HIGHLIGHTS Summer Term 2014
THE TERMLY MAGAZINE OF BLACKHEATH HIGH SCHOOL GDST BHS_11_rev3.indd 1
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WELCOME
Welcome from Mrs Chandler-Thompson Welcome to our summer edition of HIGHlights magazine. I hope you enjoy this review of the final term of 2013-2014. As you can see, it is packed full of the activities and events that make life at Blackheath High so special. It is also with great anticipation and excitement that I look forward to my first year as the new Headteacher of Blackheath High School. I have already been fortunate to experience the warm welcome and genuine hospitality that Blackheath High School is known for. The commitment and passion of the staff, together with the energy and talent of the girls are incredibly impressive and augur well for the coming year. Not a school to be complacent, Blackheath High continues to develop the extensive educational offering that it provides for the girls and there is a rich diet of culture, sport, travel, intellectual pursuits and social gatherings planned for the girls, and indeed parents, in the autumn term. Please do look ahead in the school diary and attend those events that you are able to, I look forward to meeting you there. I have arrived in Blackheath from an entirely different education and social environment in South Korea. I have been fortunate to encounter a fascinating range of educational approaches and philosophies, not only in Korea, but during my early career in North London day schools. No matter what the cultural, national or social context, I believe that there are some important values that underlie a successful education and it seems appropriate to share those values here. First and foremost, I believe that a genuinely good education encourages aspiration in the students, in the broadest sense. It does not place them in boxes and squash their ambition, but rather broadens their horizons and gives them the tools and self-belief to pursue their aspirations, whatever they might be. It does not produce a certain type of girl, but instead cherishes diversity and individuality and teases out unique talents. To put it simply, it is an education that provides floors to leap off of, as opposed to ceilings that limit. Secondly, students, especially girls, best fulfil their potential when they are inspired by their
teachers and mentors. That might be through a teacher’s strong pastoral knowledge of a student and a trusting working relationship cultivated over time, or more often it is from the passion and love of a subject that a teacher conveys inside and beyond the classroom. No child I have ever known, was inspired by an examination syllabus. But I have seen plenty who were inspired by fantastic teachers sharing their love of a piece of music, a scientific process or their favourite poem. That lifelong love of learning should be at the centre of what we do in schools. Lastly, I believe that students become much more rounded, happy and successful adults if the start we provide for them at school is a genuinely balanced one. A truly balanced education is not just constrained to the classroom and the study desk, but is one that reaches outwards to learn key life lessons on the sports field, in the concert room, at universities, in old people’s residential homes, visiting other countries and a whole range of other social environments. It means that students have the chance to interact with all kinds of people and they have the chance to try themselves out in different arenas. It also pays heed to children’s mental and spiritual health, as well as their academic knowledge and skills. I look forward to an exciting term ahead for your daughters and I hope you enjoy the highlights of the term that has passed.
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REFLECTIONS
Reflections from Mrs Laws I was very fortunate to be able to spend the final 14 years of my working life doing a job that I loved and I often referred to my role at Blackheath High as “the best job in the world”. I enjoyed the many challenges and opportunities it provided whilst working with delightful pupils, hardworking and dedicated staff and supportive and friendly parents. During those 14 years, Blackheath High School changed in many ways, developing a distinctive ethos which clearly appealed to many local parents and girls: as the number of applications increased dramatically. A broad and stimulating curriculum was developed that included a wide range of extra-curricular activities and nurtured qualities, such as resilience, in order to ensure that our pupils achieved their full potential in all areas. Whilst cherishing well-loved traditions, we also recognised the need to ensure our girls were well prepared for working with the latest technology, within a global economy, which is why we were one of
best of times for me. Yes, it was hard work, with the occasional crisis, but also very rewarding. Working with young people is a delight and a privilege and one that I have always valued and enjoyed. The girls at Blackheath High are wonderful – quirky, interesting and fun; they are such good company. I was often touched by their thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit. It was also a privilege to work with the staff of BHS who are truly exceptional. They are totally dedicated to their pupils and prepared to do whatever is in their best interests. The success of the school over my 14 years was the result of an incredible team effort and, if I can take credit for anything, I believe it’s for having a flair for spotting talent and selecting and appointing outstanding members of staff. I very much
valued working in partnership with our parents who are an amazingly kind and friendly group of people who do so much to support the school. I always appreciated their understanding on those, hopefully rare, occasions when things didn’t go quite as well as we would have wished and I hope that they never found me complacent. Deciding to retire was a very difficult decision but I felt that the time was right for both Blackheath High and for me. I know that the school is in good heart and now needs someone with fresh energy and vision to build on its strengths and take it on to its next exciting stage. I wish all members of the Blackheath High School community every success, good health and happiness for the future and I hope that Mrs Chandler-Thompson finds the role of Head of Blackheath High School as enjoyable and rewarding as I have done.
Lisa with colleagues at the 2014 Sixth Form Ball
Lisa with staff and students at the Estates Master Planning Meeting in 2013 the first schools to introduce Mandarin and to gain the BECTA ICT Mark. This approach led to improved examination results and outstanding allround personal development which were recognised in excellent ISI Inspection Reports in both 2008 and 2014. Whilst this was very pleasing for me, it was our pupils’ pleasure in their learning, enjoyment of school life and pride in their school which reassured me that we were on the right track. Being Head of Blackheath High was the Summer 2014 Blackheath High School 3
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SUMMER CONCERT
Spectacular Summer Concert Old Royal Naval College Noye’s Fludde by Benjamin Britten
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t was a little bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle without the picture, but the excitement of that last piece fitting into place, certainly came on the concert day! Benjamin Britten was a great believer in his music being available to everyone, so we set about working on this exciting project with about 250 girls from years 3 – 13. Noye’s Fludde is an opera based on a 15th Century Chester Mystery Play; our ‘representational Concert performance’ of the opera excited the imagination of the audience, with aural and visual senses combining to create a wonderful soundscape. The appropriate setting of the Old Royal Naval College gave us the opportunity to exploit the performance space, with waves lapping up in the aisles, the Voice of God coming from the organ loft, and the raven and dove appearing in the pulpit as well as full choir stalls. We were delighted to welcome Ashley Mercer as Mr Noye and Sally Lardner (Y13 leaver) as Mrs Noye; Mrs Noah’s ‘Gossips’ (her tipsy friends!) were sung by our
‘Vocalise’ ensemble; ‘the Sons of Noah’ by Year 7 and the Senior School Chamber Choir and their ‘Wives’ by the Junior School Chamber Choir; the ‘Voice of God’ was represented with choral speaking by a student from each year group; Julia Bosia and Phoebe-Rae Levene enthralled us with their beautiful dancing as the raven and the dove. Each set of personae was portrayed by a colour of the rainbow. The huge orchestra, which included strings, recorders, trumpets and a battery of percussion (including tuned, slung mugs!)
