AUTUMN 2017
NEWS FROM CHIGWELL
CHIGWELL SCHOOL
CELEBRATING SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHIGWELL SCHOOL COMMUNITY
In this Issue 02 Results Days
16 Young Musician of the Year
20 Activities Week
and much more... FIND A WAY OR MAKE A WAY
ACADEMIA
A Level Results Chigwell Sixth Formers and their teachers celebrated excellent A level results.
to a range of highly selective universities: some 10% to Oxbridge and three quarters to Russell Group universities. The School will follow these leavers with interest as they scale new and even greater heights.
Over 83% of results were at B grade or above with over 50% at either A or A* grade. A quarter of students achieved at least three A grades and the most common grade achieved of all the exams sat was a grade A. Some students also opted to take the Extended Project Qualification in addition to their three or four A levels, and of these 60% achieved an A or A* grade. These have enabled Chigwell students to move on
Leavers selected a whole variety of competitive courses with a pleasing number heading off to be medics or vets, to study law or alternatively the humanities, science, mathematics, economics or English, to name but a few. Two students secured interesting degree level apprenticeships with very highly regarded employers in quantity surveying and business and IT.
Headmaster, Mr Michael Punt commented, “We are delighted that the students and teachers have worked together so successfully to achieve these results. Top quality A level results enable students to move on to the destination of their choice and it was great to see so many students so pleased with the outcome. There is a danger that we simply focus
on statistics and it is important to remember that these Sixth Form leavers have made a significant contribution to the Chigwell School community and we value all their individual achievements. They deserve every success and happiness in the next stage of their lives beyond school and we hope they will stay in touch with us here.� n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
ACADEMIA
GCSE Results There was much to celebrate following the publication of Chigwell students’ GCSE results as well.
Over a quarter of students achieved seven A* grades or more, with four students from the year group of eighty six achieving ten A* grades or better. Indeed the most common grade awarded to Chigwell students at GCSE was an A* with 37% of results
Mr Michael Punt, Headmaster, commented, “Results day was a very happy occasion for the vast majority of students receiving their GCSE results, for the teachers who
had worked so closely with them and students’ parents who were, like us, justifiably proud. Our aim is always that students achieve the best results that they can and equipped with these, many will now be looking forward to the next stage of their education.” n
Parents, Old Chigwellians and friends spent an evening in New Hall meeting pupils and parents to discuss a variety of potential careers, why they might appeal to Chigwell pupils as well as the skills, qualifications and interests that might enable them
to be successful. Representatives were very complimentary about the purposeful questions that pupils asked, and pupils were very appreciative that so many members of the community had given up their time to share their expertise and experience. n
achieved being at this top grade. 68% of grades were A or A* and 89% were at least a B grade.
Annual Careers Convention Representatives from a wide range of employment areas met with pupils in Year 11 and above at the school annual careers convention.
02 | 03
ACADEMIA
Speech Day 2017 Once again, Speech Day was a celebration of the last twelve months at Chigwell. On Friday, the preacher at the Pre Prep and Year 3 and 4 Service was Reverend Christopher Davies (Governor and Rector of St John’s Church, Loughton). This packed event was followed by a garden party at the Pre Prep. On Saturday morning, there were two services for the remainder of the Junior School and the Senior School at which Reverend Canon Dr Christopher Collingwood preached. Chris is the Canon Chancellor of York Minster
and was Chaplain of Chigwell School until 2009. On Saturday afternoon, the prize-giving itself took place. The Guest of Honour was Mrs Johanna Southern O.C. and we celebrated 20 years since Chigwell began full coeducation. Art and design and technology exhibitions were open, and various music groups performed during the tea which followed the awarding of prizes. The celebratory day culminated with the Summer Ball in the evening. This was well-attended by nearly 400 parents, staff, Old Chigwellians and Year 13 leavers. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
ACADEMIA
Two Decades of Two Genders
2017 marked the 20-year anniversary of Chigwell becoming fully co-educational. As far back as the 1970s, girls, usually in small numbers, have been able to join boys in
the Sixth Form, but in 1997 girls were admitted to the Junior and Senior Schools as well. This marked the beginning of co-education; Chigwell was no longer a boys’ school with some girls, it was a school for both boys and girls.
For lessons and many extracurricular activities (e.g. arts, clubs, and outdoor education) girls and boys have always been together, although most sport has been separate. Chigwell now has almost exactly the same number of boys and girls and it
would seem odd if the School were anything other than fully co-educational. At Speech Day, as well as the first female Head of School, Jo Southern (nĂŠe Woods), who was guest of honour and who now runs her own marketing consultancy in California, four other ladies who were heads of school in their time, came back to Chigwell. These were Rachel Lund, graduate of Oxford university and Head of Insight and Analytics at the British Retail Consortium; Sophie Halls graduate of Oxford university and trainee lawyer; Katie Marshall student of medicine at Oxford university; and Faith Inch student of English at Cambridge University. We continue to value the contribution that all Chigwell pupils make and we aim to ensure that their time at school prepares them for their lives beyond.
