The North Londoner 2018

The North Londoner 2018

An Independent School for Girls aged 4-18

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School 2018 magazine W

elcome to The North Londoner 2018. As a team, we have really enjoyed creating the magazine and were truly overwhelmed with the number of events and activities that have taken place during this past year. First and foremost, we were delighted to welcome Mrs Sarah Clark as our new Headmistress. We have really enjoyed getting to know Mrs Clark, and experiencing her enthusiastic leadership style, and we look forward to many exciting years with her.

We were extremely saddened to hear that Bernice McCabe OBE, former, Headmistress died of cancer on Monday 18 February 2019. Mrs McCabe stepped down as Headmistress, in September 2017 to take on the role of Director of International Schools & Education Strategy. Mrs McCabe had been diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and faced the last twelve months with remarkable courage and dignity. Head for 20 years, we will of course greatly miss Mrs McCabe’s presence in school life.

There were many fantastic events which took place during the 2017-2018 academic year. Highlights included the School Community’s focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing. This was characterised by the hugely successful conference organised by the girls involved in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Society, hosting an array of speakers offering information, awareness and support. There were also commemorations marking the centenary of the end of the First World War, including a student-written and directed play, Carte Blanche.

This was performed during our Summer Festival, which celebrated an artistic collaboration of all subjects to create a

EDITORIAL TEAM

wonderfully enriching final week of term before the Summer Holidays.

Annual events have also continued to be successful, such as the fabulous ‘Fantasy Fashion Show’ and the Senior School play; this year, the technically ambitious production of Community. Community was written by Miss Gibbs, our Director of Drama, and a group of Year 12 students took the play to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where they received much praise for their work.

In Music, girls have performed in many competitions and events, with the NLCS Sinfonia being selected to play in Birmingham for the National Festival. Physics students have taken part in a ‘Safe Cracking’ competition, and our scientists have participated our Science students participated in the CyberFirst competition, held by the National Cyber Security Centre, which included a visit to Buckingham Palace.

Covering the extensive variety of sports activities and events this year has certainly kept us busy. From, Lacrosse Tournaments and Cross Country Championships, to Gymnastics Competitions, the London Youth Games and teaching Junior School girls to swim, students have thoroughly immersed themselves in sporting pursuits, demonstrating resilience and determination.

Opportunities for girls to travel have continued to develop this year, with trips and exchanges to more than 15 countries, including Zambia, Russia, France, Australia and Iceland. Many thanks to all the staff involved in organising these invaluable trips, forming memories for many years to come.

Thank you to all staff and students for their tireless efforts to enrich the school through exciting events and society programs, as it is indeed our community that makes NLCS such an exciting place.

Lastly a massive thank you to all those involved in making this magazine possible. We hope you enjoy reading this edition.

Saibhan Bains, Student Editor

Meghna Amin, Ashlin Gadhia, Bianca Fung and Jungmin Seo

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North London Collegiate School

2018

School magazine 6

OFFICIAL 6 FOUNDER’S DAY ADDRESS 2018 14

MEET THE HEAD

16

NLCS SUMMER FESTIVAL

80 ALUMNAE & DEVELOPMENT NEWS 88 LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS 2018 91

PRIZE LIST 2018

93

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

96 LEAVING STAFF SUMMER 2018 98 LEAVING STAFF SUMMER 2018 100 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 106 PROMOTING POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

20

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Contents 24

30

74

ENRICHMENT

CHARITY

HOUSE ACTIVITIES

36

40

77

ART

SPORTS

LIBRARY & ARCHIVES

40

64

70

PERFORMING ARTS

TRIPS

VALEDICTORY 2017 NORTH LONDON COLLEGIATE SCHOOL | SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2018 | 5

Founder’s Day 2018 6 | NORTH LONDON COLLEGIATE SCHOOL | SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2018

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y its very nature we are called upon to recognise, celebrate and commemorate those visionary people, who, 168 years ago, established North London Collegiate School in a small set of premises in Camden, North London. Each year we gather together as a school community to celebrate the vision and determination of those founders, and also to reflect on the continued development and progression of our School since then.

I have only recently become part of the NLCS community – but it is clear to me already that this School is a very special place indeed. From the many conversations that I have had with ONLs and with current pupils, staff and parents, I understand that the spirit of this School runs deeply throughout its community. This has caused me to reflect on the nature and principles that underpin North London Collegiate – and to research the impetus behind its foundation, and the guiding code of ethics, moral values and educational ambition that lay behind it. Through the scope of my investigations and with grateful thanks to the Archive of North London Collegiate School, I have become fascinated by the impact that these founding principles have had and continue to have on our Old North Londoners, the graduates of our School.

So, in this, my first Founder’s Day address, I am going to focus on the principles upon which North London Collegiate School was founded in 1850 and how those principles have been celebrated, promoted, challenged and personified by those thousands of young people who have attended NLCS as students over the years.

When Miss Frances Mary Buss opened her school on 4 April 1850 she had clear and unequivocal ambitions for North London Collegiate: to provide the best and most comprehensive education possible for the girls in her care, equal at least to that already provided for boys, and for that education to be put to a good use in society.

Miss Buss was adamant about the quality of the education that North London Collegiate would provide.

The curriculum from the start was designed to include not just the study of Latin, but also “the leading facts of Natural Philosophy and other Branches of Science” – the study of which were thought by many at the time to be utterly unnecessary for girls.

This patronising approach towards women’s education galled Miss Buss deeply. She was determined that her School’s pupils would follow a similar academic curriculum to that studied by the boys at Eton or Harrow, what she termed “a sound and thorough education”, for how else would her charges show their capability and be able to experience teaching at the forefront of academic knowledge?

Teaching Science as a mainstay of the curriculum has therefore always been an essential element of the North London curriculum, and many thousands of North Londoners have taken advantage of the opportunity to study such subjects and forge careers from it, even if, on one famous occasion, it meant defying the Founder herself…

Lilian Lyndsay attended NLCS from 1887 – 1889. She was a scholar, terribly bright and extremely ambitious.

She was Lilian determined Lindsay to study to (ONL 1889) become the first fully qualified and registered Dentist in the United Kingdom. According to her biography Lilian Lyndsay: Remarkable Woman, Remarkable Work, the story unfolded like this: “… as her two year scholarship came to an end in 1889, Lilian … apparently won a further award for two years which would presumably have prepared her for entry to university or other higher education. According to Lilian, she was summoned to Miss Buss to discuss her future. The headmistress announced that Lilian was destined to be a teacher of the deaf and dumb. Lilian refused. This enraged Miss Buss, who declared,

“Then I will prevent you from doing anything else”. “Like a flash,” recounts Lilian, “I replied, “You cannot prevent me from becoming a dentist”.

She prevented me from having that scholarship… I knew nothing of dentistry, but having stated boldly that I would be a dentist, there was nothing else to be done.”

Lilian was true to her word.

Following an apprenticeship with a local dentist in Holloway she passed her preliminary qualification and applied for dental school. When she arrived at the gates of the National Dental College, Lilian recalled that she found the Dean, Henri Weiss standing outside. She was not allowed to cross the threshold to register.

Undeterred, Lilian went North – to the Edinburgh Dental School, which did accept her as a student, even though she was the only woman enrolled. The treasurer of the School did his best to put Lilian off from registering for the whole course, but Lilian persisted, despite having to pay double fees for the course.

Lilian graduated on 3 May 1895, having won the Watson Medal for dental surgery and pathology, as well as the medal for materia medica and therapeutics in 1894. She therefore became the first woman to obtain a Licence in Dental Surgery from a British Royal College.

Many hundreds of North Londoners have followed in Lilian’s footsteps, pursuing careers in Roma science and Agrawal mathematics.

(ONL 2001)

Most recently they have included Roma Agrawal, a structural engineer who helped to build The Shard, the financier Angelie Moledina, recently recognised as one of the Top 100 Women In Finance, and

Angelie Moledina (ONL 1993)

Dr Natalie Greenwold, a successful obstetrician.

Dr Natalie Greenwold (ONL 1982)

Commitment to academic excellence has, from the Foundation of the School, been a hallmark of North London Collegiate. Many thousands of ONLs have left NLCS to go on to university in this country and abroad, studying a dazzling array of courses from the arts to the social sciences, modern and ancient languages, jurisprudence, architecture and design, accountancy, finance and business, English literature and language, technology, computing, music, drama and many other courses besides.

Miss Buss was interested in inspiring and encouraging her students to THINK, rather than to repeat rote learning. “In training the youthful mind to habits of thought, instead of burthening the memory with merely a number of words respecting the meaning of which the pupils remain in ignorance.” Independence of thought was therefore a much sought after quality for girls studying at NLCS. The commitment to fostering such a quality has led to the emergence of a certain independence of spirit among North Londoners. ONLs proved time and again that they had considerable bravery, strength of will and intention.

The Right Honourable, The Baroness Sharp was one such ONL. Evelyn Sharp was a Baroness career civil Evelyn Sharp servant at a time (ONL 1919) when women were almost entirely unknown in such a profession.

Even as a young teenager, she made her mark. She clashed with the authorities at School and

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her rebellious streak remained a key part of her character. In 1926, she began her career in the civil service in the Mercantile Marine Department of the Board of Trade. She described meeting her new boss in a Times article in 1975: “My superior was an elderly bachelor to whom the law of the foreshore was absorbing. My arrival completely upset the even tenor of his life, and we never achieved a rational relationship.”

Evelyn was determined to pursue her career, and used her networking skills to arrange a transfer away from the “elderly bachelor” to the Ministry of Health. She was attached to the Local Government Division of the Ministry and spent happy years travelling around the UK visiting various Local Authorities.

Gradually, she became accepted as a professional civil servant regardless of her gender. In 1946 she was made the first female Deputy Secretary to a major government department, and, tellingly, she was paid at the same level as her male counterparts (achieving equal pay a full ten years before the civil service in general accepted that principle). She was formidable, tough-minded, decisive, inventive and resourceful… but she was also “a warm, unstuffy, impulsive and tremendously energetic person.”

Independence of thought and action has also underpinned Dame Anna Wintour’s career.

A remarkable and often challenging character, Dame Anna became interested in fashion as a Dame Anna teenager whilst Wintour at School and (ONL 1967) determined to pursue a career in fashion journalism.

From the editorship at Vogue, House and Garden, US Vogue and most latterly, Condé Nast, Dame Anna has come to be regarded as one of the most powerful people in fashion, identifying and setting trends, and anointing new designers. She is also a notable philanthropist and has raised over $10 million for AIDs

charities since 1990.

Famously, she is reported as saying: “I don’t like people who’ll say yes to everything I might bring up. I want people who can argue, and disagree, and have a point of view.”

That spirit of independence, the embrace of a good argument and the strength of character that it takes to hold your own in a competitive and often unfair environment is certainly a characteristic of very many North Londoners.

Miss Buss was always interested in educating the whole person – not simply in preparing her students to pass examinations. All aspects of a child’s growth and development were considered. Miss Buss toyed with the Swiss practice of teaching swimming by rowing out into the middle of a lake and capsizing the boat, leaving the children in it to save themselves (although there is no record that she actually tried it).

She was also convinced that music, cookery, carpentry and art were also essential elements of the North London educational experience. It should be no surprise to us that so many North Londoners have sought to pursue careers in the creative industries. In the early years of the School however, such an ambition – to be an actor, a performer on the Victorian stage, would have been met with a considerable degree of dismay and concern.

Jesse Millward learned her love of acting during her time at School, participating in the tableaux vivants and the dramatic societies that were fundamental elements Jesse of the NLCS Millward educational (ONL 1872) experience. Miss Buss took “the greatest delight” in these societies, which were conceived of and run by the girls themselves.

In 1881, Jesse persuaded her mother to allow her to act on the professional stage. She rose quickly,

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playing leading lady at Drury Lane and in many melodramas at the Adelphi Theatre. Jesse also toured the United States of America. Her many Broadway roles included the title role in Phronso in 1898, Lady Algy in Lord and Lady Algy in 1899, Countess Zicka in Diplomacy in 1901 and Clara in the Girl in the Taxi in 1910.

Jesse was followed into the acting profession by Daisy Noble – who took the stage name of Maisie Gay. Maisie carved out a successful international career in musical Maisie comedy Gay before (ONL 1894) retiring to run a public house in Wiltshire. What I found particularly fascinating about Maisie was an essay that she published in the journal Music Masterpieces. Her article, “Laughter Making in Musical Comedy” is remarkable for its analysis of what makes a successful comedy performer. She writes: “What are the qualifications of a stage comedienne?

First of all I should say sincerity. The only laugh that matters is the one that comes straight from the heart. It is impossible to assume sincerity on the stage if it is not a part of oneself in private life, and that is why you find that nearly all our great actors and actresses are such charming people in real life.”

The list is long and distinguished of other ONLs who have forged and continue to pursue careers in the arts.

From actors such as Eleanor Bron, Anna Madeley, Rachel Weisz, Anna Popplewell and Emer Kenny, to producers such as Robyn Slovo and Alison Kirkham the BBC Commissioning Eleanor Editor, to Bron musicians such (ONL 1956) as Mandhira di Saram who is forging a

Anna Madeley

Mandhira de Saram

Peggy Angus

(ONL 1995)

(ONL 2003)

(ONL 1993)

Rachel Weisz

Anna Popplewell

Stevie Smith

(ONL 1985)

(ONL 2007)

(ONL 1971)

successful career as a soloist and a founding member of the Ligeti Quartet, dedicated to the performance of improvised and experimental music… to artists such as Peggy Angus, who is best known for her industrial designs, tiles and wallpapers, North London has inspired many to express themselves on stage, screen and in the studio.

Many more ONLs are writers – North London is an intensely literary place. I was struck when I first began to get to know the School, by how

many magazines, newsletters, blogs, lectures and articles the girls produce.

I have a lever arch file on my desk that struggles to contain only one edition each of all the literary productions that have been issued during this term alone.

Over the years North Londoners have gone on to become writers of every form and persuasion. Stevie Smith and Ruth Padel are notable poets, the latter coming to poetry after an academic career teaching

Greek at Oxford and Birkbeck, opera in the Modern Greek Department of Princeton University, and sung in the Choir of Saint-Eustache in Paris.

Netta Syrett became a prolific author of novels after leaving School in 1876 and came to prominence when her debut play The Finding of Nancy (1902) caused shock and indignation among the nation’s critics. The play told the story of Nancy Thistleton, a lonely secretary, who embarks upon an affair with a married man who is

Alison Kirkham

Netta Syrett

Alison Eadie

(ONL 1992)

(ONL 1943)

(ONL 1972)

Emer Kenny

Ruth Padel

(ONL 2008)

(ONL 1964)

Robyn Slovo (ONL 1972)

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separated from his alcoholic wife, What was truly shocking about the play was its happy ending, as the curtain fell on Nancy embracing her ineligible lover, looking forward to a lifetime of happiness. Victorian (male) critics were united in their horror and condemnation of the immorality that the play appeared to condone.

Alison Eadie studied History at Cambridge and Harvard before becoming a successful journalist.

Alison’s ability to explain complex economic and financial matters with clarity, verve and wit enabled her to forge a successful career at Financial Weekly, The Times, The Independent and latterly The Daily Telegraph.

Myfanwy Piper combined a career as an art critic and opera librettist, and was a key figure in the abstract art movement of the 1930’s.

Through her relationship with John Piper, she met the famous Poet Laureate John Betjeman, collaborated Myfanwy with the Piper composer (ONL 1997) Alun Hoddinott on most of his operas and wrote the libretto for three of Benjamin Britten’s major works, The Turn of the Screw, Owen Wingrave and Death in Venice. Perhaps inspired by her many contributions to the NLCS School magazine, Myfanwy founded an influential art magazine Axis, which was produced from 1935 – 37 and described as “the most radical and stylish production on art at that time.” (Oxford DNB), edited book of essays on abstract and figurative art and surrealism and biographies of the artists Reynolds Stone and Frances Hodgkins.

Eleanor Graham worked successfully as a children’s Eleanor book Graham editor…

(ONL 1984) and Stella

Gibbons wrote many novels, the most famous of which was her first, Cold Comfort Farm published in 1932.

The book, Stella in which Gibbons she depicts (ONL 1989) the efforts of “a rational, bossy London heroine” to bring order and serenity to her rustic relations, the Starkadders, on their run-down, Sussex farm, skewered the pretentions of and parodied with grace and subtlety the works of authors such as DH Lawrence, Thomas Hardy and Emily Brontë. It’s hilarious – do read it.

The tradition of North London Collegiate writers continues to this day.

Emma Gordon is currently working as a Emma script writer Gordon and editor in (ONL -1996) London. She credits North London with first inspiring her to write for an audience as well as developing her ability to work hard and “the belief that I am smart enough to find a solution to any problem”.

As much as she was determined that her teachers should inspire their students with the heady thrill of scholarship, Miss Buss saw education as a means to an end. She wanted the students who studied at North London Collegiate to be economically independent and successful, but she also wanted them to contribute actively to society.

This Victorian ideal of social service appears to have been deeply important to Miss Buss. She wrote: “It is surely one great advantage of a large public school whatever other imperfections it may otherwise have that it inspires its pupils with a feeling of membership in a great body, that it helps to cultivate that collective, as opposed to individual feeling;

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which has various forms – domestic affection, charity, public spirit – but in the true fulfilment of which consists the highest happiness.”

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury embodied that NLCS commitment to social service and charitable work. It is true that Dame Elizabeth was born into a wealthy family and then married into an even wealthier one… but what marked her Dame out was her Elizabeth Cadbury commitment (ONL 1876) to active philanthropy. Dame Elizabeth wanted to make a difference. This desire for active good works appears to have been born at NLCS. The Birmingham Post newspaper told the story of a fateful lesson led by Miss Buss herself: “Miss Buss sweeping into the classroom with the sudden question: “Well girls, what are we here for?” brushing aside the answer of learning the particular lesson of the moment with an impatient “No, no – what is the purpose behind our work?” remained a vivid memory to Elizabeth Cadbury at 90. Deeply impressed upon her at 16 was the realisation that the higher education in which she was sharing was to fit her for a wider service to her fellows in the years to come.”

(Birmingham Post Oct 24 1955) Dame Elizabeth’s energy and verve mirrored that of Miss Buss. In 1884 she started a boys’ club in the London Docks. A year later she was living in Paris, working with a protestant mission for the relief of victims of the Franco-Prussian War, before moving back to London to work with women in the London slums. Her marriage to George Cadbury gave her the opportunity to take a full and enthusiastic role in the foundation of Bournville Village, a community of houses, flats and other amenities for the workers in a newly built chocolate factory south of Birmingham. “No pubs though,” my Dad used to say darkly as we made our way past the model village to my parents’ house in Hall Green. It was true – in keeping with

the Quaker temperance philosophy that underpinned the foundation of Bournville Village, Elizabeth and George planned for schools, acres of sports fields, a swimming lido, several bowling greens and a fishing lake, there were no public houses or legal places where alcohol could be bought or drunk.

Dame Elizabeth’s commitment to the service of her community extended beyond the formation of Bournville Village. She Helped to found the Birmingham Union of Girls’ Clubs in 1898 and later became an active worker for the Young Women’s Christian Association and a strong supporter of the Girl Guide movement.

In 1911 she was co-opted on to the Birmingham Education Committee, and from 1919 to 1924 she was a City Counsellor for the Kings Norton Ward.

She was also President of the Birmingham United Hospitals from 1941 until 1948 and she was Chairman of Birmingham’s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in 1935.

Nationally, Dame Elizabeth was President of the National Council of Women, led the British delegation to the world conference at Calcutta convened by the Indian National Council of Women and she supported the League of Nations Union and thereafter the present United Nations Association.

More recently I have been made aware of another extraordinary ONL, who, in her short life, also made Stephanie a profound Lee and deeply (ONL 2001) valuable contribution to social justice, and whose service to the displaced Karenni people of Burma would have, I am sure, made Miss Buss very proud. I am of course talking about Stephanie Lee. Stephanie first encountered the Karenni people by accident. She was backpacking around Asia on her Gap year, before taking up her place on a Foundation Art Course in Chelsea. Stephanie encountered a vast refugee camp while travelling

in the challenging terrain of North Thailand. The people living there in the camps had been displaced by the ruling military junta in Burma (in scenes that are chillingly familiar to those of us who have seen the plight of the Rohingya Muslims in the West of that nation). Many of the children had never known anywhere beyond the camps’ bounds. The facilities that were there were very limited in scope and Stephanie was determined to do something about it.

She returned to London and immediately began fundraising to support the community. She also dropped her plans to study art, instead determining to learn Thai and Burmese at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Stephanie spent every vacation travelling to one of the refugee camps, teaching and raising money for her own charity the Karenni Student Development Programme. In three years she raised more than £30,000.

Stephanie had great plans for the camps, including boarding schools for orphans and new facilities for schools.

She became known as “Teacher Stephanie” and her creativity, love of life and determination gave rise to Fantasy Fashion, an annual event here at NLCS that continues to celebrate Stephanie’s extraordinary life even today. If she had not been killed in a motorbike accident in 2001, who knows what she might have achieved.

