H R O N I C L E
THE May 2025
Good luck Year 11 and 13
SENIOR SCHOOL PRODUCTION SPORTING ADVENTURES
Exciting trips overseas, lacrosse in Florida and football in Barcelona
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory With charity and much more!
I am delighted to introduce you to the May edition of The Chronicle, highlighting what has been a short but vibrant and productive half term. The summer has definitely arrived, and the sunshine has added an extra layer of enjoyment to our sports and co-curricular activities.
Amusingly, I was particularly grateful for the fine weather at our most recent open day when a pigeon decided to occupy the JGC, the location for our planned talk. Our quick acting estates team swiftly moved the entire set up onto the nearby playground. The result and with thanks to our speakers and guides, was a resounding success
Our pupils have been embracing challenges beyond the classroom; Year 9 completed a highly successful Bronze Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition, swiftly followed by a group of Year 12 students embarking on their Gold Award in the stunning Peak District It has been pleasing to see our evening athletics meets drawing enthusiastic crowds and great results.
Undoubtedly, a major highlight of this half term has been the senior school production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Thank you to my co upils to deliver such great performances which truly wowed audiences.
I hope you enjoy reading about these and William Brierly Head
A truly proud moment for Claremont, as Max and Thomas in Year 13 had the honour of representing the school at the prestigious Gold DofE celebration held at Buckingham Palace The event was made even more special with Prince Edward in attendance, adding to the significance of the occasion!
Alex Elbourn HEAD OF STUDENT FUTURES
This half term we have hosted two careers lunches for our senior school pupils, one from Neil Bartholomew who works in the fibre broadband industry and the second from alumni Tobias Clutton who is a Royal Marine and spoke to our pupils about life in the armed forces.
These talks help our pupils gain a better insight into different careers, guiding them with informed decisions about the future Exciting talks have also been arranged for the second half of the summer term in digital media and architecture This speaker programme continues in the autumn term, with speakers already arranged from Google, Sony Sports and the Natural History Museum
Mentoring sessions are underway for Year 12 students who are interested in applying for Oxbridge, Medicine, Law, Engineering and Mathematics. Mock interviews have also commenced for these students and will continue through to November
On Thursday 15 May Year 12 students were given the opportunity to develop their skills for university admissions tests. These are required for access to university degrees in subjects including law and medicine They are also necessary for prestigious universities like Cambridge and Imperial in subjects such as maths, engineering and the social sciences. The practice day gave the students an opportunity to sample these assessments, gain feedback and help them prepare for the actual exams that will be taking place later in the term.
We had the absolute pleasure of welcoming the incredibly talented author Nathanael Lessore!
Nathanael, a Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winner and Carnegie Award-shortlisted writer, captivated our Year 9 pupils with a talk about his brand-new novel “What Happens Online”, a powerful and timely story that’s making waves in the literary world.
On Thursday 22 May all pupils had the opportunity to attend a talk delivered by The University of Bath and those who attended heard about what makes a strong application. Pupils reflected on the super and extra-curricular activities they are engaging in Pupils learnt more about courses which include a placement year
As part of the JGP programme of super curricular enrichment for pupils, this half term the Inspire and Aspire talks have gone from strength to strength.
To help support the curriculum for the sixth form a new resource hub has been created. In order to extend the student’s subject curriculum, this resource suggests different articles to read, podcasts to listen to and enriching videos to watch, including TED Talks, films and documentaries. These are designed to help spark interest in subject areas that are extensions to the curriculum.
At the start of term, Years 11-13 were very lucky to have a really valuable talk on financial wellbeing and literacy from ‘Wear your Money Crown’ financial wellness expert, Anna Orenstein-Cardona. She spoke passionately to pupils, sharing her invaluable lessons in managing money wisely During her talk she explained the power of storytelling and she introduced the Significant Objects model to the pupils as a simple illustration of this. Anna is coming back in Enrichment Week to spend the day with Year 9
On 1 May, 58 pupils from Years 7 and 8 took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge. This national competition encourages mathematical reasoning, precision, and problem-solving skills An impressive 48 pupils earned certificates for their performance, including 22 bronze, 19 silver, and 7 gold awards. Special congratulations go to David D, who achieved the highest score in Year 7, and Jakob S, who was the top scorer in the school. Both pupils, along with Nathan D, have qualified for the Junior Kangaroo follow-on round in June; a remarkable achievement
An impressive 48 students earned certificates for their performance.
