Sutton Views - October 2007 (37)

The Voice of Sutton Valence School

Edition 37 October 2007

SUTTON VIEWS Dame Judi appears on stage at Sutton Valence School he six-time Oscar nominated actress was at the School to officially open our exciting new development, The Baughan Theatre.

The £1.7m project, funded largely out of the Appeal Fund, was launched five years ago

by Chairman of Governors, Bryan Baughan, after whom the theatre has been.... named.

Joe Davies praised Bryan for his vision and foresight as well as his unstinting support for the school for more than 30 years. He said, “His contribution to Sutton Valence School has been immense and I am delighted that our students now have a venue that gives them the opportunity to display their talents.”

The old assembly hall has been trans-

formed into a 250-seat auditorium, fitted with moveable seating, allowing the theatre to be used as a traditional front stage or theatre in the round. It can also be converted into a lecture hall, with a dropdown cinema screen.

The original balcony has been retained and two side galleries have been added, while backstage there are dressing rooms and a scene dock.

Dame Judi unveiled a commemorative plaque before watching an hourlong performance staged by past and present pupils. Acts included classical and contemporary music, comedy, drama and dance.

Cont’d Page 2

Sponsored Walk

CCF Summer Activities

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School Contacts: School Secretary

01622 845200

Admissions Office

01622 845206

Head of Year 1

01622 845226

Head of Year 2

01622 845242

Head of Year 3

01622 845216

Head of Year 4

01622 845233

Head of Year 5

01622 845234

Head of Year 6

01622 845252

Head of Year 7

01622 845231

Bursar’s Office

01622 845204

St Margaret’s House

01622 845219

Kingdon House

01622 843459

Westminster House

01622 845222

Sutton House

01622 845228

Sutton Valence Preparatory School

01622 842117

Chaplain

01622 842814

Sailing

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Information A member of the United Westminster Schools’ Foundation Registered Charity No. 309267 Founded in 1576 by William Lambe

Sutton Views: October 2007

For information about Sutton Valence School or to request a prospectus, please contact:

• the Admissions Office at Sutton Valence on 01622 845206 or email enquiries@svs.org.uk • Sutton Valence Preparatory School on 01622 842117 or email enquiries@svprep.svs.org.uk 1

Sutton Valence School

Girls’ Hockey

Cont’d from Front Page. he actress, whose great nephews Matthew and Tom attend the senior school, applauded warmly before going backstage to meet the cast, where she congratulated them on their performance saying, “This is a most fantastic building and the wood cladding is reminiscent of the Rose and the Globe, where the acoustics are terrific. I hope it will prove to be an incredible source of enjoyment and inspiration to you and I wish you all every success.”

Joe Davies said, “Drama has always been a strong tradition at Sutton Valence and increasing numbers of students now

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want to study the subject at AS and Alevel. This theatre will provide the perfect inspiration for our drama students.”

He said it was fitting that the new theatre was situated at the heart of the school and thanked architects John Marsh and Mark Turner and school bursar Andrew Hutchinson.

The first formal production in the Baughan Theatre will take place in November when students stage their own all-singing and dancing version of the hit film and stage musical ‘Grease.’

Helen Knott l

he girls’ hockey started early this year, with keen pupils and staff returning to school during the holidays for pre-season training as well as a fixture against Hurstpierpoint College. This proved a useful tool in preparing and selecting teams for the season to come.

Fixtures since then have tended to be rather erratic, owing to our being almost too strong for our own good! (We are not big enough to offer the regular B and C team fixtures that larger, more competitive schools expect, and we are often too strong for the smaller schools with whom we competed in previous years.) However, as we near the half term, more regular fixtures are exposing some promising teams and a wonderful sense of sporting spirit. Despite our small numbers, we have fielded second teams in all age groups, and the fervour from girls and support parents has been fantastic – this is a real sign of the development of our girls’ sport, and a feather in the school’s cap. Most notable, so far, is the U15A team, coached by Miss Hallett, which is unbeaten so far this term.

They have been playing some superb hockey and show plenty of potential for the rest of this season as well as future years, and as the more regular fixtures against long-standing rivals take place, I hope to see them establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Watch this space!

Robyn Peverley l

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Swimming Pool Junior Field Day thought it might be of some interest to the reader how the swimming pool project is moving along. The site has been cleared and now the shape of the main building is taking place. It is hard to imagine a new pool sitting on, what is predominantly a building site at present, but it is all very exciting.

