HEADMASTER’S LETTER SEPTEMBER 2018
T0 PARENTS
Dear Parents Welcome to the 2018/19 academic year, particularly if this is the start of your son/daughter’s career at Chigwell. We hope he/she will be very happy here, busy, challenged and well-supported. We also enjoy seeing parents at some of the many events that take place here and hope that all families have a long and happy association with Chigwell.
Contents Page 1
A Level Results
Page 2
GCSE Results
Page 3
GCSE Results
Page 4
Summer Development Work
Page 5
Summer Development Work
Page 6
Stella Kearin Suli Scratchard Evan Perry News from Chigwell
Page 7
Calendars Jasmine, Emily and Isabel Iley Tom Atkinson
Page 8
Choir Tour to Catalonia
Page 9
Poppy Bradley
Page 10
Volunteering in Cambodia
Page 11
Scouts
Page 12
Hockey Tour
Page 13
Hockey Tour
Page 14
Hockey Tour
Page 15
Duke of Edinburgh Pre-season Football Training
Page 16
Twitter Staff News And Finally
A Level Results Last year’s Middle Sixth students
celebrated excellent A level results last month. 81% of results were at B grade or
above with nearly half of all grades either
A or A*, almost double the national average. A quarter of students achieved at least three A grades and the most
common grade, across all the exams sat,
was an A grade. Of the students who
chose to take the Extended Project Qualification in addition to their three or four A levels, two thirds achieved an A or A* grade.
For these students, top A level results enabled them to progress to some of the
very best universities. Three quarters will
be going to Russell Group universities
including Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial College, Birmingham, Nottingham, and University College London.
A small
number of students will be taking up places overseas including one at Harvard.
We send our congratulations to all the students and their teachers. We wish
them all every future success and happiness and hope that they will stay in touch.
1
GCSE Results Following the A level success, pupils,
teachers and parents came together once again to celebrate the publication of GCSE results. This year results were a mixture of
number and letter grades, but both systems reflected remarkable success.
Over 73% of all grades were the
equivalent of grade 7 or above. Nearly a quarter of candidates averaged at least a
grade 8 or the equivalent in each subject and a third of the year group achieved at least eight grade 7s or more.
Ten
candidates achieved nothing less than a grade 8.
2
GCSE Results We were delighted with the students who
have worked really hard and justly deserved their success. Likewise, their
teachers have supported them tirelessly and we are very proud of all that they have
achieved together. It was particularly pleasing to see so many grade 9s amongst
the results but there were also some
students who have made tremendous progress and achieved results which really
are a reflection of their dedication. We look forward to working with them and
the new students who will join them in the Sixth Form as they continue with their education.
3
Summer Development Work
Over the summer a great deal of work
phase of the restoration of this building.
Aside from the ongoing decoration and
Friends of Chigwell, a Junior School play
Thanks in part to the generosity of the
has been going on around the site.
space has been created behind the
maintenance of various buildings and a
Sports Hall. Parents are most welcome
number of less visible capital projects,
to attend the opening of this facility at
work has been taking place to create
4pm on 5th September. Support staff
three new Junior School classrooms in
have also renovated the Japanese
the roof space; this work will continue this term.
Garden next to the art department,
The overhaul of the Old
which we hope will provide a quiet space
School roofs continues, including the
for pupils who just want to take some
complete renovation of the original
time to themselves during the busy
1629 School roof and, again, this work
school day. I am very grateful to all the
will be ongoing through the Michaelmas
staff who have managed or carried out
term. The lighting and heating in the
so much work over the last few weeks.
Chapel has been replaced in the first
4
Summer Development Work
5
Stella Kearin
Suli Scatchard
army cadet, completed part of the Lord
fifteen people in the country to be
Congratulations to Suli who is one of
Congratulations to Stella who, as an
awarded a Young Darwin Scholarship by
Dannatt Round Britain Challenge as a
the Field Studies Council. Suli attended a
commemoration of the end of World
residential course with the other scholars
War II. She sailed on the Lord Nelson from
in August, she is provided with a mentor
Edinburgh to Belfast, a really memorable
and is supported with fieldwork in biology,
experience
geography and environmental studies.