provided an exciting accompaniment. One of the highlights had to be the processions of animals - Year 4, 5 and 6 girls – who came in two by two, wearing the head dresses they had made themselves! Rehearsals began at the beginning of the summer term and gradually the pieces all came together. With two performances, it was a long and tiring day but one that will be fondly remembered by us all. Congratulations to everyone who took part. The pictures tell the real story...
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SUMMER CONCERT “I wanted to say what an amazing performance that was and to congratulate the whole team of staff that put it together - of course it goes without saying that the girls - every single one of them - were just superb. They rise to every challenge, it never ceases to amaze me what they can do but your amazing teachers have such faith in their abilities. Just wonderful!” Junior School Parent
“It was a fantastic opportunity working with not only so many students from Blackheath High but also a professional tenor and musicians. It gave me real pleasure to work closely with friends from across different years. My thanks to Mrs Ridgeway who supported me and gave me the chance to end my school career on a real high.“ Sally Lardner Summer 2014 Blackheath High School 5
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SIXTH FORM FAREWELL
Onwards and Upwards
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he dull and dreary weather could not dampen the spirits of our girls on Thursday 14th August - smiles beamed when the A level students eagerly opened their much anticipated results. Just a few months after we received a superb inspection report from the Independent School’s Inspectorate which rated our school ‘excellent in all areas,’ the girls celebrated their achievements as we saw another increase in the percentage of girls attaining A*-B grades, with a most impressive 77% A*-B this year and almost half of the results achieved at A*/A. Once again, we were delighted to see girls pursuing higher education in a diverse range of subjects reflecting the personalised education we offer, which aims to tease out each girls’ individual talents. Head of Sixth Form, Kate Elliott is justifiably extremely proud of the girls’ academic achievements, commenting: “I am delighted with another year’s exceptional results and congratulate the girls who have worked so hard. Our girls have achieved excellent A level grades in all subjects, especially sciences and maths, and it is wonderful to see them gaining places at prestigious universities to read a hugely varied range of subjects from Architecture, Dentistry and Biomedical Science to English with Film Studies, Engineering, Psychology, Children Studies and Music.”
Sade Kalsi, pictured here, attained three A grades and is now pursuing her ambition of becoming a dentist as she obtained a place at Kings College, London studying Dentistry. Sally Lardner (also pictured) is now following her dream of becoming a singer/songwriter as she is now thoroughly enjoying studying a Vocal Performance and Song Writing degree at the Academy of Contemporary Music. Another of our leavers, Kirtana Medimi, who hopes to establish a career in the world of banking, completed a paid internship with HSBC in the summer, having been successful in completing a challenging and very rigorous selection process, which consisted of psychometric/personality tests, group
A Fond Farewell to our Successful Sixth Form exercises, completion of a written report and an individual interview. She is now studying Economics at University of Surrey. Delighted with her results and university offer, Kirtana said on results day: “I was superbly guided through the dreaded UCAS process by my teachers. They have all been a wonderful support over my final two years at BHS, which I’m going to miss so much; but I’m now looking forward to starting university.” Headteacher, Carol ChandlerThompson added: ”These excellent results are testimony to the girls’ hard work and outstanding, personalised educational provision here at Blackheath High and I congratulate all the students and teaching staff. Our focus on cultivating students’ full academic potential is based on a commitment to the girls’ whole development: spiritual; intellectual; emotional and physical. We concentrate upon developing the character and skills of our girls, as well as their academic abilities, equipping and inspiring them to flourish in whatever path they choose. Girls leave us as aspirational young women with the confidence to see a world of opportunities and challenges, not boundaries and obstacles and I am delighted to see these students leave today, happily looking forward to pursuing their individual ambitions in a range of exciting fields.”
See our website for full details of our 2014 leavers’ university destinations http://www. blackheathhighschool. gdst.net/133/ welcome-to-thesixth-form
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SIXTH FORM BALL
Handbags and Gladrags! Spendid Sixth Form Ball
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his year, our Sixth Form Ball was held at Devonport House, a hotel in Greenwich. The evening began at 7:00 pm and we saw a wonderful array of outfits as guests arrived; glamorous high heels, elegant dresses and stylish ‘up dos.’ The hotel was the perfect setting and had a lovely traditional but also contemporary atmosphere. We were first escorted into the main lounge of the hotel where there were served drinks and nibbles and had the opportunity to talk about dresses and hair, which are, of course, a key feature of a ball! We then moved to the Dining Hall, where the tables had been beautifully dressed with jars of sweets and glitzy name tags. The sweets proved to be extremely popular as they were nearly all gone before the starter! A delicious three course meal was served, including an apple crumble which was, unsurprisingly, very popular. After dinner, we had plenty of time to mingle and let our food settle in a lovely outside courtyard before we were couriered to another room, where a DJ was set up. The dancing was a lot of fun and gave us the chance to giggle at the teachers’ slightly embarrassing dance moves and we also produced some ourselves. The evening was so well organised that it went off without a hitch and everyone clearly had a great time. Overall, a big success! By Zoe Ellender
Above and Right: Being interviewed by ITN journalist Ruth Banks Summer 2014 Blackheath High School 7
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SPORTS
Junior Sports Round Up Super Sporty Summer Term
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nce again, the Junior PE Department hosted a range of exciting and varied sporting activities during the summer term. Our ‘Mini Marathon’ on the Heath continues to be a wellsupported and successful event, with girls in Years 3 to 7 competing in a series of races. There were lots of fantastic individual and house performances, with the overall results being: House Results : 1st – Meridian, 2nd – Morden, 3rd Paragon, 4th Vanbrugh In keeping with tradition, the fastest six from each race then competed in a one lap sprint race and, this year, our winner was Grace Miller from Year 7.
