Pipers Post Winter 2013

termly news | issue 17 | autumn 2013

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Pipers Corner School, Great Kingshill, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 6LP telephone +44 (0) 1494 718 255 | email theschool@piperscorner.co.uk | visit www.piperscorner.co.uk

Message from the Headmistress It has been a busy and exciting Autumn Term at Pipers Corner. Over 90 new girls joined us in September and I am pleased to report that they all settled in well and began to make their own unique contributions as members of our school community.

The power of individuals and the difference that they can make to others’ lives is not something that should be underestimated. To be an inspiration and set an example is a great responsibility and yet, increasingly, we see these terms used in everyday life as our young people are encouraged to look to celebrities as their role models in life.

Here at Pipers Corner we encourage the girls to look beyond world of the “celebrity” in their search for inspiration. We encourage them to see that everyone has a contribution to make, big or small, and that they themselves should seek to be leaders through their own behaviour and achievements.

This term we celebrated the life and work of our Founder, Jessie Cross (see page 2), a shining example of what can be achieved with dedication and determination. We were also delighted to welcome one of our old girls back to Pipers to talk to the Sixth Form girls about her hugely successful career (see page 4).

Founder’s Day

Countdown to Christmas In smaller ways our own girls too have provided inspiration to their peers including a demonstration of the power of endurance in a sporting event (see page 7), how the results of hard work in preparing for a dramatic performance can really pay off (see page 5) and how the lives of others can be improved by fundraising activities to support a range of charities (see page 3).

I look forward to the start of the New Year and all the many new inspirational experiences that we will all share together in 2014.

The festive season began in earnest at Pipers Corner this year with the Annual Prep Christmas Concert, closely followed a week later with the Pre-Prep Nativity.

Acting Deputy Head (Pastoral), Mrs Cresswell, said The whole school came together to celebrate Founder’s Day on Friday 20 September. The idea behind the annual event is to celebrate the life and work of the school’s founder, Jessie Cross.

Each year a different decade is chosen for the celebrations and this year marked the 1950s. From Pre-Prep to Upper Sixth, girls and staff came to school in the fashion of the era and were given the opportunity to experience what lessons were like in the Fifties. They also learnt about the history of Pipers Corner and what Jessie Cross set out to achieve.

The day began with a Founder’s Day Service with hymns and readings reflecting the period.

The service culminated with the cutting of a cake by the most senior and junior members of the school.

“Founder’s Day this year was a great success. The girls showed infectious enthusiasm for the various activities on offer and I am especially proud of all the girls who participated in the hand jive. The day provided everyone with a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the school’s heritage and also have some fun!”

Headmistress for the day

There was a change of personnel on Monday 7 October when Year 5 pupil Gina M took on the role of Headmistress for the Day. The opportunity came about as part of an auction lot from this year’s Parents’ Association summer ball.

Taking on the responsibilities of Mrs Ness-Gifford, Gina had a tour round the school with the Bursar, observed lessons in Art and English and had a meeting with the school’s Marketing Department.

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To achieve the Bronze Award, we had to provide evidence of a range of sustainable travel initiatives and road safety training activities. Our girls have many assemblies about travel and road safety throughout their time at school. They have opportunities to take part in role playing exercises, enjoy demonstrations from companies such as GIST and attend events for learners and drivers on

Next up was the Pre-Prep Department with their nativity performance of “Shine, Star, Shine”. This was a captivating story of how the Star of Bethlehem was unable to shine in time for the birth of the new King. Luckily in the end the star was able shine down on

Fantastic fundraising During the day the teachers brought the Fifties theme into their lessons to give the girls a flavour of what it would have been like to have been at school in that period.

To add to the celebrations, a charity hand jive took place in the Landau Hall to raise money for Oxjam, an initiative from Oxfam that aims to raise money to fight poverty and suffering around the world. The girls managed to raise £100.55 for the charity.

School Travel Awards We are very pleased to announce that Pipers Corner School was awarded a Bronze Award at the Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for School Awards on Wednesday 13 November and is the first Independent School to achieve this recognition in travel planning and road safety.

