TWGSB School Magazine 2012-2013

ECLECTICS 2012-13

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

Open Evening October 2012

Eclectics 2012-13

Contents Headteacher’s Foreword Head Boy’s Report Mathematics Media Studies BBC School Report History Young Enterprise Design Technology Art Library English Art Drama Geography Sixth Form Music Physical Education Activities Week Year 10 and 12 Madrid Year 8 Azu’Rivage Year 7 Paris

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Headteacher’s Foreword It is my great pleasure to welcome you to our Eclectics 2012-13 Magazine. Students in Year 7 will be new readers of Eclectics. To all other year groups, I know you will be eager to read the pages that follow.

My thanks go to Mrs Gray and to all the staff and students who have written articles for the magazine.

It is a wonderful collection of reports on a year in the life of TWGSB. This year we were visited by Ofsted who reported on the School most favourably. However, it is only when you read articles like those that follow this introduction that you really appreciate the strengths of this School and the students in it. High level achievement in public examinations can create the impression that the School is all about results, whereas nothing could be further from the case.

Every page here showcases talent or reports on successes of the year just past. I hope each page enthuses each of the students to follow in the paths described or strike out and forge new paths of their own.

who are now not so young!) who benefited from her teaching, many of whom were inspired to go on to study History at university. I remember watching Sue teach once and thinking to myself, if I had been taught History by this lady, I would have become a History teacher, not a Maths one.

Both Zac and Sue are sorely missed and we wish them every happiness in their retirements.

I am so proud to lead this wonderful School and honoured to work with the staff and students here.

I hope reading the pages that follow allow you to feel some of that pride as well.

John Harrison, Headteacher

During the last year I was lucky to have worked with a remarkably talented prefect team led by Jack Bardrick, whose address can be read on the facing page. He was ably supported by Charlie, Chloe, Matt and Joe and as a team they were formidable! My thanks to them all.

In a large school it is natural that every year we see a few members of staff move on or retire. This year I would like to take the opportunity to comment upon two members of staff who both served the boys of this School for over twenty years each.

Sue Glover at the Juno Beach Centre in Normandy with Year 9 students

Zac Bamgbola is well known to all of the boys and those who studied Graphics at GCSE and A-Level will remember him, I suspect, for their entire lives! Woe betide the boy who didn’t complete his coursework to standard. Zac is a true gentleman, a man of faith, and as a teacher he would work into the evenings and holidays with students to help them achieve everything that they might.

Sue Glover was a truly outstanding History teacher and there are countless young men (and some

Zac Bamgbola participating in Sports’ Day

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Head Boy’s Report At the time of writing this, my time as Head Boy at TWGSB is coming to an end and I would like to say how proud I have been to represent my year group and the school this year. When I took over from Jack Bing as Headboy, he said that this would be the toughest but most rewarding of my academic years, and he wasn’t wrong. I have thoroughly enjoyed 2012-13 and will look back with only pride and fond memories.

One of the things I have really valued is the wellroundedness of the education at TWGSB. Sporting excellence for example has featured throughout and indeed has come in abundance this year. Special mention here should be given to the very successful year 7 football team and 1st XI football teams, and the Year 10 rugby team for success in both leagues and cups this season. The school has thrived through the House systems, with junior house captains and house competitions being fine additions this year.

The school has gone from strength to strength during my time here, and I am sure that this progress will continue.

With the introduction of a Head Boy’s charity by Billy Harris two years ago, I chose the NSPCC as this year’s charity. The NSPCC carries out fantastic work tackling child abuse and suffering all around the country, as well as in our local community. I have been brought up in a great family, have gone to a great school and have a great circle of friends which has made me feel very privileged. However, I realise not everyone in our community has such an upbringing. I believe that it is very important that everybody should be given the opportunities and the platform to succeed and fulfil their potential. This was my motive for choosing the NSPCC. The NSPCC aims to give children who have been less fortunate than me, the care and support they need to fulfil their potential.

Well over £5,000 raised for the NSPCC karaoke and Comedy Night, featuring Tom Deacon, James Redmond and Chris Martin, saw audiences witness some incredible talent, although this perhaps is less true for some acts at the karaoke. The Fun Run was a big success, with the Sixth Form showing great character and support for the event despite the chilly weather. However I may have to try and delete some of the embarrassing pictures from the school system before I leave!

I would like to thank the Sixth Form for the support they have shown for the NSPCC. I am very proud to say that these events all contributed to a total raised of over £5000, with nearly £500 still to be collected. Thankfully, I have been able to work with an exceptional team of Deputy Head students and Senior Prefects, without whom the success we have achieved this year would not have been possible. My thanks also go out to Ms LeSeelleur, Mr Lawrence and Mr Harrison for support, guidance and time given to improving the Sixth Form. I would like to wish next year’s Head boy, and all the students, every success and all the best for the future.

Jack Bardrick, Head Boy 2012-2013

Highlights of the year have not been in short supply, with many as a result of raising money for the NSPCC. The Christmas and Spring charity parties stand out as very memorable evenings. Although the following mornings, coming into school, were not quite as enjoyable! The Christmas Sixth Form Fun Run, March 2013

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Mathematics Year 7 Maths Experience

Maths in Action

During my time in Year 7, I had opportunities to be involved in various activities run by the Maths Department. I took part in the Inter-House Maths Challenge, which was a fun day of Maths Challenges. Some of my year went on to take part in a West Kent Challenge event. My greatest involvement, however, was in the various Maths in Motion competitions. I spent many lunchtimes setting up cars and preparing pit-stop strategies for our weekly grand prix races. The highlight was reaching the National Final (with Dan Powers of Year 8), which was held at the National Motor Heritage Centre in Warwickshire. The Final was broadcast on the internet and Jaguar also filmed it for a promotional presentation. We also came second in the National Christmas Grand Prix and so received prizes from Jaguar. Other activities I remember include a Sudoku Competition and Maths Enrichment Club. I’d encourage all Year 7s to get involved in something!

Last year, some Sixth Form students attended a series of “Maths in Action” lectures regarding the real-world applications of maths. After a 15-minute walk the group arrived at the London venue, and once joyfully ensconced, the talks kicked off with a piece on Alan Turing’s genius and how codes like those solved in Bletchley Park are linked to encryption methods for modern-day computers. Next was a talk on how, by following a simple set of rules, individuals in a system collectively influence the result, generating interesting outcomes that are both mathematical and beautiful. After this was a thoughtprovoking lecture on how data can sometimes show the opposite of what you might expect, leading into how this can help us make decisions using statistics.

Following a lunch break, the students returned to the hall to receive a talk on how mathematics can be used to show links (in social networks, road networks, etc), and aid us when searching for efficient solutions. Finally, a very entertaining talk was given on unusual 3D shapes such as “Mobius strips” and “Klein Bottles”, both of which have only one side, and can behave very peculiarly.

Dominic Butler, 7E

Alex Patton, 13R

World Maths Day

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Year 7 Maths Challenge

I really enjoyed the Maths Challenge as it was a great way to expand my maths knowledge and practical skills. I felt that I used a variety of math operations and all in different styles. My favourite part was the relay as it was the most exciting and fun part of the day. I very much enjoyed the day and would do it again if I could.

Sam Barker, 7D

I really enjoyed taking part in the Maths challenge this year.

My favourite part was when we did computer games and also when we worked as groups. I liked working in groups as I liked who I was working with and we all got on well as a team. It was a great experience doing the Maths Challenge this year and I hope that I can take part next year.

On Tuesday 9th July some Year 7s had a maths challenge day. During the day we took part in several tasks such as the number crossword, My Maths and the maths relay. For each task we were awarded points depending on correct answers. These were all added up to find a winner at the end of the day. Overall Eagles won by 10 points. It was a very enjoyable day.

Ben Austin, 7A

Fraser Abbott, 7A

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Media Studies Wilderness Woods In February 2012, both AS Media Studies classes visited Wilderness Woods in Hadlow Down as part of our camera training before creating our AS production, which was a movie’s opening sequence.

We were tasked with creating a short film showing our ability to use different camera angles and techniques, and each group was given permission to walk around the woods independently to find suitable locations for shooting. We were given equipment to help us create professional-looking shots, such as the track and dolly to make moving shots. This helped us experience using some of the equipment that real film producers used, and helped us get some idea for shots we could use in our final production, and because of this it gave us the necessary skills to create a professional-looking film opening sequence.

We travelled by minibus to the location just outside Uckfield, and were provided with a barbecued lunch and helpful advice for shots from the accompanying teachers. I believe that everyone learnt a lot from the Wilderness Woods trip, as the location was very helpful in learning about new camera techniques and methods of shooting. It also helped us get some experience of working in a team within our groups, which helped towards creating our final production.

Year 12 Media Studies Trip to Brighton

If it weren’t for this trip, I believe we would have struggled to manage shooting within our groups and wouldn’t have had the required experience to put together a film opening.

