6 May 2022 – Issue 2
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Soma Sara from Everyone's Invited at Roedean
Head’s Introduction
Malika's Won the BSA's Best Artwork Award
I hope everyone enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend, and thank you to everyone who contributed to our Open Day last Saturday. Our visiting families were hugely impressed with everything they saw, and particularly enjoyed being toured around the School by our students – well done! I am also grateful to the Admissions Department and all my colleagues for all the work behind the scenes and on the day. A huge well done to Malika (Yr13), who, we can announce, has won the Boarding Schools Association’s Best Art Project Award. This is an outstanding achievement, and thoroughly deserved, as her work, which links her interests in Art and Science, is both unusual and highly innovative. Congratulations! It was a great honour for Roedean to welcome Soma Sara, the founder of Everyone’s Invited, to School this week. She spoke to the Sixth Form, along with students from three other schools, about how society might change the endemic issue of sexual harassment in education. Not only was she impressive as a speaker just a few years older than her audience, but what she said generated excellent questions which indicated a determined wish in audience to effect change. Thank you to Miss Allen and last year’s Pastoral Prefects for inviting Soma, and organising the event. I enjoyed hearing four students speaking about Ramadan in Chapel this week, sharing with the School community the significance Ramadan and some of the traditions of Eid, which they celebrated earlier this week – thank you to Mosope, Fadillah, Iras, and Alvina.
Drama Trip to London
You will be able to read more in this Review, but I would like to congratulate the 21 students in Year 9 who started their leadership programme this week, led by Mrs Haining. Well done to our Cricketers and Athletes, who have enjoyed some great successes this week, and there have also been Tennis and Football fixtures. At the end of next week, our Year 13s will lead their Leavers’ Chapel before beginning their Study Leave. They are a very impressive year-group, for whom Covid and lockdown have perhaps had the most impact as a cohort – I wish them, and the Year 11s all the very best for the coming weeks. Good luck, and see you at Speech Day at the end of June, which will be the Years 13’s ‘last hurrah’! Good luck to the Music Department and to all our singers and musicians in tonight’s Fringe Concert. It promises to be an excellent event, and I am looking forward to it a great deal! I wish you all a restful weekend, and good luck for next week!
Cricketing Success
6 May 2022 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
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.
Mosope, Fadillah, Iras, and Alvina – for sharing the importance of Ramadan with the School in this week's Chapel services [Dr Barrand]
Rosa Dances her Way to Success! Congratulations to Rosa (Yr7) and her fantastic achievements at the recent Sussex Festival of Performing Arts. She was awarded first place for her National dance, and has secured her place at the semifinals for the All England dance competition. Her efforts were further recognised when she was awarded the opportunity to attend an experience day at the ‘London Studio Centre’. As if this was not enough, Rosa’s Under 15 Modern group also qualified for the All England Semi-Finals later in the year. So, all in all a very successful Easter break for Rosa – well done! Mrs Chamberlain
Malika's Won the BSA's Best Artwork Award Congratulations to Malika (Yr13) who has won the Boarding Schools Association’s Best Artwork Project Award! This is an excellent achievement, and recognises her exceptional work. Her work combines her interests in Art and Science, and this makes her work very different to that of other students – this must have been recognised by the judging panel, and she has won. Well done! Mrs Alexander
Kate and Jemima (Yr13) – for introducing and thanking Soma Sara with such composure and eloquence [Miss Hart]
Staff Mrs Chamberlain – for getting me out of a pickle on Thursday without a second thought! [Dr Barrand]
Distinction for Fleur
Music Exam Results – Spring Term
Congratulations to Fleur (Yr10), who has achieved LAMDA Grade 7 Musical Theatre (Silver Medal) with Distinction. What a brilliant achievement – well done!
Congratulations to all those who took ABRSM Music examinations last term, and there are some fantastic results:
Congratulations to the following who have won Golden Tickets this week
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Well done! Miss Hart Year 7 – Lily
Year 8 – Emilia
Year 9 – Martha
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Alissandra (Yr11) Chloe (Yr8) Carmen (Yr11) Zyta (Yr8) Elspeth (Yr9) Gracie (Yr11) Balas (Yr12) Carrie (Yr10) Sophie (Yr8) Emilia (Yr8)
Well done!
