ASSEMBLYWINTER 2020 From the Headmaster Not since the Blitz in the early 1940s has the organisation and day-to-day running of the School been so affected by external factors beyond our control. I’m sure the fact that we managed to have all year groups in school, albeit on a rota, in the last weeks of the summer term contributed greatly to us hitting the ground running for the start of the school year in September. Ensuring that we were as ‘Covid secure’ as possible without
making school feel an unwelcoming or unpleasant experience for the boys was constantly in the forefront of our minds and we also needed to be ready to switch to remote online learning at the drop of a hat if a significant positive Covid case arose. It is in the tougher times that you can truly measure the strength of personal relationships and collective sense of purpose in an institution. Everyone is having to deal with the consequences of
this pandemic on a daily basis both in our home and working lives and we have yet to come through the other side of it. But if the Michaelmas term is anything to go by, I can say without reservation that we are succeeding in keeping the Arnold House spirit alive and, as Headmaster, I couldn’t be more proud and thankful for everyone’s exceptional efforts to get through these difficult times. Viv Thomas
AH in Covid Times When lockdown started back in March, we couldn’t fathom the impact COVID-19 would have on the education of every child in the UK and around the world. This was very much our moment in history and life was about to change. The Summer Term in any school is always a busy one. Numerous events and trips were cancelled. The senior boys didn’t have their Teamwork and Leadership trips to Devon, the Year 4 boys missed out on their Canons Park camping trip and the Year 8 boys missed out on their trip to Arnhem in Holland to learn about the story of Operation Market Garden in WW2. The cricket and tennis seasons were curtailed and we missed the sound of leather on English willow up at Canons Park, as well as Sports Day, Junior and Senior Prize Givings, the Leavers Party and many other usual celebrations at the end of the School Year.
lockdown, including the holiday period, AH continued to provide school for key workers. We were able to successfully do this in partnership with Sarum Hall, and for the first time in 70 years AH welcomed girls into the school. It was a huge relief all round that school could return at full capacity in September. School would however be very different. Mrs Ruda had the unenviable task of producing a school timetable which would mean that each year group would have to be in a bubble and could not mix with other year groups. The school benefits enormously from owning Canons Park and having classrooms up there has allowed for two year groups to be taught there each
All the boys and staff adapted to The Guided Home Learning programme which required the boys via gMeet to ‘attend’ their lessons every day. They did a remarkable job ‘going’ to each lesson. Teachers had to be creative, whilst everyone got used to having their work marked and then sent back to them via the gClassroom. Form tutors would speak to their boys in their class individually every week. However, nothing will replicate being at school. So much in a school is learnt outside of lesson time and this was something the boys missed terribly. Throughout the Spring and Summer ASSEMBLY
Year 3 Boys performing at the Michaelmas Concert
day. The boys have thoroughly enjoyed this experience especially given the beautiful surroundings and for them more importantly a bigger playground at break times! Although the boys haven’t been able to have their regular football fixtures, go on trips, or take part in so many activities their positive attitude has continued and the feeling and sound of school life has certainly returned. Canons Park has also been the venue for many of our adapted productions this term. Boys in Years 3 to 8 took part in the combined Michaelmas and informal concerts, performing year group by year group. While this concert was recorded and did not have an audience in attendance, the focus provided for the boys in their
instrumental lessons, ensemble and minichoir rehearsals and, a new addition by Mrs Oliphant, whole-class lessons preparing for a performance, resulted in another impressive musical display.
term has also resulted in some benefits for teachers willing to explore topics in greater depth due to the extra time in longer lessons or indeed to experiment with different types of learning activities.
With three extra form-times and assemblies in year groups, there has been a greater opportunity to plan these times towards teaching PSHE. Registration periods have also allowed the form classes to enjoy their time together with quizzes, art competitions, tournaments, ‘kahoots’ and debates.
