Senior School Highlights 2022-2023

HIGHLIGHTS SENIOR SCHOOL

2022-2023

CONTENTS

Head’s welcome................................................3

Exam results......................................................4-5

Community, charity and Claremont 100.......6-9

Art and textiles.................................................10-12

Drama.................................................................13-17

Music..................................................................18-19

Houses...............................................................20-21

Sport..................................................................22-23

Trips and visits...................................................24-27

Successes and achievements..........................28

Christmas at Claremont...................................29

Gala Day...............................................................30-31

WELCOME | WILLIAM BRIERLY

Our centenary year has seen Claremont brimming with success and excitement.

Thanks to rigorous study, excellent support from their teachers, the opportunities to specialise in such a wide array of subjects, and the continued enhancement of our pastoral and enrichment opportunities, pupils have shown their limitless potential. This is evident in our fantastic A level results which saw 97% of students accessing their preferred university choices - with over three quarters of A levels graded A*-B.

With pastoral support now framed around our six houses, our pupils in Years 7-11 moved into small groups with just three or four pupils from each year united under a tutor. Sixth form years were also united, building upon the atmosphere of respect and support for pupils of all years that has always been a mark of our successful community.

Pupils championed our five local charities through our Claremont 100 campaign, focusing on giving back to our wider community, with around £80,000 of charitable work completed or funds collected so far. Having broadly completed the organic growth of the school, this year saw the opening of key facilities such as the second dining room, a new wellbeing hub, the sports and fitness suite, new changing spaces and classrooms ahead of bigger opportunities for sport, music, drama and general learning facilities that will shape the coming years.

When Ruth Packer’s parents opened up their house in Norwood to a small number of girls, could they have imagined 100 years later we would be teaching almost 1200 pupils (800 in the Senior School) in this magnificent 100 acres of calming and inspirational Claremont site!

EXAM RESULTS

A LEVELS

Delighted sixth form students at Claremont Fan Court School received their A level results in August 2023, with over three quarters of results graded A*-B and 97% of pupils gaining places at their preferred universities. William Brierly, headmaster, said ‘I am so proud of all these amazing young people. They are heading off to first rate universities and degree apprenticeships including Durham, Bristol, UCL, Manchester and Leeds. In spite of the newly adjusted 2023 grading structure, the results our students achieved today are better than any pre-pandemic results at Claremont.’

Students commented on the incredible support they received from teaching staff at the school, including one to one clinics, pastoral support and specialist revision sessions which made a huge difference in how they felt approaching exams.

“She moved here from a different school which we felt was a lot more pressurised, but she has actually done better in this nurturing environment. It is testament to this school, how each child can flourish, grow and exceed their potential”

- SIXTH FORM PARENT

GCSE RESULTS

Claremont Fan Court School pupils celebrated receiving superb GCSE results in August. Our grades exceeded any pre-pandemic results at Claremont and matched those of 2022, even though country-wide GCSE grades have been lowered this year. Almost 83% of grades were in the 6 to 9 range and over 30% of awards were the very top grades of 8 or 9. William Brierly, headteacher commented ‘I am very proud of these pupils, it has not been the easiest of years for many of them, but they have unanimously risen to the challenge with results that exceed pre-pandemic data’.

SENIOR NEWS

SCHOOL CAPTAINS AND PREFECTS | SIXTH FORM

A big thank you to our school captains, Matt R and Tara MG, along with our team of prefects and senior prefects, who represented the school admirably. Their enthusiasm was unwavering throughout the 2022-23 academic year. They have remained fantastic role models for Senior School pupils and have conducted some excellent fundraising efforts this year too.

Our centenary cements and celebrates our place in the local community. At the start of this academic year, we set ourselves the challenge to raise around £100,000 to support five local charities which have been nominated by pupils and staff across the whole school. We are proud to be supporting The Grace Dear Trust, East Elmbridge Foodbank, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, Momentum and Rentstart.

The Senior School have been competing in their houses to raise money for these worthy causes. From delicious Lindt chocolate sales to a hilarious pantomime, from a whole school fun run to the sixth form’s sponsored ‘Big sleep out’, it has been an incredible fundraising journey for our Claremont community.