Sun-tastic Sports Day
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astly, and probably the biggest events of the year, were the Junior Sports days. The sun came out for the Year 4- 6 Junior Sports Day and the girls competed in many events throughout the day; culminating with the very exciting 4 x 100m relays and the open 400m. A fantastic afternoon was had by both staff, competitors and spectators. Results 1st – Meridian, 2nd- Morden, 3rd – Paragon, 4th – Vanbrugh
You Can Dance Competition
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new event this year at the Junior School was the “You Can Dance Competition”. The announcement of the event caused much excitement and we saw over 40 acts auditioning for the 16 places available. The competition was open to Years 3-6 and every year group was very well represented. We welcomed judges from the Performing Arts and Dance world and were delighted to see many parents and guests in the audience offering their support to our performers. The evening began with a wonderful performance from Josh Baker who has finished a run in Billy Elliot in the West End as has recently performed in the Sky 1 programme “Got to Dance” live semifinals; as well as being Head Boy at the famous Sylvia Young School of Performing Arts School as well We also thoroughly enjoyed Tilly Coltrini’s performance following her recent win in the Year 1 dance competition. Another highlight was the fabulous Blackheath Bollywood Dancers who entertained us whilst judges were deliberating and making their final decisions. Results Costume Award – Martha Norman and Emelie Carter Choreography Award – Phoebe Jones, Emma Adcock, Ellie Rodin Mooney, Esther Akinyomi, Alisha Sharma, Julieta Hollevoet. Creativity Award – Ela Dourmoush, Madeleine Vidal, Victoria Modi- Celda, Ally Musicality Award – Ramya Madduri 3rd Place – Sunanada Saxena, Alexandra Cleassens, Jasmine Bassi and Toni Alaran
“The nursery girls coped very well with their first ever sports day. They demonstrated their sporting prowess by completing activities such as, the egg and spoon race and the sack race. The girls impressed the nursery staff with their impeccable behaviour and their resilience throughout. It was a lovely event that finished with a picnic with the girls, staff, parents and siblings.” Mrs Gilfedder-Bonnar 8 Blackheath High School Summer 2014
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SPORTS
Senior Sports Round Up
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he summer term sees the start of the Athletics season and all of our Key Stage 3 students working towards their ‘Aviva Decathlon Athletics Awards.’ Most impressively, many of our girls achieved the Gold standard this year. Many girls also took the opportunity to gain extra coaching at Sutcliffe Park during after school athletic training sessions, working alongside some of the resident national and international athletics. In June, students attended the ‘GDST Athletics Meet’, held at St. Mary’s, Twickenham. The girls performed with determination in all their events with some solid results, particularly in the throwing events. At the same time, several of our students represented Greenwich in the London Youth Games in the Cross Country team and the Tennis teams, the latter coming 7th in London. Our hockey coach, Richard Young also worked with a U14 Hockey team who also entered for the first time this year. For those that wanted to take advantage of the early warm spell, 20 of our students took part in the annual summer watersports programme at Danson Park. The girls learnt the basics of dingy sailing and kayaking to gain their Royal Yatching and British Canoe Union Awards, whilst also having a tremendous amount of fun! The Senior Sports Day is an event eagerly anticipated by the students and this year was no exception. House teams strategically deployed their members to the events in order to gain the most house points for their team. The middle distance optional races of 800m and 1500m were particularly popular. Standards are improving year on year and our school records are becoming harder to break, but we saw the Year 7 Rounders Ball record smashed by over 15m, the Year 9 Javelin record substantially extended and the Year 7 & 8 relay teams breaking both of their records! This year Morden successfully achieved the hat trick in the House Rounders, Tennis and Athletics Shield, superb efforts! Finally, this year’s Sports Awards winners were a bumper crop and we have found it incredibly difficult to split awards as there have been so many of superb individual and team efforts. We’ve celebrated their success with a picture board of all the individual winners and teams, we hope you like it and will aspire to become one of them next year.
