Spring 2019

The Alton Term March 2019

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Welcome!

Dear parents and pupils It gives me enormous pleasure to introduce this latest edition of The Alton Term and I warmly recommend it because it reflects so well all that is good about our school. The range of activities and events is testimony to the dedication and commitment of our pupils and the support offered by their teachers. In a world that sometimes appears dark this publication is a ray of sunshine.

Brevity dictates that we can only publish in print a small fraction of all that has been accomplished so far in 2019.

For a fuller account, I would direct you to the Media Wall on our website.

May I wish you all a happy Easter.

Yours sincerely Graham Maher

Landrover Win

The Land Rover 4x4 in schools Technology Challenge is one of the world’s best project-based STEM challenges for senior pupils. Students work in teams to design and build a radio-controlled vehicle, showcasing their engineering talents. They are assigned different roles in the team and learn valuable project management, marketing, engineering and communications skills.

Five of our Year 7 students were participants in the South East Final, the biggest regional Final of the year with 23 teams competing on the day. Louisa Bingham, Jodie Shannon, Alfie Wren, Benjamin Baxter and Charlotte Lowe took along the car they had designed and built in 4x4 club with Mr Morgan.

As well as giving a presentation about their design to the engineering judges, the teams had to successfully navigate and complete obstacles on an off-road test track that is just as demanding as the real thing, emulating the capabilities of a full size 4x4 vehicle. Their teamwork and enthusiasm throughout the day earned them the prestigious Judges Choice Award which was well deserved. The students learnt a lot from seeing the other teams at the event and have lots of ideas for next year’s car!

Donation to Colombia

Our sister school in Colombia supports a far less privileged school for internal refugees from the mountainous areas of the country, established by the Sisters of Our Lady of Providence in 2000. The school runs two classrooms, with children from Year 1 through to Year 8. Local women are trained to sew the school uniform for the boys and girls. In recent years, both staff and pupils from Alton have visited the school and felt that they wanted to support this educational project. Thanks to the wonderful fund-raising efforts of our school community, we have been able to send a £2,000 donation.

School in Barranquilla for internal refugees.

Flying High

Thirteen extremely lucky Year 7 students had two extraordinary experiences in one day - taking part in indoor skydiving and witnessing human flight! In an inspiring afternoon of learning about aeronautical innovation at iFLY in Basingstoke, the pupils met Richard Browning, who developed the Gravity Jet Suit with the assistance of Alton School TeenTech champions and alumni Lauren Shea and Emma Holford.

In the words of Year 7 students Mimi Jones and Safiya Husain, ‘We started the day with an informative talk from Richard Browning (the man behind the jetpack!). He is an inventor, entrepreneur, speaker and founder of Gravity Industries. He invented a powerful Jet Suit that uses several miniature jet engines to achieve vertical flight.

‘After lunch we took to the skies, soaring like birds inside the wind tunnel! Our instructor, Rhys, showed us the ropes before taking us up to experience an exhilarating high fly.

Finally, we experienced our very own Avengers movie when Richard Browning’s colleague geared up and took off! Along with Mr Morgan, Dr Clayton, and a small crowd of the public gazing at the majestic sight, he showed us the mechanism of the jet suit. We learnt that the jet suit weighed 25kg! Pushing your arms against that much thrust and stabilising your body in mid-air takes lots of strength and endurance. Imagine trying to fly away carrying that great weight on your back.’

The pupils left exhilarated and full of questions about what else is possible for human creativity to achieve.

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Mud Pies, Stick Men and Moon Dust

Who Stole the Cake?

The Prep School’s Reading Festival early in March was a huge success with children sharing books with teachers and Senior School pupils, meeting authors, creating story boxes, and having ‘sleepovers’ in class. It culminated in some wonderful and creative costumes on World Book Day. The week started with some drama, as Mr Scowcroft turned up late to Assembly, still dressed in his pyjamas, and with the most unbelievable excuses EVER! His excuses sounded spookily similar to the adventures in the 13 Storey Treehouse, which some of the children soon began to realise and all thoroughly enjoyed the prank. Mr Scowcroft reports that he is still getting questions about his arrest and how he managed to wake up in a tree in the first place…

Val Wilding (aka Ashley Birch, Phoebe Bright and Super Gran) popped in to have a lively question and answer session with the children. Prep and Nursery also made the most detailed and beautiful story boxes which we will enjoy sharing for many weeks.

The weeklong festival culminated with another drama, this time in the form of Mrs Trunchball storming into the Refectory and demanding to know which villainous child had eaten a slice of Cookie’s chocolate cake!

