Like many, we enjoyed some spectacular skies last night – it was lovely to see the School with the magical backdrop of the Northern Lights!
Thank you to everyone who wore something yellow yesterday to mark World Mental Health Day, and I am very pleased that last week’s’ ‘wear something woolly’ non-uniform day and bake sale raised £506 for Off The Fence. Using these funds raised, some of our Year 12s and 10s intend to prepare ‘comfort boxes’ to be distributed amongst the homeless in Brighton – well done!
Congratulations to Julia in Year 13, who has achieved full marks in the Senior Maths Challenge – only 83 points were required for Gold, and Julia astonishingly scored 125! I am pleased that two of our Co-Curricular Clubs came together this week to hold a formal debate – Debating Society and PhilSoc explored the pros and cons of AI. Our Academic Prefects also hosted Roedean’s University Challenge in the Theatre this week, with four teams competing to get into next week’s Final.
Yesterday, there was an OR lunch in London, which was attended by forty Old Roedeanians ranging in age from 24 to 80, and I am sure that they had a wonderful time catching up and reminiscing. This Saturday, a group of ORs will also be visiting Roedean to hold their AGM and look around the School. Today, we also welcomed local MP, Chris Ward, to the School, and I am confident that his visit will have given him a strong impression of everything which goes on at Roedean.
I am looking forward to next week’s Black History Month lecture, at which we will be joined by 90 students from six local state schools – our speaker, Carolynn Bain, will speak about contemporary literature by Black authors. This event will complement a series of author visits and a Harry Potter tea-party to celebrate World Book Day during the course of the week.
Good luck to those playing Hockey today and Netball tomorrow, and I hope that you all have a lovely, restful weekend!
U12D Hockey vs Brighton College
World Mental Health Day at Roedean
Year 12 Social at Globalls
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.
Hayley and Natalie (Yr12) – for giving a magical performance of Faure's Sicilienne on Xylophone and Vibrophone in Chapel [Dr Barrand]
Joy (Yr9), Alice (Yr11), and Haewon (Yr13) – for sharing their thoughts about the philanthropic impact our community makes in Chapel [Dr Barrand]
Coco gains a place on Ballet Rambert Associate Programme
During the summer, Coco was accepted on an intensive week course at the Ballet Rambert school.
At the end of the week the school awarded six places out of 90+ students to join the Ballet Rambert Associate Programme PRE|PARE course 2024/25.
Coco is one of the chosen six. This is an extraordinary opportunity for her to further her dance skills at such a prestigious school.
She is expected to give her total commitment. It runs every Saturday 9am1pm in Richmond, London.
Well done!
Debating Extravaganza –Tuesday 8 October
On Tuesday 1 and 8 October, PhilSoc and Debate Club joined forces to debate the motion: 'This House Would Further Regulate Generative AI'. Proposing the motion were Amelia, Siyun, and Cheyenne, while Rukhshona, Nicole, and Alex sought to oppose the motion.
The teams engaged with the cut and thrust of the debate in timed conditions with remarkable poise, and sought to eloquently question the concepts of creativity, ethical boundaries, and human dignity in the process. There were some fantastic points of information offered, in order to control the direction of the debate, prioritise the individual experience of the damaging effects of generative AI, as well as reject the issue of job losses.
A particular well done to PhilSoc speakers, who managed the controlled format of a debate with real flair! The motion was carried, as the proposition defended their points with rigour and great research, as well as excellent teamwork. Well done to all involved!
We look forward to the next debating extravaganza with MedeVet+ in November, as well as the Mace Debating Competition on 25 November!
Julia Achieved Full Marks in the Senior Maths Challenge!
The Senior Maths Challenge results are in, and our students have received some fantastic scores. 11 students have achieved Gold, 23 have earned Silver, and 39 Bronze, which is an impressive set of results.