The wearing of masks, social distancing and changes to the end of the day, timetable, lesson lengths and lunch routine have become common place. In truth, we have just felt lucky to be in school, to be able to be together, socialising and learning and having a far more normal experience of life in contrast with the previous lockdown and compared to all those people who remain stuck at home. We are looking forward to rounding off the term with some Christmas celebrations, with the Christmas lunch and Christmas jumper day and the boys will undoubtedly finish on a very positive note.
Some of the more traditional AH events were also adapted. The boys were still able to celebrate the School’s birthday with a delicious cake baked by ex AH parents and our Armistice Day service was held on the yard at sundown on the 10th November. It was a poignant moment with the air of a WW1 battlefield service with the Padre surrounded by the troops at a makeshift
School has been different, but the boys have really embraced the change and have
YEARS 1&2
We welcomed the new Year 1 intake, who settled in to the school routine quickly, coming into their new classrooms on their own from the get go! Year 2 remained in their same classes from Year 1 to provide them with a degree of predictability and comfort as they stepped into the new academic year. Many of the day-to-day school lessons and activities have remained unchanged and it has been a joy to watch the boys in the playground, running around and enjoying each other’s company in their year group bubbles in their designated areas. We have all enjoyed being a little more creative with our assemblies, each member of staff in the Pre-Prep taking one; whether it is a “Show and Tell” assembly or the hugely popular “Quiz” assembly, the boys are certainly enjoying a good mix. Earlier in the term, Year 1 made their first visit to Canons Park for the infamous Tractor Day, where they got a tour and had a closer look at the three tractors. They also did a shape hunt, a PE lesson and managed to squeeze in a Covid-friendly interactive Science workshop on Sound, consolidating their work on how sound is made and travels.
Head Boys at the Armistice Day Service
altar and leaves falling from the trees. Teaching has certainly changed following the first lockdown. One positive to come out of the period of guided home learning was the consistent use of Google Classroom across all subjects to not only allow for the easier use of multimedia to aide understanding, but it’s now used to organise and monitor homework as well. The new timetable that has been put in place this
made us all so proud of their eternal ability to adapt and stay positive throughout. It has been a thoroughly successful and productive term for all and who knows, maybe some of the more favourable changes will stick! Here is what each year group has been up to: Year 1 Tractor Day
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Year 1 Nativity Play
Back at school, as part of their History topic on The Victorians, Year 2 spent one Tuesday afternoon going back in time, where they got a flavour of what life was like during the Victorian era. Their scientific knowledge was also enhanced during their workshop on Electricity, with the finale being the boys creating a circuit by sitting in a circle and pretending electricity was going round them to allow a buzzer to make a noise! Drama has remained an active part of the curriculum, with Tuesday afternoon Drama lessons in the gym, the boys threw themselves into role during our “Fairy Tales and Fables” workshop. As we always say at Arnold House, the show must go on and the Harvest Festival concert certainly did, albeit with no audience. The boys worked very hard to learn a class poem, which they recited with huge enthusiasm, accompanied by some lovely singing. We were able to film each class performance and share them with
Blue & Green themed charity day in aid of St John’s Hospice
parents. A wonderful keepsake and one to bring out at when the boys turn 18! At the end of the term the boys also performed their Nativity Plays and the school hall was filled with shepherds, kings, angels, narrators, servants and Mary and Joseph. Again this was filmed and I am sure that there will not be a dry eye when watching their performances! The boys always amaze us with the endless energy they seem to possess and the amount of work that they complete. However, by Friday afternoon we like to change gear and give the boys opportunities to relax, enjoy each other’s company, but also continue to develop and enhance their social development. In Year 1, the boys enjoy various lucky dip Lego building challenges, board games and of course “Golden Time”, where cooperation, patience and listening skills are reinforced. In Year 2, the boys are certainly getting their creative fix, practising and honing their drawing skills each week in their sketch books, they are also enjoying some Christmas baking, as well as making some impressive Christmas decorations for the classroom. There is also always time for the infamous “Golden Time”, with playing Chess being a firm favourite!
