Michaelmas Term
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Headmaster Those warm September days seem an age ago now and life at school, whilst always busy, is becoming increasingly so in the build-up to Christmas. Remembrance Day this year was particularly special thanks to the involvement of our new CCF cadets. I felt so proud watching them and thinking how the values they are developing serve to honour those servicemen and women who sacrificed themselves in the two World Wars. Our inaugural Fireworks Night was a triumph and I would like to thank our wonderful PTFA for the many fundraising events they organise so well and to all our parents for supporting them. Another first this year was our Senior production. A panto with a Western theme, it was full of gags and the audience loved it! A lot of time and hard work went into it so well done
to the author and director Mr Daniels and to all of those involved. I am writing this after the first night of Carols by Candlelight and am full of praise for all our uplifting choristers and musicians who gave such a beautiful performance, thanks in no small part to the excellent teaching and guidance from Mr Robinson and Mr Hall. I must also thank our dedicated sixth formers who are helping by greeting guests and serving drinks. Their own show, in the form of a Comedy Revue earlier this term, was also a great success. The Prep production this year, Christmas is Forever! involved a lot of Santas with a spy trying to rescue the real one. Thank goodness he was saved as I hear he is making an appearance at our Christmas Fayre this weekend. Thank you Miss DolbyBrown and Miss Woods-Davison for keeping him alive! We are much
looking forward to the younger children’s Nativity play next week. We’ve had lots of good sports results this term. Well done everyone and good luck to all these competing in national competitions next term. Have a joyful and peaceful Christmas.
Remembrance Service
The sun shone for our moving Remembrance Service to honour ‘the service and sacrifice, friendship and collaboration of the men and women of Britain, the Commonwealth and Allied nations who fought together in 1944’. - British Legion
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‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God’ - Micah 6:8
Lorna’s Corner Enjoy the pupils’ favourite dish... Smoky Chorizo, Pesto pasta recipe
Lorna, our fantastic Catering Manager, is trying hard to reduce the School’s food wastage. Food waste is catastrophic for the environment; if global food waste was a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the USA. It is also morally wrong when 800 million people go to bed hungry every night. Lorna came along to assembly to explain the scale of the problem at Alton and what we can do about it. This September (which was only 15 schooldays as term didn’t start until the tenth), we wasted 225 kilos of food, the weight of a small horse. Sadly, we are not allowed to give our leftovers to the Foodbank as the dishes have been out for longer than permitted for donations. Lorna’s main message was for everyone to think more about what they are putting on their plates. You can always ask for bigger (or smaller!) portions as long as it is going to be eaten. If you are still hungry you are welcome to go back and ask for more or help yourself to items on the salad and buffet bars. We don’t want anyone to be hungry! STOP PRESS: October’s food waste figures are just in and we have managed a massive 60% reduction! Well done everyone – keep up the good work! You can see our lunch menus on the website or parent portal. Over 90% of the dishes are prepared from fresh ingredients and Lorna and her team work hard to encourage healthy eating.
It seems that several pupils have been asking for pasta at home “just like they make it at school”! After some parents asked Lorna for the recipe, we thought you all might like it. More popular school dishes in the next edition!
Ingredients
350-400g pasta (spirals or macaroni) cooked for 2 mins less than packet says. 1 litre milk 1 -2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 clove chopped garlic 100-150g chorizo 6-8 slices smoked streaky bacon 4-5 tablespoons cornflour, mixed with water Half a jar Green pesto 300g grated mature cheddar (plus 50g for putting on top) Salt and pepper to taste Feeds 6 people
Method
1. Bring milk to boil, take off heat and whisk in the cornflour a little at a time. Only add enough to make it the consistency of runny custard,putting it back on the heat to thicken in between each addition. 2. Add Dijon mustard to taste, salt and pepper and grated cheese 3.Fry chopped chorizo & smoked bacon until juices start to run and brown. Remove from heat then add chopped garlic and stir through. 4. Add this to cheese sauce and stir through 5. Pour over pasta mix and add seasoning. Sprinkle remaining cheese.Spoon over dollops of pesto. For crunchy topping you can sprinkle breadcrumbs or cubes of bread on top. 6. Place in oven at 180-200 until bubbling and browned - about 20 mins For vegetarian version use Linda McCartney chorizo sausages and smoked paprika You can also add a small tub of cream cheese for a creamier version.
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Who is new The Staff Miss Woods-Davison - Year 4 Class Teacher
“I arrived at Alton School in September to a very warm welcome from both staff and pupils. On meeting Year 4, I knew from the very first day that this was a special class of children. They genuinely are a pleasure to teach and to be with. I have loved being immersed in the many aspects of school life, and I am looking forward to the year ahead with such wonderful children.”
Mr M Hall - Senior Music Department
“My first term at Alton School has been an absolute whirlwind. The Year 8s ‘Rapping in Rondo Form’ skills truly amazed me and I am convinced we have the next Stormzy on our hands! Our Carols by Candlelight and Christmas Fayre are coming around quickly so we are rehearsing extra hard at present. The enthusiasm in composition club is an absolute delight and I am looking forward to see what 2020 will bring; maybe the next Mahler is amongst us.”