Violin Clarinet Clarinet Double Bass Violin Singing Violin Piano Piano Trumpet
7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 2 1
Distinction Merit Distinction Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Distinction Mr Wilson
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
6 May 2022 – Issue 2
Ramadan This week in Chapel, four Year 12 students spoke about Ramadan and its significance for them.
RB
The call to prayer used to wake me up every morning. There was a mosque very close to my house. Moments later, the call would start up from another mosque, and then another, until the sound was like stereo coming from sides. It was the imams, or Islamic priests, calling the people to the mosque to pray as the sun came up. I grew up in Dubai and went to primary school there, and some of my earliest memories are of hearing the call to prayer. I was lucky enough to live in three other countries in the Middle East during my childhood, and, by the time I was 18, I had lived for 12 years in Muslim countries. If ever I am travelling and hear the call to prayer, singing out from the minarets of a mosque, it takes me straight back to my childhood. You will be aware, no doubt, that Ramadan, perhaps the most important month in the Islamic calendar has just ended this week. To explain the significance of this month and the traditions connected to it, I have asked Mosope, Fadillah, and Iras to speak to you today, after which Alvina will read some verses from the Koran to conclude.
Mosope
forgiveness from our loved ones. On the first day of Eid, we begin with communal prayers and either set up our houses for visitors or get ready to visit others. There is a huge emphasis when it comes to family and the idea of returning to one’s hometown is an integral part of celebrating. You can see how important unity is to us in our clothes. In my culture, Eid clothing will usually be traditional baju melayu or kebaya, characterised by their long sleeves and skirts or trousers for modesty. Families usually like to choose one colour to go with for the year. For example last year, my parents and I wore purple traditional clothes while my cousins and their parents wore blue. However, this doesn’t mean our non-Muslim friends are ever excluded. Anyone is absolutely more than welcome to join in on celebrating and I do invite my school friends every year for Eid. Personally, Eid is typically a time for me to reunite with my 14 cousins, steal biscuits from my relatives’ houses and exploit the cultural obligation for them to give me a ton of money. Though I haven’t been able to celebrate it as usual either due to Covid or the fact I’m overseas, I am still glad to be able to celebrate it more quietly with my friends.'
Alvina
'Ramadan is the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar. In the month of Ramadan, Muslims all around the world fast from sunrise to sunset every day, abstaining from eating, drinking, and sinning. Ramadan is a month of spiritual and mental growth, as well spiritual and physical cleansing. It is a time to learn and grow, as well as do work to improve our community. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to focus more than ever on the five pillars of Islam – perhaps the most wellknown pillar for non-Muslims is fasting, and Fadillah will tell you about why we do this.'
'Muslims believe Allah sent prophet Muhammad multiple Surah’s throughout his life and these surahs are what the Quran is made up of. The surah I am choosing to recite today is the most important one in the Quran. It is called surah fatiha, it’s mandatory to recite when praying and is believed to direct Muslims to invoke Allah to guide them. It goes as follows:
Fadillah
'Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan? This is because fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with believing, prayer, giving to the poor, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca – it is an Act of worship. We fast to strengthen our relationship with faith and show our devotion to Allah. Fasting teaches us patience. It helps us break old unhealthy habits and forms new healthier ones. We also fast so we can understand how the underprivileged who barely have a meal a day feel, and it allows us to be much more grateful for what we have. At the end of Ramadan, we celebrate Eid, which symbolises the breaking of the fast, and Iras will tell you a little about this.'
Iras
'Eid is of course a very important time for us, and while different places have different ways of celebrating, the festivities are often quite extravagant and could last almost a month. Where I’m from, Malaysia and Singapore, Eid is not always referred to as Eid but rather, Hari Raya or Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and it marks a new beginning for us as we seek
[In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.]'
St Mark's at Roedean The Year 5 pupils at St Mark's are loving their weekly enrichment sessions at Roedean. So far this term, they have been playing Cricket on the Astro with Mr Borsoi, and their academic sessions include Chemistry, Robotics and Programming, Russian, Physics, Dance, and Code-Breaking! Lunch is also a weekly highlight! Thank you to everyone involved. Dr Barrand
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6 May 2022 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Great to have other schools and to hear their perspectives.
Soma Sara from Everyone's Invited at Roedean Roedean welcomed Soma Sara to speak about Everyone’s Invited and the importance of raising awareness of what she called the ‘societal endemic issue’ of rape culture and sexual harassment in education. Having discussed this issue earlier in the year, it was decided that we should hold an event for the Sixth Form body to allow them to explore Soma’s work in greater culate She was so arti detail. We were joined by students and ted and I apprecia staff from Lancing College, Caterham s tool School, and Christ’s Hospital to hear this being given the excellent speaker, who is all the more and vocabulary to impressive because she is only 23, just ly nt de confi a few years older than the audience is th ue in cont members. tion with
conversa my networks.
