The Belvedere Chronicles 7th Edition

The Belvedere

Chronicles

The Leweston Society Record 7 th Edition

Contents Headmaster’s Introduction

1

From the Editor

2

Contributors

2

Mrs Kate Reynolds

3

Creative Life

4

A Cycle of Success

6

Diary Dates

7

International Boarding Prefect

7

Head Girl

7

Helping to Break the Cycle of Poverty in Peru

8

OA Reunions

10

A Life Less Ordinary

12

Kia Ora

13

A New Joy, A Joy Shared

14

Class Notes

16

Marriages, Engagements, Births, Deaths and Retirements

21

Sponsored Cycle for the Coldstream Guards Charitable Fund

22

The OA Award

22

A Tale of Two Families

24

Reaping the Benefits

26

Into the Wild

28

Spiritual Life

30

The Early Days

32

The School Year in Retrospect

33

Exam Results 2014

36

Leweston has its own Facebook page. Please follow this link to find our page www.facebook.com/Leweston Once there you will need to become a fan by clicking on the ‘like’ button at the top of the page. This will ensure all our posts filter through to your Facebook home page keeping you up to speed with news and events at Leweston.

A D R I A N AY LWA R D

W

HEADMASTER

Welcome to the 2014 edition of The Belvedere Chronicles. The past academic year has been a momentous and dynamic one for Leweston, with much to celebrate. There have also been a number of major developments across campus this year, reflecting how at Leweston we are constantly looking ahead to ensure that we can continue to offer the first class education for which we are known.

It has been a busy year for the arts at Leweston and the creative life of the School has never been more alive (see page 4). The sports department has also had an exceptional year, with notable successes across an incredibly diverse range of disciplines (see pages 33 - 35). We look forward to building on these impressive achievements with the appointment of Sara Guy as Director of Sport from the summer term 2015.

Academically Leweston has once again had an excellent year.

We have recently been notified that the School has outranked all other English schools in its category (for girls in all types of independent schools) and has been awarded the Good Schools Guide award for excellence in English Literature at Pre-U. In addition we had strong sets of GCSE and A Level results this summer and another record breaking year of AS results (this can be read about on page 36).

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Dr Genevieve Cox as Leweston’s Chaplaincy Coordinator at the start of the new academic year. Genevieve has had a busy first term overseeing the spiritual life of the school and instigating a fabulous retreat programme which is innovative, engaging and thought provoking for all involved. Much more is planned for 2015, culminating in the annual Sixth Form pilgrimage in the summer term. The thriving spiritual life of the School can be read about on page 30.

Leweston’s capability for enabling girls to perform beyond expectations across the ability range is reflected by the fact that we have once again been ranked in the top 10% of schools nationally for value added at GCSE. These results and the GSG award reflect the dedication of both the girls and the staff and I am justifiably proud of this achievement, which builds on our strong reputation for academic excellence.

Finally it is my great pleasure to announce that Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed Head of Leweston from September 2015, following my decision to step down at the end of the academic year to seek a new challenge. I have no doubt that Kate will continue to build on Leweston’s success with commitment, understanding and passion in the years ahead. More information about Kate’s appointment can be found on page 3.

There has also been much change at the lower end of the School, with the Prep School becoming Leweston’s Junior Department.

This positive move has seen both schools benefiting from a fuller integration with one another. I am now Head of both departments and, since September 2014, have been supported at the Junior Department by Victoria Bridgeman-Sutton, in her role as Senior Teacher.

Investment in our facilities continues; this summer saw the completion of new accommodation to support the expanding numbers of boarders at Leweston, as well as a new home economics suite, refurbished art block and an additional science lab. This investment continues next term with the expansion of our Nursery to cater for the growing numbers at the lower end of the School.

This academic year has already seen so much to celebrate but as we reflect with pride on the many achievements, we also look forward with anticipation and confidence to all that 2015 has in store.

I hope that the magazine can capture a taste of the vibrancy of life at Leweston for you all, as well as providing you with the opportunity to hear about the experiences of your fellow OAs. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to Leweston over the coming academic year. Please do keep in touch with the School and send us your news, as we are always keen to hear about the paths you have taken after leaving Leweston once and for all.

1

CONTRIBUTORS

JEMMA GOODLAND THE EDI TO R As the new Editor of The Belvedere Chronicles, I would like to take this opportunity to thank those OAs who have provided me with news over the past few months. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing from you all and compiling my first ever issue of the magazine has been a truly joyful experience!

This year’s ‘Class Notes’ section is filled to bursting with some marvellous achievements and updates and we have no less than 8 articles written for the magazine by OAs themselves. Covering a vast array of topics from volunteering in Peru, to the early days of St Antony’s in Sherborne, these articles are not to be missed.

Thank you to all those who contributed their wonderful words.

2014 has been a very exciting year for Leweston, with the Prep School becoming the Junior Department, the expansion of the Nursery, a new website and the appointment of a new Head for September 2015. The School has also seen a number of other developments over the past year, assisted by many kind donations from OAs and friends of Leweston. Over the past 12 months, such donations helped us to increase our boarding provision, to create a new home economics room, art and design centre and temporary science lab in the Senior School and to install a baby unit in the Nursery. We were also delighted to be able to purchase 400 new kneelers for St Antony’s Chapel, divided into the School’s distinctive house colours. On behalf of Leweston, I would like to thank all those who very kindly gifted money to the School; all donations, no matter how small are always very gratefully received!

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR CONTRIBUTING:

• Adrian Aylward

• Michel Masoin

• Chris Penson (nee Cockeram ‘03)

• Harrie Kivell (’11)

• Harriet Barnard (nee Hazlerigg ’94)

• Luciana Birch-Reynardson (’10)

• Nicky Rutherfoord (nee Dancaster ‘73)

• Roy S. Forbes

• Sophie Tuppen (’11)

• Tabitha Nelham Clarke (’11)

With a number of exciting developments planned for the coming year, we look forward to seeing the School continue to grow and to watching these investments translate into tangible results.

The 2015 Gaudy Reunion will take place on Saturday 9th May at Leweston. Please see page 7 for the year groups that are to be invited. The Gaudy has always been well attended and is a fantastic way for OAs to catch up with old friends. Please do put the date in your diary and spread the word amongst your peers; the larger the turnout, the better the event for all! For those year groups involved, invitations have been enclosed with this magazine. We look forward to seeing you there!

Please do keep me informed of any other reunions that take place throughout the year, as I will gladly cover them in the next edition of The Belvedere Chronicles. We are very happy to host reunions for any other year groups that would like to get together at the School. Please contact me if this is something that you would be interested in doing via goodlandj@leweston.dorset.sch.uk or 01963 211015.

It is always great to hear from OAs, so please do keep in touch with all your news, stories, articles, marriages, births and achievements. Please also notify us if your contact details change, so that we can continue to keep you informed about everything happening here at the School.

I do hope that you enjoy reading the magazine.

Mrs Kate Reynolds Announced as the New Head of Leweston School from September 2015

The Governors of Leweston are delighted to announce that Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed as Head of Leweston from September 2015. Mrs Reynolds takes over from Adrian Aylward, who steps down at the end of the academic year after nine years in the post.

Mrs Reynolds was educated at St Mary’s Ascot, Wellington College and at Bristol University where she studied Law from 1986 to 1989.

She passed her Law Society Finals in 1990 and practised as a solicitor until 1994. In 1994 she obtained a PGCE from Bath Spa University in English and subsequently worked at Gillingham School, Sherborne School and, of course, Leweston, where she is currently Head of EAL. In 2012 she undertook a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Buckingham University.

Mrs Reynolds, aged 47, has four children and her husband, Giles, is also a teacher.

“We are delighted that we have been able to appoint Mrs Reynolds who has the vision, skills and qualities to take Leweston forward in the years ahead. Mrs Reynolds has known the Leweston community for some nine years and has a commitment to, understanding of and passion for the exceptional education the School provides. She will also be carrying forward the core values of Leweston, both within the School and in the wider community, based on the Catholic ethos of the School. I look forward to seeing Leweston continue to flourish under her leadership.”

Mary Head - Chairman of the Governors

“I am honoured to be taking on the headship at Leweston.

The School is a very special community and I look forward to building on its reputation for educational excellence.”

Schola are planning a tour to Nepal in 2016!

Song of Songs

e v i t a Cre

On Monday 5th May, Leweston’s Schola Cantorum gave a fantastic performance in front of a packed audience at Sherborne Abbey, as part of the Sherborne Abbey Festival. Here Schola debuted their special commission for upper voices: Song of Songs.

Song of Songs by Patrick Hawes, with text by Andrew Hawes, was originally written for SATB and was then dedicated to Schola Cantorum. Accompanied by string quartet and harp, the piece is a sequence of six poems derived from the Old Testament Song of Solomon exploring the nature of love.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT AT ST LUKE AND ST TERESA’S CATHOLIC CHURCH

e f i L PUPIL AWARDED FOR TOP MARKS IN VIOLIN ASSESSMENT

The well attended concert featured a packed schedule of festive performances

by Leweston’s Schola Cantorum, the Baroque, Vocal and Cello ensembles, Year 8 and Year 13 soloists, the Wind and String Quartets, the Jazz Band, the Sixth

Form Choir, the Lady As and the Leweston Belles. All proceeds from the event were shared between the Church, the Kampala Music School in Uganda and the Leweston Schola Tour Fund.

A MOZART CELEBRATION BY CANDLELIGHT

Sunday 2nd March saw the Leweston Choral Society performing ‘A Mozart Celebration by Candlelight’, featuring a professional orchestra playing on period instruments dating from the C18th and professional soloists. The choir, made up of girls, parents, staff, governors and adults from the local community, was

over 100 strong and the concert raised the roof, especially during the Requiem.

The first two songs, Laudate Dominum with soloist Rachel Milestone, singing teacher at Leweston, and Ave Verum Corpus, were sung entirely by candlelight, which lent an authentic feel to the evening.

Clara H (Year 13) was awarded the ‘Vicar’s Close’ prize by the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) for achieving the highest Grade 8 Distinction on the violin. The ‘Vicar’s Close’ is a cash prize endowed by the generosity of an anonymous donor who died in 1979.

It is offered to promote education in music in the former County of Somerset and is annually awarded to candidates gaining the highest marks in Violin and Pianoforte.

The Tempest A cast of Senior girls performed William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, to great acclaim.

Actors from years 10, 11 and the Sixth Form graced the stage and a large number of girls were involved backstage and in the design processes. Head of Drama, Anthony Irvine commented, “All the elements coalesced - the acting, the lighting, the sound, the

visual design, the costume, the props, the special effects. Our approach worked because a real collaborative and creative ensemble developed over the rehearsal period with the Sixth Formers leading the whole process. It was magic!!”

PUPIL WINS PRESTIGIOUS NADFAS GRANT

Summer Art and Design Exhibition

Fashion Show

Over 40 guests were welcomed to the Manor House for the opening of the Summer Art and Design Exhibition. The private viewing showcased this year’s GCSE and A Level coursework and exam pieces. The guests were captivated by the remarkable exhibition which was a testament to the wealth of art and design talent in the Senior School.

Pupils from years 7-13 took to the catwalk to unveil their 2013 Fashion Show Collections on Tuesday 22nd October. Items showcased included printed bags and graphic designed paper bags, fascinators, circus themed ponchos, 1920’s skirts, African tribal garments, GCSE Fossils and Facets coursework and exam pieces, work from the AS level textile design course and pieces made at Leweston’s textile club.