For the Prep Christmas Concert the entire Department took to the stage to take the audience on a trip around the world showing how different countries celebrate Christmas.

Starting in Hawaii, Year 3 performed a hula dance and shared interesting facts about the state. Year 4 were in Australia singing “Roo Roo the Red Nose Kanga” and Year 5 told the story of Silent Night and sang the carol in German. Year 6 then performed a song

all about the real meaning of Christmas.

The evening came to an end with some traditional Christmas songs. There was also a special rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” which included participation from unsuspecting members of the parent body, along with the Head and Deputy Head of Prep, Mrs Doran and Mr Leith.

driving safely. The many school bus routes are also an indication of how the school creates a “green” way of travelling. We believe this is a fantastic way of equipping our pupils with the skills they need to be safe pedestrians and road users now and in the future.

There has been some fantastic fundraising this term from all years at Pipers Corner. So far the School has raised nearly £4000 for a number of different charities.

In September the PPTA organised the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning alongside many other schools and organisations across the country in support of Macmillan Cancer Care. This was supported by a cake sale from Year 8 and together they managed to raise £620.

Bethlehem and guide the way for the Wise Men and shepherds to see the new baby Jesus. The story was told through drama, dance and singing. The colourful costumes, including fairy lights for the star, really helped bring this entertaining take on the traditional story of Christmas come to life.

Dancing with the stars

Year 6 pupil, Grace-Mary F, beat 250 young hopefuls for the opportunity to perform alongside professional ballet dancers in an adaptation of Swan Lake at the New Theatre in Oxford.

Alongside nine other girls from the local area, Grace-Mary performed in three performances with the English Youth Ballet. Not only was she able to dance with exceptional dancers, she also gained experience of what it is like to be a dancer in a professional production. Before the start of the production the girls underwent a 10 day intensive rehearsal process at The Oxford Academy.

Year 11 held a week of fundraising activities in October which included a giant game of “Pass the Parcel”. They raised an amazing £1600 which was split between Cancer Research and Street Kids UK. Well done to Year 9 girls Ellie G, Molly M, Orla M and Georgia S who raised an impressive £1512 for the Year group charity initiatives through bag packing at Waitrose – a fantastic achievement.

House fundraising events are also common place throughout the School year and this term was no exception with the girls coming up with imaginative ways to raise money. Milton House held a Haunted Hall event with “Sponge the Sixth Former” and Hampden House held a cake sale. Together they raised £473 for St. Marks School in Uganda.

Towards the end of term there was fundraising for Children in Need, raising over £1000 with a cake sale, mufti day and staff sponsorship of Mrs Gledhill who came to school in slightly different clothes to normal!

At the time of going to press the collection from the school carol services is still being counted but the money will be going to the Typhoon Haiyan Children’s Relief Fund.

Exploring the past

Earlier this year, Year 11 pupil Kirsty J, began filming for a BBC Learning television series about life in post war Britain.

The series entitled “Exploring the Past: Post War Britain” and is now available to watch on the BBC iPlayer. The focus of the film, is about how the NHS had helped Kirsty’s Grandma when she contracted TB in 1951 (three years after the NHS was established). Kirsty also learnt about other areas of the NHS during the 1950s, such as dentistry, optometry and the training of medical staff. Kirsty recorded the film with the BBC over two days. On day one, in the morning they filmed Kirsty talking with her Grandma about her story and in the afternoon she interviewed three ex-nurses who were training/practising when the NHS was founded.

On day two Kirsty went to the national dental museum and interviewed the curator.

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News from Boarding

Build on books An exciting transformation has begun in the Senior Library this term. In November Mrs Rees (Head of Research-based Learning) took on the momentous task of evaluating the Library stock in order to ensure that it is meeting the needs of our girls. Some of the old stock has been sold to students and staff, with the money going towards new books for the Departments and a new e-reader.

The remainder of the books have been boxed up and donated to a fantastic local charity, Build on Books. This charity is based in Marlow and mainly relies on volunteers to donate books to be sent out to schools in West Africa, where schools were damaged during times of conflict and many books and resources disappeared. Build on Books have donated more than a third of a million books in the last three years and these books have been distributed to more than 150 schools throughout the country and into the hands of very grateful students who want to learn.