Graham Alderman l

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unior Field Day this year was a resounding success. Eighty new cadets and twenty NCOs set off for St Martin’s Plain on a 15th September with the sun shining. The cadets were divided into teams made up of all three services with people they knew and those they didn’t. The pupils visited various stands and were taught a variety of military skills by an eclectic mixture of Officers and NCOs. These stands included camouflage and concealment, cooking a 24 hour ration pack, building Bashas, using radios, command tasks, .22 shooting and drill all aimed at developing teamwork and leadership. An exciting night exercise followed where cadets had to reach a bunker without being caught by detector robots (officers) controlled by two NCOs. If they reached the objective they were allowed to launch water salvos at the NCOs. Sunday started early, a hearty breakfast and lessons continued until lunch and it was time to head back to school. I hope the Junior Cadets enjoyed their Field Day and have formed new friends.

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Tom Dowling l Sutton Views: October 2007

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Sutton Valence School

Rugby

Sponsored Walk he whole senior school took part in the annual sponsored walk for charity on Friday 5th October. It is hoped that we shall raise between £8000 and £10000 which will be shared equally, this year, between the Heart of Kent Hospice at Aylesford and the charity “Facing the World” which helps to rebuild the lives of some impoverished overseas children by rebuilding their terribly disfigured faces.

Geoff Piper l

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to raise even more money for the good causes Mrs Peverley ran in fancy dress!

As always the staff were on hand to make sure it all ran smoothly!

not to be outdone by the pupils some staff ran the route too

some of the pupils decided to run the course

Mr Clarke gets pupils to pose for a group photo!

Prep School Trip to the White Rock Theatre Hastings n Monday the 8th of October, Year 6 went on a visit to the White Rock Theatre in Hastings to watch the Shakespeare production of Hamlet.

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We set off from school at 8.45am and everyone was raring to go! We all grouped in pairs and got onto the coach. As the 45 minute journey progressed, everyone was growing more and more excited by the second.

Eventually we got there and we could all smell the sea as we got off the coach. When we were all out of the coach, we went straight into the theatre because the play was about to start.

The opening scene was amazing as the pale white figure of old Hamlet strolled onto the stage. Everything was still and quiet. At the same time two frightened guards watched in amazement as the ghost-like figure walked back off the stage.

My favourite part was the grave diggers’ scene where they sang and danced but in a very funny way.

After the play we went to the beach to eat our packed lunch. The view of the sea was lovely; the sun rippling on the surface.

Altogether, the day was absolutely amazing.

By Oliver Aucamp 6B l Sutton Views: October 2007

he school 1st XV have played 4 matches so far their season, defeating Duke of York's, Dover (home: 44-3) and then Caterham (away: 14-3 but losing to City of London Freeman’s (away: 29-0) and to Eastbourne (home: 0-31).

Unlike with the last two years’ dominant packs we have found ourselves on the back foot ‘up front’ and short of both time and fit, experienced bodies (6 injuries in the win at Caterham) to compete by offering realistically prepared scrums and line-outs.

Regular possession has been in short supply!

Even so early on in the season we have been badly hit with an unprecedented number of injuries in key ball winning positions; but the boys have responded well to the challenge.

Uncontested scrums at City of London and an ill-functioning line-out meant huge amounts of tackling from everyone. The score-line was unflattering as fatigue saw us concede two tries in the final minutes as another two injuries hit hard.

At home, to an even bigger Eastbourne, we were simply heroic up to half-time. But with a second team front row and more unfamiliarity in the line-out we could not keep tackling for ever against a constant and determined barrage. The tries conceded had to be worked for, and I have never been prouder of the courage and pride shown right up to the final whistle.

This, small, inexperienced side just never give up, even in the face of such adversity, and we hope the injuries are short term and that we can soon return to a full strength side.

The leadership of the four senior pros: Elliot Hawkins, Josh Stanford, Tom Johnson and particularly Isaac Ampofo, at no. 7, have been simply outstanding.

In the younger age groups, again with injuries permitting, we are able to put out sides down to C team which is fantastic achievement for a school of our size and, as with the 1st XV, have had some good wins thus far!

Graham Alderman l 3

Sutton Valence School

New Staff s is always the case at the start of a new academic year a number of members of staff have moved on to fresh challenges. In their place we have some new faces:

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avid Sansom joins us having completed a PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University. David has recently spent seven years working in marketing for Whitbread and Thistle Hotels and before that was educated at Pangbourne College and then Swansea University, where he studied Geography. As well as teaching geography he is involved in the games programme (U16 rugby and Sixth Form football); the CCF (Army Section) and squash activity on Tuesdays.

efore arriving at SVS in February, David Mingay was in Washington DC for two years, accompanying his diplomat wife on a posting. While he was there, he worked as Orchestral Director at an independent girls' school. Prior to that, he spent some 15 years in London teaching A Level Psychology, most recently as Head of Department at Francis Holland School, Regent's Park.

He joins the Psychology department and has also set up a small musical ensemble which will be entertaining us with "obscure, but interesting", as Joe Davies puts it, pieces at school concerts. In addition, he is teaching some students to play bridge with a view to playing in the Kent schools' bridge league.