‘All the World’s a Stage’ All girls in years 7-9 were involved in the KS3 Music and Drama Showcase ‘All the World’s a Stage’. The showcase provided the girls with the opportunity to demonstrate what they had been working on in their private music and drama lessons, as well as during lunchtime clubs and in the classroom.

Highlights included girls from Year 9 performing the monologue ‘All the World’s a Stage’ from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It; a performance of The Last Rose of Summer for voice and harp by music scholars, Alice B and Portia M; a profound rendition by Year 7 of scenes from Private Peaceful; the drama scholars’ humorous take on ‘Life at Leweston’; and finally the gospel medley Feel the Spirit by the entire cast.

In the autumn of 2013, gifted Leweston student Madeline K was selected by NADFAS (National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Society) to receive a coveted £500 grant.

The grant enabled Madeline to attend the Dorset Opera Festival’s summer school, where she took part in two operas, working with a professional cast and a large chorus.

The Little Mermaid

LAMDA Exams 2013 24 Junior pupils were entered for their LAMDA group exams. After a confident performance, 22 pupils passed with distinction and two with merit. Senior girls also achieved a 100% pass rate: 60% were passed at distinction and 25% at merit.

The Leweston Junior Department dazzled audiences with their summer production of The Little Mermaid. Children from years 3 to 6 took to the stage to bring Hans Christian Andersen’s magical fairy tale to life. The colourful spectacle, which boasted the original songs by Alan Menken, ran over three days with acting, music, singing, dancing, costumes and set design of the highest standards.

5

A Cycle of Success

Leweston

Leweston has a distinguished reputation for inspiring future success, with many Old Antonians going out into the world and thriving, after laying the foundations of excellence here at the School. Leavers take their place in the world with confidence, reflecting the many and varied opportunities available to them at Leweston.

One high profile Old Antonian is Baroness Dido Harding (‘85). Dido is the Chief Executive of Talktalk Telecom Group PLC and has recently been appointed to the House of Lords. Raised in Dorset, Dido attended Leweston from 1978-1985 and then went on to study philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford alongside David Cameron.

In February 2013, Dido was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. The honour was repeated the following year, when she was named in the 10 most influential women in the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List 2014. In August 2014 she was nominated as a Tory Life Peer in the House of Lords.

Dido is one of many Old Antonians proving that Leweston offers the perfect preparation for an exceptional future in any chosen sphere. These women are providing inspiration to younger generations of Leweston pupils, instilling in them a drive to be the best they can be.

The result of such positive inspiration can be seen in the achievements of more recent leavers such as Charlotte Cook (‘09), Sarah Lowery (‘06), Gabriela Bryson (‘09), Luciana Birch-Reynardson (‘10), Eleanor Miller (‘11) and Georgie Varley (’09). Charlotte is currently holding the prestigious position of General Secretary of the University of Manchester Student Union; Sarah has been elected as the newest councillor for Yeovil Town Council; and this summer, Eleanor, Georgie, Gabriela and Luciana all graduated from their respective universities with First Class Honours – Eleanor for biological sciences from Exeter University, Georgie for veterinary medicine and science from Nottingham and both Gabriela and Luciana for business and Spanish (combined honours) from Northumbria. These OAs exemplify the success that can be achieved not only by personal dedication but by making the most of life at a School where individual talents, skills and abilities are encouraged and honed.

This year Leweston’s Year 13 achieved outstanding A Level results across the board, enabling many of them to take up places at the most selective of universities. These new Old Antonians are set to become inspirations themselves, motivating those that they have left behind at the School and continuing the cycle of success that begins here in the Leweston classrooms.

Classrooms.

HEAD GI R L

When I started Leweston in 2010 in Year 9, I can remember looking at the Upper Sixth and thinking that I wouldn’t be where they were for ages. Having just finished my own first term as an Upper Sixth, it’s only now that I really see what everyone meant when they said it would go quickly. Being asked to be Head Girl was a huge honour, and as well as being quite surprised, I am really proud to be able to give something back to the School in my final year.

DIARY DATES 2015 Friday 27th February – Thursday 5th March Art Exhibition Years 7, 8 & 9 Sunday 1st March Choral Society Concert Friday 6th March Leweston’s Careers Day for Year 10, 11 & 12. Welcoming OAs as guest speakers Friday 13th March Nursery and Junior Department Open Day 10.00 – 12.00 Monday 4th May Whole School Open Day 09.45 – 13.00 Saturday 9th May Gaudy Reunion for leaver years 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 Wednesday 14th October Lunch for local OAs

My years at Leweston have taught me so much, and acting as a role model for the younger girls at the School is a part of being Head Girl that I have really enjoyed. As well as organising the prefect team this term, I’ve also completed my applications to university.

I know that from here onwards, the year will only get busier, but I look forward to seeing what my last terms at Leweston will bring. Hopefully, when the end of the year comes, I’ll be able to feel proud of all that I have achieved not only as Head Girl, but also as a pupil in my final year. I am really grateful for everything that Leweston has provided me with, and I know that I’ll never forget the years that I’ve spent here.

A WORD FROM ...

CHARLOTTE E D WA R D S

I N G R I D L AU I NTER NATI ONAL B OAR DI NG PR EF EC T

Living away from home is never an easy task. When I first came to Leweston in Year 10, I found it difficult to start a conversation with others; I suppose it was the lack of a sense of belonging at that time. However, with the great support both teachers and boarding staff offered me, I quickly settled in both socially and academically. Studying at Leweston for the fourth year has given me a great sense of belonging to this School. The hope of helping those who are in the same position as I was in when I first came is what drove me to become a prefect, as I believe that I can approach them more easily and comfortably as I am also an overseas student. I was made International Boarding Prefect this year, and I have been involved in organising several international events, such as the Chinese New Year Celebration; it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying it.

As an International Boarding Prefect, I am delighted to see the new comers from overseas have finally settled in and are enjoying life at Leweston.

RESTORATION OF THE BELVEDERE The Belvedere is one of Leweston’s most famous, emotive and historic landmarks. However, over recent years the condition of the amphitheatre and the access to the Belvedere has deteriorated. The School is working with local heritage charities to restore the Belvedere to its former glory but we do need to raise some additional funds to secure its future as such an important asset to the School.

We will be contacting OAs, and other members of the Leweston community during the course of this year to help us realise this ambition. If you are interested in offering support to this project, please contact Jemma Goodland, Alumni Coordinator on goodlandj@leweston.dorset.sch.uk or 01963 211015.

7

Helping to Break the Cycle of Poverty in Peru Chris Penson (nee Cockeram ’03)

I am sitting in a cramped minibus, surrounded by chattering school children and mothers in traditional Peruvian clothes. Babies are tucked inside brightly patterned woollen shawls tied to their mothers’ backs. As the road deteriorates into a dusty track and I crane my neck to look out of the window, a man tells me in Spanish that this is my stop. He doesn`t know me, but realises that I’m not a lost tourist; the only foreigners on this bus tend to be volunteers at HOOP`s English school in the shanty town of Flora Tristan.

While working in the UK, my husband and I had been saving up to volunteer and travel in Latin America. I was keen to continue using my Spanish (which I studied at both Leweston and university) and to spend time ‘in the field’ to complement my six years’ experience working in Human Resources for an international development charity.

It can be hard finding worthwhile voluntary work. Many organisations charge hundreds or even thousands of pounds for one-size-fits-all programmes, yet focus on projects that are unsustainable, or even harmful. For example, I have heard so many stories about volunteers building a school or health centre, only to discover later that the facility wasn’t being used. This was

often due to poor construction (because of a lack of appropriate skills among the volunteers) or because the community needed something different but hadn’t been consulted properly in advance. For this reason, I wanted to find a placement that would match my skills in HR, charity governance and TEFL to benefit a local community in a lasting way.

While in Latin America I discovered HOOP (Helping Overcome Obstacles Peru), a small Peruvian NGO in Arequipa, Peru`s second largest city. With the support of local and international volunteers, HOOP aims to break the cycle of poverty through education. The after-school programmes they run in the barren outskirts of Arequipa (where there is no potable water supply or sewage system) include English classes, homework help, sports, basic library facilities, and support with health, family relationships and psychological wellbeing.

They also offer twice-weekly English and business classes to the children’s mothers.

HOOP was keen for me spend my four months in Arequipa establishing HR policies, putting in place a new board of trustees and teaching English to the mums.

The mums were shy at first, as was I, and I used fun games to help them build on the

English phrases they had learnt previously. In the first week, to revise the topic of ‘clothes’, I encouraged them to arrange themselves into groups and describe what clothes they had in common. This helped to break the ice, not least as while explaining the activity to them in Spanish I managed to say by mistake: “This group is wearing sun hats, that group is wearing caps, whereas we have nothing in our heads…” This had us all in fits of laughter!

The mums each have between one and four children, so I was surprised to find that half of them were younger than I was. With their no-nonsense, worldlywise manner, this was a humbling realisation. Although we had a great time together in the classes, it highlighted the difference between our lives and how much greater their responsibilities were than mine. Their experience of education had also been very different. From nursery to the age of eighteen I enjoyed the nurturing environment of St Antony’s, with the best possible support for achieving academic, sporting and musical goals. In contrast, the women in my class had attended school for only five hours per day, in class sizes of over forty. The same is true of their children now, though HOOP’s after-school programme provides an additional two hours of support each

The volunteers

day. Most of the mums did not complete secondary school, as their families had needed them to start earning money, often as a cleaner or a street vendor of newspapers, sweets or ice creams. They don’t want the same to be true for their children.

These young mums in Flora Tristan continue to live in very difficult circumstances. They are often the sole carer for their children (the men are mainly employed in distant mines or construction sites and rarely visit home) and are also sometimes the sole breadwinner, as domestic abuse and family breakdown are all too common in Peru.

Financially speaking, the majority in Flora Tristan live on less than two US dollars a day. In other words, what Brits might spend on a cup of coffee each day is all a mother here has to feed her entire family.

The mothers I had the pleasure of teaching were making the best out of their situation and thanks to HOOP they are getting a chance to improve their circumstances. Speaking English is a very

useful skill in Arequipa as a lot of jobs are related to the thriving tourist industry.

Even selling knitted souvenirs on the street, as some of the mums do, is more profitable if you can communicate in the customer’s language. Furthermore, HOOP’s business classes are giving them the skills and confidence to set up their own businesses, which should help them to keep their children in school and break the cycle of poverty.

So when I sat in that old bus during my first week in Arequipa and the kind man told me where my stop was, I sensed that the locals really do welcome HOOP’s work with the community. I loved my time volunteering and feel that it offered valuable professional and personal experience. I hope that reading this article may provide encouragement to those of you considering volunteering overseas.

You can find out more about voluntary opportunities with HOOP on their website: www.hoopperu.org and on

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hoopperu If you are interested in volunteering overseas and would like any advice, please feel free to get in touch with me by e-mail: chriscockeram@hotmail.com

OA Reunions

SATURDAY 10TH MAY 2014 Leweston was delighted to welcome over 60 OAs back to the School for their annual Gaudy Reunion on Saturday 10th May. It was delightful to see such a large gathering of Old Antonians from years 1984, 1989, 1994 and 2004 back at school. The day provided the old girls with a chance to come back to Leweston, meet up with peers and reminisce about old times. Having had a delicious lunch, a particular highlight of the day was the tour of the School which bought back countless

memories and wonderful stories. We were also very excited to have a Master Chef finalist in attendance: congratulations to Angela Langford (‘89) for reaching the final stages of the revered competition.