Leavers We are proud of all the students of the year group of 2017 and all that they have achieved during their time at Chigwell. We wish them well for their future journeys and hope they will stay in touch. n
Leavers 2016 04 | 05
ACADEMIA
Howard & Mitchell Essay Presentation Evening Over one hundred Chigwell pupils, staff and parents attended the annual presentation of the winning essays in the Howard and Mitchell Essay competition. This competition is open to Year 12 students who each independently initiate, research and write an essay for either the
Howard (arts and humanities) or Mitchell (maths and sciences) contest. This year’s winners were (Mitchell) Zuzanna Borawska, on ‘From Gutenberg to printing organs – the amazing story of 3D printing’, and (Howard) Olivia MendelPortnoy, on ‘To what extent was the improvement of treatment of patients in Bethlem Royal Hospital from 1815-90, due to the
York Retreat?’ Both talks were expertly prepared and confidently delivered, and the subsequent wealth of perceptive questions allowed the presenters to reveal how much they knew beyond what
they had said in their talks. The presentations were followed by a dinner, which ended with some wise and witty words of advice from the 2006 Howard winner, and now TV screenwriter, Laura Neal. n
UK Linguistics Olympiad Chigwell has been taking part in the UK Linguistics Olympiad since it began in 2010. The competition has grown considerably over the years and now over 300 schools are involved throughout the country and pupils can enter at four levels from Breakthrough to Advanced. At all levels the principles are the same: pupils are presented with a series of puzzles in a range of exotic languages that few of them are likely to know already. They work individually or in teams as they please to solve these puzzles. In 2017 the competition was held over two afternoons
and pupils had to wrestle with problems set in Inuit, Tshiluba, Basque, Maori, Choctaw
and Kaytetye amongst other languages. The pupils always enjoy using their powers of
reasoning and knowledge of how languages work to solve the problems they are set. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
ACADEMIA
BBC School Report Chigwell’s school reporters helped celebrate the 11th anniversary of BBC School Report. More than a thousand schools and 30,000 pupils took part this year. Chigwell reporters looked at a vast array of topics including drones, cyber security and proposed salary caps. Mrs Eleanor Laing MP visited School to meet with our BBC School Reporters and students of
A level Government and Politics. Questions from sixth formers, Macy Desborough, Isabelle Kearin and Rohan Sharad, included whether the voting age in England should be lowered to sixteen, as for the Scottish Referendum. The Year 7 BBC School reporters included Molly Moloney, Evie Tresadern and Olivia Nicholas who asked Mrs Laing what she thought about a proposed salary cap on earnings to narrow the gap between the highest and lowest paid workers. n
Top Biology Awards for Chigwell Students Chigwell students achieved excellent results in the Biology Olympiad competition, which is run by the Society of Biology. Over 7,500 Sixth Form students took part from schools all over the UK, including our team of 21. The results this time built on the high standards achieved in the past and included three gold medals. Mr Paul Eardley, Head of Biology, commented
that he was delighted with the results and wanted to pass on congratulations to all who took part. Well done to Emma Cadman, Julia Kotowska and Zhiyu Zheng who came in the top 6% of candidates and were awarded gold medals; Lauren Keiller, Rahul Aggarwal, Iva Mohora, Yifei Zheng and Zuzanna Borawska gained silver medals because they were placed in the top 10%; Michael Scott came in the top 15% and achieved a bronze medal. n
Biology Challenge The Biology Challenge is an online quiz run by the Society of Biology for pupils in Years 9 and 10. Over 30,000 pupils took part in the competition this year including a team of 6 from Chigwell, who continued the tradition of success the school has enjoyed over the last few years. There were some very
commendable performances, particularly from Aine Nikookam, Rebecca Morgan and Anwar Haaris who all achieved Silver Medal standard. Madeleine McCormack and Alice Chapman achieved Bronze Medals and Julian Shanthiratnam’s performance was highly commended. Congratulations to all who took part and well done for maintaining the School’s high status in the competition. n 06 | 07
ACADEMIA
Festival of the Spoken Word This year’s festival was high on quality and started with an excellent presentation put together and delivered by Henry Bird, ‘Demise of the Orator’. Henry went on to win the Performer of the Evening. Helena Ravensdale and Tomasz Cienkowski recited, first in Polish, then in translation, Nobel laureate, Wislawa Szyborska’s Nothing Twice. It is always exciting to hear presentations by the boarders; this was no exception.
A series of monologues followed; all of a very high standard. The adjudicator, Mrs Juliet Boughton, had a real challenge here though she felt that Zoe Wright’s Adriana monologue from The Comedy of Errors was outstanding. It was deciding between the others, including Christine Lee’s powerful rendition of one of Blanche’s speeches from A Streetcar Named Desire, that was more difficult. Commended was Gabriel Kelly’s very moving monologue from Hamlet.
Jack Beadle’s ‘Acting’ was most impressive in the Original Writing section. However, if the monologues were difficult to separate, More Than One was even more challenging with a series of very well-rehearsed pieces with only one mark between the top contenders. ‘Pocket-
sized Feminism’ with Imogen Halcrow, Toro Orimoloye and Suli Scatchard won narrowly over second equal placed ‘Fatal Beatings’ with Jack Beadle and Henry Bird in fine comic form, and a very powerful scene from Frankenstein with Angus Brown and Ziyaad Chaudhary. n
Festival of the Foreign Word Six senior foreign linguists took part in the ‘Festival of the Foreign Word’. The competition requires students to give a public reading in a language they study, along with a brief English commentary, and the winner receives the Dales Reading Prize on Speech Day. This year, Maddie Prior (Spanish), Sai Hindocha (Spanish), Lewis Wait (French),
Rhea Patel (German), Daniel Trickov (German) and Rada Daleva (German) all gave readings of a very high standard. However, it was Lewis who was awarded the prize for his reading of two fables by Jean de la Fontaine. Governor, Mrs Isobel Peck, a French and German graduate herself, led the judging, assisted by MFL teachers Mr Paul Fletcher and Mr Simon Coppell. n
Pathway to Harvard – Droga Na Harvard Two Chigwell boarding students, Aleksandra Lopuszko and Tomasz Cienkowski, participated in the ‘Pathway to Harvard’ Contest organised by Harvard Club of Poland in cooperation with Bain & Company and BNP Paribas Bank. This selective competition is targeted at students who study at either high school or at university and want to pursue their educational career at Harvard College or any of
the Harvard Graduate Schools. The prestigious nature of the contest prompted more than a thousand students to submit an application and from this group the Harvard Club of Poland selected thirty finalists. They were then invited for individual interviews with graduates of the Harvard Business School and Harvard College. From this group, thirteen laureates were chosen and Aleksandra was honored as a finalist, while Tomasz was one of the chosen laureates and received his prize during the Harvard Club Gala at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Congratulations go to both students for achieving so much in such a competitive event. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