Claremont successfully competed in the prestigious UK Linguistics Olympiad Twenty-five pupils from Year 7 to Year 12 competed in different categories in this famously difficult competition, solving a range of challenging language puzzles through logical deduction This year, the puzzles included questions on working out the Devanagari script, decrypting messages written in the Fur language of Western Sudan and understanding the indigenous Saisiyat language of Taiwan Our entrants again did very well, with eight students awarded with a gold certificate, eight a silver certificate and four bronze.
Well done to those who took part in the competition, and we look forward to participating again next year.
Congratulations to our incredible Year 9 pupils on completing their practice Duke of Edinburgh Bronze expedition. Our students spent two days and one night exploring the beautiful Sussex countryside around East Grinstead
Year 9 Duke of Edinburgh pupils enjoying the Sussex sunshine
The incredibly quick-thinking young person who rushed to the aid of a hiker after a nasty fall in the Peak District can now be revealed as our very own Lexi W! The member of the public's grateful thanks to the anonymous helper went viral on social media, praising the rescuer. We are so proud of Lexi and her Gold DofE expedition practice team – what an amazing demonstration of Claremont community spirit!
Year 8 had a fantastic trip to the British Film Institute in London on 8 May! They explored German language through film, analysed clips, and watched ‘Berlin 36’
“It was a great experience to hear German used in a real setting.“
Arjun, Year 9
‘GIRLS
Year 8 and 9 pupils joined Cisco’s global Girls in IT initiative, gaining hands-on STEM experience and mentorship to inspire future female leaders
They did a Dragons’ Den-style challenge where students designed their own AI assistant!
One of the teams won a competition for their innovative “Forget Me Watch” design aimed to support elderly people with dementia.
Claremont lacrosse teams went on an amazing trip to Florida during the Easter break. They participated in lacrosse matches, rode an airboat around the Everglades, got close up to some alligators, went to the batting cages, took a tour of Florida Southern college, and went to Universal Orlando.
“A big thankyou for giving my daughter the trip of a lifetime”.
Parent
Our senior boys’ football team went on a brilliant tour to Barcelona, Spain over the Easter break
During the tour the boys played in three matches against local opposition, took part in a pro led football coaching session, visited the Nou Camp, and took in the city sights
On 27 April, our Year 9 students headed to The Copper Box Arena to watch London Pulse take on Cardiff Dragons in the netball super league. It was an unforgettable few hours of elite sport, filled with skills, speed and inspiration!
Under 11 and Under 13 girls’ football teams delivered outstanding performances in their respective ISFA tournaments on 12 and 13 May. They impressed with their energy, skill, and determination
Performances were outstanding for the very first athletics meeting on the 8 May Claremont pupils performed well across the board, with many pupils setting new school records. Congratulations to our athletes!
The competition for the House Cup remains exceptionally close, with only a small margin separating the top three houses. As a result, all events this half term have been met with enthusiastic participation, and points have been keenly contested.
This term marked the return of our sunflower-growing competition. In just one week, over 128 sunflowers were planted, with Radnor contributing the highest number We now await the outcome, as the tallest sunflower will be determined during Gala Day We encourage all members of the school community to view the impressive display of blooms on the day.
As we approach the end of this half term, the current overall standings are as follows: Norwood holds first place, Banstead is in second, and Longcross is in third. With several high-scoring events still to come next half term, including Sports Day, the competition remains open and all positions are still very much contestable.
LAURA WIGLEY DEPUTY HEAD OF HOUSE
Additionally, the annual House Geography Quiz took place just this week, challenging pupils on their knowledge of national flags, country outlines, physical geographical features, and current affairs in geography Stanmore secured first place, followed closely by Radnor in second and Norwood in third.
The Claremont cake is awarded weekly in recognition of those pupils who go the extra mile, both in the classroom and beyond.
Congratulations to those who have been celebrated this half term including:
-The amazing Year 11 citizenship students who worked so hard to raise £3500 for local charity Renstart
-Year 9 Bronze DofE practice pupils who went above and beyond (Sasha B, Matilda C, Holly F, Josephine G, Amelia N, Poppy N)
-Head of Radnor, Mr Gardiner put Giles, Pippa and Purdy forward for the Claremont cake because of their athletic and rugby achievements
-Mrs Yates nominated Max, Alesa and Beatrix for their excellent performance in the recent RS mock
-Year 7 pupils Tea, Milly, Isabella and Moritz achieved top marks in their recent microclimate investigations for geography
-Will M has shown amazing performance in maths, and was put forward by Mrs Turner for his high level of commitment
-John Muir award participants for their enthusiasm in improving the environment around Fan Court for our very youngest pupils.
