SPRING 2018
RAISING FUNDS FOR OUR MEMBER SCHOOLS www.schoolnotices.co.uk
MARY BERRY INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION
Ben Garrod
ON DINOSAURS & DAVID ATTENBOROUGH SPACE SCOOP FROM
Tim Peake
WIN! TWO NIGHTS
AT CLIVEDEN HOTEL
Ken Shuttleworth DESIGNING HISTORY
AN ADVENTURE INTO ARCHITECTURE
and watch your business GROW!
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CONTENTS
Spring issue 2018
Reads Inspiring books for all ages 5 Science Gift Guide Cool science toys and gadgets 6 Scientific two nights at Cliveden Take a break at this iconic hotel 9 Win her bones makes Alice Roberts tick? 10 InWhat Control to Major Tim Tim Peake on being an astronaut 16 Ground Easter Gorgeous gifts to please all ages 23 Shop From Worms to Dinosaurs 25 Ben Garrod: his tour and working with Attenborough
Welcome
New Scientists St Mary’s Calne celebrates winning 30 a prestigious science award
In honour of Spring, this term’s edition celebrates a life scientific! Our member schools, Broomwood Hall and Northcote Lodge, share their lab secrets with us and we also celebrate St Mary’s Calne’s prestigious award for science. Professor Alice Roberts kicks off our inspirational interviews, talking about her fascination for bones. Dr Ben Garrod walks in the steps of dinosaurs, telling us how it all began with a worm. We hear from Mary Berry on the importance of domestic science along with her launch of our exciting cookery competition. For budding astronauts, Tim Peake takes us on a galactic journey of his experiences and Ken Shuttleworth then inspires us all with his architectural genius. It’s a bumper edition! Charity is at the heart of all we do and we report on how one boy’s extraordinary courage inspired the creation of the Everest Centre for research into brain tumours. We hope you enjoy this term’s magazine and wish you all a very happy Easter.
The School Notices Team Follow us on
Just kidding!
O H
H
The name’s Bond, ‘Hydrogen Bond’
H
H O
Simply Mary We talk to Mary Berry about 33 cooking with kids, her new book
and launching our competition
History Meet architect Ken Shuttleworth 39 Building Climb Every Mountain An inspirational mother’s 43 fundraising adventure
Loving The Lab Science secrets from Broomwood 47 Hall and Northcote Lodge
What it’s all About 53 How our charitable fundraising has benefited member schools Facts 57 Fun Have a laugh this Easter! Space 58 Head One head shares his thoughts
SPRING 2018
RAISING FUNDS FOR OUR MEMBER SCHOOLS www.schoolnotices.co.uk
Publisher Katie Wiggin Editor-at-large Sophie Stone Editor Sally J. Hall Artistic Director Ruth Ellis Design Reid Creative Cover photograph Millie Pilkington for Leweston School Printed by London Print
MARY BERRY INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION
Ben Garrod
ON DINOSAURS & DAVID ATTENBOROUGH SPACE SCOOP FROM
Tim Peake
WIN!
TWO NIGHTS AT CLIVEDEN HOTEL
Ken Shuttleworth DESIGNING HISTORY
AN ADVENTURE INTO ARCHITECTURE
Co-Founder, Managing Director Clare Reid Co-Founder, Managing Director Gordon Dawson Head of Advertising Tracy Hoar Head of Marketing Katie Wiggin Head of Schools Tia May For advertising and general enquires, please email info@schoolnotices.co.uk or call us on 01256 223060
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 3
BOOKS
Science READS Learn some amazing facts no matter what your age with these fascinating science books
Prep
THE SCIENCE TIMELINE WALLBOOK by the Science Museum
Humans have changed the world using both their hands and brains over the centuries since the Stone Age. This vibrant science book has a metre-long fold-out timeline with more than 1,000 pictures and facts telling the story of the world’s top inventors and scientists from ancient to modern times. It also has newpaper clippings, a 50 question science quiz and even a pocket magnifier. £12.99 What on Earth? Books
Adult non-fiction
Pre-prep
GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE by Roald Dahl
George is left looking after his grumpy Granny when his parents go out. She’s mean and really doesn’t like small boys! When it’s time for Granny’s medicine, George has a brainwave - perhaps he should add some special ingredients of his own. What could possibly go wrong? £5.99 Penguin
WHY WE SLEEP by Matthew Walker
Leading sleep scientist Walker has lots to tell us about sleep. Far from it being desirable to survive on a few hours, it may be damaging our health and leaving us open to illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, obesity and diabetes if we don’t get a good eight hours a night. He shows how TV and internet-enabled devices before bed can suppress levels of melatonin that are essential for good sleep. £9.99 Penguin
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 5
Scientific
GIFT GUIDE Explore our guide to the best gadgets out there…
Art-T Robot Clock £30 www.theoriginalmetalbox.com
Junior
Astronaut Food Bananas £4.99 www.astronautfood.co.uk
4M Glow Crystal Growing £9.99 www.brightminds.co.uk
Meccano Robot M.A.X £134.99 www.johnlewis.com
Galileo Thermometer £15 www.sciencemuseumshop.co.uk
Star Create a Night’s Sky Projection Kit £11.95 www.greatgizmos.co.uk
Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty £14.99 www.puttyworld.co.uk
4M Great Gizmo Potato Clock £10.77 www.gameseek.co.uk
SHOPPING
Hercules 500mm Quadcopter £37.87 www.hobbyking.com Spirit level Cufflinks £13.99 www.presentindicative.com
Senior
3D Gyro Lamp £14.95 www.glow.co.uk
Star Plasma Ball Lamp £19.99 www.argos.co.uk
Spacemasks £15 www.spacemasks.com
Cheese Degrees Chopping Board £14.99 www.amazon.co.uk
Heritage -76 Telescope £54.99 www.curiousminds.co.uk
Alpha 1S Robot2 £400 www.sciencemuseumshop.com
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 7
E K A M S ’ T LE A SPLASH
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on just one handy bottle, So if you’d rather splash out tion. join the children of the revolu childsfarm.com
COMPETITION
WIN a mini-break with your little ones at Cliveden! To celebrate the launch of the Little Lords and Little Ladies Club, Cliveden Country House Hotel is giving School Notices members the chance to win a fantastic two-night stay at this gorgeous destination
Cliveden is unique... Nobody could resist an invitation to Cliveden which has played host to the famous and infamous. From Churchill to Chaplin, Lawrence to Lennon, fortunes have been made and history changed. This stately home set in the Berkshire countryside is surrounded by 376 acres of National Trust gardens with panoramic views of the Thames. The Little Lords and Little Ladies Club allows you to enjoy the fabulous facilities of Cliveden while your children are cared for. In the holidays, the Club (3-12 years) offers supervised fun where your children can enjoy painting, puzzles, train sets and story-time for younger guests. There are board games, toys, children’s videos, games and more. ★ Win a two-night stay with two children (max 12 years) staying in their parents’ room. T&Cs apply.