The Karenni Student Development Programme continues to grow and support the Karenni people, and we were delighted to hear the news this year that the charity has now raised more than a million pounds to enable them to help themselves to have the opportunity to follow their aspirations, vocations and dreams, much as we encourage all our students here and in our schools in Jeju and Dubai to do.

That same spirit of equality and drive for social justice, was self evident in the foundation of the School. Miss Buss intended that her school should provide educational opportunities for girls from the neglected middle classes, whose families were not wealthy enough to be able to afford private tuition from governesses or the select academies and boarding schools for their daughters but neither were they poor enough to benefit from

the so-called charity schools at the time.

Miss Buss believed that a significant group of girls was therefore being profoundly disadvantaged: “The deplorable ignorance of the poor half a century ago was a great national evil and philosophers and statesman have cooperated to diminish it, but whilst their attention was directed at the poor man, they altogether forgot the tax and rate payer, the voter and that middle class of the community in whose hands our lives, our prosperity, nay, even our liberty depends.”)

There was to be no class distinction or racial prejudice in her school; all who came were to be given equal opportunities. She wrote: “All the pupils who enter are considered as upon the same equality. The same high tone of feeling is expected from all, the same attention to instruction, the same advantages offered to every pupil.”

And so a commitment to the principle of equality is inherent in our School – a fundamental principle that we adhere to today.

It is one hundred years since (some) women won the right to vote in this country.

Dorothy Evans was a feminist activist and political leader.

She joined the Women’s Dorothy Social and Evans Political (ONL 1906) Union in 1907 shortly after leaving School, becoming its Birmingham organiser between 1910 and 1912. During this period she was frequently arrested and imprisoned for acts relating to the Suffragette movement. In 1913, she acted as a liaison officer between the WSPU’s headquarters in London and its exiled leader Christabel Pankhurst, in Paris. Dorothy travelled between London and the French capital in disguise, putting into practice the nerve and guile she had developed during her time on the sports fields and through her contributions to the School magazine at NLCS. She was

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finally imprisoned for possession of explosives in Ireland (she had been planning to blow up Lisburn Castle to draw attention to the cause of women’s rights in Ireland), went on hunger strike and was force fed.

Dorothy’s radicalism continued during the War, which she opposed, unlike the leadership of the Suffragette movement. She broke with the WSPU and instead joined various other feminist campaigning groups, eschewing her previous commitment to armed struggle. Dorothy’s activism continued throughout the 1920’s and 30’s, and up to her death in 1944 – by then she was leading the Women in Westminster pressure group, campaigning peacefully and passionately for more female MP’s in Parliament.

Another radical campaigner and ONL, also viewed by some as a divisive and challenging figure, Marie Stopes, shared Evans’ commitment to women’s rights Marie and the desire Stopes for economic, (ONL 1899) social and political equality. Following a successful career as a palaeobotanist, Stopes campaigned vociferously for the provision of adequate birth control for married women. In later life, Stopes’ views on breeding and eugenics became increasingly controversial, (she was estranged from her only son because of them), and her habit of self-aggrandising her work also led to criticism and derision… but her efforts to combat the Victorian taboo on the discussion of sexuality and marital intercourse were significant and long lasting. As the Oxford Dictionary of National biography comments, “If she sometimes rated her own achievements rather more highly than they deserved (ignoring or scorning the contributions of others), nevertheless they were remarkable contribution to human happiness.”

Dame Esther Rantzen (NLCS 1958), journalist, activist and investigative broadcaster continues the tradition of

campaigning for equality and social justice today.

Dame Esther, who described herself in the ONLine magazine as “never the Dame Esther perfect North Rantzen Londoner”, rose (ONL 1958) to particular influence as the presenter of the programme That’s Life! from 1973 to 1994. Aside from humorous segments such as singing dogs and odd shaped vegetables, Dame Esther and her team used That’s Life!’s tremendous popularity and profile to highlight social injustice and political corruption. In 1986, following a report on child abuse in the home, Dame Esther launched Childline, a free telephone number, the first in the world, designed to enable children, who were in distress or danger, to call for help. On the first night of its launch, more than 50,000 attempted calls were made to the helpline.

Such was the demand for a free and confidential helpline for children, that the original help centres had to rapidly expand to meet it. Childline has now merged with the NSPCC, enabling it to expand even more in the UK, and has been replicated in 150 countries around the world. In 2013 Dame Esther introduced The Silver Line in a bid to combat isolation and loneliness among older people.

So as I reach the end of this speech, I return to my opening question: what are the founding principles that underpin North London Collegiate School? I hope that I have been able to illustrate the impact of Miss Buss’ commitment to academic excellence, her high ambitions for the School and her relentless drive for improvement, her determination to give opportunities to those she perceived to be disadvantaged, her desire that the young women in

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her care should meet the challenges of life fearlessly and with the determination to be economically and socially independent, successful and productive.

History is important – but here we are at an extraordinary place – in that moment between the past, present and the promise of the future. The Year 13 students here today are shortly going to become Old North Londoners, and I have one more story, particularly for you.

I am conscious that I have illustrated my talk today by referring to women who have, in one way or another, come to fame or prominence in their career. There are many thousands of ONLs whose stories I have not told, whose lives have not been documented in the same way as those I have shared with you today. I have been privileged to meet a number of ONLs since my arrival here who have led very happy and fulfilled lives entirely outside the public sphere – and I know that some of you are here today as guests, benefactors, mums and grandmothers.

My final story is about an ONL called Helen Spencer, neé Weston, who attended NLCS during the 1930’s.

In common with many ONLs, Helen was asked to send her reminiscences in to School, in order to shed more light on some of her more ‘famous’ compatriots. I want to read you part of the letter that she wrote to the Archive, because I found it quite remarkable: “Yes, I have been very fortunate and had a very interesting life, though now it is drawing to a close I am very conscious of how little I have done of real worth… however we have produced three children who are in useful professions.

“My husband, a retired solicitor who has born with my eccentricities wonderfully for over fifty-two years and I have travelled a great deal in small cargo ships, once getting stuck off Guanta [in Venezuela] for over a month!

“In 1983, I persuaded him to accompany me on a fact finding mission to Poland which was then in a desperate state…. We went on a Polish ship because we were taking clothes, food (including a crate of oranges which the Polish children at an orphanage [that we visited] had never seen), medicines etc. We had got to know Poles on the small Polish cargo ships on which we had travelled for months and one, a dissident too outspoken writer (afterwards sentenced to house arrest) was able to put us in touch with the underground movement and I did some smuggling for Solidarity.” (That was the Polish resistance movement to the repressive Communist regime that was in charge in Poland at that time).

“We came home in a Russian train and it was terrifying at the borders when the police came in with their dogs, even taking down the ceiling panels and searching under the lavatories, [as] I had the addresses of people imprisoned for ages without trial in my possession.

“I had taken a long time carefully inserting these on minute bits of paper in a new carton of lavatory paper, and our friend’s incriminating article, which had shut down his paper, casually shoved in my pocket with a crumpled

headscarf. Lech [my Polish friend] was frightened for me carrying this but after much discussion we decided I could say casually that someone had just handed it to me and I didn’t understand Polish anyway… too true.

“I did not tell my husband I was carrying these papers as it was better for him not to know. Anyway, it was a wonderful relief and felt very odd to arrive in Holland and be able to speak without looking over ones shoulder.

We did get an article published about this … and you can imagine how thrilled I was to see [the leader of Solidarity] Lech Waleska with the Queen the other night.

“Thank you for sending the magazine. It is beautifully produced and I am especially interested in the story competitions. It is wonderful what Esther Rantzen has achieved.”

I think this story is tremendous, and for me it sums up what it means to be a member of this extraordinary School’s community. Helen, an otherwise ‘unremarkable and ordinary’ North Londoner, saw an injustice and determined to take some action in order to try to help. She had the confidence and courage to seek out the underground movement and volunteer to publicise the plight of those imprisoned without trial. She

acted independently (didn’t want to worry her husband or implicate him in her actions) creatively and judiciously (she thought to use the Russian border police’s assumptions about an elderly British couple travelling in Europe to keep her illegal cargo hidden) and she was able to see her mission through to the publishing of the article that she had smuggled out of Poland.

I think that Miss Buss would have been very proud.

Let me make something very clear.

Every time you use your intellect, your courage, your passion and determination to do something positive, something kind, something good in the world, you will be honouring the traditions and the founding principles of this School’s community.

It is a truism to say that you will never forget your school days. Today we reaffirm our part in the story of this remarkable School and look forward with confidence and anticipation to what the future holds.

Happy Founder’s Day, everyone!

Sarah Clark,

Headmistress March 2018

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Meet the Head

Q: first impressions of What were your

the School and the students?

A:

It is very fast movingand I love that! I was also impressed by the extracurriculars and the holistic nature of the education offered as well as the Senior Societies because I thought it was so exciting to have such a wide range of interesting speakers coming in. I loved the staff too, I met such wonderful, tremendous, and committed teachers with a passion for the subjects that they taught, which is so inspiring.

advice would you Q: What give the students?

Keep a balance in your life as much as possible. Academics are very important but if you are not happy in yourself then your academics can be impacted. So, it is important to have a hobby whatever it may be. It can be academic or nonacademic, but it should be outside school work. I remember meeting the Big Six and asking them, “What do you do to relax?”. I think self-care is so important; we all work so hard and it is a busy and industrious atmosphere.

A lot is expected of the girls and quite rightly, however it is just as important to realise when you are stressed out and to find an activity which will alleviate the stress.

A:

In January, we welcomed our new Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Clark.

The Canons Life team couldn’t wait to arrange an interview to find out more about her and what plans she has for the future.

Meet the Head – Interview with our new Headmistress, Sarah Clark

Q:

What attracted you most to the School?

The tremendous reputation.

I had heard about NLCS and I was also aware of the history of the School, being passionately involved in girls’ education. It was the first independent girls’ day school with a great philosophy: tolerance, social and religious inclusion, and an absolute commitment to academic excellence.

These are all qualities which have been important to me throughout my career.

A: Interviewed by Laila Arain (Year 13)

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Q:

What kind of student were you at school?

I found some of my reports recently as I was clearing out my house. What was interesting was that my teachers had absolutely understood me. I was very enthusiastic and put effort into everything I did, but usually I was described to have acted on “impulsive intuition” than on “mature

A:

thought”. I really loved being taught and being at school. I threw myself into school life and ultimately became Head Girl, but I really found my passion and steadiness in the Sixth Form. I didn’t get brilliant GCSE’s, but I feel that it made me a better teacher and Headmistress, as I changed and took control of my life. Also, I went throughout my whole school life not knowing that I was dyslexic, which explains my tendency to be disorganised. I only realised at 22, while I was doing my teacher training.

But, it has made me extremely committed to being positive about dyslexia and special educational needs.

Q: A:

As a student, what extra-curricular activities did you participate in?

I loved debating, and I also enjoyed playing netball.

I loved hanging out with my friends, and we took it upon ourselves to redecorate the whole common room, I managed to

persuade my Headmistress to give me some money to install a new carpet.

I also enjoyed writing, and my friends and I put on a performance of Dick Whittington which I had written. We raised a lot of money for the RSPCA. I liked singing and drama and was in a number of productions while I was at school. One of them, The Magic Flute, involved having to learn to sing opera too!

Q: A:

What are you most looking forward to about Founder’s Day?

Although I am interested in innovation and what is going to happen in the future, I love tradition because I believe that we all need to be rooted in something. I am really looking forward to all of Founders’ Day especially the daffodil procession and singing “Where’ere you walk”. My speech this year is about the founding principles behind the School and how past students have exemplified them. I hope it will be inspiring to everyone who attends the ceremony.

do you see the Q: How School growing in your future years as Headmistress?

A:

NLCS will always fundamentally be an academic school, and we will always be sending girls off to the best universities in the world. What we also must do, however, is broaden ourselves a little and understand that some girls may not want to follow a traditional course of study in the future. The world of work is continuing to evolve, and we need to embrace all those new opportunities. For example, I am really interested in the new professional apprenticeships and degrees that are starting to become available. I am also interested in seeing how we can bring new partnerships with businesses and universities into the school. It would be about keeping all the things which are great about NLCS, but also about presenting all the opportunities which come our way because of our increasingly challenging and technological world.

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NLCS Summer Festival

Classics Recitation Competition

T

o celebrate another wonderful year at NLCS, we finished the term with a spectacular Summer Festival. The theme for this Year’s event was ‘The Spirit of Adventure’, and all students and staff were encouraged to try something new.

Over the week, activities run by staff and students took place all around the school, inside and out.

Mental Health & Wellbeing Society held a meditation and yoga session outside by the pond, Philosophy Society took students on a ‘Whistlestop Tour’ of philosophical thought, strolling around the lovely grounds and Geography Society organised an ‘Around the World’ treasure hunt.

Science Society ran a Science Fair featuring adventurous experiments,

Sports Day

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Merengue Taster Lesson

Julius Caesar

Pamela Flower Tennis Tournament

from elephant’s toothpaste to firebending and Computing Society hosted a Robotic Arm workshop.

We had a fantastic Year 13 Leavers’ Concert, Year 10 presented a promenade production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Year 7 enjoyed a Performing Arts Jamboree and Year 12 took part in a Merengue Taster lessons!

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Spirit of Adventure Science Fair

Law Society presented a talk on an intriguing legal case, and Polyglot delivered a live Spanish interpreting session. Creative Writing Society hosted an ‘open mic’ poetry reading and students had the opportunity to perform in a Classical Recitation House Competition.

The grounds provided the perfect setting for Year 7’s outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in the drama studio, a group of Year 12 students performed a student-written play entitled Carte Blanche and a cast of Year 11 students rehearsed and performed ‘A Play in Day’.

Anthropology Society held a foodthemed event where students could try different foods from all over the world, and the Politics and History societies gave a joint presentation on ‘Adventurers Through Time’, looking at figures from the past who have shown Play in a Day

Year 7 Arts Jamboree

Yoga

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NLCS Spirit

NLCS Spirit

the spirit of adventure.

On the final days of the Festival, girls took to the courts for the annual Pamela Flower Tennis Tournament and the whole school came together for the biggest House event of the year, Sports Day, which this year also included the Canonaid House Fête.

The Festival drew to a dramatic close with the ‘NLCS… With Spirit’ show featuring a variety of acts – dancing, singing, instrumental pieces, dramatic monologues and more – and giving insight into a number of different cultures from around the world. Everyone was treated to an array of fantastic performances from students across the Senior School. It was a tremendous way to bring the Festival to a close and a spectacular way to end the Summer term!

Sports Day

Carte Blanche

Play in a Day

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Music National Youth Orchestra Two NLCS Students, Inis Oirr Asano (viola) and Faye Zhao (violin) successfully auditioned to regain their places in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Featuring some of the best young orchestral musicians in the country, the NYO tackles some of the most challenging and exciting orchestral repertoire, performing at all the major UK concert halls. This includes an annual performance at the prestigious BBC Proms!

Competition Success ORDA Inis Oirr Asano competed in the ORDA, an international recorder festival in Amsterdam. We are delighted for her success, winning ‘The Royal Wind Music Prize’ with her duet partner, and reaching the semi-finals in the soloist competition.

Composing competition Anoushka Sharp entered the intriguingly titled “Golden Hornet Smackdown String Quartet” composing competition. The competition was open to international composers of all ages, and we are delighted that Anoushka’s composition Quiet Lane was selected for the final round of sixteen.

Finalists have a professional recording of their pieces by ‘Invoke’, a professional String Quartet based in the United States.

Commenting on the competition, Anoushka writes “It is really exciting to have the opportunity to have my String Quartet recorded by a professional quartet.

Writing with the hope of the Final Performance Round in mind presented the challenge of expressing musical ideas concisely - every minute (literally) has to be engaging, and within the four minute deadline there is no room for a wasted note.”

Senior Concert (Autumn) The Senior School Concert, one of the highlights of the year, was held on the 23rd November in the Bernice McCabe Performing Arts Centre. In a very musical evening, students from Year 7 to 13 performed a range of pieces in various orchestras, bands and choirs, including the Senior Sinfonia and the Chandos Singers. From the dynamic Dvorack Symphony No.8 performed energetically by the Senior Orchestra; the well known theme tune of the Pirates of the Caribbean played by the Concert Band and the angelic performance of Mozart’s Coronation Mass by the Senior Choir; students showcased their musical talents as well as the hard work and dedication put into rehearsals - it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

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Drummond Recital Throughout the year, girls from all year groups came together to perform in the Drummond Recitals. The series of recitals began on Monday 13th November with spectacular performances from the music scholars of NLCS. The success of the Drummond series continued and audiences were treated with a different music styles, ranging from renaissance to jazz. It was brilliant to see so many girls getting involved and performances included piano duets to string quartets to clarinet solos.

Middle School Festive Concert On the 5th December, students from Year 7 to Year 9 performed in the Middle School Concert. It was a very musical evening where the girls performed a range of pieces including ‘Dambusters’ by the Orchestra, ‘May it be sung’ by the Middle School Chamber Choir and ‘St Paul’s Suite’ by Middle School Camerata. The concert showcased the girls’ exceptional talent and it was a great success!

Musical Fundraising In 2016, a group of students decided to form a choir, with the intention of performing to patients in local hospitals. “Bella Voce” rehearses every week and has steadily grown in size.

At the end of the Autumn Term, the choir organised a visit to University College London Hospital. The girls have also enjoyed termly visits to the Royal Free Hospital, entertaining visitors as they enter the hospital. The girls performed a range of music, including some festive favourites, to raise the spirits of patients and staff. They also managed to raise £120 for Royal Free Hospital.

Music Fundraising

Drummond Recital

Senior Concert

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Senior Instrumental Concert On Thursday 1st February, girls from Year 7 to Year 13 came together to perform in a concert, showcasing the various musical ensembles and chamber groups of the school.

The evening was a great success with a variety of different music styles and genres being performed. The items ranged from a Veena and Tabla duet, to Tchaikovsky and Mozart String Quartets to a Disney medley played by the Flute Ensemble. Moreover, there were two vocal performances, one by the student-led ‘Glee’ Choir and a new Year 12 Quintet and performances from the Plucked Strings and Senior Clarinets.

There was also a fabulously played Piano Duet by two extremely talented Year 7 girls. The evening closed with a fun and entertaining Funk Medley by the Sax Ensemble, summing up how much the girls love to enjoy and immerse themselves in the music they take part in.

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Senior Concert (Spring) On Thursday 15th March, girls from Year 7 to Year 13, came together to perform in an amazing concert, which showcased the various amounts of talent, ensembles and musical groups within the school. There was a variety of different music styles and groups such as Middle School Orchestra, Senior Orchestra, Concert Band, Senior Choir, String Quartet and many more.

The concert was successful and all the girls enjoyed performing.

National Festival Success In March, the Sinfonia performed in the Music for Youth Regional Festival in Watford. The String Orchestra received very positive feedback and praise for their musical maturity and characterisation of their performance.

As a result of their efforts, the NLCS Sinfonia were selected to play for the National Festival on 5th July.

This involved an appearance at Birmingham’s Town Hall, which regularly hosts some of the world’s leading musicians and ensembles.

This was an exciting opportunity for the orchestra to perform alongside other outstanding youth ensembles in a festival celebrating music within schools and other educational settings.

Middle School Summer Concert On Thursday 14th June, girls from the Middle School took part in the annual Summer Concert.

The audience were treated to music varying from Poulenc and Prokofiev, to Williams and Warlock.

Choirs, orchestras and chamber groups were represented as we heard music from the musical Hairspray, Ireland’s beautiful Evening Song and a toetapping rendition of La Bamba.

Thank you A huge thank you to all the girls, Mr Haigh and the Music Department, as well as all the Ensemble teachers, without whom these wonderful events throughout the year could not have taken place.

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Enrichment 24 | NORTH LONDON COLLEGIATE SCHOOL | SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2018

CyberFirst Competition In January, over thirty girls from Year 8 joined over ten-thousand other students from across the country to take part in an online code-breaking competition organised by the National Cyber Security Centre and aimed solely at girls. This stage of the competition required teams of four to collaborate on a series of challenging cybersecurity tasks. Team Goggles (the team-name appeared “before their eyes” in a chemistry lesson!) qualified for the national final, making it into the top 10 in the country after competing against 1200 other teams in an intense online round. Following this success, the team was invited to meet HRH The Duke of York at Buckingham Palace. During the visit, the girls relished the opportunity to show off their skills to Prince Andrew who went on to give an erudite address on girls’ education and the lack of women in STEM research. The girls went away from the whole experience with some fantastic memories and a newly-found love of code-breaking.

Hispanic Theatre Festival The School hosted the fifth annual Hispanic Theatre Festival, an evening filled with talent from fifteen participating schools.

A-level Spanish students from each school performed an extract from either a popular play or a self-written play. At the end of the evening, the judges decided the winners of the many trophies available. NLCS were delighted to welcome as our judges: Angela de Torre, Secondary Secretary of the Colombian Embassy, Dr Gonzalo Capellán Miguel, Education Advisor of the Spanish Embassy, Dr Duncan Wheeler, Associate Professor in Spanish Studies at the University of Leeds and Jorge de Juan, Artistic Director of the Spanish Theatre Company.