The following students achieved Gold awards:
■ Year 11 – Angelina
■ Year 12 – Sihu, Claire, Abby, Ronni
■ Year 13 – Julia, Vicky, Carrie, Aimee, Seraphe, Haewon
The threshold for Gold was 83 points, and this represents about the top 8-9%. Well done, therefore, to Angelina, who achieved the second highest score in the School, with an impressive 108 points, despite only being in Year 11.
However, Julia's achievment is the most impressive, with a remarkable score of 125 out of 125. To get every single question right in this challenging test is outstanding, particularly so since the Gold threshold is over 40 marks lower!
Congratulations!
Mrs Hopper
Ms Shahab
Year 12 Social at Globalls
'The Year 12 trip to Globalls, a mini-golf club, was certainly a highlight of last week, offering the chance to spend time with friends in a fun and unique setting. The vibrant UV lightning, paired with creative artwork and themed decorations, transformed the space into something extraordinary. Each corner of the course was carefully designed, featuring glowing animals and underwater scenes that made the experience visually striking. The playful competition between us added to the excitement, as we all tried to get the best scores, cheering each other on and celebrating our wins. Beyond the game itself, it was the chance to bond with friends, take photos, share joyful moments, and create lasting memories that made the outing so special. It was a great way to get to know each other better – the combination of creativity, fun, and friendship turned this trip into an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Congratulations to Olivia, Mrs Chamberlain, and Miss Ali for winning their rounds.'
Author visit –Elle McNicoll
In anticipation of Book Week next week, it was our pleasure to welcome Elle McNicoll to Roedean. She is a best-selling and award-winning author who advocates for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing. Her debut novel, A Kind of Spark, won the Blue Peter Book Award and the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, as well as Blackwell’s Book of 2020, and it was adapted for a CBBC series.
Elle came to Roedean on Thursday to talk to Year 9 students about her experiences as an author. She spoke the challenges of getting her debut novel published, and her involvement in the television adaptation.
Elle inspired students with stories about her life as a writer, and talked about the importance of following your passion and not listening to negativity from others.
Elle finished by discussing her latest book, Some like it Cold, followed by a Q&A session. The students asked interesting and informed questions, and enjoyed having the opportunity to ask advice from such a successful writer.
Mrs Bailey
Irina (Yr12)
This week in Boarding…
House 1 baked some delicious cookies, which looked almost too perfect to eat! The smell of freshly baked cookies drew many to the ODR and the sweet treats were gone in a flash!
House 2 are getting prepared for the season, making colourful autumn leaf decorations for the ODR. The boarders baked Biscoff cookie cups, which were filled with ice cream for a mid-week treat! Over the weekend, boarders have enjoyed baking along to The Great British Bake Off, and made sugar cookies, which were of course decorated with plenty of sprinkles!
House 3 participated in a game of Giant Spoons, with oversized playing cards, where things got very competitive! October 3rd rolled around and the annual Mean Girls' Day was marked appropriately with pink PJs, pink snacks, and a movie night! Creativity has been brewing, as boarders made little figurines out of air dry clay. The weekend saw a pasta bar, with different types of pasta and a choice of sauces, and plenty of cheese!
House 4 celebrated Mean Girls' Day too, with a movie night, plenty of pink-themed snacks, and a strawberry lace race – it was a fun evening filled with lots of laughter! Girls took the opportunity to write postcards to send to their loved ones for National Send a Postcard Day!
Keswick had a go at making homemade bubble tea, which went down a treat. The boarders spent the night chatting, until there were no more bubbles left!
Lawerence have been getting crafty, making colourful decorations for the House in preparation for Halloween. Boarders celebrated Black History Month, with an afternoon Somali tea and discussing this year's theme 'reclaiming narratives'.
Miss Barnett
International Boarding Day
International Boarding Day fell on 5 October, and saw a 'round the world' adventure through each House, with lots of foods and activities to celebrate just a selection of the cultures that are involved in boarding at Roedean. The girls had miniature passports to travel from House to House, stamping each country they collected, trying new cuisines, and learning about the countries.
