Heads Weekly Review - Spring Term Issue 5

WEEKLY REVIEW

Head’s Introduction

This week began with a beautiful and poignant memorial service for Daria. The Sixth Form joined her family in the Chapel to hear memories and reminiscences of her time at Roedean, shared by some of her friends and teachers. It was a fitting tribute to a special young woman. Students and staff have also been writing down anecdotes and condolences this week, so that they can be shared with Daria’s family in a book of memories.

The three performances of Les Misérables this week have been outstanding – taking on such an iconic show is a challenge in itself, but the girls more than rose to the challenge, and they presented a remarkable spectacle, with fantastic singing and excellent characterisation. Les Misérables has a number of key roles, as well as smaller cameo parts, providing opportunities for a range of actors to perform. It is wonderful that so many students were involved, not only on stage, but also behind the scenes. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the production on a fantastic achievement, one they will, no doubt, remember for many years to come. Well done to the actors, to the Theatre team, to the band led by Mr Rous, and to the Director, Mrs Woodbridge!

Roedean also marked Founders’ Day on Thursday, remembering the founding Lawrence sisters and giving thanks for those who have left their mark on the School over the years. We also remembered those members of our community who have passed away over the course of the last year, and a candle was lit for each. It was a very beautiful and evocative service, all the more so because we were joined by Old Roedeanians and family members remembering their loved ones. Thank you to everyone involved.

Well done for a busy week, and I wish you all a restful weekend ahead of the last week before half-term.

Founders’ Day 2023

Les Misérables –A Triumph!

Cuckmere Haven

Unsung heroes in the spotlight

Each week, many wonderful things happen at Roedean, about which many in the school are perhaps unaware; this section of the weekly review is dedicated to ‘unsung heroes’, in order to draw our attention to these people and remind us that our community is special.

Workshop with Ceyda Tanc Dance

Last week, Roedean Dance Scholars took park in a workshop with Ceyda Tanc Dance. They learnt repertoire from the company's most recent work, KAYA, which explores human experiences of displacement, drawing on the strength and resilience of those searching for belonging in a new community. Ceyda's work fuses traditional Turkish folk dance with contemporary dance.

Charlie (Yr9) – for stepping in with minutes to spare to replace a reader in our morning Founders' Service [Dr

Mr Asquith – for his endless infectious enthusiasm – even if you hated Karate at first, you would love it by the end of one of his lessons; he goes above and beyond to make sure every lesson is fun, whilst maintaining high standards and ensuring the girls are learning lots [Miss Wakeling]

Ms Elliot – for always being so kind, friendly, and helpful – she goes out of her way to get to know all the girls, knows their names, and what thy enjoy, and she genuinely cares about people and comes to cheer the Roedean PE department on at every opportunity [Miss Wakeling]

Momo (Yr7), Molly (Yr8), Freya (Yr10), Rhea (Yr11), Queena (Yr12), and Harmony (Yr13) – for reading the Thanksgiving so beautifully in our Founders' Day services [Dr Barrand]

Ella (Yr11) and Bernice (Yr10) – for contributing lovely musical interludes in our Founders' Day services [Mrs Sharp]

Marta and Sarah (Yr13) – for reading in Chapel so clearly and eloquently [Mrs Sharp]

Isabel and Emma (Yr13) – for taking on the challenge of lighting candles in the Founders' Day services [Dr Barrand]

Barrand]

Miss Abaza

Staff

Anike, Ellen, Georgia, Isabel, Janice, Otti, Sarah – for sharing beautiful personal reflections and memories about Daria in her memorial service on Monday [Miss Allen]

Betty Won RIBA’s National Photography Competition

Betty (Yr13) is one of twelve winners nationally of the Royal Institute of British Architects schools’ photography competition.  She completed her A Level Art in one year in Year 12, achieving an A*, and she is currently studying for her Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Roedean.  She intends to study Architecture at university, and entered this competition last term to broaden her repertoire.

The RIBA exhibition showcases photos in response to the theme, Long Life, Low Energy: Designing for a Circular Economy, and the judges were impressed by the excellent submissions, and the interpretations of the brief were fantastic.  The exhibition explores, explains, and celebrates sustainability, recycling, the reuse of materials, and the retrofitting of buildings, and students were challenged to explore their own schools and find good examples of recycling, reusing, retrofitting, and environmentally friendly design features.

Betty’s photo, entitled Restart, features part of Keswick Hall – she wrote: ‘This photograph displays a section of Keswick Hall, the Sixth Form Centre, at Roedean School. The main element in this picture is the timber structure, that was installed in the hall in 2017. It is made of laminated plywood, an environmentally friendly material. This was a successful transformation of the use of space, because it effectively utilises the room’s height. For hundreds of years Keswick Hall was an empty hall, with a narrow balcony on the second floor. The installation of the timber structure extended the balcony, and additional storage and study areas were built beneath the balcony.