Madame M-H Smith - Senior Languages Department
“Your first day in a new school as a new teacher is always one to remember. That sense of excitement and nervous apprehension always gets your heart racing when you make your way to your classroom to meet your new students. In my opinion, this first encounter is always the beginning of a journey that promises to be both tough and exciting, one that hopefully will leave its very special mark on both the teacher and their students. My first term at Alton School has certainly been a journey to remember, made special by the kindness and helpfulness of our students. There is no doubt that they know how to make people feel welcome! So, as our Christmas preparations get under way and my first term draws to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all, students, parents and colleagues for your kind words and warm welcome to Alton School.”
Mr T Andrews - PE Department
“I previously worked at LVS Ascot for 9 years before coming to Alton School and have enjoyed my first term here. Two of my favourite sports to teach are gymnastics and trampolining, especially somersaults and flips! My favourite quote is from Michael Jordan “I have failed over and over again in my life, that’s why I SUCCEED” and hope to pass this on to all the pupils I teach.”
Mrs V Sanderson & Mrs K Riley - Art Department
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The Autumn term in the Art and Design has been an exciting one. We have welcomed two new members of staff - Katie Riley and Victoria Sanderson - already familiar faces in the school, and lovely to have them on board. Already they are making a huge contribution to the department. Miss Inglis
this year? The Pupils Why Reception love School “We love fishy Friday” “We love playing with our friends”
Form 7A’s funniest moment
In the gym on the treadmill, a student falls off the back. After being asked what happed she said “I don’t know, for some reason I decided to stop running!”
Form 7B Registration Anticipation
“...morning registration is always a funny start to the day. Mr D is completely unpredictable and we never know what to expect except that it will make us laugh!”
“Rated 5 stars by 7C!”
Meet the student officers
(from left to right): Sarah Kirrane Vice President Bronwyn Woods Ambassador Laura Miller Ambassador Ethan Savage Vice President Beatrice Desmond School President
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Meet the PTFA team...
Our amazing PTFA
The PTFA at Alton School is second to none. The hard work and commitment that goes into running all the events and supporting the School with the funds raised is simply amazing. This is the first year the PTFA have split their funds between ALL departments, helping everyone across the School. They have supplied an outdoor learning fire pit and accessories for the Prep School; big construction equipment for the Nursrey playground; ‘Alton School’ embroidered horse blankets for the Equestrian Club; wooden music stands, stand lights and a piano stool for the
Music Department and so much more. Thank you! We are delighted to present this year’s team (from left to right): Frances Thompson - Commitee Mrs Pim Grimes - Head of Prep Emma Gaynor - Commitee Emma Goodhill-Carter - Second-hand uniform Jashu Gorsia - Commitee Sally Hunter - Commitee Vicky Lowe - Chair Nickie Bolton - Treasurer
We raised £838 at our Macmillan Coffee Morning! Thank you for your support.
Alton School Apple Juice! It was Anna MacInnes who approached me to suggest that we may want to consider using the fallen apples up in the orchard to make apple juice and in turn raise money for the PTFA. She knew of a farm that would take in quantities of apples and turn them into bottled juice at no upfront cost but would instead retain a proportion of the apples for themselves as payment. I pitched the idea to
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the School and the Sisters gave us permission as we were only taking the unused fallen apples. Mrs Whicher allowed us to take Year 6 volunteers to help collect the apples, who between them managed to collect nearly 1/4 tonne which equated to 36 litres of apple juice! The juice will be available to buy in the Refectory at the Christmas Fayre!
We are looking forward to the PTFA
Firework Night!
Christmas Fayre We are currently in the midst of the preparations but you will be reading this after the big day so I hope all the hard work was worth it! Together with the Site Staff we are producing ‘Santa’s Grotto’ where children can make biscuits with Mother Christmas in her kitchen and meet Santa Claus. We have over 14 traders booked for the Christmas Shopping Hall and the Class Reps and House Captains are working on their Year groups’ stalls in the Welsford Hall. The Refectory will be showcasing some of our finest musical talent whilst offering tea and cake and a lunchtime BBQ. Raffle tickets, Christmas treats and our Alton School apple juice will also be on sale. It should be a great day for all! Vicky Lowe - Chair
Quiz night on Friday 7 February!
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A Week in the Life of t
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the Music Department
This pictorial view provides a tiny taste of the great variety of activities that take place in the Music Department each week. A Year 2 recorder or A Level lesson might be followed by Year 8 class music, Year 3 learning different instruments, or Year 11 composing. Lunchtimes are among our busiest periods with a range of co-curricular groups (usually at least two each day across the Prep and Senior Schools), including orchestras and choirs, string group, two bands... Oh, and let’s not forget our after-school composing club! This is just a flavour of our enormously active and thriving musical life in Alton.
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Alton School on the Stage
Christmas is Forever!
