Headmaster's Newsletter December 2007

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Dear Parents,

It was a pleasure to be able to welcome so many of you to our end-of-term Carol Services which, as usual, provided both a fitting end to the term and marked the start of the Christmas season proper: the Choir were in fine voice with a particularly interesting repertoire.

 

Music and Drama

Indeed it has been a busy time for our musicians with a series of concerts on mornings of Parents' Conferences continued with representatives from the Fifth Form entertaining their peers and parents a few weeks ago. The Concert Wind Band, comprising some 20 pupils, entertained the crowds at the Guildhall at the Red Cross Christmas Fair, a booking which has now become a regular event for the School. Their contribution was very well received confirming the place of our musicians in raising the profile of the School within the City. Back at the School, another in the series of informal concerts in the Music School saw some 15 of our musicians entertaining their friends; the School Concert in the penultimate week of term provided a further opportunity for our musicians in a more public forum.

 

The Upper Sixth Form, as part of their examination course, presented a deep and thought-provoking play Theories which was well received and should ensure them good grades in their final examination. Mentioning drama, I should correct an error that I made in my previous newsletter in connection with the House Drama Festival when I mentioned that Ben Gardiner had been awarded best director, in fact this should have been Hugh Frost-Wellings: although I have made my own apology to him I feel I must also owe him one in public for failing to recognise his considerable talents which were seen to full effect in Theories.

 

Drama of a different sort was seen in St Bride's Church, Fleet Street, where the School celebrates its foundation each year. The occasion this time was a service to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Church's rededication following its rebuilding after the war: the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were in attendance and passed through a guard of honour of our senior pupils. We certainly valued the opportunity of playing a part in this important Service in a Church which as grown to mean so much to the School.

 

 

The Co-curriculum

The Red Cross Market at Guildhall also saw four of our pupils helping on the stalls as a form of mini work experience. Other pupils were able to attend the Godalming United Church Ladies Fellowship to talk about their experiences of Malawi following the expedition in the summer: an opportunity was also given to parents and pupils after the Advent Service when members of the expedition gave their presentation to the School. Indeed, Mr Phillips and his team have been busy in this regard, with Hampton School also benefitting from a similar event.

 

Other trips have seen our pupils enjoying a variety of opportunities. Our juniors enjoyed, as part of their boarding weekend, a trip to Gunwharf Quays at Portsmouth where they also had the opportunity to take part in bowling. Moving in the other direction our design and technology pupils had the opportunity to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to view their couture exhibition as part of their researches for GCSE and A-level coursework. A similar curriculum trip, this time for our information technologists, saw a group of pupils attending the University of Surrey for a series of presentations on electronic arts: this was one of the many opportunities that the School is now benefitting from as a consequence of the partnership agreement that we have concluded with the University.

 

A little closer to home, it was a delight to be able to congratulate our Fourth Form Public Speaking Team of Harriet (main speaker), Charlotte (chairman), and Hannah (vote of thanks), who participated in the local Rotary Club competition in Godalming. The team won the competition following a speech on a proposal to raise the legal age for drinking from 18 to 21. The girls were each awarded a £20 book-token and now go on to the district final which will take place in February.

 

In the Inter Schools Masterchef Competition, the overall winner in the Tuesday group was Gaby with a menu of sage and cheese stuffed pork with creamed sweet potato followed by crème brulee; the runner-up was Kavi. In the Thursday group the overall winner was Charles with a menu of salmon with glazed carrots followed by a homemade roulade filled with blackcurrant compote and topped with meringue; Hastie and Scarlett were runners-up. Sarah and Jack also received awards for their commitment to Masterchef during the year.

 

The mention of food prompts me to recall the Curry Evening and Quiz Night organised by KESPA: the event was a complete success with all tickets sold, and a most enjoyable atmosphere from the group of pupils, parents, staff and friends of the School. Full details appear in KESPA Konnect Newsletter.