Additionally, the new staircases are not only a connection between two floors, but also serve as a relaxing area for social events to take place. I would describe the transformation as a sustainable, smart and sophisticated method to reuse the hall – it exemplifies how new structures can be blended in with the existing building, as well as how old buildings can be re-energised by new structures.’

Congratulations, Betty – another accolade to add to your impressive portfolio!

Ms Strachan

Cuckmere Haven

It was a random Sunday. Which is quite a formal way to start this off, as I am about to summarise a ver lovely trip with the art department to Cuckmere Haven. Due to our early leave time at 9:30 I was exhausted yet a part of me couldn’t wait to see what was ahead. We arrived and met up with another student, Miss Strachan and her lovely and energetic (as I’d come to find out) dog Fred. We went along the path heading for our final destination ,the beach. We were all taking pictures and I was in awe of my surroundings as I never really get to embrace nature often. As beautiful as my surroundings were it was juxtaposed with a crippling fear of slipping as the area was extremely muddy. This is when our new addition to the class Fred decided to warm up to me and stain my trousers with his distinguished paws. We then arrived at the beach just in time for the fresh sea breeze and to capture nature’s beauty in a frame. Despite the various challenges we faced along the way, it was an experience I will never forget as each photo tells the story. – Fola (Yr11)

Sport Stars of the Week

Congratulations to this week's Sports Stars! [Miss Kirby-Jones]

Year 7

Paloma and Ying, for great commitment to Netball

Year 8

Khadija, for brilliant enthusiasm in games lessons

Year 9

Elisabeth, for helping out and being a great team player in Netball on Wednesday

Year 10

Chaya, for great effort in Netball

Year 11

Lizzie, for working hard in all areas of sport

Year 12

Queena, for working really hard at spin this week

Year 13

Emma, for great enthusiasm and engagement in Netball

Sponsored Visual Impairment Training

Next week, 32 brave Year 8 students will be taking on the challenge of a 'Sponsored Visual Impairment', to raise funds for our neighbours, the Blind Veterans UK.

The students have volunteered to wear specially designed goggles, which will replicate varying degrees of sight loss, for one hour during the school day. They will be supported by a guide during this time. After the first hour, the students will then swap roles, so that they can experience both simulated sight loss and guiding.

Throughout 2022-2023, each year group at Roedean is focusing on a dedicated charity, and the Year 8 chosen charity is Blind Veterans UK. In preparation for the event, members of staff from Blind Veterans UK kindly delivered training to the Year 8 students on how to guide and keep an individual with visual impairment safe. The staff were very impressed with the Year 8 students' commitment and enthusiasm. They, along with the rest of the school community, look forward to seeing how the activity goes next week.

If you would like to make a donation to support this endeavour, please do so here: https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/roedeanschooly8

Thank you in advance, and well done to the Year 8s taking part!

Mr Wilson

It is lovely that we have received congratulations from our sister school in South Africa – the Executive Director, Mrs Lindi Dlamini, who is speaking at our International Women's Day festival in March, sent her congratulations, as did the Head of School, Mrs Annabel Roberts. We also received a message from Mrs Sue Rabie, Librarian, who hosted the group who travelled to South Africa in 2018.

While we are celebrating 138 years since the School was founded, and 125 years on the current site, Roedean South Africa is also celebrating – 2023 is their 120th year!

Following on from our news about the offers received from Oxford and Cambridge last week, our Year 13 have also been celebrating receiving a bumper crop of UCAS offers from a wide range of universities, including Bath, Bristol, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Imperial, King’s, Leeds, Manchester, Norland, Nottingham, Royal Holloway, SOAS, Southampton, UCL, Warwick, and York, and others, for a vast number of varied and exciting university courses.

This year, we have applicants for courses that include Acting, Architecture, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Physics, Classics, Criminology, Fashion Design, French and English Literature, History, Interior Design, International Development with Economics, Law, Occupational Therapy, Philosophy, Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy, and more, indicative of the fact that Roedean students confidently head out into pathways that are as individual as they are.

Our medics and dentist applicants have been called to interview at a number of universities across the UK, following a very competitive application process that has involved them undertaking the BMAT and/or UCAT tests. The Science Department has been busy providing mock MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews) and mock panel interviews to help the students to build their technique and confidence, following their training with the Medic Portal earlier in the academic year. The student-led MedSoc continues to go from strength to strength with budding future medics already preparing for their applications from Year 10.