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ark Jones has joined the English Department bringing with him wide teaching experience, including two years spent in Amman, Jordan and time at Dulwich College Preparatory School. Mark is involved in the Army Section of the CCF and is keen to establish an Amnesty International Society at Sutton Valence. He has also written and published a book in response to his time in wartorn Sierra Leone.

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iz Eastwood joins us as our first fulltime Examinations Officer.

However, her career started in the Kent Police as a Police Officer where she served for 8 years in various specialist roles. From law enforcement she moved into education! At Senacre Technology College she was involved in the development of examinations and finally after a short period of time became the Examination Officer. Primarily, the duties of an Examination Officer are to offer support and to liaise between the awarding examination bodies and the school. In recent years with increasing new qualifications added to the curriculum, the work that was once a subsidiary task to a teacher’s role has now become that of a full time dedicated post.

Mrs Eastwood can be contacted should you have any questions relating to the administration of the exam process – on extension number 250.

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Sutton Views: October 2007

orna Harrison studied Interior Design for four years in Glasgow and then spent about 11 years in industry producing retail and office interiors for companies such as Dorothy Perkins, Freeman Hardy Willis, Contessa Ladies wear, McLaren F1 and Glaxo.

After deciding to change direction she completed her PGCE at the University of Greenwich and has spent time teaching in Beckenham, Tenterden and Ashford, before joining the DT department.

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ulia Beaton is returning to the south after teaching in Durham where she did a PGCE in secondary mathematics, before which she was studying for a degree in Electronic and Communication Engineering at Nottingham University. She will be teaching maths; is a Fourth Form assistant tutor and is helping with the Engineering Education Scheme with the Lower Sixth..

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ndrew Wilkes taught Religious Studies for eleven years at Stamford School before joining SV. He is Head of RS here and is also a Sixth Form tutor. He is an enthusiastic participant in Chapel Choir and occasionally plays the organ in Chapel. He is very keen to set up an Eco-Schools scheme at SV; EcoSchools is a Europe-wide initiative to encourage environmental awareness in schools, and those schools who get involved can apply for a Green Flag award, which culminates in an external inspection of the school to assess how ‘green’ it has become. He introduced the scheme at Stamford several years ago and they went on to become one of the first independent schools in the country to win a Green Flag award.

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oenraad Wesselink grew up in Johannesburg, went to school in Pretoria, but Cape Town was his home for 20 years before he and his wife moved to England 2002. Coennie brings with him a wealth of experience having served with the South African Navy as a diver, lived and worked within a community which cared for mentally handicapped adults, been involved in his previous school’s Duke of Edinburgh Scheme and was a housemaster in a senior boarding house for 3 years. Now at Sutton Valence he is teaching Mathematics and he is also coach to the U13 rugby team.

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Sutton Valence School

CCF Summer Activities he CCF had a very exciting summer with cadets attending RAF Camp at RAF Wittering where they all went flying and enjoyed a wide range of activities organised by the Commandant …Fiona Davidson.. Congratulations must go to Best Cadet Ben Brunger, Best Male Cadet Edward G. Smith and Nick Erander Head of RAF was Section leader of the winners of the Inter-Flight Competition.

Army Camp was held at Chickerall near Weymouth where a wide variety of both military and adventurous training activities were enjoyed including raft building, a two day exercise, shooting, climbing and finally windsurfing at the Water sports Centre for the 2012 Olympics.

Bisley again had its highs and lows with us winning the ’Marlin’ but coming second in the ‘Schools Snaps’ on countback. Rupert Lee won the ‘Willotts Trophy for the best shot in Kent and Laura

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Miles and Fran Davies won the pairs. Many thanks go to Captain Jack Field and his Team for their commitment.

Well done to all those cadets who gave so willingly of their time and good luck to all as we look forward to another exciting year in the CCF. Anne Wilkinson l

Head of School y her own admission in the inspirational speech Nell Bennett, Head of School, made to the assembled school last month, her academic life did not get off to a good start. However, since coming to Sutton Valence in 2001 she has gone from strength to strength as a Music and Art Scholar, an NCO in the Army Section of CCF, a strong hockey and netball player and central figure in the Sixth Form.

Nell was part of the senior expedition to Borneo during the summer and then went on to spend time living with an Aboriginal tribe in Australia. It was her account of her experiences whilst there that delivered one of the most impassioned speeches by a pupil ever heard by the School.

Currently studying for A Levels in Music, Design Technology and Art, Nell hopes to go on to Loughborough to read Industrial Design.

Helen Knott l

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Exam Results utton Valence School pupils celebrated when the GCSE and A level results were published at the end of the summer.

The Sixth Form achieved a 97% pass rate at ‘A’ Level with 73% of these at A, B or C grades.