A huge thank you to those OAs who were instrumental in getting their year groups together, it was a very memorable day for all and we look forward to welcoming you back to Leweston in the not too distant future.

We love to hear about all reunions, so please do keep us informed!

GAUDYÂ DAY

The 2015 Gaudy Reunion will be held on Saturday 9th May at Leweston for leaver years 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005.

We are always happy to host reunions at the School at any time and for any year group. If you are interested in holding a reunion for your leaver year please contact Jemma Goodland on goodlandj@leweston.dorset.sch.uk or 01963 211015.

Save the Date! We are hosting a special lunch for local OAs on Wednesday 14th October 2015 from 12pm. Meet the new Head, enjoy a delicious complimentary lunch, be entertained by our very talented pupils and take guided tours of the School. Invitations will be sent out nearer to the time. To register your interest in attending please contact Jemma Goodland on goodlandj@leweston.dorset.sch.uk or 01963 211015.

35 YEAR REUNION FOR THE CLASS OF 1979 On Saturday 13th September 2014, OAs Caroline Moore (nee Mason) and Karen Bourne-May (nee Laver) held a 35 year reunion for the Class of 1979 in Hampshire. we all reminisced and caught up with what everyone had been up to in the intervening years. There was much laughter, excellent food, and plans made for our next reunion next year... when hopefully more of our year will be able to join us!”

The lunch was attended by Susan Macklow-Smith, Fiona Mitchell-Innes, Maggie Rigby, Caroline Tite, Fiona Cronk, Susie Ryan, Vicki Dickenson, Clare LloydGeorge, Nicky Bystram, Clare Berry, Jane Martin, Kate Hooper, Lizzie Law, Georgie Thring, Judy Seymour, Cathy Faulkner, Tessa Young and Rosie Marsh.

Caroline comments, “It was a very jolly, lively day and it was great fun to get together after all these years. Some of us had not met up since we left Leweston 35 years ago, so there was lots of catching up to do and reminiscing about our time at school and what we got up to. Many people had brought their photographs which made us all realise just how much time had elapsed....!”

Top row (L-R) Jane Mitchell, Maggie Rigby, Karen Laver, Nicky Bystram, Georgina Thring, Clare Lloyd-George.

Middle row: (L-R) Cathy Faulkner, Vicki Dickenson, Kate Hooper, Susan Ryan, Tessa Young, Fiona Mitchell-Innes, Fiona Cronk.

Bobs (Susan) Macklow-Smith commented, “We were blessed with a glorious day. The years just fell away as

Front row (L-R): Lizzie Law, Judy Seymour, Caroline Tite, Caroline Mason, Susan Macklow-Smith, Clare Berry.

11

A Life Less Ordinary…

BY HARRIE KIVELL (’11)

Since Leaving Leweston in the summer of 2011 my life has taken an entirely different direction than expected.

I was never that keen on the idea of university but rather dreamed of attending Le Cordon Bleu London. This, at the time of studying my A-levels and preparing UCAS applications for law school, seemed like a distant fantasy... never far from my mind though. I would read the prospectus most nights when I probably should have been reading Frankenstein. My heart was not set on university and as a result of this I missed out on a place at Exeter...

It was at this time that I realised I would never make the cut as a top notch lawyer and for me it was all or nothing. Not content with going to a second rate university or being second rate in my chosen profession, I begged and begged my parents to allow me to jack-in academia altogether and to seek a place at the best culinary school in the world: Le Cordon Bleu.

Nine months later my journey began. I studied both patisserie and cuisine and achieved a distinction in Le Grand Diplome.

The vision was to own my own private catering company but I knew I’d have to get several years of experience in the industry before this became a reality, so I applied for jobs all over the country and much to my delight landed on my feet working as the pastry chef at Hotel Endsleigh.

All was going swimmingly until I was taken very poorly and was told I’d be unable to work for at least 12 months. I had to quit my job at Endsleigh and spent several weeks on the sofa wondering what the heck I was to do next.

went from strength to strength so did my enterprise, now named ‘Boo to a Goose’.

Since the New Year I have acquired a commercial kitchen and am running an extremely successful and growing business. I still can’t quite believe how the puzzle has fit together, but it has certainly instilled in me a belief that everything happens for a reason.

As Christmas was approaching I began getting asked if I’d make this, do that, cater for this. Without any intention, the month leading up to Christmas was manic for me and I soon started to see that my dream of being a private chef was not as far-fetched as I once thought.

In January 2014 my illness was finally diagnosed and treated and as my health

For more information about Harrie’s business, please visit www.bootoagoose.net

KIA ORA Don’t be afraid to Leap into the Unknown

By Harriet Barnard (nee Hazlerigg ’94)

I HOPE THAT MY STORY CAN BE USED AS AN INSPIRATION TO OTHERS… I wasn’t the brightest spark in the class, although I tried really hard! I remember to this day that after I completed my GCSEs, my parents attended a parent teacher interview and were advised that it would be better for me forget about doing my A levels and to go and do a secretarial course.... However, two A levels later, and to mine and Mrs Hopkins’ amazement even a B in Geography, I was able to do my nurse training! Since then, life has taken many twists and turns and I have an amazing career which has taken me on many huge adventures.

I have been living and working as a nurse in New Zealand for 10 years now, which seems crazy, as I was only meant to be here for 3 months!

I completed my nurse training in Winchester Hospital in 1997 and from there the world was my oyster. I lived and worked for a few years in Winchester and also in Cambridge at Addenbrookes Hospital.

I then decided that Australia was calling and so went up to London and got my working holiday visa and transferred my nursing registration to New South Wales. I then booked my flights and moved to Manly, Sydney, where I spent a year nursing. As I was on a working holiday visa I had to move jobs every three months which gave me a lot of excellent experience and meant that I worked in both the public and private systems. I was also lucky to have my cousin Vicky Todd (nee Moody, ‘91) over there as well which helped enormously. I did lots of travelling in Australia and had an absolute ball; it was such a fantastic period of my life, with so many opportunities.

Once my visa was up, I moved back to Winchester and worked as a Pain Specialist nurse. I then attended a friend’s wedding in New Zealand which gave me the travelling bug again, leading to a decision to fly back there to travel for a few months! I transferred my nursing registration to the New Zealand Nursing Council and flew over. I did a bit of travelling and then decided to move down to Wellington, the country’s capital, where I was fortunate enough to be offered a job straightaway and started working as a nurse on a General Surgical Ward.

The rest is pretty much history and it is hard to believe that 10 years, on I am married with two beautiful children and am still here in New Zealand!

People often ask me, “Don’t you miss your family and friends?” Yes of course I do, I wouldn’t be human otherwise!

But I know for the moment that this is a fantastic opportunity; in fact, it is the price you pay for the richness of life!

I have found my niche in nursing. New Zealand has been the most amazing experience, the people are super friendly and welcoming, the weather in general is bright and warm and the scenery is spectacular. So come on what are you waiting for... come and join us!!

13 The photos were taken in Queenstown, South Island

A

A New Joy, A Joy Shared (Evan-gelii Gaudium)

BY ADRIAN AYLWARD - LEWESTON HEADMASTER

A group of pilgrims returned to Lourdes at the invitation of the OMV in order to celebrate (as near as anyone could agree) the 40th Anniversary of the Pilgrimage. We were five or six families (or rather middle-aged men and women) from the early days of the OMV. We were neither on the pilgrimage nor just mere on-lookers.

There was ample scope for reflection.

The same commitment to the hospital pilgrims, the opportunity to see faith in action and to make friends possibly for life, as many of us did, were all wonderfully apparent on the pilgrimage today. It was clearly larger, better organised, more professional and all those things you would expect as an organisation evolves. Safeguarding was rightly a focus. There was more bureaucracy within Lourdes itself and, I suppose, an immediate thought I had was that there was less space for spontaneity, for example just being able to take the hospital pilgrims out for an ice cream. The

scale of the operation meant that particularly when it came to the heavy lifting the males on the pilgrimage were hard pressed, and there seemed proportionally fewer of them. We all arrived for the opening Mass and my mind inevitably rolled back the years. In the early days the priests were almost all, if not exclusively, Benedictine whilst on the altar we had an Oriatorian, a Jesuit and a Benedictine. The liturgy was much more formal, the music more professional, and inevitably everything took much longer. It was heartening to see a deep level of participation in the liturgy (wherever

people were coming from spiritually) and indeed in the daily prayers more generally.

I would say there was much of the same joy, as I recall, a real sense of the Evangelii Gaudium that Pope Francis puts to us as a necessity. I suppose I felt a certain nostalgia, (but perhaps not simply nostalgia) for the days when one could, at short notice, work in the Baths or transfer one’s labour into different directions wherever the need arose or perhaps indeed as the Holy Spirit prompted. But that is inevitable with a certain institutionalism but perhaps we should be wary of that as Pope Francis urges.

The Order of Malta volunteers are a group of young people between the ages of 17-29 who dedicate some of their time to caring for disabled people. The annual trip, which takes fifty hospital pilgrims to Lourdes, is the biggest activity in which many Leweston girls have been involved.

The make-up of the pilgrims themselves has evolved, although the core remain from the traditional Catholic schools.

Many more pilgrims were from nonCatholic schools reflecting the nature and choice of Catholic families today. The characters were, however, the same. There were the snappy dressers, the characters that felt ill at ease between the uniformity of demands and, indeed, clothing and their personal spiritual search. There were the eager beavers and those who were more content to be rather than to do.

There were the same animated conversations, the same flirtations. Well it is true that today’s OMV drink rosé rather than beer, as in our day, although when I quizzed a few of them on this they said it was an economic decision and that beer was very expensive. Somehow, however, I couldn’t see all the young men and women quaffing beer as we did.

The mid 70’s and late 80’s were a very different time and perhaps we were a little more arrogant but also perhaps a little less practical. Did I sense that there was much talk of universities and careers? However I am quite certain that the invitational nature of Lourdes and the privilege of

being in such a place for a few days affects pilgrims in what they do in life and, if not, certainly how they do it just as much as it did in our day. As a teacher I get used to talking to and being with young men and women but it still gave me a thrill to see how Lourdes gave the OMV a little glimpse, at its best, of the Kingdom of God. Rightly, the pilgrimage has changed as the Church has changed. Pilgrims seems to be much more conservative both in liturgical taste and other matters and there was a little less of that strong streak of Benedictine humanitas which I recall.

Then, we were also very much a ‘lay organisation’ fending off quite amicably the embrace of Knights and Dames in robes and medals that went with it. They are a less truculent lot now but no worse for it. I would also like to mention in these few words Dom Philip Jebb O.S.B., who has just died, and was such a central inspiration of and to the OMV. To my generation he radiated joy and prayer and a sense of providence. May he rest in peace.

So thank you to the OMV for inviting us back, we loved it and were rather in awe of all that is being achieved.

Originally published in The Malteser, the official OMV magazine, 2014 issue 4.

Being part of such an incredible organisation, where each member has the desire to help those in need and to break down barriers between the disabled and young people, is a profound and extraordinary privilege.