Some of our Year 13 students have also been making applications to top universities abroad. This year, we have applications to the USA, Canada, Australia, Spain, and Hong Kong, which has involved additional assessment preparation and interviews. And our Art students have been

What's Over the Horizon for Year 13 Founders’ Day 2023

Founders’ Day 2023 and our Commemoration Service marks 138 years of Roedean School, but, more importantly, this year is our 125th anniversary of Roedean on this site. The School has stood the test of time, in terms of its people, its buildings, and its vision, and we will be celebrating this anniversary in a variety of ways over the course of 2023.

In the service, we remember all those who have been part of our community, who have died over the course of the past year, lighting a candle for each. The service is also a thanksgiving, in which we show our gratitude to those who left their mark in so many different ways, here and in wider lives, and who gave so much in their connection with the School. We are saying goodbye to people who have been loved and loving, generous and giving, determined and visionary. They were people who have lived full lives and persevered through difficulty. Your own tributes are deeply personal and we are humbled by the achievements and lives we honour today. Those we honour are your mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, grandparents, family, and friends. They were also, at some point in their lives, our pupils, our colleagues, our leaders. We are enriched through their contribution and ennobled by their courage and example.

We give thanks to the Lawrence sisters. In each of those we commemorate, it is always hard to conceive a life in its entirety, and instead we remember life on a human scale, as a moment, a habit, or the small things that can sum up a human life. Our founders, Penelope, Dorothy, and Millicent Lawrence, come to us as formal figures, perhaps a little remote, but I would like to think of them today through the voices of the girls and staff who knew them:

Of Millicent Lawrence: ‘Inspiring enthusiasm, offering clear judgement and wise advice, a genius for organization, extreme kindliness, unfailing sense of humour, and always living up to her favourite motto, “a large heart and a wide horizon”.’

Of Dorothy Lawrence: ‘A chuckling sense of humour, an all-pervading sweetness of spirit, a true sense of justice, a rare understanding, a loving heart, the calm beauty of an unruffled lake.’

Of Penelope Lawrence: ‘Unselfish and intense in her love of family, who evoked affection and respect everywhere she went. A woman of

finalising their portfolios ahead of submission to some of the most prestigious Art Schools in the UK.

And finally, we have a number of applications in process for highly competitive Degree Apprenticeships, with students receiving offers of interviews following their online assessments. Harmony has been accepted onto the 2023 KPMG Black Heritage Insight Programme, which will give her a great insight into apprenticeships in the company, whilst the interview processes themselves are giving the students applying for Degree Apprenticeships an excellent opportunity to work on their interview technique.

We look forward to sharing more news of their exciting futures in the weeks and months to come!

Dr Hannan

outstanding sincerity with an unassuming outlook: intelligent, sensitive, and appreciative and lofty.’

The sisters did something amazing in founding Roedean – in passing, the sisters were not mourned, but celebrated with prayers of thanksgiving for giving all us a ‘work so visible in material achievement, so immeasurable in its intangible influence upon mind and spirit’. I ask us to think of all who are commemorated today in terms of both their visible achievements and their intangible influence on our lives. We thank our founders for having the courage and creativity to imagine a school that even years later was still described as a ‘sublime act of faith’.

All in this room have been touched in some way by their influence, and the words of our founders’ family are words for us all: ‘Many lives have been and continue to be more fully lived because Nelly, Dolly and Milly, the Lawrence sisters, saw visions and had the courage to follow the gleam.’

Les Misérables – A Triumph!

A sixty-strong cast raised the roof off the Theatre this week with three spectacular performances of Les Misérables – the performers were fantastic, the sets were outstanding, and House was sold out for the two evening shows. This triumph comes hot on the heels of remarkable performances of ‘Six’ in November, and the news that an Old Roedeanian has been cast as Amy Winehouse in the upcoming biopic ‘Back to Black’.

The audience entered the auditorium to see the iconic image from Les Misérables projected on the curtain, and there was certainly an air of excitement. The curtains opened to reveal a brilliant set, and the full company begins the show. The main character, Jean Valjean then sings a soliloquy, and it was clear from that moment that Alissandra (Yr12) embodied her character completely. He is the Mayor, although was previously a convict, and this is revealed during the course of the show.

Although very many of the songs from the show are well-known, Alma (Yr13), playing the part of Fantine, has some of the most famous, including ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, and she sang it beautifully, with wonderful control and pathos. Halfway through the first half, we meet Javert, the Police Inspector, played by Jemima (Yr13), who meets and half-remembers Valjean from a previous encounter. On a stage covered in tiny spots of light, Jemima, in probably her last performance at Roedean, sings the beautiful solo, ‘Stars’ – despite the low pitch, her voice is warm and rich, and she held the audience absolutely entranced.

This scene is followed by ‘Castle on a Cloud’, sung by Livvy (Yr7) in the role of Cosette, who was left as a child by her mother, Fantine, with the owners of an inn – her voice has a dreamlike quality, reflecting her thoughts of escaping the Thénardiers for a better life. Later in this act, Niamh (Yr12) plays the older Cosette, and sings ‘A Heart Full of Love’ – her soprano voice suits the character perfectly, and her top notes ring out beautifully.

