Head's Weekly Review: Autumn Term Issue 1

WEEKLY REVIEW

Head’s Introduction

It has been wonderful this week to welcome both new and returning students to Roedean after the summer. A school is a strangely quiet place in the holidays, so I have enjoyed hearing the bustle and busy-ness of school life in the corridors this week. I am very grateful to all my colleagues who worked hard over the summer to get the School ready for the new academic year.

We heard this week that Roedean has been named as a finalist for Independent Boarding School of the Year – I am delighted. What we do every day and our outstanding all-round provision is truly exceptional, and it is wonderful that this has been recognised by these national awards. The winner will be named early in October, so we look forward to the announcement!

I am very pleased to hear of the many and various endeavours of our students over the summer. You can read about these in this Review, and I never cease to be impressed by the girls' talents. Activities range from GB Showjumping, performing in the West End, and Level 2 RYA Sailing, to successful Gold Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and a new Personal Best time in the pool. Congratulations!

You will already be aware that last year’s GCSE and A Level cohort achieved top results in August. While league tables only capture one small part of what we do here, I am very pleased that the girls’ examination successes mean that Roedean is 23rd in The Telegraph for all independent schools with boarding at A*-A grades at A Level, and our A* ranking places us 11th nationally for all independent girls’ schools!

Well done on a brilliant first week – I wish you all a lovely weekend, and good luck for next week.

DofE Gold Expedition

House Shout!

Project 125 Moldova –

What a Remarkable Experience!

Finalist –Independent School of the Year for Boarding

Congratulations to OR Amber Anning, who won a Bronze medal in the 4x400 metres relay in the Budapest World Athletics Championships!

Amber is based in America, where she regularly runs in relays, and her experience was clear to see. It was fantastic to see her running with such confidence and composure on the world stage.

Let's hope that we see her at Olympics next year in Paris!

Finalist –Independent School of the Year for Boarding

We are delighted that the amazing holistic education we all enjoy has been recognised in this way – let's see what happens in early October when the winner is announced!

OR News – Amber Anning Grade 1 Distinction on Harp for Tilly

Something Special Received in the Post

Anna wrote to her hero, Daniel Radcliffe, famously known for his role as Harry Potter, during an Extra English lesson last year. This was part of an exercise where students were being taught how to write a formal letter. The letter was posted in December on Roedean headed paper. To her surprise, Anna received something special in the post earlier this week – 2 original signed photographs from Daniel Radcliffe. When asked how she felt after opening the letter, Anna said, “I was confused at first as I was not sure who would write to me! But then I was extremely happy and excited when I opened it. I couldn't believe that Daniel Radcliffe had signed something for me....” Page 2

Congratulatinos to Tilly (Yr8), who took her Grade 1 Harp exam on the last day of term –she passed with Distinction!

Success in ABRSM and Trinity Music Exams

Congratulations to all those who took Associated Board and Trinity music examinations in the Chapel last term. It was great to see a good number of our own students taking part, and we were also pleased to welcome musicians from outside the school to join them. Some students also sat face-to-face examinations outside the school with RSL (Rockschool), achieving similar success. Well done!

Special congratulations go to Natalie (Yr9) LTCL, who was successful in gaining Trinity’s Licentiate Diploma on Violin. This is a very demanding exam, which is the equivalent of the final year recital from a undergraduate music degree.

Some of our performers also sat online music examinations with the ABRSM, Trinity, and RSL (Rockschool) – we are delighted to celebrate their achievements in this relatively new format.

Congratulations go to all our successful candidates!

