As One Cumnor Newsletter Autumn Term 2022

Welcome to AsOne

, a termly celebration of our children’s achievements, and a spotlight on school life.

As I write this introduction, we are entering the season of Advent. This is traditionally a time of excitement and anticipation, but also of generosity, when families and communities come together to celebrate and give thanks.

These two strands really echo through the pages of this newsletter. You can sense the excitement that our children experience, through the range of opportunities and activities open to them, be that inside or outside the classroom. That this positivity and energy has been sustained through monsoonlike weather and lengthening darkness is tribute to the enthusiasm of our children and the inspiration of our fantastic staff.

Cumnor’s community spirit and kindness has equally been in evidence. Our work with local charities is now well underway with our Christmas Market and ‘A-Z of Musicals’ evening raising significant funds. The launch of the Cumnor Chapter Programme, a series of pastoral initiatives designed to increase our levels of support for children and their families, has not only been well received, but is already having some immediate impacts. Above all, despite the turbulence and anxiety in the world around us, our school remains a haven of encouragement.

I hope all of you experience similar joys this Christmas; fun, excitement and the mutual love and support of your families.

Nursery & Pre-Prep

It has been ‘raining’ and ‘pouring’ in this wettest of Autumn terms, yet we have eschewed the ‘snoring’ in favour of much more exciting exploits, both indoors and out!

In fact, ‘busy’ and ‘productive’ may be better watchwords for a thoroughly active term. Our Harvest Festival afforded the first performance of the year and a valuable opportunity to consider the needs of others with our Food Bank donation to The Trussell Trust. Huge thanks to our community for generously supporting a very worthwhile and timely cause.

Swift on the heels of charitable endeavour came Science Week, one of the highlights of the year, and whole school engagement in the fine arts of enquiry, exploration and discovery. The PrePrep Christmas show, ‘Baaarmy Bethlehem’, and the Nursery Nativity Promenade celebrated the festive season and showcased the incredible teamwork, resilience (getting up on stage can be daunting!) and the sheer joy of performance.

We are so proud of our children, who remind us just how lucky we are to make every day a learning day. Merry Christmas, everyone!

• Dressed in 17th century attire, Year 1 were fully immersed in their Great Fire of London Day. A range of history-based explorations and activities brought the age of fire and pestilence to life (thankfully, without the pests). A day packed full of learning and discoverywe loved it!

• Year 1 took Mr Llewellyn on an adventure to Woodpeckers where he joined in with using clay to make tree spirits to guard the woods.

• Year 2 have created some outstanding artwork this term. Drawing on our maths knowledge helped us to explore perspective (space, shape and measure) while symmetry and rotation were considered in the incredible William Morris tile design rendered in watercolour. We are so impressed with the attention to detail and patience employed to create such stunning works of art.

• Nursery fully immersed themselves in Science Week with erupting lemons, slime, engineering with blocks, sinking and floating experiments, bubble fun and exploration of the seasons at Woodpeckers. Hands-on science has never been so much fun!

• Baaarmy Bethlehem! We were wowed by our traditional nativity, retold with flare, by the animals resident in Bethlehem; an owl, mouse, cat….. and some very cheeky sheep! The children filled the audience with joy and laughter and we are incredibly grateful to all who supported.

Fergus Llewellyn Headmaster

also...

• What a wonderful start we have had to the year in Reception! Our first topic was ‘Marvellous Me’ culminating in a picnic and a visit from a giant bear!  After the halfterm break, we moved onto ‘Let’s Celebrate’ with some wonderful activities inspired by Bonfire Night and beautiful Diya lamps for Diwali. All of the children have settled in beautifully – we are so proud of them!