Evan Perry
Congratulations to Evan Perry who represented the U14 ISFA side at the
Oakham Academy Tournament. The side narrowly finished as runners-up in the final
to Port Vale, with the score 0-0 at full time
but ISFA lost 3-4 after the penalty
shootout. Congratulations to Evan for being selected.
News From Chigwell
The latest edition of News from Chigwell
has been produced, giving a flavour of some of the many activities that took
place at school during last academic year.
You can view the magazine here. If you
would like a copy, you are welcome to collect one from Reception.
6
Calendars
received a copy, please collect one from
As usual, pupils will be given a copy of the
either the Junior or Senior Receptions.
blue calendar with details of all events taking place this term. If you have not
Jasmine, Emily and Isabel Iley Congratulations to the three girls on their success in the British Swimming Championships. Isabel finished sixteenth in the 100m backstroke; Jasmine finished seventh in the 200m backstroke with a personal best; and Emily came third in the 200m
backstroke, second in the 100m backstroke and she won the 50m event. We are very proud of all three sisters.
Tom Atkinson Congratulations to Tom who played in the
Reid Trophy over the summer, a tournament for the best U14 golfers in Europe. Tom finished 69th out of 144
which has given him an U14 European Golf ranking of 124.
7
Choir Tour to Catalonia The Chapel Choir returned to the
Catalonian region of Spain where they performed a gruelling concert schedule in
preparation for recording a Christmas album
in
the
Michaelmas
Term.
Highlights of the tour included performing
to large audiences in Gaudi's iconic masterpiece,
Sagrada
Familia,
the
stunning Abbey at Montserrat and the Tarragona Cathedral.
The tour also
included concerts in aid of charity at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Igualada where there was standing room only, and then
two local concerts in La Palma, the second
of which was televised in a short
documentary which can be found on Youtube here. This term the choir will record a CD of Christmas music and all
profits will go to charity. Since 2013 the
Chapel Choir has helped raise more than ÂŁ150,000 for charities including Smiles with Grace, Kids Inspire and LifeBox.
8
Poppy Bradley
Sixth Form student Poppy Bradley was awarded a Nuffield placement and bursary which has enabled her to work as part of a
research team at the Lungs for Living
Research Centre at University College London over the summer.
Poppy’s
supervisor is a PhD scientist and together they have been characterising the difference
in the rate of proliferatin between adult and
paediatric basal epithelial cells, which are found in the trachea. Poppy has carried out
a variety of experiments herself, involving
cell culture, laser scanning confocal microscopy and immunohistochemistry and she has also visited Great Ormond Street
and University College Hospitals to collect samples in theatre for research. She may
also be named in a paper which is due to be published on the work. Poppy says that
“this has been both one of the most intellectually challenging and enjoyable things I have ever done and I have had a
wonderful time”. We would encourage other sixth form scientists to consider applying for a Nuffield Research Placement.
9
Volunteering in Cambodia Each year the Tim Pruss Prize goes to one
or more Chigwell students who will be carrying out volunteering overseas, which
will make a difference both to the community where they are working and to
the volunteers themselves. This year’s winners were Amarah Udat and Deetya
Patel who travelled to Cambodia over the summer and volunteered in a care centre for underprivileged children near Phnom
Penh. They will be speaking about their experiences later this term.
10
Scouts
The Chigwell School Scouts spent a sunny
week at Foxlease Activity Centre near Lyndhurst in the New Forest National
Park for the annual camp. They took part
in a variety of adventurous activities, including orienteering, high ropes and a 17 mile mountain bike ride through the New
Forest. Other highlights included visiting the Splashdown waterpark in Poole, and
Bournemouth beach. Several prizes were awarded by Mr Richard Maynes at the end
of camp, notably the Dobby Quaic Award
to Holly Hartwell for being the all-round best camper this year. All the Scouts
enjoyed a great time, and have learned solid skills for future camps such as for Kandersteg, Switzerland in 2019.
