In Trinity Magazine - Autumn Winter 2021/22 by trinityschoolcroydon

The results are in... / Page 4 Spotlight on our students’ impressive achievements. Equality. Diversity. Inclusion / Page 42 Trinity’s EDI team talks about addressing these key issues. In Trinity Magazine Issue 1: Summer 2021

A look inside Trinity School

Antonia Geldeard. Deputy Head

A note from the editor... Welcome to our inaugural edition of In Trinity magazine, in which we look back at a year like no other.

Welcome to our Heads of School 2021/2

From our variety of hugely impressive musical performances, to our 70-strong team of Sixth Form mentors and our ‘Play in a Week’, our classrooms, our screens, our performance spaces, our fields and our corridors were, as always, awash with activity. As Mr Ryan said of our first-ever Festival of Ideas, it’s important that students realise that ‘academic’ is no narrow descriptor: “For us, ‘academic’ means approaching something with care, attention to detail and passion.” We think this is evident throughout these pages. You may be forgiven for thinking that, during a year that has been dominated by a global pandemic, many of our usual activities would suffer. But lockdowns did little to dampen enthusiasm. We have enjoyed seeing students making their debuts for their country across various sports, and being offered scholarships to leading conservatoires and art schools, winning highly coveted degree apprenticeships, and raising money to thank our key workers for their efforts during the pandemic. Rising above the challenges, they concluded the year with an outstanding set of exam results - with over 90% of our leavers winning a place at their first choice destination.

Looking ahead to a new school year, we recently appointed our Heads of School, Bilal Ismail, Safi Tiotto-Smith and Tate Nicol. They hope to shine a light on mental health and they want to encourage all to get involved and give everything their best shot. “Students may discover a passion for something that could transform their lives,” says Safi. We hope that, looking through these pages, you will be inspired, too. Our school community has achieved so much – close to home and further afield; having helped to build a bridge across the river for students and staff at Chipwepwete Primary School in Malawi so they can cross safely, and from where Sara Goodman, Founder of Hope4Malawi, has written to thank us for our commitment - pointing out that, six years after Trinity embarked on a partnership with this school, it is unrecognisable. Success has come in a variety of forms, far exceeding the requirements of the national curriculum, as is evidenced by the success of our Diploma programme, which led to one student winning EngineeringUK’s Big Bang Competition and being invited to a 15-day residential programme at Imperial College.   Hopefully these pages will give a flavour of the energy, generosity and adventurous spirit within Trinity.

In this issue 2

From the Headmaster

A Level results

GCSE results

Art

Fifth Year Bridging Programme

Festival of Ideas

Drama

Sixth Form Diploma

Music

Sport

Science

Clubs and societies

The wider community

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Wellbeing

Feature Story

Page 4 The results are in...

The results are in. We report on our students’ performance, with reaction to this year’s A Level and GCSE results.

Feature Story

Page 42 Equality. Diversity. Inclusion. Our Trinity EDI team talks about addressing these key issues.

In Trinity Magazine From the Headmaster

Results. Inspection. Olympics. Headmaster Alasdair Kennedy gives an overview of the latest at Trinity School.

Results: Character and perseverance After two of the most unusual and disrupted years of A Level and GCSE study, we were delighted that our public exam cohorts achieved very well deserved sets of excellent grades. They negotiated the requirements of the different assessment processes extremely well and both year groups recorded comfortably the best results Trinity has ever had.

Inspection: Extraordinary young people Our six-yearly inspection of the school took place in June and the team from the Independent Schools Inspectorate spent four days meeting staff and students, observing lessons and activities, and scrutinising our policies and procedures. Two judgements are made at the end of this process, for Pupils’ Achievement and for Pupils’ Personal Development, and we were delighted to be awarded the top category of ‘Excellent’ in both of these. Beyond these headline judgements, however, the findings were most complimentary about the school’s success in meeting its aim - to nurture extraordinary young people.

In a very competitive year for entry, over 90% of the A Level cohort secured their first choice of institution for next year, including degree apprenticeships, universities in the US, music conservatoires and art foundation courses. Among our 146 A Level students, 39 were awarded straight A* grades, with particular congratulations to eight of them for achieving 5 A*s. At GCSE, 40 out of the 136 students in the year group achieved nine or more 9 grades. The last academic year will have felt very long to any student facing public exams but, behind the bare results, our students showed much character and perseverance, and have developed skills which will serve them well in their future lives. We are particularly proud of the way in which they supported each other.

The report, which is now available on our website, comments not just on our students’ ambition but also on the all-round nature of their achievements, where ‘pupils achieve outstanding success academically and in a wide range of co-curricular activities’ and they ‘combine outstanding intellectual curiosity with a strong willingness to think independently’. The report also captured what we believe is the most important part of our ethos, that ‘pupils actively support each other in a collaborative atmosphere’, and they ‘are highly confident and self-assured independent learners, yet possess a conspicuous level of humility.’

Olympics: Post-school success Finally, we were delighted to watch alumna Imani Lansiquot, who left the school in 2016, running for Team GB in the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Imani ran the second leg in both the heat and final of the 4 x 100m relay, helping GB to win Bronze behind the Jamaican and US quartets. She met with our students online earlier this year, when she took questions on being at Trinity, living as an athlete and her interests as a student of Psychology. Our congratulations go to her on this success, and we wish her ongoing success in the next cycle of World, Commonwealth, European and Olympic events that lie ahead.

Imani at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021

“Pupils are highly motivated and well prepared for the next stage of their lives, helped by the exceptionally high standard of pastoral care that they receive.” “Pupils’ natural intellectual curiosity and eagerness to learn is strongly supported by energetic, imaginative teaching.” Quotes taken from the 2021 ISI Report

A Levels The results are in.

Trinity students receive stunning results at A Level. Our Upper Sixth students have, once again, out-done themselves with a spectacular set of results. Antonia Geldeard, Head of Sixth Form, comments, “They have negotiated the requirements of the teacher assessed process extremely well and 86% of the grades were A* or A. “In a very competitive year for entry, over 90% of the year group have secured their first choice destination for next year, including degree apprenticeships, university in the US, and art foundation courses. “My congratulations go to all the students on their hard work and thanks to the staff for their care and support.”

86% A* or A

90% First choice destination

Here is a taster of our students’ many and varied successes... Tanya Jayakar Tanya has been awarded a scholarship to study Medicine at Imperial, having studied Biology, Chemistry, Maths and French at A Level. She chose Imperial due to its reputation for strength in STEM subjects. She was also keen to remain in London, close to a number of large teaching hospitals. “Both my parents are doctors and I grew up watching them. Truthfully, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It gives your life purpose.” Jake Griggs Each year, a number of students move on to Engineering degrees. This year, for instance, Jake Griggs is moving on to study Mechanical Engineering at Exeter University. “I loved being given challenging questions in Maths and working through pages of calculations to finally get an answer, whilst also watching a product go from a mind map into a fully rendered piece in DT.”

Eloise Demay Eloise, a Music Scholar at Trinity, studied English Literature, Psychology and Geography at A Level. She has a place at Durham to read Psychology. “For me, music was an opportunity to escape the stress of study. I would go to my choir rehearsal and feel ten times better afterwards. I always felt that my productivity skyrocketed, too.”

In Trinity Magazine A Level results

Krish Oza Krish is one of 13 students to have received offers from Oxbridge. Krish studied Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry at A Level.

“Seeing what other students strive to achieve is nothing short of remarkable and it very much drives me to work harder myself.” Ellie Osmond Ellie is now going to the University of Leeds to study Human Physiology. A sports scholar, she says: “Most of my free time was dedicated to running. I run for Blackheath and Bromley Harriers and have competed at the national level in cross country and middle / long distance on the track and roads. My best achievement is probably winning a gold medal at the last South of England Athletics Championships.”

Saul Packer Saul has an offer from Cambridge to study Modern and Medieval Languages. He is interested in applying for a role in the Foreign Office, and loved the variety of musical experiences he had at Trinity, “from touring opera in China, to the school musicals, to playing timpani solos.” Amelia Andrews Amelia is studying Business at Bath University. Her advice is for students to keep their options open while they can: “Your ideas for university and what you enjoy can really change. I’m so glad I still had all my options open at the end of Year 12.”

Kishen Patel Once again, many students have opted to study Business, Finance and Economicsrelated degrees. “Economics explains how the world works, and gives you insight into how the biggest companies and governments operate,” says Kishen, who is off to study Economics and Finance at Exeter University.

Alexander Szczepaniak Alexander studied Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics and really enjoyed the opportunity to design and edit the first edition of the Trinity Economic Review. He can see himself pursuing postgraduate research in a field related to Economics and has taken up the offer he has received to study Economics at LSE. Tom Leigh Tom is going to study Medicine at Leeds. He then hopes to return to London and work in hospitals across the South-East of England. “I have two main highlights of my time at Trinity,” he says. “Firstly, in 2019 I captained the U16s to a national plate victory at Lee Valley, the Olympic stadium. Second, I have many happy memories of the Sixth Form Centre - from free periods to dress up day.”

