At times, sitting down to write to parents and members of the school community can feel a little overwhelming. Trying to summarise even a few weeks of what has been happening in school when so much is going on is not an easy task but I shall endeavour to do so nonetheless. As I write this message, yesterday was National Thank a Teacher Day and as well as a Thank you breakfast and afternoon tea for staff, I asked you the parents, carers and students to nominate teachers you would like to thank and to say why. I would like to thank all the parents, carers and students who took the time to do this as it means so much to those teachers and (while you may find it hard to believe) thanks and recognition for the work of teachers can sometimes be overlooked or taken for granted. Some of the messages are incredibly heartwarming and make me exceptionally proud to be the Headteacher of a staff body with comments like: ‘So understanding and kind’ ‘Always there to listen and
support’ ‘Approachable, supportive and goes the extra -mile’ ‘A great teacher and role model’ ‘Makes every lesson engaging and inspiring – an excellent teacher’ ‘Their calm manner has helped me to understand and learn new things’. There are many more, however, that gives a flavour of both the hard work and commitment of the staff and the appreciation and difference it is making. As we approach a much needed half term break, what is clear is the extent that students and parents truly value the efforts of staff in the classroom and beyond now that we are back to a much more normal school life. This half term has seen the start of GCSE, A level and vocational examinations for students in Year 11 and Year 13. As a parent of a student in Year 11, I know how this brings mixed emotions for the students and their families as they have the certainty of exams and the chance to show what they have learnt, coupled with the usual unknowns as to what will be on the
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papers and the questions they will face. The school booster sessions for students have been wellattended and done a great deal to support the students prior to sitting papers. The provision of study rooms at school has enabled students to engage in their preparations for the next exam with space and support wherever possible. I would like to reiterate the best wishes for all students from myself and all the staff and hopes for success and progression to their next steps, as a result of their hard work. With all the focus and support of examination season, it would be easy to assume that other aspects of school life have wound down a little. However, as the rest of the newsletter shows, the widening of horizons through activities like the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the UKMT Maths Challenge, as well as the raising of aspirations through Future Fairs and Russell Group University Tasters, continues at pace to support the ongoing
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development of the students - for not just academic success - but in developing the character, personal attributes and skills for success in life and their next step of choice. Have a restful and enjoyable half term break.
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Silver Practice Expedition On Thursday 12th May, we took 14 Year 10 students to Swansea for their Silver DofE practice expedition. It was fantastic to see the students take part in this experience, particularly as they hadn’t previously had a chance due to COVID-19 restrictions last year.
Day 2 update from Ellis After a five-hour car journey to the middle of nowhere in South Wales, pitching a tent, cooking pasta Bolognese, and playing manhunt with head torches, I woke up to a cacophony of bird songs. Today, we walked 16km in our fellowship of Chris, George, Will, Robin, and Bailey. It was a challenging day for sure especially the final leg to the final checkpoint!
However, the highlight of the day came very early on in the route They set up camp on Thursday where we had a brief encounter with some energetic cows. The evening and cooked their meals only way was through, so we snuck through the gate while the on Trangias. Participants then cows didn’t expect it! It was a tiring day but great fun and now my spent Friday and Saturday legs and back ache and we’re doing it all again tomorrow…! following their routes (or not following them as the case may be…!). The weather was great, and all students successfully made it back to camp before packing up and setting off early on Sunday morning. Mr Hellier, Ms Obmann and I really enjoyed the weekend and hopefully everyone is all set for the final expedition in the Peak District this week!
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Expedition update from Ines We were dropped off at the starting point at around 9am. For us, it was an interesting trip - until the first checkpoint where we saw cows, sheep, bulls (maybe) – any farm animal, you name it! When we got to town, things went a bit south because we got lost trying to find the checkpoint! We spoke to a very kind woman who told us the right directions, but because we all had the memory of a fish – we forgot! My group was now me, Megan, Livi – the dying trio – and Emma, Annice and Phoebe – the ‘I could do this any day’ trio. We could see the other group and we were so happy knowing we were in front. We walked a bit more and we got lost…again – not like a normal lost but a ‘all the way up the steepest hill ever for no extra reason’ lost! Although in pain, every time we got to the top of a hill, it was quite gratifying with the beautiful views and scenery. When we got back to the camp, we watched the last bit of the football – and Liverpool won! Ellis and Will looked exactly like Mr Hellier! It really felt like we had created a little village there. I think everyone had fun.
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Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Silver Practice Expedition
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UKMT Junior Maths Challenge In April, some of our Year 7 and Year 8 students sat the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge answering a range of challenging questions. The maths challenges aim to stimulate mathematical thinking and enhance problem-solving skills. Our congratulations go to a record-breaking 53 students who received a certificate and certainly showed off their perseverance and logical thinking. Year 7 student Veronica achieved Gold, as well as second prize in the Southampton Junior Maths Challenge – another nationally run competition. This is an outstanding achievement and our congratulations go to Veronica. We look forward to seeing what else you can go on to achieve in future! Example question: Today is Thursday. What day will it be in 100 days’ time?
Year 7 Bronze Sade A, Zakirah A, Badie B, Max B, Lily C, Tony D, Velizar D, Isabelle D, Lucy E, Emma G, George H, Daisy H, Poppy H, Varsha K, Henry M, Elsie M, Eliot N, Luke O, Daisy P, Ava P, Amie P, Sammi S, Zac V, Henry W, Chloe P, Ethan O.