The Robins Mud Kitchen

Stick Man Adventures

Pre-School children had a wonderful time this term exploring space with 3D models of planets, a space display, investigating moon dust in the messy tray, and thinking about sizes from tiny space dust to enormous stars. Many parents mentioned that their child came home knowing the names of different planets, talking about space, and asking questions about the solar system.

Our Pre-School children also loved the day of Stick Man activities with Reception class in January. They were very busy using sticks to play tic tac toe, make letters, float and sink, measure length, and draw using shaving foam.

Everyone made their own Stick Man to take home. Parents came and joined in the activities and enjoyed themselves just as much as the children!

The nursery is fortunate to have a large puddle outside when it rains! It provides a fun opportunity to explore all of the senses and learn about the outside world so we make the most of it. Sometimes we pour in bubble bath so the children can see how adding elements makes things change. They take out brushes to sweep the bubbles and make patterns and marks and are encouraged to talk about what they’re doing.

The all-in-ones and welly boots are put to good use in Robins’ playground too, where we have our very own mud bath and mud kitchen! The children love playing with the mud and using it to measure, pour, bake, pound and create all sorts of pies, cakes and potions. Learning through play doesn’t get much better than this!

Reading Festival was a great success in the Nursery. Children each chose a book and made their own story box which they shared with everyone at group time. They were really proud of what they had created and enjoyed presenting their achievements. Chicks and Robins chose The Very Hungry Caterpillar as the focus of their activities for the week and were absorbed in food tasting and making fruit cocktails from the food featured in the book. They also made a caterpillar display and symmetrical butterflies and went on a bug hunt in the woods.

Pre-School chose Goldilocks and the Three Bears and wrote sorry letters from Goldilocks to the bears. They loved creating the bears’ house and dressing up to play the parts and eat the porridge they had made.

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Prep School Buddy Bench

This year has seen the launch of a School Council in the Prep School. The School Council Leaders in Year 6 are Ingrid Linge, Fred Hughes and Phoebe Gates. In Year 5 we have Isabelle Moore and Aine Pickford, in Year 4 Toby Bingham, Jessica Kelman and Eli Maher, and Year 3 Anne Linge and Oscar Cherrett. We also welcomed Bella Sanderson and Finley Williams from Year 2 after Christmas. We have a long list of things that we would like to achieve and our starting point was to work as a team to make our very own buddy bench. A buddy bench is a place where children can sit and signal to others that they are looking for playmates. Ours is going to be situated up near the tennis courts and the idea is that if someone sits on the bench, another child will come over and invite them to play.

In the autumn term we began our project. We used a rather decrepit bench which had been outside for months and took it completely apart with the help of Mr Marvin. We had to sand every piece so that it was clean and smooth. This was a tough job and worked our muscles hard! Next, we had to prime it so that it was completely white. Finally, the fun started as we had planned a multi-coloured design. It has been a slow process to paint all the different parts of the bench different colours, waiting for sections to dry and then painting them again to ensure complete coverage, but at last we are nearly there. We hope our bench will be ready for the summer term so watch out for the new beam of colour which will appear up near the tennis courts! Well done to all the children for giving up many break times to come and help.

Teatime Concert

It was a joy to see and hear the range of music performed by a large number of Prep School children in our well-attended tea time concert. The performances on the piano (two, four and even five hands!), violin, cello, recorder, flute, saxophone, voice, trumpet and trombone, were confident and enthusiastic. Usefully, the concert also provided some of the pupils with an opportunity to gain extra performance practice ahead of their ABRSM exams. Very well done all, a delightful concert.

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Sing for Joy Eighty children enjoyed a superb afternoon of singing workshops in early March when Years 3 and 4 were joined by children from South Farnham and Rowledge Primary Schools. We covered an enormous amount of ground, from rhythm and vocal games, warm-up songs involving complex hand and voice co-ordination, to learning songs about rain with wonderful vocal sound effects. The children worked really hard and relished learning new material which they presented to parents at the end of the afternoon. Everyone was most impressed with just how much they had learnt in such a short space of time. We all had great fun and very much enjoyed working together.

Upper Prep Wows Audience!

Our annual House Singing Competition is a much-anticipated feature in the Prep calendar. The three Houses, each dressed in their House colour, confidently presented themselves in all four categories: hymn, set song, solo and ABBA fest! Our judge, Mrs Douglas, had a difficult task as the standard was high across the board.