Brighton As part of our training for our A2 music video project, we visited Brighton in October 2012 as a potential location for filming for our final production. We travelled by minibus, and were set a similar task to that of the Wilderness Woods trip, where we had to go and collect a certain number of different types of shots, exploring locations and developing ideas for our music video. We did not have to use Brighton as a location in our music video, but after visiting many people chose to base parts of their video there. Areas like the beach and arcade were very popular with all the groups who participated in the trip, and some groups even went on to use footage from the Brighton trip in their final production. We experimented with new ways of filming that we had not learnt in our AS studies, and using the footage we acquired on the trip, we were taught new techniques with the editing software that helped towards creating a professional-looking A2 production.

Jake Piercy, 13J

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Media Studies: OSCARS Night

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I enjoyed working on the BBC School report very much. It gave me a chance to experience the way BBC News works and its pipeline. It also gave me the opportunity to work with others who were interested in the same thing. First we had to gather stories from local, national, international and sport related news. Then we chose which ones would make the final cut. We knew that we were going to cover the Budget 2013, so we took a day to go into Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells, and we asked people what they thought of the budget. We filmed those responses and then we came back and filmed the “news room� scenes on a blue screen so we could make it look like the actual studio. During and after us filming those scenes, Jonathon and I went into editing this together. Having had previous editing experience, it was fun to work on. We actually had a deadline of 2:00pm the next day, so we had to quickly assemble all the scenes together and get the visuals (lower third and intro) done.

Unfortunately, we did not meet the deadline due to technical difficulties. Overall it was a good learning experience, working to a deadline with other people.

Mishaal Memon, 9F

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History

Year 9 Trip to the Ypres Salient When we trudged gloomily onto our coaches at 6am on a cold and chilly Friday morning, I don’t think we anticipated how good the trip would be. However this state of tiredness was soon erased when we got on to a lively ferry accompanied by a full English breakfast and then an entertaining journey with amusements, arcades, café bars and a shop. Once we had arrived in Calais, we set off towards Hooge Crater and museum. This bore a stark contrast to mood on the lively ferry. We first went through a museum which contained a revealing display of the soldiers’ equipment and photos of what it was like in the trenches. However it was hard to really understand what it must have been like for the men living in them but we were soon awakened to the reality of trench warfare when we went outside to the back of the museum and walked round a huge crater that had been made by four mines detonated by the British who were assaulting the small village of Hooge. Behind that, there were some trenches which had long dark tunnels inside which we explored, sometimes wading up to our shins in mud (luckily in our welly boots!). …

To finish off the day, we went into the town of Ypres to the Menin Gate. There, at 8pm, we watched the Last Post Ceremony, which is held daily to commemorate those who lost their lives but have no place of resting, often due to the horrific results of shelling from artillery. That night we retired to the hotel for a great dinner and an amusing game of football which was enjoyed by all.

On Saturday morning, we woke up and headed off to the “In Flanders Field” museum which was brilliant and incorporated a lot of modern day technology

focussing on the stories of individual soldiers which gave a very personal touch to the trip.

We then set off to the British cemetery at Essex Farm which was famous for a number of reasons.

It was one of the first times the infamous chlorine gas was used, perhaps the youngest man to die in the first world war, a 15 year old who won a Victoria cross is buried there and the famous “in Flanders Fields” poem was written there as well.

We then visited the German cemetery at Langemark where 44,000 soldiers are buried, over half of which in one mass grave. Afterwards we visited the British Tyne Cot cemetery where an incredible 12,000 soldiers are buried and 35,000 soldiers are named on the wall around it. Although there were more people buried at Langemark, I think that this hit us the hardest because the graves stretched on for a long, long way and then to see the names written on the wall it really brought to life that the casualties weren’t simply a number, they were actually real people who had died. It was something we could only understand after we had seen the amassed graves and that for me was what I thought was the most important part of the trip.

The last bit of the trip before we set off back home was to have some free time in Ypres.

This proved to be a break from the intensity of the trip, and we happily put ourselves into the hands of the capable Belgium chocolatiers!

Dominic Richardson, 9K

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Year 9: Normandy (an extract) Normandy trip Day 2: The next day we went to the WW2 Merville Battery which is very famous because of the outstanding bravery of the men and the understanding that what happened here could be decisive to the success of D-day. We were shown around in form groups by a teacher and we got to see the guns and bunkers which the 9th Parachute Battalion attacked under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Terence Otway.

After looking around the site we were directed into a bunker which with the use of video, smoke and sound effects gave us a very good understanding of what it would have been like for the Germans when they were attacked. The movie was very realistic and I don’t think you could get a closer experience to what it would have been like at Merville Battery unless you had been there the day it happened.

Another very important part of securing success in Normandy in WW2 was the capture of Pegasus Bridge which is where we went next. (Pegasus Bridge was captured to stop the 21st Panzer Division from outflanking or intercepting the Allies.) The Pegasus Bridge museum was very good and they had a copy of a Horsa glider and the actual bridge which cost about 1 million Euros to install at the site of the museum. We were shown around by a guide who spoke very good English and made the tour very interesting. He told us about how the gliders worked, why the bridges had to be taken and a memorable story about two veterans from England and Germany who met on the Bridge in 1944 and met each other again around 5 years ago. Although thankfully not shooting at each other this time.

Our next trip after a sandwich and crisps lunch was to the Longue Battery set up to stop the invasion.

The bunkers were set upon a hill overlooking the beach and just behind were four massive guns which could shoot far out to sea and damage ships trying to land. We walked all the way around these defences entering every bunker and defence and exploring as much as we could. Not far away from this was the Juno Beach museum which is where we went next.

We started with a tour of a bunker which was more than a metre thick and we were told that it is almost impossible to destroy or capture. However on D-day apparently the bunker was completely empty and was taken instantly. The most interesting part of the tour was at the beginning when our guide told us a few months ago a man had come to the museum and asked if they were showing people around the hidden bunkers. Confused, the staff at the time asked what he meant to which he said that there was a labyrinth of tunnels he used to play and explore in as a child. Since then this has been proven right and an excavation has now been set up. Hopefully within a few years the tunnels will be open to the public.

After a tour of the Juno beach museum we returned back to the hotel for free time. Free time which was every evening after the tours consisted of table tennis, tennis, mini golf, pool, arcade, beach use, football, cricket and other activities. After which we would have our dinner and then finally a disco.

Nathan Cole, 9K

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Year 7: Battle Abbey In October, we travelled to Hastings on our first trip of the year because of our topic, The Battle of Hastings and William the Conqueror invading England.

We travelled by coach arriving in the miserable weather hoping to gain something from this historical trip. First of all we arrived looking at the biggest set of gates we had ever seen. We walked up a hill to find ourselves up by a little museum containing in it the weapons they used and tactics to invade England. Shortly after we had to watch a quick movie about the actual battle. We found this very interesting and took away a lot of knowledge before starting our walk on the Battlefields and around the Abbey.

We walked up a steep and soggy hill to find the best scene we saw on the trip. What we saw was the hill which Harold Godwinson and his men would have been standing on preparing for battle, at the bottom of the hill would have been where King William assembled his troops also preparing for battle. We practised what they would have been chanting which was “oot-oot-oot!�

Just along the soggy path was what looked like a cool box? We decide to check it out. Inside it was very dark and was not much room to stand in. Mr Mason told us many facts on the battlefield and what would have happened during the battle.

In the pouring rain we walked a little further where we saw a stone grave with flowers around it commemorating King Harold and his men.

Suddenly we spotted a massive castle ahead! We really wanted to go and check it out. As we got closer it got bigger and bigger and finally it made our record book for the tallest castle we had ever seen.

We walked up a flight of stairs to find ourselves up in a little room full of artefacts. It was very interesting.

There was another flight of stairs in the corner of the room which led to a murder hole. A murder hole is a hole in the ceiling where you can drop something down (rocks, arrows, boiling water) to hit enemies from above. The last thing we did was to visit the gift shop. We enjoyed spending time chosing sweets and souvenirs.

Will Amos, 7C and Jamie Beck, 7C

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Kent Young Enterprise Winners

Tom Milson 12H, Jack Gibbs 12I, Nathan McKerlie 12F, George Marling 12D, Oliver Stone 12C, Ben Howe 12B, Kieran Cornish 12G, Razon Mahebub 12B, Peter London 12I, William Hinton 12D, Davis Wyatt 12G, Cameron Tyler 12C, Marcus Evans 12D, William Denbigh 12F, Joe Cheung 12F, Kishen Patel 12A, Shrimal Patel 12B, Finn Tribe 12A, Oliver Moran 12E, Adam Moseley 12B Wolfpack fashion Wolfpack fashion was a branch of Young Enterprise run within school by 20 students from year 12. As a company we produced customisable t-shirts to a large range of customers at local, national and international levels. In the first couple of meetings we allocated roles with Nathan Mckerlie appointed as managing director and Tom Milson deputy. Our first action after deciding our product was how to go about producing it. We bought a heat press and vinyl to print on our t-shirts that were bulk ordered, while renting the school’s vinyl cutter; this ensured that we controlled every stage of manufacturing.