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TRIPS
Perfect PGL! Year 5 - Liddington
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uzzing with excitement, we arrived at Liddington and were met by our lovely team leaders and asked to help take the luggage to the dormitories. It was such fun. My friend and I kept thinking that only a few hours ago we were in Blackheath and now we are really high up in a tree, having overcome lots of obstacles and swinging bridges attempting to leap onto a trapeze in mid-air! After supper I thought we would be heading back to our dormitories for baths and bed but we had yet another activity. By bedtime we were all very happily tired. We spent most of the week challenging ourselves to achieve the best we could. It was really great to see everyone having a really good go at the activities. Our instructors all said that the Blackheath High girls showed great determination and they were all really pleased with us! We also had a day trip to Bristol to visit the SS Great Britain, which was amazing. It had a beautiful first class dining room and lots of interesting things to see, and we managed a workshop and a tour. We had been learning about Mr Brunel, so it was a real treat to actually go on one of his ships. I loved it, as it brought our school History lessons to life. All in all, it was an amazing week - I loved PGL! I think we were all “I joined the Ye challenged in some way ar and we all came home 5 trip; the girls were having having achieved. a ball, on the go from early unti By Fleur Parry l late, with some very well resour Kilby, Ella Mary ced and exciting physical Sabine Bacon & challenges. From assault courses to quad Emma Davies biki
“I have to congratulate the Year 5 pupils for showing they were ready for the challenge of PGL. The centre staff praised the girls for their energy and enthusiasm throughout the time in Liddington. I was so impressed by their maturity and sensitivity. These girls demonstrated the five pillars by making the most of every opportunity and challenging themselves in each activity. They were a credit to themselves and to our school. Thank you for making my first residential trip at Blackheath High School such a success.” Mr MacKay, Deputy Head of Juniors
ng to zip wires, I was exhausted just accompanying them from activity to activi ty! No wonder th ere were a few droopy lids during our after dinner movie night - Fr ozen!” Mrs Eastaugh, Head of EYFS
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“Liddington is a purpose built ad venture centre, set in acres of la nd and designed especially for pr imary school gr oups to enjoy. The instructors are all excellent , they encourag the girls to achi e eve and be chal le ng ed in a and secure envi very safe ronment, and kn ow how to brin the best out of ou g r girls. It is an ab solute pleasure lead a school jo to urney and I am always so proud the girls. The m of emories of succ ess gained by ea individual duri ch ng the week, will I am sure, last a lifetime. ” Mrs Daly 11/11/2014 11:25
Year 8 - Marchant’s Hill
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n May, the whole of Year 8 set of on a short journey to Marchant’s Hill PGL. The level of excitement was high and everyone was eager for the weekend ahead. We were greeted warmly, settled into our dorms, then we were divided into groups; my group had Zip Wire and Giant Swing. It was quite nerve wracking to jump off a high tower, but everyone had a go and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone had a go whilst singing ‘Frozen’ songs, even Ms Rose! On Saturday we did team games, jumping off a trapeze and a lovely hike through the woods. The rain didn’t dampen our spirits and we had a lot of fun in the woods, especially while playing ninja squirrels. The object of the game was to be able to hide in the natural environment and not be found by the leader. We also walked through film locations including ‘Skyfall’. In the evening, we all had a blast at a disco, which ended up with a lot of tired feet. We also had a very competitive game of football against the teachers (and we won!). On our last day my group did Orienteering and Aeroball. Both were quite challenging as we had our map skilled tested
and also trampled through the woodland area while searching for the points. Overall I think it was a fantastic weekend away where everyone got a break and had some bonding time with their friends. It was also very fun to see the teachers screaming while swinging on a giant swing. All I can say is to make sure to bring waterproofs, as English weather is unpredictable. Sofiya Marynak Year 8 travelled to Surrey on a weekend trip to PGL. We did Zip Wire, Giant Swing, Aeroball, Orienteering, Trapeze and Team Sports. In the evening we had a campfire and a disco. We played a game of football, teachers verses children and the children won. It was good because lots of children conquered their fears. The disco was great. Georgia Davies
“What a fantastic weeke nd at the Year 8 PGL Residential Marchants Hill ! All the Year 8 students and te achers alike enjo yed the varied activi ties. Everyone displayed great team spirit, and no one wanted to leave!” Ms Rose
Summer 2014 Blackheath High School 11
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TRIPS
Fabulous French Trip for Year 6 Magical Monday…we packed our bags, said goodbye to all our relatives, and made sure we had our passports and EHIC cards. On the coach we were entranced by movies including ‘Wreck-it Ralph’ and ‘Frozen’. When we arrived, it was very hot and sunny and we couldn’t wait to see our dorms, a pool room, a games room and a little shop, and we met our PGL instructors, Shannon and Tiana. Our evening activity was a scavenger hunt, where we had to find assorted objects. Amelie Vidal & Lauren Whitely Terrific Tuesday started with an alarming 7:00am wake up and breakfast. We were given ten euros in our groups to buy food to make our lunch! It was very confusing asking what we wanted in French, but we soon got the hang of it, and were also allowed to buy some souvenirs!
After a break we visited the snail farm. We were surprised to find not just snails, but ten cats, a hedgehog, a dog, a sheep, two lambs, lots of different birds and a goldfish! The man who lived there didn’t speak English, so Madame Morriseau translated what he said for us. At 10pm we arrived back and went straight to bed! Georgia, Florence & Leila On Wonderful Wednesday, after a delicious breakfast, we hopped on the coach to Paris. First, we went to Tour de Montparnasse, famous for its fifty-nine floors and amazing 360 degree views. Then we went to Notre Dame, and climbed at least four hundred steps to the top of the historic cathedral. We then took a fabulous boat ride, while observing the mesmerizing views from the river Seine. Back at the centre, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner. It was our turn in the pool, and we were soon refreshed with an early evening dip - even some of our teachers jumped in with us, and we played a game of water polo! Beatriz and Lumina On Thursday morning we had a lovely lie in, with free time to spend doing activities. Afterwards we went to the beautiful grounds at the Centre to eat lunch, then had a little run about before we set off to the château, Vaux de Vicomte. On arrival, we saw a lovely view and were treated to a refreshing icecream. Entering the amazing château, we walked down a long corridor to the living room, and saw two small, but fancy bedrooms, as well as the grand ballroom that had a projected
video of people dancing in it. The grand kitchen was full of pots, pans and great foods. We also saw a lovely presentation about the famous landscaped gardens, before going outside to enjoy them. We had time for a quick visit to the gift shop before heading back to the Centre. We had a disco, even more fun with a spot of karaoke! On Fabulous Friday we got up bright and early to go to the CHOCOLATE FACTORY! On arrival at the Chocolate Factory, we entered a small room which smelt of cocoa beans and learned how their amazing handmade chocolate is produced. We were showed how to make delicious chocolates, and allowed to eat the samples, yum yum! We visited the shop, where it was so hard to choose as everything looked so nice! Back on the coach to the tunnel, we stopped at a hypermarket, where you could buy souvenirs. We watched ‘Despicable Me 2’ on the journey home. We spotted our parents on the Heath, and knew our amazing adventures in France were at an end. Emmanuelle & Bianca