Musical Success for Holly

Molly (Yr9) Grade 1 Trombone

Sofia (Yr8) Grade 1 Trombone, with Merit

Izzy (Yr9) Grade 1 Trumpet

Lois (Yr9) Grade 1 Trumpet

Mr Wilson

Lucy (Yr9) Grade 1 Trumpet, with Distinction

Rosa (Yr8) Grade 1 Trumpet, with Merit

Sienna (Yr9) Grade 1 Trumpet, with Merit

Mary (Yr10) Grade 2 Flute, with Merit

Bella (Yr8) Grade 2 Vocals, with Merit

Kitty (Yr10) Grade 3 Flute

Sofia (Yr8) Grade 4 Piano

Lydia (Yr11) Grade 5 Alto Saxophone, with Merit

Heidi (OR) Grade 5 Cello, with Merit

Jamie (Yr11) Grade 5 Vocals, with Merit

Meghan (Yr10) Grade 6 Flute, with Merit

Carrie (Yr12) Grade 6 Piano, with Merit

Ellen (Yr11) Grade 6 Singing, with Distinction

Inky (Yr11) Grade 6 Violin

Holly (Yr9) Grade 7 Piano, with Distinction

Sihu (Yr11) Grade 7 Piano, with Distinction

Candis (Yr11 Grade 7 Viola, with Distinction

Tiffany (OR) Grade 8 Cello

Elin (OR) Grade 8 Piano, with Distinction

Natalie (Yr9 LTCL Violin

Over the summer, Holly (Yr9) performed in the Seaford Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year, and she won, performing 'Allegro' by Eberl and 'Etude in A Minor' by Ludvig Schytte.

Well done on such a fantastic achievement!

Language Ambassadors 2023-2024

Would you like to be one of our new Language Ambassadors for this academic year? Apply Here!

Ms Ibanez-Barcelo

Ms Bartlette

DofE Gold Expedition

Well done to Maria, Rose, Niamh, Liv, and Maddy (Yr13), who completed their Gold DofE expedition over the holiday.

Maria said: 'We set off from Blacklands Farm in the rain for a 4-day expedition. It was a challenging experience, physically and mentally, but it was also enjoyable to be with friends and out in nature and fresh air. When we got back, we were very relieved that we had passed and we have a new appreciation for home comforts now!'

Congratulations!

Meredith in The Salt Circle

Congratulations to Meredith (Yr7), who took part in a group performance at the Brighton Open Air Theatre with the drama group Windmill/Third Space over the summer. She was part of the ‘intros’ performances, as well as her groups main performance, The Salt Circle. This group is all collaborative, and the students write and perform the piece.

On a different note, Meredith also found herself in the right place at the right time over the holidays, and she met Bella Ramsey from Worst Witch in a cafe in Loughborough!

Knitting Club

One of Roedean's co-curricular clubs has got off to a great start already!

Miss Carragher

WEEKLY REVIEW

Luciana in Live Art Shows Georgie on the West End

Well done to Luciana (Yr8), who has been on tour all across the UK over the summer, performing in two live art shows: 'Bird Rave', a 'dancefloor ornithology' show about early UK rave culture and music, and 'Eau de Memoire', a show that celebrates the rich experiences and memories evoked by our sense of smell. What a brilliant experience!

Georgie (Yr8) has had a jam-packed holiday, but, in amongst that, she had the opportunity to go to West End Stage School, where she stayed in the halls at Guildhall, and had the most magical time. She was not only taught by West End actors and actresses from Heathers, Hamilton, and We Will Rock You, but also got to perform on the stage in the West End.

During this time, she handled herself well and has made some life-long friends from all around the world. She also passed her course with a distinction.

Congratulations!

Lucy's Intensive Week in the West End

Lucy (Yr11) has had a busy summer on the stage: 'After doing a summer intensive course with West End professionals, and masterclasses with many people in the industry, such as Hamilton and Heathers, I performed on His Majesty's stage in a showcase – it was an unbelievable way to show off the work we'd done in the week in drama, singing, and dancing. I've done this every summer for 5 years, but this year was amazing!'

But that isn't all Lucy has done! She has also kept up her training every Sunday morning with my team in synchronised ice skating – they are preparing for the first competition of the upcoming season in November, and raring to go for to the British Championships too!

Project 125 Moldova –What a Remarkable Experience!