With the help of students, staff and parents we have managed to donate over 500 books to the charity and these books will be making their way to Uganda to support the charity Kids of Africa.

Mrs Rees said “This activity is all part of a project of positive re-investment into the Library at Pipers Corner and an effort to develop a more active learning space and educational facility that can be enjoyed and utilised by all; further enriching both teaching and learning within the school.”

Prepare for launch In September, the girls in Year 8 enjoyed an independent learning day, which had the theme of “Space”. The day was designed to encourage girls to work on those skills associated with independent learning; time management and organisation, leadership skills, presentation skills and working out for themselves the best way to solve problems.

The girls were split into groups and were given different tasks to complete. Teachers were on hand throughout the day to answer any questions but the girls had to go away and work with their teams to complete their assignments and learn how to work independently.

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Tasks included making rockets, creating space outfits, producing dances or performances to help remember information, creating news reports, designing board games and much more. One focus of the day was a consideration of presentation skills and time management – something that proved invaluable towards the end of the day when some girls made presentations about what they found out during their tasks.

English Teacher, Ms Bell, said “My favourite part of the day was listening to groups of students solving their own problems without seeking assistance from a teacher, using really amazing strategies to take responsibility for their own learning, which was what the day was all about. Year 8 were incredibly focused and produced work of real quality in an incredibly short amount of time. And even though it was a one day project, all these skills are followed up every day in school.”

Inspirational women

The Travellers For three evenings in late November the Landau Hall was ablaze with colour, music and storytelling as the Senior School performed their production of “The Travellers”.

Highlights from the term include: • Junior Boarders trip to Chessington World of Adventures • Sightseeing trip to London • Trip to Aqua Splash and Ice Skating • Shopping and sightseeing in Stratford-upon-Avon • Trip to see “Cinderella” at The Wycombe Swan Theatre

Former Pipers Corner pupil Lorna Drew came to speak to the Sixth Form in October as part of the Sixth Form “Inspirational Women” Lecture Series.

Lorna is a hugely successful entrepreneur in maternity and pregnancy lingerie design and, despite her former educational challenges as a sufferer of dyslexia, her wise words reminded the girls to never give up. Whatever their interests or passions Lorna encouraged the girls to seize them and work hard to make the best out of every opportunity.

Lorna did not have a particular goal as she began her fashion degree at university; she simply knew she wanted to study for a subject she enjoyed. Whilst at university Lorna took the initiative and entered university competitions to gain experience and increase her portfolio until she was winning the interests of established names, such as Ann Summers. With this she was able to successfully go straight into work after leaving university. One job led to another and eventually she came to discover a gap in the market, supportively adaptive yet bespoke maternity lingerie. Some of Lorna’s most fashionable customers include The Duchess of Cambridge, Margarita Missoni, Jessica Simpson, and Fearne Cotton. As well as selling to stockists including Figleaves, Harrods, and Fenwick she also sells worldwide.

Rising star

Congratulations to Harley Bird in Year 9 on her nomination for a British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Most Promising Newcomer of 2013. She was nominated for the award based on her performance in the recently released film “How I Live Now” starring Saoirse Ronan. This is Harley’s second Award nomination, following her previous achievement of becoming the youngest person to win a BAFTA for her work as the voice of Peppa in the children’s animated series “Peppa Pig” in 2011.

Halloween

Rule Britannia On Saturday 7 September the Senior Boarders went to Hyde Park to attend the Last Night of the Proms 2013. The girls went prepared with a picnic and managed to get themselves a great spot near the centre of the stage. They were not too far away from the action so they were able to enjoy the evening festivities, which included music from the cast of “Let it Be” and Bryan Ferry.

The evening culminated in the traditional Last Night of the Proms music of “Jerusalem” and “Land of Hope and Glory”.