 

 

 

 

 

Curriculum

The mental gymnastics of the Quiz Evening were repeated on a rather more serious level in the Senior Maths Challenge. As you are probably aware, this is a national event involving 90,000 pupils from 2,000 schools and colleges. We entered 40 of our Sixth Form pupils, and again our results were well above average; over half of those who took part gaining certificates: we were awarded four Gold Certificates which puts the pupils concerned within the top 6% in the country. Full details appeared in the Appendix to the paper copy of the newsletter but note should be made of Jacky who was Best in School from the Upper Sixth Form group and Eric from the Lower Sixth Form group.

 

Our brightest Second Form pupils took part in the Surrey Education Business Partnership's Year 8 Challenge which was held at King Edward's. This sees Year 8 pupils from a variety of local schools coming together and working as mixed teams on a challenge of a technological nature: as in previous years, it was a very productive and enjoyable occasion with our pupils acting as excellent hosts and ambassadors for the School. Indeed the academic momentum really does appear to have built up towards the end of this term with numerous awards being made as a consequence of commendations received for excellent work; full details appear in the Appendix. I am very pleased indeed that we do have systems in place to reward both effort and achievement and am delighted at the large number of pupils who are producing good work and responding to the lead of their teachers and peers.

 

Parents of pupils in the Fifth Form have already been advised of changes to the curriculum in the Sixth Form for September 2008, but I thought that you would all welcome some information about these changes: these form part of the comprehensive curriculum review which the School is undertaking as part of the School Plan. Although we tend to review our curriculum fairly regularly, a more comprehensive review was necessary because of changes to the Sixth Form curriculum nationally and the increasing popularity of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. We have concluded the review relating to the Sixth Form and are currently in the process of looking at the lower and middle School curriculum, although we do not envisage much in the way of fundamental change here other than fine-tuning of aspects of the timetable. In terms of the Sixth Form we have made the following changes. The Art Department will now run two courses at A-level, the first in photography and the second an unendorsed course that combines painting and drawing, print making and 3D design. In Modern Languages, French will be offered only at IB from September 2008 with German following this pattern the year after. The courses in electronics and politics have both been discontinued. For the Fifth Form, GCSE physical education has also been discontinued. Obviously any such changes have potential side-effects but do please be reassured that these changes have come about as a consequence of extensive discussion within the School including the Education Committee of the Governing Body: it is never easy to discontinue some subjects but we do have to face the realities of viability of courses in the light of the demand for them.

 

Form and Set Changes: As is customary, having had the opportunity to assess pupils at the end of the autumn term and to compare their performance with those who joined in September, it will be necessary to make some adjustments to form and set groupings. These changes have been based upon the recommendations of teachers to ensure that pupils are in the best group to enable them to make maximum progress at a suitable pace for the rest of the academic year. Although the reports that you will receive with the paper copy of this newsletter may hint at these changes, those who are going to be moved in January will be contacted individually by letter by the Deputy Head in charge of the curriculum, Mr Stephen Pugh: we hope therefore that when you receive the letter during the holidays you will be informed in advance and that any changes when the new timetable is issued at the start of the spring term will not come as a surprise.

 