NLCS girls chose to perform an extract of Llosa’s ‘La Ciudad y Los Perros’.

The girls created a tense and exciting atmosphere by combining their eloquent linguistic and theatrical skills. Despite the tough competition, the NLCS girls took home three prizes. The Best Spoken Spanish trophy was awarded to Maya Satheeskaran, the Best Actress trophy was awarded to Varuna Mitra, and the group trophy for the Best Overall Spanish was awarded to NLCS. In addition to the astounding talent, while the judges deliberated, the audience was delighted to see performances from the NLCS International Glee Choir, Varuna Mitra in Year 13, and Nikita Nandi in Year 11.

By Shani Paun, Year 12

Stephen Hawking Memorial Service Four girls from Year 12 were amongst 500 people who attended the Stephen Hawking memorial service at Westminster Abbey on Friday.

As part of the one-hour service, they heard a reading from one of his daughters on the inspirational nature of his legacy and how he single-handedly changed the future of science and physics. The service also included the Pilgrims Hymn, which the girls enjoyed hearing.

World Kindness Day On Friday 3 November, girls in the Middle School took part in a variety of activities to recognise World Kindness Day. These small gestures included making an effort to do something nice for someone else, smiling at passers-by in the corridor, and making thank you notes and notes of appreciation for each other. The girls also designed bookmarks for the library on the theme of kindness.

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‘Mad Hatters’ – Middle School Literary Club

NLCS Question Time The School hosted our first NLCS ‘Question Time’ event with proceeds from ticket sales going to the Bursary Fund. Our panellists included current parents, Jo Johnson MP - Minister of State at the Department for Transport and Minister for London, Lord David Pannick QC, Barrister and Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of London for Business. We were also delighted to

Year 9 French Poetry Recital Competition Year 9 girls from NLCS joined students from King Alfred School, Merchant Taylors’ School, Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, UCS, Berkhamsted School, for the first Symphonie Poétique – a poetry recitation competition.

welcome back Old North Londoners, Camilla Turner, Education Editor for The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, and Juliet Mann, Broadcast journalist. Our final panellist was NLCS student Zara Khan (studying Economics, History, Spanish, and Maths). It was a brilliant evening with questions submitted by the audience in advance with topics ranging from the lack of female CEOs to the future of Britain’s high streets.

Students had to learn three poems on the theme of ‘voyage’ and recite one of them. Those who went through to the final were given fifteen minutes to prepare ‘Une Carte Postale’ by F. P Titinga unaided, which is no mean feat at that age. The jury was most impressed by the high calibre of the performances, and Aria Banerjee Watts from NLCS was the worthy winner!

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Many exciting Mad Hatters events took place over the year. The ‘Great Literary Treasure Hunt’ was definitely a favourite as students were led by clues to other clues hidden within books, such as famous first lines (‘Mr and Mrs Dursely…), Dewey decimal numbers and alternative book titles. The fun and games continued with ‘Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover’ as students figured out the genre, theme and storyline of various books just from their covers!

The ‘Book-Based Personality Quiz’ was also extremely popular as students discovered which genre of novel they belong in, which Shakespeare play they should star in, and most importantly, which Harry Potter character they were! Other events such as ‘Pseudonyms’, exploring the line between fact and fiction, deconstructing movie adaptations and exploring the world of Blackout poetry were also great successes.

The Spring and Summer terms also provided rich literary discussions.

During the Heroines in Literature debate: ‘What kind of females dominate literary texts?’, everyone was struck by similarities identified between strong female characters.

Key passages were examined, such as Jane’s rejection of Rochester’s first proposal in Jane Eyre and that challenges faced by Tris during her training in Divergent.

In partnership with Science Week, Mad Hatters examined books which had predicted scientific inventions, with surprising results. Examples include Hugo Gernsback writing about video chatting in his 1911 book, ‘Ralph 124c41+’, written even before television was invented, and Robert Heinlein writing about “electric staircases” that move automatically in ‘The Roads Must Roll’.

There were also sessions inspired by the Oscars, Shakespeare’s soliloquies and a heated debate on what we mean

by World Literature.

Overall it was a fantastic year for Mad Hatters, full of strong opinions and fun!

Weizmann Safecracking Tournament Two teams of Year 12 students travelled to Dulwich College to participate in the Weizmann Safe Cracking Competition. Schools from all over London took part, with each team creating a safe from scratch and incorporating two physics concepts to break the safe open. Throughout the day, the girls had the opportunity to try and crack open the other teams’ safes while theirs was being attempted to be cracked open too. The day ended with a speech from Oxford University Mathematics Professor, Marcus Du Sautoy, who gave an exciting talk entitled ‘What we cannot know’. Many thanks to Kureha Yamaguchi in Year 13 who coordinated the entries and helped the teams develop their safes.

Careers Convention The annual Careers Convention was a very vibrant, bustling evening, with over 75 people from a wide range of different professions, some of them ONLs, coming to Canons to talk with girls from NLCS and other local schools about their jobs. There was a large selection of representatives from the fields of Medicine, Government, Finance, Business, Law, Engineering, Science and Technology, Media, Marketing, Journalism and Publishing.

Students also heard from 3 fascinating keynote speakers, Darius Sanai - the Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast, Emily Kraftman (ONL) – Head of Marketing at Deliveroo and Ellie Ereira (ONL) – Senior Project Manager at Pivotal Labs.

Economics ‘Balloon Debate’ Year 12 Economists visited Harrow School to take part in a ‘Balloon Debate’. The teams battled it out to establish who the most influential Economists of all time are, presenting arguments on Pigou, Ricardo, Philips, Galbraith and Ostrum. The girls put forward clear, hard-hitting statements ensuring the Harrow Boys had to work hard to put their case forward.

It was a fantastic evening with hugely impressive performances on both sides. The NLCS team were judged the overall winner due to the quality of their arguments and rebuttals.

Take Your Daughter to Work Day In February, Year 9 participated in Take Your Daughter to Work Day. The girls experienced a typical day in a workplace, observing meetings and taking part in office life. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the day, with many learning about the different types of jobs offered in a bank, experimenting with robotics and 3D printers, learning about chemical engineering and performing laparoscopic surgeries on pigs’ livers! Throughout the day, girls not only discovered the

fascinating jobs on offer in the working world but also learnt valuable lessons, such as the importance of meeting deadlines.

Overall, the girls were thrilled to experience a full day at work and have gained inspiration as to the future career paths they may wish to venture on, which will help when the girls apply for work experience places in Year 11.

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Senior Societies

T

hroughout the year there was a packed programme of Senior Societies lectures every Thursday.

We welcomed more than 40 guests to speak, and the variety of subjects has ranged from ‘How We Listen with Our Bodies’ to ‘My Quest to Build a Space Ladder’. The keynote lecture to launch the annual programme was delivered

by Dame Mary Archer, who is Chairman of the Science Museum Group and has also had a long association with the National Health Service (having been appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2012 for services to the NHS). Dame Mary gave a thought-provoking talk entitled ‘Chemistry on the Distaff Side’, which charted the ground-breaking work of various women who have had careers in Chemistry.

Brina Marks, from The Anne Frank Trust spoke movingly in the special Holocaust Memorial Day talk for Senior Societies at the end of January. Her words were truly inspirational, focusing on the 2018 theme for Holocaust Memorial Day of ‘language and the power of words’. Students and staff

were able to reflect on the impact that even a single word can make on the wellbeing of another individual.

We welcomed globally renowned Professor Robert Winston, Professor of Science and Society and Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London, who gave a talk entitled ‘On Tomorrow’s Scientists’. His talk led a rapt audience through the history of genetic manipulation. From the initial understanding of the nature of the genome, through the eugenics movement and its role in the rise of Nazism in the mid-20th century, to our current understanding of genetic science and the scope of genetic

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engineering to directly alter the human genome.

His talk was a great cautionary message to the scientists of the future to make sure that information is used responsibly, and that scientists have great accountability to ensure that the new discoveries we make are used in a considered and ethically justifiable way.

Other speakers throughout the year included; Paul Ormerod, Visiting Professor at UCL, who gave a talk entitled ‘Economics meets Cyber Society’ (Economics Society); Dr Joseph Fort on ‘How We Listen With our Bodies’ (Music Society); Evelyn Herrmann from Bank of America Merrill Lynch providing a ‘Window into an Economist’s Job’ (Economics Society) and Dr Robert Morris from Addenbrooke’s Hospital whose talk offered ‘An Introduction to Brain Surgery’ (Psychology Society).

Carnegie Prize Winning Author On September 17th 2018, students had the opportunity to meet awardwinning author Geraldine McCaughrean. McCaughrean has written over 160 books and recently won the 2018 Carnegie Medal and came to speak to students about her prize-winning novel, ‘Where the World Ends’, a story inspired by a historical record from the 18th century about a group of men who were stranded on rocks in the sea after their rescue boat failed to arrive. McCaughrean shared her story about her successful writing career and gave top tips Author visit - Matt Dickinson to our inspiring writers. It was wonderful hearing her speak.

At the start of the Spring term, acclaimed author and filmmaker Matt Dickinson visited NLCS. During his talks, he spoke about his experiences climbing Mount Everest, and about the books he has written based on his adventures. On some of his climbs, he faced hardships, however, Matt explained that despite this, he loves the thrill of climbing and hiking. He also showed the girls photos of numerous feats, from crossing crevasses on ladders to Khumbu Icefall, the most dangerous part of Everest. The girls were very impressed by his interactive style of storytelling, and the adventures he shared with them.

Dickenson is also the author of several books: The Everest Files trilogy, Mortal Chaos, its sequel Deep Oblivion, and Lie Kill Walk Away. The girls discovered the basic plotline for each of these stories, and who they might be suitable for. The girls were keen to pick up one of Matt’s books and get immersed in the story. Overall, the students adored the talk and many thanks go to Matt for giving such an insightful and interesting talk!

By Amélie Gadsby, Year 8

Poet Kayo Chingonyi On 8 February 2018 Literary Society welcomed Poet Kayo Chingonyi.

Chingonyi is a contemporary poet, who has published two pamphlets, ‘Some Bright Elegance’ in 2012 and ‘The Colour of James Brown’s Scream’ in 2016. He also published a fulllength collection in 2017, entitled ‘Kumukanda’, from which he has been invited to give readings around the world. He won the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize for his poem ‘Calling a Spade a Spade’, and is currently the poetry editor for ‘The White Review’. Apart from poetry, he is also a DJ and R&B musician.

Poet Anne-Marie Fyfe joins Year 7 Poetry Recital During the Spring term,Year 7 gathered in the Drummond room for the final of their poetry recitation competition. The poet, Anne-Marie Fyfe, came to judge, to read some of her poetry and also to talk about life as a poet. She thoroughly enjoyed her visit and was entertained by the interesting questions of the girls.

After some wonderful performances, Brinda Arun came first and Frankie Hervey second, both delivering lively drama.

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Positive Mental Health and Well-being Speakers During the summer term, our Senior Societies programme focused on the topic of PSHE. Kevin Braddock, founder of The Torchlight System Project, a publication and support guide which highlights the importance of asking for help, discussed the relationship between the media and mental health. He discussed the unrealistic pressures that the media places on society and gave guidance and support on how to manage these positively.

We were delighted to welcome Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, Director of the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation (DSM Foundation). Fiona and her husband Tim founded the drugs education charity in memory of their 16 year old son Daniel who died after taking ecstasy (MDMA) in 2014. The Foundation works with young people, schools, families and communities in increasing awareness of substance misuse and seeks to promote healthy, informed choices for young people, empowering

them with the knowledge, life skills and confidence they need to choose lives free of such misuse.

We were delighted to welcome back writer and campaigner Natasha Devon MBE following her talk last year about body image and the media. She spoke to Year 9 students about their wellbeing, how best to support each other, and managing stress and anxiety.

Students learnt about the benefits of different ways of coping with their busy lives, including sleeping, playing sports, mindfulness and listening to music. It was an extremely informative and fun workshop, with lots for everyone to take away and put into practice.

Other speakers included nutritionist Tina LondCaulk aka ‘The Nutrition Guru’, who explored Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing, and Deana Puccio from The RAP Project, who delivered a

Student Societies

LGBT+ Society

A distinctive feature of our Sixth Form is the volume of opportunities that girls have to develop their leadership skills during their time with us and we are hugely proud of our extracurricular programme which is run by the students themselves. There are more than 40 societies, each offering the chance for girls to explore their academic passions in more depth.

The student leaders of the societies regularly invite in external speakers and set up activities such as debates between students and staff. We asked a selection of the societies to give us a snapshot of some of the events they have organised this year.

We started our academic year as LGBT+ Society by setting up a stall on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia in the Dining Hall lobby. We spoke to students about homophobic/transphobic behaviour and how to spot and prevent such actions, especially in schools.

We also raised over £100 for Rainbow Railroad, a charity aiding gay/ bisexual men in their escape from Chechnya (where there remains a concentration camp for homosexual men.) The response was incredibly

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very frank talk about personal safety, sexual assault and consent, as well as examining how information online and social media are influencing attitudes, behaviours and expectations; Dr Ferris, the School Doctor, spoke to students about ‘befriending their boobs’ and checking them regularly and Mike Hurst, musician and music producer, who gave a fantastic talk about the evolution of pop music.

encouraging, with not only Upper School but many Middle School girls approaching us and asking insightful questions.

We also ran a weekly academic discussion group for the Upper School. Members of the society led Tuesday afternoon sessions discussing a myriad of engaging topics ranging from the role of LGBT+ people in music to the harm caused by micro-aggressions.

We participated in collaborations with other societies, holding themed sessions for Philosophy Week and Science Week

Music Society

and worked with teachers to update the school’s PSHE curriculum to be more current and inclusive, ensuring the younger students are better equipped to deal with LGBT+ issues.

We welcomed a selection of external speakers including Ellen Jones, award-winning LGBT+ speaker and digital & campaigner, and Aziz Alijaji from myGwork, a social recruitment and networking hub for LGBT professionals and organisations.

These talks drew significant and enthusiastic audiences, highlighting the importance of the society and its work to normalise discussions around LGBT+ issues.

Finally, we held an LGBT+

conference entitled All T, All Shades & Pink Lemonade: a tiny peek into the lives of LGBT+ people of colour, welcoming speakers Hattie Collins (Music Editor) and Kez Coo (Assistant Producer) from i-D magazine. They spoke about working in the film and music industry and showcased their work with individuals such as Pharrell Williams and Missy Elliot. Students also heard from Samantha JuryDada, Women’s officer for LGBT+ Labour and Southwark Councillor. She discussed the Labour Party’s record of inclusion of LGBT+ members and policies, and also her own experiences in politics as an LGBT+ person of colour. Contributions from students of the society included a discussion on the Hijra community of India and the relevance of race when considering LGBT+ icons such as Freddie Mercury.

By Kieren Mehta - Chair

In September we launched our ‘Grade-1-athon’ project. Open to all ability levels, teachers and staff had the chance to learn a new musical instrument, taught by a member of the Society and aspire towards passing Grade 1. As well as fostering the art of teaching our instruments, which was new to some of us, the project was also designed to raise money for Canonaid, through sponsorship of the staff involved.

The Society also led a session on performance anxiety. Although this is an aspect of performance often overlooked, it was great to share our experiences and advice with others. This was a very engaging and informative session and gave everyone much to think about.

Following a successful performance of the ‘Grade-1-athon’ orchestra at the annual Christmas Assembly, we continued the project in the Spring Term. The project culminated in a fabulous end-of-term concert featuring some orchestral items and solos. It was incredibly powerful and inspirational to see staff, who were novices on their instruments, tackling nerves and putting themselves forward to perform in front of others.

In March we also welcomed Dr Joseph Fort, Lecturer in Music and Director of the Chapel Choir at King’s College London. He delivered an engaging and interactive session on the 18th Century Minuet. We all got into the spirit of the talk and thoroughly enjoyed learning this quintessential dance of the Classical era.

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F O E K H’S U G D R U B D EDIN AWAR

Silver The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is the world’s leading youth achievement award for 14 to 24-year-olds.

The programmes are at three progressive levels which, if completed, lead to a Bronze, Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Over 100 North London girls from Year 9 to Year 13 take part in the DofE each year. One of the challenges the girls enjoy most is the expedition. Girls travel all over the UK for their practice and qualifying expeditions with many completing their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.

In addition to the expeditions, participants complete a year of volunteering, development of a skill and a physical activity.

This year there was a record number of Silvers participants with forty-eight girls completing their qualifying expedition in the Peak District in June. After the rain on the Isle of Wight during their practice expedition, students were looking forward to the dry weather, and they quickly realised the difficulty of heat exhaustion and dehydration whilst trekking; however, all successfully completed the journey. Our Silver Presentation Evening was held in the first week of September when the students presented their projects to family and friends and received their badges.

Bronze The qualifying expedition took place at the Ashridge estate, walking from Tring station to Berkhamstead in June. Students enjoyed warm, dry conditions and many lessons had been learnt from the practice expedition; navigation and campcraft greatly improved. Fifty-four Year 10 students completed their award, and are now looking forward to starting their Silver Award.

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Gold It was another very successful year for the Gold level with fourteen students completing their award. The qualifying expedition was in the Lake District in August. Groups hiked up Great Langdale in sun and showers and camped at the National Trust campsite - the girls were adamant that they didn’t want any more wild camping after their practice expedition in Dartmoor! Congratulations to all girls involved.

By Mrs Betts and Mr Browning, DofE co-ordinators

Gold Award– Team Sundew Our team decided that our location, the Lake Distrtict, was the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to William Wordsworth, the famous English Romantic poet. Throughout the four days, we walked over 60km enjoying the fresh air and scenic views, a perfect excuse to forget about all the work that lay ahead as we enter the final year of Sixth Form.

On Day one, with full stomachs, we set out on our route up Wandfell Pike, a 400m high hill. We found that the weather in the Lake District, at times, due to its fluctuating nature, had an effect on our morale, however we soon learnt to power through the relentless rain, and it usually stopped just in time for us to eat our lunch. On our second day, we spent most of the time hobbling up what felt like a vertical climb while fighting off the raindrops that blurred our vision. Thankfully, Laila and Chiara kept us in high spirits with plenty of singing. We were all pretty cheerful going into the third day as this was the day where we would spend lots of time on our Wordsworth aim. During breaks, we read parts of his Guide to the Lakes, in which he uses poetic language to describe scenery that was similar to the one that we encountered. We then focused on his poetry, and having selected a few poems, such as The Rainbow and To a Skylark, which members of our group recited, we tried to find which poem best matched the scenery. The aim proved to be both amusing and insightful.

On the final day, our good mood persisted, even when we found ourselves a bit lost — a problem that was quickly resolved after checking compasses and studying maps carefully. We reached the edge of Windermere Lake in good time, and the final part of the Expedition involved following the bank of the lake. We were finally able to relax due to the ease of navigation and admired the beauty of the lake as we strolled light-heartedly along the edge.

Navigators, Chief Food Supplier, Checkpoint Chalker, and Cute Dog Spotter, to name a few!

We were expected to walk at least 18 kilometres per day, a requirement we sometimes met to the nearest second!

The trek proved challenging, and it was reassuring to be surrounded by reliable teammates to heighten our spirits above the peaks we climbed. Singing has always featured in our expeditions, and it was great fun to expand our repertoire from renditions of choral music to Rock, and including well-known favourites, such as To be a Pilgrim!

Whilst arriving at the campsite was a glorious feeling, we could not be idle for very long, as the rain clouds would conveniently start to gather upon our arrival. We worked efficiently as a team to avoid soggy tents, broken poles, and loose pegs - progress from Bronze! As England’s largest national park, the beautiful Lake District covers about 1% of all the land area in Great Britain and is home to England’s highest peaks, with Scafell Pike standing at a staggering 978 metres tall. More than 6000 archaeological sites are listed, and with its rich glacial history and geological features, the Lake District provided the perfect scenery to motivate us through the four days of walking.

We also wanted to explore the landscapes features from an artistic point of view. We brought paper and coloured pencils for everyone to use, and whenever we passed a particularly stunning glacial feature, we would stop, and start to draw. Overall, the expedition was a challenge, physically and mentally for all of us. We surprised ourselves with our fitness and were happy with the fantastic teamwork put in so we could accomplish the expedition. On the train home, we shared stories of our experiences of the Bronze and Silver expeditions and laughed about how hard the Gold was compared to them; but we all agreed that neither was as enjoyable, nor as rewarding.

Gold Award – Team Asphodels’ From sinking into bogs to crossing rivers with slippery rocks, the Gold expedition was a challenge, far surpassing Bronze or Silver. Thankfully, we had the team to keep us going, in which everyone played a vital role - the Holy Trinity of NORTH LONDON COLLEGIATE SCHOOL | SCHOOL MAGAZINE 2018 | 33

YOUNG ENTERPRISE

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his year three companies comprising of students in Year 12 entered into the Company Programme of the Young Enterprise competition. The three companies set themselves up, with members taking on specific roles ranging from Managing Director to Finance Director to Marketing Director, and this enabled the Companies to begin growing their businesses and taking their ideas forward. Each company was supported by an inspirational and experienced Business Advisor, who volunteered in response to a letter sent to all parents of girls at NLCS. We had three Business Advisors in total bringing a wealth of knowledge, insight and experience, which proved to be of great benefit to the student companies.

