20th January 2017 - Issue 3
HEAD’S
WEEKLY REVIEW
Year 7 made Chocolate Fondants in HHH
Top Girls’ School in Sussex in the new league tables 51.9% of girls achieved A Level grades of AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects last year, and we are absolutely delighted that this places Roedean as the highest performing girls’ school in East and West Sussex, ranks us second of all schools in this area, and indeed higher than the top girls’ schools in Kent and
Head’s Introduction There has been something for everyone at Roedean this week, with a mobile Planetarium from the Observatory Science Centre coming to school on Monday, a dynamic contemporary dance company performance on Tuesday, and an exciting steel band workshop for Year 8 on Thursday. I am delighted that these diverse events are available to the girls – at the very least, they enrich their experiences, but for some they may even be that eureka moment for a lifelong passion! As you may know, a new independent school inspection regime was introduced this academic year with a focus on compliance. While such inspections will not provide the very positive all-round feedback of the full inspection we underwent in March, ensuring the quality of our policies and practice is also an essential part of providing a high-quality education. We started the week with an one-day ISI compliance inspection looking at the quality of our provision. The inspectors were delighted by everything that they saw, and were full of praise for the girls, whose behaviour and manner they thought was exemplary. They praised the quality of the staff, the strong relationships, and the richness of the provision. The school was fully compliant in all the areas inspected – thank you to all staff and girls who supported the inspectors. I wish you all a restful exeat weekend, after which I look forward to next week’s events building up to the start of Chinese New Year and the fireworks display on Friday, we will also mark Holocaust Memorial Day in our Chapel services, and the girls of Keswick House are hosting a 1920s Gatsby-themed party for the Sixth Form on Friday evening – have a wonderful week!
Hampshire. This is according to the Department for Education’s new national league tables, published this week by The Telegraph, which rank schools according to this criteria, meaning that our girls have the best access to the very top universities in the country. Congratulations to all on this great accolade!
L4s are transported to the Caribbean in their steel pan workshop and performance All the girls in L4 enjoyed a fabulous day on Thursday of vibrant music-making in the company of musicians from the group SOLID STEEL. The girls learned from scratch how to play steel pans in a whole class ensemble in this interactive workshop. Each of the three classes had just one 45 minute lesson to put their piece together, so all our students showed a great deal of concentration, teamwork, and disciplined learning. All the performances were just fabulous and it was wonderful to see how the girls clearly enjoyed the whole event. Two classes performed traditional Calypso and the third learned to play quite an extensive version of the Jessie J song Price Tag. It was quite clear from the buzz in the Theatre, the total commitment in rehearsal, and the performance, that the L4s had a wonderful experience making music together. Excited and enthusiastic conversation followed each session and here are some of the girls’ reactions to their day:
‘The steel drums was an amazing experience, as I have never learnt how to play them before. I hope we’ll be able to do it again.’ Gowri P (L4) ‘I really enjoyed the steel band coming, as it was a really fun experience to play in a big group with so many parts and kinds of drums.’ Molly M (L4) ‘I am so glad we did this activity; it was a great experience’ Julia C-P (L4) ‘It was an amazing day, and taught me a lot about playing together in a large group.’ Poppy T (L4) ‘I really enjoyed the exotic feel of the music; we also had a great laugh doing it.’ Scarlett R (L4)
20th January 2017 - Issue 3
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.