ACADEMIA
Oxford Schools Debating Finals at the Oxford Union For the second time in two years a Chigwell debating team made it to the Finals Day at the Oxford Union. In a highly competitive and fiercely fought East London round Marija Marinovic and Daniel Trickov were selected for the national finals day. The day turned out to be both stimulating and, at times, frustrating. In their four debates they showed great teamwork and
delivered their speeches with real style. Competitors are given the topic a mere 15 minutes before the debate starts and each pair have a specific role within the parliamentary style format, whether opening or closing government or opposition. English teacher, Mr Roderick Lonsdale commented that although they did not make the final cut of four teams, they found the day very worthwhile and soaked in the atmosphere of the ancient university. n
Rotary Youth Speaks National Finals Success
Teams representing regions across the United Kingdom participated at both the Intermediate and Senior levels at this year’s Rotary Youth Speaks National Finals held in Shropshire. In a closely fought competition, in which the Chigwell School team was the youngest team in the senior
section, they managed a very creditable third. Christopher Collins, whose speech was on the role of the monarchy in the 21st century, was adjudged best speaker. The other team members were Matilda Scarbrough, the chairperson and Ziyad Chaudhary, the vote of thanks. Chigwell English teacher, Mr Roderick Lonsdale, commented: “It was a great team effort.” This young team has a bright future ahead of them. n
a long history of using students’ love of football to help improve their reading and writing skills. The quality of entries to the competition has been extremely high, demonstrating the power
of football to inspire students’ writing. We’re delighted that students from Chigwell School are able to see their hard work given star billing at the match!” n
On the Road to Wembley Chigwell School was on the road to Wembley after winning a national writing competition. Year 7 pupil, Ben Punt, won 40 tickets for pupils to watch Manchester City take on Birmingham City at the SSE Women’s FA Cup final. Ben won the national Writing Challenges competition, run by the Football Association and the National Literacy Trust who together created three writing challenges for pupils from Years 7 and 8 based around the SSE Women’s FA Cup. The winning entry from Ben was entered in the ‘Winning Words’ category where the task was to write a pre-match team talk to motivate the teams taking
part in the SSE Women’s FA Cup tournament. The winning work was displayed around Wembley Stadium during the final. Ms Charlotte Nairac, Head of Key Stage 3 English at Chigwell School, said: “We’re delighted that Ben’s work has been chosen by the FA and National Literacy Trust as a winner of the FA Writing Challenges competition. Pupils at Chigwell are keen sportsmen and women as well as creative writers, and this writing challenge allowed both passions to be showcased, hence our keenness to take part.” Tim Judge, Senior Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We have
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ART & DESIGN
Art & Design and Design & Technology Exhibition The 2017 Senior and Junior Art & Design and Design & Technology Speech Day Exhibition was a great triumph. The opening evening was attended by pupils, staff and friends of the school in the Arts and Technology Centre. The exhibition featured a truly amazing array of art, design and DT work and it offered the wider school community a wonderful opportunity to see
the exciting range of practical work that senior and junior school pupils completed during the academic year. The amount of care, dedication and skill
present in the work on display was very impressive indeed. Mr Edwin Aitken, Head of Art and Design, commented that the exhibition also highlighted
the important contribution that creative subjects and activities make to the life of the school and the development of the pupils. n
Exhibiting Young Talent for 21 Years The Chigwell School Open Junior Art, Design and Technology Exhibition has been an annual event since 1997. It is an ‘open’ exhibition in every sense; primary schools are invited to submit up to eight pieces of 2D or 3D work without restrictions on size or medium. The exhibition is
professionally presented in the Chigwell School gallery. Mrs Claire Tilbrook, Head of Junior School Art, commented, “This year we mounted and displayed 260 pieces of work from artists aged between three and eleven years old. We have had a wonderful selection of art on display from twenty six schools, ranging from beautiful still life studies, William Morris inspired silk ties, to a wonderful egg box face collage.” n
The Charity Postcard Show The art and design department presented an exhibition of works from the first Chigwell School Charity Postcard Competition. The exhibition was organised by the Gallery Manager, Molly Wragg. All of the money raised from donations and sales was used to buy equipment, teaching aids, books, crafts and games to aid the Year 9 pupils’ voluntary work with underprivileged children in a school in rural Ghana.
Molly commented: “We have been incredibly impressed by the high standard of work
entered into the show. The attention to detail and creativity is clear to see throughout the
exhibition. A huge thank you goes to everyone who took the time to enter and donate.” n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
ART & DESIGN
Year 8 Pupils Achieve Success in the #I Can Engineer Competition Eight Year 8 pupils were shortlisted for the annual #I Can Engineer competition. The brief was to design a creative crossing over the River Thames and this generated many innovative ideas. However, it was the concept of a Japanese Garden Bridge with an integrated water filtration system and the idea of an Illuminated Hopscotch Bridge that caught the judges attention. As a result the two shortlisted teams were invited to an Awards Day at the Institute of Civil Engineers
in Westminster, where the Illuminated Hopscotch Bridge team were awarded overall third prize. This was a huge achievement as the competition was open to all schools in the London area. On the day, all of those pupils involved had the opportunity to marvel at the world-record-breaking longest Lego structure housed at the Institute. In addition, they had a tour of the Institute and the chance to learn about engineering history, including the achievements of groundbreaking engineers such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel. n
Chigwell Host Aboriginal Art Teachers’ Workshop Art teachers from Essex and Hertfordshire came to Chigwell for a day of Aboriginal Art. The artist and designer, Emma Collins came to show a group of primary teachers some clever and effective ways to make wonderful Aboriginal patterns. All used wooden ends of paint brushes, dowel and nail brushes to dip into acrylic paint and decorate large
wooden boxes with Australian animals used in Aboriginal art such as, turtles, lizards, snakes and frogs. Mrs Claire Tilbrook, Head of Junior Art, Design and Technology, commented that the results were amazing and vibrant. Whilst one teacher announced that it was quite the best workshop ever. The aim of the day was to bring primary school teachers together to share expertise and ideas that can be taken back into the classroom for the benefit of pupils. n
More Art at Chigwell...