There is no wonder why so many volunteers go back year after year to this wonderful place, where there is always a helping hand, a complete sense of faith and a motivated, likeminded crowd in the Broncs, gossiping over a legendary bottle of rosé.

Lourdes has shown me that even where verbal communication is not possible, friendship and admiration for those whose patience and kindness is unrivalled, is easily found. The hospital pilgrims are some of the most inspiring and incredible people I have had the privilege to meet. Whilst exhausting, this is a fantastic and enriching experience that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Working together to deliver care and compassion in a wonderfully spiritual and sociable environment is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

TABITHA NELHAM CLARK (‘11)

THE ORDER OF MALTA

CLASS NOTES...

SYLVIA TRIANA (NEE CHAURAND ’60) was at Leweston from 1955 to 1960.

Sylvia is pictured here during her recent trip to Paris.

PETA WALMISLEY (NEE WALKER ’62) has been enjoying her travels. She ventured to South America in November 2013 and India in November 2014. She looks forward to spending Easter 2015 in Argentina with her niece and a trip to Australia and New Zealand later in the year.

PAULINE CROWTHERSCOTT (NEE CROWTHER ’66) is living in San Francisco, where she has been based for the last thirty-four years. Pauline last made it back to Leweston in 2000 for the Millennium Ball celebration with her sister Janet and cousin Hilary who are also OAs. Pauline attended art school in London and then taught art there, and in San Francisco in high schools, for most of her working life. She retired in 2013 and as well as painting, has started writing again after a long lapse.

Pauline comments that “This has made me think of our old English teacher Miss Haughton, who was amazing!”

Some of Pauline’s artwork can be seen on her website: www.mesart.com/ pcrowtherscott

ELIZABETH RANSOM (NEE FESQ ’69) is living in Australia and has helped to set up a small charity outreach group.

Pregnancy Assistance Frankston supports vulnerable pregnant women and has been running a ‘drop in’ centre for 6 years that has become quite established in Victoria.

There are a few such outreaches around the world whose purpose is to provide encouragement and hope to women in crisis pregnancies. For further information please visit www.pregnancyassistancefra nkston.org.au

JO SIMPSON’S (NEE CHANCELLOR ’75) life took many paths of work and travel in different directions.

She is now married with 2 children and has been living and working in New Zealand for 20 years.

LOUISE PILDITCH (NEE NORTON ’73) is now a full time painter. Louise is staging an Exhibition in London in February 2015 and would love it if OAs dropped in to say hello. This Solo Exhibition is based on Louise’s recent paintings inspired by visits to Svalbard, Norway and will run from 23rd February to 1st March 2015 at The Gallery, 54 Shepherd Market, London W1J 7QX. Louise reminisces about her time at the School: “I started boarding at 8 years old at St. Antony’s Sherborne in 1963, and I was at Leweston from 1966 to ’72. My favourite activities at Leweston were art lessons with Mrs Maltby and running around out of bounds – not much has changed!”

JOSEPHINE HUTCHINSON (NEE ALLEN ’76) After five years of working at Appleford School in Shrewton, Josephine decided to work independently as a Specialist Paediatric Speech and Language Therapist. She specialises in working with school age children who have language disorders and social communication difficulties. At Appleford the children all had a diagnosis of dyslexia and many had other language and/or communication difficulties. Josephine recently held/attended a couple of OA reunions. One was at her house (Hampshire) in June with Annie Snow (nee Dibben), Mary Balfour (nee Pettitt), Sarah Muir (nee Rahman), Liz Thomas, Sarah Young, Suzie Vickery (nee Crean). The other was at Sarah Muir’s house in Fulham attended by Liz Thomas, Laly Martin, Marguerite Brown (nee Boon), Ruth Crowe (nee Hawley), Sarah Gregory (nee Smith), Berit Horne (nee Guttuso), Sarah Ashmead and Sarah Young. Josephine reports, “Sarah Muir was an exceptionally good hostess and all are looking forward to the 40th anniversary reunion in 2016”. Josephine’s boys are now 19 (Russell) and 16 (Joseph). Russell is working as a chef for a local catering company, as he has done all the way through college at BCOT, and is hoping for a permanent position there. Joseph is now in his last year at Rookwood School and takes his GCSEs this year. Russell and Josephine are also setting up a small wedding business as their paddock is right next to the church in their picture book village.

The first wedding is booked for May.

PENNY ROSS (NEE COYER ’77) and her husband David have spent the year overseeing building works on their farmhouse in Devon and working as volunteers for a horticultural charity.

Their son has been doing postgraduate study at Trinity College, Dublin and so they have had a few really interesting bonus trips to Ireland and love the city. Penny met up with Veronica Ford (nee Sutton) in Exeter recently - she grew up in Devon and is now living in Ashford with her family.

VALENTINE SIMSON (NEE COOPER ’77) and her family continue to love living in Dorset with a menagerie of three dogs, three chickens and a hamster called Chunky who lives up to her name! Valentine has a new job working for the MOD at Bovington which keeps her extremely busy. Her husband Kestrel continues his weekly commute to an MOD job in London. Her son Jos aged 31 (ex Sherborne) married Klara Kaczmarek on 24th May 2014 in Poland, so the entire family and a large group of friends had a wonderful weekend celebrating! For many it was their first visit to Poland, so they found it very interesting.

Daughter Lucy (also exSherborne) now 28, continues working as a Freelance Chef travelling the world. Olivia Simson (‘08) aged 23 has spent her first post graduate year working for an event management company in both London and Dorset. In November she left for France to work for six months, where she will enjoy a stint in Courcheval, so all skiers should look out for her! Valentine sees many OA friends including Judy Dodworth (nee Seymour ‘78) who works in the antique business and also lives in Dorset; Lucinda Fraser (nee Rayment ‘78) who is also living in Dorset; Jane Pridham (nee Stibbon ’77); Miranda Ford (nee Morgan ’77); and several others.

KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS (’78) was made a dame in the 2015 New Year Honours.

Actress Kristin is set to portray the Queen in the play The Audience at London’s Apollo Theatre from April 2014.

KATHERINE REYNOLDS (NEE WHITE ’81) is still living in Perth, Western Australia and is now working for Swimming WA. Constance Reynolds, daughter number two, is currently a full boarder at Leweston. Kate recently returned to the UK for a visit and caught up with Jo Batting (nee Piggins).

LUCINDA BOSWORTH (NEE ARUNDELL ’81) is an artist who lives and paints in Marrakech, Morocco. Winner of the Lloyds Art Group prize in 2008, Lucinda is best known as a portraitist and has hung in the Mall Galleries in London, Lanhydrock in Cornwall (solo exhibition), the Riverside Gallery in Golant, Gallery 286 in Earl’s Court and the PZ Gallery in Penzance, amongst others. In 2014, Lucinda held a successful exhibition of the series, ‘Ben Salah Medina’ at the Theatre Royal in Marrakesh.

ZOE SCHWARZ (NEE THOMPSON ’82) was nominated for Best Female Vocalist in the British Blues Awards 2014 and has received many nominations and awards for the album ‘The Blues Don’t Scare Me’ with her band Blue Commotion. The band’s new album ‘Exposed’ was released in October 2014 and they are hoping that it generates similar success. Blue Commotion have been featured in numerous blues magazines, and have enjoyed many radio plays including several BBC Radio 2, Radio 3 and BBC regional plays.

LIZ MALE (’85) was awarded an MBE in the 2015 New Year Honours for her services to the Construction Industry and Consumer Protection. Liz is Chairman of Liz Male Consulting Ltd, a company which she established in 2001.

The company is best known for its PR, communications and marketing campaigns in the property, architecture, building, construction services and energy efficiency sectors. Liz is also the non-executive chair of TrustMark a governmentbacked initiative to assist consumers to find a reputable contractor.

CATHERINE LEWIS (NEE PARKINSON ’86) now lives in France just near the border with Switzerland, with her children attending school in Switzerland.

ANUSCHKA SCHOFIELD (NEE DE ROHAN ’87) is still living in Bristol with her husband Nic and her six year old daughter Natalie and is working at the BBC’s Natural History Unit. Earlier this year Anuschka got back into playing netball (after a break of over 20 years!) which brought back many happy memories of Leweston netball lessons and matches organised by Mrs Ault and Miss Loney. She recently met up with Bergy (Emma Bergman) in London and Caroline Abrahams (nee de Pelet) in Dorset and has also been in touch with Alexia Robinson and Alice Fircks (nee Leigh) plus quite a few other girls from her class on Facebook.

ANGELA LANGFORD (’89) took part in this year’s Master Chef Competition on the BBC where she made it through to the final. She has her own skincare range and also runs a successful pop up restaurant business in Somerset and Dorset.

MILLIE PILKINGTON (NEE CHITTENDEN ’89) and Elizabeth Pope have published a book entitled Great Faces of Dorset. Millie was responsible for the book’s striking photographs of nearly ninety men and women who help give Dorset its character.

Some are household names, others shun the spotlight. Some go quietly about their business – helping others, safeguarding Dorset’s countryside, providing employment; others enjoy truly contemporary even eccentric lives. Yet all are remarkable, and are brought together within Great Faces of Dorset by author Elizabeth Pope’s ability to tease out their individual stories and bring a fresh insight into what it is to live and work in Dorset today. Published by the Dovecote Press Ltd, Great Faces of Dorset is available to purchase now.

LUCINDA BARRY (NEE COURTNELL ’91) lives in Andover with her husband Justin and 3 children: Sebastian 7, Miranda, 4 and Cosmo, 1.

Lucinda keeps in touch with lots of friends from school (many of those thanks to Facebook), and sees two regularly at school drop off Miranda Rowan-Thompson and Patricia Everard. She recently had a lovely catch up with Annabel Shove (nee Steptoe) (1), Isy Drinkall (2) and Eugenie Tomlin (nee Wilkinson) (3).

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FIONA DALZELL (NEE WARD ’91) was welcomed back to Leweston in June 2014 to lead a special concert marking the unveiling of the School’s new grand piano which was very generously donated by the Sisters of St Antony’s Convent, Sherborne. A previous Leweston music scholar, Fiona went on to study at the Royal College of Music, l’Academie de Maurice Ravel in St. Jean de Luz and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique Paris, where she was the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades. Fiona has appeared in major venues and festivals throughout the UK and abroad, both as a soloist and chamber musician and has recorded for both television and film. The concert was a great success with guests astounded by Fiona’s immense talent. Leweston would like to thank Fiona for giving up her time to play for us so beautifully.

CHARLOTTE SPRINGALL (NEE CUTTS ’93) took part in a Charity race at Newmarket on 16 August 2014, raising £1600 for Breast Cancer and Woman’s Aid. Charlotte runs her own business breaking and schooling equines. www.charlottespringall.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/Ch arlotteSpringallEquestrianServ ices HANNAH JULIA BRAGG (NEE LUARD ’93) is currently living in Buckinghamshire with her husband and children: George born October 2009, Lilly born May 2011, and Alexandra born October 2012. Baby number 4 was due in December 2014.

ALEXANDRA BOULTON (NEE MOODY ’94) is married with three children and lives just outside London.

Alex has followed the path of Mr Barlow and Mrs Hopkin and is a Geography teacher!

Alex is still in touch with lots of the girls from her year.