House 1 split their ODR in two, with one half being dedicated to Japan, containing a lovely paper model blossom tree and traditional origami decorations. Girls were served flavoured mochi, a selection of sushi, delicious matcha milk, and fruit sandwiches, while completing sudoku challenges. The other half of the ODR was transformed into Nigeria, with a waterfall, trees lining the walls, and a mini Nigerian football pitch. The boarders enjoyed some freshly cooked jollof rice and fried plantain, to complete the atmosphere.
House 2 highlighted two European countries, Sweden and Belgium. Boarders made bunting inspired by iconic features from the countries, such as Swedish IKEA and ABBA, and recreated the flags to decorate the ODR. Sweet smells of freshly baked cinnamon buns filled the ODR, which were perfect to indulge in a 'Fika', a Swedish coffee break. Belgian fries and waffles were a must-have, with a wide selection of sauces available to top it off!
House 3 brought the red and yellow of Spain and China together for the evening, with a custom menu, including warm Spanish churros smothered in sugar and non-alcoholic sangria, accompanied by Chinese dumplings and sweet lemon tea! The girls enjoyed these snacks, with some traditional Spanish music and games of Chinese Mahjong.
House 4 rolled out the red carpet for a night in Hollywood! The ODR was sparkling with golden streamers, balloons, and an extra large sparkly Oscar award. American hot dogs, breakfast waffles, and scrumptious NYC cookies were a hit with the girls. The photobooth was a busy spot, with boarders queuing to get their snaps with glitz and glam props!
Keswick transported girls to South Korea and India for a wonderful adventure with plenty of colourful and flavoursome foods! These included South Korean Hwachae, Tteokbokki, Kimchi pancakes and sushi rolls, and Indian Nimbu Pani drink, samosa, and onion bhajis.
Lawrence represented Thailand, with some lovely Thai snacks, including Gluay Buad Chee (Pengat Pisang in Indonesian) which is made with bananas, coconut cream, and extract of pandam. A popular drink amongst the girls was Thai tea, which is traditionally served cold with condensed milk! The girls also made a traditional German Black Forest Gateau, with layers of sponge, cherries and cream –it didn't last very long, and was enjoyed by many!
Miss Barnett
World Mental Health Day at Roedean
Hockey vs Brighton College
U12D
'On Wednesday, we played a hockey match against Brighton College. We found it really fun even though we lost. This was our first indoor match, and we found it quite challenging but still very enjoyable. When we first arrived at Brighton College, we were scared but excited at the same time, but now that we have played a match with them we feel more comfortable playing with them, and making new friends! We lost 3-1 but got better as the game went on as we learnt more, including how to play a formation. Amelie got Player of the Match from Brighton College, and Emmanuella was Miss Bamford's Player of the Match. We already can’t wait for the next game.'
Emmanuella and Amelie
U13B
The U13B team won 7-0 at Brighton College, to continue their excellent form this term. Roedean began quickly and took control of the game through a hat-trick from Indira, her second of the season, and two from Phoebe, to lead 5-0 at half time. Indira was outstanding on the right, Phoebe sniffed out opportunities in front of goal, Hester carried the ball with composure, and Sophie was always calm under pressure. The second half saw lots of positional changes, some of which were more popular than others (!), but Cora and the much-changed defence kept another clean sheet, and Hester and Soraya each scored a goal.
Mr Smethurst
U13D
Wednesday saw the U13D take on Brighton College in a local derby. The game was shared with the U13E team, with the Ds having the first half.
It was an exciting game, with Roedean having the majority of the possession and plenty of chances on goal. With a hard slap, Chantelle had several shots saved and some went wide of the posts. However, it was a great passage of play that saw our goal scored – Amara made a great defensive tackle, passing the ball out to Dixie and down to Anna, who dribbled and eliminated several players with her skill, and Jess who finished off with a slap into the goal. Unfortunately, a quick break saw Brighton sprint down the pitch, with limited defensive pressure, and, after some great saves from Charlotte, they finally found the back of the net.