• The Pre-Prep’s Design & Technology Day helped to develop an understanding of the thought and preparation required to design and make. Most importantly, it also afforded the opportunity to persevere; we know we have to try, try and try again in order to succeed. Reception baked Remembrance cookies, Year 1 made dream catchers involving some delicate fine motor skills and Year 2 worked on their sewing skills, learning the blanket stitch ahead of a forthcoming Victorian bookmark project and creating a hand puppet in the process. Not to be outdone, Nursery Butterflies marked the day with lots of building and construction fun, building and decorating cardboard towers and using large wooden blocks to create tracks.

•

finally, a

£1,920

Mrs Freeman Head of Pre-Prep

And

huge thank you to our Nursery and Reception parents who donated generously for their children’s masterpieces last Summer and have raised a wonderful

for Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice.

Aiming E

veryone has been impressed by the rich and varied range of Year 8 Summer Projects this year! The children have really embraced topics that they are passionate about, creating an exhibition that had something for everyone. Thespians have loved the villain monologues, artists have enjoyed the variety of art work on display, engineers were intrigued by the go kart and glider experiments, budding architects were interested in the renovation projects and craftspeople have been delighted that some children have learned traditional skills such as carpentry or four edge painting. There are so many talents on show and the children should be incredibly proud of their achievements. The Summer Project should be a journey of self-discovery; we think our Year 8s have aspired to that goal.

Congratulations to all those that took LAMDA exams in the Summer term; we have had another fabulously successful year with 111 entries. Taking acting exams ranging from Entry Level to Grade 5, we achieved 100 Distinctions and 11 High Merits. Well done everyone!

We were delighted to see two Cumnor children recognised for their entries to the Cuckfield BookFest Creative Writing Competition; congratulations to Lexi R (Year 6 and Overall Winner) and Constance M (Year 2). A huge thank you, also, to Ms North who took a leading role in moderating the day’s most popular sessions with author Katie Kirby.

Showtime!

In the last week of Term, in a break from tradition, Year 8 came together for their Variety Show with some standout performances of the YMCA, 12 Days of Christmas and a solo performance by Will B! A completely child-led event, we were overwhelmed by how supportive the children were of each other. Hot on their heels with plenty of sparkle, the children cha cha’d into the ‘Strictly Cumnor Dancing’ final. Judged by ‘Craig Revel-Mockridge’, ‘Shirley North’, ‘Flossie Mbuse’ and ‘Ben du Beke’, the Year 3 and 4 girls won the glitter ball trophy for their rendition of ‘Fame’. Huge thanks to Mrs Harris and Ms North!

Finn K, who started fishing when he was three, has been celebrating a new personal best after reeling in the biggest catfish in Latchetts Lakes.

Weighing in at 59 pounds, this is a feat that has only been achieved once before! The fish was carefully returned to the lake after a quick photo to mark the achievement; congratulations!

Congratulations to Bea S who was chosen as one of this year’s runners up in Wealden MP Nusrat Ghani’s 2022 Christmas Card Competition. Selected from hundreds of entries, the card has been sent to none other than Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai and the Prime Minister! We were delighted to welcome Nusrat to Cumnor in December to congratulate Bea.

A Spotlight on Boarding

With the majority of senior schools, be they local or further afield, offering more flexible boarding options, many of our leavers go on to experience more time away from home as both day or boarding pupils. Flexi boarding at Cumnor for Years 7 and 8 offers an enriching experience that helps our children head to their chosen senior schools with a growing sense of independence and responsibility. Challenging the myths of boarding being stuffy and isolating, and being flexible enough to fit with modern family life, boarding at Cumnor is at the heart of our school community and an experience for all to enjoy!

Mr and Mrs Park are really great at finding different opportunities for everyone to get involved or to enjoy some quiet time if that’s what you’d like to do. They always make it fun and you can talk to them about anything.

One of the highlights of Boarding are our themed ‘Staff Suppers’, creating an opportunity for the children and teachers to get to know each other in a different environment, not to mention getting dressed up and practising their table manners! In December, the annual Boarder’s Feast is not to be missed……fantastic food, silly games with the teachers, carols around the Christmas tree and, of course, a disco!