Sixth form ‘Big sleep out’ for Rentstart

Ice cream sale

Langleys Restaurant egg sale

Christmas Fair stalls

Whole school fun run

Lindt chocolate sale

Lindt chocolate sale

Sixth form pantomime

Year 9 pupils win £1,000 for The Grace Dear Trust from their First Give project

Sixth form pantomime

Students and staff at the ‘Big sleep out’

In support of Mental Health Awareness Week, we held wellbeing events for our pupils in May. They enjoyed therapeutic activities ranging from an early morning walk to calm stone painting, as well as soothing gardening and writing gratitude cards for loved ones.

PRIDE MONTH

Throughout June, we supported Pride month by fundraising and educating our pupils. Thank you to the equality alliance for holding a cake sale in aid of the charity All Out. Our Senior School staff got involved by holding Pride themed tutor quizzes and library displays too.

EARTH WEEK

In April, we kick started our Earth week with an eco bake off house competition. Well done to pupils for making some show stopping cakes in aid of Elmbridge Eco Hub. Newspapers were twisted, folded and morphed into stunning fashion statements on the Wednesday lunchtime. From pleats to flowers, pupils came up with fun recycled designs. On the Tuesday, the Senior School had a paper-free day. We hope this idea changed mindsets regarding our reliance on paper. Eco club held a second hand clothes sale on the final day of Earth week. Over the week, pupils had donated their unwanted clothes which were then put up for sale for £1 per item. The idea behind this was to reduce fashion waste.

TRAVEL SHOW | YEAR 7

In July, parents and staff were invited to an unforgettable adventure with Year 7 pupils, who brought the wonders of the United Kingdom to life at the annual travel show. Year 7 pupils have been working hard in their geography lessons to research the human and physical geography of their region and sell it as a tourist destination. The new dining hall was transformed into a vibrant collection of posters, leaflets, display boards, local delicacies to sample and costumes.

THE ARTS

ART, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TEXTILES EXHIBITION | YEARS 11-13

Our annual art and photography exhibition took place in June. We hope that parents and pupils enjoyed seeing the Year 11 and 13 art and photography on display.

The artwork showcases a wide range of different ideas and processes experimented with by pupils, ranging from work created in Year 10 into Year 11 and Year 12 into Year 13. Pupils should be proud of their achievements; every single one of them has created some impressive and unique pieces this year. Comments from guests visiting the show observed that the pupils’ work was ‘impressive’, ‘ individual’ and of a ‘high standard’.

SPIRITED ARTS COMPETITION

All Year 7 pupils participated in a national arts competition for theology, with congratulations to our top winners at Claremont: Sasha W-L, Finlay H, Olivia C and Elea F. Well done for your contributions and your creativity in producing such brilliant and unique pieces of art.

HOUSE FIREWORK PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

Our Senior School pupils were challenged to take photos on bonfire night in November. This house photography competition sparked inspiration and resulted in some beautiful images. While all entries were eye-catching, there could only be one winner. Many congratulations to Joshua C who came first, Cecily F who came second and Leo J who came third.

TEXTILES

Textile design GCSE and A level work was exhibited in the summer term. Parents were very proud to see the excellent work produced by Year 11 and 13 students for their coursework and externally set exam projects. The A level students’ work explored a wide range of diverse themes including: Music, Fears and Phobias, Physical and Natural Protection, Crime, Emotional and Physical Pain, and The Seasons. They constructed exceptional pieces which included a variety of textile responses: dresses, jackets, installations, a bird cage and a suitcase. The GCSE pupils displayed a brilliant range of amazing textiles, garments, and wall hangings which were the result of their hard work over the last two years.

DRAMA

YEAR 7 MACBETH PERFORMANCE

In January , Year 7 turned into witches and soldiers in a wonderful rendition of Macbeth. Instead of the traditional three witches, the stage came alive with twenty-five witches at the beginning, looking suitably frightening as they crept from out of the audience. A group of soldiers had also mastered how to fight successfully with swords and the stage was action-packed for forty-five minutes.