Louis Rumbold-Koch Louis chose Economics, History and Business for A Level and would also like to go into business. “The biggest piece of advice I could give to younger students is that life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react, so keep going no matter how hard the work gets! I would love to be involved with Trinity in the future in some capacity by helping to fund bursaries so that everyone has an equal opportunity to attend this great school.”

Aaron Blackman Aaron will study Economics at Warwick. “My main motivation to do well stems from the successes of my peers. I feel that the environment created at Trinity promotes excellence and achievement. It was very motivating,” he says.

“The highlight of my time at Trinity was the 2018 geography trip to Borneo and Singapore. This was truly vast in its scope and just goes to show how dedicated the teachers at Trinity are.” Anoushka Samanta Anoushka plans to study Medicine at Imperial. She says: “My role model is my uncle, who is a doctor in India. I admire him greatly for his work, especially managing COVID-19 in hospitals.”

Ellie Press Ellie studied English, Geography and History at A Level and has a place at Cambridge to read English Literature. She comments, ”if a student is planning on applying for Oxbridge or other courses with intensive application processes, I would recommend compiling a reading list and getting started on it over summer.”

“Moving from a very small school to a larger one, I enjoyed the added independence,” Ellie says. “I think it has helped prepare me better for the move to university.”

“At Trinity there is a unique environment in which teachers not only focus on academic excellence and individual success, but also, they genuinely care about you as people and your wellbeing.” Olushola Adesina Olushola Adesina will now study Chemistry at Oxford. His advice is as follows: “When you finish a topic in class, it’s a good idea to condense your notes into flashcards. I like online ones like Anki or Quizlet. It pays off when you’re not scrambling through messy pages of notes and your textbook for every topic or term test!”

In Trinity Magazine A Level results

Apprenticeship success for Upper Sixth students Both Thomas Jakubkis and Thomas Merritt have received offers of highly coveted degree apprenticeships - with Ernst and Young, in the field of information technology, and at Savills, focused on building surveying, respectively. “By the end of the degree apprenticeship, you earn a full university degree without the burden of student debt and most employers will offer a competitive wage to compensate you for your hard work,” says Thomas J, who points out that he heard about degree apprenticeships for the first time during a presentation which formed part of Higher Education Week. Meanwhile, Thomas M points out that Savills had 8,000 applicants for only one vacancy. He says: “If you are adamant about the industry you want to get into, then an apprenticeship, in my opinion, is often the best route.”

GCSE The results are in.

“There is plenty more for this capable group of young men to learn and to achieve as they move up through the school.” Mr Jack Munnery

In Trinity Magazine GCSE results

Trinity Fifth Year students thrive in the face of challenge. Well done to our GCSE cohort who rose to the challenges of the past two years and were rewarded with a set of enormously pleasing grades.

“We are so pleased for our Fifth Year students and their families,” says Alasdair Kennedy, Headmaster. “After the most unusual and disrupted two years of school, they have negotiated the requirements of the teacher assessed grade process extremely well and 94% of their grades were 9, 8 or 7. Out of the 136 students in the year group, 40 achieved nine or more 9 grades, and 119 students achieved a 9 grade in at least one of their subjects.” Mr Munnery, Head of Fifth Year, adds: “This group showed dogged determination and perseverance whilst navigating the past eighteen months. Their willingness to do well was matched by their complete focus upon what factors they could control, in an often fluid environment. We have always championed the idea of hard work and effort as the foundation to everything we do in the Fifth Year, and to see this come through so clearly filled me with a true sense of pride.”

94%

Graded 7, 8, or 9

Conor Giblin “I especially liked Spanish and English as the classes varied in how we learnt the material, and we were given licence to come up with our own ideas. “I play a lot of football and I would do most of my work at the weekend when I had lots of time so that I’d have less to do during the week when I’d be busier with training. My advice would be to find a personal way of juggling your various commitments, whilst also leaving some time for yourself and for friends and family - and also to enjoy it!” Roma Matebalavu “Online lessons allowed me to structure my day as I pleased. This meant I could do physical training before school started or during breaks. I would encourage GCSE students to utilise physical exercise to boost not only their physical health but also their mental wellbeing. Exercise and rugby training helped me during periods of study. I also turned to weightlifting and running between revision sessions as a distraction and as a way of increasing focus. “Evidence for our teacher assessed grades was collected from not only the exams we sat at the end of the year but also from previous assessments. This benefitted those who treated every small test as their last. “I would like to study at Oxbridge in an area involving History or Classics then take a law conversion course, and to play rugby to the highest standard I am able to; hopefully, for a professional side.” Yusuf Jamil “My advice is make time to talk to your teachers. At the end of my Fourth Year, I realised that I needed to bring up my Computing grade, so I emailed my teacher and set up some extra lessons. This resulted in me obtaining a grade 9 in one of our last practice exams and feeling more confident. “What I’m most looking forward to about Sixth Form life is the increased freedom and delving deeper into the subjects I have chosen for A Level: Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Religious Studies. I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine or dentistry.”

Josh Binns “I elected to do the three humanities for GCSE – Religious Studies, Geography and History. I really enjoyed all of them as they allowed me to explore the world around us in such depth through the lens of some of the most influential events of the 20th century. “My favourite part of GCSE years was the DofE trip in the summer of Fourth Year. Despite getting slightly lost, we managed to cook some vaguely edible food and I had a really fun time with my friends. I’m taking Classical Civilisation, Politics, Geography and History for A Level, and I’d love to go to university to study Politics and International Relations.” Aarav Ganguli “I found my GCSE years to be the most enjoyable, yet challenging. At times, balancing homework and extra-curricular activities was tough. A useful solution for me was to write a list of everything I had to do and then rank these tasks in order of priority to ensure that deadlines were being met, whilst also having fun and staying fit! Having a break to practise my instruments or do my exercises for various sports meant I felt fresher and more motivated.” Zain Mirza “I have particularly enjoyed the more practical, hands-on subjects such as Biology. The thrilling, live dissections and enthusiastic teachers created an immersive atmosphere, making it easy to engage and allowing me to have fun. “I participated in many co-curricular clubs and activities including cricket, scubadiving, debating club, Think Soc and computing club. The school’s enrichment programme encouraged me to broaden my horizons, encouraging me to take up many extra-curricular activities as well as to participate in the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh award. “I managed to balance extra-curricular and social actives with schoolwork well throughout the two years by planning and timetabling everything into an app called ‘Notion’. This allowed me to plan my week to stay efficient and maximise productivity. I am so excited to dive deeper into each of my favourite subjects in the Sixth Form.”

In Trinity Magazine Art

Spotligh Art

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“A couple of my friends are also into the nerdy stuff and have run around with me taking photos on the top floor of a car park in Piccadilly, whilst in costume.”

Trinity student takes his passion for performing to the next level Lucas Pinto will be going on to study at UAL: Wimbledon College of Arts, as an undergraduate on its BA (Hons) Costume for Theatre and Screen course. He recalls running into a Sega employee at Comic-Con, a comic book convention held annually in San Diego, California. This chance meeting inspired him, he says, and, around this time, he started making films, props and costumes. The Art department encouraged Lucas to start feeding some of this into his work at school. Starting simply, at first, Lucas built helmets, for instance – helping out at school plays such as Beowulf. “I started out moulding and creating with foam that I would glue together like cardboard, often making armour-type costumes,” Lucas explains. But he soon moved on to explore more complex, even intricate outfits, such as a full-sized Iron Man suit, and he started sewing, even acquiring a 3D printer. Many of his skills, up until now, have been selftaught, via internet tutorials. One industry professional who has particularly inspired him is the Oscar-winning, Black Panther costume designer, Ruth E. Carter, who has mastered the look of multiple periods and genres. “I love the idea that the costumes have deeper stories,” he says. Alongside all of this, Lucas is frequently found performing on stage, both in school and professionally, at venues such as the Young Vic and as part of the National Youth Theatre.

Photo by Graham Lacdao

But his passion for film and performance was sparked by his time spent singing opera with the Trinity Boys’ Choir, he says.

“A couple of my friends are also into the nerdy stuff and have run around with me taking photos on the top floor of a car park in Piccadilly, whilst in costume – taking photos on rooftops. Often, with costume, it’s about showing it off in the way it was supposed to be seen. There’s that special quality of seeing it in the right context.” He recalls watching films, and not only wanting to be the characters, but to create the costumes, write and direct. He wrote a script for his Sixth Form Project, part of the Trinity Diploma, adding: “I think it’s important to have as many strings to your bow as possible.” Lucas says that the teachers at Trinity were incredibly supportive in helping him shape his unique path: “When an old Art teacher worked on Wallace and Gromit, the film - my favourite one, too - he encouraged me to enter the Trinity film competition as I was making stop motion films. Mr Price also inspired me in lightsabre building club, and I took it further in my own time. “I’m now involved in a Play in a Week,” he adds. “I’m trying to squeeze every last drop out of my life at Trinity.”