The play took the form of a gypsy festival where three different families told the stories of tales by the Brothers Grimm. The journey began with the “The Magic Table”, followed by “Hansel and Gretel”, before ending with “Snow White”.

This year’s production was destined to be different, it gave the cast the opportunity to experiment with their acting and not always be restricted by the script. The cast worked together in their “families” playing multiple roles and objects, including tables, musical instruments and donkeys. It was a very inclusive performance by the cast engaging with the audience at various times and with the stage being in “the round” meant the cast were always aware of the audience around them and were fully engaged in the performance at all times.

This was our Head of Performing Arts, Miss Andrew’s, final production as Director before she retires at the end of the academic year

Abseiling for World Challenge

In September Hannah W (Lower Sixth) was one of 65 challengers who took part in the Blade abseil, which is abseiling down the tallest building in Reading. Hannah signed herself up to raise money for her World Challenge Expedition, which will see her and a group of other Sixth Formers from Pipers travel to Uganda for three weeks in the summer. Hannah said “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but in the end I really loved the experience and have no fear of heights. I raised about £300 in sponsorships to abseil down the Blade, which has 14 floors.”

School trips This term the girls have made the most of the opportunity to participate in a wide range of trips including: • • • • • • • •

and she said, “I am very proud of this year’s production, not just because it is my last but because the girls were very enthusiastic about the concept of the play and their roles within it. It was a joy to direct and see how they progressed with the dialogue and commitment that this production wanted from them.”

Time for tea

On the last Friday before half-term girls in Year 2 welcomed their grandparents for tea. The girls had been planning the event for weeks from designing the invitations, making cakes and decorating the Pre-Prep Department.

The girls were excited to find out more about what their grandparents’ lives were like when they were younger and being able to compare them to what their lives are like today.

They discovered what their grandparents’ households were like, what they watched on television and if they had a television at all. They also got to see how their grandparents paid for things with a selection of old coins.

Sixth Form Biology trip to Amersham Field Centre Year 11 and Sixth Form Physics trip to The Institute of Physics in London Lower Sixth Geography trip to Snowdonia National Park Prep Department trips to Sulgrave Manor in Oxfordshire and Reading Museum GCSE Drama trip to see “War Horse” at the New London Theatre Year 12 English trip to Bronte Country, Haworth, West Yorkshire Textiles trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, London Year 7 English trip to see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Wycombe Swan Theatre

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Works of art Since 1989, the Royal Academy of Arts Outreach Programme has travelled across the UK, giving day long creative drawing workshops to schools. Our Sixth Form Art students were delighted to welcome them to Pipers Corner in October.

With a life model at the centre of the day’s activities, the programme provided the girls with a unique opportunity to explore a wide

News from Cornerstones All former girls of Pipers Corner are members of the Alumnae Association, Cornerstones. As a member of Cornerstones girls are part of a worldwide community of women who spent their school years at Pipers Corner. This is a lifelong membership and together they form a network that supports both the school and each other. Currently there are nearly 2000 members – a number which is growing every year.

variety of approaches to drawing as a vehicle for developing their own creativity.

In the Art Studio, the girls set to work with charcoal and large pieces of paper and produced some impressive pieces of work using the model as inspiration. Through the workshop the Sixth Formers were encouraged to explore the creative process and behaviours of a professional artist.

The Reunion 2013 Saturday 7 September saw a return to school for many of our former pupils. The day was a success and many former girls came with their families to enjoy afternoon tea, tours round the school and a good look at old photographs.

We welcomed back girls from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and more recent leavers from the 2000s. Even a member of the 2013 Sixth Form Leavers came to enjoy a day of reminiscing before she went to university.

Celebrating the christening of HRH Prince George On Tuesday 5 November girls in Pre-Prep proudly put on their finest clothes and hats for a celebration of the Christening of Prince George.

The service was taken by Pipers Corner Chaplain Reverend Mary Gurr, and Year 2 played the principle characters of The Queen (Isabel S), Prince Charles (Madeleine N), the Duke of Cambridge (Charlotte T) and the Duchess of Cambridge (Thea G). Other key players there were the God Parents (Earl

Grosvenor – Grace C, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton – Lily R, Olivia Baker – Elena R, Emilia Jardine-Paterson - Olivia J, Zara Tindall – Olivia M, William Van Cutsem – Rosie K and Julia Samuel – Freya V) with Year 1 and Reception attending as guests to the ceremony.