There were many highlights, not least the choreography in the three ABBA numbers. By a whisker, St Chantal pipped the others to the post and collected the winning cup. Well done to them - and to all of the children for giving us much to enjoy!

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Careers Show and Tell

A bound copy of an MP’s maiden speech, a boomerang, and an article about a female motorbike racer in the 1930s were some of the items brought in by guests who came to talk to pupils. The group of pupils from Year 5 through to Year 12 were the winners and runners up in our competition to find and interview people with interesting jobs. Their prize was to have tea with ten inspiring people from different industries who each had 30 seconds to explain how an object symbolised their career.

Local MP, Damian Hinds, who revealed that he had wanted to be a teacher but didn’t think he’d be good enough, brought his maiden speech and talked about his role as Secretary of State for Education. Journalism had appealed to Colin Channon, Editorial manager for Tindle News, as it caters for all interests. Fittingly, he brought in several past editions of the Herald. Past President of the Women’s Engineering Society, Dawn Bonfield, talked about aeronautical engineer and successful motorcycle racer, Tilly Shilling.

Pupils were surprised to hear that being an author is the most desired profession in the UK, but with average earnings around £10,000 a year, most also need second jobs. Local literary agent Rebecca Bagnell brought in books by her award-winning children’s author Pamela Butchart, one of the few who has turned writing into a high-income career. Sir Andrew Carter OBE, CEO of the South Farnham Educational Trust, brought in a pencil and ruler. He was inspired to become a teacher by the capacity of education to transform lives. Two boomerangs, the hunting weapon of the aborigines, symbolised Michael Stephens’ job as a headhunter. Delving into the hunting connection, Michael explained that aborigines hunt in groups using boomerangs of different sizes, materials, and with different designs. Like humans, each one is unique but plays a complementary part in the team.

Clive Hexton, Investment Director at Rathbone Bros Plc and Chairman of Governors at Alton School, asked pupils to imagine they could photograph one page of tomorrow’s newspaper and use the information to make as much money as possible for the charity of their choice. Which page would they choose? This prompted a fascinating array of responses but apparently the most lucrative option is the horseracing results. Hannah Coward, a vet at Cedar Veterinary Group, brought in a stethoscope, whilst Ian Busby, founder of the Hive health agency, produced the instructions from a medicine packet to describe how he used his background in advertising to help pharmaceutical companies communicate better. Matthew Steven, one of our parents and an engineer at CISCO, brought in a public wifi hub and talked about the power of technology to change the world.

The pupils learnt a huge amount about a wide range of careers in a short space of time - and also managed to get through a lot of cake. They were extremely grateful for the invaluable insight and advice from their guests and left feeling inspired and excited about future possibilities.

BLT at Oxford

Year 10 and 11 members of the BLT (Bilateral Thinking) Club visited St Edmund Hall, Oxford in February for a taste of Oxbridge life and study. Pupils were given a full timetable of activities, with sessions on applying to Oxbridge, a tour of the College, a question and answer session with three current undergraduates (which continued as we enjoyed lunch in the dining hall), and an academic session focussing on old manuscripts led by the College librarians.

It was an informative and eye-opening day, and the chance to inspect and even touch manuscripts that were hundreds of years old (and worth tens of thousands of pounds) was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Inspiring Senior Assemblies

Monday mornings in the Senior School start with Assembly. We like to use this time to inspire and challenge students’ thinking and often have thought-provoking speakers.

In February, Terri Freemantle spoke at the start of STEM week. Terri is a Senior Earth Observation Specialist at the Satellite Applications Catapult. Her main areas of interest lie in providing data-driven solutions to global problems, primarily the use of geospatial data to help fulfil the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

To kick off Careers Week, Michael Stephens, Head of Search at RSAcademics, reassured pupils that everyone has moments of doubting themselves, even those who appear most confident. It is important not to let this hold you back, but to take opportunities when offered.

Henry Schacter from the Holocaust Educational Trust spoke to us in March. Henry was taken in by a Christian organisation who helped Jewish children by placing them with Christian families. His parents survived Auschwitz only for his father to be shot whilst on a death march towards the end of the war. His mother died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen just three days before liberation by British troops. Pupils and staff were greatly moved by Henry’s talk and his testimony was followed by a question and answer session. Hearing first-hand about the terrible suffering inflicted by the Holocaust and war, alongside extraordinary acts of kindness, made us all appreciate just how fortunate we are, as well as the immense power of compassion to change lives.

Henry Schacter with pupils Iggy Mansfield and Elina Bergman.