HOW TO ENTER To enter this fabulous competition, you must be a registered member on School Notices. Join us and then email
competition@schoolnotices.co.uk Please include your name, affiliated school and put “Cliveden’ in the subject line. Good Luck!
TERMS AND CONDITIONS Maximum of two children (max. 12 years of age) , staying in parents’ room, includes breakfast (other meals charged extra). Available Sunday to Thursday, excluding Bank Holidays, subject to availability. Transport not included.
www.clivedenhouse.co.uk
IN HER bones
From junior doctor to Time Team’s skeleton expert, Alice Roberts has found fulfilment and wonder in the world of Science Were you always interested in the sciences? “I loved science at school and particularly biology. I had an anatomy pop-up book when I was about seven or eight and was utterly fascinated by the structure of the human body and I still am!” Did anybody inspire you? “I was particularly inspired by great science writers like Steven Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins and Steve Jones. David Attenborough was an inspiration to me too, of course. But my dad was also an important inspiration to me - he’s an engineer and taught me a lot about critical thinking and questioning the world around me, as well as instilling a love of tinkering and taking things apart to find out how they worked. “I suppose that’s why I ended up doing human anatomy - I’m fascinated by the way the human body is put together and the best way to understand that is to take it apart! My local museum and the hands-on science centre were places that inspired me as a child. My mum inspired me too - particularly instilling a love of reading and art.” Do you think there’s a gender divide when it comes to careers
within the sciences? “Yes - but it’s different for different sciences! I think it’s really important that girls aren’t turned off from doing physics and engineering because those are somehow seen as ‘boys’ subjects’ but I think it’s equally important that boys aren’t turned off from subjects like drama, psychology and biology. “These gender stereotypes are social constructs that have the power to narrow our children’s horizons and lower their ambitions. I think there’s a strong moral imperative to tackle those stereotypes - for the sake of our boys as well as our girls.” Tell us about your findings for the Horizon programme, Is Your Brain Male or Female? The main conclusion is that the answer to that question in the title is ‘no’! Sex differences explain a really tiny amount of the variation that exists in neuroanatomy and psychology between one person and another. A lot of the differences we do see between adults arise because of cultural influences. Cordelia Fine has written a fascinating book called Delusions of Gender about all this. What’s weird is that people seem to want there to be more of a difference than
“GENDER STEREOTYPES ARE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS THAT NARROW OUR CHILDREN’S HORIZONS AND LOWER THEIR AMBITIONS”
PHOTOGRAPHY: © UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
INTERVIEW
there actually is.” How did your career path progress from school onwards? “I wanted to do something which involved applied science and medicine was the obvious choice. After my medical degree, I worked as a junior doctor in South Wales, then took a job at Bristol University, teaching anatomy to medical students, while still doing surgery some evenings and weekends. “I stayed on as a lecturer planning to go back to surgery but I gradually became more embedded in academia and did a part time PhD alongside teaching and doing research on archaeological skeletons. My TV work developed out of my research interest, when I became a human bone expert on Time Team. I fitted that around academic work. I left Bristol in 2009 and went completely freelance for a couple of years before taking up a professorship in public engagement at the University of Birmingham, where I still work. My various roles now include a mix of academic research and teaching, writing and broadcast work and I love the variety and the synergy in these different areas.” What advice would you give to female pupils who are keen to follow in your footsteps? “Go for it - follow your passion! And of course I’d say that to the boys too.”
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 11
Looking after your
FUTURE FAMILY Together, StemCellCare and Future Health Biobank are making stem cell treatments possible. Giving you the resources to help your loved ones when they need it most
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Stem Cell Banking: The Lowdown WHAT IS IT?
Stem cell banking is a once in a lifetime opportunity that many parents are utilising to help protect their families against potential life threatening conditions.
WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?
There are currently around 80 conditions for which the use of Stem cell therapy is now considered relatively standard, with over 4,500 cord blood transplants taking place every year. However, the cost of using stem “…in an average cells even for these approved The most common form of stem person’s life ( 70 years) therapies is high and, in some cell banking is for umbilical there is a cases, can be in excess of cord blood and tissue. The £100,000. Making these sample is taken at birth and treatments accessible via an there are two types of stem insurance policy is a major cells contained in cord blood chance of them requiring step forward in biobanking. In and tissue: a transplant of their the study by JJ Nietfield*, it is own or someone else’s forecast that in an average person’s Haematopoietic stem cells stem cells” life (70 years) there is a 1 in 217 (found in the cord blood) – which chance of them requiring a transplant of have numerous current applications – their own or someone else’s stem cells. HSCT (Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants) are common treatments for diseases such as Leukaemia and Fanconi’s Anaemia WHAT ARE THE FUTURE
1 in 217
Mesenchymal stem cells (found in the cord tissue) – which have more future applications – potentially treating conditions such as Cerebral Palsy and Autism.
APPLICATIONS?
There are currently over 300 clinical trials underway aiming to expand the standard therapies that cord blood and tissue can be used for. The greater number of potential uses, the more value your stored sample will have to your child and family.
If you currently store stem cells for your child and are interested in getting more information about StemCellCare insurance provided by Future Family, please visit www.stemcellcare.co.uk or email us at support@stemcellcare.co.uk In association with Future Health Biobank, the UKs largest and most accredited biobank and StemCellCare, Future Family Insurance. *Reference: JJ Nietfield, MC Pasquini, BR Logan, F.Verter, MM Horowitz Lifetime Probabilities of Hematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation in the U.S. Published in: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 2008;14:316-322. Future Family Limited (Company Number: 07828098) is an Appointed Representative of Pulse Insurance Limited. Pulse Insurance Limited (Firm Reference No. 308626) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
A healthy future is in your hands
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 13
With over 500 courses on offer, there’s Something for Everyone 8th July to 4th August 2018 01672 892388 | summerschool.co.uk
1 https://www.ndcn.ox.ac.uk/research/sleep-circadian-neuroscience-institute/research-projects/teensleep 2 Harvard Health Letter, Blue Light Has a Dark Side, 2015 3 In a study of 200 subjects compared to no product
PROMOTION
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Why the secret to success lies in establishing a smarter sleep routine Why are teenagers always tired when they need to be awake and wired when they need to be asleep? Most teenagers average around seven hours’ sleep a night; however, studies have shown that they should be aiming for an average of nine. Why do teenagers struggle to get enough sleep? Teenage sleep patterns, like all sleep patterns, are set by our built-in circadian rhythm. During adolescence there is a shift in circadian rhythms1, linked to the onset of puberty and its associated hormonal changes. Today, this is compounded by the extensive use of technology. Growing use of blue light-emitting devices in the hour before bed – is proven to suppress the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Exposure to blue light can also increase alertness and shift our natural biological rhythm2.