In addition our production process enabled us to complete orders efficiently, varying from single requests to bulk buys. However we varied the price according to the size of the order, with larger orders accompanying lower prices per t-shirt. The production line ran smoothly due to the market research carried out by various people, including George Marling, our Marketing Director who studied how to work the vinyl cutter. Before using the cutter the customer’s order had to be processed onto

the software, although after it had to be weeded to remove excess vinyl before being printed via the heat press onto the t-shirt. Once a t-shirt had been produced it was put into a customised recyclable bag with washing instructions for our customers.

Advertising was another important aspect of Wolfpack fashion. We found that social media was vitally important and made a big impact using sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.

This was far superior to mailing other schools, which although it was a form of advertising it was not as effective. ‘Wolfpack Wednesdays’ was a stand at Wednesday lunch on the school balcony in attempt to increase sales or to raise awareness of our company, among the many posters around the school site. Lastly one effective form of advertising was in local newspapers. Although it was not direct advertising, having the company in local newspapers such as ‘The Sevenoaks Chronicle’ and ‘The Courier’ after competitions or for example after meeting with the The Minister for Business and Enterprise and Deputy Chairman of the

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Conservative Party, Michael Fallon MP organised by Director of Documents, William Denbigh.

We prepared our business plan and backboard for the competition. Among a large number of other schools Wolfpack Fashion received the overall ‘best company’ prize along with the IT award. Our company was commended for creating a website which accepts debit card payments online (set up by our IT Director Ben Howe) – a first for any young enterprise company, Selling products locally, nationally and internationally through the company website and sales of over £1,500. After winning the West Kent finals, we continued with orders for our customers, along with organising and making amendments for the Kent and Medway final. We edited our backboard and presentation to try and ensure that we were victorious at the Kent Final.

There was a change in roles – Nathan Mckerlie stepped down as Managing Director and Tom Milson took over. Due to Tom’s meticulous planning and preparation, Wolfpack Fashion went on to win the Kent and Medway Finals at the University of Greenwich. This gave us a place in the South East England Final at Royal Holloway.

Unfortunately after making further improvements for the South East England Final, we did not win this final. In the last few weeks of the Young Enterprise process Wolfpack Fashion fulfilled the remaining orders before shifting remaining stock in time for the liquidation.

Young Enterprise has been a fantastic experience for all of us. We enjoyed the whole process and learned a lot from it. I certainly would recommend it to next year’s Year 12 students.

Lastly I would like to thank all our shareholders and the members of Wolfpack Fashion, as well as the link teachers Mr Carey and Mr Jenkins along with our business advisor Mr Mummery.

Marcus Evans, 12D

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Design Technology First Lego League 2012

Teen Tech 2012

On the 5th of December 2012, 10 chosen members of the Lego Robotics club went to The University of Canterbury, to represent the school in the First Lego League. From the time we joined the school to the time of the completion we spent our time at Lego Robotics club, building, programming and preparing for that day! Not only did this challenge teach us how to solve different problems, but how to work well under pressure and in teams. This challenge was called senior solutions. In this challenge we had to program our robots to do tasks like knocking over bowling pins, answering a video call, stay balanced on a platform etc. A few members of the team concentrated on the presentation, this meant they designed a piece of new technology to help older people.

On Tuesday 25th September, Mr Goddard took ten of us to TeenTech in Tonbridge – a large event telling people about possible careers in Science, Technology and Engineering. Firstly we went into the Insight Zone where companies had stands.

Our group went to a company called “The Creative Assembly” which makes computer games. We attempted to adjust the code on a missile launcher game to hit a moving vehicle. We only had a short time to do this and soon moved on. Then we went to a company called Flambeau which makes injection moulding machines. The man showed us how they create buckets, baby baths and plastic geese! We also had some free time to browse the other stands that included Google, JVC, BT, and Siemens.

Unfortunately our performance on the day was not our greatest, we were beaten by 8 points for a place in the quarter final. This event did not just consist of robot building but we were interviewed about our design of the robot, and what we invented to help senior citizens. After everyone had performed it was time for the award ceremony. There were awards like best team work, best presentation, best technical interview and judges favourite. This time we did not get awarded any awards but we will come back fighting next year!

Dominic Heron, 7G

Our next session was in the Challenge Zone where a company called Cummins Power Generation gave us the challenge of creating electricity to power a lighthouse – we had to create a pulley based gearbox connected to a generator. After this we learnt how to make an electronic ‘guitar’ with help from staff from Queen Mary, University of London.

After lunch, we listened to two people who make Apps for mobile phones and then we competed against other schools in an App designing competition. We designed a hide and seek game App that uses Google Maps, GPS and pictures taken with a mobile phone camera to give a clue as to where you are. We didn’t win the competition but we all enjoyed the day immensely.

Max Tymczyszyn, 8K and George Gao, 8K

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Student Robotics This year TWGSB competed in “Student Robotics” run by the University of Southampton, an exciting competition where a robot has to be built and programmed to play a “game” (similar to noughts and crosses) without any human input. After over 100 matches in “the best student robotics so far”, team “Not So Much Chaos” (representing TWGSB) came 26th out of 36, just two places away from qualification to the knockout stage.

We learned that having such a big team meant that communication was really important. The team included Tom Deane 12D, James Pearson 12C, James Perrett 12D, Joseph Stevens 12A, Ben Howe 12B, Chris Culpin 12E, Anna Arnold 12C, and Harry Bowden 12E. For more

information about the competition, please visit www. studentrobotics.org.

Ben Howe, 12B

The DT Year 12 & 13 visit to Flambeau Injection Moulders Ramsgate Flambeau based in Ramsgate, Kent, is a manufacturing business that specialises in injection and blow moulding for other companies. We went there in November to get some insight into the real industrial methods of producing high quality products on a large scale as well as how they structure the company to maximise profits. Upon arrival we were taken into a large room that allowed them to show us the Flambeau business as a whole including the American side of the business, also we were shown how blow moulding machines as well as injection moulding machines work from some diagrams.

Another key part that was shown in the presentation was tooling design. The tool is the metal mould that the machines inject or blow plastic into and Flambeau is able to design these tools and then create the product with their blow and injection moulding machines.

Next we moved to the machine floor, here all of Flambeau’s injection and blow moulding machines are kept, these range from small machines that form things like plastic beads or small cups to very large machines that form large objects like waste bins.

While walking around we also saw where they keep all of the plastic that they use to mould into products, these are small grains of plastics of all colours and types. The plastic grains are kept in large containers that are fed into a system of hoses that feed the machines the correct plastic when required.

Moving back to the presentation room we were shown companies that use Flambeau. We were also shown future products that the subsidiary company of Flambeau, ArtBin who stock Hobbycraft of their art based products are going to bring out in the future.

Ed Wright, 13G

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New Designers Exhibition at the Business Centre On the 6th July 2013, our Design and Technology Department organised a trip to see the New Designers Exhibition at the Business Centre, Islington where students from universities across the country showcase their latest design work and prospective inventions. Our teachers, Mr Bamgbola and Mrs Zachary, led the trip. It was a worthwhile experience as it gave all the students inspiration not only for their A2 work but also for future options in higher education or even career paths. We particularly took an interest in two sections on display: firstly the model buildings and design work which accompanied the projects; and secondly the other section we took an interest in was the automotive and naval architectural projects.

There were many fascinating models which made us wonder how our future would look in terms of

automotive vehicles and infrastructure. When talking to the students they gave us an indication of what a design course entails and they all had positive reviews of their course.

Our favourite design from the day took inspiration from a beehive and was a new design for a communal social area within parks that would host various functions as well as a general social hang out. The modelling and advertising designs helped us to view and undertake our A Level graphics coursework in an entirely different way, thinking outside the box and finding solutions to problems in our society today.

Vince Firth, 12G, Dan Cheek, 12F, and Lawrence Evans, 12B

Electronics

Luke Broomberg, 10O, Scalextric start gate and lap counter (GCSE)

George Dye, 11F, Remote control fan (GCSE)

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Thomas Dye, 13R, Alarm Clock with Medicine control (A2)

Thomas Arnold, 11E, Temperature controlled light (GCSE)

Josh Woodford, 12C, Spoke mounted cycle lights (A2)

Peter Roper, 11F, Scalextric start gate (GCSE)

James Wigley, 11E, Bicycle safety system (GCSE)

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Graphics The American Diner Project

Sam Evemy, 12F

Connor Jeffery, 12D

George Marling, 12D

Jack Pocock, 12H

Jake Mardell, 12C

Jamie Hitch, 12F

Lawrence Evans, 12B

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Library The Carnegie Shaddowing Club The Carnegie Medal is a book prize for outstanding children’s literature and is awarded every year. Before the announcement of the winner, there is a list of eight books which are on the shortlist for winning the prize.

The Carnegie shadowing Club was a club which ran last year, where the participants read all the books on the shortlist and then participated in a balloon debate with other local schools. In a balloon debate, teams discuss why the book they have been assigned is the best book. The

debate was fun and even though my book didn’t win, it was a great day.