The food is one of the best things about Boarding – lots of choice and you get bigger portions!

In everything they do, our Houseparents, Mr and Mrs Park, ‘love being with the children and watching them grow’. The perfect balance of discipline, organisation, fun and creativity, they exemplify team work and always have the children’s wellbeing at the heart. Alongside our ‘gappers’, who are often from overseas and fill an older sibling role, boarding provides a safe home from home for children to be creative with their own time and enjoy activities they wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to do.

The ‘gappers’ are also brilliant; they are like friends to us.

Anyone thinking of Boarding definitely should; it is really good fun and you get to spend time with your friends in a different way to at home.

We could not be happier, nor more grateful, to Cumnor for giving our son such a brilliant, fun and joyful boarding experience. It is proving difficult to get him home even to eat……he says the school food is better than at home! He is making so many happy memories to look back on.

I really enjoy the Staff Suppers; they have helped me to interact with people I wouldn’t normally talk to. Boarding has made me really enthusiastic about boarding at my Senior School.

CUMNOR PARENT

The Music Barn

Autumn term 22 has proved to be another successful term in the Music Department! In September we visited Eastbourne College with Year 7 choir members to take part in the SING! Festival. This was a fantastic day for the children and it was thrilling to join forces with other schools and sing together;

it made for a notable performance to parents later that afternoon in the Jennifer Winn Auditorium. October saw pupils take part in the first Coffee Concert of the term followed by our fabulous annual Piano Concert, giving every child learning the piano an opportunity to perform on stage.

Out and About!

Despite being a washout weather wise, our annual Geography field trip to Dorset was a hugely enriching experience, both academically and pastorally. The children demonstrated commitment and resilience; a fantastic way to kick off Year 8!

Before the half-term break, members of the Senior Choir enjoyed ‘La Bohème’ at Glyndebourne and during the break itself we had a Practice Challenge with some very dedicated practising from pupils in Year 3 all the way up to Year 8. Those who practised the most received some yummy prizes and most significantly gave their respective academic Houses some of those all-important House Points. This was followed by another Coffee Concert in November which was warmly received by parents and once again gave pupils learning an instrument or sitting an exam a chance to perform to an audience. In the final weeks we had our Christmas Coffee Concert, which was a real highlight of the term, showcasing the wonderful music of our groups after a busy term of music-making. We were treated to some festive music, including three carol singing visits to community care homes, and, of course, not forgetting the Junior and Senior Carol Services, which have both been great fun and a memorable experience for all those involved.

A Thank You

I would like to thank all the visiting music teachers who have worked with the children with great enthusiasm and expertise, and particularly those who participated with us at the concerts. I would also like to thank the many parents who have encouraged their children to practise and persevere with learning an instrument; it is a very worthwhile activity for many reasons, but not always easy, so we do appreciate your support. Many thanks to Alice Boileau who has helped at many rehearsals, and to Glen, for all his help organising events and trips, and to all my friends on the staff who have kindly volunteered to help in various ways. Most important of all, I’d like to thank the children, who have worked so hard throughout the term in all of our concerts, music competitions and coming to rehearsals week-on-week.

Merry Christmas and farewell………

I really am retiring now!”

ALI WICKS

feast of activity and inspiration. Aesop’s Touring Theatre Company took us back to Ancient Egypt; Roman Britain Workshops introduced Centurions and explored life for Roman soldiers; we investigated Tudor tapestries; gathered inspiration for poetry in Brighton; explored solar systems, forces, light and sound at Herstmonceux Science Centre; and studied sustainable urban management at the Olympic Park. Year 5 kicked the week off with their trip to Herstmonceux Science Centre where they took part in bridge-building workshops, rocket shows and plenty of hands-on activities.

A Warm Welcome

This term we welcomed nine new teachers to the Pre-Prep and Prep; we are delighted to have such a talented, enthusiastic and committed group joining our team. In particular, we welcome Mrs Pope and Mr Rogers as Head of Art and Director of Sport.