Fifth Form GCSE Examinations: Parents of pupils in the Fifth Form have already received a copy of the schedule for the trial examinations which commence on Thursday 10th January continuing to Saturday 19th January. Trial examinations are a very important starting point in the preparation for the final GCSEs in the summer and, as a consequence, they should be approached seriously. There is no question that pupils will be tired after the end of a long term and will need time for a complete break to recharge their batteries; I would, however, encourage you to ensure that your sons and daughters spend at least 30 hours of the holiday period in preparation for the trial examinations. Some simple arithmetic equates this to about four hours per subject, although of course more time can be spent, it is also necessary to guard against the danger of peaking too soon. I would recommend that the revision time is spread out over the duration of the holiday and not left until the panic of the final few days before the return in January: pupils have been given advice by members of staff and it is our experience from previous years that work done now pays rich rewards in the summer. I cannot stress enough the importance of completing revision in the manner we suggest for it really does make a difference to the preparations for the final examinations. Now that we have our new database we plan to produce a results sheet with predicted grades which will be given to pupils on Tuesday 29th January 2008 and will also be posted home to you shortly thereafter. We are not unaware of the pressures of work that are placed on our Fifth Form pupils; although it is our view that nine or ten GCSE subjects are appropriate for most, a few may need to reduce this number slightly to enhance their prospects across all subjects. Mr Pugh will be reviewing any requests for changes in this respect in the light of performance, not just in the particular subject that it is hoped to discontinue, but based on consideration of performanc across the board in the trial examinations. Of course parents will be consulted before any changes are made and we hope to complete the process by the February half-term. I should stress that any decision to discontinue a GCSE can only be made after careful discussion, part of which would need to establish that full use is going to be made of the time released by discontinuing a particular subject.

 

Fifth Form Intentions for the Next Academic Year: Along with the reports you should find all the necessary details for the completion of the form about the intentions that your sons and daughters have for the Sixth Form. I would stress that the sooner these forms are returned to Mr Pugh the better: please do not, if at all possible, wait until the beginning of the term. In this connection I should stress to parents of pupils in the Fifth Form that such an indication does not constitute formal notice of withdrawal from the School; any parent wishing to withdraw their son or daughter from the School must follow the terms and conditions of the contract with us and give the appropriate one term's notice of withdrawal in writing to me: failure to do so could make parents liable for a full term's fees in lieu of such notice.

 

Upper Sixth A-Level Examinations in January: Members of the Upper Sixth who are repeating modules in January should by now know of the examination schedule. It goes without saying that they will be spending some time this holiday in preparation for them: I would recommend that they spend two weeks of the holiday revising for each module that they wish to take allowing for something of the order of 20 hours of revision time as a minimum for each module. There will be no extra time for revision next term as teachers have to continue with teaching for the course for the A2 examinations for the majority who are not repeating modules at this stage: there will also be no study leave and absence from lessons will only be permitted whilst an examination is taking place.

 

Public Examination Results, August 2008: You should take careful note of the dates of release of results: It is important that parents and pupils are available to receive results at this time so you might like to bear these dates in mind when planning your holidays.

 

 

Games

It has been a busy few weeks for our various teams. In hockey the 1st XI have had a particularly successful run: they dominated their game against Royal Russell School peppering their goalkeeper with a barrage of never-ending shots which led to a fine 10:1 win for our girls. In the County Hockey Tournament the XI dominated their game against Sutton High School taking charge and securing a solid 2:0 victory: unfortunately, defeats to Cranleigh and CLFS meant that we could not progress; this said, the XI have had a fine record showing that it is possible to turn a lacklustre start to the season into a winning run provided that training is conducted in the right manner. The XI ended up with a fine record of seven wins and four defeats representing a worthy testament to their application and determination, and the dedication of their coach. The XI also had a good 4:0 win against Bedales. The U15A side has also impressed during the season with many skilful and athletic performances; although they came up against some tough opposition they achieved some excellent results during the term. A narrow loss against Cranleigh sparked the team into an excellent performance in a tough match against Christ's Hospital: despite being under a lot of the pressure in the first half and a goal down at half-time, improved movement and passing led to a much more dominant performance in the second half; a short corner led to an equalising goal and despite pressing for a winning shot we had to settle for a 1:1 draw. Against Churcher's College the team was dominant exerting a lot of pressure, Sophie scoring two goals: Abigail and Hannah were supreme in mid-field providing the ball for another two goals in a splendid 4:1 victory. Against Bedales, despite conceding an early goal they responded well with Charlotte equalising and Sophie then putting us in front: Hannah and Emily again provided excellent service allowing Charlotte to get another goal leaving the team 3:1 winners.
Our other hockey teams have worked hard at improving their individual and team skills in the practice sessions, these efforts have been rewarded by several fine wins during the season. The U13A had a good 4:0 win against the Duke of Kent School with two goals apiece from Devon and Fenella. The B's also defeated the same school 6:2 but in common with their A counterparts they lost to Churcher's. Against Edgeborough the A-side looked to be close to a win, particularly with a second-half hat-trick from Afoma; however, a few mistakes at the back of the team let the game slip out of our grasp by two frustrating goals. As is customary I made a number of awards for hockey, the full details of which appeared in the paper copy of the Appendix.