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CHARITY
Pre Prep Charity Events
Special things are always happening at the Pre Prep! For our pupils, finding a pony in the playground one morning was an unexpected and delightful moment. Tansy the pony came on a visit with Deborah Hall from Chigwell Riding Trust as part of the Pre Prep’s ongoing charity work. Deborah chatted to pupils about breeds, looking after horses, their habits and the cost of keeping them. She explained how the Trust enables less fortunate children to ride and how much pleasure they take from it. Pupils showed real interest in all these facts especially as each class has adopted its own Chigwell Riding Trust horse which they generously support through donations in their class money box! For parents the sight of all pupils and staff enthusiastically performing a dance designed to celebrate the Rio Olympics was an exciting and entertaining occasion and one which they fully supported in great numbers. On the two mornings that the dance was performed, parents also supported the Pre Prep’s Charity Coffee Mornings and gave generously to Cancer Research UK and the Chigwell Riding Trust. In terms of Charity work, Mrs Evelyn Gibbs, Head of
the Pre Prep, commented on how the personal and social development of children is very important and how fundraising work seeks to support this by developing a sense of responsibility and empathy towards those less fortunate and in need. The school has special ties with Chigwell Riding Trust and Cancer Research UK and Chigwell families always support fundraising events and give generously. In the Summer term alone Pre Prep pupils and their families raised over £600. n
Dance Showcase The 2017 Dance Showcase saw over eighty pupils perform a total of twenty-four acts with a variety of dancing styles in the Chigwell School Drama Centre. Pupils performing ranged from age 5 to 16 and performed
styles from ballet, tap, modern, jazz, Indian and contemporary. The groups all choreographed their routines themselves and delighted the audience with their array of talents.A group from the Pre Prep opened the show with a spectacular Indian dance. This was then followed by a range of dances from pupils in the Junior School.
A total of £534.00 was raised from ticket sales and this was split between two charities;
Smiles with Grace and Chigwell Riding Trust. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
CHARITY
Chigwell Challenge Our Year 7 pupils volunteered at local charities as part of the ‘Chigwell Challenge’. Chigwell pupils are encouraged to consider ways in which they can help their local community. They are required to give up a little of their time to try and make a difference. One group visited the Chigwell Riding Trust, a horse riding charity set up for riders with special needs. The physical and emotional benefits this centre offers the riders makes this
a unique and important charity. Our group split into two teams; one cleared out and tidied the main gallery and the other swept down and tidied the edges of the riding path.
Another group visited ELHAP which is an adventure playground specially designed
for people with disabilities. Our pupils tidied and cleared the outdoor play areas. n
A different group visited Woodland Grove, a local care home, to spend time with some of the residents. This brought together the younger and older generation and both benefited from the experience. Chigwell pupils played games and enjoyed tea with the residents, brightening their day and hopefully making them feel more connected to their community.
Support for Safer Places: Chigwell pupils fund pantomime trip for deserving children During their annual charities’ week, Chigwell pupils raised money to pay for a trip to the pantomime for over 40 families supported by Safer Places.
Team Chigwell Fundraising: Running for a good cause
A team of Chigwell parents, staff and Old Chigwellians came together to run in the Vitality London 10,000. The team had a wonderful day running in the capital passing some of our most iconic landmarks. All the hard work and fun raised an amazing £4000 for Cancer Research UK and plenty of awareness for them too. In addition, we have more than one hundred runners signed up for the team’s next outing at the Royal Parks Half Marathon where last year they raised an amazing £92,000. n
This local organisation works with men, women and children who find themselves in need of a safe place to live because they have suffered as the result of domestic abuse. Kimberly Bull and Emily Long spoke in assembly to pupils in Year 9 and above about the work of the charity as well as explaining more about the various faces of domestic abuse. English teacher Ms Charlotte Nairac, who organised the visit, commented that “Our fundraising has definitely made a difference to some of the most vulnerable families in the local area – well done Chigwellians!” n
12 | 13
DRAMA
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a magical play, and this production by Year 7 and 8 pupils was full of magic.
with Imaan Ahmed (Hermia), Harry Welch (Lysander), Shabad Kaur (Helena) and William Smallshaw (Demetrius). They worked particularly effectively as a team with lots of physical theatre and excellent delivery.