Sometimes stats can feel quite aggressive and I think her message of empathy was really importan t.
The website was launched in June 2020, after Soma discovered through conversations that many of her peers at university had been through similar experiences. The movement gained traction from March 2021 as media attention arrive the issue grew, and thousands more submissions were received.
It was so good to have boys in the room, and to hear how conversations like these are actually changing locker room behaviour.
The common experience described by thousands of survivors led to a report carried out jointly by Ofsted and ISI, which highlighted that educational institutions across the UK had a responsibility to effect change in this field. The audience engaged brilliantly with Soma’s presentation, which sparked a series of excellent questions to delve more deeply into this societal issue and her thoughts about how we should collectively respond. Mrs Allen
CAP Presentations All the Year 12 students spent Wednesday afternoon making presentions about what they had achieved during the Community Action Programme (CAP) this year. It was a joy to realise that, collectively, the students had supported the community for over 3,500 hours, equivalent to about 500 days’ worth of work! More meaningful than the numbers, however, was hearing the stories of the people and environment being
supported through the CAP programme, as well as the skills the students have developed in themselves. There was in incredible amount of productive collaboration, creativity, compassion, communication, and, sometimes, critical thinking across the groups – all crucial skills for the 21st century. The array of community projects, involving the elderly through community cooking, textiles, and music, as well as British Sign Language, Page 4
sustainability work, educational work in Primary and Special Needs Schools, and charitable work with the local community, was all impressive. Well done, Year 12, and keep expanding your circle of influence to do good in the world!
Mrs Dunlop
6 May 2022 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Drama Trip to London 'On 28 April, Year 10 Drama GCSE students and Year 9 Drama students who have chosen to take Drama GCSE went on an amazing trip to see a play adaption of the Neil Gaiman novel, Ocean At The End Of The Lane. The students thoroughly enjoyed the trip, including exploring London, ranging from visiting Buckingham Palace to admiring the art in the National Portrait Gallery. The play, performed in the Duke of York’s Theatre, told the story of the coming of age of a young boy, intertwined with unfathomable magic and the difficulties and joys that come with being human. The story was told through both naturalistic and nonnaturalistic acting, a range of puppetry, and imaginative physical theatre and ensemble. They employed a variety of skilled lighting, sound, and stage design, for example through creative use of minimal costume change to subtly imply changes in narrative and turning points in the story. Overall, it was a compelling story, told by incredible actors through an artful, captivating medium that brought me to tears. All the students were incredibly impressed, and it was a wonderful experience for all involved. I cannot commend the play highly enough.' – Amelia (Yr10) It was a real pleasure to take the students to see a play that represented the cutting edge of British Theatre. As Amelia has described above, the play combined many different theatrical art forms and really pushed the boundaries. After the performance we were able to meet the actor, Laura Rogers – she gave us a quick insight into the rehearsal process, explaining how she developed her character, Ursula. Laura promised to come into school before the end of term for a Q&A, a promise we will hold her to! Mrs Woodbridge
Year 9 Weaving This term, Year 9 Art students have been working on a weaving project based on chocolate wrappers. Here is a selection of examples of their fantastic work – these brilliant pieces are by Ayla, Willow, Rosa, Sarah, and Naisha. Mrs Strachan
Ayla
Rosa
Sarah
Willow
Naisha
U15A Football vs Ardingly U15B In the first U15 football fixture of the year the girls took on Ardingly at home. On an overcast day, the girls were in high spirits coming into the fixture with many Year 10s and 9s combining to make a very strong team to face Ardingly. As the game developed, it was clear from the outset that the match would be finely balanced. Roedean started strongly, using the wide channels to create opportunities for the strike partnership of Ruby and Alice. The first opportunity came within the first 5 minutes in the favour of Roedean. Pearl cut down the right channel and beat a defender to fire in a perfectly placed cross to Ruby. However, Ruby's first time shot was denied by a quick reaction save by the Ardingly goalkeeper. This pressure at the top of the pitch continued, and 15 minutes into the first half another opportunity arose for Ruby. Freya took control of the ball in the middle of the pitch, playing a forward pass over the defence. One defender was able to retrieve the ball before the pressure from Ruby allowed her an opportunity to shoot. Ruby calmly took a touch and tucked the shot away in the bottom right hand corner. Ardingly then tried to retaliate quickly, however the defensive wall of Ellie, Jamie, and Alba prevailed to deny them an opportunity. As the second half begun and the rain started to pour, it continued to be a tightly fought