This term in Theology the Y7 pupils have been learning about how beliefs can be expressed via different artistic mediums The unit has culminated in all pupils creating a piece of artwork for an international Spirited Arts competition. The winners this year were Erin M and Lucia C.
Erin’s work entitled “Making sense of life” is based upon the Biblical quote “For we walk by faith, not sight” and discusses the view that what we see is not necessarily always the truth. Lucia’s work is based upon the Charles Darwin quote “We are all children of one great mother, Nature.” Here she addresses the idea that God is everywhere, even if He cannot be seen.
Community partnership is an important aspect of Claremont life; it enables pupils to develop a wider sense of responsibility and world view. Our community partnership project also allows students to participate in the ‘vInspired’ volunteering award scheme, a nationally recognised, UCAS endorsed award
Our Year 11 students took part in the Rentstart UK SleepOut which raised an amazing £3,500, smashing their £2,000 target!
The Rentstart SleepOut is an annual fundraising event ,a local charity supporting people facing homelessness Participants spend a night sleeping outdoors in cardboard boxes to raise awareness and funds, gaining insight into the challenges of homelessness while coming together as a community to support those in need.
At Claremont Fan Court School, we recognise the importance of mental wellbeing and proudly took part in Mental Health Awareness Week 2025 with a range of mindfulnessfocused activities.
Pupils enjoyed calm playground walks, peaceful yoga sessions, and creative ‘What Makes Us Happy’ posters. They explored the power of presence through mindfulness conversations, with playful mindfulness showing how a deep breath can sharpen focus.
A stone labyrinth offered quiet reflection, while Friday karaoke brought joy and release. These activities helped pupils discover tools for wellbeing they can carry with them every day.
“I found it relaxing. All the things that were in my head before disappeared when I did the walk”
Ben, Year 10
“As mindfulness coordinator I offer students individually focused mindfulness support, often in the form of an eight week programme; this can be adapted for small groups. I also introduce mindfulness techniques to house groups through assemblies. Pupils appreciate the value of taking time to get to know themselves better, through simple mindfulness exercises.”
Paul Jeffrey, teacher of history and mindfulness coordinator
At Claremont, we’re incredibly lucky to be surrounded by beautiful grounds and nature plays a big part in daily life here and our pupils love every moment of it.
Every spring, we look forward to the arrival of baby goslings and this April, we were delighted once again. Hatched by our resident Claremont geese, these fluffy newcomers brought joy and excitement as they waddled across the lawns, charming everyone with their tiny footsteps and cheerful presence, often causing the occasional traffic jam as drivers paused to admire them!
Thanks to Sasha in Year 9 for her star turn at the recent Enchanted Woods community event at Fan Court.
Sasha, as Fairy Flora, helped deliver a powerful message about protecting the wildlife who share our school grounds. The younger children were truly captivated by her magical performance.
Claremont pupils truly brought the magical world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to life in a phenomenal, sell-out production over three nights during the final week of this half term. Pupils in Years 7- Year 10 pulled out all the stops in creating this spectacular show, and we are grateful to Mr Williams’drama department and technical teams for their expertise from the audition stage, throughout rehearsals up until show week itself. extend our sincere gratitude to all the parents who so generously supported the extensive rehearsal process.
Producing a show of this scale is a massive team effort, representing a significant commitment for both our pupils and their families.The immense hard work certainly paid off and our talented pupils absolutely shone on the JGC stage, transporting audiences to the whimsical world of WillyWonka's chocolate factory.
Bravo to everyone involved!
“My favourite part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is watching all of the scene changes because you get to see how they do it on the main stage . ”
“My favourite memory of Charlie and the chocolate factory was when halfway through the song int he dress rehearsal, one of my soles from my shoes fell off and I had to walk round and carry on with the dance.”
“My favourite memory of Charlie and the chocolate factory is the whole vibe of the new friends I have made.”
“The funniest moment of Charlie and the chocolate factory is when Veruca Salt has her handbag and she is hitting her dad to get what she wants.”
Wishing the best of luck to all our amazing Year 11 and Year 13 students as you head into exam season! You’ve come so far, and we can’t wait to see what you achieve.
Claremont memories