‘Master of the House’ is the song in which the comic interplay between Monsieur and Madame Thénardier comes to the fore. Nettie and Maria (Yr12) were the perfect foils for each other, with excellent timing and comedic moments, and this broke the tension and really brought the house down. The next scene features Gavroche, a boy from the street, played by Aya (Yr7), and she captured the essence of the role perfectly.

Act 1 ends with two fantastically rousing songs, ‘Do You Hear the People Sing’ and ‘One Day More’, with the full company on stage, and they signal the start of the revolution. During the interval the stage is re-set with the barricade, which is revealed at the start of Act 2.

Éponine, played by Amelia (Yr12), opens the act, with the very famous ‘On My Own’. She sang it flawlessly, declaring her unrequited love for Marius, performed by Fleur (Yr11). Not only is she in love with him, but he uses her as an intermediary to pass a letter to Cosette, whom he loves. The melancholic start builds slowly to the fighting on the barricade.

‘Bring Him Home’ is one of the most beautiful songs of the show, in which Valjean begs God to save Marius, even offering his own life in exchange. The song is very exposed and deceptively simple, and Alissandra performed it brilliantly, showing off the best of her voice.

After the battle scene on the barricades, Marius sings ‘Empty Chairs at Empty Tables’, knowing that he is the only one to survive, other than Valjean. Fleur managed the low register of the song effortlessly, as did all of the singers playing male parts.

It is a testament to the dramatic prowess of the students that the cast included actors from Year 7 to Year 13, and, in addition to the main character, there are lots of cameos, which provide opportunities for more performers: well done to Paloma, to Galina, Phoebe, Alfie, Tilly, Grace, Olly, Ellen, Lucy, Megs, and Layla, as well as everyone in the ensemble. This work is challenging as there is no dialogue, and it is sung throughout. This means that the band is playing throughout, and the scene-changes come thick and fast. Everyone worked very hard, rehearsing for long hours to get to grips with this show, and together they pulled it off excellently.

Congratulations to the entire cast, the musicians in the band, the backstage crew, the Theatre team who brought the show to life, and most of all to the Director, Susan Woodbridge, who masterminded this outstanding performance.

Dr Barrand

Ms Woodbridge would like to acknowledge ensemble members, Lucy, Meghan, Stella, Saffron, and Greta, who joined the cast after the programme went to print. Technical support was provided by Skylah, Merla, and Mia, while former Theatre Studies  A Level student, Holly, called the show as Deputy Stage Manager – no mean feat with 320 cues!

She would also like to thank the following: Ms Sellers and Ms Clarke for assistant directing, coaching, and supporting; Ms Rohowsky for singing coaching; and Ms Stephens for being our backstage chaperone. Les Mis was a real team effort and we are so grateful for their contributions.

This beautiful cake, painted by hand by Art teacher Mrs Alexander, was presented to the cast after the final performance.

Eulogy for Daria

Daria was unique. And she was loved – loved by her family, loved by her friends, and by everyone who knew her at School. Those at Roedean who got to know her well, knew her as a very independent, very determined, very compassionate person. Daria was generous, a great friend, and had an enormous sense of fun.

In the words of her tutor, ‘Daria was always kind and thoughtful – it was wonderful to see her with her friends, joining in with school activities.  She was also very funny, and could even be quite sarcastic.  She shared her views confidently.  And, despite being younger than the rest of the students in her tutor group,

she was incredibly mature and really thought through her university options and her approach to doing well in her A Levels.’

One of her Maths teachers described Daria as ‘a bright and friendly student who had a great sense of humour – her smile and laughter never failed to light up a room. She grew into a confident member of the class and showed superb potential in Maths. Daria often came to the Maths office with any questions she might have been thinking about, reflecting her initiative and unwavering determination to succeed. Her wit, smile, and lovely approach to everybody will be greatly missed.’

Families across the School have also shared their deepest condolences. In the words of one family: ‘We’re sending Daria’s family and friends love and strength as you navigate life without Daria’s presence. She will be forever in your hearts and memories, and will be greatly missed in the Roedean community. May her beautiful soul rest in peace.’

On behalf of everyone at Roedean, we offer our heartfelt sympathy to her family and friends, and will cherish the memories of someone whose spirit brought such warmth and laughter into our lives.

Netball vs Mayfield

U12B

The U12Bs played a very competitive match against Mayfield As. It was close and both teams played well. In the first quarter, Roedean took time to settle into the game, but took the lead 2-1. Alex and Eva worked well together in the shooting circle and were able to get us the lead. In defence, Naomi, Bea, and Martha were turning over lots of balls, but we struggled to move the ball from defence to attack. In the second quarter, Mayfield played some lovely netball and were looking strong, and they went ahead 3-2.