From the very start, clever cutting and casting made the lengthy opening impressively dramatic. Jude Bristow, as Theseus, gave a thoroughly professional performance, showing understanding of the lines that conveyed both authority and conviction. He was well supported by Savannah Mor’s Hippolyta and Madaleine Noake’s querulous Egea. The four lovers were well matched in height and character portrayal
An Ideal Husband The annual English play took to the boards with aplomb at the end of Lent half term. Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, which is an A level English Literature text, was produced faithfully in line with Victorian codes of costume, and decorum. English Literature student Angus Brown co-directed and acted one of the leading roles alongside other sixth form students who could not resist the call of Wilde’s satirical comedy. A fabulous and enriching experience for all involved. n
Kiran Patel as Titania was suitably elegant and regal while Calum Bristow (Oberon) showed unflinching authority; their costumes were superb. Titania’s train of fairies were suitably graceful and the four Pucks spoke their lines with appropriate wit and mischievousness. Moreover the sharing of these lines between Jack Murray, Josh and Nathan Mercer, and Daniel Porter, worked exceptionally well, helping weave a spell around the play in more ways than one. The doubling of Bottom (Daniel Stewart and Dylan James-Pajwani) was most successful, each of them giving
something a little different to the part. They were supported by some excellent ensemble acting from the rest of the Mechanicals: Mia Perry (Quince), Sebastian Armstrong (Flute), Lewis Bond (Starveling), Luke Mottram (Snout) and Alfie Travers (Snug). The frenzied, wordless performance of Pyramus and Thisbe was one of the highlights of the evening. The magical atmosphere of this superb production was enhanced too by the many dancers, the simple but effective setting and the atmospheric lighting. All involved are to be congratulated on one of the most satisfying and entertaining drama productions Chigwell School has seen for some time. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
DRAMA
Snow White Seventy Junior School children performed Snow White in the Drama Centre. For many months, they had been working hard on their characterisation and acting skills and the result was a highly polished and confident performance. In addition to the main characters, pupils played important roles as forest animals, dukes and duchesses, and the backstage crew who made a
vital contribution by setting the scene. On both nights, the cast performed to a packed Drama Centre and congratulations must go to all the pupils involved for pulling off an outstanding production. Thanks also go to Mr Lewis and Max Kenmir-Sherry, who created magical scenes through the lighting and sound, Mr Maingot and Miss Aprokopiou for providing flamboyant and wonderful costumes, to Miss Foster for helping out with back stage and Miss Jamie Kershberg, director. n
Scholar’s Play The Sixth Form Drama Scholar’s play this year was a double-bill consisting of two farces. First was When I Click My Fingers by Adam Bruce. Moyo Awolesi provided suitable panache as the ‘dodgy’ hypnotist with her vulnerable subjects Simon and Maria (Rohan Sharad and Shanaiya Pithiya) who switched effortlessly from ‘normal’ to ‘weird’ at the prompt of a key word. Their strange behaviour was baffling to the pushy American businessman and his vacant wife (Erin Chakartash and Mina Yusuf ) but perhaps not
quite so baffling to their feisty, slightly surly daughter played by Janet Sowole. Minor parts were played by Pena Iiyambo and Nik Litovchenko. The acting was a high quality all through while teamwork and able direction made this a highly enjoyable first half. Mary Mary, also by Adam Bruce, followed the interval. All three female characters were called ‘Mary’ which led to the expected misunderstandings and general confusion. In the middle of this mayhem, Oliver Slatford tried to keep order with his crazy mother believing she was a medium (Pena Iiyambo), the girl his mother invited over as a potential wife (India Aujila)
and the tipsy girl he invited back from the pub (Kate Hawes). The pace of this play and the professionalism of the cast were exemplary. The audience was in stitches and the ovation at the end was a just reward.
Both plays were expertly directed by student Maddie Lovett, supported by Olivia Drabwell and Amie Baker (make-up) with Mr Andy Lewis providing the all-important lighting. n
GCSE Scripted Performances The GCSE pupils performed three scripted pieces. The presented pieces covered a range of serious issues including eating disorders, as well as a fast-paced, comedy spoof of Hitchcock’s famous film, The 39 Steps. Director of Drama, Mr Joe Maingot, wrote a comic and yet moving account of the disaster at Balham station
during the Blitz of WWII. This production, called 14th October, was notable not only for the outstanding acting but also the wide range of technical expertise on show. Pupils demonstrated skill in lighting, sound, costume, make-up, set design, props, stage management and puppetry. Indeed, this last option was a particularly entertaining feature of the show. Well done to all concerned. n 14 | 15
MUSIC
Chigwell School Young Musician of the Year Competition The annual Young Musician of the Year competition is one of the highlights of the musical calendar and this year thirty-eight musicians the opportunity to take the stage, each offering a mini recital with the hope of being selected for the evening Grand Final. This year’s adjudicator, Mrs Sarah MacDonald, Fellow and Director of Music of
Selwyn College Cambridge, offered significant advice and constructive criticism to all with specific challenges for the finalists in particular. All performers rose to that challenge, the finalists in the junior class being Avantika Bharadwaj, Alexandra Scott, Melody Dawson, Arthur Easy and Rayn Ismail-Ahluwalia, and from the senior class Rowan Jones, Oliver Jackson, Anika Jayanth, Lucas AbramiGill, Alice Melvin, Aaran Vijayakumaran and Kate Hawes. The winner of the Junior Category was Avantika
Bharadwaj with the Highly Commended in that class being awarded to Alexandra Scott. In the Senior Category the Highly Commended was awarded to
Oliver Jackson with the overall winner being Rowan Jones for her performance of the First Movement of Brahms’ Sonata in F minor. n
There were performances from a wide range of ensembles, from the Chapel Choir with strings and continuo to the Bassoon Trio, Trombone Quartet, String Quintets and Cello Ensemble comprising ten cellists.
Group and the Trumpeteers, many of whom were giving their first public performances.
Chamber Concert The concert gave the whole school the chance to exhibit music-making in chamber music style. It involved pupils, aged seven upwards, who joined together in smaller units and who performed predominantly without a
conductor. The music ranged from sections of Bach’s B Minor Mass, St Matthew Passion and Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Palestrina’s Madrigal, Franz Liszt’s Ave Verum Corpus, music from Mendelssohn’s Elijah as well as from Corelli’s The Christmas Concerto through to the lighter music of Can You Feel the Love Tonight, A Thousand Years and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
A delight of the evening was seeing some of the youngest musicians and their groups, particularly the Junior Flute
Musical Theatre Showcase The Music Theatre Group gave their biggest performance of the year in the Drama Centre. Year 6 and 7 pupils (with the addition of Pena Iiyambo and Kate Hawes from Year 12) performed a wide variety of songs from popular shows. They opened with the atmospheric
Circle of Life from The Lion King, in harmony whilst wearing animal masks and performing in front of a picturesque backdrop of Africa. This was followed by Pena singing What it means to be a Friend which led well into two fast-paced singing and dancing excerpts from Matilda. Kate sang the very glamorous and stratospheric Glitter and be Gay aria from Candide.