VICKY TILSON (’93) has just recorded the third album of originals with her jazz quartet (The Vicky Tilson Quartet).

Mojo Risin’ is the long-awaited new album from this original quartet, the first with the new line-up: featuring Dee Byrne (alto sax), Stuart Fiddler (electric guitar), Vicky Tilson (double bass) and Reinis Axelsson (drums). Mojo Risin’ is a unique collection of original tunes by Vicky that explore the themes of the credit crunch, patience with destiny, depression, risk-taking and eternity, skilfully utilising influences from such jazz luminaries as Charles Mingus, Michael Garrick, Dave Holland, Steve Coleman, Empirical and Phronesis.

Vicky’s own journey into music wasn’t an easy one and this album reflects her struggles with life as she embarked upon her professional career at the late age of 33. Featuring the talents of some of Britain’s best undiscovered jazz musicians, the album is an epic exploration of odd meters, contemporary harmony and melodic invention that grooves and swings its way through all nine tracks.

Vicky’s website address for anyone wishing to find out more is: www.vickytilson.com

HARRIET BARNARD (NEE HAZLERIGG ’94) is living in Auckland, New Zealand. She is married to Scot, with two daughters Arabella, 5, and Sophia, 3.

Harriet is working as a Specialist Fertility Nurse.

AMELIA D’APICE (NEE CAWOOD ‘94) was featured on BBC 2 on Tuesday 16th December with the New Military Wives Choir with Gareth Malone. She auditioned with 5,000 others to be one of the 100 chosen to sing in the War Horse Prom which took place at the Royal Albert Hall last August (but was broadcast over the Christmas period). Amelia was one of six women chosen, about whom two documentaries were made (her husband was in Afghanistan at the time).

HARRIET OLDS (NEE LAVENDER ’95) is living in Bedfordshire with her husband and twin girls who turned three in September. She still keeps in touch with a handful of school friends including: Caroline Northey (nee Dickens) who she meets up with as regularly as working full time and having two children each allows, Selina Graham-Campbell, Yasmin Harvey (nee Illam Dean), Jennifer Reeves (nee Gliddon), Beth Frampton and Nessa Harbottle. She can’t believe it’s twenty years next year since they all left Leweston. She’d love everyone to make it back for a reunion in 2015.

Her sister Charlotte lives in London and works in advertising and has a gorgeous little girl called Eliza. Her youngest sister Jessica is also in London and is teaching.

ROSIE DRURY-SMITH (NEE DRU DRURY ’95) left Leweston in 1993 after a very happy 10 years! Following a Psychology and Computing degree she found herself a job at QinetiQ, or DERA as it was then. She has enjoyed a successful career in Human Factors test and evaluation in aviation. Having spent many years jumping in and out of various large aircraft collecting human performance data, she has now taken on a specialist team leader role and heads up a group of 16. Rosie comments that it “is very exciting bringing in younger professionals and developing them in the work that we do. We have a range of specialists in the team, from aeronautical engineers and ergonomists, to psychologists and physiologists.”

This last year Rosie has also been concentrating on publishing and launching a children’s book called The Guzzle Gump. The Guzzle Gump is a funny, light-hearted story, written in rhyme, about children who don’t eat up their food! The author, Natalie Livings is a close friend of Rosie’s who has written an amazing collection of children’s stories which they hope to publish together, through their company DruZoo books. They have connected with Amazon and have created a website www.guzzlegump.com

Rosie is currently enjoying visiting primary schools and offering interactive sessions with the children, covering topics such as writing in rhyme, drawing and acting. Rosie is also supporting a local author, Julia Edwards, who has written a series of time travel adventure stories aimed at key stage 2. The Leopard in the Golden Cage is the first in the series. This is a very exciting book which combines an imaginative story based in Roman Times, with factual information to support the key stage 2 history learning requirements www.scargatherer.co.uk Rosie has three boys who also keep her busy and an adorable Springer cross Labrador - a Springador! They regularly enjoy walks in the country as a family. Rosie is in touch with a number of OAs and comments that they “are all really keen to have a big reunion at some point!”

JESS COPPER (’98) Following their success in winning the UK Flower Shop of the Year Award in 2011-12, The Poundbury Florist has gone on to be awarded ‘Highly Commended’ (2nd Place) in the National Wedding Industry Awards 2014. Over the past couple of years they have created wedding flowers for the weddings of OAs Joanna Hughes, Emma Hole and Holly Mervik among others, as well as just recently for the son (Neal) and new daughter-inlaw (Anna) of Mrs Lawson (previous Deputy Head).

LUCY PEARCE (’98) released her fourth book in November 2013. The Rainbow Way: Cultivating Creativity in the Midst of Motherhood was Amazon’s ‘Hot New Release’ at the time. Her third book, Reaching for the Moon: A Girl’s Guide to her Female Cycles, is currently being taught in girls’ schools in Ireland.

VICTORIA PUZEY (NEE KNIGHT ’02) left Leweston in 2002 to study for a BA Hons degree in Hospitality Management. After completing her degree, Victoria moved to Southern Ireland for a year to live and work and then returned to Dorset. She met her now husband, Jeremy, in 2009 and they married in their village Church in Trent on 21 July 2012. There were plenty of OAs in attendance and two were Victoria’s bridesmaids; Philippa Petre (nee Riddell) and Polly Turner.

Victoria and Jeremy found out they were expecting a baby due on their first wedding anniversary, however, a week later than her due date Amelia Louise Puzey was born on 29 July 2013 weighing 7lbs 8oz.

Amelia was baptised on 1st December 2014 with two OAs as her God Mothers; Philippa Petre (nee Riddell) and Claire Louis-Neal (nee Parrott).

EMMA PRICE (’04) reports that her swing-folk group The Beau Bow Belles have been doing well. They released their debut EP ‘To The Moon’ in September, garnering some great reviews, including the following praise from The Ring Master Review: “To The Moon is a real treat of thoughtful craft and rampant imagination wrapped in an expansive and varied energy fuelled melodic boogie.” Their album will be released at the end of the year.

In addition to this, Emma continues to have a thriving career as a freelance musician. www.thebbbs.com DR HELEN ROCHE (’04).

In 2014, Helen produced the premiere production of her husband Oliver Rudland’s new opera, Pincher Martin. Based on William Golding’s novel, the production took place at the Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music, London from 24th 26th July.

Using specially-filmed and original archival footage, the opera’s innovative cinematic backdrop utterly immersed the audience in Pincher Martin’s nightmarish wartime world.

Featuring a stunning cast of young professional singers and musicians, the production by RCM alumnus Oliver brought Golding’s existential novel to life and was a great success.

MARTA FONTANALSSIMMONS (‘04) joined local group The Pilgrim Singers as a soloist for a special concert at Cheap Street Church, Sherborne on Saturday 19th July 2014.

The Pilgrim Singers are led by former Leweston teachers Jane Fenton and Margaret Crossman and are accompanied by another former Leweston music teacher and OA, Sophie Ellis (‘07).

Talented Mezzo-Soprano Marta is a much celebrated concert artist and was this year a finalist of the Kathleen Ferrier Award.

GEORGIE VARLEY (‘09) has passed all her exams and is now a qualified vet! Georgie obtained a first class degree from Nottingham University.

Georgie will start a year’s intense internship at an equine hospital in the East Midlands in February 2015.

DAISY CRICHTON (’11).

Former Head Girl Daisy ran the Dusseldorf Marathon during her year abroad in Frankfurt to raise money for Parkinson’s UK. She’s currently studying German and history of art at the University of St Andrews.

The programme on the night included folk songs, gospel, pop, theatrical songs and classical operatic choruses.

JEMIMA PETTIFER (NEE WESTWOOD ’06) and her husband Charlie, are both teachers and have recently relocated to Malaysia to teach at Marlborough College in Johor; a UK boarding school for pupils from 3-18, with strong links to Marlborough College in Wiltshire. Jemima will teach Year 2 and Charlie will teach Mathematics to Years 5-8.

KELLY TUPPEN (’07) is completing her PGCE with the Institute of Education in London.

LUCY GREGORY (’11) left Leweston in the summer of 2011, and then went on to Norland College in Bath to train to be a ‘prestigious’ Norland Nanny and to also study for a degree.

The course at Norland is a four year course, the first two years are spent in college and then the last two years continuing the degree whilst working full time for a family.

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Lucy is currently working for a high profile family in Dorset whilst completing her final year, where she will be writing a dissertation on a topic of her choice.

In May 2015 Lucy will receive her Norland Diploma where she will then graduate as a qualified Norlander. She will also graduate in 2015 with a degree through the University of Gloucester with a BA Hons Early Childhood Studies.

Although her training at Norland consisted of wearing a very strict uniform (they often had groups of tourists taking photos and many cars tooting at them), Lucy had a hugely enjoyable time and made friends who will last a lifetime.

Lucy is also hugely proud to have been nominated for an award at Norland for gaining A grades in all of her placements throughout her two years at the college.

Lucy returns to Leweston frequently as she is still in contact with many members of staff and their children, and because she very much enjoys coming back to the School.

Lucy comments that “I am proud to say I went to Leweston and I know that my time there set me up well for my journey into the big wide world!”

SOPHIE TUPPEN (’11) enjoyed her sandwich year in South Africa at the Primates and Predators Research Centre as a research assistant. Sophie is studying zoology at Cardiff University.

CHARLOTTE AND REBECCA WALTERS have had a successful year competing on their horses.

Charlotte (’12) enjoyed a fantastic first season with her bay mare Greylands Delightful Pride (affectionately known as Delilah) winning the not exceeding 153cm Working Hunter Pony class at the Royal Bath and West to qualify for the Royal International Horse Show. She also had a wonderful day at the Dorset County Show, winning no less than 4 classes and a Championship over 2 days. Charlotte is currently reading biology at Oxford Brookes. Charlotte’s younger sister Rebecca, who is now in Year 13 at The Gryphon after leaving Leweston in Year 11, also had a wonderful season riding the family’s home-bred part-bred Connemara Holnest Finnegan.

As with Charlotte and Delilah, Rebecca and Finn accumulated a mass of red rosettes throughout the year, culminating in a qualification for the Pretty Polly 153cm Show Hunter Pony class at the Royal International where they were placed 5th.

MILLY MOSSE (‘13) was recommended for a nannying job for the whole of August 2013 and then asked to go back home with the British family to Dubai to nanny for a month, in return for two month’s work experience with ‘Art Dubai’ afterwards. Following this, she was subsequently offered an internship with them, which has since resulted in her being given a permanent job. ‘Art Dubai’ were amazed at her ability to take on new challenges, the confidence with which she met clients and sponsors and her organisational skills. They could not believe that she was only 18! She has been given the role of Assistant to the Fair Manager and is also currently working as the PA to the Fair Director. She is very happy, learning a huge amount about the events industry and “living the life”, as she says.

SOPHIE HAWKINS (’13) reports that she recently met Siobhan Stewart on the hockey pitch whilst playing for their respective university 1st XI teams! Sophie is currently reading medicine at Bristol and Siobhan, who plays for the prestigious Oxford Blues, is reading biological sciences at Oxford. Sophie also completed the Bristol Half Marathon in 2014.