In Trinity Magazine Art

Zafirah Sadiq Zafirah studied Business, Art and English at A Level and will now go to Newcastle to study Architecture. “I get a lot of inspiration from forms from the ocean – such as oysters, shells, barnacles. A lot of my work is focused around the strength of these forms,” she says.

In Trinity Magazine Art

Tiare Marano Tiare will be attending Central Saint Martins for a foundation diploma, having studied Art, Photography and Psychology at A Level. “I was able to incorporate elements of Psychology into both Art and Photography,” she says. “My time in the Sixth Form was very exciting. Having moved from an all girls school to co-ed, the atmosphere was very different and less competitive which I really enjoyed.”

“I was able to incorporate elements of Psychology into both Art and Photography.”

Joshua Moore Prempeh Joshua studied A Level Fine Art, English Literature and Geography and is now going to study Architecture at Cambridge. “I am interested in Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, especially his design of rural homes. Whilst most of these houses have a contemporary and modern style, I like his ability to use materials with colour tones that complement the surrounding natural landscape,” he says. “I also find the work of Le Corbusier particularly interesting. His modern geometric forms were ahead of his time and his work is revolutionary, as was his architectural thinking.” Pictured above is an oil painting, by Joshua, exploring African heritage and issues regarding racial identity.

Hugo Barry-Casademunt Hugo has been awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Drawing School. “I am very excited to be able to focus on Art,” he says. “It has been an ambition of mine. The Royal Drawing School is slightly more technical than other schools, however I think it is very important to be taught technique before properly pushing boundaries. “I have massively enjoyed taking advantage of the studio space in Trinity as it has some outstanding facilities. In addition, some of my most important memories have been made in the Music department with the choirs and orchestras I have been a part of. I am lucky enough to have been able to travel the world thanks to the hard work of the Trinity Boys’ Choir.”

Noah Gilham Noah Gilham recently created a book, on a site called BookBuildr, the main theme of which was ‘Wild’; an idea he explored as part of his Art GCSE project. He wanted to explore folklore, especially folklore involving his own culture and the stories he had been told as a child from his Scandinavian relatives. “In my book I emphasised the importance of kindness and courage. I wanted to experiment with colour and how it contrasted with dark, muddy backgrounds to create striking and vibrant illustrations. I mainly looked at trolls and spirits as characters for my book as they are charming and magical, and also because they were a large part of John Bauer's work - an artist I have studied.” Having enjoyed exploring his heritage in this way, Noah says he intends to bring his passion for illustration and visual storytelling to Art A Level.

In Trinity Magazine Academic

Academic

Exploring further Fifth Year Bridging Programme After completing their GCSEs, our Fifth Year students are eager to embark on the next stage of their education. The prospect of having the freedom to specialise in the subjects that most interest them, and the opportunity to gain more independence, means it’s a very exciting time in their school career. A taste of things to come The relationships they will develop with teachers, alongside the ability to engage with their favourite subjects in greater depth, exploring both cross-curricular links and supra-curricular extension, are what will make their study of A Levels perhaps the most rewarding years of their time at Trinity. As well as being rewarding, these years will undoubtedly bring new challenges and require our students to adapt their usual ways of working. The additional time we had with our Fifth Year students, afforded to us by the COVID-19 pandemic, meant we could give them a chance to experience, and prepare for, life in the Sixth Form over a dedicated two-week programme at the end of the summer term. We designed ‘bridging lessons’ to provide a taster of what Sixth Form life is like, from academic work to co-curricular and enrichment opportunities.

Feeling well prepared Students enjoyed introductory courses in each of their A Level subjects featuring independent, A Level style preparation, followed by lessons in each department led by a subject specialist linked to, and mirroring, the work they will complete at A Level. They were invited to continue exploring their subjects using extension material and information relating to other subjects they are interested in, at their own leisure. The programme also included talks on life in the Sixth Form from staff, visits to the Sixth Form Centre and meet-ups with fellow Sixth Form students. The group also had the opportunity to take part in a fun activity throughout the two-week programme, taking advantage of the exciting, creative and active opportunities we have on offer including experimental drawing, coding, music lessons, and film making. These were designed to give the students a chance to spend some time together and enjoy an aspect of school life they had missed out on this past year. This programme provided a genuine introduction to what this feels like at Trinity, and we hope that the students enjoyed it. We look forward to building on the relationships made and skills gained as we welcome them to the Sixth Form formally next year.

“We wanted students to realise that they can approach anything in a scholarly or academic way. For us, ‘academic’ means approaching something with care, attention to detail and passion.”

A Festival of Ideas This summer term our corridors were awash with activity as we celebrated our first Festival of Ideas. In a week-long celebration of academic curiosity and creative expression, students led and took part in workshops, performances, talks, exhibitions and presentations. Exploring subjects including robotics, art, music, poetry, drama, computing and sport, and taking part in activities including debates, geo-caching (seeking out hidden goodies guided by a GPS enabled device), designing impossible objects and conducting scientific experiments, students had the opportunity to explore and share their interests with their peers. “Our aim was to put our students’ interests at the centre of the Festival and to encourage them to lead the events,” Mr Ryan said. “We wanted the Festival of Ideas to really represent the ideas of the school community.” The Festival was also designed to question assumptions about what it means to be ‘academic’. Mr Ryan explained: “We felt that the term is often associated with essays, books, grades. All of these are wonderful, but what about drama, dance, sport, art, music, and experiments?”

In Trinity Magazine Drama

Drama

Growing through

Performa LAMDA...

more than just another exam LAMDA’s suite of examinations, covering disciplines such as acting; miming; Shakespeare; poetry, and musical theatre, have become part of the co-curricular life of students who have a particular interest in, or talent for, the performing arts. Since introducing LAMDA as a cocurricular option three years ago, we have seen a fantastic uptake and achievement in LAMDA qualifications across our whole student body. Our students have achieved a consistent 100% pass rate (80% distinctions, 20% merits), across both performance and communications syllabi. This year, despite all the challenges posed by a global pandemic, the results have continued that trend, and have allowed students to show their adaptability and resilience whilst working with new forms of assessment remotely via Zoom.

Whilst most students follow the performance side of the LAMDA curriculum, students are also learning other applied skills which are making a positive contribution to other parts of their school lives. From Junior Form up to Lower Sixth, students are exploring themes as diverse as vulnerability, corruption, gender politics, story-telling, and belief systems. They are using technical voice skills and applying these to public speaking, and to the communication of themed recitals. Here, some of our students explain how LAMDA has helped them...

Aidan “When LAMDA became available to me in First Year, I jumped at the chance to get involved as I saw it as an excellent opportunity to boost my self-confidence and acting skills. It has done more than that. “Before I took part in weekly LAMDA lessons at school I always felt nervous when getting up to perform, even though I would never be afraid to take part. I am now confident and take pride when performing to anyone. “Although it was disappointing having to do my exam online this year, it brought a variety of new rehearsal techniques to my attention. I recorded myself on a Zoom meeting so I could watch it back and make notes on how to improve. This technique was really effective for me and I am certainly going to use this in the future. You never notice the fine details if you can’t see yourself performing!”

In Trinity Magazine Drama

ance. Anish

Ethan

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“LAMDA has proved to be invaluable in many aspects of my life. It has helped me with my public-speaking skills, confidence as well as developing my vocal, physical and interpretive skills. Being able to view many different scripts and plays of your choice, exploring them and then being able to perform them is a hugely beneficial and holistic process.

“LAMDA has helped me develop and improve my drama skills, opening me up to playing a wide range of different, interesting characters that I’d never played before. I’ve been doing joint lessons and I’ve learned a lot from it, as we both get to perform to one another and provide feedback, which has been really helpful and I would highly recommend it.”

“Recently both I and a friend of mine were interested in taking a LAMDA exam and decided to do a duologue together. Due to COVID, rehearsing became very difficult, so instead we changed it to a combined exam, where there is one duologue piece, and one monologue. I have learnt a lot about teamwork, and acting alongside others, but at the same time we have also been developing different skills with our monologues. I have really enjoyed working with him, and we plan to do more exams together in the future!”

“Doing LAMDA has been a great experience and I am excited to explore some more pieces and practitioners going forward!”

Ansh “LAMDA allowed me to see drama in a new light. It was no longer something I saw in a movie but also something that I have grown to love and take part in myself. “It feels amazing to see the work you put in for months pay off with a great grade in your examination. I only hope to further enhance my skills and, most importantly, continue to enjoy performing.”