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Christmas is Forever! The Prep School production was a hit, the children all looked fantastic in their costumes and deserved a standing ovation for their outstanding performances. I wonder who will get an Olivier in the future...? Thank goodness Blonde and her team were there to help Santa in his hour of need, and Scarymonger learned the value of kindness. Luckily, Ernie and the elves were on-hand to hold the story together in such an entertaining way. Thank you to the Year 6 boys, who executed a brilliant ‘Secret Agents’ dance. Congratulations also to the Year 6 girls, who created a stunning advent dance.
Many thanks to the parents who bought and made costumes and shared any props – it made all the difference. We really can’t do these things without your support.
Wishing you all a very jolly Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Carols by Candlelight
Prep and Senior musicians performed absolutely beautifully in the carol services. Well done all. What a magical end of term!
Dastardly Deeds and the Double ‘D’ Ranch “It’s full of comedy and the audience get sweets”
Yeeehaw! Congratulations to all the cast and crew for our fun Panto/Western mix featuring heroines, cowboys, dance-offs, bar fights and even fast-flying treats for good catchers in the audience! Written by our very own Mr Daniel, this year’s Senior School production Dastardly Deeds and the Double ‘D’ Ranch was Alton School’s first pantomime. Skye McKiver, Year 9, played Zippers, the narrator. She loved the family aspect of everyone working together on the play and becoming friends. She hoped the audience agreed that it was “good fun and great for all the family
with jokes for children and adults”. Stage manager, Rhianna Woods (Year 11) had the challenging task of getting all the queues correct for the whole crew, which she executed with precision on the night. She loved all the audience participation and enjoyed the songs, especially Man, I feel like a woman. Also helping behind the scenes was Sarah Kirrane (Year 13) who was in charge of sound, something she had never done before but fortunately she soon found her way around the sound system and microphones. Sarah said, “The thing I liked most about the play was its energy. It’s different from past productions and brings out the talents of the cast that we haven’t had a chance to show in past performances”.
Red Kites & Pre-Prep Nativity Unfortunately we have gone to press before the Pre-Prep Nativity but we did manage to snap a few sneak preview photographs during rehearsals. It’s shaping up to be the magical nativity that we have learnt to expect at Alton.
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Alton School Sport Department
All to play for at the Stonar Equestrian Competition
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Four pupils competed in the National Schools Equestrian Association Eventing Championships in September at Stonar School, Wiltshire. They had previously qualified in May along with a number of other schools from around the country. Ella Winn on Mr Soots, Daisy Harrap on Smartie, Alice Lanyon on Millienium Mist and Imogen Thompson Bland on Prince Rekko arrived bright and early. After registering and tacking up, they began to warm up for the first of the three phases, the Dressage. All four had to perform a memorised Dressage test in front of judges to demonstrate control, collection and balance. They all put in solid performances. In the Show Jumping, Ella went first and achieved a clear round. But Mr Soots had a good look at a couple of the jumps so Daisy went in prepared to ride a little stronger than she might have otherwise. Smartie was going well, until she misread a green double, and completed on a
good score of just four penalties. Alice then rode a super clear, to be followed by Immy on Rekko, who had a very unlucky pole down for four penalties. It was all to play for heading to the Cross Country, with lots of teams scoring similar marks. The course was up to height and extremely twisty, making the optimum time hard to achieve. We were hoping this would play in our favour with some experienced combinations on our team. All four girls rode beautifully and achieved clear rounds within the time. They looked very professional and used their stop watches to good effect to avoid gaining time penalties. The team achieved third place in the National 80cm Championship, with Ella achieving third place individually. Well done! A huge thank you to all of the parents and pupils who made this possible. We are looking forward to lots of further success this year.
Hampshire Hockey Festival The U12 hockey team had an excellent tournament at the Hampshire Festival in Southampton. They fought very hard through their pool matches, won their pool and got through to the semi-finals. In a very tough semi, they lost 1: 0 in the last seconds of the game. The girls had a wonderful day of hockey and smiled all the way home.
Regional Winners The U13 netball team won the ISA Regional competition, beating many teams along the way for the trophy. They will be going onto the nationals next term to play for the national title.
Swimming Triumph Alton School saw an abundance of success at the ISA regional swimming competition this term with more medals than we could carry! Lottie and Rebecca (Year 7) came home with a bronze medals for 50m Butterfly and Backstroke respectively. The silver medal in the 50m Freestyle went to Isla (Year 8). Lucy (Year 11) took away silver for 100m Freestyle and brought home the gold in the 50m Butterfly with an amazing time of 33.58 seconds.
Scholarship to the States! Issy Barfoot, our star tennis player in Sixth Form, is due to sit her SATs on 7 December in order to gain entry to her university of choice in America! She has gained offers from a few universities including St. Leo in Florida and University of Charleston in South Carolina, but hopes to get into the University of Montevallo in Alabama on a full tennis scholarship. Preparation for these important exams have been a priority for her this term. Good luck Issy!
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The boys gave a fantastic team performance at the Inter-School Competition on a very wet and challenging course - they were still smiling at the end!