BETH RICHARDS (’13) is loving university and her course. She had a lovely time in Australia, staying with Jacinta Reynolds for several months and working in a coffee shop. She then travelled around Australia, popped over to New Zealand and came home via California. She then got a job for a month based at Oxford University before returning home to Dorset to spend most of the summer working in the famous fish restaurant, The Riverside, in West Bay. To cap it all she then spent most of September beating the grouse near Inverness. She has also just won a scholarship at Surrey University, worth £3,000 per year.

ISOBEL WORRALL (’13), KIMMY COLOMBO (’11) AND OCTAVIA ROME (‘12) travelled to St James’s Palace, London for the presentation of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award in 2013.

JUSTYNA EKERT (‘14) has been awarded the Andrew Szmidla Scholarship which amounts to £10,000 per annum for 3 years towards maintenance. The aim of the scholarship is to enable and encourage academically able students to pursue their undergraduate studies at UCL. One of the criteria for awarding the scholarship is academic excellence. Justyna who completed her A Level studies in chemistry, biology, physics, maths, and Polish at Leweston, is now studying medicine at UCL. FLORENCE KOSKY (‘14).

Jemma Lacey, OA and current Leweston textiles teacher reports that Florence’s modelling career is going from strength to strength. Florence is modelling all around the world for the most prestigious designers including Dolce and Gabbana and The Row.

CALLING ALL GOLFERS!

MICHI WONG (’13) was awarded one of only 20 scholarships offered by Cardiff University. Michi achieved an A in her psychology A Level and beat 1000 other applicants to the award which is worth approximately £15,000. Michi is now in her second year at Cardiff reading psychology.

The Tassie is an old girls’ golf competition which is held annually at the Berkshire Golf Course. This year it will be held on Monday 8th June.The Tassie (originally the Silver Tassie) was started in 1961and is a very enjoyable day out on an excellent golf course. Full details of the competition can be found at: www.thetassiefoursomes.co.uk.

The organisers would be delighted to welcome a team of OAs from Leweston. If you are keen to get involved, an entry form may be downloaded from the Tassie website. Entries close on Monday 4th May. Please direct all enquiries to p.donnithorne@sky.com.

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Births

Marriages Engagements

CAROLINE HUMPHRIES (’99) married Edward Alastair Matthews (old Wykehamist) on 20 July 2013 at St Giles Church, Chideock, Dorset, with the reception at the family home.

The bridesmaid was STEPHANIE HUMPHRIES (’02).

JEMMA LACEY (‘06) a daughter Isabella Lacey Scott born on 11th December 2013.

Isabella was born weighing 9lbs 5 ounces.

Leweston Girls present at the wedding were MARGARET BOUCHERIE (NEE MACDONALD), MELANIE HEYEL (NEE FOX), RACHEL PERROW and BECKY WREN. Mrs Stein conducted the Sherborne Singers Choir and Mrs Price played the organ. Father Richard Meyer led the prayers and did the address.

LAURA PATERSON (’97) became engaged to Paul Evans in April 2014 and will be getting married next April.

LUCIE CROSS (’05), daughter of Leweston Mathematics teacher John Cross, has become engaged to Fl Lt Michael Wells who is normally based at Yeovilton. Michael’s parents live in Weymouth, and his main interest is motor racing. They plan to get married in the summer/autumn of 2015.

ANNA CHAPMAN (NEE GRANT-IVES ‘02) a son Edward Samuel (Ted) born on 2nd November 2013. His godmother is Sophie Salvidge (nee Crosbie Dawson).

CHARLIE HOPLEY (NEE COLTMAN ’93) a son Edwin Sima Hopley born 15th April 2014, little brother to Izzy.

LUCINDA BARRY (NEE COURTNELL ’91) a son Cosmo born on 15th September 2013.

MOLLY KNIGHT (NEE SHERWOOD-TAYLOR ’03) a son Thomas William born on 3rd March 2014.

Mollie’s father Joe Sherwood Taylor also taught at Leweston (from 1973-2013) and Thomas is his second grandchild.

VICTORIA PUZEY (NEE KNIGHT ‘02) a daughter Amelia born on 29th July 2013.

Deaths SISTER MARCELLINE from St Antony’s Convent died 20th October 2013, she was 97 years old.

STELLA COOK died on 24th May 2014. Stella was a former Headmistress of Leweston Prep School, teaching at the School from 1993 – 1997.

JAN MEYER, wife of Father Richard Meyer, passed away on 25th February 2014.

ANDREE OLIVER-MASOIN (’46) Andree attended St Antony’s in Sherborne from 1944-1946. Half-sister to OA Elisabeth Masoin (‘66) and Michel Masoin, Andree very sadly passed away on the 27th January 2014 at the age of 84. Andree and her family had a very close connection with Leweston, and this connection is explored in the article on page 24.

HANNAH STRICKLAND (’87) twins, Vivien Rose and Jesse Jon Strickland born on 10th December 2013. Hannah is back at work in the music industry and comments that “Life is busy but wonderful”.

Retirements JEAN KELLY, Head of Religious Education, retired at the end of the summer term 2014 after teaching at Leweston for 26 years.

JUDY MILLER, Head of Individual Needs, also retired at the end of the summer term 2014 after 2 years in the post.

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SPONSORED CYCLE FOR THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS CHARITABLE FUND

IN SEPTEMBER, OAS LUCIANA (‘10) AND ISABELLA BIRCH REYNARDSON (‘07) TOOK PART IN A CHALLENGING SPONSORED CYCLE, IN AID OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS CHARITABLE FUND (CGCF).

The sisters cycled from London to Bennecourt (just West of Paris) over the 17th-21st September, with around 150 others. The route was a total of 260 miles, equating to a cycle of around 80 miles per day.

The group chose to end in Bennecourt, the twinned town of the Scottish Borders town of Coldstream where the Coldstream Regiment originates. The CGCF exists to assist with the welfare needs of Coldstreamers, both serving and retired; with the wounded; with bereaved families; and, in future, with those developing mental injuries as a result of their experiences. The Regiment has carried out a total of three tours to Afghanistan and sustained a large number of battle casualties, with many suffering life changing injuries.

The fund’s aim is to supplement existing regimental charitable funds and provide support in such areas as: • Funeral arrangements and expenses of those killed in action

The OA THE OA AWARD IS a sum of money available annually to assist a pupil or former pupil of Leweston School whose project develops the School’s mission statement of assisting the less privileged.

The chosen project could be overseas or in the UK. It could be inspired by the Sisters of Christian Instruction or any other religious or charitable organisation. When applying for the award applicants will detail how they became interested in their chosen charity, what they want to do to help the charity and how they propose to raise money for their chosen project. If there is no suitable applicant found for the award in a year the committee can consider awarding an “OA Grant” to a pupil at the School who needs money for a charitable project.

• Rehabilitation of those who have lost arms and legs • Home alterations including: wheelchair access, non-slip driveways & bathrooms • Holidays for the seriously injured and their immediate families, as well as for bereaved families Luciana reports, “The

cycle ride was great and I have to say I enjoyed it much more than I ever thought I was going to, so that was a nice surprise! It is a great thing to have achieved and I am very glad I did it. I raised over a thousand pounds through lots of donations and a charity tennis tournament that I organised, so it was a busy couple of months but very enjoyable too.”

Further information on the CGCF can be found at www.coldstreamguards.org.uk/get-involved/charity

The sum of money awarded will contribute towards the travel and living expenses of the successful candidate so that she is able to live and work with the community of her choice for a minimum period of six months (a shorter period would be considered for a gap year candidate). It is not envisaged that the Award will be used directly to assist the community or those in its care.

At the beginning of each academic year the Award will be launched at the School and made known to OAs through the Leweston website and the Old Antonian Magazine which is produced annually. There will be continual reminders and advice for applicants during the scholastic year.

ELIGIBILITY The Award is open to any former or present pupil of Leweston School aged between 18 and 30.

DISCLAIMER The successful applicant for this Award will be required to sign this form as a statement absolving the Old Antonian Association and Leweston School from all responsibility.

Neither the Old Antonian Association nor Leweston School can be held responsible for accidents to the applicant whilst working with her chosen community.

THIS YEAR THE OA AWARD WAS PRESENTED TO ELEANOR MULES (’14). ELLIE IS SET TO TRAVEL TO SOUTH AFRICA IN 2015 TO WORK FOR GAP 360 ON A VOLUNTEER PROJECT TEACHING CHILDREN FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN CAPE TOWN. She will spend her time teaching in schools, day care centres, or ‘educare’ volunteer projects and will have the chance to pick from a number of projects that the charity works with in the area, including local community settlements, high schools, crèches and schools for disabled children. Working with local children, Ellie will become a mentor to them and will help nurture their minds. Her role will be to teach English, help with childhood development, play games and help to improve their basic skills of writing, numeracy and ICT. We wish Ellie the best of luck and look forward to her coming back to Leweston next year to talk to the pupils about her experience. Ellie will go on to study childhood nursing at The University of the West of England.

Award

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CONDITIONS FOR GRANTING THE AWARD • The successful applicant will be at least 18 years old when she takes up the Award.

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She is expected to take up the Award within a period of 12 months from the date of the offer.

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The successful applicant will be required to provide proof of: adequate travel and personal insurance cover; satisfactory personal health; completion of a course of appropriate immunisation and vaccination.

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She will be required to undertake, on her return, a presentation of her experiences during the time she was in receipt of the Award by personally visiting Leweston School to give a talk.

APPLICATION OAs wishing to be considered for the Award will be required to submit the following: • A completed application form including the names of two referees.

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An explanation of the nature of the work she would envisage doing and the benefits which the applicant and the community she intends to visit would expect to gain from her stay.

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Written correspondence indicating acceptance from the head of the community the applicant plans to visit.

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An estimate of the total cost.

To obtain an application form please email goodlandj@leweston.dorset.sch.uk or alternatively, visit the website www.leweston.co.uk where an application form can be found under Leweston Society and OA Award.

Applications should be made before the end of March. This will enable all applications to be carefully considered, and shortlisted applicants interviewed by the Chairman of the OA Association at Leweston.

The successful applicant will normally be announced at Speech Day, which is held at the beginning of July each year.

APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO: The OAA Chair, Mrs Shirley Hewson, Leweston School, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 6EN.

MY OA AWARD

A past recipient of the award reflects upon her valuable experience on the Order of Malta Volunteers’ Lourdes Pilgrimage.

CHARLOTTE HOOPER (’13)

My experiences of the OMV Lourdes Pilgrimage started with a twenty-hour coach journey to our destination. Although it was a long journey, it was a good opportunity to get to know the other volunteers. Shortly after arriving in Lourdes we headed to the hospital where we waited to meet the guests. Once the guests had arrived, we all introduced ourselves and helped them to unpack in their rooms within the hospital. I really enjoyed meeting everyone for the first time and helping them settle in. I met a really lovely man who communicated using a sheet with an alphabet on it. It was really nice that he had this way of communicating because right from the start I could communicate effectively with him.

That first night there was a hospital party giving us the chance to get to know everyone. There was a little service too, with prayers and singing and we all helped to look after the guests. My group was put on duty at the hospital for the evening and the following morning. I was paired up with one guest and so it was my job to help her get ready for bed and help her get ready in the morning. I really enjoyed

helping her get ready in the evening and chatting to the other guests in the ward. I had an early start for the following morning and had to help her shower and get dressed. We then helped out at breakfast and for the rest of the day we all went to Mass then on a mini retreat.