“I saw it as an excellent opportunity to boost my self-confidence and acting skills. It has done more than that.” Aidan

Ashvin “LAMDA gives me the chance to perform and direct my pieces, which I then get to perform to incredibly caring people at LAMDA who take my ideas and views into consideration. I feel that I have really embraced LAMDA and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the arts.”

In Trinity Magazine Drama

A team of keen Upper Sixth dramatists challenged themselves to put on a ‘Play in a Week’ to round off their time at Trinity. Eager to reconvene after their exams and lockdown, the group wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to perform together one last time. They agreed to stage an edited, two-act version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, much to the delight of their audience of fellow students and staff who were albeit small due to restrictions, attentive and enthusiastic viewers. With a slapstick style and the lightest of touches Will Hardy (Toby Belch), Erin Edwards (Maria/Sebastian), Amelia English (Viola), Lucas Pinto (Aguecheek), Anjali Patel-Ramcharran (Olivia), Isaac Lewsey (Malvolio) and Euan Jonas (Technical Management) re-envisaged this timeless classic, set outside in the wonderful grounds of the School. Will said: “We thought Twelfth Night would be a good choice for both us on stage and the audience, and there was no better place to set it than outside.” Along with editing the script, the group rehearsed, planned costumes, designed their set and took on choreography within a tight deadline of just four days. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, two of the cast took on the additional complexity of multi-roling.

Will added: “The prospect of putting on a play in such a short time frame was very frightening indeed. We were, nonetheless, excited and keen to enjoy a nice bit of Shakespeare in the sun!” Mr Chambers, Head of Drama Productions, said: "It is so rewarding to see our recent Sixth Form drama students return with the same intensity and passion for drama as they showed through their time at Trinity. Rehearsals promised a funny, original, tongue-in-cheek take on Shakespeare’s classic comedy with some wonderful performances. We were eager to get back to live performance and hope this heralds the beginning of a new chapter."

In Trinity Magazine Drama

“The prospect of putting on a play in such a short time frame was very frightening indeed.”

Sixth Form Diploma Programme

Forward 1 thinking 2 Each year, Lower Sixth students undertake a research-based project focused on their passions. This can take the form of an artefact a physical product of some kind - or a dissertation. Students make a choice between a Sixth Form Project (SFP) or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ); an official course offered by the exam board, AQA. Across these pages, we have chosen ten diverse projects to showcase the breadth and variety of research undertaken by Trinity students…

The creation of a bionic arm, using inexpensive, recyclable materials Surya Vijayanand An exploration of how protections against COVID-19 affect the development of children’s immunity Zoe Wisniewski An analysis of racial discrimination inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement Tyler Yanagida

A study on the impact of head injuries in Rugby Pierce Cummins

Considerations around diversity in magistrates’ courts Henry Bishop

6 7

Research into bite mark analysis; a ‘highly contextual’ part of modern forensics Hanna Wang A ‘controversial’ exposure of truths and ideas around censorship Safi Tiotto-Smith

A look back at the history of honey being used as a medicine, and its impact in clinical trials Ari Yad

Predictions, reality and economic viability when it comes to ‘mega projects’ Chris Green

In the lab: Chemical reactions in carbon capture experiments Aman De Silva

In Trinity Magazine Sixth Form Diploma

Being Bionic... With students impressing staff with their enthusiasm, ingenuity and resourcefulness when it came to their independent research projects, one student, Surya Vijayanand, went as far as to win EngineeringUK’s Big Bang Competition – which resulted in him being invited on a 15-day residential programme at Imperial College. For his EPQ, Surya built a bionic arm from scratch using inexpensive, recyclable materials. He explains: “I integrated an electronic circuit into the arm that is connected to a glove controller. When I move my fingers, sensors on the fingers of the glove transmit electrical signals to the motors in the bionic arm and it mimics every movement.” The arm itself is handmade from materials ranging from cardboard to a water bottle and ice-lolly sticks. “I have always wanted to learn how to build electronic circuits as well as code them to provide functionality. I felt that the EPQ was the perfect excuse to get started,” he says, pointing out that he was inspired by science fiction movies; the artistic design and engineering behind these worlds, and that he was also intrigued by modern day prosthetics, particularly bionic limbs.

“The key technical skills I acquired were being able to construct electronic circuits and alter them to perform different tasks, code them using the Arduino programming language and construct moving parts that interacted with the electronic components. Aside this, the EPQ provided me with several other skills, such as time management and referencing sources. My advice to other students would be to really think big and outside the box. Many people opt for writing a dissertation and not many create an artefact, but I encourage everyone to consider creating something.” Ms Manisier, STEM engagement Coordinator and Teacher of Physics, was so impressed with Surya’s model that she encouraged him to enter it into the national ‘Big Bang Competition’, created by EngineeringUK to recognise and reward young people’s science and engineering project work. He was awarded a place at the ‘London International Youth Science Forum 2021’.

Well done, Surya!

“I am really excited for the residential programme at Imperial College. I can’t wait to visit and meet the professors and other students from across the world who have also won a place.” Surya

In Trinity Magazine Sixth Form Diploma

Zoe Wisniewski’s SFP looked at how protections against COVID-19 affect the development of children’s immunity. “I chose to study Biology, Chemistry and Spanish at A Level. My topic definitely feeds into my Biology course as we studied immunity and communicable diseases,” she says. “I liked the freedom I was given to choose my own topic but appreciated the support and guidance.”

Safi Tiotto-Smith’s EPQ, entitled ‘The Case Against Humanity’ was designed as a ‘controversial exposure of truths and ideas’ which she feels are underrepresented or unaddressed due to censorship. The slightly random layout of her artefact is designed ‘to emulate the carelessness of humanity, whilst also mimicking the sinister spread of evidence at a crime scene.’

Tyler Yanagida was inspired by the recent Black Lives Matter movement and Asian hate crime protests, which compelled him to work on an EPQ related to racial discrimination. “I felt that Asian discrimination is quite neglected,” he explains, adding: “I discovered how to analyse the credibility of my sources to avoid basing my argument on biased sources.”

Aman De Silva explored chemical reactions in carbon capture experiments, whilst exploring industrial applications and engaging in primary research. Carbon capture and storage – sometimes known as CCS for short - is the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide before it is released into the atmosphere. The race is on to scale up such technology in order to hit net zero targets.

Pierce Cummins says his SFP allowed him to view his biggest passion - Rugby - in an academic way. He studied, in particular, the impact of head injuries; looking at many studies on the brain and reading a number of case studies.

“The Case Against Humanity” by Safi Tiotto-Smith

Hanna Wang said she found the SFP to be very useful as it allowed her to conduct wider research around Dentistry, which is what she wants to study at university. Her project looked at bite mark analysis, which she describes as a ‘highly contextual’ part of modern forensics.

Chris Green’s SFP considered to what extent hyperloop transportation systems are economically viable. This topic was sparked in part by his desire to study Law. He says: “I have always been interested in large scale projects that allow society to function more efficiently. These projects can cost astronomical sums of money. I noticed a trend with mega projects. They often greatly underestimate construction costs to gain approval and investment. One noticeable example is the Syndey Opera House, initially predicted to cost 7 million dollars. It resulted in having a final cost of 102 million!”

Henry Bishop’s EPQ was about the diversity in magistrates’ courts. He explains: “I chose to apply for an EPQ because it is an externally-recognised qualification, and you get multiple oneon-one meetings with supervisors for an EPQ and time and room to really explore the topic”.

For his SFP, Ari Yad researched the history of honey being used as medicine: “Who knew that honey was both a delicious addition to your tea and an effective antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral substance? “Honey is a deceptively simple looking syrup, when in fact it contains up to 200 substances that make it effective on many types of ailments such as burns, wounds and ulcers. I was particularly surprised to learn that in some clinical trials, honey was shown to work better than some steroid treatments.” Ari chose a topic that linked to his aspiration to study Medicine at university. “The process of researching and writing my SFP helped me to develop skills that would be useful for university, particularly practising referencing and producing a detailed bibliography,” he adds.

In Trinity Magazine Sixth Form Diploma

“I was taught how to research my topic using different sources and quote them.” Joe

“I enjoyed the process as I had a chance to really dissect political theory which intrigues me. I currently plan to pursue a degree in PPE.” Alice

“The EPQ offered a fully- fledged qualification grade that would further bolster my UCAS application. It also complemented my A Level Biology course particularly well, as the additional eye anatomy I learnt was an area I would not otherwise have covered.”