Chris Pruce, 9E

English Year 8 Trip to ‘Private Peaceful’ at Tonbridge School, 20th March 2013

After seeing the play ‘Private Peaceful’ – a dramatisation of Michael Morpurgo’s story of two brothers in the First World War – I would like to say how much I enjoyed the way the play was performed, how it was structured and what impact it had on the audience.

The play was performed in a way that it could be easily understood: this was done by using lots of body movement; for example, when one of the soldiers got shot, his body fell back with force as a bullet pushed him backwards. There were also many different kinds of sounds used: for instance, when the central characters, Tommo, Charlie and Molly, were lying down on a field looking at the sky, some romantic music came up and they also danced to it by moving some parts of their bodies.

I was surprised at the clever use of props, not just for holding in the hand, but also giving the audience the feeling of where the location was. For example, lots of dried leaves were placed on the stage in a pattern, and even though Tommy kicked the leaves around the stage, it still gave the impression that they were in the countryside. Also, I thought the way they used

simple crates was very interesting. They first used them as a slide for Tommo and Charlie to climb over, then used them as chairs, next using the painted side of the crates they put them together to form a tree that fell on Tommo’s dad.

Throughout the whole play, there were two Tommos: a young one, who acted out the story that the old Tommo told as a narrator at the side of the stage. I liked the idea of how the young and old Tommo kept interacting with each other. This gave us the idea that the two were really the same person. We also felt this way, because the story was told as a series of flashbacks; when the old Tommo would stop talking, the young Tommo would start to ‘act’ out the story, while the old Tommo seemed to be thinking of the past, for example, he would lay in his bed, looking at the ceiling.

There was one point where I thought that some of the actors or actresses weren’t loud enough for me to hear, but all in all I thought the play was really, really good. If I had a chance to see plays that are similar to ‘Private Peaceful’, I would definitely see them.

Harry Pun, 8F

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Afterwards

A story for 13 year olds written by Chris Pruce 9E, illustrated by Lewis Balcombe, 9F

In the destruction, no-one noticed me; another crying child in a sea of terror. I was too young to know what truly happened, but even at the age of five, I could see the pain in my mother’s eyes.

A pain that I didn’t truly understand, nor did I truly feel, but I knew that it was there and that made me cry. Now that I know what happened, I’m not going to describe the scenes that came before. Some things I will never understand myself. Why did that man destroy my town? Why did he kill innocent people? Why did he do that to my father? These are all questions I don’t understand, but this is the story of afterwards and that is where I will begin.

After the bombs hit, my town was a complete wreck. The usual sights of grey and brown hadn’t changed, slums aren’t known for being vibrant, but the grey and brown was now rubble, not homes.

The usual buzz of activity and noise had been replaced by the wail of children like me. The boys, running around, panicking and the girls like me, who will sit and cry. The chaos sounded similar but there was an air of despair about it now, more than the usual. My mother’s skin was brittle as she carried me, where rubble dust had collected on her skin. A droplet of moisture, landed on my arm, not rain, but a tear. My mother in attempting to hide her mourning of my papa turned away when she realised that she had let down her mask. A mask designed to keep me faithful.

My mother set me down by the remains of our home. I continued to cry into her arm, so she pulled me up and said, “Sshhh Bambisha, we must be strong.” Still I cried. My mother gave up and set me down, so that she could inspect what was left of our home. Our home wasn’t much, back when it was standing. It was just a hut, in the middle of a slum, in the middle of Indonesia. But it was no longer even a hut. It was rubble, part of the collection. Corrugated metal and scattered possessions. Yet there are no possessions anymore, only lives and things that end.

Possessions, passed away friends, houses… they all fall into the latter group in a crisis.

We sat and waited for aid. Aid we knew would not come. Back then (2020), western charities collapsed. They only care about themselves now. So we waited for local aid, in hope. We sat for hours there, me crying, my mother thinking

and crying. After time my mother leant over and whispered to me: “Come Bambisha, we must find shelter.” And so we walked, a woman grieving the loss of half her life and me, a five year old girl trying to both understand, and cry. We got to the edge of the town, where we found a small cave. We both curled ourselves up there and I asked, “Mummy, what happened to Dada?” After a moment of careful thought she responded, “Think not on what has happened, think on how great we’re going to be, me and you Bambisha, me and you.”

And so we both lay down and fell asleep. Our sleep was short-lived though, as a few hours in, we were awoken by the same sounds that took my Dada away.

Eclectics 2012-13 Bombs.

Soldiers.

The bombs were booming and screeching everywhere. We couldn’t see them, but we could hear their ghastly noises.

One of them had his gun out, pointed at me, the other did not.

BOOM! BOOM! I knew what the noises were, so I curled up in a ball and screamed, screamed so that maybe God would hear me. Hear my terror, and stop this.

He did not.

My mother saved me though. She pulled my head up, looked into my eyes and I knew that I had to be brave. But in that very second, that inspirational moment, our cave exploded.

When I awoke, my mother was still out cold. She lay next to me, I could feel her breathing through her stomach that was pressed against me, but she didn’t move. My head was in pain and my ears were ringing, but I didn’t cry. I didn’t cry because there was a greater danger standing over me.

The two talked in Indonesian (which I didn’t speak because I needed English for school), but I could tell that they were arguing. The one without the gun exclaimed:

“Berhanti jangan membunuhnya, dia hanya seorang gadis kecil. Membawanya ke kamp.” At this point, one soldier picked me up; the other scooped up my still unconscious mother, and carried us.

They carried us for a while, until we reached a group of people. Civilians. There was a ring around these people for soldiers with guns. I and my mother were thrown into the middle of the circle.

My mother now re-awoke, and immediately told me:

“It’s ok, Bambisha, no need to cry. Everything will be alright.”

My mother looked at me and I instantly believed her, even throughout what happened next.

Then, with no warning, the soldiers grabbed ten people, civilians, and killed them.

Ruthlessly, they killed ten more and ten more, until I felt my shoulder get grabbed.

I was dragged to outside the circle and lined up with my mother.

I looked along the line at my mother, who seemed calm.

She looked at me and said:

“No, Bambisha, do not cry. We must not be afraid of these men. They want us to be scared, but we will not let them. Do you understand?” I nodded.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and I stopped.

There was no pain, but I stopped existing. In my last moments, I saw my mother smiling. I understand why she was happy now. I know why.

Because we are at peace now, and we can see Dada. [the end]

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Art Sixth Form Art Trip to the National Gallery TWGSB art and Photography trips never cease to inspire, and the November sixth form trip to London’s National gallery did not disappoint. We visited the newly installed exhibition – Seduced by Art, the national gallery’s first major photography exhibition, along with Richard Hamilton’s The Late Works. Both were intriguing and useful, as they were relevant to what we were studying at the time. The Seduced by Art gallery showcased various portraits and paintings, and we found these to be engaging and insightful. But not only was it interesting, it was helpful in broadening our understanding of the ways in which artists compose their portrait pieces.

Overall, we had a very successful trip, and what we took away from the visit allowed us to develop on our studies. Plus there was pizza….

Max Benham, 12G and Charlie Coombs, 12B

British Museum Trip We got to he museum at about 9O’clock! From that point on it was just a whole load of historical awesome! We saw everything from mummies to ancient scriptures to curved scythe weapons! But that was only the start!

Trip to National Portrait Gallery, July 2013

KS3 Artwork

After we walked around the museum as a group seeing what we wanted, we were taken to meet a worker at the museum. In real depth she showed us how tightly linked life, religion and art are. She explained that the original art was nothing more than an oversized comic strip telling caveman everyday life! She also said how art can be shown in different ways. For instance one was shown through a tower, or totem pole. This showed the order in which life happened! The other was a huge statue showing how powerful a ruler was!

All of this was all really cool and I really wish I could go again!

Oliver Summers, 8M Josh Prescott, 7B

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Adam G, 7

Matthew Burleton, 8M

Luke Davies, 8M

Nathaniel Garwood, 9K

Connor Flashman-Wells, 9O James Jackson, 9K

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Years 10 and 11 Art

Toby Bennett, 11O

Oskar Hayward, 10B

Doug Wilson, 10C

Cameron Turriff, 10F

Nathan Davies, 11E

Ben Bovington-Key, 11E

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Sixth Form Art

Adam Rolls, 13F

Emma Keywood, 13G

Will Turner, 12B

James Bearman, 13D

Liam Bedford, 12I

Margot Parker, 13G

Max Benham, 12G

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Drama On the 28th March 2013, Year 10 GCSE group and some Year 9 students went to see a production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, based on the book by Mark Haddon, at the Apollo Theatre.

Here are extracts of their reviews:

The play was set in modern times and involved fairly modern themes such as murder, with the death of Wellington the dog and adultery, with Christopher’s parents’ marriage. This made the play quite dark. The play used the Brechtian style of breaking the fourth wall to the audience and at times was a play within a play. This became especially apparent in the second half, when Christopher was confronted by a police office Before the officer spoke, Christopher said “you are too o to be policeman” this caused confusion and surprise wi the audience because this had not happened in the firs half, however it was a comical moment. The police offic went off and a younger looking officer came on. This reminded the audience that they were watching a play It also allowed the audience to see into the mind of Christopher and someone with autism; and showed how they don’t like change.