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SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 15
Ground control to MAJOR TIM Tim Peake is the charismatic astronaut who visited the International Space Station (ISS) for six months on his historic Principia mission. His book, Ask an Astronaut, answers all the wonderfully funny and serious questions his avid fans have asked him since his return to Earth
D
uring his mission, Tim conducted numerous groundbreaking science experiments and engaged the British public in ingenious ways. Tim became the first British astronaut to complete a spacewalk and the first person to run the London marathon in space. He spoke to hundreds of thousands of school children back on Earth via events such as the Cosmic Classroom live from the ISS, engaging over one million children during the whole mission. He was also involved in other memorable events, such as presenting the BRIT Awards live from space in a dinner jacket. Tim is married with two sons and enjoys skiing, scuba diving, cross-country running, climbing and mountaineering and he completed the London Marathon in 2006. His other interests include quantum physics and aviation. Here is a cosmic taster of Ask an Astronaut…
What was your luxury item on board? The item that I got the most pleasure from was definitely my camera. How long does it take to get to orbit? The entire launch sequence took a thrilling eight minutes and 48 seconds from launch pad to orbit. What surprised you the most when you first got into space? Just how black space appeared. It is the blackest black you could ever possibly imagine and it looks truly remarkable. What is the best bit about floating? It’s very relaxing and a wonderfully liberating sensation, as you don’t have to work against Earth’s gravity. What was the worst thing about living in space? Ha, what a great question! By far the grossest thing about living in space is watching the soles of your feet disintegrate during the first couple of months.
INTERVIEW
How do you wash your clothes in space? There is no washing machine on the space station and water is a very precious resource, so we just wear the same clothes for several days before we exchange them for a new item. How do you cut your hair and shave? Cutting hair in space is actually remarkably easy. We use a set of hair clippers that have been modified; they have a rubber-tube attachment to a vacuum cleaner. What was your favourite space food? There were several foods that I really enjoyed. Unsurprisingly, the food prepared by Heston Blumenthal and his team topped the list! What was your most essential item on board? I always carried a small torch and a Leatherman multi-tool on me. I used both items several times a day.
PHOTOGRAPHY: © ESA/NASA
How do you become an astronaut? There are certain skills and characteristics that you need to possess. Some of these attributes may surprise you - being good at languages is extremely useful. Academic requirements only get you so far. It is your drive, your enthusiasm and above all, your personality and character that will enable you to succeed. Ask an Astronaut by Tim Peake is published by Century in hardback, £20. Tim is pleased to announce that, as with his previous book, royalties received from the book will be donated to The Prince’s Trust
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 17
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SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 19
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PHYSICAL SAFETY THREATS Criminals may target a wealthy individual through their family or other third parties, including their personal assistants and domestic employees. Dangers can include extortion, online harassment and even stalking. Remind loved ones to review social media privacy settings and contact police if worried.
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SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 23
INTERVIEW
From worms to DINOSAURS
How a tiny invertebrate inspired a life-long love of primates in evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Ben Garrod When did you realise you wanted to work in the sciences? “I was about three or four, staying with my grandparents. My granddad took me for walks on the beach. We returned home one day when it had been raining and found lots of little red worms over his garden path. I didn’t understand where they had come from and my granddad told me they were moon worms. I was fascinated by them and this was the first step on my way to becoming a scientist.” How did your school years influence your career? “I loved school and learning; I still do. I was probably a weird student. One day on a run on the
beach, I found a seven-foot long species of British shark. I thought it would be great to dissect at lunch time and took it back to school. I will never forget the look on my biology teacher’s face!” What are your feelings towards the way the Sciences are taught within schools? “It needs to be done properly. There are some amazing science teachers out there already but I would like to see more scientists teaching.” When did you get your first big break? “I’ve had so many and I’m grateful for them all. My first was when I met Dr Jane Goodall, my childhood heroine. We chatted over dinner (I ››
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 25
FACTS BEN’S FAVOURITE You are more closely related to chimpanzees than chimpanzees are to gorillas More time separates T. Rex from a Stegosaurus than between a T. Rex and us
PHOTOGRAPHY: © DARREN WILLIAMS BBC,
INTERVIEW
was a waiter!) and by the time I’d served ice cream, I had her email address. Weeks later, I was working for Jane in Africa, looking after wild chimpanzees.” What is an Evolutionary Biologist? “The best job in the world. A biologist studies living things; the ‘evolutionary’ bit means things that evolve and change over time. My main area of specialism is great apes, monkeys and other primates. It’s a very cool job.” Why do you love dinosaurs? “They’re awesome! I think they are so popular because they make you think about them–we have a jigsaw with only a few pieces and have to go hunting for the extra pieces to build a picture of life millions of years ago.” What is your favourite dinosaur and why? “I’m a massive geek and think being brainy is a good thing . . . it makes sense then that I’d go for a brainy dinosaur. My favourite is Troodon. It has the biggest brain of any dinosaur for its body size and we assume it was a clever hunter.” You worked with David Attenborough on Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaurs; how was it working with the great master? “It was brilliant – not because of who he is but because of how he is. David still has that unstoppable passion that many of us have in childhood. He has a great sense of humour.” Has anything funny happened while filming? “I once filmed with an emu that kept trying to attack the soundman. I couldn’t stop laughing.” What work are you most proud of ? “Running a project with Jane Goodall working with chimpanzees in Uganda. It was hard but I loved it and I was able to make some small difference.” What advice would you give to kids eager to follow in your footsteps? “Don’t follow in someone else’s footsteps – make your own. Be proud of who you are and try as many interesting side paths along the bigger journey – you never know where you will end up or what fun you’ll have along the way.” What do you need for a career in the Sciences? “A real passion for the work you do and a mind that
Opposite: Ben and a giant dinosaur bone Above: Filming with David Attenborough Left: Skulls show how we have evolved over the Centuries
is always asking ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ If that’s you then you’re already halfway there.” You presented Hyper Evolution, Rise of the Robots, do you think robots could take over the world? “Nope.” What is your greatest concern for our planet? “People. We are the reason it’s in trouble but we are also the solution and we need to remember that. Why do you love your job? “My mum once said to me: ‘look for a job that means when you wake up most mornings you are looking forward to the day ahead’. That’s exactly what my job does and I love it.” Do you still have Lola as your pet? “Ha ha, I do. Lola is a skeleton of a monkey I’ve had for years. She was given to me by a professor who found her in the Amazon. She sits on a branch over my bookcase.” Ben’s tour, So You Think You Know About Dinosaurs, starts on 1st March and discusses palaeontology for a young audience. Dates and locations at www.josarsby.com/tours
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 27
Future-proofing your family’s
WEALTH Safeguarding the current and future lifestyle of you and your loved ones isn’t simply a matter of wise investment. Planning for the future means asking some big questions about where you are now and where you want to be So, how do you chart a course towards a more certain future for yourself and your family?
1. Go back to basics
Before getting into the details of your assets, liabilities, income and outgoings you need to remind yourself of what you want to achieve and what’s important to you. It’s about articulating your personal goals. For example, do you want to retire in five years’ time? Would you like to move abroad? Is there a personal project you’d love to focus on? When you’re clear about your aspirations – for your family as well as yourself – you can start to plan how to achieve them, bearing in mind the ‘winds of change’ that might blow you off course.