With a background in fashion and textiles before moving into teaching, Mrs Pope joins us from Sackville School, East Grinstead. Kerrie is passionate that while we can teach the technical skills, design creativity is key, and she sees her role as feeding and developing the children’s vivid and wild imaginations, not following a formula.

‘It is refreshing how supportive the school is of the arts’.

Mr Rogers joined after half term, relocating to Sussex from his previous role as Director of Sport at Bradford Grammar School. Ollie began his career playing and coaching rugby and is excited by the opportunities that lie ahead at Cumnor.

‘I am a firm believer that everyone should be able to enjoy being active, regardless of ability or experience. By the very nature of most sports, we should play to win, but first and foremost we need to enjoy the journey!

I’m passionate about being active for life and a strong believer in the opportunities this provides’.

MRS POPE

MR ROGERS

We were delighted to be shortlisted for Talk Education’s inaugural awards for Innovation in Education, in acknowledgment of our Foundation programme. Thank you to everyone who joined us for ‘Breakfast in the Bistro’ during our first Foundation Week; we had a great turnout and it was a wonderful opportunity for our community to speak with the parents of our Foundation Scholars, our Family Mentors and Parent Ambassadors who are such wonderful supporters of the Foundation.

Another fun-packed week, sparking the children’s scientific imagination from Nursery to Year 8.

First up, an explosive start as Wonderstruck took us through the history and science of rockets, interspersed with a very large fireball and some incredibly loud noises! Braintastic explored the world of our senses and the tricks they play on us, while author Robert Guidi (half engineer, half storyteller), captivated Years 5 - 7 with his new book.

Nursery Butterflies and Pre-Prep took to the labs to explore bubble-making, static charge and sinking fruit while Blue House were victorious in the House Challenge with their impressive ‘egg drop’ and catapult challenge –excellent team work! A highlight was undoubtedly the hard-fought battles between the ‘scribblebot’ and ‘battlebot’ in Cumnor Robot Wars!

Sporting Accolades

• The rugby season started with lots of enthusiasm if not a little wet! Training is going well and the boys are developing their knowledge and skills to improve their enjoyment, creating a real culture of togetherness and development, playing to each other’s strengths. Year 3 tag games are giving plenty of opportunity to show off speed and ability to dodge and, with the whole year group involved, they are gaining valuable experience of playing against other schools. Year 4 have really taken to the contact element; the Hurst Festival showed that the future is bright and all boys had the opportunity to represent the school.

• A strong finish to the season for our footballers with the 1st team demonstrating resilience in abundance. Colts A conceded the least number of goals at the Pelican Cup at Brighton College –with a very young team, this bodes well for next season. Game play, enjoyment and ball mastery

U13 Girls’ Hockey National Champions!

The Art Studio

Our Year 8 scholars were treated to a masterclass in acrylics with Sally Johnson, who has been training art teachers at the University of Brighton for many years. Focusing on consolidating observational drawing, layering colour and use of brush work, this was a fantastic opportunity for our scholars to create original work for their portfolios. Sally was incredibly impressed by the intensity with which our students tackled the task and their focused concentration was exemplary.

has dominated, encouraging children to express themselves on the ball and to be brave.

• X Country has been a real strength for Year 3-5. Placing 2nd overall, there were some strong individual performances from Henry M (1st) and Bay K (3rd) at the Lingfield.Cross Country Meet and 9 medalists at Cumnor’s event where we hosted our local primaries.

• More equestrian success to report at the Hurst Inter Schools Show Jumping competition at Hurst where we sent four fantastic teams over two classes who were often competing against far older children. Our star performance came from the Cumnor ‘Adventurers’ Bay K, Hugo B and Murray B-M – a young team, who rode with great focus to clinch first place.