A complete change of pace ensued with a moving performance of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables using soloists and ballet choreography which was choreographed by the pupils themselves. The showcase was brought to a rousing close with the groups’ rendition of Consider Yourself from Oliver. Congratulations to all involved. n
The school hall was full and the audience provided a wonderfully supportive atmosphere. Congratulations to all the pupils, staff and coaches involved in producing such an inspirational evening of music. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
MUSIC
Choral Concert at Christ Church, Spitalfields The annual Spring Choral Concert, in the fabulous venue of Christ Church Spitalfields, provided a musical blend of great colour and vibrancy, providing something for all to enjoy.
The choir gave a unique opportunity for the whole Chigwell School community to come together including parents, staff, pupils and Old Chigwellians. The evening started with Karl Jenkins’ Te Deum, the flowing choral lines doubled with enthusiastic rhythmic punctuations from the trumpets and percussion. The 2016 Chigwell School Musician
of the Year winner, Aaran Vijayakumaran, then presented Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor Op. 26, the highlight being the tenderness and passion of the middle movement. Mendelssohn’s double quartet For He Shall Give His Angels started the second half, with beautiful dovetailing of phrases and melodies. The finale
Senior School Summer Concert
to the evening was Bernstein’s wonderful setting of the Chichester Psalms. The performance was brought to life with the singing in Hebrew using the melodic and rhythmic contours of the language with the added timbre of strings, brass and woodwind and the modern sonorities and harmonies of Bernstein’s imagination. n
The final musical event of the year provided an evening for the senior school groups to shine. The Programme opened with the powerful and majestic Great Gate of Kiev by the First Orchestra. The Wind Band presented the driving ‘Doyen’ (with hints of Mama Mia) and the Flute Group entertained with the delightfully fresh Grieg’s Holberg’s Suite. Big Band offered a selection of jazz hits including the cool and catchy flow of Oye Como Va contrasted with the harmonious ballad of Over the Rainbow. The Year 13 Leavers completed the evening with their own moving finale. The Director of Music, Mr Howard Ebden, commented that he wished them all the best, wherever their paths lie and thanked them for all they have given to the School over the past seven to eleven years. n 16 | 17
MUSIC
Junior School Summer Concert
The Junior School Summer Concert was, without doubt, another highlight of the school year. The Music Theatre Group started the programme with numbers from the West End including The Lion King and Oliver. The Ukulele Orchestra gave its inaugural performance of Count on Me and Viva La Vida. Then came the String Quartet which performed
the jazzy Take it From Here followed by the Stringles who performed, with great clarity and technique, the finale from The Water Music and ended with Meet the Flintstones. The Contemporary Choir sang with great confidence and enthusiasm One Call Away and Counting Stars. The Strawberry Quintet performed Strawberry Flip with an ease of communication and the Cello Group performed the highly rhythmical Libertango.
The Flute Group contrasted Embraceable You and Tango Barooquita while the Junior Jazz Band grooved to Hit the Road Jack and All About That Bass and the Girls’ and Boys’ Choirs performed I’m Going Up a Yonder, This Little Light of Mine, A Drop of Nelson’s Blood, I’ve Got Something to Say and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. Finally, the large Junior Orchestra magnificently performed Dambusters’ March,
Elgar’s Nimrod and Michael Jackson’s Black and White. Added to all of this, there were solo performances on piano, flute, voice and recorder by Edwin To, Alexandra Scott, Ben Copsey, Nusayba Ahmed, Florence Allen, Karolina-Sabah Kuhl and Avantika Bharadwaj. It all amounted to a superb evening of music making in terms of both quality and quantity and congratulations go to all involved. n
Young Voices: Chigwell at the O2 most incredible sounds using only their voices. Equally dynamic were the street dance specialists ‘Urban Strides’, known for their motivational and innovative moves.
Pupils from Years 5 and 6 travelled to the 02 Arena to take part in the ‘Young Voices’ concert. Music was rehearsed over three months, culminating in an evening performance by an enormous massed-voice choir of almost 7,500 children in front of family and friends. After a three-hour rehearsal led by the conductor, David Lawrence, with the Young Voices
band, the children were more than prepared and full of excited anticipation as the sell-out concert began with a striking light show. This year the choir were joined by some fantastic singers and dancers throughout the show including Natalie Williams, the soul/jazz artist and X Factor’s guitar-slinging performer Tabby O’Callaghan who raised the roof with his rock medley. The ‘Beatbox Collective’ both enthralled and mesmerised in their ability to create the
There were many wonderful songs and medleys in the show, including Over the Hills, Five Guys Named Moe, Birdhouse in Your Soul, Stronger, Sing!, and the Pop Medley. A particular favourite was Maliswe, a traditional South
African song performed with a percussion ensemble. The finale was a rousing version of Ain’t No Mountain, and the whole cast and crew of Young Voices took to the stage for the last chance to sing and dance together with the children. Despite a very long day, it certainly was a most exciting, unique and memorable musical experience for the Chigwell pupils and their families. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
OUT & ABOUT
Duke of Edinburgh Awards This Award Scheme continues to go from strength to strength at Chigwell. Many pupils completed awards this year and they should be congratulated on the effort and time they put into finishing their Bronze, Silver or Gold award. Final expeditions took place in Chelmsford for the Bronze groups. On the first day these groups carried out route planning and completed a 15 km hike unaccompanied. When they returned to Skreens Park they pitched their tents and cooked an evening meal. On the second day they cooked breakfast and completed a further 15 km hike. When the hike had been successfully completed the groups presented a team project to the expedition assessors. The Silver canoeing groups paddled on the River Thames from Lechlade to Abingdon in