During the pilgrimage I met so many inspiring people with incredible life stories. I was also faced with lots of challenges and it was often very hard and frustrating when you could not understand someone you were trying to help. I found that the communication aspect was the hardest thing, as it is so crucial. It was quite a tiring week but an incredibly rewarding experience. Simply chatting to the guests and learning more about them was really interesting and you got such a good feeling when you managed to help someone.

Since I am now studying medicine at the University of Bristol, the experience was particularly valuable to me. I would recommend it to anyone and I would like to thank the Old Antonians very much for their kind gift, without which I could not have had such a wonderful and fulfilling experience.

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F O E L : A TA S E I L I M A F TWO Fanning Masoin

Elisabeth Masoin and her brother Michel are the niece and nephew of Mother Eleanor (1912 – 2000, née Lilian Mary Fanning) Headmistress of St Antony’s Leweston School from 1949 to 1979 and Reverend Mother of the Leweston Community of the Religious of Christian Instruction.

The Masoin family’s earliest connection with the Religious of Christian Instruction goes back to Dame Charlotte (1873 – 1966, née Marie Amélie Poncelet), who was to become Mother Superior of the Order in Belgium. Her first cousin was Régina Maria Masoin (1877 – 1952); their respective mothers were sisters, Ida and Stella Lavaux. We believe that they were together at the Liège convent school in Belgium, the establishment of which had been encouraged by Bishop Cornelius van Bommel, himself also related to the Masoin family.

Régina Masoin joined St Antony’s Convent School on 20th September 1893, two years after its foundation. Her cousin Marie Amélie Poncelet had entered the Order’s novitiate in Doorsele, Belgium, a few weeks earlier on 8th July 1893. Régina, 16 at the time, no doubt only expected to

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stay at St Antony’s for a few months, helping the School establish itself whilst learning English at the same time.

Régina was already an accomplished pianist having obtained 1st prize at the Tournai Music Conservatory in Belgium but it was at St Antony’s that she found her vocation. She finished her studies on 22nd July 1896 and made her perpetual vows on 12th November 1898, becoming Dame Marie Stanislas.

At St Antony’s, she taught French and piano, was Church organist and assistant nurse. We believe she was also in charge of the ‘tuck shop’ which must have made her very popular with all the students! After a brilliant and devoted career, she died in Sherborne in 1952 and is buried in the town’s cemetery. Dame Marie Stanislas was thus the first Masoin connected to St Antony’s. Régina’s father, Charles Masoin was Elisabeth and Michel Masoin’s greatgrand uncle.

Subsequently, other Masoin family members would come to Sherborne. First there would be Régina’s younger sister, Stella Benjamine Masoin (1883 – 1971), admitted on 21st February 1896 for a few

months until 22nd July 1896. Then it would be the turn of her niece, Marcelle Masoin (1914 – 2005), admitted on 23rd September 1930 for one school year until 26th July 1931. Later on came Andrée Masoin, Michel and Elisabeth Masoin’s elder half-sister, admitted during WWII in March 1944 and remaining until July 1946.

Again, after a few years, Elisabeth Masoin, Andrée’s younger sister, would join the ranks of the OAs, joining at the Junior School in 1954, then at Leweston from 1959 to 1966, to be followed later by Alexine Oliver, Andrée’s younger daughter, who stayed at the Junior school in Sherborne from 1966 to 1971.

Lilian Fanning (1912 – 2000) was admitted to the School on 22nd September 1927, staying until 20th July 1931, to be followed one year later by her younger sister, Joan Fanning (1918 – 1991), admitted on 20th September 1932 and staying until July 1936. Searching through records we learned that both Lilian (known as Lily) and Joan had attended St Antony’s School in Mill Hill, North London, run by Franciscan Sisters.

A long connection with St Antony’s School and the Order of the Religious of Christian Instruction by Michel H. Masoin Marcelle Masoin and Lilian Fanning were thus at school at the same time and knew each other. In fact, Lilian Fanning’s mother, Helen Fanning, kindly invited Marcelle Masoin home during half-term holidays.

Lilian Fanning, having left St Antony’s Sherborne, went to Flône Abbey in Belgium on 31st August 1931, where she entered the Novitiate on 5th April 1932 taking the name in religion of Eleanor.

Present at her clothing in Liège was her younger sister Joan. She took her temporary vows on 10th April 1934 and perpetual vows on 6th April 1937. We assume she then returned to England, teaching at the Religious of Christian Instruction’s two establishments, St Teresa’s at Effingham Hill and St Antony’s at Sherborne.

Whilst we can understand how Régina Masoin came from the Liège convent school in Belgium to Sherborne helping to boost numbers during the early years of establishment, why should Lilian Fanning and her younger sister Joan, whose father had been tragically killed in the final weeks of WWI and who were living in London with their mother and elder sister Beatrice, be sent to St Antony’s in Sherborne we shall no doubt never know… Beatrice, the eldest of the three sisters, did not go to St Antony’s Sherborne (nor it would seem to St Antony’s, Mill Hill which both Lilian and Joan attended). As the eldest of three sisters, perhaps she preferred to stay close to her widowed mother? Was there a recommendation to St Antony’s Sherborne through the local Parish Priest?

Now for the twist!

Mother Eleanor, as she was then known, was part of the team which worked towards the establishment of the Senior School at Leweston. This opened on 21st September 1948 with the arrival of 45 girls.

Now, what of the connection between the Masoin and Fanning families?

Albert Masoin (1899 – 1958) and his teenage daughter Andrée escaped from France during WWII. He rejoined the Belgian Government in exile in London.

We have a full account of their traumatic escape, internment in Spain and travels.

With England still at war, naturally Albert would chose to entrust his young daughter Andrée in the care of his aunt, Dame

Marie Stanislas at St Antony’s in relatively safe rural Sherborne.

Mother Eleanor, having heard that Albert (a cousin of her school friend Marcelle Masoin) was in the country, asked to meet him. It would be in the School’s parlour that Albert, visiting his aunt and his daughter Andrée, would make the acquaintance of Beatrice Fanning visiting her sister Lilian Fanning, Mother Eleanor.

By all accounts, Dame Stanislas could thus be described as the ‘match-maker’ between the elder sister, Beatrice, of Mother Eleanor and her nephew, Albert Masoin!

Beatrice Fanning would be Albert’s second wife and mother to Elisabeth and Michel Masoin.

Mother Eleanor (Lilian Fanning), her sister Beatrice Fanning, as well as their mother, Helen Fanning are all three buried in the St Antony’s Leweston School cemetery.

Nathalie-Anne Masoin, daughter of Michel Masoin and his wife MarieAntoinette was baptized in Leweston Church in 1980 and a commemorative fir tree was planted nearby to mark the occasion. And so, the connection perpetuates…

e h t g n i p Rea children’s health and concentration improved. With initial support from the Knysna Methodist Church and Knysna Rotary, the project started to expand.

Dolores and her e’Pap children

Eleven years later the project supports over 90 centres stretching from Oudtshoorn in the West, to Storms River in the East.

RDP homes replacing shacks

Nicky with Dolores and some of the e’Pap babies

I moved to South Africa in 1974 and after marrying and bringing up a family, my husband Jon and I decided to take early retirement and move to Knysna on the southern Cape coast.

Last year I was delighted to meet the girls and teachers from Leweston who were here on their Garden Route Netball and Choir tour. The choir’s performance at St Georges in Knysna was wonderful and a memorable occasion for me.

On moving to Knysna seven years ago, I looked around for a community project with which I could become involved. Through our local church I heard about the ‘e’Pap’ Children’s Feeding Project. This project, which is the inspiration of Shelley and Peter Godsell, commenced in January 2003.

Starting with just R1 800, some 60 children from two pre-primary schools in Knysna were given a breakfast of a highly nutritious porridge each weekday morning. e’Pap is a precooked porridge which is a blend of maize, soya, vitamins and minerals which are in a highly absorbable form.

Careful monitoring over six months produced encouraging results; the

Enthusiastic volunteers handle distribution and monitoring, so that over 4,500 children receive a vitaminpacked breakfast each school-day.

Outlets include a range of schools and children’s places of care. To date over 3 million meals have been served.

The key goal is to improve the health and hence the prospects of as many children as possible, by providing regular and highly nutritious meals through established community structures. In addition to feeding, the project gets involved in the improvement of outdoor play areas, provides stationery & educational equipment that will improve the lives of these children and also provides bursaries to assist pre-school teachers to receive formal training.

School principals and cooks from over eighty schools and places of care take responsibility for preparing and serving the porridge each morning. The cooks are part of the local community and many of them know which children need that little bit extra. Generous donors come from South Africa, England, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the Orkney Islands, the USA and many other countries.I am part of a group of eleven volunteers that deliver e’Pap to Concordia,

s t i f e n e B which is an underprivileged community, with a population of about 10,000, situated on the hills above Knysna. We deliver to nursery schools, a few primary schools, and ‘safe houses’.

Many of the primary school children say that their energy levels and levels of concentration have greatly improved since eating e’Pap. When I first joined the project, most of the homes in Concordia and the surrounding settlements were made of corrugated iron with roofs covered in black plastic and any other scrap material. Over the last few years, our government has been replacing these unstable structures with ‘RDP’ (Reconstruction Development Project) houses. Each house is approximately 50 square meters in size, with a small lounge and kitchen area and one bedroom and bathroom. From these small homes there are ladies within the community who prepare and serve e’Pap to hungry children, many of whom don’t attend school and do not get fed at home as their parents are often either out of work or suffer from some form of addiction, such as drugs or alcohol. Some of these little RDP ‘safe houses’ have up to one hundred children queuing for their only meal of the day. The ladies who serve them do this on a voluntary basis and from the goodness of their hearts.

I personally deliver e’Pap to two nursery schools, of about sixty children each and four ‘safe houses’ every two weeks and have grown to know and admire these women who work in the school kitchens or from the tiny kitchens in their RDP homes.Dolores, who is a social worker and lives and works in Concordia, approached

Nicky Rutherfoord (nee Dancaster ‘73) discusses her rewarding charitable work with the ‘e’Pap’ Children’s Feeding Project

e’Pap two years ago to ask if she could be part of our program, as she has several HIV/Aids children who do not have enough food each day to enable them to keep their ARV (antiretroviral) drugs down.

I started to visit Dolores regularly to understand her needs. Many of these children are born with HIV and their whole families are sufferers. Dolores keeps a monthly record for me on the progress of these children and their families. Having one or two e’Pap meals a day gives them a slightly better quality of life, they are able to take their medication, sores on their skin heal and they find a little more energy to see them through each day.

These amazing care-givers and the children they nurture have enriched my life and have shown me the abundance of love and goodwill that exists in this area under extremely difficult living conditions.

The e’Pap project has also exposed the amazing potential that blossoms in underprivileged children when given a little upliftment in life.

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“THE SPIDERS AND SNAKES MAY NOT BE FOR

In

d l i W e h t o t

By Sophie Tuppen (‘11)

EVERYONE, BUT THAT PLACE WAS AMAZING”

For 11 months throughout 2013 -2014 I was living and working in the Soutpansberg mountain range, Northern Limpopo, South Africa. As part of my zoology course at Cardiff University, I had the opportunity to spend time abroad doing research. I applied and was accepted to work with the Primate and Predator Project (PPP), at Lajuma Research Centre, as a predator assistant. It was, without a doubt, one of the best choices I’ve made.