The final score was 1-1, and the Coach's Player of the Match was Anna, for trying out some of the stick stills which she has been practising in training.
Miss Kirby-Jones
House Cross Country
On Friday, all four Houses competed against each other in the annual cross-country event, and over 100 students took part.
We kicked off the event with a warm-up led by Miss Hammond. This got everyone pumped and ready to race. The Seniors led the competition, followed by the Inters, and the Juniors ran last.
Each House had to have a minimum of 5 runners per age group – the fastest runner scored 5 points, 4 points for second, and so on.
are the scores:
Thank you to everyone who came down to support the runners and their Houses. Well done to all the runners involved, and a very big thank you goes to Miss Donovan who organised the event.
Farah's Success at Portsmouth Swimming Gala
Farah (Yr8) took part in a swimming gala in Portsmouth at the weekend, racing in a number of events across varying distances. She came away with an incredible 5 Personal Bests, in her 50m Freestyle, 50m Fly, 200m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, and 200m Butterfly events. Her 200m Butterfly was particularly impressive, as Farah not ony achieved a bronze medal, but also a regional qualifying time! An incredible performance – well done!
Miss Donovan
Miss Walsh
Maisa Selected for the Sussex Swimming Team at Intercounties!
Last weekend, Maisa was selected to represent Sussex in the National County Team Championship in Sheffield. She was racing in the 12-13 age-group category, and was the only 12 year old selected for Sussex, making her the youngest in the team.
Maisa qualified for the 50m back and managed to get a PB of 33.21 seconds as part of the Medley Relay. Overall, Sussex was able to remain in the Division #1 and managed to move one
place up. It was a fantastic experience for her, as the team really came together and she was able to make new friends with swimmers from other Sussex clubs. The team also had the opportunity to stop at Loughborough University on the way up to Sheffield, and swim in the 'Pool of Dreams' where many Olympians train.
Maisa's swimming season continues this weekend, as she takes part in the first round of the Arena League team competition. The
weekend after, she will also be racing at the County Championships, where she made the qualifying times for every event! Sensibly, she will be taking part in only 12/16 of them to give herself time to recover in each session.
Huge congratulations on this weekend Maisa, and best of luck for your upcoming competitions!
Miss Donovan
U14s National Schools' Netball
The day had finally arrived for the U14A Netball team to put their last couple of weeks of practice into action. With, undeniably, the harder of the two pools to play against, the girls warmed up for their first game. Unfortunately, the opposition had pulled out the night before, leaving just 5 in the group and no one to play in the first round. Although unsettling, the girls pushed the focus on to the next game, this one, a tough battle against Oscar Romero. It was clear that they were still feeling the nerves a little, and, although they held the opposition at bay for the first half and only going down by a few goals, Oscar Romero turned the ball over too many times, leaving the final score at 4-11.
The next two games were also big a challenge, as we faced Hurst and Brighton Girls. The defence worked incredibly hard to turn the ball over, with Andrea, Betsy, and Chiara getting tips and intercepts across the court, but the team struggled to get it through the mid-court and into the D. Maddie and Kayla made some good efforts in centre court to try to rebalance this, but unfortunately the two matches ended in defeat. The girls were, therefore, determined to win their final game; with some changes in position, we faced up against Mayfield. With Matilda and Sophie shooting, and Heidi in the centre court, we were able to feed the D well, managing to pull away with force and winning 14-5.
Despite the earlier losses, we were through to the quarter finals, and were faced with Brighton College. With the addition of Eva to the shooting partnership, there was some really positive play, but it seemed that, by this point, we did not have quite enough left in the tank to pull off a win. A big well done to this team, including the three Year 8 players, and Maddie and Naomi, who had trained with the squad up until the day, on facing some tough opposition with courage. There is lots to look forward to for the rest of the season.
Miss Kirby-Jones
Netball – U19 National Schools' Tournament –County Rounds
Saturday saw us hosting the County rounds of the National Netball Schools' Competition – U14, U16, and U19. It was going to be a full-on day for the U19s, as our tournament was a round robin, so we played everyone in the age group, which meant 10 matches in total.