 

In football our boys had mixed success during the term; the 1st XI often played with great promise and panache but too frequently failed to take their chances in front of the goal; nevertheless we did have a good season with impressive victories. A good 3:1 win against Royal Russell could not be repeated against a strong Alleyn's XI where, despite James leading by example, we lost narrowly by one goal. An exciting match against Ardingly saw the team dominate the opening exchanges building up a strong momentum, particularly in the second half: despite creating numerous chances we were unable to secure more than one goal from Kanso resulting in a 1:1 draw. The final matches of the season against Collyers and St Bede's saw the team succumbing. The 3rd XI had a fine 6:0 win against Ardingly putting together the best performance of the season so far: Moritz and Luke played particularly well. The U15A side had the best season of all with eight wins and only two defeats in their twelve games; they scored 36 goals at an average of three goals per game. An impressive side, they showed strength in all areas and I am sure that many will be pushing for a place in the 1st XI next season. Not surprisingly, therefore, they got t hrough to the third round of the National Independent Schools' Cup but unfortunately were defeated by Bradfield and were unable to progress further; however, they bounced back rapidly with a fine 2:1 win against Ardingly College and showed great resilience against St Bede's returning home with a 1:1 draw. At B-team level, Kevin's 25-yard shot provided a fine 1:0 victory against Ardingly, but despite good counter-attacking football and plenty of character we could not secure a win against St Bede's. Our other teams had a variety of wins and losses but certainly all deserve to be congratulated for representing the School and turning out to play to the best of their ability. Our U13A XI had a good 2:0 win against Barrow Hills with Jarvis and Jevan to the fore. At B-level the side also had an emphatic 8:2 win against Barrow Hill but, as with the A-side, were unsuccessful against Alleyn's. The A-team then went on to win 4:3 against Haslemere Prep School, the B-side emulating this win with Rob Bailey dominating the mid-field. Against More House School the As had another win 6:2 with the Bs achieving a similar victory, this time by 3 goals to nil. Football awards were also in the Appendix.

 

Badminton continues to develop strongly: the 1st team played a league match against St John's Leatherhead recently and came within a few points of winning. Happily the 2nd team had a resounding victory; Tylor, Grant, Ben and Vinnie winning all of their games. Against RGS the 1st VI found the opposition rather too strong, particularly as we lost one of our top players through injury. They were outplayed by a very strong VI from RGS containing an England player and a county player, but we certainly showed development of our strengths and team identity, Tom and Ed putting up spirited displays throughout.

 

A variety of House trophies were contested in the final week. The Senior Badminton Competition for Girls was completed on the final Wednesday with St Bridget's lifting the trophy. In hockey, at inters level St Bridget's also were victorious. In the Boys' Football Competitions the Junior House Football was won by White. In Inters Basketball for Boys Wakefield bounced in as eventual winners. In the Senior Football Competition Ridley received the shield; they also won the Senior Nomad's Competition, the inters Nomads event being won by Grafton. The Inters Football was won by Wakefield.