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ART GALLERY
Hannah Year 6 inspired by 9-1978) Hoch (German 188
A Level Annabel Sim
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TRIPS
“Y Viva España” Spanish Trip to Castellón
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ight of us boarded the coach to Gatwick airport at 5am on our way to our first Spanish Exchange trip to IES Penyagolosa, Castellón! Arriving in Valencia, the regional capital, we met our Spanish exchange partners and embraced the European custom of kissing everyone. We spent our first day wandering around Valencia and realising just how much better each of our partner’s English was compared to our Spanish! At the picturesque town of Castellón, the teachers handed us over to our host families. I think it’s fair to say that on the first night all of us felt homesick, but this was gradually dissipated by the kindness and hospitality of our hosts, with whom I managed to communicate though a mixture of hand gestures, my broken Spanish and their English. We would all meet at school and take part in the activities including a treasure hunt through the city, a trip to Grau city beach to play rounders and ‘Ultimate Frisbee’ or watching a Spanish film without subtitles! In the evenings we returned to our host families to eat dinner, or we all met up in the evenings to watch the World Cup football. During our visit, we ate tapas, visited the Cathedral, The
Dos Aguas Palace, the modernist train station and the Museum of Contemporary Art. At Benicassim, we learned about the traditional villas and their role during the Spanish Civil War, and in Castellón the city celebrated “Corpus Chistis” day with a procession. We learnt very quickly about Spanish eating hours; two lunches, with dinner at 9.30-10pm, and bed never before
half past midnight! I loved the insight into Spanish culture, including watching Mrs Rosado doing a pasodoble through the lunch room with the head teacher, and being in Spain when their new King was anointed. It did not take long to discover that the Spaniards were far more interested in the World Cup than their new royal family! We also learned about linguistic politics, as Valencian is spoken (a sub-branch of Catalan) and some are fighting for it to be preserved as a language. I left Castellón feeling far sadder than I had felt about leaving London, but we all fostered new friendships that will stay with us for a very long time. Ella Jollands
Year 12 Explore the wonders of Paris O
n our first day we arrived at Gare du Nord just after lunch, with just enough time to leave our bags at the hotel. We met our tour guide outside the famous Moulin Rouge, where we were treated to a guided tour of the backstreets of Paris and the haunts of various artists and writers. Our tour ended in front of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city, where we were able to explore the wonderful cathedral and the many French cafés and creperies. After a long walk across the River Seine, we found ourselves in front of the world famous book store Shakespeare & Co. We were lucky enough to be able to listen to several talks by award winning authors on the importance of Paris in literature and how the city has influenced their writing style. We also visited one of the best Moroccan restaurants in Paris, filling ourselves with plenty of couscous and
Moroccan pastries, before taking the bus back to the hotel. Ruby, May & Phoebe
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TRIPS
Joyous German Exchange Visit W
e are delighted that our link with the ‘Bischöfliches-AngelaMerici Gymnasium - a girls’ grammar school in Trier (in the Moselle region of Germany) continues to flourish. Our third exchange trip went ahead in July, and was a great success. Having corresponded by e-mail beforehand, our girls were warmly welcomed by the German families. After being introduced to the school by the Headteacher, Herr Dr. Zeck, in a specially organised school assembly, our students attended lessons in the morning before learning about the city’s Roman heritage during a walking tour. We saw the famous ‘Porta Nigra’, as well as the impressive basilica, cathedral and Roman thermal baths. After a picnic lunch in the ‘Palast Garten’, we enjoyed a river trip along a
We began our second day by visiting the prestigious La Sorbonne University, where we were amazed to find that studying there is completely free, with a non-selective admissions process. We wished that we were fluent enough in French to study there! We were given a tour around various parts of the university, which is dedicated to Literature, Languages, Civilizations, the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Lunch was enjoyed in local cafes where we relaxed, pondering Ms Fortin’s and Ms Henson’s pre-prepared philosophical and literary questions, and we managed some time for shopping. We took the Metro across town to the Museum of Vampires and Legendary Creatures, where we heard a very eccentric, entertaining and incredulous two hour talk. That evening, we made our way to the stunning Palais Garnier, a worldrenowned opera house, where we were treated to a fabulous evening of classical ballet, music (and a steady stream of overpriced Pringles!) It was an extremely
beautiful stretch of the Moselle, where the vineyards cover the slopes leading down to the river. The next day we went to the nearby picturesque town of Saarburg and had fun going up the Warsberg mountain in the chair lifts, and enjoyed an opportunity to shop in Trier and its Saturday craft market.
The German families entertained the girls with a variety of activities on the Sunday - some even managing a Rodelbahn ride (a giant slide which snakes its way down the mountain). On Monday we drove to Cochem and walked up the hill to the fairytale-style castle, before visiting a vineyard, and were treated to a grape juice tasting and traditional BBQ with ‘wurst’. There were a lot of tears when we left, but it will not be long before our German friends come to England in the autumn. We greatly value the partnership between our two schools. It allows the pupils to improve their language skills, widen their cultural knowledge significantly and to form friendships which will grow, and, in some cases, last a lifetime. Mrs Bond, Head of German
enjoyable experience for all, and we felt especially honoured to be in such a breathtaking setting. Kate, Elara, May and Zoe On our third day, after a very French breakfast of croissants and baguettes, we made our way to the Metro and took a million pictures of the Eiffel Tower, then enjoyed a relaxing boat tour of the city on the River Seine. We visited the Pompidou Musée National d’Art Moderne and had a traditional French lunch at a chic petit café. With heavy hearts, we made our way to the Gare du Nord and bid farewell to the lovely city of Paris. Tara, Grace, Sîan and Ria Summer 2014 Blackheath High School 15
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ISI REPORT
We are ‘excellent’ ... and that’s official!
W
e were delighted by the outcome of our school inspection (25th28th April) which judged every aspect of the school excellent and recognises the outstanding standard of teaching and our commitment to the development of each student as an individual, together with the hard work and high achievements of our pupils.
Summary findings: • • • • • • • •
The quality of the pupils’ achievements and learning is excellent. The contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision is excellent. The contribution of teaching is excellent. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is excellent. The contribution of arrangements for pastoral care is excellent. The contribution of arrangements for welfare, health and safety is excellent. The quality of governance is excellent. The quality of leadership and management is excellent.
Parents will have received a copy of the full report via email but it can also be downloaded via our website and from www.isc.co.uk. Please email c.rafferty@bla.gdst.net should you require a hard copy.