Helping out with the U19 team were Romey and Aimee (Yr11) and Liv (Yr10). So, for a team that hadn’t practised much together, we had some really good matches, and even against the harder teams, we often managed to get half their score. BHASVIC, Hurst, and Brighton College had very strong teams, and we struggled against them, but our best matches, the ones we won, were against Eastbourne, Bede’s, and Mayfield. Lancing was our first match, and we narrowly missed out on the win, losing to them 6-5. If we had played them later on, we would have beaten them for sure. We lost, but got half scores or more against the remaining schools: Collyers, Ardingly, and Seaford.
The standard of Netball from all the schools was amazing, and the second half of the day saw us go from strength to strength – we felt really positive by the end of it.
Coach's Player of the Tournament: Clara (GD) – for working so well with Solari in the D, making lots of turnovers and forcing the attackers to pass the ball around the D, not allowing an easy pass in.
Individual Highlights
■ GK/GD – Solari – always so good at timing tips/flying interceptions, super light on her feet, and tracking her shooter well and slowing down balls into the shooters
■ WD – Zara – lovely drives through the mid-court, into the space, and getting free from her defender, to offer that mid-court pass that we were often missing
■ WD – Romey – staying tight to her WA, who was often super quick and forcing her wide and away from the D, great 2nd stage defence as well to pressure the pass
■ C – Izzy – lovely drives through the court and into space, often playing against the best player on the team, also she did some lovely feeds in to the shooters
■ C – Aimee – normally plays GD, but can clearly play any position well – she read the game so well, making sure she didn’t drive into other players' space, and was always there just when you needed her, with incredible feeds into the shooters
■ WA – Liv – playing girls 4 years older than her, but she didn’t let it faze her – she worked well with Saffron, trying not to get in each other's space, and again doing some great feeds into the shooters
■ GA – Saffron – working well with Alice, not getting in her space and being confident to give the overheads – she got lots of rebounds too against tall defenders, and her shooting accuracy was excellent
■ GS – Alice – holding her space in the D and allowing herself room behind her for the lovely overhead ball – her shooting accuracy was also excellent
Miss Patching-Jones
Wren – 6th Place Riding Henry
Congratulations to Wren (Yr7), who competed in her first show on Henry. She got a clear round and placed 6th in a big class –this achievement was particularly impressive as she pushed herself outside her comfort zone on a new horse. Well done!
Mrs Waller
U13D Hockey vs Mayfield... Goals Galore
Last Wednesday saw the U13D team play against Mayfield. After warming up with a mini-game against the U12B team, the girls were ready and raring to go. This was reflected when they got on the pitch to play, with Jess scoring our first goal within the first few minutes. After some lovely transitional play, from the midfielders up to our forwards, we had numerous more chances in the first half, and 3 more goals were scored, with Anna and Amara also adding their names to the goal scorers' list.
At half-time, the score was 5-0, so the girls challenged themselves to think of creative ways to move the ball around the pitch – they looked to make more passes and use the whole space. After several positional changes, two more goals were scored, finishing the game with a 7-0 score line.
Congratulations to Chantelle, who was awarded Player of the Match by the opposition, and Amara, who was my MVP.
Miss Kirby-Jones
Sporting stars of the Week
Well done to this week's sporting stars:
Year 7
Emmanuella, for excellent progress in Hockey this term
Year 8
Betsy, for fantastic performances at National Schools' Netball
Year 9
Beth, for a great attitude and focus in PE lessons
Year 10
Flo, for excellent diligence and commitment to all sporting lessons
Year 11
Megs, for outstanding effort and focus in all sporting lessons
Year 12
Saffron, for excellent effort in Netball and Hockey
Year 13
Mancy, for fantastic overall commitment and effort in everything PE
Well done! Mr Campleman
We welcome contributions from all parts of the Roedean community. If you have something you would like featured in the Head’s Weekly Review, please email: aws@roedean.co.uk