 

Tracksuits: I am aware that there has been some confusion about tracksuits and thought that it would be helpful to provide you with, what I hope will be, clarification. Tracksuits have not traditionally been provided by the School as it has been our expectation that these should be purchased by parents. I am, of course, aware that there are huge variations in the cost of different types of tracksuits: in previous years parents were expected to purchase the regulation school tracksuit available in the School Shop for some £66. Not surprisingly perhaps, a good number of parents decided that the purchase of a school tracksuit was not in their priorities and as a consequence a number of variations on a theme began to appear. We therefore decided that the way forward was for the School to provide the regulation school tracksuits for sports teams (to be worn when representing the School) and parents should be asked to provide their children with a plain dark navy blue or black tracksuit for day-to-day wear. Although this information was communicated to parents at the end of last term, it has become evident this term that the changes have not been fully understood. Pupils who are selected to be members of School teams should expect to be issued with an official school tracksuit as part of this team's strip to be worn for representative matches. The member of staff in charge of the team will issue this strip, either at the start of the season or for separate games. Pupils will be expected to return the strip in good condition at the end of the term (or game) to the member of staff in charge: he or she will then return the strips and tracksuits to the Sewing Room at the end of the term so that they can be checked, repaired or replaced as necessary prior to the next season. Charges will have to be raised (fair wear and tear excepted) for strips or tracksuits which have been abused or not returned. Pupils who already have their own approved school tracksuit may, of course, continue to use this otherwise I would ask you to ensure that your child has a plain dark navy blue or black tracksuit for day-to-day wear. Obviously, it is sometimes difficult to find a plain tracksuit with absolutely no markings on it, so therefore reasonably small logos or thin stripes may be acceptable: I understand that tracksuits of this sort can be purchased from stores such as Marks and Spencer or Tesco for less than £25. I do hope that this helps clarify the situation but if you do require any further information please do not hesitate to contact the Bursar who will be pleased to assist further.

 

And Finally ...

You will recall that in previous newsletters I intimated that local estate agents, Seymours, were prepared to issue a School's Incentive Voucher: a similar scheme is also now being adopted by Clark Gammon Wellers. If you are interested in selling your property either of these agents will be able to donate a sum of money to the School as a consequence.

 

It is my practice at this stage of the year to issue term dates for a year hence. The current term dates go through until the start of the spring term in 2009 and I will shortly issue dates for the year thereafter. I would however draw your attention to a typographical error in the term dates issued previously: I should point out therefore that the first Exeat in the spring term 2008 ends on Monday 28th January at 8.30 p.m. and not the 29th as stated; I am sorry for the error. I would also like to remind parents that our term dates are published well in advance and would ask that you adhere to these whether you live in the UK or overseas. This term we have received an inordinate number of requests for pupils to depart before the end of term: we do have generous holidays and it is very disruptive to have pupils leaving early. I do recognise that it can be difficult to make cost-effective travel arrangements but my own experience suggests that a little bit of forethought can provide a solution without disrupting school life. Whilst an individual request may have little impact when magnified 50-fold you will understand how unsettling such absences can be. I am sorry to have to pontificate about this but I am aware that requests for early departure have mushroomed recently and would like to ask your co-operation in reducing such requests to an absolute minimum.

 

You will, as is customary, receive along with the paper copy of this newsletter the reports for your son or daughter. As you will notice, we have changed the format this year to fit in with our new database and to provide a more cost-effective method of posting these to you. The Director of ICT, Mr Brian Turner, has made sterling efforts to allow staff to complete these reports using the new system but inevitably there have been one or two hiccups in the whole process. Whilst I hope you will like the new format, I hope too that you will understand if there are one or two typographical errors which have slipped in as a consequence of operating a new system. We will, of course, take note of these and refine the system for the next round of reports but in the meantime I hope that the content is helpful to you.

 

You will gather from the length of the newsletter that it has been a busy few weeks matching a busy but very productive term: walking out from the final assembly I could not help but notice how exhausted the members of the School community looked, pupils and staff alike. I very much hope therefore that all will have the opportunity of a genuine rest over the Christmas vacation and that you will all enjoy time with family and friends. I do wish you all a very Happy Christmas and the very best for the New Year.

 

With all good wishes,