“Pupil achieveme nt in their work and activities is excellent throughou t the scho ol and the are very w y ell educat ed, fully in with the sc line h o o l’s aim to pro academic mote excellence . High ach is strongly ievement supported by the pup excellent at ils’ titude tow ards learn which rich ing, ly fulfils th e school’s to nurture aim a love of le arning and develop in dependen t and enquiring minds.“
Achievements and Learning “At all ages, pupils respond well to challenges and show a high level of intellectual ability that allows them to build upon their knowledge and develop their skills.” “Pupils make excellent progress in relation to the average for pupils of similar abilities.” “Pupils throughout the school are excellent learners. They are enthusiastic and motivated in their efforts to learn. Pupils take pride in the presentation of their work and enjoy their learning. Their behaviour, support for one another and organisational skills are excellent.”
Curriculum/Co-Curricular “The contribution of curricular and extracurricular provision is excellent. The curriculum is broad and balanced, and goes beyond National Curriculum requirements. Throughout the school, curricular provision inspires excellent learning and provides opportunities to develop thinking skills and to enrich personal development, giving pupils the chance to value their education in wider terms than examination outcomes alone”. “The Junior School curriculum has an excellent breadth of subjects which include critical thinking, Latin and French .” “Excellent curricular and extra-curricular provision is well balanced and fully supports the pupils’ learning.”
Personal Development “At all stages, the pupils’ personal development is excellent. Their spiritual development is excellent and this fully reflects the school’s aim to develop the whole person by building self-esteem and confidence.” “The moral development of pupils is excellent. They have a highly well-developed sense of right and wrong. They recognise the importance of their individual actions and their effect on the community as a whole. “
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EYFS “The EYFS curriculum provides rich and varied experiences. The children relish choosing activities from the wide range on offer in the well equipped, spacious setting.”
ISI REPORT
“Children in the EYFS make extremely good progress, with the overwhelming majority exceeding the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception year. In the EYFS, the staff understand the children extremely well and help them to learn to be independent. Teachers show a clear understanding of how children learn. Resilience is routinely reinforced.“
Higher Education and Careers Support
Teaching “Excellent teaching, characterised by the teachers’ knowledge of their pupils as individuals, is seen at all levels of the school.” “Throughout the school, strengths of the teaching are in the excellent relationship between pupils snd teachers and the extra time given to support the pupils’ learning.”
“Careers guidance is excellent, and pupils are very positive about the assistance offered. The school has attained a Career mark award and promotes effective work-related learning through initiatives such as ‘Take your Daughter to Work Day’ and through opportunities to shadow alumnae at higher education institutions.”
Pastoral Care “The contribution of arrangements for pastoral care is excellent. Organised pastoral structures and staff commitment to pupils’ welfare ensure that excellent support and guidance are given to pupils of all ages, in accordance with the school’s aims. Relationships between class teachers and pupils are excellent, ensuring a supportive environment.”
ART GALLERY
Nursery art inspired by An
dy Goldsworthy (British 1956-) Summer 2014 Blackheath High School 17
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DRAMA
Junior Drama
“Y
“Ye-Ha”
e-Ha!” was full of action, dance and witty one-liners right from the start. A no-good gang - ‘The McNut Gang’ - runs riot in Splodge City. Wilbur is elected as the new sheriff whose job it is to solve the crisis, but unfortunately he is not brave and doubts his ability. The mayor, Tex Truman plans to marry Ma Hubbard, Wilbur’s mother and owner of the Fordoor Saloon. Wilbur’s friend Billie-Jo, together with her trusty steed Lightning, enters disguised as an unknown stranger succeeds in saving Wilbur from the McNut Gang with a surprising tactic: when the lights go off she pulls their trousers down to reveal their underwear in public. Humiliated, they scatter. Local Indians reveal that there is gold hidden in Splodge City, - the mayor has known all along, - and in a sudden twist, the mayor reveals he is really the villain of the play, determined to get his hands on the gold. Eventually, Mayor Truman is defeated, the Indians reveal that the gold is really a bubbling oil well hidden in the backyard of the Fordoor Saloon and everyone celebrates in a typical Western song “The Stetson Stomp”.
“My character was ’Billie-Joe Brisket.’ Some of my favourite and, in my opinion, funniest roles in the play were: “Philius Snuffit & Festus Rott” the undertakers from the local funeral parlour (hence the names) who were constantly measuring people in an attempt to predict which unfortunate soul would pass away next. “The two stroke Indians” who you could guarantee to always have jokes up their sleeves, such as: Chief walking weasel: “Anyway, we have to get Squatting Poodle back to camp. He’s far too tense!” Squatting poodle: “I’m a wigwam. I’m a teepee!” Overall the play was really fun, scary and amazing!” Phoebe Jones “The traditional Year 6 production of 2014 was called ‘Ye-Ha!’ It was a spectacular performance and we all enjoyed participating in the show. My role was ‘Amos’, an old man who goes to the saloon a lot. I was quite happy with my role as I had reasonable number of lines and quite a few stage directions. My lines were really funny and they made the audience laugh each time. I’m sure others would agree with Ms Bolton’s decision of my part as I have had many compliments from students and parents. On the night of the production a professional makeup artist, Chloe did our make-up. As one of the old men, I got a grey moustache, grey eye brows and a lot of wrinkles! The show was an absolute success. The audience collapsed with laughter at the sight of the pantomime horse! My favourite part of the production would be the scene where the McNut Gang had their pants taken down. It was really funny seeing brightly coloured surfer shorts underneath!” Trisha Medimi
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DRAMA
““Ye-Ha!” was full of fun, action, dance and singing. Our talented Year 6 girls performed with such confidence; whether acting, singing or dancing, and their comic timing was spot on. It was an absolute joy!” Miss Bolton
Senior Drama
Theatre in Education O
n a beautiful June day we invited Year 2 children from Invicta Primary School to join our Year 2 girls for a day of activities on Shakespeare. Firstly, they had an encounter based workshop with “Shakespeare” played admirably by stand up comedian Mark Cooper-Jones (and former teacher at Blackheath High Seniors). Our LAMDA coach Caroline Critchlow led a ‘language’ workshop to access Shakespeare’s text. They also enjoyed music workshops with Ms Coles. After all