Each company made a great start on their Young Enterprise journey. They worked effectively as a team to raise capital, design their product or service, and conduct market research. They benefited from attending YE training events to help them in each of these areas. Some members of the teams also attended a series of workshops

hosted by the Disney Company in Hammersmith to help them to develop brand and marketing skills. The companies shared their experiences and achievements to date at the Young Enterprise Interim Showcase held at Kingsbury School on 12th December.

Each company set up a trade stand to display their product, and gave a presentation about their experience as a Young Enterprise Company. The

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event also enabled them to receive useful feedback to help them in the next stage of their journey.

Each team sold their products or services at the trade fair held at the London Designer Outlet in Wembley on 16th December – a chance to test their products and services with the general public and raise valuable funds for their companies.

‘Armore’ developed a personal safety alarm in the form of a stylish piece of jewellery, ‘Bare Necessities’ developed an essentials bag for people on the go, and ‘Unwind’ developed a compact, versatile, environmentally-friendly drinks bottle.

Having established their companies and developed their product ideas in the Autumn Term, the three companies began fundraising activities both in

and out of school – a plethora of bake sales as well as new ideas such as a car washing service – and began selling their products at YE trade fairs, most notably at Spitalfields and Portobello Road markets, and at Brent Cross shopping centre.

The YE organisers and judges consistently said that this was one of the strongest years in the

competition’s history. Each team did incredibly well, successfully making orders and generating profit, but it was team Unwind that won the prize for Best Presentation at the first round of the competition at Bechtel International, and went through to the West London final. In an exceptionally strong field, Unwind won the coveted ‘Most Innovative Product or Service’ award and only narrowly missed out for the prize of ‘Best Overall Company’ and a place in the London final.

The three companies have now wound down and closed shop after what was a busy, exciting and productive year. The competition continues to prove to be a hugely valuable and rewarding experience for NLCS students.

By Mr Cobb, Young Enterprise Coordinator

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Art

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he Art and Design Department had a busy year, in particular in its preparation for the annual Fantasy Fashion Show that took place in January. The Fantasy Fashion event was an immense success attracting both a large number of students from the Middle and Senior School in its preparation, development and the running of the evening and also a large audience of students and parents who came to watch it.

The event succeeded both in nurturing and celebrating the creativity of almost eighty students, as well as raising money for KSDP, the charity which was set up by an NLCS student 20 years ago to support the Karenni people of Burma. Fantasy Fashion was organised and led by Art Society, with a team of five Year 13 students working together to create a magnificent and well-managed event, that was based on the theme ‘From Jazz to Punk’. A wide variety of dresses came down the runway, showing a high level of design and construction skills, excitingly inspired by popular music of the last one-hundred years.

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In November, illustrator and fine artist Emmy Lopes began a two week period as artist-in-residence. Emmy specialises in using recycled materials and found waste such as plastic packaging and shopping bags, which she develops into illustrative legend pieces that raise public awareness of the need to look after the planet.

The Department ran study trips for GCSE, Pre-U and IB students to the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and Tate Gallery (at which Year 12 3D Design students went to visit the Rachel Whiteread retrospective).

In addition, Year 13 students were taken on a special Art study lecture day, in which they attended lectures

by Grayson Perry and other leading Art and Design practitioners.

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Emmy led several workshops with Year 7 students developing textile outcomes while working between these sessions on her own art piece, which she took home at the end of the residency to complete for exhibition in school in the Spring Term.

In the Spring Term, the Department hosted artist-in-residence Michael Chance, who led workshops with Year 12 and younger students in drawing interior spaces around the school. He has also made a sequence of his own drawings which were displayed during the end of year Summer Festival.

The big extra-curricular focus of the Summer Term for Art and Design was the planning of a cross-curricular event held on the final Monday of the term, where students from different year groups collaborated to make a giant world map celebrating global Science, Topography, Culture, Literature, History and (the theme for the Summer Festival) the ‘Spirit of Adventure’.

Different year groups followed a programme of seminars, workshops, debates and art-based activities to pursue the Spirit of Adventure and make a lasting image for the school to celebrate individual creativity and knowledge.

Art trip to Florence During the February half-term, a group of girls from Year 11 and the Sixth Form went on an Art trip to the beautiful Italian city of Florence. The primary focus of the trip was to visit as many galleries and museums as possible and see the wide range

of classic sculptures and paintings that Florence has available. We were lucky to see both Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and Botticelli’s ‘The Birth Of Venus’, especially exciting to those who had studied the works of art in their coursework. In addition to this, we visited the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti where a lot of

photographs were taken! On the last day, we went on a trip to the medieval Tuscan city of Siena and looked around the magnificent Piazza del Campo, home to the biannual horse race. We all had a wonderful time and enjoyed all the yummy food and beautiful art Italy had to offer.

By Coral Harding, Year 12

Glass Clothing As part of the Creative Action Service programme within the IB, one of our students has launched Glass Clothing, an ethical fashion brand centred on the idea of transparency.

Founder, Year 12 student Honi Pein, discovered during research of the clothing industry, that it was very hard to find out who exactly made the clothes we are buying, and how they were treated or if they were involved in sweatshop or slave labour. She was shocked by this, and decided to start her own ethical clothing company, building a direct relationship with the tailors in Lahore, Pakistan, and making sure they are treated well. ‘Glass Clothing’ involves over 13 other women aged 17 or younger, and the experience has enabled these young people to make a difference, develop new skills such as photography or journalism, and be involved in a big and exciting project outside of school. Additionally, Honi says that working with other young people has helped her to understand the benefits of working within in a team, which is an integral part of the International Baccalaureate CAS programme.

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Performing Arts

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elcome to Drama and the Performing Arts. This academic year has been packed full of top class productions, musical delights and exciting trips.

Girls in all years have had the opportunity to dance, act and sing in a wide variety of events. Thank you to our fabulous Drama Department for your constant energy and enthusiasm throughout the year, and for providing such enriching opportunities for the students.

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C e h T

l

ha C an

i

s a c au

Written by Bertolt Brecht, The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a production, comprising two stories which later cross paths. The first is about a servant girl named Grusha who finds a royal baby and fights to protect it, the other, about a greedy, selfish clerk who is appointed as judge and later judges Grusha’s case.

This story was beautifully told by a group of singers and an amazing team of actors. Considering that this play is mature, each actor, from the smallest role to the largest, executed their roles exceptionally well, an extraordinary feat for the students in Year 8 and 9. The use of lighting, sound and the set design reflected the mood of the performance

le c r i kC

perfectly. It was a fantastic production which kept everyone on the edge of their seat until the very end.

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Music

al The

This entertaining evening of extracts from West End Shows gave girls a chance to show both fellow students and parents their theatrical skills. The Year 7 Drama Club performed songs from Blood Brothers, Annie and Guys and Dolls, allowing the youngest members of the Senior School to continue to explore extracurricular drama. As well as monologues and duologues being performed, there was a range of songs and dances which the students chose and staged themselves, with the guidance of Miss Gibbs.

The closing act was Cell Block Tango from the musical Chicago which was performed by Year 12 girls. This act captured the talent of the school as they sang and danced simultaneously with great eloquence. The night was a spectacular show full of fun for both the audience and students.

ow

N Right

This popular annual dance event took extracts from new plays produced during 2017 as a stimulus for original dances. Using a range of styles and physical theatre techniques girls performed solos, duets, trios and large group pieces in this unique and entertaining evening.

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atre E

venin

g

Comm

unity

A huge congratulations to everyone who was involved in the fantastic production of Community, written by our Director of Drama, Deborah Gibbs, which ran for three nights in the Performing Arts Centre.

The play examined the impact of technology on our lives today, exploring several of the key themes and issues in a stage production. Set in a world within touching distance, it features a character who has secured a job

in the high profile and successful technology company Community. This is a place which demands absolute commitment to the world of social networking, where nothing is private, and everything has to be shared. This leads to tensions developing between our central character and her family and friends, and difficult decisions have to be made.

The production drew on technology and fused texting, movement, sound, lights and projection in innovative and exciting ways.

The play even included flying drones, and a rotating set and all audience members needed a phone, as there were interactive elements during the production.

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Canons Follies

Own Town – Ye

ar 7 & 8 Produc

tion

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With the growing franchise of NLCS, the opening of a school on the Greek Island of Skopelos is looming. The Big Six are at a loss of who to invite to cut the ribbon, but upon discovering Mrs Fotheringham’s diary and realising that there are three heads who could do it, they’ve invited all of them! Now what?

Canons Follies 2018, based on Mamma Mia is a compilation of sketches, songs, and dances, all created by the students in Year 13, slightly pushing the boundaries on ‘endearing mockery’ of the school. Woven together by the great ABBA hits, re-written to express the more pertinent problems of the Sixth Form, it proves to be great fun for everyone! Congratulations to our fabulous Year 13 for a side-splitting show!

A cast of seventy girls from Years 7 & 8 delighted audiences with a mature and sensitive performance of American playwright Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. This iconic play follows the everyday lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as they see their children fall in love, marry and live out their lives. This play, hailed as “probably the finest play ever written by an American” is about appreciating the simple things in life. It is set in a fictional American town in 1901, but in truth, it could be anytime, anywhere. Dealing with such important and moving themes it was astonishing to think this was such a young cast. Congratulations to all for such rich and truthful performances.

Play A cast of Year 11 students performed a new one-act comedy, AllInclusive, written by Director of Drama, Deborah Gibbs. Featuring an eclectic mix of characters all taking risks and making excuses to miss a day at work in order to take advantage of a cheap package holiday deal to Marmaris, Turkey, this was a highly entertaining and fun-packed production.

It was hard to believe that the cast only started rehearsing at 9.30am on the morning of the actual performance and it is testament to their skill, experience and nerve that

Julius Caesar A cast of sixteen Year 10 students performed Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Julius Caesar. For this modern production, the Black Studio was transformed into an office within

ay

they achieved such professional standards. The Year 11 students were also particularly grateful to Mrs Wettreich for stepping in to play the role of Mrs Sexton-Betts.

Caesar’s increasingly autocratic government. The action was also transposed to the strained atmosphere of the Cold War era politics. This mirrored the tension in Shakespeare’s writing nicely, with Caesar working to oust the moles within his government as the conspirator’s against him played dangerous power games.

The immersive nature of this promenade performance meant that the audience found themselves standing with the assassins as they killed Caesar, in the crowd of Romans at his funeral and on the frontline with the conspirators as the play moved towards the tragic conclusion.

The talented young actors made light work of the difficult

Edinburgh Fring

From 13th to 18th August, a cast of Year 12 students travelled to Scotland to perform a new 50-minute adaptation of this year’s Senior School production Community, at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The girls spent the mornings promoting their show on the Royal Mile and were rewarded by playing to nearlyfull houses every afternoon. Many hours were also spent enjoying a range of new and innovative works on show at the Fringe. Performing alongside seasoned professionals, the cast enjoyed some excellent reviews including this one which really captured the intentions behind the piece: “Wow. I’ve just seen this show, and I’m not sure I can do it justice,

in a D

e Festival

Shakespearean text and presented a range of wonderfully detailed performances. Their performances, combined with top-notch lighting, projection and sound design combined to make a fantastically atmospheric production.

the audience in. It’s well worth an hour of your time. And for the record, no, I’m not related to or connected with anyone in the cast!”

but here goes. The piece is an extremely thoughtful, intelligent and haunting commentary on how human beings are shaped and controlled by social media, and the insidious nature of what counts as ‘connection’ and ‘community’ in our socially mediated times.

It’s superbly executed with assurance and conviction by all of the cast, and the movement element is mesmerising, drawing

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Charity

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uring their time at North London, students have the opportunity to take part in many charitable ventures, such as visits to care homes and special-needs schools, participating in fundraising events and even travelling to support projects overseas. Embedded in the School ethos is the importance of giving back to society and girls are encouraged to participate in many charitable activities, not just

within the School community, but also with an international outlook. This year, as always, girls have been extremely busy raising money for different charities with activities including cake sales and dress-up days, organising events such as Fantasy Fashion, and a Teacher Talent Show, and participating in our annual cultural partnership with the Flying Angels School in Zambia.

In addition to this girls have volunteered their time at residential care homes and special-needs schools for children in the local area.

At Christmas, the Year 12 choir, Bella Voce visited UCLH and the Royal Free Hospital to sing festive songs to patients at various wards. In the Summer term, the choir enjoyed their final performance of the year at the Henry NiHill care home, where they created a lovely atmosphere for the residents through renditions of classic songs such as Hallelujah and Dream a Little Dream of Me.

£118 in less than twenty minutes!

In the Summer term they organised a lunchtime teacher talent show, to raise funds for Azalea, a charity which supports women who have been sexually exploited. It was a fantastic event with staff revealing many of their hidden talents including a BoogieWoogie piano performance, and an ancient Greek version of Love is an Open Door from Disney’s Frozen!

Fundraising This year, the Sixth Form charity committee, Canonaid, were very busy organising fundraising activities focused on raising money and awareness for a range of charities including Save the Children, PLAN and Parkinson’s UK. Events included mufti days, lunchtime events including cake sales, and NLCS versions of game shows involving a number of willing teachers and students from a range of year groups.

The year ended with the Canonaid House Fete which for the first time combined with Sports Day. All Houses contributed to the attractive range of stalls, with all proceeds going to the chosen charity – PLAN. In total this year, Canonaid raised close to £6,500 for a number of deserving charities.

Time Out, the Year 11 charity committee, kicked off their fundraising in the Spring, with a highly successful Macmillan Coffee Morning. The girls brought in a delicious range of home-made cakes, and they raised

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Community Service Students have continued volunteering their time at local care homes and schools for children with special needs and disabilities within the local community. The after school visits to the Livability residential

homes in both Harrow and Edgware are very popular, with girls taking an active role in improving the lives of elderly residents by participating in activities and getting to know them.

Students have also continued to visit residents at Knights Court, a specialist residential care home with provisions for people suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s. Girls spend their afternoon sessions listening to residents, reading articles from magazines and discussing current news topics.

Girls have had regular visits Woodlands, a school that caters

for pupils with severe and complex educational needs. The girls have gained an invaluable insight into the challenges faced when working with pupils with severe autism, and how these barriers can be overcome by effective communication, body language and the use of visual measures.

Girls in Year 10 have continued to nurture the partnership with Kisharon School for children with complex and profound learning difficulties. The students at Kisharon have benefited greatly from the generosity and willingness shown by our girls during their visits. In addition, visits to Northway, a school in Barnet catering pupils with learning difficulties, are very popular and groups of Sixth Form students commit to visits twice a

week. Girls are involved in supporting Northway pupils with their speech and communication.

International Volunteering Day International Volunteering Day is held each year on 5th December, and is a celebration of the commitment, efforts and hard work of all volunteers who help out in their local communities.

This year we invited residents, staff of Brookside House (Livability Edgware) and Sixth Form students to talk about their experiences of volunteering at NLCS. In addition, staff at the care home talked about living with disabilities, and gave girls an in-depth insight into life in a care home.

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The Emerald Ball In the Summer of 2017, we held the fantastic Emerald Ball which was hosted in our beautiful grounds to celebrate the 20 years that Mrs McCabe spent as Headmistress of NLCS. We were thrilled to report that thanks to the generosity of everyone

who attended, as well as the hard work and dedication of the Ball Committee to secure sponsorship and gifts for the auction, we raised £40,000. Half of this was donated to the School, and we were able to donate £10,000 to both nominated charities Whizz-Kidz and Grief Encounter.

In the Autumn term, we invited these wonderful charities, alongside the Ball Committee, to join us for an

assembly, where the Big Six presented the cheques. We heard about their work, including the vital support that Grief Encounter is providing to many of the families affected by the Grenfell fire, and the life-changing impact of the right wheelchair on so many disabled children and young people. Thank you once again to everyone involved.

Fantasy Fashion After a last-minute reschedule due to snow at the end of the Autumn Term, the much-anticipated Fantasy Fashion show took place on Monday 22nd January. Organised by the Art Society, this exciting event continues to raise money for the Karenni Student Development Programme (KSDP) which was founded by ONL Stephanie Lee; the charity works in close collaboration with the Karenni people, providing basic needs and education in the most deprived states in Burma.

This year the girls showcased their talents by sewing outfits based on the theme ‘Jazz to Punk’ which was chosen by the Year 13 Art Committee as it is the type of music they listen to during their weekly art lessons. Girls ranging from Year 7 to 11 presented their dresses on the runway, with outfits covered in studs and chains to embrace the punk theme, to more a classic outfit, featuring famous jazz singers and their albums. The event also raised money through an auction and stalls were set up outside the Performing Arts Centre including a photo booth and a stall selling products made by the Karenni people such as keyrings and jewellery. The event had a fantastic atmosphere and raised £4000 for this deserving charity.

By Coral Harding, Year 12

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Livability Parties The annual Livability Christmas Party was held in the penultimate week of the Autumn Term, on 4th December. This was a fun social event, gathering residents from several care homes within the local community. This year we welcomed guests from Livability Edgware, Livability Harrow, Livability Borehamwood, Knight’s Court, Henry Nihill and Sydmar Lodge.

The party included festive food, musical entertainment, a Year 12 pantomime, and Christmas presents donated by NLCS students.

The evening was a great success with our volunteers assisting in the hospitality, entertainment and management of the party. The Christmas party was a great platform, and a fitting way for all our girls to meet and celebrate the hard work and determination of our volunteers.

At the end of the Summer term, over 30 girls came together to organise the Summer Livability Party, which we have been holding annually at Canons for many years. Our Founder’s Day prayer “Thou dost require much from those to whom much is given” is a huge part of our ethos and we teach girls to give back to society. Girls chatted to guests, served coffees and cakes, and some even had the chance to be bingo callers which was great fun; a lovely time was had by all.

Before the party began, we were delighted to hear from David Biggs, a resident at Brookside House, the local Livability care home.

He spoke to the Sixth Form girls, teachers and guests about his life and journey with cerebral palsy. This talk was organised by Coral Harding in Year 12 and was very special to David as it had been a dream of his to address some students about his condition for many years. His words were emotional, and thought-provoking for the girls and they all loved looking at his photos and asking him questions.

David is adamant that although he faces daily struggles no one should feel sorry for him as he loves life and enjoys himself to the full. He is an astounding man who is always laughing and smiling and inspires us all.

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Zambia 2018 On Friday 6th July, the 18 strong Zambia Team departed for another historic trip to Flying Angels School, Lusaka. Their staggering 7,000-mile journey began in frosty Johannesburg before finally arriving in Lusaka Airport the next day.

The girls had a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing incredible wildlife on breath-taking game drives, learning the history of Livingstone and most importantly teaching multiple classes at Flying Angels School. The girls

mostly taught subjects they are studying themselves, but teaching without many of the resources they were used to posed a challenge.

At times a language barrier also presented itself and the true collaborative spirit of the classes was shown, as students consistently helped each other in the classroom.

Occasionally too much collaboration was provided at times when exercise books were passed around for others to copy from! The girls sought fun and interesting ways of teaching, including chanting ‘onomatopoeia’ in Grade 8 English lessons, a ‘human

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circuit’ in Grade 9 Science lessons and memorable rhymes in sixth form lessons. After lunch, the girls would walk over to the Junior School and spend time with the younger students. They assisted with reading and classwork as well as playing games with the students, including the legendary game: ‘Do like I do’.

The children in the Junior School were heart-warmingly jubilant and were a joy to spend time with.

The girls also found time to get to know the students outside the classroom at Sports Day. While Miss Long successfully crushed the

competition in the teacher race, the girls were crushed themselves at netball! Other events with the Senior School included a heated debate over the importance of science over humanities, where the girls managed to recover their dignity with a strong win, and a Devotion service that combined the different religions and cultures of the NLCS girls. The Zambian School’s own service included passionately sung hymns, a sermon and the beautiful Zambian National Anthem, which by the end of the trip, the whole team knew by heart! The two weeks culminated with the Cultural Exchange, where both

NLCS students and Zambian students proudly showcased their culture.

The Zambian show was incredible, including a student eating fire and amazing performances of traditional dances. The NLCS show, although less colourful, included an enthusiastic Indian-Nigerian dance, a mashup of popular songs, and a Scottish Ceilidh!

Overall the girls bonded closely with the students and the departure was a difficult one with many tears shed on both sides.

The trip ended in Livingstone where the girls visited the magical Victoria Falls before being treated

to a beautiful sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. It marked a wonderful end to one of the most memorable experiences of their lives.

Many thanks to all the teachers and girls who put in months of hard work to make this yet another successful trip to Zambia.

By Saibhan Bains

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Sport Meet the Sports Captains The North Londoner Team spoke to NLCS Sports Captains, Elisabeth Joyce (2017-18) and Sofia Johanson (2018-19) to find out about their NLCS sporting successes and tips.

Overview

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his year, students have enjoyed a wide variety of sporting events. From skiing successes, Swimming Galas and Lacrosse Tournaments, to a fantastic Sports Celebration Evening and welcoming guest teams from Scotland to School, everyone has really made the most of every opportunity available. Thank you to the Sports Department for all their hard work and commitment running events, squads and clubs, and well done to all girls who have participated in events over the past year!