contest. However, Roedean was able to hold on and secure the win against Ardingly. All girls involved played extremely well and put in a high amount of energy and effort, which was an excellent display of football ability against a stromg opponent. Well done to all involved! The girls will go again at the weekend to face Ardingly A team hungry for the same result. Mr Alexander-Buckley
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6 May 2022 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 9 Leadership This week saw the first session of the Year 9 Leadership Programme. Well done to the 21 students who applied to be part of this programme, and they had a brilliant introduction to it – they spent the day in a series of workshops, but it started with an external speaker, Beccie D’Cunha, from the Courage Lab, who spoke about Courage Leadership. The students responded brilliantly to the day, and it was a pleasure to work with them! Mrs Haining Here are some of the girls' thoughts:
oup of year ing day for a gr sh ni to as an ogram 'It has been r a leadership pr fo er th ge to g in ourselves 9s gather nt more about ar le d ha e W . e type of training e is not only on er th at th od to , we faced and unders aining program tr e th ut ho ug to work as leader. Thro er, we are able ev w ho s, ie lt cu enjoyed the various diffi tively. I really si po it e lv so d us of the a group an helps to remind It n. io ct se ng happy, so mug painti gs that make us in th g in do of hers.' importance chatting with ot e m ti e m so ve as to ha Kelly
none of us were sure what 'We started off the day with much anticipation as we were not disappointed. Our would be on the schedule for a leadership day, but we were made to really look day started off with a talk from Mrs. Haining, where and show ourselves as leaders. at ourselves and analyse the way we communicate ht about the multiple This was interesting as for most of us we hadn’t thoug ate with each other. integr types of communication styles and the way that they how and what we at g We also discussed virtues, which were useful for lookin er come in and speak a had want to accomplish when leading. Following this we can be behind that s cause talk to us about how to deal with conflict and the us snacks delicio ed enjoy then these arguments, which was extremely helpful. We n. Then sessio n izatio visual a left by the catering committee, before moving onto engaging an write to how on we had a more practical, yet just as interesting talk s ward After ngs. meeti nt speech as well as how to host productive and efficie team a to on g movin e befor we had a massive buffet of sandwiches and cakes ion of videos on building building activity. To end the day, we watched a select as a more creative task well as healthy habits and what it means to be a leader, had the pleasure of we ly, of painting mugs full of stuff that brings us joy. Final what leadership about cts, getting a talk from some current sixth form prefe information sting intere of meant for them. Overall, it was an amazing day, full and an abundance of fun. bly about trips or I was also really interested in talking in the next assem ing half term. I would like to activities that the year group would like to see follow any ideas of what they wanted open the discussion to them and let them send in r ones like Zumba (which to do, it didn't have to be big things, it could be smalle spark some excitement for the everyone was a major fan of.) I feel like this could look forward to during exam final weeks before summer and give us something to on it we would be doing things season. I also think that by letting them get a vote people can have a good time.' that everyone enjoys, meaning the most amount of Freya
U12 Cricket vs Burgess Hill The U12A won at Burgess Hill by 25 runs in a well-contested match. Burgess Hill batted first and scored 50 runs, but the loss of 5 wickets meant their final score was 25. Wickets were shared between Poppy, Izzy, Amelie, Sorrell, and Iris, and both ground fielding and backing up were excellent. In reply, Roedean scored 40 and did not lose any wickets. Amelie and Lucy scored 14 in their pair, while Sorrell and Izzy scored 12. Running between the wickets was much improved from the first game, and there is now much potential for this group to build on. Well done! Mr Smethurst
'The Year 9 Leadership Day was truly one of my best days at Roedean. Not only did I learn so much, but I also had great fun! Every session was packed with information and advice on how to be a good leader, and all offered new & different perspectives on leadership, mindsets, and life in general. I genuinely learnt so much, from lollipop moments to prefect talks to speech writing, I now feel much more prepared to hone my leadership skills.' Rida