these wonderful, entertaining sessions, the children were then treated to two ‘Theatre-in-Education’ performances from our Year 10 GCSE Drama students, who devised the plays as part of their GCSE studies. It was an entertaining mix of ‘Shakespeare meets Horrible Histories’ which taught the younger pupils all about Shakespeare’s work and world. It was a wonderful day and the girls did themselves proud. Mrs Tyrrell, Head of Performing Arts Faculty
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ART
Senior Art
Blazing Trails: The Blackheath High School Art Exhibition 2014
“I am amazed how much variety and adventurousness there is in the whole show. There’s difficult work here, as well as beautiful things - it’s like a visit to the Saatchi Gallery!” Year 13 parent
A Level: ‘the new generation of artists’
T
he A Level work on show was the culmination of two years of A Level study for our Year 13 girls. The work was a sophisticated blend of aesthetic propositions, philosophical ideas and multimedia manifestations. The painting, large and small scale still and kinetic sculpture, film, textiles, installation, audience participation pieces and site specific works on show, generated a truly contemporary atmosphere and was grounded deftly with embedded cultural and historical reference points. This work was instrumental in gaining access for these girls into their first choices of the best Higher Art courses in
London and there was a definite air of celebration and excitement surrounding these deserving students and their families. Out of the ten Year 13 art students, seven have gone on to study art, and four of these girls achieved an A*. The AS/A2 DT work included a packaging project to package some makeup items, modelled using the 3D printer as well as an architectural model of a garden music studio. There was also a geography teaching aid for kinaesthetic learners. Visitors’ experience was enhanced by using an app called Aurasma which linked via their phones to films and images from the girls’ portfolios
Alice Uggles
Sorcha Liston Smith “Crazy, brilliant, ke clever, inspiring. Li a different world reflecting this one!” n Maddy Harringto (Year 12)
Alex Slater
AS Level: ‘stepping up to success’
T
he AS level work stood proudly and worthily among the A2 masterpieces and caused a stir with their audacity, skill, originality and variety. The Textiles students had been extremely prolific, resulting in a kaleidoscope of innovative garment making and fine art textiles products.
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GCSE: ‘exemplary skill and originality’
T
he coursework element of the GCSE displayed in the Library was a powerful showcase of the skills and talent we have here at Blackheath High. Each girl displayed an arresting handmade garment personally designed to a brief as well as a vibrant painted ‘self-portrait’ collography print. The GCSE exam exhibition went down a storm with the spectators on the evening, who enjoyed virtuosic painting and drawing as well as disturbingly distorted hand printed wallpaper, a hot air balloon made out of thousands of popped corns, a ladder made out of hair, a wax sculpted shrine to Barbie and a landscape fashioned out of an exploded hp printer to name but a few. A great many of these girls have opted to follow in the footsteps of the Year 13s and take on AS Level this year. The GCSE DT work was work produced ‘in the style of’ a design era. The products range from lighting to jewellery boxes, and include phone docking stations. Their work was produced using traditional methods and CAD/CAM using the Bea Norris laser cutter and also our new 3D printer.
Year 10 ‘Sculpture in Space’ Day
Chloe Neil
‘crawling through something’
The mission was to set up aesthetic responses to the landscape around the school in the form of site-specific sculptural interventions and to record these installations in photographic form. Subtle responses included the transformation of a dividing wall into Lego bricks. Less subtle pieces included a graceful slow motion running sculpture on the playground and an exciting waterfall of colour from second storey windows.
Stage 2: ‘materialized extensions’
O
‘collapse’
ur all-star year 10 Art group had the opportunity to try their hand at a conceptual workshop worthy of university students on a sunny day in June. The day’s challenges were divided into three stages, each approaching different visualizations of ephemeral sculpture:
Stage 1: ‘surprising interventions’ The girls were split into teams and given a different bag of inspiring materials, objects and all manner of bits and bobs including string, wire and cardboard, giant polystyrene ‘French fries’ and hundreds of multi-coloured bottle-tops.
Our artists were given a fresh Aladdin’s cave of materials and disparate objects, along with full use of all the art studio’s resources. The mission was to respond sculpturally to the internal architecture of the studio and its furniture using these materials. A random phrase was pulled out of a hat by each team as impetus for this project. These were phrases such as: floor to ceiling, wall to wall, crawling through, climbing over…
‘freefall’
By lunch the art studio was infested by a writhingly dense forest of twining and twisting, hanging and leaning sculptural entities.
Stage 3: ‘rendered intentions’ Finally, the girls were invited to home-in on a particular section of one of their sculptures through a viewfinder. The mission was to make a permanent record of it through a finely observed primary drawing. Everyone relaxed into a session of academic drawing and really completed the full showcase of their talents. All in all the day traversed the gamut of artistic visualizations and techniques and helped our artists practice their burgeoning understanding of mature artistic process they will put into practice this January in their exam work.
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ART
Junior Art
Art Exhibition:“Through the eyes of the Artist”
T
he summer term saw the grand opening of the Junior school annual art exhibition . This year the title was ‘ through the Eyes of the artist.’ Each class chose a different artist and every girl took the original concepts to produce artwork that was based on those ideas but, at the same time, unique to them. The exhibition included sculpture, painting, photographs, dolls, photo collage and of course, lots of quality drawing and painting. Our superb Chamber Choir and musicians from the senior school provided the musical accompaniment whilst parents and children wandered through our temporary gallery.
Year 2: Artwork inspired by Henri Matisse (French)
Reception: Artwork inspired by the Dreamtime Aboriginal Artists
Year 5: Dolls. Inspired by artist: Jess Brown (American)
The Spens Art Competition
O
ur annual Art competition is open to all girls in Year 5 and 6. Entrants are tasked to produce three pieces of artwork: a landscape, a portrait and a free choice piece, all completely independent of adult help. The work is completed at home over the period of a month and is judged on 11th July.