Q.

Elisabeth, what has been your greatest achievement as Sports Captain?

A.

My greatest achievement?

That’s a hard one!

I actually think it was putting together the assemblies with the sports committee. It was great to get the responses from younger years, where they would come up to me afterwards and just talk. I felt really proud to have developed that relationship with younger students where they felt comfortable to come and speak to me about sports and their interests.

Q.

Sofia, what are you most looking forward to in your time as Sports Captain?

A. Sofia Johanson

Elisabeth Joyce

I’m excited about Sports Day. It’s going to be my last one while technically at the school, and I’m really looking forward to getting all the Year 12s involved and seeing everybody enjoyed themselves. The Junior School Sports Days should also be a lot of fun.

It’s great to see all the younger girls enjoying themselves and encouraging their love of sports.

I also can’t wait until the Winter Term with all the winter sports returning. They’re so much fun, and our teams are amazing. It will also be exciting to introduce the school to the whole Sports Committee, which should be in the second or third week of the term. It’ll be nice to set up the same relationship that Elisabeth had with the rest of the school.

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Q.

What was your greatest personal sporting achievement of the year?

A.

I think I’d probably have to say receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sports and the Bradfield Cup on Valedictory Day. I guess I was so proud of those because they weren’t about excelling at one sport ─ it was more focused on the mixture and balance. I also made it through to the second round of the Middlesex Cross Country Tournament. I’ve never managed to do that before, and it was a goal I’d set myself… even if Cross Country isn’t my favourite! ~ Elisabeth It would be playing lacrosse against a Scottish and a Welsh team in the Nationals whilst actually hosting them here at NLCS. I was really proud to have been able to play a role in that way, and it was a lovely way to send off the Year 13 students. Outside of school, I also went on tour to the US with the English Lacrosse Team, which was amazing. ~ Sofia

Q. A.

What sporting moments at school do you remember most?

That’s a really tough decision! I guess there are two which really spring to mind. I’ll tell you both, and you can choose which you prefer [Interviewer’s note ─ I chose both because they were both great] The first was when I was in Year 12, on the second day of the Lacrosse

Nationals. We made it through to the finals somehow. We felt so lucky. At the end of the match, even though we lost (only by a small gap!), we all began singing the Pilgrim’s hymn and crying because we were just so happy and proud of ourselves. It was such a great feeling (even though we lost)!

So the second wasn’t quite as recent ─ the year after they brought in the house system. They brought in the inter-house relay. I was competing for Year Ten, and my house (Lindsay) was kind of famous for not winning anything. It was just such a nice feeling standing together with the other years, in front of the whole school. We felt like such a team. They both stand out so much because of that feeling of team spirit and togetherness. ~ Elisabeth My most memorable sporting event?

I’d actually have to agree with Elisabeth. It was when I was in Year 11, and we were at the National Finals.

Honestly, that team spirit was amazing. ~Sofia

Q. A.

What would you recommend to Year 7 students looking to succeed in sports?

Try everything. The first sport you try might not be the one you’re best at, but by trying, you will hopefully find the one you love.

Also persevere. At times sport can be hard ─ the rainy Saturday practices for lacrosse, the tough training sessions ─ but you just have to think about why you love that sport.

Remember the best parts ─ like Nationals ─ and remind yourself that that’s why you do it.

Finally, just remember that, even if you’re not picked for the A-team in Year 7, it doesn’t define you for the next few years. In Year 7, I wasn’t selected for the Athletics Team, but by Year 11 I was the only one in my Year still competing, and I won several athletics events and awards. You need to work hard and make sure you find your sport or event. Mine was the Two-Hundred Metre Sprint. Don’t just give up because of one negative setback, keep working and you’ll get there. ~ Elisabeth

It’s really important to ask your coaches for help if you don’t really understand something. Also, you may think it’s cliché, but practice does make perfect! If you want to be Goal Shooter, you need to be in the Sports Hall putting up shots, if you want to play lacrosse you need to practice calling for the ball. The final thing is never to be afraid to approach the Sixth Formers who are in charge of your sport because all they want to do is help you. ~ Sofia

Team Captain Highlights The highlights of being Netball Captain this year are truly unforgettable.

From the Year 7s thriving in their performances at competitions including the National Schools’ Netball Competition, to the Firsts Senior Netball Team being almost scarily eager to get out onto the courts and play, there really were too many great memories from this role to count.

One of my favourite aspects of being Netball Captain is the fact that the sport is adored by such a large community at the school, giving interyear practices a fantastic atmosphere where everyone’s eagerness for the sport really shone through. It was such a privilege to be able to captain such incredible competitors, and I wish the school the best of luck for the next year. ~ Annabel Christie, Netball Captain

I have been playing lacrosse at North London ever since I moved up into the Senior School ─ the fast pace of the sport initially attracted me, and I’ve loved it ever since. Receiving the position of Co-Captain for this year’s team was really exciting. Yasmin and I really enjoyed helping the PE staff run sessions, as well as bonding the teams as a whole with group events such as a pizza party!

As always, the first aim of the new term was blending the players together as the Firsts Senior Lacrosse Team is made up of three year groups. After this, we then focused on our slides in defence and set attacking plays. Our hard work paid off when we won the South East Silver Plate. After the Christmas Holidays, our focus turned to Nationals.

This is an event where all lacrosseplaying schools compete. The awful weather meant that our hard practising wasn’t given the opportunity to be fully displayed, though we did still manage to draw on the first day with St Paul’s.

Everyone was upset on the Saturday when the tournament had to be called off, but in true North London style, we worked for an alternative solution.

We invited two other teams, one from Scotland and the other from Wales, back to NLCS and played them on home turf.

Overall this year has been filled with great play, and I’m excited about where the team will go next year! ~ Georgia Benson, Lacrosse Co-Captain

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Gymnastics In November, the Senior Gymnastics squad competed in the National 2-piece ISGA competition and did phenomenally well. The Under 13 team were commended for their strong performances, and the Over 13 team won a bronze medal as a team, with Camilla placing in the medals as an individual. The biggest success of the day was from the Under 15 team who won their category. They achieved the

highest score ever in NLCS gymnastics history and won in an exceptionally difficult division. Sophia Waller exceeding all expectations and placed first overall.

At the end of Spring term, after weeks of training, the Under 15 and Over 13 gymnastics teams competed in the prestigious annual Independent Schools Gymnastics Association (ISGA) National finals. There were many notable performances from the Under 15 team, in particular,

Sophia who placed in the top 15 out of 60 gymnasts. The girls performed the best they ever have in this age category and placed 6th overall nationally and 5th in their group routine. Huge congratulations to the rest of the team – Hannah, Sophie, Jasmine and Luna who all placed incredibly well!

In the Over 13 category, despite a few injuries, the girls performed a fantastic group routine and placed 6th in this extremely tough field – the highest they have ever placed.

Congratulations to Cara, Olivia, Serena and Cassie.

Sports Celebration Evening The PE Department were delighted to host the fourth annual Sports Celebration evening on the 25th of April to recognise the phenomenal achievements of the students in a school sporting context and also in their own elite pursuits outside of school.

Previous guest speakers have included Kate Richardson-Walsh, Gail Emms and Beth Tweddle and

this year we were delighted to hear some inspirational and thought-provoking discussions from Chemmy Alcott, four times Olympian and Great Britain’s most successful female skier and sports presenter.

An incredibly appropriate speaker considering this year’s Winter Olympics and also the phenomenal successes of our own school skiers. The ski team were deservedly awarded Team of Year with Megan Greensmith in Year 12 being voted Sports Personality 2018.

A number of special service awards were presented to girls in Year 13 who have shown dedication, commitment and passion throughout their time at

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school. Many thanks to Mrs Cooper and the incoming and outgoing Sports Committee for all of their hard work in coordinating this event.

Sports Week Sports week 2017, as always, was an amazingly jam-packed week of events. The ever-beloved teacherstudent lacrosse match was as enjoyed as ever (though shouts of “cheat!” could be heard from both sides as competitive spirits rose) and everyone made the most of being able to try out new sports, with clubs like badminton opening their doors to novices and encouraging a love of their sport in all students. Hopefully, the circulating rumours of glow-in-the-dark shuttlecocks for next year are to be believed!

Thank you to the Sports Committee for making this week so enjoyable!

Gym and Dance Display At the end of the Summer term, students from Year 2 all the way up to Year 13, took part in the annual gym and dance display.

Girls amazed the audience with dramatic

and energetic performances, including cheerleading, dance, gymnastics and trampolining.

Congratulations to all students and staff for a fantastic show, which demonstrated not only outstanding talent but excellent teamwork.

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Sport in the Spotlight – Skiing

Skiing, though a very popular pastime, is not always considered as a competitive sport, especially at school level. In assemblies, girls will often hear about lacrosse or netball successes, but this year skiing took the spotlight.

In January 2018, 10 girls participated in the year’s British Schoolgirls Ski Races in Flaine. Over 50 schools entered the races which is the most prestigious ski event in the schools competition and has been running for 59 years. After two days of intensive training and competition the girls achieved some impressive results.

Cerys Gorringe was placed 1st in the

U18 age group in the giant Slalom and 2nd in the slalom. Overall in the combined events in her age group she also placed 1st.

Giselle Gorringe in the U16 age group achieved 1st in both the giant slalom and slalom events and overall in the combined events in her age groups she placed 1st.

Giselle’s outstanding times meant she was awarded top skier in the whole competition beating girls two age groups above her. A superb performance.

In the team events NLCS A team finished 1st making us champions of the British Schoolgirls Ski Races 2018, which is an exceptional achievement!

The B team skied phenomenally well and they placed third, a fantastic

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performance from all the girls involved and great experience for those competing.

The team A team consisted of Cerys Gorringe, Giselle Gorringe and Annecy Stevens. The B team consisted of Lilyella Stevens, Anastasia Malugin and Schuyler Daffey.

Following this fantastic achievement, the girls went on to compete in the Interschool’s Skiing Competition, where they proceeded to win First School.

Congratulations to all girls who represented NLCS at these competitions and good luck for the future!

Netball Team wins the London Youth Games In March, our Under 12 Netball Team were crowned champions at the London Youth Games, Europe’s largest youth sports festival. The team

went undefeated, holding off fierce competition from Surbiton High School in extra time in the final match. All 33 London boroughs entered the Finals, held at Redbridge Sports Centre, “for one of the most hotly contested netball competitions we have ever seen.” said the games organisers. Congratulations, what a fabulous achievement and well done to everyone on the team.

Cross Country Despite the extreme weather conditions in the Spring Term, the Senior School Cross Country teams demonstrated a fantastic level of grit and determination. Twenty-seven runners from Years 7-13, represented NLCS at the Harrow Borough School Cross Country with excellent performances across the board.

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Year Seven Dance Display On Tuesday 29th November, Year 7 took part in the annual Dance Display, which proved again to be a spectacular highlight of the Autumn term.

The theme this year was “Music Legends”. The dances, choreographed

by Miss Horncastle and senior students, showcased tributes to artists such as David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, and Earth, Wind and Fire.

All the students worked incredibly hard to produce exciting dances.

With fantastic costumes and lighting, the show was a great success. Many thanks to all that helped and attended the Dance Display!

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3D & Sixth form art

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GCSE art

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Russia trip

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his year, girls have taken part in a wide variety of exciting cultural exchanges and trips both in the UK and overseas. There have been more than 30 trips, including language visits to France, Spain and Germany, Historians to Russia, Geographers to Iceland, and cultural exchanges to Kerala, Dubai and Jeju. There were also numerous visits to see theatre productions and art exhibitions, science trips and outdoor adventure excursions closer to home.

On 17th December a group of girls in Year 9 to 11 set off on a trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Upon arrival, they were all shocked by the refreshing drop in temperature, as well as delighted to find a Moscow covered in snow.

It was a packed schedule, starting with an excursion by metro to Red Square. Here, the girls were able to visit the breath-taking GUM shopping centre as well as go ice-skating in the historic square, which all the girls will agree was a highlight of the trip. After visiting the Cosmonaut Museum and Tretyakov Gallery as well as a delicious meal at a Georgian restaurant, they boarded the overnight train to St. Petersburg, another memorable

experience. Following a visit to the impressive Hermitage, the girls watched Prokofiev’s “The Gambler” at the world-famous Mariinsky Theatre.

Similarly, the seemingly endless rooms at Catherine Palace with their grandeur and elegance astonished them too. All the girls also enjoyed the Matryoshka workshop, where they learnt how to make their own Russian dolls. Overall, the trip not only greatly improved the girls’ Russian speaking, but it also gave a unique insight into Russia’s history and culture that could only be achieved by visiting. Thanks go to Mr Chadwick, Ms Santos and Ms Bernstein for accompanying the girls on this memorable trip.

By Rosalind Pike, Year 10

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Surfing in Cornwall During the weekend beginning 21st October 2016, a group of Year 8 and 9 girls travelled to the very chilly Cornwall

Phasels Wood On the morning of Thursday 9th November, Year 7 set off for Phasels Wood in Hertfordshire in anticipation of an exciting day ahead of team building and getting to know the girls in their year better. They arrived ready to take on the challenges the woods had to offer.

The first thing the girls got stuck into was the ‘rolling rocks’ and the ‘traverse wall’. This was an amazing

Coast to go surfing.

Unfortunately for them, the sea was red flagged, indicating strong currents and extremely rough conditions, meaning all swimmers were

climbing machine that allowed the girls to keep climbing upwards as a wall rotated downwards. Whilst it was great fun it also required a lot of balance, stamina and co-ordination to complete the challenge. One of the girls climbed the equivalent of 21m on the wall and was deservedly proud of her achievement. Next up was a tricky but fun archery activity.

The instructor taught the girls how to

discouraged from entering the water. Nevertheless, with special guidance and training from the surfing instructors, the girls were able to surf the less dangerous areas of the sea.

After the first day of training, the girls explored the nearby beaches and caves with Mr Murray, who couldn’t stop himself from teaching about cave formations! The girls also visited a surf board factory where they learnt all about how surfboards are made. Many thanks to the organisers, Mr Murray and Mrs Fiori and all the teachers who accompanied the trip.

By Gabriella Zheng, Year 8

hold the bow and arrow in a way that helped them shoot the arrow as close to the target as possible. After lunch, the Year 7s completed some highly enjoyable team building exercises. One of the tasks was having to cross over a certain space by only stepping on small poles and planks of wood. The task required a lot of collaboration and it became very difficult at times when girls started shouting over each other!

Resolutions were found by resetting and forming great plans to help their sub-teams win the challenge. The final activity for the day was a twist on table football. ‘Human Table Football’ was an exciting, muddy and joyful game that all the girls loved.

A fabulous and exhausting day was had by all. The girls returned in their muddy clothes and sunny moods. It appeared that time had moved too fast when Year 7 found themselves getting back on the coach at the end of the day. Many girls felt as though they now had a more positive connection between their friends. The whole experience was great fun, and it is undeniable that the day in Phasels Woods was an amazing experience, and the girls would love to do it again.

By Shreya Shah, Year 7

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Greece A group of Year 10-13 classicists had the amazing opportunity of visiting Greece during the October half-term, enabling them to learn in more depth about how the Ancient Greeks lived.

They visited many archaeological sites, amongst which the highlights were the original Olympic stadium and amphitheatre. They also did a fascinating day-trip to Delphi, where the famous Pythia, commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi, is said to have lived. In Athens, they also saw the Parthenon. With its dominating position atop the Acropolis Hill, it was very impressive. The visit enriched their understanding of life of the Ancient Greeks, and they also had a lot of fun enjoying the beautiful weather.

By Vita Rottenberg, Year 10

Western Front On 31st October, Year 9 went on a trip to the Western Front to learn more about WW1, which they had been studying in History and English lessons.

The first thing the girls did once in France, was to pay a visit to the Hooge Crater Museum, where there was a recreation of a trench system.

It was a great opportunity for them to handle equipment and weaponry and for some to even dress in a uniform

of the Great War. Soon after, they went to see the battlefield, which included the smallest Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in the world.

During the visit, the girls learnt many methods of warfare such as mining, use of gas and flamethrowers. After dinner, they observed the Last Post Ceremony, a very important ceremony for remembrance of the soldiers who fought in the war.

On the second day, the girls set out after breakfast and drove to the Somme, where they visited the Fricourt German cemetery, the Lochnagar

Crater, where they learnt about the use of Mine Warfare in the Great War, and Newfoundland Memorial Park, where they saw the trench system and had the chance to walk around the battlefield. After this, the girls reluctantly made their way back home.

This was an unforgettable experience and many thanks go to the teachers who organised the trip.

By Gaya Giritharan, Year 9

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Iceland During the Autumn half-term, Geography students from Year 10 to 12 visited Iceland. The trip was full of amazing views and activities, making it a memorable trip for all.

On the evening of their arrival, the girls visited the Blue Lagoon. The extremely beautiful views and the unforgettable experience of swimming under the stars was most definitely a highlight of the trip.

On the second day, the girls departed after breakfast and drove to Pingvellir National Park the site

of Iceland’s ancient parliament.

The girls learnt that this was where Icelandic Vikings gathered for legislative sessions until the late 18th century. After this, they visited the Gullfoss waterfall, one of the most iconic waterfalls in Iceland, offering a spectacular view of water plunging 32 meters over a dramatic crevasse in the river valley. Another memorable outing during the trip was their visit to the Sólheimajökull glacier where the girls embarked on a hike through the ice. The girls walked through an otherworldly landscape full of sinkholes, ice ridges and layers of ash showing the close relationship

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between the two elements that give Iceland its deserved reputation of ‘The land of fire and ice’.

The last extraordinary adventure of the trip took place standing on a small footbridge connecting the colossal Eurasian and North American continental plates. Following this, forty overexcited and overtired school girls reluctantly made their way to the airport where it had all begun.

Many thanks go to the teachers that organised the trip making it an unforgettable experience.

By Inma Emberton, Year 11

Geneva At the beginning of the Easter holidays, a group of Sixth Form Physics students embarked on the much-anticipated trip to visit CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva. The trip provided the perfect opportunity to expand upon their knowledge of nuclear and particle physics which they have studied as a part of their course.

The research that takes place at CERN is fascinating and groundbreaking and without it, the world would be a very different place. The tour of the facility began with seeing one of the first particle accelerators which has now been retired. The girls’

Kerala Over the Christmas holidays, a group of students from Year 10 and Year 11 visited Kerala, in South India.

They had the opportunity to experience Kerala’s beautiful landscape through a relaxing

tour guide brilliantly explained how the mechanisms of the accelerator worked, principles which form the basis of how the Large Hadron Collider functions. With their knowledge expanded it was time to take a short bus journey across the border into France to visit the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid experiment). The students were taken around 100m underground where they were first shown how to record all the collisions within the colliders. They were shocked at how much information is collected per second and by the volume of data storage systems there were. Their last stop in France was the assembly centre where top scientific minds from all over the globe brought their

contributions to the ATLAS Particle Detector. The girls’ time at CERN was completed with visits to two of the onsite museums back in Geneva.

The students’ final day consisted of a visit to the UN Headquarters where they were taken on a very informative guided tour. Whilst sitting in the general assembly meeting room the girls learnt all about the structure, workings of the United Nations and all the different agencies. The trip ended with a free afternoon in the beautiful city to continue exploring and try the regional delicacies, Swiss chocolate being the favourite!

backwater cruise and visit the state’s local landmarks, such as the Dutch Palace. The highlight of the trip was staying at The Sobha Academy, a school in Kochi, where they had the chance of spending time interacting with the students, gaining knowledge of their fascinating culture, as well as sharing their own. Their week at

the school was made particularly memorable through the numerous musical and theatre showcases that the students and their teachers held and the group thoroughly enjoyed the experience of getting to know the children and their day to day life at the Sobha Academy.

By Anouk Wijeratne, Year 12

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Skiing During February half-term twenty girls from Year 9 to Year 13 travelled to Madonna Di Campiglio in Italy for a wonderful ski trip.

The group of girls had varying abilities and watching a few of the girls ski for the first time was a humorous event, as the number of times they tumbled down the slope seemed endless! However, it was also

Berlin Over February half-term, a group of Year 10 and 11 students, accompanied by Dr Goward and Ms Pyke, travelled to Berlin.

The trip was full of excitement and rich knowledge as the girls explored Berlin and reflected on the engaging history of a once divided city.

Highlights of the trip included a visit to the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) museum, where the girls experienced what life was like on the Soviet side of the Berlin Wall, and the Jewish Museum which offered the students incredibly moving installations describing the effect that Holocaust had and still has

extremely satisfying to watch them progress, showing their resilience, as they managed to ski down red runs by the end of the week! The beautiful village of Madonna Di Campiglio also lent itself to some fun après ski activities for the girls such as bowling on the first night which led to a victorious Mr McMillan and a karaoke night which ultimately ended in everyone singing wholeheartedly ‘To Be A Pilgrim’. The girls’ experience

was definitely an unforgettable and unique one. The memories and bonds which the girls made across year groups will stay with them, and the trip truly realised everyone’s love for skiing. A massive thanks must go to Mr McMillan, Dr Potter and Mrs EvansEvans who took the time out of their holiday to take us, and for arranging this brilliant trip.

on members of the Jewish community.