William Welford, 10B

The costumes were all fairly basic, they were all realistic and modern style clothes and in most cases represented what the person was, for example the policeman was wearing a policeman uniform, the dad was wearing a green top and cargo trousers which showed he was a gardener, and the business men and women in London were wearing suits. As well as being fairly simplistic, there weren’t many costume changes, however a common factor amongst all the clothes (apart from the suits) was that they were all brightly coloured. I don’t think this had a huge impact although it could be perceived as further showing it from Christopher’s point of view – as his senses are more heightened than ours.

James Weatherley-Buss, 10A

Overall I enjoyed this play, the way it was presented using lights and sound in a way I hadn’t seen before. I connected to the message well, seeing the world through an autistic person’s eyes and how Christopher came to understand things more and gain some freedom. However the end is negative, as he asks Siobhan “ Does that mean I can do anything?” three times and before we hear a reply, there is a black out, which would imply he is still very dependant.

Jack Sporle, 10E

er. old ith st cer

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When we first entered the Apollo Theatre there were equations written on the walls as we walked up the stairs – this immediately left me wondering why they were there. Upon taking my seat I was further intrigued, this was due to the fairly empty set, which was mainly based upon mathematics, which became obvious as the play proceeded. A glowing grid was on set with the word “NOW” written in the centre, this indicated that the action we were about to see would take place in the present. White boxes labelled with prime numbers bordered the stage, and on some of these boxes were household objects, like a biscuit tin, a kitchen glove, a football and some pants, but the thing that started us talking was the white cloths on the seats that were prime numbers – it seemed prime numbers were an important idea of the play. At first I wondered why, but already knowning that the main character of the play is autistic I The made the link that he thinks mathematically, however if Curious Incident you didn’t know the story I think that this would be of the Dog in the Night-time something you only notice after the play or some is currently shown at the Apollo way through it. theatre and performed by The National William Welford, 10B Theatre. It is the adaptation of the book of the same title, and was adapted for stage

by Stephen Stevens and directed by Marianne Elliott. I went to see it on the 28th March 2013 and was pleasantly surprised by this take on the famous modern novel, it features the main character of Christopher (currently played by Luke Tredaway) who has Autism. The play The concentrates on his growing independence lighting effects and the discovery that his mother did not combined with sounds were die as he was originally told but in fact used to create the setting of the ran off with another man. scenes. This effect is used to its full potential Dan Holden, 10E just after Christopher has gone down the escalator into the tube station. The floor at the front of the stage dropped down to reveal a large hole. Smoke billowed out and lights flashed showing the passing of a train. The sounds of the train and announcements helped to show this setting. The name of the station was projected on to the back wall, which slowly began to move forwards, pushing Christopher towards the track. The effect of all this provided a detailed image of the setting, with all the gaps left to the audience’s imagination to fill in. The moving of the back wall towards the front of the stage showed Christopher’s fear of the track with his confusion in the crowd pushing him towards it. It gave the audience a feeling of sympathy for Christopher as well as concern for his safety. This also created a lot of tension.

Harry Pearson, 10B

LED lighting and a projector were also used to create Christopher’s imagination. In the scene where he is dreaming of being an astronaut, stars are projected across the stage, and Christopher is lifted up into the air by other actors, giving the effect of him floating around the stage, and this simplistic display of a childhood fantasy again reminds us that Christopher is quite immature for his age.

Callum King, 10A

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Geography Year 7: Romshed Farm Our form, 7F, piled into two mini buses and set off on the short trip to Romshed Farm, Underriver near Sevenoaks. The term 6 field trip meant we worked outdoors all day, hence it was a non school uniform day, and I was pleased it was dry and sunny.

We explored the organic farm with Andy, the farm manager, who led my group and indicated things of interest. In the morning he showed us his animals. The rare Saddleback Pigs and rather large piglets were a hit with me as I found their massive ears quite comical. Lambs were now sheep and drifted in mobs at the far side of their fields whilst the ducks and chickens also flocked freely in their fields. After a picnic lunch on benches in front of the farm house, we discovered the wildflower meadows with their huge headed daisies and protein providing clover carpets. The long grassland, cereals and crops were all either food or winter bedding for the animals. Their cover provided a harvest, home and hide-a-way for insects, mini beasts and small

Year 7: Lewes A Modern Medieval Adventure; or Year 7’s Geography Trip to Lewes Did you know that the majestic castle overlooking the East Sussex town of Lewes was built by William the Conqueror? No, me neither until I went on the Year 7 Geography Trip on 12 June, with the aim of studying land patterns and the development of this beautiful town.

We learnt that Lewes was originally a small, medieval settlement based around the river Ouse and its fertile plains. We discovered just how important the Ouse was in helping the town grow and develop through trade.

On the ground each Year 7 group completed a ‘Land Use Survey’ to uncover what type of town Lewes is today. We then carried out an ‘Environmental Quality Survey‘ to measure various

mammals too, though not all the time; the most memorable aspect for me was watching Skylarks that Andy had pointed out hover at a medium height, before swooping down on their prey!

Thank you to Andy and Fidelity for their hospitality and to Mrs Adkin and Mrs Fedrick for organising the trip.

Edward Smith-Dunlop, 7F and Nick Hood, 7F aspects including; upkeep of buildings, traffic levels, greenery and noise levels. Each group had a specific area to examine. At 11 o’clock we did a Pedestrian and Traffic Count from the main bridge.

Later, on our Town Walk, led by Mrs Thomson, we were introduced to the principal places of interest in Lewes. My personal highlights were The Crown Court and the Castle; due to their very striking yet totally different styles of architecture. After that an exercise delineating the Central Business District showed us where business premises end and residential dwellings begin, and we considered how this had come about.

Despite a very wet lunch time and variable weather throughout the day, we all gained a deeper insight into land patterns within Lewes and how the town had grown, and continues to develop. Taking part in this practical field trip certainly helped bring Geography alive.

Samuel Platt, 7F

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Year 10: Geography Fieldwork Trip to the South Bank, London On Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd May, as part of the GCSE course all students in year 10 had to complete a local investigation based on fieldwork which is worth 25% of our GCSE. The title allocated by the exam board this year required us to study the impacts of tourism within a locality, the South Bank, and the trip provided essential input into this inquiry. One of the investigations we carried out was a price commodity survey where we would pick a product and ask, for instance, every other café, restaurant, newsagent etc. how much they charge for the product. The Geography teachers split the South Bank up into six zones.

In Zone 1 there was City Hall and some pupils managed to spot Boris Johnson. We wondered why he had a police escort but later realised that it was because it was the morning after the murder of Lee Rigby, a soldier, in Woolwich. Many of the investigations required us to go and ask pedestrians questions but it didn’t help that it was the day before the Champions League Final where Bayern Munich were playing Borussia Dortmund, both German teams, so most of the people on the South Bank didn’t speak English but we managed OK despite not being able to speak German!

James Gray, 10D

Year 8: Sussex Coast Beach Survey

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Sixth Form Mock United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA) MUNGA is an annual event held in Tunbridge Wells’ Town Hall. This year TWGSB represented Russia, India and Cuba, on committees discussing three issues, the Environment, the Middle East and Human Rights; three very different nations with very different backgrounds and very different outlooks on the issues under discussion.

On the 10th October, 10 Sixth formers from TWGSB attended the MUNGA introduction day. The introduction gave the delegates a taste of what was to come on the day of the real thing. We were told how to put our views across, what sort of information we needed to research about our nations and how to construct resolutions. After lunch we addressed the assembly, as we made our first attempts to amend an emergency resolution so that it favoured our national interests. It was interesting to see the views of other nations, particularly controversial ones such as Syria and North Korea. This concluded the day, but we knew the hard work was just beginning.

In the weeks between the introduction day and the actual MUNGA, all the delegates worked hard to research their nation. I know a great deal more about Cuba’s attitudes towards the environment than I ever did! After the initial addresses the delegates separated to their respective committee meetings. It was interesting to note which countries demanded more influence over others, environmentally efficient nations such as Sweden and the Netherlands had a greater influence than countries such as Brazil, notorious for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

A large number of amendments were drafted, proposed and discussed before the resolutions took on their final form. The committees retired for lunch in the Assembly Hall, where they were presented with the emergency resolution on arms control.

Once the delegates had reunited in the town Hall, amendments to the resolution were debated and a number of them were passed. The final form of the resolution however was to be rejected by a vote.

The Press released their tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, allowing delegates to notice the difference in the articles and layout of the papers.

The day was a great success and a fantastic way of both being educated and entertained at the same time. I would recommend this activity to any students studying politics at A level. It is thoroughly worth the effort that is put in by every delegate.