“Congratulations to this year’s winner: Anya Gunn De Marcos and runner up: Emma Adcock. A big ‘well done’ to all those who entered, the standard was extremely high.” Mrs Smith
Winner: Anya Gunn De Marcos
Runner Up: Emma Adcock
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ART GALLERY
Year 3 display of P aul Klee inspired art (Swiss German 1879-1940)
Year 1 display of Georgia O’Keefe inspired art (American 1887-1986)
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PRIZE GIVING
Year 6 Prize Giving
Y
ear 6 celebrated the end of their Junior school careers in the time-honoured fashion; with lunch, assembly and Prize Giving. Their parents enjoyed a buffet lunch with their daughters in the Hall before moving to our newly refurbished Theatre. The splendid new curtaining added a sense of grandeur to the setting and many parents expressed gratitude for the improved seating – definitely an improvement in comfort as they watched the girls reminisce about their many happy times at Junior School. After a moving assembly (several mums were spotted wiping a tear away) we moved on to the Prize Giving ceremony itself. We were delighted to welcome Marissa Davies, Director of Education and Learning in Junior Schools within the GDST, as our speaker. She spoke
warmly of the confidence and talents of our girls, recognising those qualities exemplified by our Pillars of Learning. Her speech chimed perfectly with our ethos of the broad, wellrounded curriculum developing strong, capable young women through exciting and educationally enhancing experiences in school. Alongside the subject prizes, we continued the practice, started last year, of awarding colours in a range of areas reflecting the breadth of activities on offer at Juniors. It was heartening to see the numbers of girls taking up the many opportunities offered in sport, music and drama.
The afternoon ended with the distribution of a small gift for every girl; a CD of photographs from the Year 6 trip to France with an appropriately Parisian themed album. Some more wonderful memories to treasure from Blackheath High Junior School! Mrs Skevington, Head of Junior School
Year 7 Prize Giving
J
uly’s Year 7 & 8 Prize Giving ceremony was a great opportunity to pause and reflect upon nine month’s hard work, academic, creative and sporting excellence, and exposure to new experiences and interests. Introduced in 2013 to celebrate the many achievements of our girls in the Lower School, this year’s event was a particular treat. Prizes awarded by departments and Heads of Year for’ outstanding attainment and effort’ were punctuated by year-groupreflection speeches from six of our girls, plus a Dvorak piece performed on viola by Pascale Higgins and a quirky
Faulkner xylophone composition performed by Olivia West. Each year, we invite inspirational women as guest speakers to inspire the girls and encourage them to aim high and not be deterred by perceived ‘glass ceilings’. Alumni Florence Raja best exemplified this tradition: having left Blackheath High to study Politics and Economics at UCL, followed by post-graduate study at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, she went on to enjoy an extensive tenure in the finance sector as a Business Development Executive. Throughout this time she
championed the progress of women in finance and she is currently involved in Women2Win and many policy groups within Parliament, where she is a shortlisted candidate on the UK Parliamentary List. What made her speech so engaging was the opening story of a Russian refugee girl moving to the UK for a better life and opportunities, with a strong desire to fulfil her potential: a scholarship girl at BHS, she revealed it was herself! Aim high, ladies. Overcome the obstacles! Mr Parsons, Assistant Head
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ART GALLERY
A Level Farrah Morgan
A Level Lucy Morris Thom
pson
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ART GALLERY
GCSE Yasmin Gapper
GCSE Tanya Blagoderova
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Forthcoming Events NOVEMBER WEDNESDAY 5TH NOVEMBER Year 7 Tea Party, Theatre WEDNESDAY 12TH NOVEMBER Years 1, 2 and 6 Parents’ Evening SATURDAY 15TH NOVEMBER Sixth Form Scholarship
THURSDAY 11TH DECEMBER Christmas Music Concert
TUESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER Year 10-12 Oxbridge and Medics Information Evening
MONDAY 15TH DECEMBER Key Stage 2 Carol Concert
TUESDAY 18TH NOVEMBER Years 1, 2 and 6 Parents’ Evening MONDAY 24TH NOVEMBER Year 10 Parents’ Evening WEDNESDAY 26TH NOVEMBER Years 3-5 Parents’ Evening FRIDAY 28TH NOVEMBER 5RC Assembly DECEMBER TUESDAY 2ND DECEMBER Year 7 Parents’ Forum
FRIDAY 19TH DECEMBER (LAST DAY OF TERM) Christmas Service at St John’s Church SATURDAY 3RD JANUARY TO 8TH JANUARY Ski Trip
Pimms Party On 3rd July we all very much enjoyed a lovely evening to celebrate 20 years since the Senior School’s move to Vanbrugh Park and another chance for the BHSOGA to catch up with alumnae. The Pimms flowed as past and present pupils, staff and parents gathered to reminisce and catch up on life. Tours of the school were organised by Mrs Elliott, and led by girls in the current sixth form. Mrs Laws gave a presentation on the plans for the future school and the Association had the opportunity to thank her for all her support over the years and wish her well in her retirement. Jane Allerton, OGA Chair, presented Mrs Laws with a wintery scene of Blackheath to remind her that the school never closed in the snow! Everyone agreed this was a great event that should definitely feature again in the calendar in the near future.
Annual General Meeting An equally enjoyable afternoon took place at Wemyss Road on Saturday 27th September 2014 when the BHSOGA held their Annual General Meeting, at which Mrs Chandler-Thompson met some of the members and also attended the lunch that followed. All of the committee officers had agreed to stand again and were re-elected into their existing roles. There was also news from a former headmistress, Miss Mary Abraham, who had been unable to attend but sent her greetings to the OGA along with her appreciation to all those members who kept in touch with her. Before and after the AGM guests had plenty of time to wander around the school and look into many of their old classrooms, admiring the Junior School girls’ work.
MONDAY 8TH AND TUESDAY 8TH DECEMBER, Year 7 and Year 8 Production of “Coraline”, Theatre
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