In the first week of the summer holidays, twelve Roedean students and two members of staff travelled to Chişinău in Moldova, to teach English for four hours a day over the course of one week to over fifty Moldovan children and Ukrainian refugees. It was an unforgettable experience, facilitated brilliantly by Chris Lomas and his remarkable team from the NGO in Moldova, Hope4, who quite simply made everything happen. ‘This project, teaching English to Ukrainian refugees and Moldovan children, pulls together three elements, the powerful social conscience of the school body, the fact that we currently have eight Ukrainian refugees at Roedean, and a Moldovan scholar, and it is brilliant that it has come to fruition.’ – Dr Ross Barrand, Deputy Head, is delighted with the success of this transformational project. Gaby has found the experience so rewarding: ‘it has been so amazing seeing how encouragement affects the kids, their enthusiasm for learning, wanting to learn more, to achieve more, how rewards and a simple smile affect the way they learn. It’s just been so incredible, and so great to see their reactions to care and love.’

Although the Roedean students are not teachers, they have loved leading their classes and have thrown themselves into the experience, gaining so much from it: Queena said, ‘I think the most valuable part of the journey is seeing the children growing in confidence, and them feeling happy to speak in English – for some of them, going from nothing, to being able to speak in full sentences in English is amazing’, and her teaching partner, Portia, added, ‘with English being such a global language, if they can learn the language, even bits of it, they are going to go on to use it in the rest of their lives, and knowing that we can have that impact on them has been so enriching for us and amazing for them.’ Alongside the English lessons, the children have had the opportunity to play some games and have fun too – Maria enjoyed the variety, saying ‘despite the language barrier, we’ve been able to play football, sing songs, dance, make friendship bracelets, even just communicate with hand-signals’.

Sixty students from Years 11 and 12 applied to take part in this project, and, following their selection in December, the twelve students then began the process of learning the basics of teaching and planning their lessons. Sarah Howson, Head of EAL, has worked closely with them: ‘Since January, the girls and I have been working on exactly how we are going to put together a week’s worth of English language classes. A wonderful privilege we have at Roedean is that we have a group of Ukrainian students, who have been instrumental in planning how we were going to cater for these young people, really helping the girls with cultural understanding. Together, we have built this programme for a week, which, hopefully, is going to

be really impactful for the children.’ Their reaction confirms that this preparation paid dividends, and the children simply couldn’t get enough of the lessons, which is particularly important because proficiency in English can open so many doors for them: Amelia said, ‘it’s great to see the passion, and we know how powerful education in English can be for the children – it will open a lot up for them in the future, and it could be a life-changing experience for us and for them’, and Mairi added, ‘learning English is so important to be able to experience so much more of the world.’

In pairs, the girls taught three hours of lessons each morning, to three classes of Ukrainian refugees and three classes of underprivileged Moldovan children. Ella said that she had not appreciated how tiring and sometimes challenging teaching is, but the rewards made up for this: ‘Seeing the children grow day by day, from not being brave enough to share what they know to asking us ‘how do you say this in English?’ and trying to communicate – I feel that this is one of the most precious experiences that I have had in my life.’ Her teaching partner, Hannah, commented, ‘the highlight for me was definitely hearing all the positive comments from the parents about how the children are so happy and excited about the lessons. It is so rewarding to see each and every one of them make progress.’ After lunch, there were activities which included sports, drawing and crafting, music and dancing, and drama games, and they had lots of fun – Nettie said, ‘I feel that the kids have also grown in confidence – it’s evident in their enthusiasm, their laughter in the corridors. It’s been amazing, and I think that laughter, although we don’t speak the same language, laughter is something which transcends all languages. This has been one of the best experiences of my life.’

will be volunteering with Hope4 over the summer, before she starts her undergraduate studies in Austria in September.

The teaching required the girls’ full focus and attention, but there was also some down-time in the capital, Chişinău, to counteract the tiredness and challenge: the group visited the breath-taking Căpriana Monastery, with its stunning and elaborately painted interior, we ate traditional Moldovan cuisine, following recommendations from Sabina to try the sour cherry pie, we stood beside the evocative eternal flame at the Eternity Memorial Complex, and had our photo taken in front of the ‘I❤Chişinău’ sign. The group was also proud to visit the British Embassy and be hosted by the Deputy Ambassador, Edward Inglett, as well as stepping onto Ukrainian soil at the Ukrainian Embassy, where Marko Shevchenko, the Ambassador, shared his perspective on the current situation in his homeland and how this impacts Moldova.