2. Know your worth
Cash-flow may not currently be an issue for you but prepare yourself. Many wealthier families are surprised when they take a closer look at how much they spend. Be thorough when analysing the net value of your estate and cash-flow. Don’t kid yourself!
PROMOTION
“You need to remind yourself of what you want to achieve and what’s important to you”
3. Think about the unthinkable
While it’s impossible to plan for every eventuality, there are some scenarios you need to consider to ensure your plans aren’t completely derailed. These are the hard questions to face. How will your family fare if you’re not around? What happens if your company fails or you lose your livelihood? You need to weigh up your Will as well as insurance options – not just to give yourself and your family basic reassurance but to ensure their standard of living can be maintained. Think about medical insurance, income replacement and life assurance for you and your spouse.
4. Don’t put off the Inheritance Tax question
There is no escaping death or taxes. Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning can certainly mitigate some of the burden on your loved ones. Particularly, given the rate of tax is set at 40% on an estate above £325,000 on death. Making significant lifetime gifts and surviving seven years from the date of the gift is perhaps the easiest route to lowering the IHT bill. However, you need to be clear on how much you can afford to give away without affecting your current standard of living and without ‘spoiling’ your children/ grandchildren.
5. Be smart with your specialists
Whether drafting a Will, creating trusts or buying overseas property, your plans may be complex and multifaceted. You may already have a family lawyer, an accountant or tax specialist that advises you. However, you need to be sure that they have the breadth and depth of experience appropriate to your current level of assets and your current needs. At HSBC Private Banking, we have the knowledge and experience to understand your goals and help you plan to achieve them. If we’ve sparked your interest in structuring your wealth for the future and you’d like to find out more, please head to www.hsbcprivatebank.com
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 29
NEW scientists
Having ambitious vision, creating a strong curriculum and a sense of fun ensures that girls can excel at the sciences, says Dr Felicia Kirk, Headmistress, St Mary’s Calne “Women are woefully underrepresented in science university courses and in science careers. A staggeringly low nine per cent of engineers are women. There are huge opportunities for girls in science and I have found that girls love the subject. We know that girls in an all-girls school are more likely to take science subjects
Alexandra Haydon leads the science team to help pupils “gain a deeper understanding of the Big Ideas in Science.”
because in our environment, they are liberated from stereotypes which teach them that science is ‘a boy thing’. Girls consistently do better in science subjects in girls’ schools and they are particularly more likely to study Physics. If we are to address the under-representation of women in science, then we as a girls’
school have a vital role to play in providing a stimulating and inspirational science programme. The Science Department at St Mary’s Calne has ambitious vision and strong strategic direction. Science teachers are constantly evaluating how they deliver the curriculum, looking for ways to develop the students’ ability to draw links across the disciplines and to gain a deeper understanding of the Big Ideas in Science. Their approach is very individual - they listen to the students to discover their interests and use these to plan both lessons
SPOTLIGHT
and extra-curricular activities. Space Society and Dissection Club are two examples of this. The teachers also expose the girls to current scientific research to promote an understanding of the dynamic nature of scientific knowledge. A wide range of science specialists visit the school to give lectures, seminars or to lead small group meetings and National Science Week is an annual highlight, with activities for the girls and the wider community. The teachers have strong partnerships with the Institute of Research in Schools (IRIS), the Microbiology Society and Bristol University to run small-scale research projects in our school that feed in to larger nationwide studies. They run their own Journal Club which teaches Sixth Formers how to read scientific journal articles, to explore areas of science far beyond the curriculum and, most importantly, to question. This all sounds very
“I am proud that our Science Department, under the leadership of Alexandra Haydon, is the first among independent schools in the country to be awarded Science Mark’s Platinum Award.” serious but our science teachers want the students not only to be passionate but also to have fun. A huge amount of care and attention goes into planning the most exciting and cutting-edge practical work to inspire and challenge the girls - in Year 8, our focus is on engineering. During their Chemistry lessons, the girls learn the principles of separation by extracting oils from a range of aromatic plants, get to grips with carbonate chemistry through the making of bath bombs and are exposed to the nature of transition metals through the making of coloured glass. I am proud that our Science Department, under the leadership of Alexandra Haydon, is the first
among independent schools in the country to be awarded Science Mark’s Platinum Award. The criteria for the award are extremely challenging and require a department to be thinking and operating well beyond what is required to get excellent exams results. They must develop the students’ curiosity and creativity. What made us successful in gaining this prestigious award was openness to trying new ideas, not being afraid of change and seeking feedback so as to further develop and enhance the breadth of science education. We also have belief in the importance of connection between science and other faculties and of course a quest for excellence.
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 31
INTERVIEW
Simply
MARY With five million copies of her books sold so far, Mary Berry seems unstoppable. We explore her views on how to inspire the next generation and delve into her latest cookbook, Classic
M
ary Berry can be described as the person who single-handedly brought baking back into fashion and it seems her personal mission is “to get everybody baking.” Having taught the nation how to cook over the past four decades and with over 75 cookery books and several television shows including The Great British Bake Off under her belt, Mary is hands-down the country’s favourite baker and she appeals to all age groups. She was
first encouraged to pursue cooking at school: “Mrs Date my Domestic Science teacher greatly inspired me, it was one of the only lessons I enjoyed!” she reveals. Mary went on to study at Le Cordon Bleu in France before landing a series of jobs in catering that led to her first book, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook in 1970. Her Baking Bible of 2009 became a best-seller and she became Food Editor of Ideal Home in 1970. Mary is passionate that children should be given the opportunity to start cooking as young as ››
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 33
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INTERVIEW
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“Understanding the Science of Cooking can be very rewarding, they get a final result and praise from family and friends and an understanding of the health and nutritional benefits they put into their recipes”
possible: “I think it should really start in secondary schools. In primary schools, it’s difficult to put the equipment in but in secondary schools it really makes a difference.” She continues: “Parents can start baking with children when they are younger and you can talk to them about nutrition in a simple way and do a bit of simple food preparation. They are never too young to start cooking and it’s better to have a scone or bread mix to play with, rather than Play Doh!” Mary feels that cooking in schools is not given the priority she feels it deserves but is pragmatic: “The schools don’t have the facilities anymore and that’s sad - but it is getting better. Parents often run after-school clubs and teachers offer Saturday morning cooking classes. We’re really lucky that they help.” Mary knows how important it is to enthuse children and to encourage their love of creativity: “The more they can do the better but they must cook things that they enjoy eating! It’s no good doing recipes they are not going to like or that are too expensive. When children leave home to study or work they should be able to cook at least 10 different meals that are nutritious and that don’t cost too much.” Continuing to foster a love of baking is also key, Mary says: “It’s never too early to let them help you cook their meal, which helps them learn all about food. Take them to a farm shop and help them understand where their food comes from it’s all a part of their education.” Cooking is also a great way for children who are perhaps not so academic to shine. “It’s something
they can get into, enjoy and understand,” she explains. “The science of cooking can be very rewarding and those children also get praise from their family when they have created something delicious, which is important perhaps especially so when they have not done so well at science or maths. An understanding of the nutrients in their recipes gives them lifelong lessons on the importance of eating healthily as well.” Mary was impressed by the skills of the contestants on the Junior Bake-Off, who were aged between nine and 12: “The kids were absolutely amazing. They had been very well taught and had a great interest in food and were keen to learn. They were very good at analysing and fully understanding what they were doing to get to the final product. Children nowadays also have a much more sophisticated palate and enjoy a variety of curries and spicy foods, plus food like couscous and quinoa which used not to be popular. And they are brought up on chilli and curry!” Mary’s new book, Classic is out now and it showcases 120 favourite recipes. Mary admits to cooking many of them regularly: “The book includes updated recipes that everybody wants to make that are great for families. There’s a French Onion Soup, Haddock and Spinach Pie, Chicken Curry, Kedgeree and some vegetarian recipes as well. Of course, there’s a bit of baking too!