Year 7 Silver Lena K, Alice S, Samuel T, Aleisha M, William P, Katie P. Year 7 Gold Veronica H. Year 8 Bronze
Nacho C, Anthony C, Daniel D, Cyrus E, Evie F, Ronnie G, Eloise H, Nancy L, Casey M, Nathan O, Oscar P, Ciara P, Maya P, Ciara R, Louise S. Year 8 Silver Lily D, Alex F, Bailey P
A) Tuesday C) Thursday E) Saturday
B) Wednesday D) Friday
Year 8 Gold Seanna C, Mikey O.
Congratulations to all the students opposite who will be receiving their certificates at prize giving.
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Votes for Schools As part of our registration activities, students have the opportunity to learn about and debate topics each week, using resources from VotesforSchools. This helps provide students with a wider understanding of current affairs, develops their empathy and kindness skills when considering sensitive issues, and also enables them to practise forming arguments and debating. Furthermore, they have their voices heard as VotesforSchools shares the voting outcomes with a variety of organisations, including governments and charities.
Recently, students have discussed the topics below. Their votes as a school can be seen below alongside the votes for Surrey and the UK.
Are young people equipped to deal with loneliness?
Should you go on school trips?
Vote 11th May
Vote 18th May
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On Friday 13th May, our Year 11s left for study leave and have now started their GCSE exams. They have been a fantastic group of role models for the younger years and have shown courage, commitment, and kindness throughout their time at Warlingham. We are proud of every single student and wish them the very best of luck in their exams and their future. Thank you to their incredible form tutors Mr Hill and Mr Janalli for being a great support, particularly this year. We hope to see many Sharman students continue their journey here at Warlingham as they go on to the College. In the meantime, good luck and keep in touch!
The Sharman Team
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Hewitts of Croydon 10% Early Bird Discount Our School Uniform supplier, Hewitts of Croydon, are having an early bird sale ending on Saturday 28th May where you can get 10% off everything ordered on their website (discount is not available in store). You can also play their online icon game to find ALL 15 birds to benefit from an extra 5% added to your discount. As part of the promotion, Hewitts are offering an extended exchange window of up to 100 days, which takes you up to the start of the new school year, taking the worry out of any summer growth spurts! Visit Hewitts of Croydon here.
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Invitation for all Year 12 students Year 12 are invited to attend the very first Warlingham School & Sixth Form College Futures First Careers and Universities Fair. You will have the opportunity to meet and talk to representatives from a huge range of businesses and organisations, both in the public and private sector, as well as several Higher Education establishments. The event will take place on Tuesday 7th June, 10.30am – 1.30pm.
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Year 12 Russell Group Students to experience university taster The College holds a Russell Group for Year 12 students who have the potential to attend Russell Group Universities – the UK’s 24 most prestigious universities. Lucia and Leonard are part of our Russell Group and share their stories about their successful applications to the Sutton Trust programme, which allows Year 12 students to experience university life.
I am very excited to be part of the group selected to attend the Sutton Trust programme, which allows students to get an insight into what university life is like and get a deeper look into courses they’re interested in. To apply, I had to write a statement on why I should be considered to take part in the programme and I was lucky enough to be selected for Maths and Computer Science at University College London (UCL). I am grateful for being part of Russell Group as it introduced me to the Sutton Trust. Russell Group is a group of Year 12 students that meet every two weeks and are likely to be able to attend Russell Group Universities. It has provided me with lots of opportunities and experiences I would not have had if I was not a part of it – Sutton Trust being a prime example - as well as online webinars and other programmes.
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A few months ago, myself and fellow students who take part in the Russell Group meetings were told about an upcoming opportunity. This involved taking part in a Summer School at one of 13 Russell Group Universities. The Russell Group is a selected association of the UK’s most prestigious Universities, which typically have higher entry requirements than other universities. Upon hearing about this event, I immediately knew this was something I’d love to be involved in as it sounded like a great opportunity to discover what university life is like; to learn more about the course I’m interested in and have a great thing to talk about on my personal statement. After deciding I’d like to make the most of the opportunity, all that was left to do was to apply. The process of applying was quick and easy as only personal information and predicted grades were required, with no extensive writing tasks necessary. When it came down to picking the Russell Group University I wanted to attend for the week, I considered which had the most interesting course, as well as being a university I’d be interested in attending in a few years time. Additionally, I also
wanted an in-person course as I felt this would be the most beneficial and memorable experience due to really wanting a chance to see the university campus in person. My decision ended up coming down to two universities: Cambridge and Imperial College London, both of which were offering very similar courses. Upon realising that London is much closer to home so commuting would be a viable option, I decided on Imperial College London studying Earth and Planetary Sciences for the Week. I can’t wait for the week to begin and I’m looking forward to exploring the course and seeing what university life has to offer at one of the UK’s top universities.
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Year 13 Leavers Day On the afternoon of Friday 20th May, the College said farewell to Year 13 students during their Leavers’ Ceremony. It was a sad occasion but a fantastic day to celebrate the achievements of all students ending in a BBQ. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t play to our advantage. Despite the rain, the team managed to cook under a marquee to ensure students could still enjoy a burger or two from the shelter of the College building! The ceremony was a fitting occasion to recognise that our current Year 13 Leavers have experienced more challenges than most previous Year 13 groups due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years and the interruption this has caused to their learning. Despite these challenges, students have demonstrated remarkable resilience in completing their periods of lockdown learning and are preparing well for their final end of year examinations.
dedication and commitment to the College over the past year. It was a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of a fantastic year group and to give their teachers the chance to bid them farewell. We wish every student the very best of luck in their future next steps, as we are confident that they will be moving on to great things. To all our leavers, please stay in touch and keep us updated on your future next steps! Good luck!
To recognise these achievements, subject awards were given to students with many picking up prizes. The Student Leadership Team also received awards for their
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The Warlingham Learner
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