It has been such a privilege to work with Hope4 – eye-opening, thoughtprovoking, exciting, rewarding, all in equal measure. Chris, Zoe, Olena, Ivan, Natalia, and Iuliia looked after the Roedean team brilliantly, and we are proud to have contributed in some small way to the remarkable and transformational work they undertake every day in Moldova and Ukraine. In a social media post made while Roedean was in Chişinău, Chris wrote, ‘12 extraordinary young women… This week we’ve welcomed 12 extraordinary young women form the equally extraordinary Roedean School, Brighton. Around 4 months ago, Deputy Head, Dr Ross Barrand, contacted us, seeking assistance in facilitating a trip for 12 of their most talented pupils who wanted to travel to Moldova to teach English. Now 4 months on, and to celebrate the school’s 125th anniversary, Ross’ dream is now a reality, with children drawn from the Moldovan and Ukrainian community joining us for what has already been an incredible week.’ Paloma and Amelia said, ‘it has been truly inspiring to be involved in working with Moldovan children and Ukrainian refugees to increase their social mobility’ and ‘everyone at the Hope4 NGO has been so welcoming to us – it has been an absolute pleasure working with the whole team – it’s so much more than we could have asked for.’ The group was also lucky enough to be joined by Sabina, an HMC East European Scholar, who has been at Roedean for two years: ‘I had the honour to study at Roedean for the past two years, and, now that I have done my A Levels, I have come back home to Moldova. I am so excited that the group has come to my country to teach English, and I have loved helping them and translating for them, and just being part of such an incredible project.’ As result of this experience, Sabina

On the last full day in Moldova, the group travelled out of the capital to visit an orphanage, which we hope will become a focus of our project in the coming years. On the way, we passed a sign which indicated that Odesa on the Black Sea in Ukraine was only 175 kilometres further along the road, and we also drove over a bridge crossing Moldova’s River Nistru, which is of such strategic importance that it is guarded concurrently by Moldovan, Russian, and Transnistrian soldiers. The day was draining, sobering, and upsetting in equal measure, but the children at the orphanage were smiling and welcoming, and so pleased to see us and everyone from Hope4. After looking around the building, we played games with the children, and had lots of fun – despite their previous experiences, it was clear that they felt safe and cared for in the orphanage, and they enjoyed strong bonds with their staff and each other. Fifteen minutes further from Chişinău, we visited the home of a family supported by Hope4. The juxtaposition of the buzz in the capital city with rural life was stark. Two lovely children greeted us alongside their father, who clearly always puts their needs above his own, and together they welcomed fifteen visitors into their spotless two-room home. The toilet is at the top of the garden, running water is in short supply, and onions were drying by the door to be ready for the cold winter months. Despite having very little, they were warm and open, and asked if we would visit again. Eva reflected on this humbling experience and the visit to the orphanage, saying ‘meeting the children and the family in the village has made me all the more determined to make things happen to support the amazing work of Hope4 when I get back’.

Roedean’s first Project 125 Moldova trip has been an eye-opening and uplifting adventure – the students were outstanding ambassadors for the School, and they have set the bar high for their successors in the coming years. We are confident that this is just the start of a strong and meaningful partnership with Hope4, which will allow us to be part of an enduring and fruitful programme of empowering young people in Moldova.

As a School, we have now pledged to cover 3% of the orphanage's annual running costs for the next decade – we need to raise a very achievable £5000 per year to achieve this!

Dr Barrand

House Shout!

The House Competitions got off to a great start this week, with the highly popular House Shout competition. The girls were passionate, loud (!!) full of energy, and led ably by the older students in House.

The competition was fierce. and the overall winners were House 4, who retained their title for the second year running – well done!

Individual category winners are as follows: for sheer volume – House 4; for clarity – House 1; for style – House 3; and for House Spirit – House 2.

Well done to everyone involved – it was fantastic to have the first House competition get off to such a great start!

Mr Wriglesworth

Summer Sport!