Overall, the trip was an amazing experience that allowed the girls to understand more about the history of the Cold War and Nazi Germany.

caving, high ropes and many more.

Many of the girls found the weaselling and abseiling the most fun. Weaselling consisted of attempting to crawl

By Phoebe Ireland, Year 11

Peak District At the end of the Summer Term, Year 9 went on Adventure Week at YHA Edale, an activity centre in the Peak District. The trip lasted five days and was action-packed throughout, with a large variety of activities to enjoy, such as canoeing, abseiling,

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By Aanya Shah, Year 12

through small holes between rocks inside and outside caves, and the girls also loved abseiling down an off-site high bridge. During free time in between activities, many of the girls explored the site and discovered fantastic views. This went to show that there was never a boring moment! Not only was the site lovely, but also the instructors, who helped the girls to overcome their fears and try out new activities. Adventure Week opened

up a vast range of opportunities and helped the girls to try many adventurous activities with many taking part in activities that they would never have dared to do before! By the end of adventure week, everyone had been satisfyingly pushed out of their comfort zone and the girls thoroughly enjoyed every minute! The amazing view of the Peak District and the lovely weather equally added to everyone’s enjoyment. This was a once-in-

a-lifetime experience of outdoor activities that will never be forgotten.

By Sarmbavi Prabhahar 9F

Student Exchanges Madrid On Monday 16th October, a small group of students studying GCSE Spanish went on a week-long exchange trip to the capital of Spain, Madrid.

After communicating with their exchange partners via text and phone calls for weeks, it was very exciting to finally meet them in person.

As soon as the girls landed in Madrid–Barajas Airport on Monday afternoon, they drove to the SEK-El Castillo school to meet the exchange partners. The students were all incredibly welcoming and the girls settled into the school routine very quickly.

The next morning, they drove to San Gines, a traditional ‘chocolatería’

cafe for Spanish churros and hot chocolate, after which the girls walked through the busy but beautiful streets of Madrid to El Museo del Prado. On their third day, the girls went to El Escorial and El Palacio Real, where they were given a guided tour of a monastery. The next day, they visited Toledo, an ancient city set on a hill above the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. On Friday, their final day of touring, the girls went to the Casa Lope de Vega Museum, the 17th Century house museum of Lope de Vega, a playwright of the Spanish Golden age of Baroque literature, for another guided tour of all the rooms in the house.

During the weekend, the girls spent time with their exchanges. Many people went to Spanish markets for shopping or boating at Retiro Park Lake, whilst some chose to stay at home and practice their Spanish with their exchanges’ families. Overall, all thoroughly enjoyed their weekend with their exchanges, immersing themselves in the culture, and learning a lot of Spanish along the way. On Monday, their final day, the girls spent a day in school, attending lessons with their exchange partners.

Overall, the girls found the trip to be an immensely rich learning experience to improve their Spanish, and they gained a better understanding of Spanish culture and lifestyle through communicating with their exchange partners, their families, and locals.

By Charvi Jain, Year 10

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Chambery Exchange During the Easter break, a group of Year 8 girls arrived at the school in Chambery after a long day of travelling. Having had a good plane flight, the girls were very excited. At the school, the girls met their exchanges, who gave a quick tour. The girls were taken to their exchange’s clubs, even including boxing and singing! At home, the girls ate dinner, some of whom were treated to a four-course meal!

During the weekend the exchanges took the girls out. Trips included skiing and a visit to the zoo. Many ate typical French food including saucisson, fromage, escargots and raclette.

During the week, the girls went out with the school to visit many attractions. The girls visited Geneva, Lyon and Chambery and visited the United Nations, a chocolate factory and a textile museum. Altogether the girls had a fantastic experience and made friends for life, with many hoping to return someday.

By Hannah and Greta, Year 8

Bordeaux During the October half-term holiday, a group of girls in the Sixth Form visited the beautiful region of Bordeaux.

The main purpose of this trip was to improve and practise their French whilst taking in and embracing the wonderful culture. For the duration

of the trip, the girls stayed with host families who warmly welcomed them to the city. It was the perfect opportunity to perfect their French and learn from the locals. The trip was filled with cultural visits and activities which exposed the girls to all aspects of the rich French culture.

The first day was composed of a walking tour of the city, where the girls were able to learn about the gorgeous architecture and history of Bordeaux.

One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Saint-Émilion which is the main wine producing area of the region. The views of the vineyards were stunning and the visit was complete with a tour of the picturesque town.

Other highlights included a cooking class, where the girls learnt to make macarons, a tasting session at a typical market, where they had the opportunity to try various French foods from cheese to fois gras, and a visit to an oyster farm.

On the last day, the girls visited the largest sand dune in Europe and enjoyed a breath-taking view of the forest and ocean of Bordeaux. The trip was a great experience for all who went, and provided the perfect opportunity to learn a great deal about French culture.

By Anouk Wijeratne, Year 12

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Ludwigsburg This was the 69th year of the Ludwigsburg exchange and the visiting German group enjoyed a busy and snowy week in London. They visited central London and Cambridge and spent two days experiencing life

in school. NLCS students enjoyed a much sunnier week in Germany visiting local cultural sites, punting and embracing the very different routines of a German school. We are looking forward to the exchange’s 70th anniversary next year.

International Exchanges There are now three international exchanges that run in Year 9 in addition to our language exchanges.

Students are offered the opportunity to apply to participate in exchange programmes with NLCS Jeju, NLCS Dubai or SCEGGS, Sydney. This year, all three schools visited NLCS UK in March and the students participated in

everyday lessons, throwing themselves into every subject, even ones that they had not previously studied. Our students were excellent hosts and made sure that their partners were made to feel welcome, taking them to extra-curricular clubs during the day and exciting outings during the evenings and weekends.

The NLCS UK students took part in the away leg of the exchange in

the second half of the Summer Term.

They also took part in everyday life at the respective schools and were able to experience a different culture and way of life. These exchanges are demanding for the students as they involve spending several weeks away from home, but overall the girls show remarkable resilience and enthusiasm to take on new experiences.

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House Activities Programme

Teachers in Charge: F Hitchcock & J Chapman

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Angus, Lindsay, Gibbons, Collet, Aitken

T

here was a widespread impression in the Autumn Term that the Houses have now become firmly embedded within the extra-curricular life of the School. As this is now the fourth year since creating the Houses, students have a greater sense of belonging to their House, and there is more of a sense of each House having its own separate identity.

aim of the Meet-ups has been to encourage students across the different year groups to get chatting and work collaboratively.

There were several House events during the course of the Autumn Term including sports competitions and the annual House Photography competition (the theme being ‘House Colours’). A ‘House Lunch’ was held in the Dining Hall, which was divided into five sections and tablecloths in the different House colours were laid on the tables, with students being encouraged to sit within their Houses and start up conversations with other

The two rounds of House Meetups held in the Autumn Term were led by the Year 9 and Year 11 Captains, who had first worked collaboratively with the Houses Coordinator to set the agenda and plan the activities. In the first Meet-ups, held in September, students worked together to make friendship bracelets in their House colour. In the second Meet-ups, students played a party game which involved guessing the names of famous people stuck on each other’s foreheads. As with the House activities generally, a principle

girls who were not necessarily their usual lunch companions. The Catering Department gave the food a creative twist to reflect the Houses theme.

In December the whole Senior School gathered to see the House teams battle it out in the annual House Quiz. The five Houses were each represented by four students – one from Middle School, one from Upper School, one from the Sixth Form and a fourth student who could be from any year group. There was a supportive but highly competitive atmosphere in the

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Benchball and the Year 10s competed in a volleyball tournament.

During the Summer term, we held our annual Arts Festival and for its final day girls gathered in their colourful House T-shirts, for the biggest House event of the year, Sports Day! This year, the event also included the House Fete with attractions including a Bungee Run, Giant Football Darts and traditional stalls, run by the students, to raise money for Plan International, the Canonaid chosen charity for this term. The culmination of the House points competition was also announced. Taking scores from sports day and all other event s during the year, Angus were crowned this year’s winners

Hall, and the event was much enjoyed by everyone.

The House Captains were busy organising a variety of events this year.

We kicked off 2018 with an impressive Omni-House Bake Sale in January. It showcased a range of talents and the House bakers were eager to ensure their creations matched their House colours – not such an easy feat for Lindsay’s green colour scheme! The turnout was fantastic and £224 was raised for Save the Children.

Additionally the Houses competed during a drop-in Blitz Chess competition which was organised with the Senior School Chess Committee.

House Debating was well attended and it was pleasing to see that it attracted many students from the Middle School - both to observe and take part.

The PE Department continued to organise an impressive array of activities, including events where whole year groups compete with one another. Year 7 and Year 8 have played

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Creative Writing

There are many opportunities throughout the year for girls to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and explore the world of creative writing. Two publications produced by the students focus on creative writing. Students are encouraged to write their own stories, poetry and prose, and also review literary text.

‘Weasel Words’ is a creative writing magazine for all years, although it is particularly associated with the Year 10 to 13 Creative Writing Society. It publishes the most original and imaginative pieces of literature with a focus on unique explorations of form, content, and use of language, encouraging its writers to experiment continually.

A Pile of Clothes on the Train Track Where do you go when the stars are high, and fake hearts fly out to me from hearts around this small world, sweaty hands in mine all telling me that I can do it?

Money is sweet My tongue is rich with the taste of expense When my eyes shut, my insides never stop Moving like the wind that uprooted you Too soft a plant, too weak a grasp on the climbing frame of this small world. Where do you go when brooks glimmer like scales over rocks and stones that will break my bones?

When time burns on me like acid, where do you go?

Archipelago Archipelago was founded in 2011 and showcase pupils artwork, poetry and prose. It features both teacher and student articles from all years including submissions from NLCS Jeju.

‘Archipelago’ from the Greek ‘Arch’ (meaning ‘the beginning’ or ‘ruler’) and ‘Pelagos’ (meaning ‘open sea’) is a fitting name as each issue embarks on an artistic voyage. This year the issue explored the theme of ‘the passing of time’, with Maria-Sigrid Remme writing and directing a play called ‘Carte Blanche’ which was performed in the Summer term.

The Passage of Thyme A strange affliction plagues my palette; I dare not take a risk— I break out in hives when nearing Chives and Parsley purses my lips.

It would not be Sage to take my fill of Dill or Caraway, Tarra-be-gone, please no Anise, to Bay I say “Good day!”

It would not be a Caper to chance Cumin, and fever is a hint that Ginger will linger, green-faced from Mace, please keep off the Mint!

Lavender, Rosemary, Mustard, Lemongrass—these colours I cannot taste, Clary constricts, Basil bothers my belly, Fennel funnels my breath away.

My digestive system fails, it’s true, when my bowels each herb outclasses, But there is one exception to this rule: In the end, Thyme passes.

by Ananya Basu

Weasel Words

Skilful whispers of crafting spells streak my horizon with Sepia that bleeds into streets Calls out the shopkeepers when the fish are freshly salted And the bread is in the oven New bunting flapping in the wind Time is silk, it moves like the paper boy on his bicycle Interrupted by wads of cash stuffed down my throat, the ring of his bell Move out of the way, coming through, fleeting, a coin on a highway How far can you go?

The sky’s not the limit, says the barren earth trapped beneath Bouncing feet, the girl in cerise shoes, the old man in vintage leather, This is your limit. So far as you may go, crossing the boundary is unnecessary, because what could possibly be wrong with you? Normality is an obligation So be goddamned normal They say.

Tip your hat to the milkmaid, suck the tobacco juice from browned teeth Buy your groceries from old Joe, he’ll never rip you off!

Skies are never crystal, the grass is always greener here But the scales tip Fireflies fleet into my hand, my palms scorched by you I’ll forgive you soon, promise.

Where do you go when sweaty bodies bustle in a writhing mass like a snake, a body of bodies, parched more than any desert in the far corners of the world?

I know now.

By Charvi

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Carte Blanche

A

few years ago, as I was passing the door of the Modern Languages Office, a poster about a Creative Writing Competition caught my eye. The year was 2014 and exactly one hundred years had passed since the outbreak of the First World War. Organised by L’Institut Francais, the task was to write a short story entitled My Life One Hundred Years Ago, in both English and in French. I finished writing the story only a few days before we left for the Year 9 Western Front Trip. The copy of the short story was sent to L’institut Francais. A month later, I made my way to the

Institute and that evening I was awarded a Special Prize for the Quality of the Writing. Upon my return home, the copy of the short story disappeared beneath a pile of other things...

At that point, I had already realised that I enjoyed writing and continued to do so, producing other short pieces of prose and I also began to work on a novel. Although I enjoyed going to the theatre, my focus was not on writing play scripts. However, this soon changed. Last year, as part of the 2017 edition of Archipelago: Lost and Found, I decided to write a short play entitled Doppelgänger. After experimenting with this, it seemed to develop into a tradition and soon enough, I was already searching for inspiration for a production for the forthcoming 2018 edition of Archipelago: The Passing of Time.

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I experimented with a variety of ideas and even wrote a few terrible scripts, before finally reaching a decision. The short story My Life One Hundred Years Ago had always remained engraved in the back of my mind, and I was struggling to part with it. For me, it was still a draft and it needed more. I revised the short story and decided to adapt it into a play. This allowed me to delve further into the characters and to experiment with dialogue, an aspect of writing that I adore.

For it is with this play, that I can, feeling content and (nearly) at ease, part with these most precious characters, allowing them to thrive, once and for all in a realm that belongs to them: Carte Blanche.

By Maria-Sigrid Remme, Year 12 n the final eight weeks of the term, Maria-Sigrid Remme and a cast of Year 12 students came together to produce her play. Carte Blanche tells the story of Lisa Blanche, who, after the death of her grandfather, is left with the task of carrying out one of his final wishes: to find out what happened to his brother Pierre Delacroix. At the same time, seventy years earlier in the trenches of France, Jamie MaCloy, a sniper who has returned to his post, befriends a French soldier, named Pierre Delacroix. This friendship does not only shine a new light upon the horrors of the war, but shapes Jamie and the decisions he makes afterwards. Set in both 1917 and 1980, the play follows both groups of characters and the challenges that they face. Congratulations to all girls involved, for an outstanding production.

I

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Alumnae & Development News

1978

1998

O

ur ONL community continues to thrive and grow, and a range of successful alumnae and fundraising events have taken place in the 2017-18 academic year.

An exciting development this year has been the launch of ONL Connect – an online platform exclusively for ONLs, enabling them to find and reconnect with each other for social and networking purposes. We now have nearly 1,000 ONLs who have signed up to the platform, the majority of whom are happy to help in terms of mentoring and career advice. Our Facebook group continues to grow with over 2,300 ONL “Friends”.

ONLs events this year have included a number of reunions. In May we welcomed back over 200 former students from the Classes of 2008, 1998, 1988 and 1978. We were also delighted to host the 50 Year Reunion for the Class of 1967. These events were full of reminiscences and renewed friendships.

In June, we held our inaugural “Women in the Workplace” event which focussed on life as a working woman in the 21st Century. This was attended by ONLs of all age groups and across all industry sectors.

1988

Our overseas and regional ONL groups continue to flourish with meetings being held in the UK and across the globe. In May, 25 ONLs attended at drinks party at the Harvard Club in New York, kindly hosted by ONL Sharmila Sani.

Exciting plans for the future include a fundraising campaign for an Innovation Centre for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) and we are talking to supporters, parents and friends about the School’s future master plan; we are delighted and extremely grateful for donations received to date. We will update the School community on the Capital Campaign in the months ahead, once planning is agreed and finalised, and are looking forward to the whole of the NLCS community getting behind the largest

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fundraising campaign since the School was founded 170 years ago.

Bursaries hold a very special place at North London. The School was built on generosity and the belief that education has the power to transform lives. To mark the extraordinary contribution of Bernice McCabe OBE to North London over her twenty years of Headship (1997-2017), the School named the Bursary Fund in her honour. This year, we continued to raise much-needed funds for bursaries at the School, and we had our most successful Year 13 leavers’ deposits campaign for bursaries, with an anonymous gift of £100,000.

To further boost bursary funds, in May we hosted a stimulating ‘Question Time’ style evening in the Performing Arts Centre with proceeds from ticket

1967

1998 sales going to the Bernice McCabe Bursary Fund. Our panellists included current parents Jo Johnson (MP), Lord David Pannick (QC), Rajesh Agrawal (Deputy Mayor of London for Business) and ONLs Camilla Turner (Journalist), Juliet Mann (Broadcast Journalist) and current student Zara Khan, for an evening of topical debate.

The John Lyon’s Charity continues to support specific girls on bursaries, and we are extremely grateful to the Trust to be in receipt of a third grant from the charity for a student joining in 2018-19, making the Trust our most significant supporter of bursaries.

Thank you to our corporate sponsor, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, for their continued support: as well as supporting the Bernice McCabe Bursary Fund, the Bank provided a speaker for one of our Senior Society meetings and hosted a trading game for Year 12 students studying Maths and Economics.

We were delighted to receive support towards Sport and the PE department at NLCS from Nigel Wray (Saracens owner and former NLCS parent) and his daughter,

Lucy Mercey (ONL 1999, represented and co-captained Wales in Lacrosse), providing funding towards sporting costs of tours/trips for bursary students; supporting the launch of the Elite Athlete Mentoring Programme (EAMP) with training and development of athletes; provision of kit and equipment; and encouragement of high aspiration among all students (e.g. funding guest speakers in areas of nutrition, sports psychology, coaching and injury prevention, management and rehabilitation).

Our programme of Neighbourhood Drinks Parties continues to bring together parents living in a local area; during 2017-18, we were generously hosted at homes in Hampstead, Holland Park and Stanmore. These events provide an informal way for school staff and governors to chat with parents, and for parents across all year groups to meet. Our thanks go to our hosts for these lovely evenings, and to all those who were able to attend. If you are interested in hosting a drinks party event, please do contact us on development@nlcs.org.uk.

In May, ‘Thank you’ drinks were held for those who have supported the School with their time and also financially. This year, the event was held at The Royal Automobile Club, kindly hosted by parents Mr and Mrs Rajesh Agrawal.

Carolyn Eadie (ONL 1971) has worked with us to

2016

establish The Alison Eadie Prize for Journalism, in memory of her sister, Alison (ONL 1972), who died in 2004 from motor neurone disease. We were delighted when Carolyn, who has kindly pledged a legacy bequest, which will endow a bursary in Alison’s name, agreed to act as the Honorary Chair of our legacy society, The Frances Mary Buss Fellowship. The Fellowship was set up several years ago as a means of thanking those who have let us know

2008

about a future legacy, and is being relaunched with a tea at the beginning of the 2018/19 academic year. A legacy donor board is to be located in the Old House to acknowledge individuals who have left a gift to the School.

If you are interested in finding out more about our fundraising plans or want to get involved, please contact development@nlcs.org.uk - we would love to hear from you.