U12 Girls
Lead by Lottie Quinn, the team all gave remarkable performances in the InterSchool Competition. In very difficult conditions the girls all completed the course in true style, giving their very best.
U13 Boys
Even though they had a very tough race, they all gave their best performance at the Inter-School Competition. With over a hundred runners, all the boys completed the course and did themselves proud.
U13 Girls
The girls completed the course really well with some fabulous performances from start to finish.
U14 Girls
The girls excelled at this year’s InterSchool Championships with the team coming second overall and receiving silver medals. Jemima Hodges finished in tenth place and Lara Bassett came twelfth. They have both qualified for the District Team and they will race in Southampton in January 2020.
U13 Girls Hockey Team
Alton School Sport Department
U12 Boys
PGS Tournament Winners
Cross-Country Teams
The girls had a wonderful tournament at Bedales. They won all their pool matches and got through to the final. They played their socks off all afternoon and came away with a well-deserved silver medal. Well done!
Silver Medal for U14s
Outstanding playing from the Year 5 football team. Well done boys! The U15 hockey squad had a fun time playing in the super 7s hockey festival, where the emphasis was on enjoyment and playing hockey in a different format.
The U14 hockey team have had a brilliant season so far. In the ISA National Competition they came fourth, just out of the medals. However, in the Hampshire Trophy Cup they won all their pool matches, scoring in every game. They went on to win the semi-finals and came up against extremely hard opponents in the final, eventually coming away as very proud silver medal winners.
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This term we focus on Botanical Art, with visits to Wisley RHS and Kew Gardens for our GCSE students. This theme runs through the whole of the Senior School and work is blossoming! Our A level students are producing exciting and innovative imagery in Graphics, Textiles, Art and Photography. We have high hopes for our Year 13s applying for HE and FE courses in Art subjects. Young artists have visited to inspire and inform our students, sharing their experiences of study and industry and presenting their Illustration, Textiles and Weaving work. Scarlett Charles, one of our A* (A Level) students last year, won the regional rounds of the ISA Drawing competition against stiff competition. You can see some of her work on display in our Senior School Foyer. ​We are hoping for lots of entries for the South Downs Photography Competition, The SPoKE History of Art Documentary Competition, and the Bentley Car Design Competition from our young artists and designers. There is lots to keep everyone busy and involved! Please see Miss Inglis for details.
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Alton Nursery
Hand Painted Canvases
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Our new adventure playground is a big hit with the children, especially the pirate ship. We are using it for lots of fun and learning activities. Thank you Roy!
Tapestry Tapestry, our new home/school communication system, is proving to be a great success. It’s a brilliant and visual way of giving parents daily updates on what the children are busy doing and learning at nursery and for us to see their progress at home too. We’ve delighted with all the positive feedback.
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Alton Nursery
Red Kites are loving the cosy area we’ve created with new bookshelves and books. The children are really enjoying reading in this lovely space.
Letters & Sounds In Preschool we have introduced Phase 1 of our letters and sounds programme. This fun but effective programme flows seamlessly into phonics learning in Reception and on up through the Prep School. The children love hearing and learning about different sounds and letters when they are out exploring in the woods. They run around with drumsticks beating on different objects to see what sounds they make. What fun!
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New Water Tray
Robins children having fun with their huge new water tray!
brrr...it’s cold! The Chicks have made themselves into Eskimos and built an ingloo to keep themselves warm!
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From Mrs Grimes
Ch
Prep School
Today is frosty and cold, it seems only a few days ago that we were returning to school after the summer when the weather was still warm and the evenings were light! The Autumn Term is always the busiest, it is the longest term and the children work extremely hard. They are involved in sports matches, tournaments and lessons, music activities and events including choirs and orchestras, and of course the Christmas productions and Carol Service. There are trips and activities taking place and an Open Morning and the Christmas Fayre! I am extremely proud of the children, each one is giving their best in every area of school life. Alongside all these activities, they are making excellent academic progress. Each week we celebrate the children’s achievements in our Merit Assembly. A child from each class is awarded the merit badge which they then wear with pride for a week. Our system of catching the children being good, rewarding good behaviour and kindness, and positive reinforcement definitely works. Look at all the tokens for good behaviour below! I would like to say thank you to each and every child, well done all of you!
Parents’ Maths Workshop Parents were given the opportunity to come into School to see how maths is taught and how they can help their children. They were encouraged to get involved in the lesson and problem solving! “The morning was a real success and the tasks generated a lot of mathematical discussion” Year 5
“This was an interactive lesson enjoyed by all.” Year 2
“Parents and children were challenged and enjoyed the workshop.” Year 6
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“The parents were all fully involved in the session, playing alongside their children and helping them to solve the problems” Reception
“It was a busy lesson, with lots of great mathematical thinking and connection making going on, and the parents got involved too!” Year 4
ildren in Need Imogen & Megan’s Column We raised £706.48!
Primary Maths Challenge In October, students from primary and prep schools from across Surrey and Hampshire competed in the second Alton School Annual Primary Maths Challenge. This involved a series of different style mathematical questions completed over three rounds using a range of skills including problem solving, logical thinking, and most importantly of all, team work. It was taxing but great fun and after the final, action-packed relay round, Sheborne House were declared the winners. The Alton team, below, did very well and really enjoyed it.