Careers Week followed in March and we focused on highlighting employability skills. With a different theme for each day, we had Senior students busy budgeting, teamworking, communicating, networking, and problem solving. They were very busy recovering over the weekend.

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Sun, Colours, Dancing, COLOMBIA!

Individual Achievements

‘Last October I met my exchange partner Dani for the first time.’ says fellow exchange student Mary Hirst (Year 10), ‘We got on really well and stayed in touch afterwards. three weeks ago it was my turn to visit Colombia to stay with Dani’s family.

It was AMAZING! The Colombian culture is so different and it was incredible to experience that firsthand. I have made so many friends for life and I loved every moment of it.

The Colombian people are so welcoming and friendly. I got lots of hugs! Barranquilla is always colourful and full of life. The food is amazing. My favourite part was the CARNIVAL! We rehearsed the dances every day and when we all put on our costumes and makeup and danced in the carnival it was the best feeling ever, everyone was so happy. It was fantastic!

I would highly recommend the exchange. It is an opportunity of a lifetime to promote international friendship and understanding, which is vital for our future life and work, in an increasingly globalised world.’

Oliver!

For 5 years Alton School and Colegio Buen Consejo in Barranquilla in Colombia have been running pupil and teacher exchanges. For the first time, this exchange was truly international as Alexandra Kanzelmeyer from our partner school in Hamelin, Germany also took part. She has been studying at Alton as part of our International Student Programme since September 2018 and befriended the Colombian exchange students when they came to visit us back in the autumn term.

‘I had the best time of my life in Colombia with my exchange friends Maria Camila and Maria Isabel and Laura!’ explained Alex. ‘I hope to see them again next summer, so I have started saving money to afford the flight to Barranquilla. I really enjoyed meeting the pupils at our sister school and loved helping in the kindergarden with English lessons. It was so sweet, the children ran towards us when they saw us and hugged us and later drew pictures for us.’

My most memorable experience was visiting the walled city of Cartagena at the Caribbean coast. I had my personal tour guide in Maria Camila who had read up the history of this amazing place and translated everything for me. During the day we took a horse carriage and explored the colourful city. The whole town was decorated for the carnival season and everyone was happy.

On Sunday our friends took us to the unforgettable Flower Parade as part of the carnival celebrations in Barranquilla. They are the second biggest carnival of the world after Rio! But I preferred the sister school’s own carnival preparations and the final parade around the school premises. For weeks, we had been learning the dance routines and finally we were able to show it to all the parents and spectators. It was such fun!

It was no problem for me not to be able to speak Spanish. The Colombian girls at our sister school speak very good English and acted as my translators. We had some Spanish lessons and I learned some basic phrases which I practised in the evenings with my host family who were so impressed.

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Congratulations to: Jess Lacey Y11, who had a roaring role in the Alresford Community Theatre production of The Wizard of Oz. Lucy Steiner Y10, recently competed in the Hampshire County Swimming Championships. Lucy, representing Alton and District Swimming Club swam a personal best of 2.46.63 and was placed 9th overall.

Poppy Foster Y11, and her pony Little Novelty Aka Jester, travelled to West Wiltshire Equestrian Centre to represent Alton School in the 1.10m Hickstead Qualifier. She jumped a super round over a very testing track and came 5th.

Ella Dodgson Y11, has been selected to be part of a Team England Senior Ballet Group.

Natalie Brooks Y8, took first place in her figure competition and second place in her solo routine with Portsmouth and District Synchronised Swimming Club, giving her the top combined score in the age 11-12 category.

Elise House Y6, achieved a Distinction in her LAMDA Acting Grade 4 - her third distinction in a row!

A first night review by Sally Webb, Senior Deputy Head What a great night! Oliver was a really entertaining show with superb music, singing and dancing. This was one of the youngest casts we’ve ever had and they really measured up. Considering the Year 6 and 7 workhouse boys are only fed on gruel, they sang incredibly well. They needed a bit of a wash though.

Skye McKiver was a brilliant Fagin – what talent!

Enhanced by the excellent lighting, Bill Sikes (Eva Barker) created a really sinister atmosphere and even eyeballed the Headmaster, scaring him witless. Polly Yates, as poor Nancy, sang beautifully, and Mimi Jones was suitably waifish and mournful as Oliver. Watch your pockets everyone when Alfie Wren (the Artful Dodger) is around!

The entire cast and crew performed brilliantly – well done to all. Mr Daniel and Mrs Roberts had clearly worked extremely hard to pull off a production with such verve and energy. Mrs Douglas and her band were brilliant and Roy Marvin had done us proud with the set as ever. Good luck for the rest of the week!