SIXTH FORM PANTO

This year marked the third sixth form charity panto. We’ve had Peter Pan, we’ve had Aladdin but this year, Snow White took us on a not-so-far trip to the prospering kingdom of Esher – a place of mystery and wonder, of magic and marvel!

The sixth form panto brings together the sixth form community. It is written, directed, acted and altogether run (with the assistance of teachers) by sixth form students. All money raised from this event went towards the Claremont 100 initiative.

SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

This year, ten Year 9 pupils took part in the highly acclaimed Shakespeare For Schools Festival 2023. Pupils enjoyed performing Othello on the Rose Theatre’s stage in Kingston Upon Thames.

Claremont Fan Court School’s production of Othello was unique in its delivery with many imaginative ideas to interpret this play. Pupils demonstrated creativity and talent with innovative adaptations of the scene from this timeless story. The energy and enthusiasm displayed by pupils is a testament to all of their hard work and commitment over months of preparation, culminating into an exhilarating adaptation of Othello.

YEAR 8 ESU PERFORMANCES

In January, Year 8 pupils took part in the second round of the English Speaking Union’s Performing Shakespeare competition, which encourages pupils to discover and express their excitement for Shakespeare.

We had a range of monologues from villains, heroes, lovers, to politicians and all pupils worked really hard on their introductions and performances, dedicating a lot of time to learning these by heart. Congratulations to our three prize winners Michela B, Fred W and Charlie B.

OLIVER!

The cast of Oliver! dazzled audiences with their three fantastic performances during the summer term. It is clear to see how much effort each and every pupil involved put into this spectacular play. It was a great show that left the audience asking ‘Please drama, can we have some more?’.

TALENT SHOW

33 acts, 3 celebrity judges…1 iconic trophy! Thursday 23 March saw the return of the spectacular Senior School talent show!

From stand-up comedy to trombone playing, our pupils did not disappoint. Well done to our runners up Oliver L and Fred W for their Hamilton rap, and congratulations to our overall winner Sasha W-L for her incredible tap dancing performance!

A huge thank you to our celebrity judges, award winning singer and actress Martine McCutcheon; television presenter Sally Meen; and talented musician Janek Shaeffer, for helping to make the event so memorable.

Many thanks to the audience who purchased tickets to see our pupils perfiorm. The money raised from this event went towards our Claremont 100 centenary charity initive.

MUSIC

As always, the music department had a full calendar of events throughout the year. We are immensely proud of our talented pupils! All have them have grown in stature musically, they progressed and embraced their passion for music and continue to do so.

Some of the highlights were:

• Three afternoon teas, showcasing various instrumental groups

• A scholar’s concert giving our musical scholars the opportunity to showcase their talents

• Our annual Easter assembly

• An energised and much-loved house music competition

• Supporting 40+ pupils through their ABRSM exams

• The Remembrance service

• The carol service, held off site in a local church

• Music for the Christmas fair

• 3 final assemblies at the end of each term

• The joint drama/music department production of the musical Oliver!

• Musical support for the sixth form pantomime

• Musical support for the talent show

• Gala day with a full programme with over 45 students performing

• Weekly ensembles for brass, woodwind, strings, jazz, rock band and choir

• Weekly peripatetic lessons developing musical skills for 130+ pupils each week

Music is a unique, vibrant subject, not only physically challenging but also mentally inspiring, and involvement with it links so well into our learner attributes at Claremont.

HOUSE EVENTS

In September, we welcomed Banstead as the new house on the block. This only made competition amongst the houses even more heated, and with the addition of the Claremont 100 fundraising challenge, it was all to play for. Pupils have battled it out to earn themselves house points in the hope to lift the highly coveted house cup. They’ve carved pumpkins, decorated pancakes, competed in sports and sung their hearts out at the much-anticipated house singing competition. However, there could only be one winner…congratulations to Stanmore for winning for the second year in a row!

