossing titles.
Coming up in the Summer Term Further information is available on the PTA pages of LP website. April Monday 27th May Monday 11th June Tuesday 2nd Monday 12th Monday 15th Tuesday 23rd Saturday 27th
Book Group: Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell Committee Meeting: all welcome Volunteers: Cheese & Wine evening Theatre Group: Memphis, David Bryan and Joe Dipietro (Shaftesbury Theatre) Book Group: A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway Committee Meeting: all welcome BBQ and Bar: Music for a Summer’s Evening
www.leightonpark.com The Park is printed using paper from a sustainable source.
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Julian Joseph Trio Refreshments PTA volunteers were pleased to set up a bar as part of the festivities for the joyful LP125 Jazz concert with the Julian Joseph Trio and Leighton Park Musicians on 26th March.
Can You Help? Or why there was no quiz night this term? Although we have fantastic support at events from our volunteers, the PTA committee is stretched too thinly and continuation of the current lively programme is at risk. To find out more about vacancies and how to get involved next school year, please contact us on pta@leightonpark.com. We’ll be delighted to hear from you!