Gabriella R (6.1) for being wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive at house netball [KAN]
Sharon Q (6.1) for taking on Erianthe’s speaking part in 12P’s assembly presentation because she had lost her voice [SBL]
An exploration of life in space This week, all the girls in Years 7 and 8 had a great time exploring space in the travelling planetarium which comes to Roedean each year. This year, they were focussing on exobiology, finding out about life on other
planets and in space. They enjoyed 45 minutes in the huge inflatable planetarium, along with some Q&A. It was quite an eye-opener! JHI
Contemporary Dance Zainah M (U3) for showing brilliant commitment and enthusiasm in all aspects of her PE lessons [KAN]
Everyone who helped out on Saturday’s Entrance tests – see page3
Ellis R (6.1) for taking the initiative and masterminding 12P’s assembly presentation on food waste [SBL]
Olivia T (L4) for exceptional demonstration of skills in English [TW]
The 3Fall Dance Company from the University of Chichester came to visit Roedean this week to give a performance in the Theatre. The company, with which Miss Abaza danced before becoming Head of Dance at Roedean, presented three diverse pieces of contemporary dance, each choreographed by professionals, Ceyda Tanc, Richard Chappell, and Victoria Fox. The 3Fall Dance Company gave a fantastic performance, showcasing various styles ranging from contemporary to Capoeira with a fusion of Turkish folk dance. 90 students and staff were treated to a wonderful spectacle in the Theatre.
‘I thought it was incredible the way they moved, and the performance was mesmerising.’ – Annabel B (U3) ‘This was the first time I have seen contemporary dance, and I was amazed by how they managed to create such beautiful stories just with their bodies – it was a mindblowing show!’ – Maria P (6.1)
‘I really loved how the music went with their movements, and how they connected each move by adding something in-between.’ – Kamali M (U4) ‘The rhythm and movement of the Turkish piece really drew me into it.’ – RB
How to be a modern feminist
Loretta S (6.1) and Natasha R (6.1) for spreading an air of positivity around the school and always being so positive and good-humoured [SEL/RB]
Roedean students were lucky enough to hear Mrs Taylor’s lecture on ‘How to be a modern feminist’ on Wednesday. As well as being Housemistress of House 2 and teacher of English, she is currently undertaking a doctorate on Gender. Her lecture was not only pitched at a high level and dense with challenging terminology, but she was also particularly deft in engaging our younger students with footage and clips of academics to illustrate her points. Judging by the Q&A, she managed to get everyone in the room to examine and re-examine assumptions and received ideas about feminism – this is a discussion which may need to be revisited! AK Page 2
20th January 2017 - Issue 3
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW
Bella
Stunning Art work by the 6.2 girls The girls in 6.2 have produced some wonderful work for their trial A2 exams. For their Personal Study, they prepare a piece on a topic of their own choosing. They have time to plan what they intend to do, and then, over 2 days, they have 12 hours to produce their final piece from scratch. Some examples of what they produced can be seen here.
Emily
Eunice Mia
Katrina
Vivian
Christina
Goodbye Waste, Hello Recycling!
Entrance Day helpers
Over the course of last term, our CAP group has worked on improving the recycling facilities at Roedean. We bought and distributed five bins around the school, and so far they have been a fantastic success! We recently gave a presentation in Assembly to both junior and senior year groups, hoping to give the school community an insight into our work so far, and raising awareness of what we’re trying to achieve, through recycling correctly and inspiring people to care about the environment. We are very grateful for the positive feedback we have received and we also welcome any further suggestions of what we can do to be more environmentally friendly.
We welcomed 120 girls to Roedean last Saturday to sit their entrance tests to join the school in Year 7 and Year 9 in September. Thank you to all the staff who were part of the day, and to the Maths and English departments for marking the papers, but the day simply would not have run so smoothly had it not been for the wonderful girls who got up early to meet and greet, to guide visiting parents, to put the girls at their ease – you were all great, and were ready to do whatever was necessary, so thank you!