• Girls’ hockey has been the highlight of the term, demonstrating real strength and depth. As the first stand-alone independent prep school to win the IAPS U13 Girls’ Hockey National Championships since 2016, we couldn’t be prouder of our 1st team! Alongside this National prize, the U13 team had an outstanding season with wins in both the UKSA and Worth School’s hockey tournaments as well as an unbeaten run in all of this season’s fixtures.

• In addition, it has been a fantastic season for the 2nd team, the strongest we have had for a while, who finished the term unbeaten, setting good foundations for the 1st team next year. Colts A have undergone real growth, developing as the season has gone on, placing as runners up at the UKSA tournament and benefitting from a masterclass at Ardingly. Colts B have had mixed results, but with several not having played hockey before starting Cumnor this term, they have a sound game understanding and made great progress, demonstrated by their UKSA U10A plate win. Year 3 and 4 have had a great season of festivals with real potential and drive to improve.

They are such a talented group of girls, who have shown strong potential since they were in Year 3. Always eager to learn, they have a strong work ethic, are team players and they have been a pleasure to coach.

All Aboard!

Year 5 embarked on a magical music voyage for their show in a week, ‘All Aboard!’.

Taking the week off-timetable to learn the dialogue, music and choreography, everyone was involved. Congratulations to Holly Hume reprising the lead role of Captain Cook and Dan Rockall and Finn Kelly for delivering some infamous one-liners, bringing the house down.

It’s Behind You…..

It was fantastic to watch the children co-operate as a team and support each other to create a fabulous musical by the end of the week, taking the audience on a journey, and receiving thunderous applause. Huge thanks to Mrs Wicks, Mrs Coleman, Mrs de CoverlyVeale for their invaluable support with music, choreography and costumes respectively.

MR GABBARD

A-Z of Musicals

Presenting, Robyn Hood in ‘The Wrong Panto’! Written and directed by Mr Freeman and featuring a cast from all corners of the school, the children revelled in seeing their favourite teachers on the stage in all their glory. An absolute triumph and testament to the dedication of Cumnor staff!

On a very wet Sunday evening in November, a packed Theatre hosted the A-Z of Musicals! Raising over £2,500 for our charities, the concert featured performer’s direct from the West End and we feel very privileged to have heard such a calibre of talent. We hope to welcome then again in the future.

Cumnor Conversations

Woman. Mother. Adventurer. The next instalment of our Cumnor Conversations series welcomes Wendy Searle, polar expedition leader, the 7th woman in history to ski solo to the South Pole and an inspirational speaker on adventure and mental resilience. Save the Date | Wednesday 23rd February 5pm.

Growing Together Week

To mark National AntiBullying Week, ‘Healing Hearts’ was completed by each student in Year 3 - 8 as a collaborative piece of artwork. The hearts were laser cut from synthetic organza with the background word art reflecting our

school motto and anti-bullying slogans. Each child was given two pieces of a heart, which they sewed or joined back together and decorated with jewels, symbolising how our actions can shape us as people, celebrating our collective community identity and the value each individual brings to Cumnor.

Creative Writing

Year 3 enjoyed a glorious day, gathering inspiration for their ‘Autumn is All Around Me’ poetry challenge and exploring what they could hear, feel and smell.

Old Cumnorians

Another memorable and heart-warming afternoon was shared by around 200 Old Cumnorians and their parents as the classes of 2011 and 2012 joined us on a sunny late September Saturday for their 10-year reunions.

Cumnor

Fundraising

The Christmas Market, Raffle and A-Z of Musicals has kicked off this year’s fundraising with a bang, raising almost £20,000 so far! We are hugely grateful to all of you who baked, decorated, donated raffle prizes or took stalls at the Market and contributed to making these events a huge success.

CLASS OF 2011

CLASS OF 2012

Cumnor House Sussex London Road, Danehill, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 7HT T: 01825 790 347 E: office@cumnor.co.uk

www.cumnor.co.uk @cumnorhousesussex @cumnorhouse