“In Year 3 we have been enjoying cooking lessons this term. We have learnt lots of different skills such as mixing, kneading, cutting, chopping and peeling. Every week we have a different cooking partner and this is good because we experience new ways of working and build on different friendships. We like to read the recipes and follow the instructions carefully. We often get to choose what special ingredients we would like to add to our recipes. Sometimes we get really messy but that is half the fun! We particularly enjoyed making the sconebased pizzas which were very yummy but our favourite were the sausage rolls which were absolutely delicious! We would like to say a special thank you to Mrs Lawrence and Mr Scowcroft for their patience and help in these lessons.” Imogen & Megan Gardiner Year 3
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Interhouse Swimming
Prep School
Final points: 1st - St. Paul (240 points) 2nd - St. Chantal (225 points) 3rd - St. Augustine (204 points)
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Congratulations St.
Year 1 moving pictures Year 1 have started learning Design and Technology skills this term. The children read some of their favourite traditional stories such as The Gingerbread Man and Little Red Riding Hood on ebooks. Then they set about discovering how to make pictures from the stories move. So far they have made sliders, levers and wheels that all allow parts of the picture to move. They have had lots of fun and have been developing more precise cutting action as well as learning to adapt their ideas as they go along.
Goblin Cars
Gala
Jeans for Genes Day Prep pupils were allowed to come to school in jeans to raise money for children with genetic conditions in the UK. Well done to all, we raised ÂŁ157.50 with some pupils wearing denim from top to toe!
Paul!
Congratulations to both teams for completing the build of their Goblin racing cars! The children have learnt a lot about mechanics, electrics and engineering. The next task is to decorate the electric cars with the team names and graphics before moving on to racing them!
War Evacuation The children in Year 6 have been studying the affect the Second World War had on the everyday lives of the people of Britain. The story of the evacuation of over one million children from all over the country really caught their imagination, especially as many of the children were so young. Our children wrote some lovely letters as if they were newly arrived evacuees writing to their parents. Many of the letters were very thoughtful and showed a great deal of empathy with their peers from all those years ago.
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All about Year 3
Gruesome Ancient Egypt
Prep School
Year Five thoroughly enjoyed learning about Ancient Egypt - particularly the gruesome details about mummification. Did you know? The brain was pulled out through the nose! The children learned about Howard Carter and his incredible discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. We pretended we were journalists and wrote our own newspaper reports all about the discovery. The children also used hieroglyphics to write their names. The Egyptian alphabet contains over seven hundred hieroglyphs! See if you can work out this message from Year Five...
Christmas Riding
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IBM’s Smarter Schools The Science Department took two groups of Year 8 students to the national final of IBM’s Smarter Schools competition earlier this term. The brief was to design a piece of technology which would make the School more environmentally friendly. Our teams were congratulated on their ideas, a ‘smart bin’ to aid recycling, and an intelligent lighting system which would reduce the School’s energy use and therefore its carbon footprint.
Electronics In Electronics we have looked at building basic circuits and also creating robotic devices using start-up kits. Year 8 have really enjoyed this course and have been busy creating various gadgets, working really well and independently. George and William (below) worked on a Arduino car start-up kit and programmed it to perform various fuctions such as using light sensors to navigate the car around obstacles.
Making...
Senior School
Finished!
Whose Shoes?
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Year 7 have a cracking time at Calshot!
After having settled into school life for just two weeks, the Year 7s headed off to Calshot Activity Centre for a weekend of funfilled activities. This team bonding weekend helped the children interact and make friends with different people. It started with a fabulous scavenger hunt on the beach where there were some brilliant finds including a shell with a fossil inside and some great objects with holes in them. A very excited bunch then settled down to sleep, eventually, before starting the activities on Saturday.
Senior School
“A weekend of fun-filled activities”
The whole group took part in skiing, archery, climbing, and sailing or kayaking, as well as the infamous cycling in the velodrome. For many this is the highlight of the trip as it is the steepest banked velodrome in the UK! Those in boats had the most fabulous afternoon of weather with a good wind allowing them to experience some proper sailing! That evening everyone was kept happily occupied by orienteering and donutting. Sunday’s weather unfortunately meant the water sports could not take place so there was a chance to have a second go in the velodrome, or try some different activities. The children had a go at Aerotrek, Snowboarding, Velodrome, and Shooting. It was brilliant end to the most fabulous weekend and I’m sure many will want to go back!
Black History Month
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The month of October celebrates annual Black History Month and the History Department offered students the chance to research and showcase a person whose story they felt should be heard. The quality of presentations this year was excellent and featured a wide variety of people; rap singers, rugby players, computer scientists and astronauts to name just a few. All entrants received a congratulations certificate and credits for their House. Phoebe Gates (Stormzy) and Safiya Husain (Wilma Rudolph) were awarded Highly Commended. Muna Nduka-Richard (Philip Emeagwalie) received Runner-Up. Reuben Lucas was pronounced Winner for his fantastic piece on Eliud Kipchoge.
