The Chronicle - March 2024

Pupils and staff at Claremont Fan Court School ran a 5k route around our 100 acre site to raise funds for Claygate Youth and Community Hub. The run was in memoriam of Teddy Read, a former pupil at Claremont. We are proud to say we reached our goal of raising over £5,000.

SKI TRIP

During February half term 54 Senior School pupils headed off to Marilleva in Italy for some skiing action on the slopes. It was a great opportunity for the pupils to improve their skiing technique and to make new friends.

OXFORD

Our Year 12 students went to Oxford! Exploring Brasenose College at Oxford University with Mr Jones, they are got a first-hand look at the historic campus and learned about life at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. This trip was about all inspiring them for their future and opening their eyes to the amazing opportunities that Oxford and Cambridge colleges can offer.

POETRY BY HEART

The English department recently held the Poetry By Heart competition final. Congratulations to our Year 7 pupils for their exceptional performances which were nothing short of amazing, showcasing high quality and enthusiasm. Our Year 7 pupils captivated the audience with their profound understanding of poetry and their remarkable ability to bring words to life. Each performance was a testament to their dedication and hard work, reflecting hours of practice and refinement. Congratulations to our two overall winners: Oscar I and Zoey W.

SHAKESPEARE COMPETITION

We’re thrilled to announce that two of our phenomenal Year 8 students, Sasha W-L and Harry S, recently showcased their incredible talents at the English Speaking Union’s Performing Shakespeare competition, hosted by Isleworth and Syon School. Against stiff competition from 5 other schools, they wowed the audience with their outstanding performances! Sasha and Harry received rave reviews from the judge, highlighting their dedication and hard work in preparing for this prestigious event. We couldn’t be prouder of their achievements! We’re especially delighted to share that Sasha has advanced to the next round! Congratulations, Sasha, your talent and passion for Shakespeare truly shine through.

WORLD BOOK DAY

We were thrilled to have author Ann Sei Lin visit our Senior School with her literary magic for World Book Day!

From captivating tales in “Rebel Skies” and “Rebel Fire” to the art of crafting origami butterflies, our pupils were transported to a world of imagination and creativity. Our pupils even had the opportunity to get their books signed!e H, Adeline I, Jinny P and Frederick G.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Applause to our incredible Year 8 and 9 drama pupils who took the stage at Twickenham Theatre for the Shakespeare Schools Festival! Their enchanting performance of “Much Ado about Nothing” left the audience in awe. Bravo to the talented cast and crew for bringing Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece to life with passion and skill!

ROCK & PERCUSSION TEA

We had such a lively instrumental tea earlier this month, showcasing talents across not one but two instruments, as we had a group of Junior and Senior guitarists, as well as a group of Junior and Senior percussionists perform various pieces of music throughout the afternoon.

As ever, the focus of these performances is to present a wide range of abilities. This meant each participant had the chance to perform and showcase a chosen piece of music, some more experienced than others.

It was a brilliant opportunity for students to experience playing in front of a live audience; some who were performing to an audience for the very first time.

JGP INSPIRE LECTURE SERIES

With the Joyce Grenfell Programme of inspire lectures continuing this half term, we welcomed more fascinating speakers to Claremont. We were delighted that Dr Julian Braybrook joined us for an engaging talk and Q&A, with A level chemists and other interested pupils from Years 10 – 13. Dr Braybrook became the Government Chemist in June 2018. He is currently Director of Measurement Science for the National Measurement Laboratory at LGC, where he is responsible for the science strategy and partnership development of metrology (measurement science) and regulatory analysis programmes, in support of the UK National Measurement System. The next JGP inspire lecture will take place after the term break.

SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

FOOTBALL

LACROSSE

As the lacrosse season draws to a close we wanted to celebrate the accomplishments of Claremont this year. The 2023-24 season see’s the most teams entered by Claremont as a school and the most successful. All ‘A’ teams reached the Championship bracket (Top 16) of their group with the 13A’s reaching the semi-finals and U15’s coming second overall. Both ‘B’ teams had challenging days but gained valuable experience. What a fantastic year and well done to all individuals involved.

What a thrilling showdown on the football pitch! Our 1st XI football team battled fiercely to secure a hard-fought 4-4 draw against Halliford. The boys displayed grit, skill, and sportsmanship throughout the game, keeping us on the edge of our seats!

The final night game of the season was at South Park FC as our formidable team took on Dunottar School and came out with a win. Great job guys!

RUGBY

GYMNASTICS

Claremont wished Ethan G and Mia B good luck with their gymnastic competitions this term. Ethan G competed in the 2024 British Gymnastics Championships, the biggest event in British gymnastics! He went head-tohead with Olympic and World medallists. Congratulations Ethan on your performance. Mia competed for Heathrow Gymnastics Club in Women’s Acrobatics at the Bristol Acro Cup! Congratulations Mia for earning the coveted trophy for achieving the highest score of the day.

The Claremont U15s showed grit in the Surrey Sevens at Caterham at the end of February despite challenging weather. Meanwhile, the U13s had their own adventure at the Shrewsbury House Sevens, starting strong with wins and a draw before a hard-fought 20-20 draw against Moulsford. The U13s also had a terrific first major tournament at the Rosslyn Park National Sevens! Great job to all of our rugby teams.

GOLF

NETBALL

Claremont netball is celebrating a fantastic end to the season! The U13A team brought home the gold medal in the Plate Finals at Gordon’s School, showcasing incredible teamwork throughout the match. Meanwhile, at the Priorsfield Tournament, both the U13A and U13B teams secured impressive podium finishes (3rd & 4th place respectively). Huge congratulations to all the players on a wonderful season!

Our golfers swung into action at Wimbledon Golf Course, taking on St. Paul’s in the ISGA Plate Competition. After a hard-fought competition, Claremont emerged victorious, securing their place in the National Plate Finals! A massive well done to the team - we’re all rooting for you at the Finals!

HOUSE UPDATE

It has been a very busy half term for house events in the Senior School.

Pupils have competed for house points in a wide range of activities including a literary quiz, geography quiz, table tennis competition, fruit and vegetable design competition and Easter egg rolling and decorating competition.

House events are very popular and it is lovely to see so many pupils getting involved.

There was a mishap in today’s assembly so the current house leader will be announced at the beginning of summer term.

Literary quiz

Table tennis

Egg rolling and decorating Fruit

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