Gloucestershire. The groups paddled a total of 70 km over three days camping at various locks along the way. They had to contend with extremely hot weather and the expedition assessor was very impressed with the groups paddling ability and morale. The Silver hiking groups undertook their expeditions on the South Downs Way. They completed a total of 65 km over three days, with two nights camping. The expedition assessor was extremely impressed by the groups’ mature attitude, map reading skills and camp craft and commented that they were a credit to the school. Meanwhile the Gold group completed their expedition in the Kintail region of Scotland. Over four days the group hiked through this very remote area. They carried all their food and camping equipment which made for heavy rucksacks. The terrain tested both their navigation skills and physical endurance. n
Spanish Trip Twenty Year 10 pupils travelled to Barcelona on a trip designed to improve both Spanish language and appreciation Spanish culture. They visited the Camp Nou football stadium and enjoyed an outing to a traditional tapas
restaurant. This was followed by a visit to the famous Port Aventura Universal Studios theme park as well as the magnificent Sagrada Familia, Casa BatllĂł and La Pedrera. The pupils enjoyed a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter and an afternoon on the beach brought the visit to this fascinating region of Catalonia to an end. n 18 | 19
OUT & ABOUT
Activities Week Pupils from across the School took part in a variety of activities and trips during Activities Week. At this time we aim to give experiences that extend beyond the standard curriculum. For example, pupils built dens, visited Whipsnade Zoo, travelled to the Isle of Wight and hiked in the Lake District. In addition, pupils volunteered at local care homes and there were numerous other activities as well. n
Den making
Isle of Wight
Stubbers
Whipsnade Zoo
Pond dipping
Colchester Zoo
The Lake District
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
OUT & ABOUT
India Trip A group of twenty-two pupils, staff, parents, grandparents and friends travelled to Tamil Nadu for Chigwell School’s annual visit to Saccidananda Ashram and the Tim Pruss Memorial School, named after a former pupil who died in December 2005 just months after leaving Chigwell.
Apart from Deputy Head David Gower and School Chaplain Revd. Simon Paul, none of the group had visited India before. While they were there everyone was able to participate with the community living at the ashram, a Catholic monastery, by helping to prepare the meals and by joining in some of the services. They were also able to visit some of the social projects that the ashram runs for the local poor families and see at first-hand how money sent from Chigwell School, raised by its charitable activities, helps under-privileged children and old people in poor rural communities. David Gower
commented that one of the highlights of the trip was to visit the Tim Pruss Memorial School and see Chigwell pupils and parents helping the school pupils with their reading and mathematics in English. All the pupils threw themselves fully
into this and it was fantastic to see them helping the younger children. They then joined in the cultural celebration of the Tim Pruss School at their annual prize-giving the following day, with the parents providing an energetic dance to Jai Ho! n
to school with their exchange partners and gained a clear idea of school life in Hamburg. Other trips took them to the ‘Arriba’
adventure swimming pool, the ‘Phaenomenica’ in Flensburg and the ‘Miniatur-Wunderland’ in Hamburg. One of the most
popular events for the pupils was when they had the chance to make their own chocolate bars in the ‘Chocoversum’. n
17th Annual Hamburg Exchange The German Exchange with our partner school in Hamburg was a successful event which is now in its 17th year. In terms of participant numbers it was one of the largest exchanges ever. During their stay in Germany the pupils went
20 | 21
OUT & ABOUT
Charitable Work in Ghana A group of ten Year 10 pupils and two members of staff set off from Heathrow to Accra, Ghana. They went to work with the charity ‘The Young Shall Grow’ supporting poor rural communities in Ghana. Their task was to work in a school in the Keta region teaching English and helping to improve the facilities.
Two weeks later they arrived back at Heathrow having made some wonderful friends in Ghana. They travelled to the rainforest, braved 40m high rope-ways above the forest, saw the horrors of the slave trade, fed monkeys sitting on their arms, witnessed poverty and hardship, and worked with the most welcoming, supportive and joy-filled people on Earth. Living with power cuts, high temperatures, unreliable water supplies and poor roads was a
challenge; however, the group said that they will never forget the warmth of the people. They opened their lives to the
Chigwell party and showed them how to relax and be filled with joy. n
Roman forum and the Circus Maximus, all of which the avid classicists among the cohort enjoyed exploring. The group enjoyed exploring Italy and
understanding more about the incredible world of the Romans. All in all, a wonderful trip for everyone involved. n
The School Scouts headed off to Scotland for their annual summer camp at the start of the summer holidays.
scariest 3G swing in Europe. Campfires with fellow troops from France and Scotland were a special highlight. The scouts showed remarkable proficiency in putting up tents and building complex pioneering structures, although they were somewhat less skilful at washing-up. The weather was kind, by Scottish standards, and everyone returned home tired, grubby but excited by their adventures. n
Classical Adventure in Italy A group of pupils ranging from Year 10 to Year 13 boarded several trains and embarked on a classical adventure to Italy, exploring Naples for two days and then Rome for another two. The classicists looked round amphitheatres and catacombs, discovered ancient towns and modern day Rome, and even climbed a volcano.
There were many highlights of the trip, some being: the excursions to Herculaneum and Pompeii, towns devastated by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, but remarkably preserved, leaving behind many buildings and giving pupils an opportunity to look back 2000 years into Roman culture; the Colosseum in Rome, where some of the pupils re-enacted a gladiator fight with great enthusiasm; the Palatine Hill, standing above the
Scouts in Scotland
As well as day trips to Edinburgh and Stirling Castle, they participated in a series of daredevil activities including an obstacle course and the
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
OUT & ABOUT
A Level Geographers Travel to Iceland A group of mainly Year 13 geography students visited Iceland to bring to life the geographical features and processes they have studied within the subject.