Flo, Paloma, and Georgia were bringing the ball down the court well, but a strong WD on Mayfield's side was making lots of interceptions. We needed to work harder to get free. In the third quarter, we changed up our play, moving forwards for the ball, pushing it further ahead of our players, and trying to be steady with the ball. Martha and Alex had a few more shots at goal and scored 2, taking us up 4-3. Defence were still doing a brilliant job of intercepting and tipping the ball. Beth played an amazing WD and really linked defence and attack.

The last quarter was tense and the ball was going end to end without any goals. Some brilliant work in attack between Flo, Paloma, and Eva enabled us to get the ball into the shooting circle more, and Martha was able to score another goal to take the lead. We ended up winning 5-4. The girls did a great job of listening to feedback and applying it to their game play. Player of the Match was Flo and Coaches' Player was Naomi for her incredible amount of interceptions.

Miss Patching-Jones

Music Cheese, and Wine

We would be delighted to welcome you next Thursday evening at 7:00pm in the Old Ref, to enjoy some fabulous music, performed by some of Roedean's top musicans, accompanied by wine and cheese.

Book here https://roedean.ticketsolve.com/ ticketbooth/shows

Ms Bartlette

This Week in Boarding

Wow! What an amazing week the girls have had across all the houses. Quiz night, crafting, pancakes, painting, dumpling masterclass, Uno and "Don't get got", summer camp night, fairy bread for Australian Day, puzzles, pizzas, Just Dance, cakes galore and beautiful sunsets. Our Roedean girls are very lucky!

Miss Roe

Netball vs Seaford College

U12A Victory

This week, the U12A team took to the courts to play against Seaford College. They were excited, as they haven't had a Wednesday game in a few weeks. With some injuries within the week, the 9-player squad were excited to get started.

With an early break, the team went 6-2 up, and this only built as the game went on, 12-3 at half time. The team were calm and composed when making turnovers, and worked hard on snatching the ball in after a turnover. Sophie, Matilda, and Chiara were our shooters for the game, looking to apply swings and holding to match play. Paloma, Yasmin, and Sorcha worked their socks off to transfer the ball through the court, also looking at how they can appropriately swing the ball in the game. Maddie, Katherine, and Andrea were absolute walls at the back, preventing Seaford from scoring many goals. With 18-7 on the scorecard after the third quarter, it allowed for the team to switch up their positions and play something new. Even though we didn't score any goals in the last quarter, we were still able to prevent Seaford from scoring – 18-7 was final score! Well done team.

Next week: Windlesham House!

U12C Thwarted

Miss Bamford

U12B

The U12Bs played a very competitive, close match against Seaford College. In the first quarter, it was neck and neck, with the ball going back and forth with not many goals scored, all because the defence on both teams were impenetrable. Naomi, Bea, and Beth were making lots of interceptions and tips and turning over the ball. Flo and Alex were working nicely together in mid-court, bringing the ball down and getting it to the circle edge. Martha had a tough job against the GK who was physical and strong and very effective. Eva was also against a tough GD and they were both having to move around lots in the D to get the ball into them. The score was 1-0 to Roedean by the end of the first quarter.

Seaford bought it back slightly in the second quarter and the score was 1-1. We were still finding it hard to break through their defence. We switched it up in the third quarter, with Beth at centre and Flo at wing defence, and they played brilliantly in these new positions, both making lots of interceptions and turning over the ball. A few more goals were scored, taking the score to 3-2, all the shooters doing well to sink the shots with such tough defence. It was going goal to goal and could have gone either way but Seaford managed to take the lead in the last few minutes of the last quarter, taking it to 4-2 to them.

There were some great shots by their shooters. The girls worked super hard all the way to the end and were great at listening to feedback and acting on it. Coaches' Player went to Alex for her excellent positioning and decision-making in the goal third.

The U12Cs travelled to Seaford College with a few girls missing and a few others showing good progress in teams below. The girls were determined and showed this on the court throughout the match.

The first quarter flew by and we ended up 4-1 down after a slow start to the quarter, but managed to get going towards the end of it. The second quarter was a tighter affair, with the score ending 4-3 to Seaford. At the halfway point, it was down to whoever could shoot better would win this game, as both defences were unbreakable!

Georgie was immense at the back, and rightly received Girl of the Game, with Seaford's GK receiving the award from Roedean too. In the third quarter, it was another tight 10 minutes, with Seaford managing the only point of the quarter and leading 5-3. After a final chat before the fourth quarter to inspire the girls, led by Georgie on what the team needed to do. they buckled down and sought to work at starting well, denying Seaford any goals. Alas, all the effort meant the last few minutes were tough, and Seaford broke through and the match finished 7-3, altough it was a lot closer than the score indicates.