Following the service, which included hymns and a reading, the girls were given a candle to mark the occasion. They then celebrated with champagne (lemonade) and a fabulous cake baked by the school catering staff.

Christingle

This year’s Christingle Service provided the perfect introduction to the festive season at the end of November. Christingle is the symbol of Christ’s light and love and refers to the symbolic object made up of an orange to represent the world, a red ribbon to indicate the blood/love of Christ, a lighted candle to symbolise Jesus being the Light of the World and four cocktail sticks bearing dried fruit or sweets signifying the four seasons. In addition to learning about the symbolism of the Christingle the congregation were treated to a performance from the Junior Choir who sang “Wind through the Olive Trees” and the Year 5 Singing Group who sang “Away in a Manger”.

Sport This term has seen many excellent results in and out of school. Pipers girls have competed in a number of competitive fixtures this Term against a variety of Schools including: Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, Sir William Ramsay School, Godstowe School, High March School and Wycombe High School.

Highlights include: Cross Country • A fabulous second place for the Year 4, 5 and 6 teams versus Gateway School with Year 4 and 5 coming first in their team events.

• Good runs from girls in the English Schools’ Athletic Association cross country races.

Super spies

The Prep Department was infiltrated by a spy in November, prior to the Year 6 trip to Bletchley Park. Mr Tunnicliffe, who worked at Bletchley, came to talk to the girls about his experiences over the years. He told stories of espionage around the world and how they communicated with each other through Morse code. He also left a Morse code machine for the girls to use in the classroom.

Young Enterprise

Head of Pre-Prep, Mrs Rushforth, said “I am very proud of the Pre-Prep girls, they came all dressed up and willing to participate in what was a wonderful way to mark an important event.”

In November Pipers Corner Young Enterprise company, “Kinetic”, along with 20 other companies from schools in the area, took part in the Young Enterprise Business Plan Competition.

We are delighted that the business plan submitted by “Kinetic” was selected as the winning entry. Kinetic, which is made up of girls from Lower Sixth including Danielle S, Scarlett C, Rosie-Anne S, Fran D, Amelia S, Saliya K, Zarina Y, Hannah W, Caitlin N and Diva D, beat strong competition from Wycombe High School, Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School, Royal Grammar School and Wycombe Abbey School. The team won £25 which will go towards their growing business.

Cornerstones reunions are a great way to get together with old friends, and some old friends you never thought you would see again. It is also a chance for Pipers Corner to encourage communication between school and the alumnae. Every member of the Pipers community has a lifelong membership and should be encouraged to share experiences and knowledge to everyone from Pre-Prep girls to former pupils.

ESAA Cross Country Cup

Netball • Great wins in Netball for the U12 A team against Wycombe High School and the U15 B team against Wye Valley School.

• The U16 A and U19 A and B teams competed at the GSA Netball Tour in September. The tour gave them the opportunity to play against many different schools and learn valuable techniques.

Equestrian • Two teams competed this term with a win for the show jumping team and a fourth place finish for the eventing team at the Cranleigh School Intermediate Arena Eventing and Show Jumping Qualifier.

A demonstration of endurance On Sunday 13 October Rebecca W (Year 11) took part in a motocross endurance race along the beach at Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.

Gymnastics • Congratulations go to Lucie P (Year 7) for winning a gold, silver and bronze at the Women’s Artistic Southern Region Gymnastics Championships in Reading.

Lucie competed in the beam, bar, floor and vault competitions and came third overall after taking gold on the vault and silver on the floor. This is great news for Lucie who is working towards competing at the Olympics in the future.

On race day Rebecca and the other competitors set off to the beach where there was a mile long straight and initially Rebecca was leading. At the first sand dune she unfortunately came off her bike. Despite landing on her back, she was uninjured and determined to finish the race. After being

Equestrian Team

11 minutes behind Rebecca showed great strength of character and managed to claim back 38 places, finishing in 32nd place overall and 2nd out of the girls riding. Rebecca took part in the Race in aid of the Air Ambulance and she has raised over £200.