Classic by Mary Berry. BBC Books, £26, available nationwide.
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 35
RECIPE
Warm Fondant Brownies
MAKES 16 brownies / COOK TIME: 30–35 minutes, plus cooling
Mary’s gooiest of brownies, moist and soft, ideal as a decadent dessert to serve with ice cream. Delicious! These don’t contain any flour, so are perfect for anyone who can’t tolerate gluten.
MA RY’S CL A
SSIC TIP
It’s best to leave the cooked brownies in the tin, rather than trying to turn them over and peel off the baking paper. They are so gooey, the beautiful crust will be crushed if they are over-handled. Slice straight from the tin, and use a palette knife to remove each square.
Ingredients • 350g (12oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces • 250g (9oz) butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing 300g (11oz) dark muscovado sugar • 6 eggs • 75g (3oz) ground almonds Prepare Ahead Can be made up to a day ahead and reheated to serve warm. Freeze The cooked brownies freeze well.
Instructions 1. You will need a 23 x 30cm (9 x 12in) traybake tin. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4, grease the tin with butter and line with baking paper. 2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, add the butter and set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat through until runny and melted. 3. Measure the sugar into a bowl, add the eggs and whisk until all the sugar has been incorporated. Carefully pour in the melted chocolate mixture and stir until evenly mixed, then fold in the ground almonds and gently stir to combine. 4. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for about 30–35 minutes or until a light crust forms on top and the mixture is firm around the edges but still soft in the middle. 5. Leave to cool in the tin, to let the brownies set, then cut into squares and serve with ice cream.
From Classic by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £26) Photography: Georgia Glynn-Smith 36 schoolnotices.co.uk ★ SPRING 18
INTERVIEW
COMPETITION
Are you our School Notices
Star Chef ?
Send us your own recipe along with a photograph of your creation and you could be our winner! Junior entry (5-10 years) and Senior entry (11-18 years). Two entries in each category will be shortlisted and sent to Mary Berry who will choose both a Junior and Senior winner. The two lucky winners will receive: • a signed copy of Mary’s new cookbook Classic • a £100 cheque for their school’s chosen charity. • winning recipes will be published in our summer magazine. Good luck and get cooking!
HOW TO ENTER
One entry per child. All recipes must be your own and created by you. Recipe and photograph to be sent to
competition@schoolnotices.co.uk Please include your name, age, and school. Please be aware that your entries may be shared on social media. T&Cs apply. All entries must be received by 23rd April.
DESIGN
Designing HISTORY
Leading Architect Ken Shuttleworth tells us how his thirst for adventure inspires the buildings he creates How did you first become interested in architecture? As a child, I loved drawing; it became something that defined me. Building, visualising and putting objects in a space was fascinating. As I grew older, my interest spanned both Arts and Sciences and at seven, I decided I wanted to be an architect! What are the biggest challenges in designing a new building? It’s a bit like being on a see-saw;
on the one side, you have practical constraints, like putting in the air conditioning and the building being able to stand up properly - but on the other side, one must focus on the right aesthetics to please people, so they enjoy being in the space. You need a physics background to understand the basic science but you also need an eye for creative design. Isambard Kingdom 1857
Which people and events have most inspired you? It has been a fantastic and inspiring experience to have worked with Lord Foster (Norman Foster, founder of Foster and Partners) for 30 years. Looking back, the great engineers like Brunel showed inspirational ››
Brunel
Above: RIBA Award-winning City of London Information Centre. Left: Isambard Kingdom Brunel against the launching chains of the SS Great Eastern at Millwall in 1857
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 39
5 Broadgate, London
human achievement. As a child, I lived through the Apollo Missions, putting the first human into space and the first man on the moon. I find inspiration around me all the time and I never want to stop learning. How did your school days shape your outlook on your work? I didn’t really enjoy school in the early days; I was finding my way until I reached my GCSEs and A Levels. It was then that I succeeded in gaining good results in the arts, which spurred me on and encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming an architect.
“AS A CHILD I LOVED DRAWING AND IT BECAME SOMETHING THAT DEFINED ME.”
Tell us about ‘The Gherkin’. It’s really called the St Mary’s Axe Building, but I think it’s a great nickname for it! The original building (The Baltic Exchange) on the site had been destroyed in a terrorist attack in 1992. At Foster and Partners, we won a competition to build a tower and the idea was to make the building as high as the Tower 42 (the former NatWest Tower, 41 storeys, around 180 metres high). The key was to create the maximum amount of ground
space with an interesting top section that you could see from a distance, a bit like St Paul’s Cathedral. It doesn’t have a front or back, so you can see the whole of London from inside. The shape becomes ‘stretched’ towards the top to make it more elegant. It was a fantastic process and we knew it was going to become an iconic building for London. Who are the young architects to watch out for? There are many good people working their way up. Experience is hugely important in this industry, as you’re always
Russian Business School Skolkovo, Moscow by Architect David Adjaye
learning. David Adjaye’s an interesting and experienced architect; I really like his work. Why do you love your job? I wake up every day knowing I’m going to use my imagination to create and design. No two days are the same, it’s always about moving on, trying different things with different projects. Each day is an adventure!
PHOTOGRAPHY: © JOHN MADDEN (5 Broadgate), SHUTTERSTOCK
Describe your architectural style in three words? Exploratory, pragmatic, joyful.
DESIGN
“NURTURE A CURIOSITY AND EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE WORLD AND ENVIRONMENT AROUND YOU. QUESTION WHY THINGS GO TOGETHER AND WHY DO THEY WORK?” St Mary’s Axe Building
The Millenium Bridge, London
What skills should aspiring architects nurture? Practice drawing and computer skills, as a lot of our work is computer-based, using 3D modelling and printing. Nurture a curiosity and an excitement about the world and the environment around you. Question why things go together and why they work. Explore the art and history of buildings in different cities and countries. Become an adventurer! Which of your projects are you most proud of ? 5 Broadgate, UBS’s new headquarters in London. It is a stainless steel, low-energy building and it really pushes the boundaries. The client was keen to make it as energy-efficient as possible. My favourite project for the moment….! Dream project? I love working on public buildings; galleries, museums, train stations, stadia, any building where the public is involved and where the maximum number of people are able to enjoy it. You have a greater responsibility with these sorts of projects towards the public and the city it’s in.