Teacher’s Perspective

Mr Hutchings Head of EPQ & SFP shares his view on the learning process

Mr Hutchings, our Head of EPQ & SFP, comments that many students opted to produce artefacts this year which resulted in a great variety of new skills being learnt. Rather than focusing on reading and writing an essay, producing an artefact involves making and building, too: “It’s a truly iterative process, in which students learn from failures,” he says. “This whole process is so valuable as it gives students time and space to focus on something they are really interested in, and to produce undergraduate level work, which is properly researched, thoughtful and erudite,” adds Mr Hutchings, who also points out that an EPQ involves 120 hours’ of commitment, so cannot be taken lightly. As half of an A Level, in terms of UCAS points, it is a significant additional commitment with only 12 hours of directed time, he warns, adding: “It is truly like university undergraduate study. It’s great for preparing students for further education. Often they produce 30 to 40item bibliographies and, when it comes to the content of their topic, they are expected to be the master. This can give an enormous sense of achievement.”

Joshua

“My SFP covered issues around anxiety that affect teenagers around the world. I also covered the different types of anxiety disorders which are surprisingly unknown in today’s day and age.” Max

“It’s a truly iterative process, in which students learn from their failures...”

In Trinity Magazine Music

An overview of music at Trinity from our Director of Music, David Swinson

LIGHTS. CAMERA. MUSIC!

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated two major changes to our music provision this academic year. First, we could not welcome parents and family members into school so, instead of performing to live audiences, we had to film all our concerts. Second, much of our musicmaking had to happen within year group bubbles. The new experiences, while inconvenient and frustrating, also brought about positive outcomes.

Gala highlights

Choral aspiration

Year group string orchestras and wind bands ran throughout the year in addition to the senior orchestra, Big Band and Swing Band. These groups featured in the termly gala concerts. A notable highlight was the first performance of a student composition by our senior string group: Romance for Strings by the School Music Captain, Jeanette Szeto.

Singing was highlighted early on in the pandemic as a potentially dangerous activity and this has meant that we have not been able to sing in class. However, we are happy to report that, whilst following the guidelines carefully, we have provided a great many varied opportunities for our singers.

Many more enjoyed our filmed concerts than could have been accommodated as a live audience, including highly appreciative family members from abroad, and pupils have reported how much they have appreciated the more active engagement with their year group musicians. Furthermore, the vast majority of our music-making this year has been archived and can, therefore, be enjoyed for years to come.

We proudly promote those instruments which we feel are often overlooked in schools and there have been a number of filmed concerts for our guitarists, including our electric and classical guitar groups, our pianists and our drum kit players. There is some exceptional talent among these students and the concerts demonstrate this perfectly.

Our year group choirs have also featured in the termly concerts, as has the Girls’ Choir, Sixth Form Octet and Chamber Choir. It has been particularly exciting to note the increased involvement and excellence of girl singers. Meanwhile, Trinity Boys’ Choir has undertaken two major film soundtrack recordings over the course of this year. On both occasions the boys were joined by members of the Girls’ Choir. The first, in January, took place at Abbey Road Studios and was for Disney and the second, for Netflix, took place in our own studio.

Festive cheer and fundraising

Concerto Concerts

Trinity Musician of the Year

The autumn term presented the school with many challenges, not least maintaining the school’s opening during the November national lockdown. The music department was delighted, therefore, to help to provide an abundance of festive cheer!

We were able to conclude the academic year with three outstanding and memorable musical collaborations with the London Mozart Players. First, 29 members of the LMP combined with a similar number of Trinity musicians to create a fantastic orchestra which accompanied five Upper Sixth form musicians who were playing concertos. Congratulations to Daniel Zolinsky (Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A); Jeanette Szeto (Walton’s Viola Concerto); Ross Ah-Weng (Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto); Alex Wong (Dvorak’s Cello Concerto), and Eloise Demay (Elegy for Trumpet by Bates).

We were delighted to be able to run all our competitions this year, although some happened online. The final of the Musician of the Year competition was hotly competed, and the standard was astonishingly high. Many congratulations to the winner Jeanette Szeto and to Alex Wong who took second place, with Matthew Gillam third. Well done all!

The School Carol Service had 1,500 viewers and the Choristers’ Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, which included contributions from alumnus, Revd Dr Michael Brierley, Precentor of Worcester Cathedral, had an audience of over 1,000. In addition, a charity single ‘Almost Christmas’, written by our Head of Academic Music, Richard Holdsworth, received over 3,000 viewers and raised over £2000 for charities supporting the homeless.

“A charity single ‘Almost Christmas’, written by our Head of Academic Music, Richard Holdsworth, received over 3,000 viewers and raised over £2000 for charities supporting the homeless.”

Masterclasses Under the auspices of the LMP, we also hosted two masterclasses and our musicians were coached by two rising stars of the classical music world. The saxophonist Jess Gillam worked with Matthew Gillam and the pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason coached Edward Warner, Ben Abrahams and Isaac Rogers.

Live-streamed jazz One of the most popular musical events in our annual calendar is the December Jazz Evening. This event raises funds for the Trinity Malawi project and we were delighted to be able to maintain this tradition by offering a live-streamed event, direct from the Concert Hall. Our Big Band, Swing Band, Jazz Collective and jazz singers were watched by over 4,000 viewers and, as ever, significant funds were raised for this valued partnership.

IN PROFILE

In Trinity Magazine Music

Jeanette Szeto

Daniel Zolinsky

Jeanette studied Biology, Music and Psychology at A Level and said she decided half-way through her year in Lower Sixth that she wanted to pursue a career in Music. She has since been awarded a scholarship at the Royal Northern College of Music.

Daniel studied English, History and Music at A Level and has chosen to study Music at Oxford University.

A particular highlight of her time at Trinity was playing Walton’s Viola Concerto with the school orchestra and the London Mozart Players. “The whole experience of preparing and performing the piece and being able to listen to the other soloists in the concert was a really good way to end my time at Trinity,” she says. “But there have been so many things that I’ve loved. If I had to name a few, it would include the Concerto, recording for Netflix and Disney, and being able to work with other great musicians and hear them play in competitions.” Her advice to other students is to get involved with as many things as possible, whether that’s sport, music, drama or academic societies. “Having something that requires a completely different way of thinking to your subjects is a really good way to make sure that you don’t tire yourself out,” she says. Jeanette’s proudest achievement was when she found out that she had received scholarships to all of her conservatoire choices: “I wasn’t really expecting to get into all four, let alone scholarships … I think of that as a turning point.”

“Music has always been a fundamental part of my life, particularly competitions and performance. This could indicate that a conservatoire would have been the more rational choice, but I sought to further my academic and contextual knowledge of music, and hence decided to apply for a university degree. I have always had huge interest in the legal field surrounding Music, too, and so felt that an academic degree would be critical in ensuring I am fully prepared should I choose to pursue this particular career in the future,” he says. Daniel plays Piano and Violin to diploma standard. He says he managed to balance the time he spent on Music and his studies by organising his time around deadlines. “I think it is preferable to ensure that one aspect is complete before spending extensive time on the other, otherwise one feels that nothing has been achieved, which does not motivate you to work hard,” he says, adding that his proudest achievement was achieving nine 9s and one 8 at GCSE. “On joining Trinity I was sceptical that I would be up to the academic standard, particularly in Maths and Sciences, and so I am most proud of my motivation to get into a high set for Science classes and then subsequently achieve A* level in the exams,” he adds.

In Trinity Magazine Sports

Sporting Spirit. A round up of everything sport related at Trinity

Participating in sport helps develop our students’ confidence and resilience. Students learn about themselves and others through teamwork, in an environment in which expression and leadership are encouraged. As well as celebrating outstanding achievements, some of which are included here, we encourage our students to participate in and be excited by the sports on offer and come away with a sense of fulfilment, emotional reward, and competitive spirit. Alongside the achievements of our students in an extraordinary year, it has also been interesting exploring the psychology behind elite sport and how this can be applied in other areas of our students’ time at school.

The psychology of sport In a year that has, sadly, seen many fixtures removed from our sporting calendar, we were delighted to add a new focus on sport psychology. Mr O’Connor, a qualified Performance Psychologist and scratch golfer, runs regular sessions as part of our High Performance Programme, covering issues including mindset, goal setting, mindfulness and imagery. These sessions are designed to show our students tangible ways to develop their resilience not just in sport, but in every walk of life. A Psychology MSc graduate from the University of Edinburgh, Mr O’Connor explained: “Naturally, within a highperformance environment, the focus is around the physical and technical sides of performance. With the inclusion of a psychological perspective, we’re able to add a different dimension to the arsenal of our athletes – increasing their chances of having an advantage over their fellow competitors.”

“Although performance and success are important, considering the psychological side of sport ensures success is generated through happiness and enjoyment so that sporting performance contributes to the overall wellbeing of our student athletes”.