Mr Campleman

U12A

U12B

U12C

Miss Patching-Jones

U13A Win

The U13As had a great match versus Seaford this Wednesday. Our first 5 minutes were not our best netball, and we allowed Seaford to gain a 2-goal lead. Fortunately, the girls reassessed and focused for the second half of the quarter taking the lead 5-2. We continued to push on and had a significant lead by half time. Our defence forced lots of errors and we looked slick transferring the ball from defence to attack. We moved round positions to challenge ourselves further and work on different areas of the game. The team remained solid and secured the win 20-6. It was a great whole-squad performance, Opposition's Players were Izzy and Amelie, Coaches' Player was Amber, and Players' Player was Izzy. Well done all!

U13C

On a fresh Wednesday afternoon, the U13Cs took on Seaford, who started strongly, taking the ball straight to ball. After this the 13Cs sprung into action, forcing a number of turnovers picked up by Polly, which we then took to goal.

Athena and Lola stayed calm bringing the ball out of defense which settled the team when in possession. With accurate shooting from Miranda, Claudia, and Lily Roedean started to build a solid lead throughout the second and third quarter. As the game opened up, Millie and Blaize worked tirelessly in defense picked up multiple turnovers. A great win with the final score 14-4 to Roedean. Players of the match were Athena and Miranda, well done all!

Mr Boisoi

Netball vs Ardingly

U16B

The U16Bs travelled to Ardingly this Saturday. The girls were in high spirits and started the game strongly, leading by 7-3. Liv worked tirelessly in the centre, forcing a number of turnovers. As Ardingly applied more pressure in the second quarter, our reliable shooters, Captain Lucy and Alice, did not disappoint. Elodie, Liv, and Gabby were the engine room of the team, with constant motivation and a high work-rate, which pulled the team forwards. As the game went on, Ardingly kept applying the pressure, but Maddie and Solari held firm, forcing a number of errors. Roedean won 29-21, with Girl of the Game again going to captain, Lucy. Coaches' Player went to Liv for her work-rate and feeding of the circle.

Mr Borsoi

U14C

It was a beautiful sunny morning for netball, with a chill in the air but barely a lick of wind. The U14Cs got off to a great start, with Peony and Jemima working well in the circle together, and scoring 9 goals between them by the end of the first quarter. Mimi and Chloe did a great job of disrupting play down the defensive end, with lots of interceptions and tips. Farwa at WD was linking the defence and attack together well. It was 9-2 at the end of the first quarter. They continued this great form into the second quarter, with Izzy and Darcy moving the ball beautifully through the mid-court, Darcey was great at putting pressure on her player and tipping the ball. Izzy getting into space and always being an option. The score was 14-5 to us by the end of the second. In the third quarter, Ardingly started putting more pressure on and their brilliant GD was intercepting everything. They were making it hard for us but we were still managing to sink the goals, 22-5 by the end of the third. Ardingly didn't give up and made it even harder in the last quarter, they scored 4 more goals and managed to stop us form scoring many more, hats off to them for their stamina. The girls played really well as a team, some lovely linking play and everybody really wanting the ball at all times and fighting for it. Well done to Darcy for player of the match. Coaches' Player went to Izzy for doing lovely drives, always marking hard and turning the ball over frequently.

Miss Patching-Jones

U13E

The 13E Netball team welcomed two new players for this week: Sabrina and Coco fitted into the team perfectly. Molly played strongly across the court, and was awarded Player of the Match.

Well done to Anya, who dominated the shooting circle, Guoer was brilliant through the mid-court, and Lyla was superb in defence.

This was an impressive effort from every player who took to the court –well done!! The final score was 22-2 to Roedean.

Mrs Wilson

U18A

Roedean U18As had a tough match against Ardingly. However, there were moments of brilliance from Roedean and their resilience in the face of playing an extremely strong Ardingly team was commendable. The girls were also very flexible in trying different combinations and it was a useful learning opportunity for us. We had a particularly good 3rd quarter and only conceded 5 goals, with everyone putting the pressure on when defending and disrupting their play. They continued this through to the 4th quarter, where we only conceded 8 goals. We also had our most successful quarter in the final quarter and scored 4 goals. I was impressed with how the girls put their full effort in right to the end and never gave up. There were lots of interceptions and tips from Lila, Sylva, and Erin. Amelia, Phoebe, and Izzy worked super hard in the centre third, trying to get through what felt like an impenetrable Ardingly defence. Millie and Flo put up a good fight against their towering defence. It was a true test of endurance for all of them; trying to keep up with Ardingly. Well done to Amelia for Player of the Match – she never stopped! Lila received Coaches' Player for her excellent defending.