SPORT

NATIONAL GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONS

U15S PLACE 3RD AT LACROSSE NATIONALS

This year saw the best national lacrosse results we have ever had! A big well done to our U15’s who placed third in the country and our U13’s who placed seventh in the country! Our 1st team played exceptionally well and made it through to division one, where they became quarter finalists. Our U14s played really well and also made it through to the quarter finals.

2ND PLACE AT SURREY SCHOOLS’ LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Well done to all the teams who took part in the U15 Surrey schools’ lacrosse championships hosted at Claremont in November. Congratulations to St Catherine’s who came first in the cup competition, with Claremont taking 2nd place after losing 4-3 in the final.

Congratulations to the U13s who placed 1st overall at the ISGA National 4 Piece Championships. A special well done to Thea who placed 3rd and Sophie who placed 6th individually. Our gymnastics teams also competed at the ISGA national two piece, where our U13 team placed 2nd overall as a team, with Sophie W and Thea C placing joint 3rd individually. Our U15 gymnasts placed 3rd overall as a team.

U15 GIRLS ISFA SHIELD FINALISTS

Claremont played host to the Independent Schools Football Association regional qualifiers in May. We are very proud of our U13 football team who came second at this qualifying event. After competiting at a quarter finals event hosted by Radnor House, our U15s went through to the ISFA Shield Finals Day which was hosted at The County Ground in Hertfordshire. A huge congratulations to the girls for smashing the semifinals and becoming finalists at this exciting event!

END OF SEASON RUGBY FINALE

Congratulations to our XV rugby team for beating Dunottar 27-21 at their thrilling end of season match in January!

Whilst the weather was a chilly 1 degree, the tension on the pitch was hot, as the boys battled out their final game. For the Year 13 teammates, this unforgettable game was their last rugby match playing for Claremont before graduating, making it an emotional evening and one they should be very proud of.

ARCHERY MEDALISTS

We had five archers compete at the Royal Richmond Pagoda Shoot. Sophie and Finn came back with gold, Comet second, Jay third and Max fourth in their categories. Sophie, Finn and Comet also all achieved their first Junior Bowman ranking. This is one of the highest archery classifications you can achieve!

GOLFERS PLACE 3RD AT NATIONAL TOURNAMENT

After playing exceptionally well at Tandridge Golf Club in March and earning their third consecutive victory, the Claremont golf team progressed in the Schools Golf National tournament at Worplesdon Golf Course. They played very well and placed 3rd in the teams competition!

TRIPS AND VISITS

ENRICHMENT WEEK

The last week of June saw Senior School pupils head out on various enrichment trips and visits. The aim of this week is to make new friendships, work on team building... and have fun!

Year 7

Our Year 7 pupils embarked on an unforgettable adventure to PGL Osmington Bay, and what an incredible journey it was! From adrenaline-pumping activities to breath-taking landscapes, our pupils explored the great outdoors like never before!

Year 8

Year 8 spent five days in Pembrokeshire. Multiple activities were successfully completed including coasteering, a boat trip, raft building and campcraft. The final evening was spent around a campfire. A truly exhausted Year 8 returned home.

Year 9

Over 100 eager and intrepid Year 9 pupils completed their bronze DofE expedition in the Surrey Hills. The year group was split into individual groups of up to six pupils who walked for two days, camping overnight near Leith Tower which provided tremendous views across the county. All of Year 9 had a fantastic day out visiting Twickenham rugby stadium to look at their sustainability initiatives. Pupils also enjoyed a ceramics workshop and a drama session on our newly restored outdoor stage.

Year 10

Year 10 took part in a crime day workshop. This was a crime scene to courtroom day, whereby the pupils were taught a range of forensic science techniques. Meanwhile, Year 10 geographers headed off to the Surrey Hills. They were investigating the changes in the river Tillingbourne as it flowed downstream. Year 10 textile design pupils visited ‘New Designers’ at the Business Design Centre in Islington and ‘Andy Warhol: The Textiles’ at the Fashion and Textile Museum. Food and nutrition pupils in Year 10 enjoyed an informative ‘WalkEatTalkEat’ Tour of Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market.