It was a fantastic summer of women's sports with the Women's Ashes, Football, and Netball World Cups, and the Athletics World Championship, to name but a few of the amazing competitions on offer. Women from across the world have been performing at the very highest levels in their sports, and it has been a brilliant spectacle to watch.

However, it wasn't just those women in action, and some members of the Roedean community have been competing in their sports over the summer.

Cricket

We saw two notable accomplishments in Year 9, saw Sorrel scoring 106 in the U13 Sussex Festival for St James, making her the first girl

in her club to score a century. Secondly, Molly spent last Saturday playing at the home of Cricket, Lords, in the U13 ECB Cup Final with Tunbridge Wells, and her team won!

Hockey

The 1st XI Hockey Captain, Amelia, and Year 12 Elodie had a busy summer, representing the East Grinstead Talent Academy at Nottingham. The aim is to provide a high-level development hockey platform for the girls. They played against other talent academies, and both found the back of the net in their games.

Sailing

With our sailing program starting this Friday with the first Year 7s out of the water, it is exciting to hear about how a few of the School's

sailors got on this summer. Emma in Year 10 has been sailing her Hobie Cat and will be advancing on to the Nacra series. Elsie and Nell have also completed their Level 3 single-handed sailing course. Keep your eyes peeled for news on upcoming sailing lessons.

Gymnastics:

New Year 7 pupil, Tilly, entered her Gymnastics Club's annual competition and won a Gold medal in her age group along with the trophy for highest overall score. If any pupils are keen to get involve with gymnastics at School, they can join Miss Wright on a Monday Activity 1 in CHall.

Lydia at the Surf Lifesaving Nationals

Congratulations to Lydia (Yr11), whoI went to the Surf Lifesaving Nationals in Bournemouth over a few days in mid-August. She was selected by her club, Brighton Surf Lifesaving, and she competed as one of 11 (6 boys and 5 girls). Well done!

Miss Kirby-Jones

This Week in Boarding...

It was lovely to welcome new and old girls to boarding in all houses with such wonderful weather! The Houses welcomed the girls on the first night with a rare blue supermoon, which lit up the sea in the night. Several beautiful sunsets have cast a lovely orange glow over the School, and the girls have raced outside to get the best pictures!

Boarders looked very smart on the first day of school. House 1 girls received a handmade pocket heart, and House 4 girls were given good luck cards with inspirational quotes.

Girls were treated by an ice cream van with a huge range of flavours, including honeycomb, bubble-gum, and mint choc chip! House 3 continued the ice cream trend, and made ice cream sundaes later in the week. House 1 and Lawrence have had competitive games of bingo, and there were lots of prizes to be won!

In House 4, the boarders made and decorated personalised cupcakes for a new boarder's birthday – happy birthday, Cindy! House 1 girls made lavender bags to help keep their rooms smelling nice and fresh! All boarders had an exciting evening with indoor games, including Twister, Articulate, and lots more!

We can't wait to see what other fun and amazing activities the Houses get up to this year! This is only the beginning...

Miss Barnett

Netball vs Magic

U16

A mixed U15 and U16 squad played Magic Netball Club in friendly match on Tuesday evening. We tried lots of different combinations to help us get a clearer picture on where to focus in the coming weeks. Everyone played extremely well – despite the heat! It was great to see so many players back on court after a long summer break – keep up the good work!

Miss Hammond

U13

Our U13s had a friendly match versus Magic, to help dust off the cobwebs before we start training hard in the lead up to the National Cup match on 21 September. We played some brilliant Netball, worked with different people, and tried some new positions. It was a very valuable training match, and all players took feedback on board effectively.

Hammond

RYA Level 2 Sailing Course Jasmine Captains Surrey Storm U15 NPL to Silver at National Academies!

Congratulations to Athena, Evelyn, and Zoe (Yr9), who all did a sailing course at Brighton Marina over summer. They all achieved Level 1 and Level 2 Royal Yachting Association (RYA) sailing qualifications, which is excellent, and they had a good time earning it! – well done!

We were absolutely delighted to hear of Jasmine's (Yr11) achievements this summer.

She has been through an 8-month trial process to secure a spot in the U15 NPL squad. Not only did she secure a spot, but she was also named Captain in the recent England Netball National Academies Tournament.