11
Hockey Tour
Pupils travelled to Singapore and Malaysia
tough, hard-fought but thrilling. Away
both the sport itself and to give an insight
many highlights including the Botanical
for a hockey tour designed to develop
from the hockey pitch, the squads enjoyed
into the different cultures in that part of
Gardens of Singapore, Sentosa Island,
the world. The tour visited Singapore,
Tiger Sky Tower, the Petronas Twin
Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang. Pupils
Towers as well as the King’s Palace in
played in some spectacular venues
Kuala Lumpur. The trip proved to be a
including the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium,
resounding success and we were delighted
Jalan Duta and the Bukit Jalil Stadium,
to hear that the behaviour of the thirty
the home of Malaysian hockey. Due to
pupils both on and off the pitch was
the humid conditions and the strong
impeccable.
opposition, the fixtures proved to be
12
Hockey Tour
13
Hockey Tour
14
Duke of Edinburgh
During the first week of the summer holidays ten students from the Lower Sixth, completed their DofE Gold Canoe
Qualifying Expedition in Scotland on the Great Glen Canoe Trail.
The group
paddled a total of 120 kilometres over four
days; this included Loch Lochy, the Caledonian Canal and finally the famous
Loch Ness, finishing in Inverness. The
group had to undertake eight to nine hours of paddling each day and wild camping at the loch edges, they also had to contend at times with the Scottish
midge and the choppy water conditions on
Loch Lochy. This will be an expedition that they will never forget.
Pre-season Football Training
An encouraging number of senior pupils came into school for pre-season training at the end
of the summer break. For boys, this included a friendly football tournament on Saturday
for the 1st XI, with the Old Chigwellian 1st XI, the OC Vets and the Old Bancroftian XI. Chigwell played well with a win, a draw and one narrow loss, meaning that they were placed second overall. We look forward to the season ahead for all school teams.
15
with news stories and do follow up on Twitter @chigwellschool to receive regular snapshots of events across the School.
Parents receive regular messages through Chigwell Post. We also update the website www.chigwell-school.org
Staff News
This term we are welcoming a number of new staff. Mrs Heather Arrowsmith and Ms Niamh
Feeney will be joining the English department. Mrs Emma Anderson and Ms Susan Proctor will be joining the Junior School as KS2 teachers. Dr Chloe Hirst will be joining the science
department as a teacher of biology and Mrs Rachelle Williams will be a teacher of science. Mr Stephen Hirst will be teaching psychology whilst Miss Emma Taylor is on maternity leave
and Mr Craig Peebles will be joining the PE department. We hope that all new colleagues will be very happy here.
Our congratulations go to Ms Charlotte Nairac and her husband Jamie on the arrival of their second son Sebastien.
And Finally
Like all terms, the Michaelmas term is a busy one. I hope all pupils, new and old, very quickly settle back into school life and I look forward to seeing you all over the next few weeks. With best wishes Yours sincerely Michael Punt
16
2019 TERM DATES 2018 Lent Term TermINSET on Monday 7th January StaffMichaelmas meetings and Saturday October to Sunday 4th November FirstHalf day:term: Tuesday 8th20th January Friday 14th December HalfTerm term:ends: Saturday 16th February to Sunday 24th February Term ends: Wednesday 3rd April
2019 Lent Term Trinity Term Staff meetings and INSET on Monday 7th January (Easter April) 8th January FirstDay day:is 21st Tuesday FirstHalf day:term: Wednesday 24rdFebruary April to Sunday 24th February Saturday 16th HalfTerm term:ends: Saturday 25th May to Sunday 2nd June INSET Day Monday 3rd June Wednesday 3rd April
Term ends:
Wednesday 10th July