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Valedictory 2018

NEW COPY TO GO HERE

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LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS 2018

Abba, Persia Applying in 2019 MEDICINE

Bralsford, Alana Applying in 2019 DESIGN ENGINEERING

Ahmad, Saamiya Bristol University LAW

Broomberg, Ella Applying in 2019 ENGLISH

Akinyede, Tolulope Columbia, US LIBERAL ARTS

Buckman, Sophie Oxford University (Lincoln) ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

Alemi, Nikou University College London HISPANIC STUDIES

Chan, Cassandra Cambridge University (Selwyn) ENGINEERING

Amin, Meghna Durham University ENGLISH LITERATURE & PHILOSOPHY

Chan, Dorothy London School of Economics ECONOMICS

Asano Inis Oirr Royal Academy of Music VIOLA (RECORDER AS 2ND INSTRUMENT)

Chen, Jasmine Leeds University MEDICINE

Barnard, Franceska Bristol University - 2019 LAW Bennett, Remington Daniella Bristol University HISTORY Benson, Georgia Cambridge University (Jesus) ECONOMICS Berkoff, Natalie Leeds University PSYCHOLOGY

Chen, Xinyi Warwick University MATHEMATICS Christie, Annabel Bristol University LAW Cliffe, Eleanor Durham University CLASSICS Coates, Isabelle Edinburgh University ENGLISH LITERATURE

Best, Amy Bristol University ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT

Cohen, Ava Durham University MODERN & MEDIEVAL LANGUAGES

Blackburn-Friesinger, Natasha Liverpool University VETERINARY SCIENCE

Cooper-Brown, Isabella Applying in 2019 ORIENTAL STUDIES

Bogert, Amelia King’s College London PHILOSOPHY

Dasani, Shivani University College London CLASSICS

Botje, Lauren Cambridge University (Clare) MEDICINE

Dilley, Serena Edinburgh University COMPUTER SCIENCE

Bourn, Elizabeth Leeds University - 2019 BIOLOGY

Dodhia, Serena Warwick University PSYCHOLOGY

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El Hamri, Farah Imperial College London CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Fairnington, Yasmin Nottingham University LAW Fidler, Eleanor Durham University MODERN LANGUAGES & CULTURES Fung, Bianca Southampton University PHYSICS Gadhia, Ashlin City University, London FOUNDATION IN OPTOMETRY Gami, Davina Warwick University ECONOMICS Gor, Payal Nottingham University INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS Gordon, Imogen Edinburgh University GEOGRAPHY & SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY Gurney-Randall, Olivia Edinburgh University ENGLISH LITERATURE Haider Syeda, Zainab Warwick University PSYCHOLOGY Haria, Anushka Cambridge University (Trinity) MODERN & MEDIEVAL LANGUAGES

Hyams, Amber UAL Camberwell College of Arts Applying in 2019 English ART [FOUNDATION DIPLOMA IN ART & DESIGN) ENGLISH Ibrahim, Mariam Durham University LAW Inegbeniki, Omozusi Columbia, US LIBERAL ARTS Ingate, Lindsey Cambridge University (Clare) HISTORY Jacobs, Tamara Applying in 2019 PPE Jakobsen, Isabella University College London CLASSICS Jeyakumar, Janani Queen Mary, London University BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Jolliffe, Emily Durham University PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS Joyce, Elisabeth American University in London PSYCHOLOGY/LIBERAL ARTS Kanabar, Bhumi St Andrews University ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT Kessler, Katherine Oxford University (Pembroke) JAPANESE

He, Yajie (Vera) Oxford University (Christ Church) CHEMISTRY

Koshutova, Leona Applying in 2019 MODERN LANGUAGES

Horvat, Brina UPenn HUNTSMAN PROGRAM

Kyriacou, Victoria Cambridge University (Emmanuel) LAW

Huseyin, Charlotte Bristol University GEOGRAPHY WITH STUDY ABROAD

Levy, Chantelle Leeds University GEOGRAPHY Lewis, Sarah Leeds University COMPUTER SCIENCE (DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS) Li Shuhan, (Jo) University College London MEDICINE Liyanage, Dinithi Lancaster University MEDICINE & SURGERY Mason, Isobel Exeter University POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY & ECONOMICS Mathiy, Nerosha Queen Mary, London MEDICAL GENETICS Mattoo, Saira University College London CLASSICS McMahon, Rebecca Edinburgh University ENGLISH LITERATURE Megregian, Brennan Stanford, US LIBERAL ARTS Mehta, Kieren Glasgow University PHYSICS WITH ASTROPHYSICS Meyer, Leah Bristol University BIOCHEMISTRY

Levine, Lauren Oxford University (Brasenose) PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS AND ECONOMICS

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Mirza, Farah Warwick University ENGLISH & GERMAN

Rahman, Ariana York University PPE

Mitra, Varuna Oxford University (St. John’s) LAW WITH SPANISH LAW

Rajagopalan Ritu Bath University POLITICS & ECONOMICS

Munger, Lauren Leeds University College of Art ART FOUNDATION COURSE

Ratnam, Sophia Birmingham University HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

Naik, Nikita Nottingham University POLITICS & ECONOMICS Nanthakumar, Vidya Glasgow University MEDICINE Otulana, Faridah King’s College London DENTISTRY Patani, Keya Southampton University ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING WITH AI Patel, Janika King’s College London ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT Patel, Manika Cambridge University (Corpus Christi) ARCHITECTURE

Tandon, Ela Cambridge University (Murray Edwards) ECONOMICS Thanki, Aashni University College London HISTORY Thayananthan, Ragavi Foreign Office APPRENTICESHIP

Risoli, Arianna University College London MEDICINE

Toledano, Amy Sarah Cambridge University ENGLISH

Russell, Emma Bristol University POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Twivy, Clara Cambridge University - 2019 MODERN & MEDIEVAL LANGUAGES

Satheeskaran, Maya Imperial College London MEDICINE

Udueni, Alezandra Warwick University PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & ECONOMICS

Sealey, Natalia Birmingham University DENTISTRY Sennik, Saachi Cambridge University (Downing) NATURAL SCIENCES Seo, Jungmin Cambridge University (Jesus) ENGLISH

Upcraft, Olivia Applying in 2019 van der Putten, Hadik Tess Applying in 2019 MEDICINE Westman, Greta Northwestern LIBERAL ARTS

Patel, Nirali King’s College London PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY

Sharp, Anoushka Queen Mary, London University Medicine

Patel, Shanika Nottingham University MFL (SPANISH) WITH BUSINESS

Sheath-Vali, Lily Exeter University CONSERVATION BIO & ECOLOGY

Patel, Shreya Sheetal Warwick University PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS & ECONOMICS

Sivakanthan, Thiviya Cambridge University (Gonville and Caius) MEDICINE

Patel-Vathvali, Mya Tulsi Bristol University MEDICINE

Sperber, Sofia Wesleyan, US LIBERAL ARTS

Zhao, Chengcheng Cambridge University (King’s) NATURAL SCIENCES

Pinder, Harriet Bristol University POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Stevens, Annecy St Andrews University MEDICINE

Zhu, Yue Lun Cambridge University (Murray Edwards) MEDICINE

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Xu, Mengyao Applying in 2019 MATHEMATICS Yamaguchi, Kureha Cambridge University (Clare) Engineering Zaichenko, Katerina Applying 2019 LIBERAL ARTS

PRIZE LIST 2018 ACADEMIC PRIZES Dame Kitty Anderson Award for academic excellence KATHERINE KESSLER Dame Kitty Anderson Award for academic excellence JUNGMIN SEO Sophie Bryant Award for academic excellence MAYA SATHEESKARAN Sophie Bryant Award for academic excellence THIVIYA SIVAKANTHAN

ART R.W. Buss Manika Patel

GEOGRAPHY Priscilla Frances Sharland Amber Herdman-Hyams

ART Moy Keightley Katerina Zaichenko

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Leonard Brooks Emily Joliffe

CLASSICS John Back Brennan Megregian

HISTORY Senior History Lindsey Ingate

CLASSICS Hester Armstead Isabella Jakobsen

HISTORY M E Gossip Ella Broomberg

CLASSICS Amy Harris Nirali Patel

HISTORY Hatfield Franceska Barnard

DRAMA Clothworkers Eleanor Fidler

JOURNALISM Alison Eadie Prize Elizabeth Bourn

ECONOMICS Joan Brackenbury Nikita Naik

MATHEMATICS L.E. Walter Saachi Sennik

ECONOMICS H D Donaldson Shreya Patel

MATHEMATICS Clara Collet Kureha Yamaguchi

ECONOMICS Ridley Georgia Benson

MATHEMATICS Edith Collet Mengyao Xu

ENGLISH Senior English Amy Toledano

MATHEMATICS Buss-Crane Cassandra Chan

ENGLISH Stella Gibbons Memorial Farah Mirza

MATHEMATICS Bank of America Merrill Lynch Georgia Benson

ENGLISH Sebba Isabelle Coates

MFL Betty Hanemann Clara Twivy

ENGLISH Elsie Todd Olivia Gurney-Randall

MFL Patricia Erskine Anushka Haria

GEOGRAPHY Walton Isabelle Coates

MFL Eleanor Lyndon Lauren Munger

GEOGRAPHY Jane Agnes Chessar Charlotte Huseyin

MFL Marjorie Muir Leona Koshutova

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MFL Caroline Senator Eleanor Fidler

SCIENCE Kay Nicholson prize for Physics Cassandra Chan

SERVICE TO SPORT Smallwood Trophy Brennan Megregian

MFL D’Hondt Harriet Pinder

MEDICINE Louise Sinclair Memorial Prize Yue Lun Zhu

SERVICE TO MUSIC Fanny Green Anoushka Sharp

MFL Brandenburger Ava Cohen

BIOLOGY Nicola Goldfarb Leia Zhao

SERVICE TO MUSIC Lucy Welch Bianca Fung

MFL (German) Heinz Ulrich Lachmann Sofia Sperber

Service Prizes

SERVICE TO MUSIC Frances Mary Buss Inis Oirr Asano

RELIGIOUS STUDIES Septimus Buss Meghna Amin

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Commander Corby Varuna Mitra

SERVICE TO MUSIC Enid Hoggan Cassandra Chan

RELIGIOUS STUDIES Alice Lupton Daniella Bennett Remington

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Dame Kitty Anderson Harriet Pinder

SERVICE TO MUSIC Agnes Hackney Dorothy-Li Chan

PHILOSOPHY John Back Lauren Levine

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Dame Kitty Anderson Olivia Gurney-Randall

SERVICE TO SCHOOL SOCIETIES Prance Nirali Patel

Science Doris Gregory Vera He

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Miss Drummond Sophia Ratnam

SERVICE TO SCHOOL SOCIETIES Elizabeth Hoskyn Meghna Amin

SCIENCE Doris Gregory Natalia Sealey

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Miss Drummond Thiviya Sivakanthan

SERVICE TO SCHOOL SOCIETIES Elizabeth Hoskyn Shreya Patel

SCIENCE Nachschen Arianna Risoli

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL Yvonne Grover Natasha Blackburn-Friesinger

SERVICE TO SCHOOL SOCIETIES Maclean-Frazer Memorial Lindsey Ingate

SCIENCE Emma Guggenheim Riya Mehta

SERVICE TO CANONAID Miss Gad Patemean Lauren Levine

SERVICE TO JUNIOR SCHOOL Clara Begbie Lindsey Ingate

SCIENCE Webb Tess Hadik

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY Stephanie Lee Natalia Sealey

SERVICE TO THE MAGAZINE Mary Sybill Smith Ashlin Gadhia

SCIENCE Harker Farah Elhamri

SERVICE TO DRAMA Emma Hedges Ashlin Gadhia

SERVICE TO THE ARTS Philippa Threlfall Amber Herman-Hyams

SCIENCE Elizabeth Tuckett Lauren Botje

SERVICE TO SPORT Bradstreet Cup Georgia Benson

SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES Olive Wright

SCIENCE Leslie Pauline Leader Kureha Yamaguchi

SERVICE TO SPORT Windsor Cup Elisabeth Joyce

SERVICE AS A FORM ASSISTANT Clothworkers Amelia Bogert

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STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Senior Committee 2017-2018

Archipelago Society

Senior Student: Varuna Mitra Harriet Pinder Sophia Ratnam Thiviya Sivakanthan Izzy Gurney-Randall Games Captain: Elisabeth Joyce

Chair/Editor: Jungmin Seo,

Year 7 Form Assistants

Co-Chairs: Alana Bralsford, Amber Herdman-Hyams, Lauren Munger, Secretary: Manika Patel, Isabelle Coates, Katerina Zaichenko, Member: Katherine Kessler

Ritu Rajagopalan, Lauren Munger, Olivia Upcraft, Amelia Bogert, Serena Dilley,

School Ambassadors Ela Tandon, Mariam Ibrahim, Alezandra Udueni

Peer Mentors Serena Dodhia, Ritu Rajagopalan, Aashni Thanki, Vidya Nanthakumar, Charlotte Huseyin, Arianna Risoli, Mariam Ibrahim, Dorothy-Li Chan, Maya Satheeskaran, Jasmine Chen, Natalia Sealey, Davina Gami, Isobel Mason, Mengyao Xu, Janani Jeyakumar, Brennan Megregian, Mya Patel, Syeda Haider, Yajie He, Stephanie Hadik, Lily Sheath-Vali

Social Affairs Committee Persia Ariana Abba, Shanika Patel

Sports Committee Cassandra Chan, Yasmin Fairnington, Keya Patani, Annabel Christie, Georgia Benson, Imogen Gordon, Kureha Yamaguchi, Brennan Magregian

Afro Caribbean Society Chair: Omozusi Inegbeniki

Anthropology Society Chair: Amber Herdman-Hyams, Secretary: Imogen Gordon, Publicity: Emma Russell, Member: Harriet Pinder

Architecture Society Chair: Manika Patel

Art & Design Society

Canonaid Co-Chairs: Nikou Alemi, Shuhan Li, Vice Chair: Lauren Levine, Secretary: Leah Meyer, Publicity: Riya Mehta, Liaison: Natalie Berkoff Events: Tolulope Akinyede, Treasurers: Amy Best, Dorothy-Li Chan, Members: Thiviya Sivakanthan, Safia Nazir, Ritu Rajagopalan

Careers Society Members: Xinyi Chen, Isabella Jacobsen

Chess Society Chess Officer: Greta Westman

Christian Society Chair: Lindsey Ingate

Classics Society Chair: Brennan Megregian, Vice Chair: Isabella Jakobsen, Secretary: Saira Mattoo, Club Coordinator; Annecy Stevens, Publicity: Shivani Dasani, Publications; Eleanor Cliffe

Compendium Society Co-Editor: Brennan Megregian, Secretary: Lauren Levine

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Computing Society

Engineering Society

Hindu, Jain and Sikh Society

Co-Chairs: Sarah Lewis, Serena Dilley,

Co-Chairs: Alana Bralsford, Cassandra Chan

Chair: Ashlin Gadhia

Secretary: Brina Horvat,

Secretary: Saachi Sennik

Treasurer: Payal Gor

Publicity: Keya Patani,

Publicity: Farah Elhamri, Keya Patani

Publicity: Shivani Dasani

Creative Writing Society

Members: Kureha Yamaguchi, Yajie He

Co-Chairs: Ava Cohen, Isabella Cooper-Brown, Farah Mirza, Members: Rebecca McMahon, Katerina Zaichenko, Yue Lun Zhu, Katherine Kessler, Lauren Munger

Debating Society Co-Chairs: Omozusi Inegbeniki, Maya Satheeskaran, Secretary: Alezandra Udueni, Publicity: Lily Sheath-Vali, Members: Ela Tandon, Bhumi Kanabar, Shivani Dasani, Farah Mirza, Harriet Pinder, Sophia Ratnam

Economics Society Chair: Ela Tandon, Co Vice

Environmental Awareness Society Chair: Elizabeth Bourn Secretary: Chantelle Levy

Business Liaison: Amy Best Arts Festival Co-ordinator: Tolulope Akinyede Subject Development: Yasmin Fairnington, Janika Patel Members: Ritu Rajagopalan, Payal Gor, Ariana Rahman, Brina Horvat, Charlotte Huseyin, Chantelle Levy, Saamiya Ahmad, Natalie Berkoff, Shanika Patel, Henna Shah

Vice Chair: Aashni Thanki Secretary: Daniella Bennett Remington

Active Officers: Olivia Upcraft, Xinyi Chen

Feminist Society Co-Chairs: Aashni Thanki, Meghna Amin

Publications: Nikita Naik

External Affairs Coordinator: Rebecca McMahon Members: Victoria Kyriacou, Sophia Ratnam

Secretary: Meghna Amin

Human Rights Society

Members: Ariana Rahman, Chengcheng Zhao

Co-Chairs: Nikou Alemi, Lauren Botje

Co-Chairs: Amber HerdmanHyams, Katherine Kessler

PPE Officer: Isobel Mason

Co-Chairs: Ella Broomberg, Lindsey Ingate

Members: Annabel Christie, Manika Patel, Ragavi Thayananthan

Secretary: Shreya Patel

Editor of Capital: Tamara Jacobs

History Society

Publicity: Clara Twivy

Film and Media Society

Chief Editor of Capital: Bhumi Kanabar

Members: Riya Mehta, Nirali Patel

Publicity: Natasha BlackburnFriesinger

Chairs: Omozusi Inegbeniki, Georgia Benson Publicity: Nikita Naik, Davina Gami

Secretary: Saachi Sennik

Secretary: Daniella Bennett Remington Publicity: Amelia Bogert Members: Eleanor Cliffe

Geography Society Chair: Yasmin Fairnington Vice Chair: Imogen Gordon Secretary: Janika Patel Publicity: Annabel Christie, Natalie Berkoff Publications: Charlotte Huseyin Members: Chantelle Levy, Isabelle Coates, Natasha Blackburn-Friesinger

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Secretary: Franceska Barnard Publicity: Clara Twivy, Isabelle Coates, Safia Nazir Events Coordinator: Ariana Rahman Amnesty International Coordinator: Payal Gor Members: Leona Koshutova, Ragavi Thayananthan

Interfaith Society Chair: Nirali Patel Member: Ava Cohen

International Affairs Society Chair: Brian Horvat Vice Chair: Greta Westman Secretary: Tolulope Akinyede Publicity: Saamiya Ahmad Member: Franceska Barnard, Leona Koshutova

Jewish Society

Chair: Inis Oirr Asano, Secretary: Bianca Fung

Publicity: Leona Koshutova, Emma Russell

Publicity: Lauren Botje

Book Club: Amy Toledano

Law Society

Chair Orchestra: Dorothy-Li Chan, Member: Anoushka Sharp

Debclub: Eleanor Fidler, Miniglot: Clara Twivy

Chair: Franceska Barnard

Muslim Society

Co-Chairs: Tamara Jacobs, Leah Meyer

Vice Chairs: Victoria Kyriacou, Yasmin Fairnington

Chair: Farah Elhamri

Tut MFL: Stephanie Hadik Members: Anushka Haria

Secretary: Syeda Haider

Public Speaking Society

Members: Amy Toledano, Saira Mattoo, Olivia Upcraft, Xinyi Chen, Shanika Patel, Henna Shah

Oriental Society

Chair: Faridah Otulana

Co-Chairs: Bianca Fung, Isabella Cooper-Brown

Publicity: Farah Mirza

LBGT Society

Secretary: Chengcheng Zhao

Secretary: Mariam Ibrahim

Chair: Riya Mehta Vice Chair: Ragavi Thayananthan Secretary: Vidya Nanthakumar Publicity: Sophie Buckman

Member: Eleanor Cliffe

Performing Arts Society Chair: Eleanor Fidler

Secretary: Farah Elhamri Members: Sarah Lewis, Anoushka Sharp

Psychology Society Chair: Serena Dodhia Secretary: Syeda Haider

Members: Serena Dodhia, Lauren Munger, Inis Oirr Asano, Sofia Sperber, Annecy Stevens

Philosophy Society

Publicity: Jasmine Chen

Chair: Meghna Amin

Members: Elisabeth Joyce

Literary Society

Secretary: Emily Jolliffe

Co-Chairs: Amy Toledano, Jungmin Seo Vice Chair/Publicity: Sophie Buckman Secretary: Isabella Jakobsen Members: Ella Broomberg, Eleanor Fidler, Rebecca McMahon, Olivia Gurney-Randall

Mathematics Society

Vice Chair: Lauren Levine Publicity: Greta Westman Editor of Plato & Co: Safia Nazir Members: Olivia Gurney-Randall, Elisabeth Joyce, Amelia Bogert, Shreya Patel, Nirali Patel, Lily Sheath-Vali

US Liaison: Saachi Sennick

Co-Chairs: Alezandra Udueni, Isobel Mason

Music Society

Publicity: Persia Ariana Abba (Lead), Amy Best, Shuhan Li, Natalia Sealey

Co-Chairs: Inis Oirr Asano, Natalia Sealey

Secretary: Davina Gami

Co-Chairs: Cassandra Chan, Saira Mattoo Secretary: Shivani Dasani, Publicity: Inis Oirr Asano, Dinithi Liyanage, Henna Shah, Natasha Blackburn-Friesinger,

Secretary: Yue Lun Zhu

Photography Society

Politics and Current Affairs Society

Mental Health & Wellbeing Society

Co-Chairs: Kureha Yamaguchi, Yajie He

Chief Magazine Editor: Maya Satheeskaran

Co-Chairs: Saachi Sennik, Mengyao Xu Members: Persia Ariana Abba, Sarah Lewis, Faridah Otulana, Kureha Yamaguchi, Anushka Haria, Anoushka Sharp, Georgia Benson

Science Society

Secretary: Nikita Naik Publicity: Emily Jollife Events Officer: Tamara Jacobs Editor: Emma Russell, Members: Ella Broomberg, Saamiya Ahmad, Riya Mehta, Bhumi Kanabar, Olivia Gurney-Randall, Isabella Cooper-Brown, Harriet Pinder, Sophia Ratnam

Polyglot Society Chair: Ava Cohen Vice Chair: Sofia Sperber Secretary: Nikou Alemi

Vice Editor: Mengyao Xu Chief Medical Officer: Vidya Nanthakumar Medical Team: Arianna Risoli, Dinithi Liyanage, Janani Jeyakumar, Lauren Botje Animal Welfare: Natasha Blackburn-Friesinger, Stephanie Hadik Webmaster: Faridah Otulana Mentoring: Anoushka Sharp, Ashlin Gadhia Middle School Liaison: Mya Patel Writers: Elizabeth Bourn, Chengcheng Zhao Members: Alana Bralsford, Bianca Fung, Jasmine Chen, Elisabeth Joyce, Leah Meyer, Thiviya Sivakanthan, Annecy Stevens, Nirali Patel

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LEAVING STAFF SUMMER 2018 Jack McMillan (Teacher of Maths) who joined in September 2017. Colleagues say what a tremendous zest for life and infectious sense of fun he brought to the Maths Office. He made the girls smile, as well as think, and his patience when helping anyone who was struggling is legendary. He was a wonderfully caring and energetic ambassador for LGBT+ Society, organising many exciting and thought-provoking meetings and events. Jack moves to Manchester and a post at Manchester Grammar School.