They performed extremely well, and managed to get through to the final, where they faced local rivals, London Pulse. Unfortunately, they were pipped in the Final, but this still meant that they placed 2nd nationally!

Congratulations, Jasmine!

Miss Hammond

Miss

U13

National Success for Showjumper Jasmine

Following Jasmine’s success in representing British Children on Horses Youth team in 3 different firebrand Nations Cups leading up to the summer break, she continued to train and excel over the holiday period.

Jasmine (Yr10) came 3rd in the South of England Under 23 class, against jumpers almost 10 years older than her; she came 4th in the British Showjumping National Final Children on Horses Championship; she competed successfully as the only British Youth Individual in Peelbergen, Netherlands; and again, represented Great Britain in the Zurich Youth Masters Nations Cup in Switzerland, as an individual athlete.

As we head towards the end of British Showjumping Spring/Summer season, Jasmine and her unbelievable horse, Willow, as a combination are currently ranked 3rd in the National Children on Horses points league.

Wow – what an amazing summer of showjumping!

Junior Athletics Colours 2022-23

A huge well done to the following students for being awarded either full or half colours last term in Athletics. You were all fantastic, both in training and representing Roedean in meets.

Full Colours:

Minnie; Ruby; Molly; Aimee; Bella; Alicia; Harriet

Half Colours:

Katherine; Georgia; Tiah; Romey; Megan; Amelie; Isobel; Yan Yan; Andrea; Isabella; Florence; Sorrel; Sophie

Well done!

Gold for Farah at the Atlantis Summer Gala!

Farah (Yr8) had an amazing achievement in Swimming back in June.  At the Atlantis Sumner Gala, she took gold in the 200m fly and trimmed her PB by 4 seconds! Her new PB of 3.15 has smashed the entry time for the Sussex County Championships in October. We look forward to hearing how she does – good luck, Farah!

Miss Hammond

U18B Hockey vs the ORs

Congratulations to everyone who played in a match versus the ORs on the first weekend of term, including some Year 9s, 10s, and 11s – it was a great game for their first of the season, and the final score was 2-2. Well done!

It was great to start the hockey season with the U16s with an inter-year group game on Saturday morning, with lots of catching up still to do and a chance to meet everyone for me. Everyone was ready and raring to go after a lovely summer off, and they had clearly been playing some hockey, as all twenty-three looked very sharp.

The teams were mixed up, which meant a tightly-contested fixture, showing the ability and quality that the students hold. This ended up in a 2-0 win for the bib team, however there were many chances for both teams to score more. A big shout-out goes to the stand-in goalkeeper, Sky, who pulled off a string of high-level saves against the older year group.

The next fixture for the U16As is this coming Saturday against Ardingly College at home for a 9.30am push back. The U16B match is away against the same opposition at 10.45am.

U16 Hockey Success for Cora with Lewes Priory Cricket Club

Mr Foggoa

Great Start for the U14C Hockey team

The U14Cs took on their first Hockey match of the term at Roedean against our U15Cs on Saturday.

It was a beautiful day, with a very positive atmosphere down on the pitch. As it was the first match of the season and a friendly between the two Roedean teams, they were mixed, with some players trying out new positions on the pitch. The girls adapted really well, and worked hard to create space and communicate with each other.

The U14Cs demonstrated some great passing work and moving into space, and, as a result, both teams came away having scored. The U15Cs put forward a strong attacking front, so the U14Cs worked hard to keep strong in defence. A particular mention goes to Michelle, for doing a great job of keeping her head up and clearing the ball effectively for the team as it edged into the D. The match finished with both teams having worked extremely hard and effectively together to provide passing opportunities. It was a great way to start off the hockey term, and the U14Cs look to have a great season ahead of them.

Well done to Cora (Yr7), who plays for U11 Lewes Priory Cricket Club.

They had a great season, winning their league, winning their division playoffs, and then getting through to the Sussex Finals. They also recently won the ECB Sussex Softball tournament.

Congratulations!

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: aws@roedean.co.uk

Miss Donovan