Year 8 Chateau de Sauveterre Accompanied by Mr Bingham, thirteen Year 8 pupils set off for the Chateau de Sauveterre in October to experince six weeks of immersion in French life, language and culture. Two weeks later, Mrs Schofield had the pleasure of visiting the group to see how they were getting on in their beautiful boarding school near Toulouse. She found they were enjoying a varied curriculum, eating hearty French food, taking responsibility for chores, enjoying lots of sport, and growing in confidence and independence.
Whilst there, Mrs Schofield observed an art lesson in a picturesque classroom with views of the Pyrenees, a gardening lesson in the lovely grounds, and various subject lessons all delivered in French by the fantastic staff. The pastoral care was incredible and the children were all having a wonderful time. They will be back in Alton for the final week before Christmas no doubt telling us all about their amazing experience. There will be an information evening about next year’s trip in the summer term.
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“ With languages,
you are at home everywhere”
Senior School
- Edmund De Waal
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International Language Day On International Language day, we had two speakers come into assembly and talk about their experience and use of languages in their lives and careers. The first speaker was Sarah Thompson, a Languages Consultant, who told us about how she uses her knowledge of languages every day to translate, read and write. The second guest was Matt West, from a company working worldwide called De La Rue. He told us about his use of language as he travels around the world for work, communicating with people in a wide range of countries. Also for international language day, a competition was held to write three of the Olympic values in as many languages as you could that would be spoken at the Olympic games in Tokyo 2020. I found it very interesting to compare languages and see the similarities between different countries. It was also interesting to try writing in languages such as Chinese, Thai and Arabic when the alphabet itself is so different to the English which we use every day! Amelia Bailey Year 10
Year 7 2020 Taster Day As part of their Taster Day for life in Year 7 next year, small groups of Year 6 pupils took part in various lessons and activities at the end of October which included a French lesson. Upon arrival, each child was given the outline of a puppet with some simple instructions in French. Oh là là! Before long, all the children had worked out that they were expected to make their own puppet following the French instructions and then colour it in. They all managed this and the final results were amazing! Using their own imagination while listening to our famous OuiOui (Noddy) song Year 6 in the background, each child created their own unique puppet, resulting in a cascade of colourful puppets. Très joli! All the Taster Day sessions were not only great fun for all (me included!), but also superb examples of fantastic team effort. Bravo à tous!
“The puppets were goofy and creative”
Madame Smith Senior French Teacher
Adventure to Slapton Year 11 Geography GCSE students ventured to Slapton for a four day residential with the Field Studies Council. The girls spent the first day exploring the beach and looking at the formation of Slapton Sands before the heavens opened and the rain poured down. On Friday they learnt some background information in the classroom before heading out into Slapton and then East Allington to develop an understanding of Rural Deprivation. On Saturday we completed the stunning walk from Start Point along the Southwest Coastal Path. Students stopped at each settlement along the way to complete fieldwork looking at coastal management and processes. We finished the weekend with a quick stop in Dartmouth for a spot of paddleboarding before heading home. The girls were a real credit to the School and the Fieldstudies staff were very impressed and grateful to have such lovely students.
Senior School
Introducing CCF to Alton School
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The Alton School CCF may still be in its infancy but the cadets are working hard and taking the many new experiences in their stride. As a unit, they progressed from needing drill instructions explained to them at the start of the year to playing a central role in the School’s annual Remembrance Day service. They have spent parade nights learning about the structure of the Army, military history, map and compass skills, as well as practising the field craft skills of camouflage and concealment. On the final weekend of term they will take part in Exercise Winter Warrior, two days spent on an Army training camp putting their new skills into practice. The contingent has members from Years 8, 9 and 10 and provides a fantastic opportunity for the cadets to develop friendships outside their normal peer groups. Any student interested in becoming a part of the CCF should speak to 2Lt Knight, 2Lt Bingham, or 2Lt Swabey.
Year 9 French Exchange
Sixteen Year 9 and 10 pupils took part in the very first Alton School French exchange with Lycée Sainte Marie Bastide in Bordeaux in October. We were met with a warm reception at the airport where our French partners greeted us with a ‘Bienvenue’ banner. The next day was spent in school where the girls were shown around, attended classes, and then went on a tour of Bordeaux where ‘le mirroir d’eau’ (the water mirror) was a particular highlight. Excursions by train to the seaside resort of Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat (the largest sand dune in Europe) and then the picturesque medieval village of St Emilion, surrounded by vineyards, followed. More importantly, our pupils spent quality time immersed in French culture and language and made some new friends. We are all eagerly awaiting the return of the French party in the middle of March.