In Trinity Magazine Sports

Water Polo

Rugby

Hockey

1st team goalkeeper and Fifth Year student, Aarav Ganguli, will represent England in the U17 European qualifiers in Slovenia. Since picking up the sport at Trinity, Aarav has made incredible progress over a short period of time and has been able to balance his academic commitments alongside playing elite level sport.

Harrison Friday was disappointed to have his final year of Trinity Rugby interrupted by the pandemic, yet has continued to improve his game and was able to display the immense progress he has made this year, starting at scrum-half for Esher 1st XV in their win against National One side, Chinnor. Meanwhile, George Papa has battled with injuries but has committed himself to his rehabilitation and was rewarded with an appearance for Harlequins U17 Academy against Northampton Saints at Premiership ground, Franklin’s Gardens.

Lower Sixth student, Joseph Cotton, has been promoted to the England U18 programme this year. The programme plays a pivotal role in the careers of young hockey players around the country, helping to identify the highest potential senior international players of the future.

“I was delighted when I found out that I would have the honour of representing Great Britain in Slovenia. I am particularly grateful for all of the extra sessions at school and elsewhere, with experienced coaches, which meant that I was able to arrive at the selection process very well prepared.

Mr Roberts, Head of Rugby, said: “Harrison and George’s performances prove that the hard work put in this year – despite the lack of fixtures – was certainly worth it. This makes me even more excited to see what the rest of us can do when we get back to it next season.”

Cricket Our U11 cricketers did exceptionally well, making the final of the County Cup and facing a tough Rokeby side.

“Looking forward to Slovenia, we have the aspirations of qualifying but we will have to work hard, especially as we haven’t been able to train together all year and we have some strong opponents in our group. Going abroad will be an amazing experience for me and it will mean that I develop my skills both in and out of the pool.” As well as Aarav’s selection, we are proud that Third Year Jared Thompson and Fourth Years Fred Turpin and Christian Pauling have been invited to join the National Talent Academy in July. The National Academy is the entry point for both the England and Great Britain squads, and they join Pierre Rivet, Will Burbidge and Oliver Veraas Brown – all from Fourth Year – who are already part of the set up.

Rowing Morgan Lee broke the girls’ U18 Lightweight Rowing record by 14 seconds with a time of 26 minutes 58 seconds, despite recovering from an injury after an accident in December. She said: “I was pleased with getting 6k in under 27 minutes, and to have my name back on the list of record holders, but I do hope to go faster when I am fully fit”.

This was the first time Trinity had reached the final of this competition for a number of years. Our U12s and U15s also made the semi-finals of their County Cup competitions, with the U15s also beating Tiffin to make the semi-final of the national T20 competition. Our 2nd XI (all Fifth Year) also played superbly during their exam period, demonstrating exceptional commitment. Alongside our brilliant team performances, we also saw fantastic individual performances from our cricketers this year, including Joe Bradshaw who delivered ‘‘one of the best schoolboy innings I have ever seen,” according to Mr Gabbitass, with 105* for the U14A v Hampton.

Cross Country Sports scholar, Ellie Osmond, competed at national level in cross country and middle/long distance on track and roads. Her proudest achievement is winning a gold medal at the last South of England Athletics Championships.

Mr Giles, Head of Hockey, said: “It’s great to see the progress Joe has made over the past couple of years. He has remained focused on continuing to learn and improve on his performances despite a challenging year. Joe’s commitment to Hockey outside of school has been admirable, attending regular sessions at Oxted and staying on top of his fitness before and after school.”

Football Fourth Year student, Oliver Scarles, will be offered an early scholarship at West Ham FC. After making his international debut for England U15’s against Belgium last year, Oliver has shown that he can compete at the highest level and is widely regarded as an up-and-coming English talent. Third Year student, Gabriel Bonsu-Amako, has signed a two-year contract at Crystal Palace. This amazing achievement is a testament to his hard work and commitment both on and off the field. Gabriel has been involved in the Crystal Palace Youth Programme from the age of seven. Training at the club is no walk in the park, with sessions taking place four times a week with a match at the weekend. Yet he has managed to prove himself, at times playing above his age group. “It’s a great feeling knowing that my hard work is starting to pay off. I have still got a long way to go, but it’s certainly a step forward in the right direction. I’m truly fortunate to have such a supportive family. I can’t thank them enough.” Lucy Robinson (pictured, right), one of our 2020-21 Heads of School and sportswoman of the month earlier this year, has excelled as part of the Crystal Palace Ladies team. She has set a fantastic example to her peers by involving herself in a wide variety of sports at Trinity and works very closely with PE to promote girls’ sport.

Pictured right, Joseph

“It’s great to see the progress Joe has made over the past couple of years. He has remained focused on continuing to learn and improve...” Mr Giles, Head of Hockey

Olympiad success Physics students have enjoyed exceptional success in the various national Physics Olympiad Competitions this year, writes Lee Flanagan. In the Upper Sixth, we celebrated five Gold awards, three Silvers and three Bronzes. Particular congratulations must go to Krish Oza and Daniel Warren who both achieved top Golds. Consequently, they were invited to compete for a place on the UK National Physics team and, although they narrowly missed out, their performance at the fiendishly difficult Round 2 Competition placed them in the top 50 students in the country. Lower Sixth students enjoyed similar success, with Joel Cuttle

(pictured, right), George Ogden, Varun Ravikumar, Aman de Silva and Matthew Gilham all scoring Gold in the Senior Physics Challenge. After a similarly impressive performance on the British Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (BAAO), Joel was invited to participate in the Astro Selection Camp 2021 where students competed for one of five places on the UK National Astronomy Team. Not to be outdone, at GCSE level, a talented bunch of Fifth Year students scooped our highest set of Gold awards to date, bagging no less than 14. Congratulations to James Burn, James Keers and Freddie Jemison who came joint first out of the Trinity entrants.

Their performance at the fiendishly difficult Round 2 Competition placed them in the top 50 students in the country.

In Trinity Magazine Science

Competition time

Junior Science

The First Year Science Cell Model competition was once again a riot of creativity.

Junior science is always fun at Trinity and this academic year has proved no different in this regard, writes Tristan Heath.

Entries displayed plenty of creativity alongside scientific information: We had edible models, cell models with menus, models with jokes attached, models that used actual living cells in them and cell models that were so large that they needed both doors to the lab to be opened! After much deliberation, in first place was James Roberts’ creation, showing superb electrical skills, with accurate scientific information. It was a model that might be found in the Science museum. In second place was Joe Carter – his professionallooking approach was combined with very effective use of simple materials. And in third place was Daniel Sarai for a beautifully crafted red blood cell, with accurate and clearly presented, scientific information.

The winter term saw all the First Year students able to work in the lab and engage in a range of topics through a very practical scheme of work. Bunsen burners were lit, acids and alkalis tested, rayboxes aimed at various mirrors and friction was explored in a range of situations! Lockdown served to raise the creativeness of the Junior Science teachers, with students engaging in energy transfer and diffusion practicals in their kitchens, atom modelling with Lego, and even attempts at home chromatography.

The Junior Year enjoyed an entirely new classroom-based scheme of work involving testing fitness using scientific methodology, ecosystems and astronomy planetary presentations with homemade papier maché models. Being back in school enabled both year groups to use the lab facilities. Rarely has filtration and evaporation been carried out so appreciatively, brine shrimp been sought so eagerly and microscopic images been observed to such acclaim. With the exams done and dusted – 36 students achieving over 80%! – trips to the London Science Museum and the Port Lympne Safari park followed. Before that though, there was the business of food burning and a fish dissection lesson… all in the name of Science.

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In Trinity Magazine The wider community

The Duke of Edinburgh’s award Volunteering is a key part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award programme because of the impact it has both on a young person's life, and on the wider community. And so we were delighted when Trinity was sent a certificate in recent weeks, celebrating the impact of its DofE group's efforts, with participants from Trinity School having dedicated a whopping 767 hours to a number of worthwhile causes between April 2020 and March 2021. Stories of Contribution Here, Ms Benzinski, our DofE co-ordinator, provides some snapshots of the students’ volunteering as they worked towards their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards...

Fourth Year student, Thomas Walkinshaw, for instance, went out of his way to support healthcare staff during this difficult time. His assessor, Karen Russell, said: “Thomas kindly cooked, weekly, for over 80 frontline healthcare staff during the pandemic. His cakes and sweet treats were really appreciated.” Third Year student, Olly Keers has been contributing to citizen science projects on Zooniverse. Ms Benzinski explains: “Olly has been analysing and classifying images for three wildlife research projects. By doing this, he is helping researchers to explore the world of beluga whales, find out more about the health and wellbeing of monkeys in Puerto Rico, and assess fish populations in Hawaiian waters.”