However, this is not the whole story: A level figures released by the Joint Council for General Qualifications show a national trend away from subjects such as maths, modern languages and science and towards subjects that are perceived as being easier. This is not the case at Sutton Valence, after economics and business studies, which has long been our most popular subject at A level, our pupils achieved more A grades in maths and modern languages than in any other subject. The sciences are also particularly strong at Sutton Valence and, compared to other independent schools, we have a higher proportion of our Sixth Form taking these subjects.

This year, all our fifth formers achieved at least five good passes at A* - C in their GCSEs. However, there is also more to this particular statistic than first meets the eye; despite a record number of pupils receiving top grades in their GCSEs nationally, employer bodies and some unions have voiced fears that many school leavers lack the numeracy, literacy and communication skills to survive in the workplace. Our GCSE curriculum expects all of our pupils to study maths, the sciences, English and at least one modern language; in fact almost half of our current Fourth Form are taking two foreign languages each.

In addition to our academic curriculum, we place huge emphasis on our extra- curricular provision where sport, community service, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and our activities programme contribute enormously to producing the rounded, well educated, and most importantly, employable young men and women that our pupils become.

Don Clarke l

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Borneo Expedition t the end of the Summer Term two groups of pupils from Fifth Form through to Upper Sixth embarked upon an expedition to Borneo. In their time in the country the groups climbed the highest peak in Borneo, trekked through the jungle to visit remote communities, laid pipes to bring water for the first time to their host village, taught English in the local

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Sutton Views: October 2007

school and visited the orang-utan reserve.

The expedition presented the pupils with many new challenges and experiences, not least working and living in conditions of high temperatures and humidity. On their return everyone, staff and pupils alike, felt they had been changed by their time with the villagers who, though having little themselves, had welcomed them into their homes. l

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Sutton Valence School

Year 1 visit to Farming World n 3rd October, Year 1 enjoyed a very special day at Farming World near Faversham. A tour of the farm’s animals was followed by a spectacular display of the Hawklands Birds of Prey.

All the children were able to stroke a barn owl called Anna and two children were chosen from each class to hold her! Pulses

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raced as the Falcon swooped and dived on his prey.

After lunch Horse and Cart rides and craft activities rounded off a fun packed and busy day.

Alexia Bracewell l

Sailing E Area Regatta, Thursday 13th Sept, Upnor REME. With brand new teams and a new captain, Jenny Reid, we arrived at Upnor base faced with no wind on a fast rising tide (of 6m). After rigging the boats some wind was finally blowing and it was decided we would sail.

The results were better than even I had hoped for with Sutton Valence tying with Tonbridge for first place (Tonbridge boats were 1st and 6th overall and we were 2nd and 5th). Unfortunately on points we came 2nd but still won the Coronation Cup.

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SVPS Year 5 Tudor Day

The result was a tremendous achievement; we were competing against schools who sail regularly with their own sailing coaches.

Boat A - Jenny Reid and Elliott Chacksfield Boat B - Alastair MacKinnon and Josh Chacksfield A couple of weeks later we were at Westbere Lake, near Canterbury. The competition for our first Kent Schools Sailing Association meeting was very strong, King’s Canterbury, Sevenoaks and a school from Oxford – Magdalen College School.

The teams consisted of 6 sailors, divided into 3 boats. The race course was an “S” pattern with 2 opposing teams in 6 boats. Starting at 12:30 a total of 10 races were held with each team playing each other once.

Our first race was against the favourites Magdalen College School. This was the closest race of the entire competition with only one minute or so between the first and last boats.

Unfortunately our inexperience in race sailing was shown up in the next races and when the results were announced it was no surprise when we were last!

Boat A - Jenny Reid and Elliott Chacksfield Boat B - Alastair MacKinnon and Tiffany Keep Boat C – Tim Dorning and James Marriott

Phil Horley l

n Monday 8th October, Year 5 experienced the plight of the Tudor times. All of the pupils arrived at school dressed in Tudor costume. A portly Henry VIII strolled up the school drive followed by an array of beautiful Tudor queens, ferocious executioners and Tudor gentry. The children had made a huge effort and looked remarkable.

The day involved a number of activities designed to provide the children with an insight into life in this historical period including workshops. The children reenacted the life of Henry and his children and created an imaginary Tudor town with blacksmiths, a town crier, bartenders, barbers and surgeons. One pupil had a pretend hole drilled in his head to relieve him of his headache caused by evil spirits.

The highlight of the session was the witch hunt when the children had to discover the true identity of the witches in the town and then send them to the village pond to be ducked! There was much hilarity and discussion over the sense of the system.

It was a fantastic day which the children will remember for a long time.

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Alexia Bracewell l

Sutton Views: October 2007

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