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The Value of EPQ

All of our Sixth Form students are encouraged to study for an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), an additional qualification taken alongside A Levels.

It involves a largely self-directed and self-motivated research project around a topic chosen by the student. It develops research skills, time management, and a whole host of other critical analysis and organisational skills that are extremely useful at university and beyond. A top grade in an EPQ is worth the equivalent of half an A-Level (70 UCAS points) which can be invaluable when applying to universities.

Megan Kelly, Year 13, explains; Fascinated by Russia’s transformation from a nation ruled by an absolutist monarchy to the world’s first constitutionally socialist state, I decided to research Vladimir Lenin. Lenin’s rise to power was said to be synonymous with his creation of the slogan ‘Peace, Land, Bread.’ The slogan was of pivotal importance as it harnessed the main grievances of the Russian people and promised to address them. Predictably this won him mass support. I decided to focus on this slogan, considering if Lenin genuinely desired to provide the people with ‘Peace, Land, Bread’ or if it was a populist slogan which he engineered only to gain personal political power.

Through my research, I discovered an overwhelming volume of convincing and reliable evidence suggesting that Lenin’s slogan was really only used as a tool to win support. I was particularly interested in the social pattern, seen throughout time and across the globe, of the public turning to more extreme politics in a time of socio-economic distress, particularly poignant today in the era of ‘fake news’ and propaganda creating polarised, aggressive nations. The obvious message from this project is to take a sceptical view of politicians who promise a lot and deliver little!

While increasing my knowledge of Lenin and politics both in Russia a century ago and modern Western society, the EPQ has also given me some valuable skills such as how to complete complex research and to reference accurately, which will be imperative as I undertake my history degree in September and even beyond.

I would advise all students who have the opportunity to complete an EPQ to do so. It really is a unique and valuable experience which I would recommend highly.

A Fiesta of Fundraising

By Sarah Kirrane, Laura Miller and Tovi Ward

As Easter Sunday rapidly approaches, Lower Sixth have been excitedly preparing for our pilgrimage to Lourdes where we will spend a week working with HCPT, an organisation which helps and supports children and families less fortunate than our own. From safeguarding classes to face painting practice, we’ve been devoting our free time towards fundraising for and arranging the trip. The methods we have used to raise money have been varied and creative. Laura, Beth and Margaret have organised weekly cake sales in a bid to enthuse younger pupils. Jess is in the process of organising her very own music concert while Issie is challenging herself to a half marathon.

Bea ran a gin-tasting evening while Bronwyn organised a GUESS THE TEACHER competition using old baby photos of the staff. Sarah has been busy working, whilst Ethan has used his boxing and fitness expertise to run private training sessions. We are all so looking forward to the pilgrimage and hope to bring joy and memories of a lifetime to many vulnerable children. We hope to inspire and continue to fundraise for this worthwhile cause.

One of the most dramatic fundraisers was Tovi Ward’s 15,000ft sky dive. It was by far the most thrilling and exciting experiences of my life. Jumping out of the plane and free-falling was my favourite part, the adrenaline rush was amazing! I even asked the instructor to do spins whilst free falling. It has been my life-long dream to try sky diving at least once in my life, and I’m so glad I accomplished it knowing it was for such an amazing cause.

I raised £3,000 in total for my two charities. I would like to give £2,000 to HCPT for all the wonderful work they do in Lourdes. The additional £1,000 will go to the Starlight Foundation, a charity which brightens the lives of seriously ill children by granting wishes-of-a-lifetime and exciting experiences, such as a holiday to Disneyland.

My UCAS Journey

By Imogen Peterson, Y13 I am hoping to study medicine next year at university and the application process throughout this year has been long and difficult. Fortunately, I’ve had the constant support of Mr Gay and my teachers at school. My UCAS journey started with writing my personal statement at the end of Year 12, pulling together everything I’d done over the last five years which was relevant for a university application. Getting advice from teachers and doctors helped me eventually finish my final draft which was added to my UCAS form and sent off by early October.

In the meantime, I was also preparing for my UKCAT exam which is needed for entry to study medicine. I had to practise lots as it was a difficult exam and tested aptitude and judgement rather than knowledge. Once I’d done the exam and sent off my scores, it was a waiting game to hear back from universities about interviews. It wasn’t until late January that I heard I had got two interviews. Next I had to prepare for them – these were ‘multiple mini interviews’ (MMI), a structure of interview I had never encountered before. I had practice interviews at school and took a course about MMIs to help me.