The students visited the Blue Lagoon, a popular man-made geothermal spa of crystal clear water and the only site on earth where it is possible to swim in 40°C water all year round; the sun was shining and the students described it as one of the most memorable places they had visited. The visit to the Blue
Lagoon was followed by visits to three stunning waterfalls and a geyser situated in south-western Iceland that has been active for over 10,000 years. Other popular attractions during the visit included Thingviller, the national park where Iceland’s parliament was established in 930AD which is also scoured
by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Rift valleys are clearly visible where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart at around 2cm a year. However, arguably the most stunning part of the trip was the chance to see the northern lights. n
Krakow and Auschwitz Trip Forty-four Year 10 pupils spent three days in Krakow and Auschwitz. An early start on the Sunday morning ensured that the group landed in time for an afternoon walking tour of Krakow. Stop one was the oldest synagogue in Krakow where we were told about the Jewish presence in Krakow over the past centuries. This story continued, culminating in the lead up to, and then the carrying out of the Nazis ‘Final Solution’, demonstrated
by our visit to what became the Jewish ghetto, taking in part of the original ghetto wall and maybe more movingly, the main square where Jews were told to congregate before being moved off via train to concentration camps or instant execution. The second day was centred on a visit to Auschwitz I, a concentration camp and Auschwitz Birkenau Death Camp. Auschwitz I, which has been turned into a museum, exhibited numerous moving displays, from the hair of inmates at the camps, a wall
of faces of prisoners which will live long in the memory of all who took it in, to the gas chamber and crematorium that were built on the site. From there the group continued on to Auschwitz Birkenau where they were struck by the sheer scale and size of the camp. They saw an original cattle wagon used to transport prisoners and walked up the platform towards the gas chambers as over a million Jews had during the Second World War. In the afternoon the group visited the last remaining synagogue and Jewish cemetery in Oswiecim, which before the war had had a large Jewish population. The final day was truly memorable as the group was fortunate enough to meet Rena Rach who survived the Holocaust in Krakow. She survived as her father worked for Oskar Schindler and her mother managed to escape the Krakow ghetto with her. The pupils were engrossed throughout and took the opportunity to ask pertinent and interesting questions. The
last part of the trip was to the factory of Oskar Schindler, where they were taken through Poland at war and asked to think about the role of Schindler – was he a ‘hero’ or was everything he did simply to make himself wealthy and save himself? The pupils were a credit to the school throughout and it was clear that they found the entire experience hugely worthwhile. n 22 | 23
SPORT
Sports Days Healthy competition combined with mass participation were characteristics of the three Chigwell School sports days.
Pre Prep
Pre Prep, Junior and Senior pupils competed for the honour of their houses in traditional athletic events. The weather was kind for the most part and large numbers of parents and grandparents offered support for the competitors. Enthralling performances were in abundance throughout each event and all had a wonderful time. n
Juniors
Seniors
IAPS Athletics National Finalists James BrigstockeWilliams and Millie Webster travelled to Bedford to compete in the IAPS Eastern School Championships, an event that hosts over fifty schools and is a qualifier for the IAPS National Finals, which is held in Birmingham. In warm but windy conditions, Millie, competed in the javelin and threw a hugely impressive 20.58m, coming first
and securing her place at the National Finals. Amazingly, she followed that up by smashing her PB, throwing 24.47m at an open event at her local club, Woodford Green. This ranks her top in the UK so far this year for age 11 girls. James competed in the 1500m and also secured his spot at Birmingham, with only the first two going through in a field of 26 runners, which included last year’s National IAPS U12 winner. James qualified for the final in a time of 5:03. This is only five seconds off the Eastern event record of 4:58. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
SPORT
Cricket
Sally Chapman (Year 7) selected for Essex Girls
Above: Junior School Cricket
Rahul Bhome (former School Cricket Captain and current MCC Captain) awarded Charles Peck the Man of the Match against the MCC. Charles scored a fantastic fifty on the day. Old Chigwellians’ and Parents’ cricket match
ISFA U18 Girls’ Football Future Elite Regional Championship Charlotte JamesPajwani and Amara Udat represented the South-Central Region in this year’s ISFA U18 Girls’ Football Regional Championship. The tournament showcased the best U18 girls across ISFA in England. Their team finished a close second in a very tight and keenly fought competition. Both girls were very proud to represent Chigwell School in this prestigious tournament and put in good solid performances. n
Charlotte and Amara
U13 Girls’ Football 24 | 25
SPORT
Hockey: Chigwell Pupil Captains Victorious Essex Charlotte JamesPajwani and Zoe Wright played for the U16 Essex team which won the East Regional Championship at Redbridge Sports Centre.
The competition took place over two weekends and Essex beat Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire to become the East Region Champions. Zoe was solid in defence controlling play from the back and Charlotte scored five goals in the tournament. Charlotte captained Essex and collected the championship shield on behalf of the team. n
Swimming Success for Sisters The IAPS Swimming Finals took place at Crawley, and Chigwell School had both Emily and Isabel Iley successfully qualify for the 50m Backstroke.
Junior Boys’ Hockey
Both girls breezed through their preliminary round, finishing top by a significant margin. In the finals their success continued with both girls winning gold. Emily set a new personal best going under 30 seconds, achieving a time of 29.52s in the final and Isabel set a new personal best going under 33 seconds, achieving a time of 32.72s. Huge congratulations to both girls on their achievements. n
News From Chigwell | Autumn 2017
SPORT
National Netball Finalists Chigwell in the Top 16
U13 Netballers reached the IAPS national finals for the second year in a row, with only sixteen teams qualifying in this age group across the country. Mrs Sam Lawrence, Head of Netball, commented that the girls were fantastic and played some wonderful netball throughout the day, just missing out on the semi-final places. n
ISA Indoor Skiing Year 3 pupil, Johnny Parkes, represented Chigwell School in the Independent Schools Association Indoor Ski Championships.
It was a tough competition, especially as Johnny skied in a higher age category with the U10s. However, he skied brilliantly and took a superb 4th position. This was a great achievement especially as he was competing with older skiers. n
Old Chigwellians vs School at Chigwell Golf Club 26 | 27
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