Georgie W, Daisy O-J, Nahida U, Yasmin M (6.1)
DBA Page 3
Angelina Shirley Jingxuan Ayla Cathy Selen Adriana Jennifer Melanie Serene Maddie Kiera Marianna Ruby Maria Sharis Sofia Jade
Anna-Sophie Sibley Anna Lucy Charlene Loveday Eloise Katie Katrina Sophia Serena Coco Sarah Iris Isla Jemma Alys Millie
Kris Jessica Melanie Matilda Issy Olive Mwaba Onate Pan Pan Lilli Imogen Atlanta Jemima Sophia Mia Phoebe Millie
20th January 2017 - Issue 3
HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW SPORTS REPORT Netball On Saturday, the U15 team took on Bede’s on a wet and windy afternoon. Despite the weather, they played hard and continued their winning streak, beating the side 15-5. The player of the match was Pippa W. On Monday, the U13A team had a tough fixture against Hurst in the second round of the Knockout cup. The standard of netball on display was outstanding and the girls held their own on the court. The teams were level at every quarter, each side taking advantage of every loose ball. In the fourth quarter, Roedean took the lead by one goal early on and worked hard to push for a two goal win. It was a fantastic achievement – well done girls. The player of the match was Ada O, and the coaches’ player was Georgia H. On Wednesday, the U13B and C teams played against LOGS in a friendly but competitive match. The Bs started well and were all square at the end of the 1st quarter, but unfortunately they could not maintain this and through silly mistakes they struggled to dominate. They picked up towards the end, but it was a little too late. This is a promising team and the girls are keen to make amends in their next fixture. The Cs, on the other hand, gelled from the start and took charge from the opening whistle. Sophia S shot her goals, and the defence of
U14 National Schools’ Netball squad
Onate and Awele was outstanding to keep the opposition from scoring. Congratulations on a great win – the player of the match was Onate. On Thursday, the U12C netball team played in arctic conditions against Seaford College. The girls moved around the court very well, creating a number of chances. Holly T and Jemima V’s partnership in the shooting third was particularly excellent, with Jemima (player of the match) scoring 6 goals, all assisted by Holly. The game was played in a great manner by both teams, and the final score was 6 - 2 to Roedean. A special mention must go to Dorothea B and Edie B, who both had outstanding games.
2nd in Sussex X-Country Five girls competed in the Sussex Schools’ Cross Country Championships on Wednesday at Waterhall. The course was one large loop of the playing fields, 3000m in total, including a steep incline and some difficult, icy terrain. The girls coped admirably, and demonstrated excellent endurance to come 2nd overall in the team competition. This was an amazing achievement for the girls, in a race with over 150 competitors. Congratulations to every girl in the team: Bea W came 80th, Serena C came in 37th, just behind Josefine F in 36th, Sophia Clyde crossed the line in 30th, and the top performer was Gracie B, whose 12th place means that she has been selected for the South East Schools’ Inter-counties Cross Country championships in February!
Chinese New Year Fireworks Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the Chinese New Year fireworks on Friday 27th – Horizons will be open for an hour from 6pm for refreshments, and the fireworks will go off from 6:15 in front of Keswick House. 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 4
Our U14 National Schools’ Netball squad played their last training game against 5ways netball club on Sunday at Dorothy Stringer. The opportunity for lots of match play against tough opposition, including members of the Brighton College and Blatchington Mill squads, was our last chance to play together before the next round of the National Schools’ tournament. Next Saturday, the girls will travel to Farnborough, in Hampshire, to compete against the likes of The Abbey and Headington, to try and win a place in the National Finals, so we wish them all the best!
JJ WHAT’S
COMING UP IN THE WEEK
Mon 23 Jan
Inter-House Swimming (H)
Tues 24 Jan
BMW Netball League vs MSN
Wed 25 Jan
Scottish Ceilidh for Burns Night
Thur 26 Jan
U4 Business Enterprise Day Badminton vs Burgess Hill (H)
Fri 27 Jan
Chinese New Year Fireworks at 18:15 Keswick Sixth Form Centre ‘Great Gatsby’ Launch Event
Sat 28 Jan
U14 Regional Round of the National Schools’ Netball vs Wavell School (A) U12 A & B, U13 A & B, U14 A & B, and U15 A & B vs More House (H)
AHEAD?
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