K EN’S PROJECTS At Make Architects The Cube, Birmingham The Thomas Clarkson Community College, Cambridgeshire City of London Information Centre 5 Broadgate, London
St James Marke
t, London
55 Baker Street, London St James Market, London Shortlisted for the People’s Choice Awards The Gateway Building, University of Nottingham Rathbone Square, London Old Road Campus Research Building, University of Oxford The Temple House Hotel, Chengdu, China London 2012 Olympic Handball Arena Wynyard Place, Sydney London Wall Place, London Grosvenor Waterside, London 10 Weymouth Street, London
At Foster and Partners City Hall, London The Arch at Wembley Stadium, London Chek Lap Kok airport, Hong Kong The Commerzbank Tower, Frankfurt 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), London The Millennium Bridge, London The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation headquarters, Hong Kong Citibank’s headquarters, London Kings Norton Library, Cranfield University
What advice would you give would-be architects? Don’t be daunted by the sevenyear long university course; it’s a hugely rewarding and exciting career that has many different branches that you can choose from. If you want to make the world a better place, just do it!
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 41
PROMOTION
Making the right move
Q & A with Lorna Woolley, Independent Educational Adviser, who explains why the right school can be transformative for a child with learning challenges How did you first discover the need for specialist educational advice? Even as an experienced primary school teacher, searching for the right educational setting for my dyslexic sons was very stressful. Now I’m passionate about helping other parents of children with learning challenges. Where do parents typically turn for help? I feel strongly that for young people with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, ODD, ASD, Aspergers, or other learning difficulties, the focus should be on their education. But I meet parents who have put their faith in complex diets or expensive ‘therapies’, and been disappointed that their child has still not made significant progress. How is your approach different? I help parents find the most appropriate educational setting for their child. Through extensive research I’ve identified many independent schools with talented staff dedicated to giving careful consideration to each pupil’s own perspective,
and providing resources which match their needs. I’ve seen, time and again, how when the potential barriers to progress are removed in the right school environment, pupils can truly thrive and reach their potential. When is the best time for parents to benefit from your advice? I support children of all ages: from as early as starting school, mid-way through pre-prep or prep, as well as at the transition into senior school or even into post-16 education. How would you summarise the support you offer? My aim is to reduce the time and stress involved in finding the best-fit school where a child can really flourish, whatever their unique needs and learning style. If necessary, I organise assessments with experienced professionals. Based on this information and on parents’ preferences, I suggest options which might include moving school, or sourcing the right extra support at the current school.
To arrange a free phone consultation, contact lorna@lornawoolley.co.uk www.lornawoolley.co.uk
42 schoolnotices.co.uk ★ SPRING 18
INSPIRE
Climb every
MOUNTAIN
One mum’s fundraising appeal for her child took her and her friends to the top of the world. Sophie Stone speaks to Tanya Ritchie about her incredible charity work for her son, Toby
S
EVEN Hampshire women are preparing for the challenge of a lifetime to raise funds for research into childhood brain tumours. The friends will spend four days in the Swiss Alps at
the end of February, climbing to a height equivalent to that of Mount Everest – on skis. Monies raised from the challenge will go towards The Brain Tumour Charity’s “Everest Centre”, which was launched last year and will carry out much-needed research
into childhood low grade brain tumours. The mums’ extraordinary fundraising effort is inspired by ten-year-old Twyford School pupil Toby Ritchie, who was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour at the age of five and continues to battle the effects of the disease. ››
WINTER 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 43
There are six teams taking part in the Everest challenge in 2018 and “Toby’s Team” is being led by Toby’s mum Tanya, together with six close friends and fellow Twyford mums - Lucy de Laszlo, Bebe Corbett, Tiggy Corben, Emily Bray, Sarah O’Gorman and Philippa McNeil. They are driven by Toby’s courage in the face of his diagnosis and gruelling treatment. This has included 18 months of chemotherapy at Southampton General Hospital and two major brain surgeries, most recently in 2016 at King’s College Hospital, London. Surgeons successfully removed over 50 per cent of Toby’s growing tumour. However postop, Toby had to learn to walk and function again. He is now back at school and as Tanya says: “He achieves so much – he is
inspirational, determined and very gutsy. I hope we can all show the same resolve during Everest in the Alps.” Tanya says that staff at Twyford school have ensured that Toby can take part in normal, everyday school life: “They do their utmost to make sure he fits in and they adapt things to make sure he doesn’t get too tired. When Toby is at school, he can be like any other child and he loves that.” Over 26,800 children and young adults are diagnosed with a paediatric low-grade brain tumour every year. For many, this means years of gruelling chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. For those that survive, 62 per cent are left with lifealtering disabilities. Despite this, treatments have advanced little and only 1.99 per cent
“We are thrilled that the money raised through Everest in the Alps is being used to establish The Everest Centre. This pioneering research will allow scientists to accelerate progress towards finding more effective treatments for the disease and could be revolutionary in improving the lives of children living with low grade tumours.” Rob Ritchie
of national cancer research is allocated to brain tumours. This is the second Everest in the Alps expedition; the first, with a 14-strong team, took place in 2015 and was led by Tanya’s husband Rob. They raised a staggering £3 million, allowing The Brain Tumour Charity to launch the groundbreaking Everest Centre for Research into Paediatric Low Grade Tumours. All the money raised will help fund the Centre’s innovative research, led by Dr David Jones, expert in molecular biology. The Centre, housed at the German
PHOTOGRAPHY: © TANYA RICTHIE, SHUTTERSTOCK
Tanya Ritchie (far left) and her fundraising friends preparing for their Alpine challenge
INSPIRE
Cancer Centre in Heidelberg, is a collaboration between researchers at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Blizard Institute at Queen Mary’s University, London. Geraldine Pipping, director of fundraising for The Brain Tumour Charity said: “Everest in the Alps is a unique, phenomenally tough challenge
and we are immensely grateful to Toby’s Team for taking it on in support of our work. They know only too well how vital it is that we continue to fund research into childhood brain tumours, so that one day every child diagnosed with the disease has access to safe and effective treatment. Their determination to create some good out of
Did you know… • Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40. • In the UK 11,000 people are diagnosed each year with a primary brain tumour, including 600 children and young people – that’s 30 people every day. • Over 5,000 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year. • Brain tumours reduce life expectancy by an average of 20 years. • Just 19% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis. • Over £500 million is spent on cancer research in the UK every year; less than two per cent is spent on brain tumours.