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Who’s who at Pipers Corner Name: Mr Alex Rees Position: Director of Digital Strategy and Teacher of Mathematics Brief description of your role within Pipers Corner.

I oversee the digital strategy of the school.

This role encompasses a wide range of technologies; for example the main school data and communication systems, the physical and wireless network and the devices we use to connect to those systems. Most importantly I work to ensure the technology we implement enables and enhances the teaching and learning experiences in the school, and supports the school’s strategic priorities. Another part of my role at Pipers is teaching Senior and A Level Mathematics.

What did you do before you joined the School?

I worked in London for a school improvement team as the ICT Advisor. This involved travelling around a wide range of schools supporting them in developing their digital

strategies. Prior to that I have managed a variety of different school based teams and have taught Maths, ICT and Computing in a range of different schools in Essex.

What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?

I love the outdoors and since moving to work at Pipers Corner I have participated in a local 10k cross-country race; been mountain biking in Wales and have just started to explore the Chiltern Hills with my family.

Whilst I’m definitely not an accomplished musician I always enjoy being part of Church music groups and there is a very obvious clue to what instrument I play hanging from a hook in my office.

Who would you say has inspired you most in life?

When I think of inspirational people I think of Nelson Mandela and the wisdom in enabling

PTA News The Pipers Corner PTA provides an opportunity for parents to involve themselves more closely with the school. The PPTA organise social events and fundraisers to enrich the educational provision on offer and are always looking for new members.

This term the PPTA have been busy organising the annual Christmas Fair, which was once again a huge success.

The nominated charity this year was Teenage Cancer Trust.

Planning has started for the PPTA Summer Ball which will be held in June. The theme this year is “The Great Gatsby” and invitations will be going out soon to all girls currently in the Sixth Form at Pipers, all parents and staff. The Summer Ball organised by the Pipers PTA is a great way to end the academic year in style.

Have your say We would love to hear your thoughts on Pipers Post. If you have any comments or suggestions then please contact us.

Rebecca Conroy, Senior Marketing Executive Pipers Corner School, Pipers Lane Great Kingshill, High Wycombe, HP15 6LP T: 01494 719850 E: rconroy@piperscorner.co.uk W: piperscorner.co.uk

For all the latest news and updates you can follow us on Twitter: @PipersCornerSCH

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PipersCornerSchool

the “Truth and Reconciliation” commission; I think of Mahatma Ghandi and his advice to “be the difference you long to see in the world” and in this country today I think of visionaries such as Steve Chalke who has worked tirelessly for years, turning his beliefs into actions and trying to make a tangible difference to people across the world.

Finally, the best thing about working at Pipers Corner is...

Being part of such a vibrant community – there is simply so much happening all across this beautiful site all the time.

“I really enjoy exploring the possibilities for making a positive difference to people’s lives.”

Key dates for your diary Autumn Term 2013 Term begins: Boarders | Monday 6 January Day girls | Tuesday 7 January Half-term: Friday 14 February | 1600 hours to: Boarders, Sunday 23 February Day girls, Monday 24 February Term ends: Wednesday 2 April | 1600 hours

Goodbye and good luck We would like to say farewel l and thank you to the followin g staff for all their hard work and wish them well for the future.

Mrs Tanja Clark Head of Hospitality and Catering Mrs Natasha Doran Head of Prep

Hello and welcome!

We would like to say hello and welcome to the following staf f who have joined us this term or due to join us in January.

Miss Karen Hearn Prep and Deputy Heads’ Administ rative Assistant Mr Mark Knight Prep Teacher Mr John Woodhall Pre-Prep Music Specialist Mrs Anna Orr Head of Hospitality and Catering Jane Fortuna School Office Administrator Ellen Sanderson GAP Boarding Assistant Jessica Shipp GAP Boarding Assistant William Skinner Design and Technology Technicia n