Enterprise Day Year 11 and 12 students took part in Alton School’s biennial Enterprise Day in October. Students were asked to wear formal business clothes and were grouped into teams. Their task for the day was to work as an events business and put in a tender to run a celebration dinner. Teams had to create their own business name, brand, and logo and establish roles and responsibilities. They met with their client to establish requirements and budget and then had plan the whole event, including menu, drinks, entertainment and decorations, and of course all costings. After lunch, our students had to present to a panel of judges - our Enterprise Dragons and make their pitch. The quality of presentations and work was noted by our judges with the winning team being Papillion Catering. Project managed by Igraine Mansfield, the team were noted for their professional pitch and their ability to be creative and to hit the brief. Many congratulations to Igraine, Anna, Lydia, Rose and Issy.
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Year 7 Supper
Senior School
Fish Conservation
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Lorna, our Catering Manager, and some of her staff, stayed on after school for 2 nights to teach a group of Year 7 pupils how to prepare, cook, present, and serve a three course meal for their parents. They also learnt how to lay and clear the table and polish all the glasses and cutlery. The children were responsible for looking after their guests, hanging up coats, pouring drinks, and seating everyone. They even laid on some impromptu entertainment by singing! What an incredible feast they produced and a wonderful evening was had by all!
The Senior School were very fortunate to have a visit from Dr Matthew Gollock from the Zoological Society of London. He gave a fascinating and thoughtprovoking assembly on his work to conserve fish, both marine and freshwater species. He spoke about the problems of water pollution and made suggestions about what we can all to do to help reduce it.
Menu Roasted pepper & butternut squash soup with homemade bread rolls Sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken breast with apple & rosemary sauce, boxty potatoes and a medley of fresh vegetables Lemon posset with elderflower shortbread As well as creating and tasting all of this delicious food, the children even managed to make themselves pizzas to eat while they prepared their parents’ supper party. Thank you Lorna!
Success at
“We can’t draw” they said. Teamwork at IBM
At the end of November, the Upper Sixth visited computer software company IBM in Hursley.
Youth Speaks Alton School’s senior public speaking team travelled to the University of Creative Arts in Farnham to participate in the Rotary Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition in November. Rotary International have been running this competition for forty years but this year there was a change of format. Teams were asked to present two sides of a balanced debate and then answer a question posed by one of the Rotarians. Our team consisted of Elinor Bergman (Year 11, Chairperson), Jessica Stephenson (Year 13, Proposer) and Isabelle Goodyear (Year 12, Opposer) and the title of their debate was Only learning traditional European languages at school is limiting. As all three team members have a wealth of experience in language learning, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Mandarin, this was an excellent choice of topic. The team was happy to go first in the draw and then watch the other teams from Ash Manor, Salesians and Weydon present their own debates. Having worked tirelessly for an entire term, our team reaped the rewards as Jessica Stephenson was chosen as the evening’s overall Best Speaker. Well done Jessica and the whole team!
The exercises were mentally challenging but provided invaluable experience of what it will be like for us to apply for these sort of jobs in the future. After the activities, we were given helpful feedback which will enable us to improve for future interviews.
Sixth Form
After one afternoon, we found that the Sixth Form COULD in fact draw very well.
After an introductory presentation about international business machines (IBM) we took part in teamwork activities which gave an insight into the assessment process for companies, such as IBM. This included a twenty minute problem solving task where we were split into teams and graded on our leadership skills, the way we worked with other people, and how we communicated our ideas.
The afternoon finished with a tour of the offices and take-home gifts of coffee cups and stationary! This was a really useful learning experience for the Upper Sixth gained but also very enjoyable afternoon. Bethany Groom Upper Sixth
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Sixth Form Takeover!
Sixth Form Introduction
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Year 13 is a very important year as we make our applications to universities or apprenticeships. Despite the challenging nature of these applications, the excitement of hearing back from universities or being given offers, is beyond worth it. The sixth form community enhances this as we share the news and receive great support, no matter the outcome. At the beginning of this school year, there were quite a few changes to our sixth form. We have a new Head, Dr Gould, who has introduced a sixth form council. This is split into five teams, which all members of the sixth form contribute to, rotating around each team led by our school officers. All of the teams are focused on improving and benefiting the sixth form, whether it is recruitment or housekeeping. A recently introduced idea from the housekeeping team is the wooden spoon. Everyday the wooden spoon is on a study room door, and whoever’s room it is, is in charge of doing the dishwasher, which is then passed on to the next room each day. At the beginning of this term we also had multiple interior design sessions in which we were given creative freedom to decide how we wanted to decorate our sixth form building. We have up-cycled mirrors and put up the artwork of our fellow students. Our common room now has a wide array of board games and a new seating arrangement, as we wanted the lowers and uppers to all sit together and mingle. As a sixth form we have also decided to focus on a
few specific charities to support. We have choosen causes we care about, both locally and abroad, and hope that by focusing on just these few charities we will be able to make a more significant difference. First, we have chosen Step by Step, a charity for young people who have fallen into homelessness. It provides them with the opportunity to start afresh, giving accommodation and support, whilst trying to empower them to identify and fulfil their aspirations. We also support the Meera Foundation, our own School charity, which supports deprived children in India. There’s a sixth form trip to India where we can see the great help that our fundraising efforts provide. Third is HCPT, the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust, which the lower sixth help by travelling to Lourdes for a week in the Easter holidays to look after handicapped children who require a lot of support. This allows their parents and carers a much needed break and provides a fun and safe holiday for the children. Bea Desmond School President