Chester Searle, 13G

Oxbridge Preparation My name is Kevin Burke and I entered the TWGSB Sixth form this year as an external student. In the first months of sixth form, we were asked if anyone intended to apply for Oxbridge come next October.

Those of us who indicated that we were interested attended a series of informal meetings with our head of sixth form and head of year wherein we were informed of upcoming events related to Oxbridge, to allow us the greatest possible chance when the time came to write our applications. We also met with the Current Upper Sixth members who had applied to Oxbridge and spoke with those who had applied in the field we were interested in about the whole process and their experience. This was a very useful first-hand account of what was to come.

Near the beginning of the year, those of us who were interested, attended an assembly given by the Cambridge School’s Liaisons officer, on behalf of both Oxford and Cambridge, regarding making a competitive application along with a brief insight into what it is like to study at Oxford or Cambridge.

The talk as a whole was very informative, with some key points being: neither university is interested in any extra-curricular activity, they look purely for academic prowess when selecting applicants; Oxford will look at your GCSE grades, whereas Cambridge will not; and anything you write about in your personal statement is very likely to come up in an interview (This means any book you’ve read, any course you’ve been on and any talk you’ve attended that you mention in your Personal statement will most likely be brought up in you interview and you will be asked questions about it).

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The school organised a visit to Queens College, Cambridge. We were given a tour of the College by some of the Second Year students, who spoke to us about accommodation, food and general student life at Cambridge. We then went to another brief talk from the Liaisons Officer; this time more based around questions and required grades. Following that, we ate lunch in the cafeteria (which was surprisingly good) and were let loose into the town surrounding the college. This part was especially useful as one of the main considerations when applying for a University has to be the area you want to live in. This allowed us to get a feel for the kind of atmosphere we would be surrounded by, were we to attend this college at least.

Most recently, we attended a conference at Epsom racecourse consisting of a series of lectures in multiple halls. We were given a timetable detailing which lectures were happening where and when and left to our own devices. These lectures were given by representatives of Oxford and Cambridge. The topics varied from “making a competitive application” to “Physics at Oxford”. These lectures were extremely useful, with the subject specific ones also being very interesting to listen to. The style in which they were given was different from one to another: the Physics talk I attended was mostly about the course and what you would be doing whereas the Maths one was more about Mathematics as a subject. This was an excellent trip, the amount of information I learned about Oxbridge and the courses I am interested in was fantastic.

At TWGSB, our teachers are always pushing us to achieve the best results that we can and the level of support we are given is unparalleled.

However, in the end, there is only so much they can do. To achieve the top grades we, as students, need to work independently. This means studying consistently, throughout the year, and reading around the subjects we intend to take on to university.

Kevin Burke, 12A

Oxbridge Day at Benenden With a deeply committed tradition of nurturing ambition, the TWGSB sixth form’s Oxbridge

programme provides a network of support for those hoping to take the leap into the UK’s two leading universities.

The eleven students in year 13 who were aiming for successful applications to Cambridge and Oxford recently attended a workshop-style preparatory event at Benenden School, at which they were joined by Oxbridge applicants from other local schools.

The event included training for the interview process from experts on teaching self-presentation and mastering the skill of confident composition when under pressure, along with a carousel of mock interviews, which allowed the students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the often daunting challenge of such direct and crucial consultation: a certain upper hand over many of their state school competitors.

The six hour long agenda also featured subject specific tutorials, to offer students a sample of the unusual approach to education that these universities take – the tutorial system. Intensive small group discussions on archetypal themes, not only pertinently complimented the students’ current A Level studies, but also demonstrated to them the dynamics and ambience of these approaches, whilst preparing them for the transition from the education at a grammar school, to that of the most competitive educational institutions in the world.

The students also benefitted from meeting other applicants for their chosen courses, and many exchanged advice and support. The day closed with tutor guided project work, designed to improve the students’ presentation skills, knowledge of current affairs within their field of study, research skills, and sense of individualist contribution and flair.

Enticed by an enriching heritage, academic excellence, renowned career prospects, and supported by the Benenden event and others like it within the scheme, the Oxbridge programme at TWGSB provides an ever-broadening proportion of the sixth form here with the aid and encouragement they require to clinch their potential to succeed at such an ambitious level.

Oliver Bream McIntosh, 13E

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Music The Autumn 2012 Tuscany Music Tour We left the school (after loading all our equipment on to the coach) and started our approximately 24 hour journey to Italy at about 4:05. After about 2 hours of driving, we arrived at the Dover-Calais channel crossing (we took the ferry into France). After the 2 hour crossing we drove through the night, with a few stops at service stations along the way.

20 hours of coach-driving (and a short trivia quiz) later, we arrived at the Hotel Nuovo Savi; our accommodation for the week. We were given the keys to our rooms and came down to the dining area that was located in the hotel about half an hour later.

After going to bed, waking up the next day and having breakfast we all got on to the coach again to set off to an Italian secondary school, our first concert venue. They seemed to like us at the school, as they kept asking for encores. Afterwards (fighting through the pouring rain) we went to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and took shelter in a McDonald’s.

The next day we played our second concert at a church, and we were flooded with people that wanted to see us perform. We had our first (of three) pizza at a restaurant right next to the church.

Afterwards we went to Siena where the sun briefly came out.

The next day we went to the city of Florence and visited San Lorenzo street market in the morning, and then half of us went to a cathedral and a renaissance art gallery, whereas the other half went to the Edison cafe and bookshop (to shelter from the rain) Afterwards we performed our third and final gig at an old people’s home, who liked us very much and gave us food and drink afterwards. In the evening we dressed up as famous musicians and went bowling.

On the last day, the sun finally came out! We took a cable car up to ‘Montecatini Alto’ and looked around and saw a church in which no-one was allowed to

speak. Later we went to a local park and played football/rugby, had our final pizza in a restaurant and started our journey home. We got home at about 1:00 the following day.

Overall, it was a really good trip. We looked at Italian lifestyles and culture, and also found out what sort of music they like. All of the teachers on the trip were good fun as well and really helped make the trip enjoyable for the students.

James Weatherley-Buss, 10A

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Physical Education Year 7 Tennis This year we have had a great tennis season at TWGSB in Year 7. The first match in the Year 8 Kent boys division 2 was played away against Bennett and we won convincingly with a team made up of Ben Sherwen and Matt Hooper, with Euan Pincott partnering Rory Benham (all from Year 7). We didn’t even drop a set, with the final score being 12-0!

The following fixture was played at home against Hayesbrook on the same night that another team left to play against Homewood. Unfortunately rain stopped play for the Homewood match but TWGSB still managed to play with another convincing win, 10-2.

Our final match was very close with some individual victories but an overall team loss of 4-8. However our team had done enough to be placed first in the league table gaining us a place at the Kent League division finals in Canterbury, but unfortunately this clashed with our trip to Paris!!! Better luck next year….

TWGSB was also able to enter three Year 7 pairs into the Kent schools doubles for the one day event at Bromley Tennis Centre. The pairs were Ben Sherwen and Rory Benham, Euan Pincott and Oscar Roche-Whitechurch, Louis Persson Davis and Elliott Slough; lots of matches were played with Ben and Rory being the only pair going through to the main knockout stages having come joint first box winners.

All the boys had a fun day.

Ben Sherwen, 7B

Year 7 Football The Year 7 Football team took part in the Danone National Cup competition which begun in September last year.

656 schools entered this competition from all over the country and there was to be 10 rounds until the final.

Glad to say we had a bye through to round 2 where we got off to a shining start beating Greenacre Academy 5-0 away. Now into round 3 and raring to go! We played Simon Langton

School away and beat them 9-3. We realised that we had a great team and stood a good chance on this competition. Round 4 was played at home against Glyn School from Surrey and we beat them 5-1.

Now into Round 5 we were in the last 64 schools out of 656. We played Hove Park School away and beat them 4-2. It was now January 2013 and in between the bad weather, we managed to play Round 6 against Combe Boys School from Kingston away and after a tight game we won 3-2. We were now in Round 7 and there were only 16 schools left in the competition. We were to play at home against Emerson Park Academy Hornchurch, Essex.

Unfortunately this was to be our last game. We were drawing 2-2 at half time but we lost 4-2. It was such a shame as we had injuries in the defence and with two quick goals from Emerson, we just couldn’t pull it back. Emerson made it to the final and were beaten

by Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School, Sports College, from Liverpool.

Goals scorers in the competition were: Jack Alborough (7B) 1, Luca Nwanosike (7A) 3, Louis Collins (7A) 12, Oscar Roche-whitechurch (7B) 2, Oscar Jowitt (7C) 3, Henry Jones (7G) 1, Ewen Jeffrey (7A) 2 and Harry Forster (7B) 3.

We were extremely proud to get so far in this competition and look forward to competing together again in Year 8.

Louis Collins, 7A

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Year 7 Cricket Cricket in year 7 this season has been a great success. There has been lots of competition for places in the A team which meant that even training was to a very high standard. This has really paid off as we did not loose a game this season.