“We have seen the confidence and ambition grow. It’s been a great outcome.” Ms Nixon, Librarian

Third, Fourth and Fifth Form volunteers carried out a number of useful tasks in the library, including writing book reviews, creating displays, filming clips of themselves talking about books, helping with quizzes, and generally encouraging younger boys to discover the pleasure of reading.

Looking The wider community

outwards

In Trinity Magazine The wider community

Max Dickinson

Dhyan Ruparel

“I approached many local charities including Bromley Brighter Beginnings, which produces an information pack for parents which was very out-of-date. The booklet included family support numbers, emergency doctors and dentists, foodbank addresses, and contact details for Citizens Advice and Samaritans. My job was to update phone numbers, websites and addresses. I had to make many calls to make sure the numbers were still valid. I really enjoyed the project and I know how much this booklet will help families in need.”

“Volunteering at the Trinity library has been, and continues to be, an incredibly enriching experience for me. I actually began volunteering almost three years ago. I spent much of my time shelving books, covering books, and updating the digital records.

Jay Rabheru “As a J–Bug, our English teacher set us a project to discover how the Trinity School library works, which included creating maps of the various areas in the library, talking about why we liked it and how to search for a book. This sparked my enthusiasm for the library, and it felt like a natural fit when I needed an opportunity to give back. “My tasks included restacking bookshelves and creating posters to advertise library events such as the Digital Detox Weekend and a Library Charity Day. Lockdown meant that I had to adapt. This included reading books on the Trinity School Book Awards (TSBA) shortlist and writing reviews. I selected one particular book: The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, and created a short video which contributed to a presentation shown to the current J–Bugs to encourage them to read the books and also find out more about the TSBA.”

“This year, I chose to count my volunteering towards my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, and I have spent this year combining the aforementioned types of tasks with more creative ones.” “An example is a new display which I helped to develop, under the careful guidance of Ms Nixon and Ms Parlain, the librarians. I was given the agency to select the display books, create graphics and posters, and even create insert slips. The task allowed me to explore various new skills, including communication skills and academic skills - such as curating and selecting books - and practical skills, such as graphic design. I hope that the task was beneficial for the library: The idea of helping the wider community is, of course, one of the core purposes of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Volunteering section.”

“I really enjoyed the project and I know how much this booklet will help families in need.” Max Dickinson

The FLR Smith Travel Award FLR Smith Travel Award: Students reflect on a 42-hour trek in which saw them raising over £1000 for Greenpeace. A number of Trinity students have benefitted from the FLR Smith Travel Award, provided from a fund left in memory of a former Trinity student, to promote independent, extra-curricular travel. We have had Sixth Form students competing in street dance festivals in Amsterdam and doing work experience in hospitals abroad, but journeys do not need to be far-flung... For George Ogden, Yash Shetty and Liam Writer, the weather could not have been worse when they embarked upon their trek of the Sussex Border Path. Despite this, George describes it as an ‘epic adventure’ from which he learnt a lot. “We were soaked to the skin on four of the days,” he says, pointing out that, despite this, they smashed their fundraising target of £1000 for Greenpeace. “I’d done things that were physically tough, but nothing compares with this and I became a lot more resilient in the process.” Yash describes the experience quite colourfully: “The hike felt like nature relentlessly and unashamedly battering us. From a booming thunderstorm to blindly hurtling across a field to outrun cows, the experience really was a series of unfortunate events that also provided an excellent platform for personal growth. It will remain imprinted upon my memory.”

He says that key learnings from their adventure included the ability to talk and also to take care of your body: “The ability to hold and drive a good conversation can take you very far. Arguably the best and easiest moments of the hike were those that involved an interesting exchange of ideas. We learnt a lot about each other and established a deeper bond.” Julian Timm explains the thinking behind FLR Smith Travel Award... The FLR Smith travel award is open to pupils in the Fourth Year and above. We are very lucky at Trinity – in normal times – to be able to offer a huge number of UK and overseas trips. This award is designed to promote and support students who are able to show some initiative in planning and carrying out their own trip. The only real stipulation is that it is of some broad educational value. To give you a flavour of what has been accomplished so far, the award has supported trips to Vienna where students were pursuing their interests in the Arts, and part funding of a trip to Ghana where one of our Sixth Form students spent the summer volunteering in a medical centre. In many ways domestic and international travel has been made easier through cheaper fares and mobile technology, but the essential rewards involve immersing yourself in a different culture or challenging yourself to achieve a goal.

In Trinity Magazine The wider community

ADVENTURES Our contributions to the wider community

A note from our Director of Development, David Young

The Trinity Malawi Project The Trinity Malawi Project and our partnership with Chipwepwete Primary School continues to be close to our hearts. While we have not been able to visit in person this year, staff, parents and students have continued to fundraise for this cause, for which we are extremely grateful, writes Mrs Carey.

Most recently, every member of the Junior Year at Trinity completed their own Triathlon which saw them raise further funds to provide bikes and a taxi service to help Malawian teachers to get to school on time, given that many spend hours each day travelling to and from school, in addition to funding a new toilet block.

Each year, we work in partnership with the charity Hope4Malawi and local partner Fisherman’s Rest to provide funds and materials to support various projects. We have a long-standing commitment to raise £10,000 a year to provide a free school meal for every child at Chipwepwete. This year has been no exception. Whilst the Chipwepwete Primary school was closed due to COVID, funds were diverted to supply vulnerable families with food and provide extra soap and buckets for hygiene.

Raising the roof Sara Goodman, Founder of Hope4Malawi, has written to the Trinity community to thank us for our continued commitment.

Building bridges On top of this, we have seen the completion of an amazing project to build a bridge across the local river. This bridge has brought the local community to life, providing vital access to markets, and allowing students to reach school safely.

“Now, five purpose-built classrooms with desks and a fully resourced library enable many of the children to concentrate better and to have the resources they need to learn well.”

She says: “Six years after Trinity committed to provide funding for the feeding programme, the school is unrecognisable. When I first visited the school in 2014 there was not a single classroom with a proper roof: Several classes were outside under trees or temporary shelters.”

“Across the UK, the pandemic has amplified the opportunity and achievement gap between those who have, and those who do not. As a very well-resourced school, we want to disrupt this pattern of structural inequality and do our best to level the playing field. Our bursary programme focuses on recruiting bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their academic outcomes are in line with the rest of the Trinity students, currently running at more than 500% above the national average. “Every contribution to the Trinity Bursary Fund reduces socio-economic disadvantage as a barrier to education. With the continued support of our community at all levels, I’m confident that we’ll soon reach our goal of having 1 in 5 students able to come to Trinity on a bursary award. We have been delighted with the response to our fundraising campaign in support of the Trinity Bursary Fund - with nearly 500 people making a gift in the last year. “And we were thrilled to have thirteen of our young alumni return to Trinity this summer for our fundraising telephone campaign which raised over £162,000. "As a result, this September, we will have an extra  14 students on bursaries of 90% or more that have been funded solely by donations from within our community.”

This year, nine aspiring Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science students in the Upper Sixth obtained offers from their chosen destinations and we were delighted to see a number of students in the Lower Sixth undertake valuable volunteering and community work related to these competitive fields of study - whilst also giving back to society.

Celebrating people. Volunteering update from our aspiring Lower Sixth Medics Angelique Brunni helped at a mass vaccine project at Wembley in June, towards the end of her Lower Sixth year. Angelique has also had many experiences helping with First Aid at events: “From my experience with St John’s Ambulance, I have learnt the importance of working in a team. I have also gained a lot of confidence performing certain first aid procedures that were really difficult at the start – such as putting on a sling,” she says. “In order to become a Level 3 First Aider (see photo) I had to attend a four-day course over two weekends in which I was formally assessed at the end.” In the future, Angelique (pictured, right) hopes to study Medicine at St George’s. Meanwhile, Joshua Muyobo volunteered to shadow a urology consultant for a week at Newham University Hospital. He describes the experiences as ‘eyeopening’: “During my week there I got to attend a surgery - an orchidectomy, to sit in during clinic hours and observe a biopsy. I learnt that one of the most important skills to being a doctor is communication. It helps to put the patient at ease, establish a line of dialogue resulting in trust. In addition,

I learnt the importance of teamwork. Doctors must work with specialists of certain areas of the body in order to be able to prescribe the best treatment. It’s not just a one-person job, but one that requires everyone to do their part.” This is something that Ari Yad also learnt when he spent a week observing the radiology department at St. George’s Hospital in Tooting this summer. This experience taught me so many valuable lessons that will aid me throughout my journey as I study to become a doctor,” he says. “The importance of each individual in the multidisciplinary team was clear – no role is more important than the other. Without the nurses, the surgeons would be unable to perform surgery safely and effectively, and without the co-ordinators, the entire department would be in chaos. The cooperation and communication between all these different members of the team was inspiring.” Rosemary Goodall also volunteered in a care home over the Easter holidays. She points out that a key part of her role was forming friendships. “It was a real privilege and cemented my interest in taking up a career in the medical profession,” she said. “It was a brilliant opportunity and was exceptionally valuable in allowing me to experience geriatric care first hand.”