Sleep out for the homeless
“On Friday 13th September 2019 our Sixth Form chose to sleep outside for the night to raise money for Step by Step, a local charity which supports young homeless people by giving them shelter and hot meals. Mr Pope, a representative from the charity, had come to School to explain how they first started and what they do. After hearing him speak we planned a sponsored sleepout to raise money for them. The evening was an enjoyable one as we all had food and played hide and seek in the dark. However, when
we settled down to sleep on the decking in a sleeping bag, it became increasingly hard as it was uncomfortable and cold. Altogether, we raised around £450 and in November we got to take the money to Step by Step in Aldershot. We remain involved and are visiting to see where our money goes and how it will change the lives of young people.” Isabel Gibson, Lower Sixth
The Revue The Sixth Form and Salesian College held their annual revue in November filled with music, drama and dance in order to raise money for the upcoming Lourdes pilgrimage. The money we raised from the evening will be given to family groups to help them fund their trip to Lourdes, which, for many children who go, is a life changing opportunity. The evening consisted of a variety of performances from both schools, including comedy sketches performed by Salesian, ballroom and Latin dances by Jess Lacey and her partner George, and a comedy ‘Carpool Karaoke’ by the Lower Sixth featuring Mr Sanderson. The raffle prizes included a large hamper for first prize, and three other vouchers for runners up. This resulted in a free personal training session being won by Father Pat! For the parents, teachers and students who came to watch, a traditional Ploughmans was served, which we made ourselves. We would like to thank everybody who was involved in performing, organising, and helping behind the scenes, as well as all those who came to watch. In total we raised £581.84. Bronwyn Woods Upper Sixth
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Outstanding Success We are always so proud of our pupils’ success in and outside of school. Congratulations to all those mentioned below on your outstanding talents in so many disciplines! Please keep telling us about your achievements so we can share and celebrate them!
Molly Fairhead (Year 7) Double Gold World Champion in Karate
Lucy Steiner (Year 11) National Bronze Medal in 50 Fly & Silver Medal in Medley Relay
Jemima Hodges & Lara Bassett (Year 9) Selected for the Hampshire U15 Girls Hockey Team
Mylee Hedges (Year 6) 3x World Champion at the World Marshall Arts Games
Scarlett Charles KS5 ISA Regional Winner for Drawing
Alumni Have you considered an apprenticeship?
Here’s some advice and information from Aimee Mullins (class of 2019) who was the only person selected by Microsoft for their degree apprenticeship from thousands of applicants. Amazing Aimee! What processes did you go through How did you feel about the in those applications? application process? The first was a written The application process was application, which very straightforward. I included my CV and wasn’t aware of how why I would want to many people had work there. I then applied but I believe waited around a it was thousands so week until I was very competitive. sent a link to the The only doubt I video interview, had was lack of selfthe second stage of confidence, which was the application process. improved by the constant In interview I was asked support of family, friends, a series of ten questions, some and most importantly my business personal to me and some about teacher, Mr Watts. When did you begin to think about the business and why I wanted to apprenticeships? work there. I had two minutes to Are there any words of advice I started to think about answer each question. It was then you would give future degree apprenticeships when everyone else a two week wait until I heard that I apprenticeship applicants? was filling out their UCAS forms. was through to the final stage, the Don’t be disheartened if you don’t When everyone was thinking about assessment centre. When I arrived get through one of the stages, it university I thought about trying my at Microsoft for assessment, there is more likely that you aren’t the luck with other routes instead. were seven other candidates. We right person for the role than any were the final eight from the entire fault within you. If you reach the Where did you look for information application process. Our first task assessment centre or a final stage on apprenticeships? was a group activity where we asked similar to mine, don’t get thrown On the gov.UK website and each other interview style off by other candidates, think about notgoingtouni. I also questions. The second task yourself. Don’t be overconfident visited websites of the was to be asked one in front of the assessors, they will companies that I question from the be looking for a team player not was interested in. assessor which we someone who knows all the answers There was a large had limited time to and doesn’t give anyone else a amount of detail answer, mine was chance. Finally, show your interest, and information about something both before the application process available. I was passionate and during it. I visited Microsoft on about. The final part two occasions before applying and What does a degree was another interview. then during the assessment centre apprenticeship consist It lasted thirty minutes I asked many questions in order to of? and consisted of knowledge show my interest. I would say that The one that I will be doing consists questions and task orientated being keen is the main piece of of a full-time job with salary and one questions, for example, you have two advice I could give. When I turned day a week to complete a Chartered important tasks but not enough time up for the assessment they all Manager degree. The course is four to complete them, how would you already knew me which gave me an and a half years. I will be moving deal with this situation? I then waited advantage. around many different roles in three days until I got a phone call to the business and will take part in inform me that I had got the role! different projects and activities.
“I asked many questions in order to show my interest.”
“I got a phone call to inform me that I had got the role!”
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