Year 2 Electricity Workshop
AH’s 115th Birthday
YEARS 3&4
During what has to have been the most unusual start of a new school year at Arnold House the boys in Years 3&4 have held strong throughout and have shown their ever present positivity, willingness to get involved and adaptability in the face of constant change. Whilst Year 4 barely had a chance to get underway as they were blighted with a twoweek isolation, they all rose to the challenge resulting in an unprecedented move for the whole year group to earn Golden Boy- very much deserved. Thanks must also go to all the teachers and staff who pulled together a fantastic online learning program with such aplomb!
Year 2 Nativity Play
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Year 3 Collecting lunch through the Covid screen
In spite of all the uncertainty many parts of school life have remained the same, most particularly the core atmosphere. Boys have enjoyed their new classes and teachers, getting to grips with new subjects and routines. Year 3 have revelled in their weekly Games sessions and both year groups have loved the newly timetabled full day at CPsomething positive to take away!
Year 3 PE
In many ways, both Years 3 and 4 have adopted the mantra ‘the show must go on’ with their fantastic Ancient Egyptian and Roman workshops, sports and house matches and end of term concerts still taking place with some adaptations.
YEARS 5&6
Ironically, when lockdown started back in March, Year 6 were learning about The Blitz in History. We have a wonderful attitude in this country of perseverance and that was what was going to be required in the months ahead.
They rose to the challenge and continued with all their preparation here at school and at home. The tests took place in mid-November and we look forward to supporting the boys over the coming months as they secure their places to their chosen senior schools.
It was certainly a relief when the government announced that after the June half term Year 6 would be one of the lucky year groups that would be allowed back at School. At first the boys had to be 2 metres apart which proved very tricky in the classrooms we have at Arnold House. The boys also had to stay in a bubble in their forms for lessons. Depending on the day, they even had the luxury of being taught by their actual teacher! The online learning programme would have to continue for Year 5. Towards the end of term as the government guidance eased somewhat, the School was able to get Year 5 back at school and they were to enjoy some special days up at Canons Park. It
Year 6 Team Building Day at Go Ape Black Park
Year 5 Team Building Day at Go Ape Black Park
Year 4 Roman Project and Workshop
Year 3 boys were also fortunate enough to be offered a weekly Drama club by Miss Stones, which has been the highlight for many of them. So too has the Saturday morning mixed sport session, run by Mr Kerr. ASSEMBLY
was far from ideal, but the summer holiday brought a welcome break to all.
YEARS 7&8
This term, despite all the various restrictions from government we have done what we can to make sure that school life is as normal as possible. Mr Kerr was able to get a set of fixtures against The Hall. Sadly, he couldn’t control the results! We were also able to arrange for both year groups to have a Teamwork and Leadership Day at The Black Country Park near Slough. This was a big highlight for the boys before half term.
Whilst the boys have missed out on a few trips, it has been wonderful to see their continual commitment to learning and to see them make the most of the broad range of experiences they have been given this term.
This term was always going to be a big one for Y6 as they had to prepare for the ISEB Common Pre-Tests in mid-November.
I was delighted to be able to see the Year 7 production of Julius Caesar. This was recorded for wider viewing; for the parents of the boys and also the Shakespeare Schools Festival organisers who condensed their annual event held in theatres around the country into a single online One Night of Shakespeare. The benefits for the boys’
Year 7 production of Julius Caesar
communication skills, team work and their applied understanding of both Classics and English was as evident as ever, despite the performance being under the lights of our own theatre at Canons Park. A huge credit must go to the boys and also to Mrs Rendell and Mr Moss Marks for their dedication to ensure the production took place. Mr Kerr was busy, having to modify gamer sessions, which are normally packed full of football fixtures, in order to ensure the boys, continue to enjoy their sport. A couple of
matches did go ahead. The 1st XI did win their first round match in the ISFA Cup and there were fixtures against The Hall. There have also been House football matches reflecting the rivalry in this domain as well as fierce battles between Year 7 and 8 teams. Tennis, table tennis, touch rugby and unihoc have also been options on Wednesdays and Fridays. The highlight of Games for both year groups was probably the trips off site in the week before half term. Year 8 had the opportunity
Year 8 Boys taking note of government guidance on the wearing of face masks in schools
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to follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton go-karting and Year 7 impressed with their teamwork and leadership skills during some activities together in the delightful Black Park Country Park, as well as enhancing their self-confidence on the high ropes at Go Ape. John Hill (Deputy Headmaster Academic) Susie Dart (Head of Pre-Prep), Kate Badenoch (Head of Years 3&4), David Cox (Head of Years 5&6) and Jon Harahap (Head of Years 7&8)
Interview with Arnold House old boy Sam Sether (2003-2011) course. During this time I have really enjoyed coming back to Arnold House and helping out whilst the School has adapted to the Covid measures.