Meanwhile, Abi Poulton spent a few months volunteering at St Helier Hospital in Sutton: “My job as a volunteer was to help support patient’s wellbeing during their long hours in the wards,” she says. “Over the course of the few months, I became involved in some very memorable conversations whereby patients would tell me about their lives and the amazing achievements they had accomplished as well as their personal experiences of historical events such as World War Two. “Another great learning opportunity was having to adapt my communication and the types of questions I was asking when talking to a patient with Alzheimer’s disease. I managed to learn quite a lot about how the hospital worked and I picked up some medical vocabulary in the process.” And Yash Shetty, who spent some time at the Croydon University Hospital Urgent Care Unit, points out that the reality of work in a hospital environment is much less dramatic, and in a way, more gruelling than what we might expect. “The long antisocial hours of life on the ward regularly test a medic’s mental and physical limits,” he adds. Despite this, the experience remained pivotal in affirming his interest in Medicine.

In Trinity Magazine The wider community

“From my experience with St John’s Ambulance, I have learnt the importance of working in a team.” Angelique Brunni

NHS Pizza Deliveries In the Summer term, the Trinity community raised almost £2,000 in order to deliver over 110 large pizzas to Croydon University Hospital by way of thanks to our NHS heroes. “We are so grateful to everyone who made this a possibility. The hospital were delighted,” said Mrs Burrage, Head of Community Action.

In Trinity Magazine EDI feature

EDI. Tackling the issues.

Trinity recently launched a new studentled Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee (pictured, above) and, together with other groups such as the Sixth Form Council, the overarching aim is to promote inclusion and acceptance. Another recent initiative was spearheaded by our Head of Religious Studies, Mrs Beresford-Miller, who previously worked as a police officer in the Metropolitan Police. Since becoming a teacher, she has taught many students about the justice that escaped Stephen Lawrence, who was tragically murdered in 1993 at the age of 18, in an unprovoked racist attack. She set in train an initiative that everyone could engage with and which also provided a visual representation of our overarching school intention in the form of a tree of pledges (pictured on the front cover). Each individual was given a green label in order to write their own pledge. We are now following up on these changes and giving more tutor time to explore what has been done and what has been learned. Meanwhile we are delighted that Stuart Lawrence, the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, will be visiting us in this coming academic year to talk to our students. Another school priority this year has been to focus on our ongoing work of being a wholly inclusive, anti-racist school. We established a leadership group to promote this, and its plan encompasses a range of actions including review of our curriculum.

In the summer term, the Third Year took part in a workshop led by Ben Hurst from the Beyond Equality initiative. “We have run this project at Trinity for the last few years as we want our boys to address stereotypes around men and masculinity, and to consider the impact this behaviour has on women,” writes Headmaster, Alasdair Kennedy. In the words of one student:

“Listening to Ben’s talk made clear to me what a lot of women are feeling; adding to the realisation that hit me just months earlier around the murder of Sarah Everard. It helped me, as a man, to get a better understanding of what I can do to help solve this problem we have in society. Even if I just do what seems like little things, these things can have a big impact.” The EDI Committee has been busy creating resources for a Sixth Form Diploma lesson, promoting equality and shining a light on sexism. This opportunity for an in-depth discussion has been well received by our Lower Sixth students. Mr Kennedy adds: “As we continue to look at discrimination as a school, and racism and sexism particularly, we recognise the difference between talking at students about these issues compared to the much greater effect that giving them opportunities to lead can bring.”

eing well bein

How we support our community’s wellbeing Knowing our students as individuals means we can put their needs first, and having a solid foundation of good relationships between staff and students cultivates a fulfilling educational experience for them.

Supporting students Tutors and Heads of Year take the lead in supporting our students, liaising with parents on pastoral matters. Our Pastoral Team are trained in Mental Health First Aid, working alongside our nurses, counsellor, and clinical psychologist to provide both physical and mental health support to students. Alongside teaching about topics such as online safety and bullying, and issues including racism and sexism, tutor time and assemblies allow students to consider interpersonal qualities. Topics covered across Junior to Fifth Year range from being a good friend; sleeping and eating well; relaxation techniques and stress management, and managing exam pressure. Our Second Year students complete a bespoke course with their tutors at our outdoor activity centre in Wales, completing challenges and developing their resilience.

“Our mentor meetings were always a highlight of my week.”

Character traits are further considered and cultivated through our Personal Development curriculum and Sixth Form Diploma, where older students explore mental health awareness. Our Fourth Year students, for example, complete a module on mental wellbeing, exploring emotions and happiness and how to recognise wellbeing concerns. During lockdown, our Senior Prefect Team delivered an assembly on looking after your mental health, focusing on exercise and positive thinking. Mentoring provides a bespoke solution to any issue or challenge our students may be facing – it’s not just a ‘befriending service’.

In Trinity Magazine Wellbeing

In form mentoring, Junior forms are allocated two senior students as mentors. In peer mentoring, trained coaches in our Sixth Form give extra support to students that need it. This year, we had an overwhelming response from our Lower Sixth students, with 70 volunteering to become mentors and over 30 of them coming forward to be trained in coaching. Younger students talk to their older peers about different issues and topics, including exam preparation; being a good friend; stereotypes, and prejudice. For our older students, it’s an opportunity to give back; to develop their communication and coaching skills and have a chance to reflect – all skills that will be foundational as they take their next steps in life. What our mentors think: “Peer mentoring has been just as beneficial for me as I hope it has been for my mentee. I found myself applying the same advice that I gave to my mentee. As a new student in Sixth Form, whenever I saw my mentee waving at me in school it would make my day.” “I really enjoyed mentoring. It was great to speak with the younger students, offer them help, and make their mornings a bit more fun.” What the mentees think: “Our mentor meetings were always a highlight of my week.” “Mentoring has supported me and gives me a place to talk about my problems. It has been very helpful and my mentor is extremely kind and supportive.”

Supporting parents, supporting students

Preparing for the transition

Resources and support are available on our school portal pages for parents to access, covering a wide range of topics to support good wellbeing and mental health, from having good conversations with teenagers, to managing screen time and helping your child make friends.

We were delighted to welcome Dr Nic Hooper, an expert in clinical psychology and a senior lecturer at UWE Bristol, to the school to speak to our Sixth Formers about starting university.

Parent seminars, held throughout the academic year, are another opportunity for us to meet parents and discuss strategies that help them support their child during their time at school. We have covered a variety of topics affecting young people, including drugs and alcohol awareness and how to be an independent learner, all of which have been positively received. Dr Pooky Knightsmith, an internationally respected expert in child mental health, ran a seminar this year to explore some simple, practical ideas to help respond to feelings of anxiety or low mood during the COVID pandemic. She reassured the group that feeling low during this time was normal and proportionate, and explained the importance of flexibility when trying to improve a child’s mental health. She said: “As a professional, there’s lots of advice I can give. But speaking also as a parent, it’s important to highlight that we need to try and be flexible. This can feel really challenging – but be kind to yourself and make sure you look after yourselves, as well as your children.”

Hooper, the author of The Unbreakable Student – 6 Rules for Staying Safe at University, shared his tips on wellbeing and hosted a Q&A session with both students and parents. Having seen first-hand the growing mental health crisis at university campuses and in halls of residence, he said: “University is a whirlwind of exciting, fresh experiences. But it can also be overwhelming. In this time of massive change, looking after your mental wellbeing is more important than ever.” He gave practical tips in preparing and managing mental wellbeing whilst at university, including the importance of module handbooks in helping you settle into your courses; getting to know marking criterias for assessments, and managing your time when completing assignments. He stressed the importance of ‘psychological flexibility’, and how it can help you keep going when fear and other unwanted thoughts come along. “It’s that we, as human beings, can be willing to experience discomfort. We don’t have to run away from it and can still do the things that are important to us.” Alongside seminars, we ran sessions for our Sixth Form students giving practical mental health tips, such as breathing techniques, journaling, and meditation, as well as a self-defence class, all useful practices when navigating a new chapter in an unfamiliar environment and maintaining good wellbeing.

Leading through values

On the cover

Thank you

Contact

Trinity’s pledge tree was set up in March 2021 to demonstrate our commitment to diversity and inclusion. Students are encouraged to make a pledge and effect change in this space.

Thank you for reading this issue of In Trinity magazine. It is compiled by our marketing department with the help of the staff and students to give you further insight into the life and culture of the school.

Shirley Park Croydon CR9 7AT 020 8656 9541 trinity-school.org marketingmailbox@trinity.croydon.sch.uk

In Trinity Magazine - Autumn Winter 2021/22

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From the Headmaster

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