Above: The teams set off on their challenge. Left: “When Toby is at school, he can be like any other boy.” Below: Ground breaking research at The Everest Centre
Toby’s diagnosis and to change things for others in the future, is truly inspirational.” The Brain Tumour Charity is at the forefront of the fight to defeat brain tumours and aims to make a difference to the lives of children who suffer from the condition and also their families. Its pioneering research increases survival rates, raises awareness of the symptoms and effects of brain tumours and provides support for everyone affected. The charity’s goals are to double survival rates from brain tumours within 10 years in the UK and to reduce by half the negative impact that brain tumours have on quality of life. To donate for Toby, visit https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/tobysteam
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 45
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SPOTLIGHT
Loving THE LAB
We asked Broomwood Hall, a co-ed Pre-prep and girls’ Preparatory school and Northcote Lodge, a boys’ Preparatory school, about how they encourage a love of the sciences at all levels of learning “Science is fundamental in the curriculum - differentiating between fact and fiction, especially in today’s age of bombardment from social media, is an essential skill. In science, we learn to challenge our ideas by investigation. Skills including testing, making predictions, recording and interpreting results and drawing conclusions are honed. These skills develop our sense of the world and get the children thinking for themselves.“ Amanda Holland, Head of Junior Science & Physics Teacher
Broomwood Hall At what age can you first fire the imagination for Science? Children are natural scientists, exploring the world around them from birth, tasting, touching and exploring. The science curriculum starts from EYFS and continues through to KS3. What’s the first area you explore? Science starts in Reception with lessons on understanding the world. We discuss dinosaurs, which they love and later, homes and habitats. What scientific experiments can be done safely at school? With the correct precautions,
most can be done. In biology, this includes dissection and in physics, the children make their own electromagnets, investigate electrical circuits and find the energy in food. What is the children’s favourite activity in the science lab? Year 6 children love doing investigations, using Bunsen burners and finding mini-beasts. How does science help in a child’s understanding of life? Differentiating between fact and fiction is fundamental. In science, we learn to challenge our ideas by investigation. The skills of testing, making predictions, recording and interpreting
results and drawing conclusions are honed. What do children think about a world with less plastic by 2042? They were all very wholeheartedly behind this idea. They are concerned about dolphins and whales suffering because of our plastic. Do girls and boys approach Science differently? In our view, no Is there a famous scientist that the children aspire to be? David Attenborough, Einstein, Newton Do you have any famous scientist alumni? Not yet….
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 47
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SPOTLIGHT
Northcote Lodge At what age can you first fire the imagination for Science? From the youngest pupils! Year 4 boys are thrilled by building circuits, Year 5 by dissecting flowers. They love the practical work as it’s fun but it also teaches them how the world works. Any five-year-old peering under a log is enchanted by the squirming bugs under it. Fascination with nature and how the world works is pretty innate. What’s the first area you explore? Habitats: organisms, adaptations, food chains and we include a much-loved trip to the zoo. What scientific experiments can be done safely at school? We can perform most experiments, though nothing as explosive as the boys would prefer! Lab Safety is the first lesson we teach. What is the children’s favourite activity in the science lab?
“The purpose of science – to understand the world – means it has extraordinary reach. The benefits of developing critical thinking, scepticism and problem-solving skills are difficult to overstate. We aim for a broad approach inside the classroom and out. Boys have been thrilled (and victorious!) in building and programming First Lego League competition robots, we hold a very popular annual science fair, we bring in Apollo lunar rocks for boys (and similarly awestruck teachers!) to examine, we have visitors bring pop-up planetariums and demonstrate the birth and formation of the solar system, we have a STEM club, extra enrichment lessons and science trips to Greenwich Observatory, the Science Museum, a whole week in the South of France and plenty more besides. We are proud of what we offer and the boys love it!” David Luard, Northcote Lodge
Dry ice and flame testing are firm favourites! How does science help in a child’s understanding of life? Science is about how the world works and helps boys enjoy a deeper understanding of life: pond life, eclipses, what fire is, how lights work, the digestive system (making bread-poo is a favourite!) – and so much more – all fascinates them. We tie everything to everyday life. What do children think about a plasticless world by 2042? That it is fundamentally a good thing although they are light on specifics. They have a
very clear appreciation of the importance of being environmentally considerate. Do girls and boys approach Science differently? Maybe but it’s a moot point: we’re an all-boys school! Is there a famous scientist that the children aspire to be? Steven Hawking is a popular one although usually their role models tend to be sportspeople. Though some of them do aim to be the next Brian Cox! Do you have any famous scientist alumni? Not yet but we are pretty confident we will soon!
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 49
Photo by Sara Beaumont © RSC
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A DV E RT I S I N G F E AT U R E
A Head Start for the children in your life Funding school fees is one of the biggest financial commitments a family can make. As a result, it can be a source of considerable concern for some parents.
P
roviding a good education can be one of the most valuable gifts parents or grandparents can give to children. Parents continue to recognise the value that independent education can offer – but it isn’t getting any cheaper. Private school fees have increased by 3.5% in the last year (ISC Census 2017). Latest figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) show that the average fee at an ISC school was £5,562 per term. (Source: ISC Census 2017). The financial implications can be daunting, the key to affording school fees is to plan as early as you can. Generally, parents looking to fund school fees fall into three categories – those who want to invest a lump sum, those who would like to spread the cost of fees, or parents wanting to set up a regular savings scheme to provide funds to cover future fees. There are several schemes available to help make school fees more affordable, and an experienced wealth manager can draw up a bespoke investment plan that can be both tax-efficient and flexible. For example, you could consider using your annual tax-free ISA allowance.
By investing the maximum amount permitted in an ISA and selecting funds run by full-time professional investment managers, a tidy sum could be accumulated in the space of ten years.
We are inviting School Notices readers to discuss their school fees planning concerns and opportunities in a no-obligation school fee review. School Fees Planning Surgeries are being held, strictly by appointment only in April and May in local regions. All surgeries last approximately 40 minutes and are held in the strictest confidence without obligation.
For grandparents, trust* planning can be a useful tool if they wish to make provision for school fees and achieve Inheritance Tax (IHT) benefits at the same time. If they make regular payments from their income without reducing their lifestyle, then these gifts are not counted as part of their estate for IHT purposes. Grandparents might also want to consider other solutions, such as life assurance, to help increase the funds created for grandchildren. This can be very useful when there is more than one child you wish to provide for. You might also be looking at ensuring your estate is correctly structured and protected in the event of death, illness or incapacity.
Call 020 3605 1205 for more information or your complimentary guide to Wealth Management. of the funds selected and the value may fall as well as rise.You may get back less than the amount invested. An investment in equities does not provide the security of capital associated with a deposit account with a bank or building society.
With interest rates still low it is important to make your investments work for you.
The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are generally dependent on individual circumstances.
The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance
*
Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
LOUISE DAVIES Associate Partner Tel: 020 3605 1205 Email: louise.davies@sjpp.co.uk Web: www.schoolfeessolutions.co.uk The Partner represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The title ‘Partner’ is the marketing term used to describe St. James’s Place representatives. H2SJP28279 02/18
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CHARITY IT WOR K S!
“We are delighted that our parents have helped generate this fabulous cheque - it has kicked off our Bursary Fund with style” Martin Harris, Cheam School
What it’s all about!