Year 12

Year 12’s practice gold DofE expedition departed from Edale in the Peak District on 15 June. 23 students walked for three days covering over 50km through the beautiful hills, including Kinder Scout. Saturday night brought rain, thunder and lightning, with pupils finishing at Hathersage on Sunday.

PARIS

In October, French GCSE pupils enjoyed a fabulous week in Paris with a packed itinerary of a wide range of activities and lovely weather.

Favourite moments included visiting the Stade de France, Parc Asterix, having fun with friends, seeing the Eiffel Tower and going to a French market. Activities also included a fascinating walking tour around the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame and the Louvre, language lessons, a boat trip along the Seine, shopping along the Champs-Elysees and visiting Montmartre.

Berlin Amsterdam

Over October half term, history and German GCSE pupils enjoyed three very busy days in Berlin. Starting with a walking tour around the city, visiting the DDR Museum and allowing for moments of reflection throughout the trip. A hard-hitting excursion to Sachsenhausen on the second day will have a profound long-term impact on everyone.

Over October half term, sixth form students spent four days in Amsterdam, enjoying a wide range of activities, such as visiting the Ajax Stadium and Van Gogh Museum. They also explored the Rijks Museum, the Anne Frank House and the Diamond Museum. Other highlights included eating at the Hard Rock Cafe, the Amsterdam canal trip and shopping for souvenirs in the city centre.

SKI TRIPS

Our pupils enjoyed two incredible ski trips to scenic Austria this year. Years 10 to sixth form headed off to the mountains in February and Year 7 to 9 hit the slopes in the Easter holidays.

The long coach journeys and early starts were worth it when the pupils got to see the beauty of Zell am See. The skiing was fantastic, all pupils were up early and eager to get going every morning. The conditions were perfect, with good snow and clear blue skies. The evenings were a highlight for many pupils as activities included eating delicious pizzas, ice-skating and a legendary talent show featuring plenty of embarrassing dance moves!

INDIVIDUAL

SUCCESSES

1. Ellora W, Olivia D, Emily I and Molly R were selected for U19 and U21 Welsh national lacrosse squads.

2. Sasha earnt a role in Disney’s The Little Mermaid

3. Jinny P won a silver medal at European karate championships

4. Rafferty B became 8th in UK in wakeboarding for 12-14 year olds

5. Jagger D won bronze medal at Surrey Fencing Championships

6. Matilda C was awarded 3rd place in the Year 7/8 category for the Young Fashion Designer UK national school competition

7. Josh H represented Claremont at ISFA National Shrewsbury Festival

8. Purdy M’s all girls rugby team, Reeds Rebels Weybridge, won the ‘Under 12’s Girls Surrey Waterfall Cup’

9. Fred W performed in Britain’s Got Talent semi-final

10. Ruby MG placed 2nd in National Dressage Championships

11. Gabriel R achieved his lifelong dream of playing rugby at Twickenham stadium in front of 4,000 people for Teddington RFC

12. Maria E, Eve D and Katie D received awards in the Young Fashion Designer competition for their GCSE pieces

13. Eden M placed 4th at regional southeast England gymnastics championships

14. Toby B was awarded star fundraiser medal from Shooting Star Children’s Hospices

15. Outstanding golfing performance and achieving excellent results improving their handicaps, from Max G (0.3 handicap) and Tristan G (1.3 handicap)

CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE

On Wednesday 7 December, the Senior School wrapped up warm and walked to Christ Church in Esher for their annual Christmas carol service. It was lovely to hear some readings interspersed between carols and musical performances. The pupils got to enjoy some delicious chocolate brownies when they returned to school which was the perfect end to a very festive morning!

GALA DAY

Thank you to all the pupils, parents, staff and alumni who attended our centenary Gala Day extravaganza on Saturday 1 July. What a fantastic way to celebrate 100 years!

Well done to all of the pupils who got involved in our activities. It was a jam packed day full of performances, sports and even a bake-off. Our vintage fair ground rides were a great success and we raised a lot of money for our Claremont 100 initiative through them, so thank you to everyone who donated.