Miss Patching-Jones

U18A

U18B

The U18B team played against Ardingly on Thursday. Lea, Erin, and Emma made some exceptional interceptions in defence, and Kaia and Emma worked hard to take the ball up the court.

Ruby, Tammy, and Sabrina shared the shooting bibs, and Tammy was nominated Player of the Match by the opposition. A huge well done goes to the whole team, who, despite losing, never gave up and gave 100% throughout the game.

Emma was also nominated as Player of the Match, and captained the team well.

Miss Wakeling

Miss Hammond

Netball vs Benenden Netball vs 5ways

U15A

On Tuesday, the U15As travelled a long old way to Benenden. With a car fire delaying the start of the game, we could only squeeze in three 10 minute thirds.

At the back were Clara, Jasmine, and Georgie, who all worked tirelessly against an extremely tall and physical GS, with Polly and Tildy controlling the middle, transitioning the ball out of defence well. It was a tough time for our shooters, Liepa and Mia, who worked really hard to work the attacking circle and scored some excellent goals, when given the opportunity.

Unfortunately, the final score was 6-19, with Benenden taking the win. The defensive end worked so hard, making countless turnovers and putting what they have been working on in training into practice. With the attacking end of the court not attending their cocurricular session this week, it really showed on court. The U15As were the better team in terms of their netballing ability and basics, but with too many silly decisions on court, we couldnt claw back the result.

Fingers crossed for a better performance at the weekend versus Mayfield ahead of SISNA and the Sussex Cup next week.

Miss Bamford

U14C

The U14Cs took the long journey to Benenden in their stride and were in good spirits on the coach. There were lots of changes in this squad this week, and, despite lots of turnovers, we struggled to connect through court to capitalise off them. Benenden took a four-goal lead in the first quarter, but Roedean came out fighting in quarter two. As the game went on, we started to link and build through court excellently. There was some good control in mid court from Darcy, Bea, and Farwa. Our defence, Mimi, and Izzy, were up against some strong shooters, but stuck to their plan, keeping close to their players and, as a result, got countless turnovers. Peony and Jemima made some nice short passes to get closer to the post in the D which helped us win the third quarter. Unfortunately, our come back was too late and Benenden took the win 15-7! A great effort from all the team, congratulations to Farwa who received Opposition's Player and Darcy who got Coaches' Player.

Miss Hammond

U15D

The U15D team had a fantastic match on Tuesday against Benenden. The game was wellmatched and, although we were 1 goal down in the first quarter, we brought it back to a draw at half time. Chloe and Kelly were excellent captain and vice-captain, cheering the team on. Holly made some great bounce passes, and Martha was able to shoot from any angle.

Amy, Grace, and Aarushi worked hard in defence and, although we lost the match by 2 goals, it was a great game and the girls came away having learnt a huge amount.

Well done to Kelly, who was nominated as Players' Player, and Holly and Martha, who were named as Coaches’ Players. Good luck to the U15D team in their next match.

Miss Wakeling

U15B

A slightly depleted U15B took to the court looking to improve small aspects of their game to move forward this season. Benenden started sharply, and went 9-0 up in the first 3rd.

After a quick team talk and re-focus on what we needed to do to stem the flow from Benenden, we started better, made it more difficult for them, and tightened up in the 2nd quarter.

In the final third, we managed to score some points, and we went on a streak of 3 before Benenden themselves tightened their defence and came back.

The final third ended 3-3, which was huge progress from the first two quarters. The match ended 17-3 to Benenden.

Mr Campleman

U14A

The U14A team had a late-night fixture under the lights at Benenden on Tuesday night. After a delayed bus journey and a few of the usual players missing, the team was ready for a challenge; they were on the court quickly after a short warm up. Fired up and ready to win, they hit the ground running and were up 8-4 at the end of the first quarter. Harriet and Aimee played wonderfully in defence, making lots of turnovers despite a lack of practice together. Minnie, Molly, and Isabelle had a great game in both delivering the ball up the court, but also in delayng the play and helping the defenders when turnovers went against us. The early goals benefitted the team as the second and third quarter were tougher. Bella and Gabriella worked hard in the circle against some tall defenders, and did well to get their shots in under the high pressure. The final score was a 21-16 win, with Gabriella named Opposition’s MVP and Aimee Coach’s MVP.

Miss Kirby-Jones

The U12As stayed late at School last Thursday to play in a friendly versus the local club, 5ways. The 9-player squad met before the game and gave themselves both individual targets and chose a target as a team to work on all game. We were looking to force errors for the other team, and make successful turnovers, keeping the ball safe, and taking it to goal. The game was close the whole way through, with 6x10 minute quarters. The quarter by quarter break down was as follows: Q1: 6-7; Q2: 9-10; Q3: 1114; Q4: 16-20; Q5: 19-23; Q6: 21-25.