One of the team’s main strengths was the flexibility of both the batting and bowling attack. Everybody in the team could comfortably bat or bowl. This flexibility was a great asset and one of the reasons we had great success.

We had some very comfortable victories this year but also some we really had to fight for. We had a close shave in the Kent cup when we won the game by only 1 run! At the other end of the scale we did manage to win 2 games by more than 100 runs. These scores showed the real strength of our team.

Great individual bowling performances: Charlie Corrigan, Leon Washington, Patrick Langford Great individual batting performances: Sam Rowley, Will Amos, Henry Jones, Oscar Jowitt Overall the season has been really, really good. We got very unlucky in the Kent cup as we had to forfeit but we will certainly try to compete next year. It has been a great pleasure representing my school this year.

Fraser Abbott, 7A

Year 8 Football The U13 football squad were an enthusiastic and hardworking bunch of boys who were determined to improve on last season’s performance. On occasions the team produced some excellent attacking and free flowing football which we lacked the year before and allowed us to achieve some pleasing results against local schools. However in cup competitions, ability to score goals seemed to desert us, and after the long journey to the Isle of Sheppey, we returned defeated from a Kent Cup match we should have won. Unfortunately we were drawn away against Whitgift School in Croydon in the National Cup competition and they demolished us in spectacular style! They even had a groundsman to repair the pitch at half time and a team photographer!

In Year 9 I am sure the team will become more consistent and will score goals when it counts. Many

thanks to Mr Downing and all the other P.E. staff who helped and coached us throughout the season.

Jamie Bingham, 8K

Year 9 Football After a successful season the year before, team morale was high. The team was playing well during training sessions. As usual we were entered into both the Kent and the National tournaments, both of which we had done very well in, during the previous years.

The Kent U14 Wilf Armoury Trophy was first up in early September. With 90 entries we had a fairly high chance of succeeding. In the first round we were drawn with Homewood. With rain clouds approaching, the game got underway quickly.

However, we didn’t seem to be able to get into the swing of things. Dodgy first touches and poor passes

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saw us 3-0 down by the interval. We were rallied

by Mr Menzies at half time and we went out in the second half all guns blazing. Although we conceded an early goal in the second half, getting the game back to 4-3 we felt we had a chance. But lapses in concentration resulted in 3 goals by Homewood.

They were an excellent side but it was a shame that we couldn’t bring out an early tournament result.

A few weeks later we headed off to our first game of the U14 Premier League Schools Cup, also known as the National. Following our successful run in the same tournament last year, the team were confident for another good run of form and results. From 736 entries, it was going to be tough to go all the way. As with the Kent cup, we were given a tough opponent, Kemnal Technology College, who had several county and professional academy players but it was a home game for us. After a very tough and physical first half, we came in at the interval leading 2-1. The second half saw many of our class mates come out to support. However, as before we failed to keep our concentration throughout the second half and Kemnal scored a further 3 times (all of which were very good goals!) and duly beat us 4-2. Despite an overall great team performance we were unable to turn them over.

As Christmas edged closer, September seemed a long time ago and except for the odd friendly here and there, we weren’t able to get together as a team in any another tournament. But Mr Menzies had another trick up his sleeve, as he had entered into a local Futsal tournament at Sevenoaks School.

We were up against the likes of Hayesbrook, St Gregs and Bennett. Thanks to great team play and determination, we were able to win in the final, beating Hayesbrook. This triumphant performance took us to Gillingham for the next rounds of the cup.

The previous games were District based but now we were up against the best Schools in Kent. We played some excellent football but when it came down to the points, we were 1 point from being put through to the semis. It was a disappointing end to a tournament where we had played some our best football this season.

So through thick and thin, we were able to end on a high note. A big thank you to Mr Menzies and the players for their hard work this season.

Josh Smith, 9O

Year 10 Rugby TWGSB U15s had a very successful season getting to the semi-finals of the Kent cup and to the last 16 of the Daily Mail Vase which is the furthest the school has ever got.

In the Kent cup, we played various teams across the county including wins against Eltham College and Dartford, but the team were up against a strong Judd side which narrowly beat us in the end.

However our results in the Daily Mail Vase competition were a lot more impressive. Along the way, the team played some of the top sides from the South East region. Our starting game was against Oakwood Park Grammar an easy 27-5 win was the result. Our next game was a trip to Canterbury to play Kent College. This saw the team sail through to the next round with a 50-7 win, with 4 tries from Jack

Mitchell in 20 minutes. Our 3rd round game was with Gravesend which proved to be a much tougher game for the team, but with a couple of quick tries in the first half, the game was never in doubt with a 2712 victory. Next game was against Ravenswood in extremely difficult conditions. This was a much more competitive game but with a winning try from Brad Warwick-Browne, the team won 15-7. St Dunstan’s was the next round game which was an easier encounter for the team with a comprehensive 37-5 victory. The last 32 game was against East Bergholt in Ipswich, which was a day off school for the team.

Although a long journey, it didn’t affect the team’s performance with a 32-14 win.

The last 16 opposition was Emmanuel school at our first home game in the tournament. One dangerous player ran the show for them scoring a couple of tries

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Mr Price’s Golf Week During Activities Week, 17 Year 10 students participated in a week of golf at Sweetwoods Park and Villa Farm golf clubs. During the week we were given 1:1 tuition at Sweetwoods by two of the club’s professional golfers. On day 1, our swing was videoed and we were given tips on how to improve it; whether that meant changing the angle of our arms or starting from scratch with a brand new style! At lunchtime we made our way to Villa Farm where there is a middle distance 9 hole course, with alternate greens if we wished to play 18 holes.

For the next few days, the schedule remained the same; the morning at Sweetwoods, and the afternoon at Villa Farm, putting practice into action by playing 9 holes round the wonderful little course.

Over the course of the week, we warmed up for the big tournament to be played on Friday. We played simple matchplay doubles where we were sectioned into two teams and paired up to play against another pair from the opposing team. After some fine play from my team (the Celtic Warriors) we managed to overcome the threat of the opposing team (England) and come through with a comprehensive victory.

I would like to thank Mr Price for organising and running the event; I would certainly do it again as it was a week well spent.

Mr Scott’s Rock Climbing On Friday 5th July (Activities Week), 12 Year 9 and 10 Boys accompanied by Mr Scott set out to climb the dizzy heights of Harrison’s Rock (Groombridge) in a day long activity. It started off great, the sun was shining and the sky was blue (although Mr Scott did manage to stall the mini-bus as we left the school) and we arrived in Groombridge for a prompt start at 9:30.

From the outset, teamwork was going to be essential if the heights were to be climbed successfully, whether it was making sure someone didn’t fall back, or just shouting out words of encouragement. At the end of the day everyone in the group felt proud of their achievements and came home hot, tired but exhilarated at what they had achieved.

Jon Bourne, 9E

Joe Massey, 10A which the team could not respond to losing 27-12.

This was a memorable season of rugby for the boys and we thank Mr Douse for all the hard work he has put into the team this season.

Rob Lester, 10E

U15 Squad: J. Ingamells, Goldsmith, L. Ingamells, Allwood, Brushett, Gray, Abrahams, Edwards, Turiff, Warwick-Browne, Wilson, Jackson, Marden, Simmonds, Lester, Palmer, Thresher, Massey, Maslen, Mitchell, Davis, Nicholds.

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TWGSB Ski Trip February 2013 A quarter past nine on the chilled morning of Friday 15th of February saw sixty bleary eyed and expectant boys emerge about to embark upon their voyage to the Salzburger Sportwelt, Austria, with skiing and sub-zero temperatures to be the talk of the day.

After departing from Gatwick at 1:30pm direct to Munich, we continued over the Austrian border to our destination, just in time for the outstanding Austrian cuisine to refuel our travel weary selves before ski and boot fitting. A safety talk was quickly followed by: “Lights out at 10:30 lads, it’s an early start in the morning!”

We were rapidly siphoned off into three separate ability ski groups, based upon the time spent on the slopes; all would be challenged. After finding myself in a group with some choice people from Saturday through to Wednesday, we spent a rigorous and truly exhilarating five days on skis stopping for lunch (the Goulash soup was superb!)

at several beautiful chalets serving excellent food to suit all pallets. On top of the skiing, après ski activities included tubing, football, snooker and various fantastic snowball fights (although maybe not to the liking of the teachers!).

Sadly, and rather sooner than we all would have liked, Thursday 21st came around, and after a returning of kit, a goodbye and heartfelt thanks to our instructors we departed for Old Blighty. The TWGSB car park was in sight at a quarter past midnight, welcomed home by some equally bleary eyed parents... ... Frankly, the best part of the trip for me was to enjoy such a superb sport in great company and in an idyllic setting – the Alps. By far the best ski trip I’ve had yet, one we’ll all remember. Bring on Italy 2014!

Jack Glendining, 10G

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1st XI Football win the Kent U19 Cup On Thursday 9th May, TWGSB 1st XI won the Kent U19 Cup with a hard fought 2-0 win against Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School to the

delight of the many pupils, staff, parents and siblings who came along to support.