Sam Sether
What have you done since leaving Arnold House? After leaving Arnold House I went to Highgate School from years 9-13. I studied Maths, Physics and Design Technology and Engineering for A Level and graduated in 2016. I opted to take a gap year and worked primarily throughout the year (part of the time spent at Arnold House as the Gapper). I also managed to go travelling to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji before heading to the University of Sheffield in September 2017 to study Aerospace Engineering. I left Sheffield halfway through my second year as I had secured a place on a course to become a commercial pilot (something that I have always wanted to do).
What are your overriding memories of Arnold House? I would say that some of my best memories of AH were of sports. We were always encouraged to play as much sport as possible and were given the opportunity to do so. Being able to play matches against other schools on such a frequent basis was something I definitely took for granted - especially given how hard it would be to organise such events this year. AH has always had a sort of ‘family’ feel to it; and coming back as staff, I’m glad to see that has not changed. What are the main changes you have noticed since returning as a member of staff? I think that on returning as staff, you quickly realise how much effort is put in behind the scenes to make things possible especially when it comes to trips and sport competitions. What was your favourite subject at School and why? French was always one of my favourite subjects at school. I have always enjoyed learning languages, and a lesson with Madame Ferhaoui was never to be missed!
How has Covid impacted your job? Aviation has been one of the most severely affected industries. With this in mind, airlines have paused their recruitment of cadet pilots for the time being - this has in turn meant a pause in training and selecting carefully how to go about finishing my
What has been your greatest achievement? I think the fact that I have always wanted to be a pilot and still do, is an achievement in itself. Typically, kids grow out of their childhood dream jobs, but I never did and I’m glad I didn’t! I have enjoyed every moment of my training so far, and even
Sam the Prep School Boy
Sam the Pilot
with the situation standing as it is, there isn’t anything I would rather be doing. Describe an average day as a training pilot? Much like the real deal, a training pilot has a similar schedule. We are either on the early or late shift. If on an early flight, it means a wake-up time of around 3:30am. This gives us time to get dressed, eat and have ample time to prepare for our flight - this includes: looking at the weather, any important notices, mass and balance, route planning, walk around of the aircraft (inspecting for damage), and to brief our flight with an instructor. Once all of these boxes have been ticked off, we are finally ready to file any required flight plans and head out to the aircraft for the flight. These flights vary depending on the lesson, but typically involve a navigation route with some time allocated to practice important aircraft handling and emergency drills. What advice would you give someone who would like to follow in your footsteps in your career? When it comes to aviation, there are so many different routes to become a pilot; every person you speak to has a different journey. Some have been to university, had jobs, had kids; others have come straight out of school. It would be difficult to give advice to a specific route but what I would say is that timing is important to your training - it is a serious commitment and doesn’t just involve flying a plane once a week. Be prepared for change, it is a rapidly moving industry. Even if you are training during the most successful aviation year on record, you never know what a year like 2020 can bring!
Arnold House School 1 Loudoun Road, St. John’s Wood, London NW8 0LH Telephone: 020 7266 4840 Email: office@arnoldhouse.co.uk Website: www.arnoldhouse.co.uk Arnold House School Ltd (Limited by Guarantee). Registered in London Number 889424. Educational Charitable Trust Number 312725
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