I am incredibly proud of the squad for their hard work and efforts against a well-drilled and experienced club squad. Every single member of the team contributed and worked their socks off, and therefore the whole squad are named as Coaches' Players as it was too hard to choose!

Well done to Andrea and Naomi for their defensive work at the back, Maddie, Sorcha, Yasmin, and Paloma for working the middle under control and composure, and Chiara, Matilda, and Sophie for their hard work and accuracy in the shooting circle.

It was an excellent evening – what better way to prep for SISNA and the Sussex Cup!

Miss Bamford

Netball vs Hurst

U12D vs Hurst U12Cs

The U12D team had a number of girls in Le Mis, which meant that we had a number of E team girls playing in the D team. This was a great opportunity for the E team players and we were also looking forward to cheering on our team in Le Mis.

Zaina and Bea were Captain and Vice-Captain of the team, and Momo, Ying, Hazel, Flo, and Lili moved up. Although we had a challenging first half, we drew the 3rd quarter which was promising. Well done to Ying for her forward drives, and Flo for a number of great interceptions.

The team lost the game 16-6, but it was a great opportunity for the girls to be challenged. Well done to Ying who was nominated as Players' Player, and Flo who was nominated Coaches' Player.

Miss Wakeling

U12F Victory

On Wednesday, the Roedean U12F team boarded the minibus in pursuit of their first victory in their opening game against Hurst. Upon arrival, we were positive from the start. Executing a well-rehearsed warm up, the mighty F team looked the team to beat from the start. Match play did not disappoint. Roedean dominated with a combination of quick passes, and delivering in competitive match play exactly what had been carefully practised in drills during games lessons. Joy, Florence, and Faith, all took turns in adding to an impressive score, with accurate shooting and excellent match play. Annie and Dita causing a riot in defense and making it almost impossible for Hurst to infiltrate into their half. There was a fluidity about Sara, Anna, and Sofiia’s game, which helped to feed the ball to our attack. Hurst rewarded Joy with their Players' Player. It was an excellent team effort and I couldn’t be prouder of the team’s performance.

U13F Win vs Hurst U13E

The U13F travelled to play Hurst U13E on Wednesday afternoon. The girls started off the match very strongly, with great feeds into the circle from Almen and Gabriella, and exceptional shooting from Emma Lynn and Modesire. At the end of the first quarter Roedean were up 6-2. After quarter time, Hurst came back fighting, with greater intent and stronger drives. Roedean responded well to this, adding excitement to the game as it went goal and goal with Hurst winning the second quarter 3-2.

After halftime, both teams continued to improve their play and gain momentum. Evelyn, at Centre, showed great composure and control whilst helping get the ball through the court. As the game continued to grow more competitive, our defence really stepped up with insanely tight marking from Ruth and lots of intercepts from Katarina and Hannah. The girls continued to work hard until the final whistle to secure the win. Well done to Emma Lynn for being awarded Opposition’s Girl of the Game and Hannah for receiving Coach’s Player.

Miss Wakeling

U13D

The U13D team suffered their first defeat of the term, in a fabulous game at Hurst. Hurst started the stronger of the teams and while the first quarter ended 2-2, the hosts then took a 5-3 half time lead and looked as though they may run away with it. However, Roedean’s defence began to sharpen up; the third quarter was goalless and the final quarter 3-3, leading to an exciting 8-6 win for Hurst.

Mr Smethurst

U15A

On Saturday, the super 7 U15A squad had a last-minute match versus Hurst B, in their last bit of preparation for SISNA. The team started strongly, finishing the first quarter 6-6, and the score was 11-10 to Roedean at half-time. The team's focus throughout the game was to not only make turnovers, but to take them to goal. As a squad, the turnovers were excellent and happened throughout the court, but we struggled to capitalise on these, and with only seven players, the team started to tire.

The final score was 18-22 to Hurst, but some outstanding netball was played by all. Congratulations to Tildy for being awarded Girl of the Game, and to Alice for being Coaches' Player. Another special shout out goes to Saffron for her cool and composed shooting, and to Mia for stepping in to shoot last minute, making with some fantastic drives in and out of the D. Jasmine and Clara also worked really hard on switching on their players in the game successfully, and Evie put pressure on every ball throughout the match. It was another excellent performance for the U15As, well done!

Clara Umpiring

A huge well done to Clara (Yr10), who is completing her Into Officiating Course. She has umpired two matches for Roedean and done a fantastic job. Well done Clara, we are so proud of you!

We welcome contributions from all parts of the Roedean community. If you have something you would like featured in the Headmaster’s Weekly Review, please email: abw@roedean.co.uk

Miss Bamford

U12F

U15A

Miss Marek

Miss Marek