Simon O’Malley, Thomas’s Battersea
PHOTOGRAPHY: © SHUTTERSTOCK
This is by far the most rewarding part of our work at School Notices What gets us out of bed each morning is fulfilling the initial aim of School Notices, to support our member schools in their fundraising initiatives. Whether that is for bursary funds, local charities or for funding much-needed school projects, our ability to raise these funds is driven by our wonderful parent and alumni members. You are able to use our free website to buy and sell, book a holiday destination, find jobs and much, much more. We’re delighted to say we now work with increasing numbers of independent schools around the country and as our parent and alumni member numbers grow, School Notices will grow too and we will be able to write more amazing cheques like these. Get involved today! If you want to help your school generate funds like this, please register with us at www.schoolnotices.co.uk (or email us at membership@schoolnotices.co.uk) and become part of our amazing independent school community.
“It’s great that simply through parent activity on School Notices, we can generate funds for some really important school causes. thank you!” Sid Inglis, Elstree School
Father Simon, Farleigh School
SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 53
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Our member SCHOOLS
Raising funds for over 120 schools and growing fast! If your school is not on the list and you’d like to join School Notices, contact us on info@schoolnotices.co.uk UK SCHOOL NOTICES Abingdon Prep Abingdon School Aldro Ashdown House Aysgarth School Beachborough Beaudesert Park Berkhampstead School Bradfield College Brambletye Brockhurst & Marlston House School Broomwood Hall Bruern Abbey Chafyn Grove Chandlings Cheam School Cheltenham Ladies College Clifton Hall Cothill House Cottesmore Craigclowan Cumnor House Dallington School Dorset House Downe House Durham School Eaton Square Upper School Eaton Square School Elstree Farleigh Finton House Fulham Prep Godstowe Great Walstead Haileybury Hanford Harriet House
Hatherop Castle Hawley Place School Horris Hill Hyde Park School Hydesville Tower Junior King’s School, Canterbury Kilgraston Kitebrook House Laxton Junior School Leweston Lingfield College Little Crickets Nursery Lucton School Ludgrove Maidwell Hall Manor House School Marlborough College Marlborough House Merlin School Miss Daisy’s Nurseries x 3 Moulsford Mount Kelly Mowden Hall Northcote Lodge Pangbourne College Papplewick Pinewood School Pippa Pop-ins x 4 Polwhele House Port Regis Prince’s Mead School Redcliffe School Rupert House Sancton Wood School Sandroyd Sherborne Girls Sherborne Preparatory School Sherfield School Shrewsbury House & Lodge
St Andrew’s School, Pangbourne St Hugh’s School St Edward’s, Oxford St George’s Ascot St Mary’s Calne St Ronan’s School St Winifred’s Summer Fields Sunningdale The Eaton House Group x 6 The Gregg School The Harrodian School The King’s School, Canterbury The King’s School, Chester The Lyceum School The Marist School The Pilgrims’ School The Study School Thomas’s, Battersea Thomas’s, Fulham Tring Park School for Performing Arts Wellesley House Westbourne House School Westonbirt School Windlesham House Woldingham Woodcote House Young England Kindergarten
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FUN FACTS
In your lifetime you’ll shed
40 lbs of skin
There’s enough DNA in an average human body to stretch from the sun to Pluto and back
17 times
Just 20 seconds’ worth of fuel remained when Apollo 11’s lunar module landed on the moon
Fleas can jump 130 TIMES their height
By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can’t sink in quicksand
The North Atlantic gets ONE INCH WIDER every year
No matter its size or its thickness, no piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times
GIRAFFES are unable to COUGH
You’ll NEVER guess what?
PHOTOGRAPHY: © SHUTTERSTOCK. PIXABAY, WIKIMEDIA
We’ve rounded up our favourite fun science facts for you to quiz your friends with this spring
There are 206 bones in an adult human body and 300 in children (some bones fuse to make one as they grow)
Tigers have striped SKIN not just striped FUR
An ostrich’s EYE is bigger than its BRAIN
boil and freeze
Water can
at the same time
and finally… The average pe
A single blood cell takes about
60 seconds to make a complete circuit of the body
If you spin a ball as you drop it, it FLIES!
rson walks the equivalent of fiv
e times aro
The microwave was invented after an inventor walked past a radar tube and his chocolate bar melted in his pocket
The wristwatch was invented in
1904
by Louis Cartier
und the world in a lifetime SPRING 18 ★ schoolnotices.co.uk 57
HEAD SPACE
Interstellar, Forrest Who or what inspired Gump... these would you to teach? all be close to the I loved my own school top of my list. days. I had some fantastic Something you always teachers who inspired have on your work desk? me and opened my A lovely photograph of mind to all manner of my children. opportunities. Why, in your opinion, is What sort of music do your school the best? you listen to? Favourite Kensington Park School piece or song? offers flexibility and a I have eclectic tastes personalised approach in music which range to education through from opera (bel canto) small classes, as well as an through to contemporary exciting and innovative folk sounds including co-curricular provision. Bear’s Den and Our domestic and Mumford and international partnerships, Sons. I’ve been our tech-rich approach to fortunate enough education and the proven to teach members track record of our of both bands! teachers (many of whom Favourite play or Paul Vanni, incoming Head of taught in leading musical? Kensington Park School, tells us what have independent schools) I know this might not be terribly highbrow, but makes him tick at school and beyond ensures our students are equipped to make the with my background in most of opportunities the French and History I future offers. would have to say Les Miserables. Your top three phone Apps? What three things do you need What’s your personal motto? BBC, as I’m a news junkie, to be a successful headmaster? There are no such things as Wordbrain for a bit of mental 1. A committed team of people challenges, only opportunities. gymnastics and Star Chart around you whom you get on If you could only bring three because my son got a new with and trust 2. Resilience 3. things to a desert island, what telescope for Christmas! A good sense of humour. would they be? Favourite food? Best advice you would give one My phone (but only for the Monkfish wrapped in pancetta, of your new school joiners? music!), a pen and some paper preferably served with a nice Embrace all the opportunities on - I’m counting these as one; a white Cotes du Rhone. offer and enjoy yourself. Work Swiss Army knife. Your greatest hard but remember that a good If you were invisible for a movie of all time? education is about so much day, what would you do? There are so more than just what goes on in I would sneak into the many fantastic the classroom. If you have any Oval Office to see what’s ones! Schindler’s difficulties or concerns, make actually going on in the List, Dances sure you tell your tutor. White House. With Wolves,
58 schoolnotices.co.uk ★ SPRING 18
PHOTOGRAPHY: © SHUTTERSTOCK, PIXABAY, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
HEAD space
Kensington Park School is a new independent school for boys and girls aged 11–18 in the heart of London. Whilst the school is new, its leadership and teachers have long, successful track-records at some of the best independent schools in the country with the core teaching team coming from St Paul’s School. KPS is committed to academic excellence combined with strong pastoral care. The school has an extensive co-curricular programme
“
encompassing sport, music and the arts, as well as academic, cultural and
Pupils benefit from some of the most experienced teachers in the country.
”
Dick Jaine, Director of Education
social links with global partners at both school and university level. We look forward to welcoming you
A NEW INDEPENDENT SCHOOL IN THE HEART OF LONDON registrar@kps.co.uk • www.kps.co.uk • 020 7225 0577