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Activities Week: July 2013

Mr Ash’s and Mr Robert’s Airfix Spitfire Building in 1:72 scale

Mrs Tull’s TWGSB Bake-Off

Boxfit

Year 10 Team-building at Bewl Water

Mrs Connell’s Bridge

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Mr Stevens’ and Mr Beard’s Model Making

Mr Goddard’s Rail Racer

Mrs Johnston’s Origami

Year 10 GCSE Science work at Wakehurst Place

Year 10 and Year 12 Engineering Development Trust Workshop

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Year 10 & 12 Madrid On the morning of Monday the 1st July we met at school at 5.30am ready to depart for Heathrow airport where we would catch our plane to Madrid. After a short flight we arrived in Madrid, where we were then transported by coach to our hotel that was located close to Atocha station. After unpacking our suitcases we visited the famous Atocha station where we had time to explore the area and to find out about the history of the station. In the afternoon we had an opportunity to relax in the afternoon sun in the Park Retiro, which is one of the largest parks in Europe. Many of the group enjoyed playing football in the park, despite the very hot conditions. In the evening we went to a local restaurant where we had a buffet style dinner and then after walking back to the hotel we went to bed as the majority of us were shattered by a day full of activities.

The next morning we had to get up at 7.30am ready for another busy day. During the morning half of us went to a language school where we could practice our Spanish and improve our speaking, whilst the other half participated in a

cooking lesson, which many really enjoyed. After a short lunch break the Year 12 students visited a local town called Fuenalbrada where we met our penpals that we had been writing to. However the Year 10 students visited the local zoo, which I believe they enjoyed. During the evening we ate at a local tapas restaurant where we all had the opportunity to try traditional Spanish cuisine.

Wednesday morning, in my opinion was one of the best days as during the morning we visited el Estadio De Santiago Bernabeau. Many of the students were impressed by the stadium size and the number of trophies that the club possessed. It was interesting learning about the history of Real Madrid FC and many students agreed that it was a fantastic experience. After a break for lunch we walked to our next activity which was a Flamenco lesson. To begin with many students were embarrassed to partake in the Flamenco dance but soon after it was clear that

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all of the students enjoyed themselves, and in fact there were some good dancers among us!

The next day was undoubtedly the best day for the majority of the students. In the morning we visited the Reina Sofia art museum where there were truly some magnificent pieces of artwork by Dali and Picasso. For lunch we went to the Plaza Mayor where we had the chance to purchase lunch and any souvenirs. In the afternoon we went to the Warner theme park in Madrid, which was clearly a student favourite. Personally I liked the Superman ride as it went really quick, but also the water rides were good as it gave us an opportunity to cool down. For the evening meal we went to the Hard Rock CafĂŠ where we had a delicious meal!

Friday morning was our last day, so we began to pack our belongings together. However we still had an opportunity to visit the Bull Ring in Madrid. It was a real chance to experience traditional Spanish culture and to visit the stadium where the bull fights take place. The exterior of the building was magnificent and built in a Moorish style. After the visit to the bull ring we began to make our way back to the airport, in time to catch our returning flight.

We would like to thank the staff who arranged the trip especially Mrs Mason, and we all agreed that it was a fantastic trip.

Harry Wager, 12G

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Year 8 Azu’Rivage

On Saturday 29th June 2013 everyone met up at the school at around 3.00pm. We were packed onto two coaches and then set off for Dover. We were all buzzing to go but also dreading the 18 hour coach journey.

At Dover we boarded the ferry. The weather was sunny, calm and we were only told off once for annoying some girls from another school mid channel. In Calais we set off down the Autoroutes of France. Every two-three hours we stopped off at a service station to get snacks, drinks and go to the toilet.

At around 9.00am we eventually arrived at AzuRivage. We were told about the programme and meal times etc. We then went on our first activity which for us was catamaran sailing. It was great fun, causing some of us to swim as much as we sailed.

The next day we did White Water Rafting and with spending time in Biarritz, this took up most of the day. When rafting we got in groups of six and had to carry our heavy raft to the water. We then spent

around two hours rafting and got wet with lots of thrills and spills. We went down one set of rapids out of the raft. We also got to jump in from a high rock overhanging the river. Between rapids the paddling was hard, but bouncing off rocks in the foaming water definitely made the effort worth it. We got back from rafting and had dinner.

There were many other fun activities such as kayaking - it was very hard to control the boats; mountain biking, which was off-road cycling; Pico and regular sailing which was exciting in high winds.

When we tried windsurfing there was almost no wind so we went SUPing (stand up paddle boarding). It was very interesting as it was wobbly when a wave came and you had to try and stay on the board. Our instructors gave us tasks to do and made waves, which added to the fun.

In the evenings and free time there was a multi-sport area that we could all play football or basketball in.

One night we had a go in the swimming pool that had a slide, but it wasn’t very fast (the pool was for the families staying in the camp site).

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One night we had a challenge and all the instructors pretended to be tough people; the challenge was to go to the lake and get a type of transport from down a creek. The creek we went down was absolutely disgusting, so afterwards we needed a swim in the lake and a shower to clean up!

We left Azu’Rivage at about 8.00pm on Friday for the long journey back! On the Ferry we had a big breakfast, which was really nice and got back to school on time.

George West, 8O and Ollie Graves, 8K

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Year 7 Paris Bonjour, je m’appelle Will et je vais vous parler de mon voyage à Paris.

Mountain. We got back and slumped to bed where we slept like logs!

Monday 1st July 2013 I got up early so that I could get to school on time only to find that our car had a puncture! Luckily I got a taxi and still arrived at school on time to catch the coach to France! After a long coach drive and train journey, we were in the centre of Paris. First we went to the Sacré-Coeur, which is a big cathedral with amazing ceilings and architecture. After that we went to the Place du Tertre. It was a small town square packed with artists. Many of my friends had their picture drawn by the artists who make you look like a cartoon. After spending a couple of hours wondering round and getting a drink, we looked at some amazing views before going to the Le Panorama for dinner. After a meal of chicken and chips, we got on the coach and drove to the hotel, by now it was 22:30 and we were very tired. We got our keys settled into our rooms and tucked up into bed but not literally as it was so hot!

Wednesday 3rd July 2013 Today we had yet another tasty breakfast at the hotel before heading out to the Palais de Versailles.

When we got there we had our lunch and then went into the main palace where we saw the Hall of Mirrors and the King and Queen’s quarters. The walls and ceilings were caked with paintings and gold with some pictures covering the whole wall.

After regrouping we went into the gardens where we all got an ice cream before continuing down towards the lake. At the far end of the garden, a Princess has had a fake village made for her and she used to live in it pretending she was a milk maid, her dream job.

Afterwards we got back on the coach before being taken to the Eiffel Tower! We went to the second floor of the Tower before looking out around at the amazing views of Paris. Next we took the 710 steps back down the Eiffel Tower which surprisingly, isn’t as bad as it sounds. By now we were starving so we went to the Monte Carlo for dinner, whilst there, we decided that we would go and look in Le Louvre the next day. We drove home to a nice comfortable bed.

Tuesday 2nd July 2013 We woke up to the smell of breakfast, a massive buffet full of all sorts of jam, bread, yogurts and cheese etc. We were all very excited as today, our first full day; we were going to Disneyland Paris.

We spent the day going up and down and up and down… We had dinner and watched the magical parade. At 22:00 we left Disney Land all stuffed with Disney merchandise and feeling dizzy from Space

Thursday 4th July 2013 We had breakfast and then drove to Le Louvre where we went underground before going above ground in the Museum which was packed with tourists. First we walked down a massive hall full of paintings big and small before heading into a particularly crowded room were the Mona Lisa was hung on the wall. After some ducking and diving, I got to the front and got some good pictures and it actually turns out to be a lot smaller than you are expecting, before trying to work my way out of the room again. We then went and saw the Venus de Milo, the statue with no arms. We then went underground again to see the original walls of Paris.

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When we got out of Le Louvre, we walked along the river Seine to visit the Notre Dame where we saw some amazing scenes and there were many candles which made it look beautiful. Afterwards we walked back to the coach which took us to the Bateaux Mouches, a boat trip, up the Seine where we saw some of Paris’ most famous sites. We then finished up and went to a pizza restaurant for dinner were we had pasta… We then headed back to the hotel all very tired from the week we had had.

Friday 5th July Today we got up early and checked out of the hotel, before heading to Cité Europe where we had lunch at Flunch and then went shopping. After an hour of spending some of our money, we sadly made our way back to the coach as we knew it was the end of the trip. We headed back to the Euro Tunnel and caught the earlier train back to England where we drove back to TWGSB. What a wonderful trip we all had and amazing memories we will treasure for the rest of our lives…

Au Revoir Will Shoosmith, 7D

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Sports Day July 2013

Eclectics Cover Competition

Winner: Connor Mullin 9F

Second place: Oliver Brett 9K

Third place: Tom Briggs: 7C

thegrammarschool@twgsboys.kent.sch.uk www.twgsb.org.uk