Martyn Lawley (Teacher of Maths) who joined in September 2016. Martyn has been an extraordinarily accomplished teacher who has shown a real interest in the actual craft of teaching, taking up the chance to conduct guided lesson observations whenever he could and showed a particular passion for watching – and even enthusiastically participating in – Latin lessons. He moves to Derbyshire to take up a post at Repton School.

and feminism with the girls, sensitively promoted physical and mental wellbeing and gave a series of imaginative, original and wide-ranging assemblies. She leaves to make a new life away from the bustle of London and to pursue some of her many interests.

Maria Briggs (Teacher of Biology) who joined in September 2013. Her colleagues talk in awe about her extensive knowledge of her subject, gleaned through her avid watching of every wildlife documentary going and joyfully discussed in the departmental office. Maria was a wonderful teacher and tutor with a particular interest in PSHE in the Middle School where she made an invaluable contribution. She leaves to take up the post of Head of Science at Berkhamsted Prep.

Lucy Cooper (Director of Sport) who joined

joined in September 2015. Everyone in the school is in awe of her seemingly endless array of dazzling shoes, clothes and earrings – her outfits, along with her sense of fun, light up a room. One of the girls in her form said that every time she looked at Miss Bourguilleau she instantly felt happy! She turned even reluctant students of French into being passionate about the subject and her dedication to her role as a form tutor was exceptional. She leaves to take up the post of Teacher of French at St Mary’s School, Ascot.

in September 2011. Lucy was, quite simply, a brilliant teacher who guided her department with immense skill and imagination. Her prowess as an outstanding organiser was evident in the way in which she developed Sports Day into a huge and wonderfully colourful celebration of athletics for both staff and girls, with every event organised with almost military precision. However busy things may become, she was unfailingly positive and calm, with her clipboard tucked firmly under her arm. She was a superb tutor, and the girls in her care have benefitted from her high expectations of them – but such expectations are always balanced with immense kindness. She leaves to take up the post of Director of Sport at the Royal Masonic School for Girls.

Megan Murray-Pepper (Teacher of English) who

Fred Hitchcock (Assistant Head (Extra Curricular)

joined in September 2013. In Megan’s final assembly to Year 12, she encouraged the girls to think about their many roles both in, and outside, school – their ‘many selves’, as she put it. In that assembly, Megan managed to pick on the very quality that made her stand out over the past five years – the many roles which she has played and which have enriched the life of our community. She was an inspirational teacher – one colleague who had recently watched a Year 12 lesson said that she had never seen a group of students quite so captivated by what they were being taught. She shared her love of debating

and Teacher of Classics) who joined in September 2008. It is hard to know where to begin when it comes to listing Fred’s starry qualities in his various roles in the School. He was a wonderful teacher of Classics, taking immense care over every aspect of his teaching. Yet, Fred always balanced his undoubted academic rigour with a passionate belief in the vital importance of life outside the classroom; he oversaw Canonaid, and led trips to Italy, Greece, Zambia. Under his care, every aspect of extra-curricular life has flourished; he established the House system and, as one former Head of House commented, he always managed

Nadege Bourguilleau (Teacher of French) who

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to make each House believe that he secretly supported them. We shall miss him enormously – for his Classically-themed ties, his horror of nouns being turned into verbs – ‘to work shop’ made him wince - and his dazzling array of Christmas sweaters worn without the merest hint of irony. Above all, we shall miss him simply as a wonderful colleague and friend. He leaves to take up the post as Deputy Head (Co-Curricular) at St Paul’s Girls’ School.

Margaret Wheatley (Head of Geography) who joined in October 1979. It is no small coincidence that the Geography Department boasted two members who not only worked alongside Margaret but who were taught by her; the very fact that these two former pupils were so keen to come back to their old school and join the department speaks volumes about what an impact she had on generations of students. Colleagues past and present speak in awe of her incredible planning of courses and individual lessons – files upon file of immaculate notes and diagrams are testament to her years of experience and her deep love of her subject. All of her brilliant resources are shared generously with her friends in the department, and she has also regularly led exciting and wide-ranging programmes for the PTI which reflect her mastery of her subject. She was an outstanding tutor, who always enjoyed a wonderfully warm relationship with her form, going above and beyond what is required pastorally to make each girl feel supported and cared for. Margaret was always more than a colleague to the people who work alongside her, both in the department and also in the wider school community; she was a loyal, supportive and infinitely kind friend, with a wicked - and often deeply irreverent - sense of humour. Margaret has many exciting plans for the future – a Master’s degree and the fulfilment of a long-term dream – to buy a house in France. She leaves with our very best wishes and our deepest gratitude.

RETIREES

is, quite simply, the dream colleague – utterly trustworthy, full of wise advice and happy to hand on, especially to younger members of staff, his own vast array of experience. Laurie knows about - and loves - every aspect of Maths, and is never happier than when delving into all kinds of intellectual puzzles and problems. His various Lectures have been a real highlight of the year with intriguing titles such as ‘The Secret Santa’ problem or ‘When do I stop? Mathematical musings on marriage, hiring staff, selling cars, etc.’ Laurie’s prowess as a splendid communicator of conveying even the most complex mathematical concepts in vivid and engaging ways made it no surprise that he was asked to fly to Dubai to present his talk on ‘Powerful Maths using small numbers’ as a way of illustrating perfectly the whole ethos of an NLCS education to prospective parents and financial sponsors in the U.A.E. Yet Laurie’s contribution to the school goes far beyond the teaching of Maths; he has been an exceptionally caring and patient form tutor whose concern for every girl in his class, his compassion and sheer common sense in dealing with a whole range of pastoral issues - and his rigorous checking of the end of year reports - has gladdened many a Section Head’s heart. He has been a meticulous Treasurer for the Staff Room, juggling figures with consummate ease and setting up numerous staff parties without ever appearing to flap or lose his cool. And, of course, there is chess – which he loves almost as much as Maths (and cricket). He has devoted seemingly limitless time, energy and affection to supporting chess within NLCS and far beyond, arranging matches and tournaments for students of every age with consummate skill, accompanying school teams to far-flung places and, in his own very quiet, but determined way, firmly encouraging the girls to have belief in their own abilities.

We shall miss Laurie hugely and we wish him a long and happy retirement in Yorkshire.

Laurie Winston Laurie joined the Maths Department in 2006 and how grateful we are to him for over a decade of wonderful teaching and warm friendship. He

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COLOURS Autumn 2017 Senior Colours for contribution to Community Service Coral Harding

Kiran Kuri Joanna Li Theerththa Jeyarajasegaran

Half Colours for contribution to Drama

Natalia Sealey

Eleanor Galvin

Senior Colours for contribution to Drama

Aanya Gudka Ella Odutoye Farhia Rashid

Half Colours for contribution to Music

Senior Colours for contribution to Music

Amelia Bogert

Dorothy Chan

Emma Gasson and Julia Lukasik

Senior Colours for contribution to Drama

Megan Greensmith

Half Colours for Service to the School

Senior Colours for contribution to Music

Laila Arain

Cassie Chan

Amelia Bogert

Bianca Fung

Elizabeth Bourn

Natalia Sealey

Shivani Dasani

Saibhan Bains

Ishani Shah Maria Sigrid Remme Imogen Woods-Wilford

Half Colours for contribution to Community Service Jessica Gbayere Alisha Kenward Zara Khan

Lindsay Ingate

Senior Colours for contribution to Sport Georgia Benson Annabel Christie Yasmin Fairnington

Senior Colours for Service to the School Meghna Amin Livvy Gurney-Randall Harriet Pinder

Half Colours for contribution to Community Service Davina Gami

Cara Chedid

Hannah Buluwela

Eleanor Fidler

(Brennan Megregian?)

Amy Toledano

Half Colours for contribution to Art

Kezia Levy Aanya Shah

Half Colours for contribution to Sport

Senior Colours for contribution to Sport

Cara Chedid

Jasmine Sakpoba

Ishani Shah

Isabelle Coates

Senior Colours for contribution to Community Service

Spring 2018

Serena Hart Ellie Pourghadiri Emma Russell

Senior Colours for contribution to Art Isabelle Coates Amber Hyams

Half Colours for contribution to Drama

Lauren Munger

May Armoghan

Manika Patel

Lara-Grace Banjo

Katerina Zaichenko

Christine Chung

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Megan Greensmith Ariella Grossbard Jenna Jacobs Isabelle Lever Fargol Malekpoosh Maia Pereira Sandhya Sivakanthan Emily Spungin

Half Colours for contribution to Music Meghna Amin Daniella Bennett Remington Natasha Blackburn-Friesinger Isabelle Coates Anushka Haria Victoria Kyriacou Shreya Patel Sofia Sperber

Half Colours for contribution to Sport Ariella Benaim Zusi Inegbeniki Kezia Levy Faridah Otulana Raina Uppal

Half Colours for contribution to Service to the School Asha Bakhai Elizabeth Choong Yajie He Isabella Jakobsen Mia Lane Saira Mattoo Jessica Pretorius Thiviya Sivakanthan Faye Song Amy Toledano Kureha Yamaguchi Lun Zhu

SUMMER 2018 Senior Colours for contribution to Community Service Athena Kam

Izzy Davis Aleena Hanif Eliza Marovitz Anoushka Sahota Talia Shaw Yana Szerkowski Anna Van Loon

Senior Colours for contribution to Drama Darcey Goldstein Ishani Shah Imogen Woods-Wilford

Senior Colours for Service to the School Laila Arain Kezia Levy

Lola Weisselberg Clara Wright

Half Colours for contribution to Music Athena Ham Antara Pillutla

Half Colours for contribution to Sport Isabelle Brand

Ishani Shah

Chloe Bloom

Half Colours for contribution to Art Hannah Buluwela Coral Harding Honi Pein

Half Colours for contribution to Community Service Samantha Breslauer Mia Butterworth Sierra Goh Liana Greenan Barrett Tasnim Khan Smriti Nanda Jade Partridge Mihika Prakash Chiara Rizk

Emily Lucas Dara Thaker Hana El-Chamaa Olivia Lake Yuuki Uchida

Half Colours for Service to the School Georgina Fennessy Coral Harding Sofia Johanson Zara Khan Patrycja Lakomiec Isabelle Lever Vaishnavi Manivannan Tilly Mattich Shani Paun

Sarah Sayers

Aanya Shah

Amee Shah Janavi Shanmuganathan

Anouk Wijeratne

Half Colours for contribution to Drama Imogen Catsaras Maya Crumpton Hutchins Teniola Daniel

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS NLCS Jeju Our first international school on the island of Jeju in South Korea, is now in its seventh year; the school has grown since opening its doors in 2011, with a student roll of 450, now has over 1,300 students. Below are some highlights from the year; from academic success to charity projects and music to sport achievements.

Academic Success We are pleased to report that the school’s average IB score for the year was 37 points, continuing to significantly exceed the global average of less than 30 points, with 4 students achieving perfect scores of 45, a new school record.

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aim of the competition is to stimulate the interest of students in chemistry and to foster the science talent of the future.

More than 330 schools entered teams in the competition, with only 72 teams passing to the preliminary round and subsequently being invited to KAIST to take part in the Grand Final. Yuna Jung and Subin Hwang from NLCS Jeju were awarded the Bronze Medal for their work, titled ‘Investigating the chemistry within the tradition of diving equipment used by Jeju Haenyeo’.

Essay competition by the Ayn Rand Foundation On the literary front, So Young (Innes) Kim entered an essay competition run by the, which receives entries from over 2,000 sixth form students from all over the world. Innes impressed the international panel of judges to achieve a very impressive 2nd place.

Peer Mentoring Scheme

Tri-School Music Festival

It has also been another year of outstanding IGCSE results for NLCS Jeju, with the vast majority of students achieving A / A* in their exams. Even more impressive was the news that four students achieved the best scores in the world in their IGCSE exams (sat in the 2017/18 Academic Year); Hyerim Kim for art, Jiwon Choi and Inji Park for maths and Mina You for maths and Korean.

In September 2017, NLCS Jeju Music Conservatoire successfully hosted Jeju’s first Tri-School Music Festival, with NLCS Jeju, BHA and KIS. Music included pieces by String Orchestras, Choirs and Concert Bands, as well as specialist sectionals.

Similar to the Peer Mentoring Scheme at NLCS (UK), NLCS Jeju launched their newly rebranded Peer Mentoring Scheme, which aims to enhance the well-being of its Senior School students.

Peer Mentoring is an opportunity for the Year 12 and 13 students to share their knowledge and experience with younger students during weekly, one-to-one time. During the sessions they offer support, encouragement and/or advice, with the aim of giving their Mentees a unique and valuable avenue of pastoral care.

The Chemical Frontier Festival In November 2017, NLCS Jeju entered ‘The Chemical Frontier Festival’, a high profile science competition for high school students.

With involvement of LG, KAIST, Hanwha, Lotte and many others, the

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U15 Korean National Rugby Team In January, Justin Chung was selected to play for The U15 Korean National Rugby Team. Before joining NLCS, Justin had never played rugby.

After participating in trials he was chosen to play for the Middle School Rugby Team. The team proved to be very successful and was spotted by the Korean Rugby Union Under 15 National Coach. The team has a number of excellent players, but Justin was finally selected as he had shown his undivided commitment to working with the Middle School Rugby Team and his leadership qualities.

NLCS (UK) and NLCS Jeju exchange In June, NLCS Jeju welcomed seven Year 9 exchange students from NLCS (UK), having been hosted by their partners in London in March. The students spent two wonderful weeks on Jeju with the families of their exchange partners, and the students were able to take part in NLCS Jeju’s Arts Festival.

Action in the Community NLCS Jeju has a number of special community service projects for which they raise money throughout the year.

One such project is the ‘Nine Goods Village’. The school is hoping to help the village be reborn as a tourist

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attraction in Seogwipo. In May 2018, the project team held a fundraising festival, “Off the Chairs” which helped bring the total funds raised since 2013, to 44.5 million won.

Trip to San Franciso and Silicon Valley Over the February half term, a group of 24 computer science students, in Years 10 and 11, visited San Francisco and Silicon Valley to explore the birthplace of modern computing and to visit the leading companies and universities in the area. The visit was designed to spark students’ academic curiosity by engaging with real world computing experts and motivate them for future study.

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pursuit residentials in the UAE for Grades 3 to 6, a History trip to Italy, a Geography trip to Iceland, a Music trip to Shanghai for Senior School students, an Art and modern foreign languages trip to the Louvre in Abu Dhabi and a Biology trip to Umm Al Quwain to study ecosystems.

In March, the first NLCS (UK) and NLCS Dubai exchange took place.

The students from NLCS Dubai thoroughly enjoyed their time at the ‘mother-ship’. On their return to Dubai, the students led an informative assembly about their experiences, noting the prevalence of the NLCS ethos of showing care, courtesy and consideration to all. The NLCS (UK) students joined their counterparts at NLCS Dubai in the month of June, which coincided with Ramadan, allowing the UK students to experience school life as well as gain a better cultural understanding of the UAE.

Sporting achievements

NLCS Dubai NLCS Dubai opened its doors in September 2017 to 240 students from Pre-KG through to Grade 10. By the end of its first year, the number of students enrolled for September 2018 had more than doubled, as had the number of teaching staff.

Trips and Exchanges In its first year of operation, NLCS Dubai offered a range of trips and experiences for students of all ages.

Some of which included outdoor

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The relatively small student body meant that everyone had an opportunity to ‘try themselves out’, which led to many of our students participating in a wide range of sporting events. Three of our athletes made it to the DASSA League athletics finals; Ramzi Tabanji for shot-put, Zahra Ahmad for 200m race and Isaac Danka-Fielding-Piper for 100m and 200m races. The Junior Swimming Squad had a very successful season and were crowned Division Champions.

The U9 to U15 Rounders teams all had very successful seasons, with the U9 mixed team remaining undefeated all season and winning the Cup Final. The NLCS Dubai staff also got in on the action as they beat the KHDA in the first ever stair-climb challenge held in the School’s atrium. Three students enjoyed personal sporting success; Zayd Ghanawi in Grade 7 won multiple skiing events in the Ski Dubai Snow Park. Avantika Mattu in Grade 2 travelled to the UK to take part in the International competition, “Stars of the Future”, achieving second place overall in two categories of Latin and Ballroom dancing. Romy Wegmann in Grade 8 was named ‘U14 Female Inspirational Athlete of the Year’ at the UAE Teen Sport and Fitness Awards.

Art, Drama and Music The first House Photography competition, which was a highlight of the Winter Festival, showcased a number of promising photographers.

The theme was ‘My Dubai’ and the ‘People’s Choice’ award went to Rayan Al Kharusi in Grade 7. The theatrical talents of students from Grade 2 to10 were displayed during an evening of monologues, closely followed by a production by Grades 2, 3 and 4 called Planet Plenty which addressed issues of sustainability. The Grade 5 class finished their year with the musical Alice in Wonderland and, later in the term, senior students performed a gritty production of Twelve Angry Men

by Reginald Rose.

With pianos residing in open spaces around the School it is not at all unusual to hear the sounds of Mozart or Yiruma echoing through the halls and atrium at break and lunch times.

One such pianist, Claudius Tyacke, in Grade 2, only began playing piano two years ago but he took his musical talents beyond the halls of NLCS Dubai, all the way to France, where he won first prize in a music competition at Conservatoire Slave de Musique in Paris. This was all the more impressive as he was the youngest in his group, competing mainly against teenagers.

The highlight of the year was the Arts Festival, which was a week full of creative activities including drama mask workshops, improvisational theatre, and a group art sculpture which was inspired by American artist Crystal Wagner. The final events of the week were a fabulous ‘Fantasy Fashion’ event, presenting work created by the students during the week, as well as wonderfully choreographed adaptations of songs from Les Miserables.

UAE flag. We even had a visit from a camel and birds of prey! In December, all students gathered around the Christmas tree to sing a selection of festive songs. Our first Founder’s Day celebration was truly memorable, as parents and students experienced the daffodil procession for the first time.

The International Picnic, which drew a tremendous amount of support from parents, was a feast for the eyes and

taste-buds.

We are proud of all that was accomplished in our first year, as the newest member of the NLCS family of schools, and look forward to many more achievements to come.

Whole School Community Events The students and parents of NLCS Dubai enjoyed many events at which the whole School community could celebrate together. The first occasion was UAE National day, where we enjoyed national food, face painting and henna. Everyone involved wore national dress or colours of the

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Promoting Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing

T

hree years ago, we created a Mental Health Committee, with the aim of reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and providing an additional support network for students. Since then, we have grown from a committee of 6 to a society of over 30. As well as promoting campaigns and raising awareness through regular topical discussion groups and our termly magazine Speak Out, we helped to launch a new peer mentoring system.

This includes ‘Tea and Chat’ sessions in which anyone in the senior school can chat about things they have on their mind and get to know students from other years. We offer one-on-one sessions, and also opened an email service for easier communication between mentors and mentees.

Last May we hosted our first major series of events during Mental Health Awareness Week. The whole school took part, including collaborations with many societies, ranging from LGBT+ society to Philosophy, helping to broaden everyone’s perceptions about mental wellbeing. For the younger girls, clubs such as Mad Hatters got involved, discussing books surrounding mental health. For the Upper School, girls were able to examine mental health in more detail, for example, Debating society held a debate titled “THB presentation of

mental health issues in the media has a negative effect” which held many enriching discussions.

The week was particularly important as it marked our introduction as a new society. We gave assemblies, we published an edition of Speak Out and launched our weekly discussion groups and ‘Tea and Chat’ sessions.

A pledge board was on display in the dining hall lobby, where both students and staff voiced their support and promised to help end the stigma about mental health.

This term, we held our first Mental Health Conference. The evening consisted of three talks; one from the Medical Director of the Anna Freud Centre, about growing minds and how life becomes more complicated in adolescent years. The next two were given by Time To Change, one of the UK’s largest Mental Health campaigns. Firstly Jocelyn Cox spoke about how they help to normalise talking about mental health, and secondly Marium, one of the charity’s ‘Young Champions’, gave an emotive account of her experiences with mental health, telling us how she overcame her struggles with the support of her school. Finally, the Samaritans gave a talk on their mission and small things we can do to look after our own mental health daily. The evening concluded with a number of workshops and was a huge success, with a large turnout including students from neighbouring schools such as the London Academy and QE Boys.

The discussions about mental health did not end there. For Time To Talk Day we ran stalls giving out free resources, as well as fun things to raise awareness for the campaign, including badges and temporary tattoos. We also held a fundraiser for the Anna Freud Centre. We pitted the Classics Department against the Biology department, who had to answer questions about the school such ‘which teacher gives the best life advice?’ in a Family Fortunes style game. Over 100 students came to support this highly entertaining event, raising £60.

We are delighted to have been able to launch so many new events in the

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past year and can’t wait to see where the new members will take the society next term.

By Cassie Chan, Shivani Dasani, Saira Mattoo, Mental Health Society

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North London Collegiate School Canons Canons Drive Edgware Middlesex HA8 7RJ 020 8952 0912 office@nlcs.org.uk www.nlcs.org.uk Charity No. 1115843

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