'On Thursday, Year 9 had an amazing oppo rtunity to attend the leadership trai ning day. We lear nt about different communicat ion styles, and we were able to identify our key characterist ics and core values. We also lear ned how to structure a good persuasive speech using effective devices. Towards the end of the day, our new prefects gave us an insp iring talk on what it's like to be a leader at Roed ean. My favorite part of the day was decorati ng our own mugs which helped us to explore our crea tivity and communicat ion skills.' Derin
idea of what it ‘I signed up for the leadership day with an ht. It was one thoug I what like ng might be like. It was nothi were workshops there day the ghout hundred times better. Throu t how to taugh were even We ities. and incredibly useful activ I'm so do. to have now I ly ident conduct a meeting which coinc ’ food. al speci the for just not glad that I signed up and Clara
U12A Cricket vs Cumnor – Victory by 1 Run The U12A team got their season off to a winning start with a thrilling win against Cumnor House. Roedean batted first and made 79, thanks to some aggressive hitting by Bella, Sorrel, Yan Yan, and Amelie. Cumnor looked favourites to win, racing to 49 at the half way stage, and, when the final pair came to bat, they required just 8 runs from 3 overs. Economical bowling from Poppy, and wickets from Izzy and Amelie changed the course of the game, and Roedean held their nerve to sneak a win by just one run! Mr Smethurst Page 6
U14As Win by 2 Runs The U14A Cricket team had a great game of cricket against Hurst. Roedean batted first, scoring 137 runs, with the stand out performances coming from Orla (36) and Mia (25). In the field, Roedean put their bodies on the line, diving around on the slippery outfield. Dot, Tilly, and Lydia all bowled their 2 overs for under 10 runs and taking a wicket each. Roedean ended up winning by 2 runs. Batter of the Game went to Orla, and Bowler of the Game was Grace.
6 May 2022 – Issue 2
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
U14A Cricket vs Mayfield The U14A team was knocked out of the National U15 cup at Mayfield but, had they held their catches, the result could have been very different. Mayfield batted first and stumbled to 17-3, with wickets for Tilly and Grace, and a brilliant run out by Polly. However, Mayfield’s two most destructive players then made an unbeaten partnership of 111, but one of them was dropped three times.
Cricketing Success A huge well done to St James Montefiore, and especially to Roedean girls Maria and Eliza (Yr11), who are the Surrey and Sussex Cricket Slamdown champions!
Roedean batted nicely in reply, but never seriously threatened to make the 154 needed. Eloise, Orla, and Saffron all made double figures, and the innings closed on 99-6, with wickets falling as the girls looked to score more quickly. They have lots of potential, so we are looking forward to the next match. Mr Smethurst
U15A Top 4 at Bede's Tennis Tournament The U15A Tennis team made their way to Bede's for a Doubles Tournament. We were put in a pool of four with Hurstpierpoint, Steyning, and Bede's. The format was that each doubles pair had to play a tie break to 11, and have to win by 2, with the total points of the pairs adding up and giving them a finishing score. Steyning was first, and, as a result of two tough tough tie breaks, we lost both our pairs, but they girls played some very good tennis. Bede's was next, and they were the favourites for the competition. The girls were brilliant and took the game to Bede's all the way through. Both pairs recorded fantastic wins and were buoyed with confidence moving into their game with Hurstpierpoint. After the Bede's game, the girls were determined to play even better and did so, beating Hurst in both pairs again. This meant we finished second in our pool and played Burgess Hill in the Quarter Finals.
In September, their team, St James Women, won the Sussex Slam Plate, and on Monday they played Surrey Slam champions at Horsham cricket ground. Maria kept wicket for 20 overs and got a stumping with the last ball of the innings. Eliza took 2 wickets and was 35 not out at the end of the game. This was a massive achievement for the team, their second big win in six months. Well done!
Miss Kirby-Jones
Diamond League Athletics The Roedean Athletics squad travelled to Eastbourne for their first meet of the season. All the girls had a great day, competing against a number of other independent schools around Sussex. Particular congratulations go to Serena (Yr13) who broke the Diamond League Record for the Seniors High Jump, clearing an amazing 1.59! Mr Borsoi
We managed to scrape through after a lengthy break in matches and the weather getting a lot colder. The girls fought hard and got through to the Semi Finals against Brighton College. They played some good Tennis, and managed to shorten the points and not let us into the game at all. The girls put up a good fight and worked hard to finish in the top 4 in the tournament. Mr Campleman
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: marketing@roedean.co.uk Page 7
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