The interview process was very stressful and I was really nervous but having practised lots and prepared myself with current issues and knowledge on the career path and duties of a doctor, the interviews seemed to go smoothly. After a few weeks I heard back from Keele and was delighted to receive an offer. Now that my university application is over, it’s all down to my A levels results whether I get in or not.

Imogen Peterson being supported by UCAS Coordinator Mr Gay.

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Fashion Masterclass Four very enthusiastic Year 13 girls went to London to participate in a Giles Deacon fashion illustration masterclass, a creative arts session run by Apple.

Giles Deacon is one of the fashion industry’s most fêted figures. He won British Fashion Designer of the Year in 2006 and launched his first haute couture collection in 2016. After a fascinating presentation of Giles’s own work, the students developed drawings on iPads with the support and encouragement of Giles and his team.

It was a fantastic experience to be working with such an influential figure and the girls came home feeling greatly inspired.

Sophia Mace, Alex Gyford, Sophie Dinning and Emily Crosskey with Giles Deacon.

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Cross Country Highlights

The Senior School has been really successful this season, particularly in Years 7 and 8. At the Junior District Championship, Lara Bassett, Isla Lock, Safiya Hussain, Sasha Roberts and Jemima Hodges (see pic) all qualified for the Aldershot and District team, and Isla Lock is off to Rugby School to compete in the ISA National Championships. Safiya and Isla also qualified to compete for Hampshire Schools. At Highfield, Lara won Gold and Issy Rendall and Daisy Harrap put in excellent performances. In Prep, we sent U10 and U12 girls and boys to the ISA Regional Cross Country Championships at Sherfield School, where they did very well. U12 Boys: Billy Banks finished 5th and Sam Lloyd finished 6th. U12 Girls: Hannah Lowe finished 2nd. U10 Girls: Pippa Hodges finished 2nd out of 128. Billy, Sam, Hannah and Pippa will represent London West at the National Event on 30th March at Rugby School. Many congratulations to them all and the best of luck!

U14 ISA National Plate Winners

Last weekend the U14A team made the long journey to York to contest the ISA National netball finals. Having finished as U13 Runners Up last year, they were determined to go one better this year! It was a very blustery day with gusty winds - tricky for netballers! The team did not let this deter them and approached the competition with great determination and enthusiasm. In the morning rounds they had a tough start against Alderley Edge and just got pipped but they rallied hard and won their next match. The final game of the morning saw them meet another tough team which led to Alton gaining a place in the Plate competition. By now Alton were really playing well with more confidence and sharpness. Their semi-final was against Queen Ethelburgas who were playing on their home territory, but our girls were ready and cruised to a comfortable 7-2 victory, putting us into the final with Leighton Park School. Alton were now playing with the flair, speed, consistency and good team work which we know they are capable of and ended-up with a convincing 10-4 win, crowning them National Plate winners 2019.

This team have worked exceptionally hard all season in preparation for these championships and thoroughly deserve this accolade. From defence to mid court to shooters, every single player gave it their absolute best.

Congratulations to: (L-R) Sophia Alexander, Hatty O’Neill, Ruby Mann, Alessia Pearson, Daisy Gates, Saskia Collins, Jess Rendall and Rose FitzGerald.

Billy Banks, Hannah Lowe, Pippa Hodges, Sam Lloyd.

Alton School Football Festival Grows

Nine local schools took part in our mixed 7-a-side Football Festival for Year 5 and 6 pupils in February, organised by and hosted at Alton School.

The success of last year’s festival meant an increase in team numbers and schools participating. Eighteen teams competed in four groups with a winner from each pool. The weather was kind and the players all had a fantastic time. Run in conjunction with Chelsea FC, with whom Alton School has a partnership, all schools got to take part in training sessions as well as enjoy the competition of their pool matches. The Alton teams did well with the Pirates winning Pool 4. We’re looking forward to next year’s Festival already!

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Tennis

Both Prep and Senior Schools have been competing at tennis tournaments throughout this term. In a recent Senior 4-way tournament with Amesbury School, Daneshill and St Swithuns, some great play saw us just pipped to second place behind St Swithuns. Special mentions to Issy Rendell and Cadi West who finished joint first in the top group and Isla Lock and Sienna Cowle who finished second in their group and worked incredibly hard chasing down every ball.

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Alton School, Anstey Lane, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 2NG Tel: 01420 82070 Email: enquiries@altonschool.co.uk Website: altonschool.co.uk 16