South Africa is a huge country, Limpopo may not have cultural hubs like Cape Town and Durban, but it does have the Kruger National Park and a huge diversity of wildlife outside protected areas. Lajuma research centre operates in the western end of the Soutpansberg, which is divided up into many different privately owned properties. South Africans sure love their fences. And yet, this place has one of the highest densities of leopards outside of a protected area. The Soutpansberg is also home to the rare and elusive brown hyaena, which is a hugely misunderstood animal in the local rural communities.

Brown hyaenas are well studied in Namibia and the Kalahari, but very little is known about their behaviour in a mountainous habitat. Field Team leader Katy Williams is studying them for her PhD, which will document a lot of firsts for the scientific community.

My work was mainly spent running the motion sensitive camera trap grid, which extended across the surrounding properties. There was a lot of hiking involved, but the scenery is beautiful, and you never know when you might bump into something wild. Warthogs, kudu, bushbuck, Samango monkeys and Chacma baboons were all common sights. I’ve also bumped into some of the shyer creatures, such as large spotted genets, porcupines, and bushbabies. The larger carnivores are much less seen though, so I never managed to see a leopard, hyaena or caracal on my hikes.

I also would drive around in the evenings on a quadbike, trying to download GPS data from collared leopards and hyaenas using an ultra-high frequency receiver. The collars would also communicate with the collars on the local baboon troupe, and would give us interaction data between predator and prey, as well as their movements and territory. A few times, the project would hire a helicopter and we would fly over the mountains to try and download data from collared animals. You can imagine how cool this was.

Perhaps the best moment was when we started trapping for leopards again. The project had two collars for males leopards which they wanted to put out. Trapping was a very exciting but tiring period for us.

Short walls of branches guide the leopard to the bait (how do you fancy chopping up cow foetus?) where it will step into a foot trap, a loop that goes round the foot and causes no permanent injuries. I was very happy to be selected to go in the vet’s vehicle, where I could observe the leopard being darted with a tranquiliser. It was a very intense moment, and when the leopard roars you feel a very primal reaction in addition to your awe. My job was to identify the individual - it was Pimms. A beautiful male leopard I had named and could tell him apart immediately. It was a very special moment for me to reach out and touch him. I’d seen him on the cameras so many times.

They also needed a blindfold so I volunteered my neckwarmer. Now I can say a leopard has worn my clothes!

The project is also keen to be involved with local communities, and does a lot of outreach work. Just before I left, I helped with the production of a wildlife art exhibition, which took the best pictures from the camera traps of different species present in the Northern Limpopo area from bat-eared foxes to white rhino. I’ve also helped build fences for local farmers to help prevent wildlife-conflict. Living with

predators is a day to day reality for locals on the mountain. But there are plenty of measures, such as the correct fencing, which will help prevent livestock theft and perhaps the retaliatory killings of leopards.

I also had the chance to travel in and around South Africa. I went to the Kalahari desert, the Kruger National Park, Cape Town, and I also went up to Zimbabwe to visit Victoria Falls, and Chobe National Park in Botswana, where I was fortunate to see a pack of the very endangered African wild dog. Closer to Lajuma, I decided that the best way to safari was by horseback, which is offered in many places. Seeing giraffe, warthog, impala and rhino by horseback is unlike any safari in a vehicle, no matter how open. I would recommend it to anyone with horse-riding experience.

Spending so long in the country, living and working, really gives you a different perspective than you receive as a visiting tourist. You get to see the changing of the seasons for one. I sat in a paddling pool in the boiling sun at Christmas, and froze my bum off in winter come June. Spring and autumn are definitely the best times to visit - warm and dry. The people are also amazing, though I never got the hang of Afrikaans, and Venda and Sepedi are even harder. How can one country have 11 official languages? Regardless, I have fallen in love with South Africa. I’ve made so many friends from around the word, as the PPP takes many international volunteers, from the USA to Finland.

The spiders and snakes may not be for everyone, but that place was amazing, and they are open to applications for assistants (over 18) for both primate and predator assistants. For more information, look at the PPP’s blog at http://primateandpredatorproject.wordpre ss.com/ , Facebook page, or email Field Team leader Katy at primate.predator@durham.ac.uk. You can also read about my experiences on my blog, http://adventuretup.wordpress.com/ or email me at TuppenS@cardiff.ac.uk.

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Spiritual Life FIRST HOLY COMMUNION At a special Mass in June, four young people from Leweston’s Junior Department and a pupil from Year 7 with her brother, made their First Holy Communion. The School Chapel was filled for this important moment in their lives and those of their families. Leweston’s Visiting Chaplain, Fr Peter Clarke, was the celebrant who joined us for this special occasion

NEW CHAPLAINCY COORDINATOR APPOINTED It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Genevieve Cox as Leweston’s Chaplaincy Coordinator at the start of the academic year.

Having recently completed her doctorate in Theology at Oxford, Genevieve spent the summer helping as a youth worker at a Catholic Summer Camp in Roncesvalles, Spain, a great meeting place for pilgrims from across the world as they set out on

their journey to Santiago de Compestella.

Genevieve is keen to promote a Catholic spirituality that engages the heart and the mind and comments, “The different nationalities represented at Leweston are a great advantage to the faith life of the School, as they reflect the universality of the Church.”

Genevieve has had a busy first term, organising 5 year group retreats as well as overseeing the spiritual life of the School. The retreat programme has been innovative, engaging and thought provoking for all the girls involved.

Genevieve has also organised ‘Pyjama

Prayers’; with each session centred around a different activity, such as making prayer bracelets, writing leaf prayers or saying thank you prayers using the ‘string net’ game. ‘Holy Hot Chocolates’ also started this term to provide Middle and Senior House with opportunities for spiritual reflection in a less formal setting. Genevieve has also overseen many of the very successful fund raising events held this term, such as a bake sale for the Ebola crisis, Pink Day for Breast Cancer Care and Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children.

PUPILS CELEBRATE THEIR ANGLICAN CONFIRMATION 11 Leweston girls celebrated their Anglican Confirmation at Sherborne Abbey in March.

The Leweston girls joined pupils from Sherborne School for the event, with Canon Eric Woods officiating at the service.

RETREATS SUMMER 2014

8 11 12 YEAR 8

YEAR 11

YEAR 12

Retreat to Sway in the New Forest

Visit St Gilda’s

Pilgrimage 2014

In the summer of 2014, Year 8 ventured to the New Forest for a residential retreat.

The aim of the retreat was to allow for a moment of reflection in what was a very busy term, and to help the girls to grow more spiritually and get to know one another better, as there were a number of international students that had joined the School for the summer term. The retreat was held at the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph’s priory. Upon arrival the group was met by Sister Mary Catherine and the other sisters with whom they spent their two days. The retreat offered the girls a time of reflection and consideration and they all commented that “it was wonderful to meet the Sisters”.

Year 11 set off to visit St Gilda’s beautiful country manor house in Langport, for a day of self-reflection and precious time together out of the busy-ness of life. They were greeted by two cheery sisters of the Domincan order based in the New Forest.

Welcoming the wide spectrum of faiths in the group, Sr Maria led the day using film clips of Les Miserables to pose thought provoking questions such as “Who am I?” and “How free am I in the decisions I make and motives I use?” The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all the girls.

At the end of the summer term, the prefects in waiting and other members of Year 12 embarked on a two day pilgrimage walk to Chideock. The walk started with a prayer at Melbury Bubb and finished on the first day at the wonderful Parnham House just outside Beaminster. The next morning, well rested and well fed, the group continued to Chideock where they finished their walk with a prayer in the beautiful surrounds of Chideock’s Chapel, attached to the Manor House. Once again, the group were welcomed with great hospitality and tea and cake were offered in abundance, as well as the opportunity for a much appreciated cooling swim in the beautiful outdoor pool.

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The Early Days: A Reflection on my Years at St Antony’s in Sherborne (1946-1948) by Roy S. Forbes resultant rush to assist the callers.

Some time ago on one of my visits to England I spent some time with my sister, Jean Cass (nee Forbes ‘55) and whilst there I had an opportunity to read a copy of the Excelsior School magazine. Included in the magazine, was a letter which listed the girls who were officially registered as the first to attend Leweston in its opening year of 1948. Maiden names such as: Angela Hickey, Jackie McKay, Jane Sprake, Angela Edwards, Geraldine Barrington and Jean Forbes to mention but a few.

Jean and I had a long discussion on many aspects of school life in the earlier days of St. Antony’s, before the move to Leweston. I was reminded of those days when we were both pupils of St Antony’s School in Sherborne at the same time, as long ago as 1946! There will, I am sure, still be many who, no doubt, will recall those days when the School was coeducational and Mother Eleanor, to mention but one, was a familiar figure in and out of the classrooms.

Unfortunately, the names of the other nuns with whom I had contact escape me, but I do remember the well-used cry of “Sister Camie (?), I’ve finished!” reverberating through certain closeted areas of the School, with the

I don’t recall too much of my actual education at St Antony’s, other than to have been anything but a model student! I am sure I was guided in the right religious direction, but not so sure about the outcomes of the teaching attempts, despite a lot of hard work by the teachers. I know one benefit of that era in my education stands out and that relates to my handwriting.

Unfortunately subsequent years in the lecture rooms have reduced it to an almost unreadable status.

On the sporting side, I learnt many of the skills required in both tennis and cricket and being able to play with ‘the girls’ I guess allowed me to expand my horizons in these two sports in later years. I still remember playing cricket with the ‘older’ girls on a field some way from the School. I can’t imagine how they felt about this wee whippersnapper muscling in on their fun!

I do remember one incident which occurred in the coat

room when I was in a very early class at about the age of seven. I’m not sure at which end of the day it occurred, but I was either picking up or hanging up my coat with one Patricia Young, when a sudden urge came over me and I put my arms around her and gave her a kiss. Oops! Now the cat is out of the bag! I don’t think Pat gave it another thought and I certainly never tried it again. Perhaps it was my wandering eye, or that the nuns saw me becoming too much of a handful after the age of nine, that prompted them to ask my mother to send me elsewhere! Those days at St Antony’s still return to the old memory banks now and again and it is with a considerable amount of joy that I recall many of the pupils’ names from those first days in a convent and the fun I had being part of that school community.

The grounding given to me by St Antony’s no doubt enabled me to follow my subsequent career as an engineer, which has taken me to many countries of the world for both work and pleasure. I

have ended up retiring, with my wife of 47 years, in the South West of Western Australia. We both enjoy the peace and quiet offered by life in the country and yet still find pleasure in visits to Perth and sometimes Sydney, to be with our son and daughter and a couple of grandchildren.

I often wonder if there are any Antonians of my era (19461948) that meet together now and again, and who would be willing to have a small part of their history revisited? I generally visit the UK once a year, as my mother is still alive and lives in Cambridge (she was 100 years old this past October)! The potential for a get together is probably limited, but if anyone is interested in reminiscing, I am contactable via email on chanmaro1@bigpond.com. I would welcome contact from anyone who will admit to remembering me!

THE SCHOOL YEAR IN

RETROSPECT The 2013-2104 academic year was action-packed and full to the brim with incredible achievements and landmark events. Here are some of the best…

Pupils Win Places at Cambridge

Biathle Brilliance

After gaining fantastic A level results in the summer, both Ciara McCarthy and Harriet Woodland were able to take up their places at Cambridge. Ciara is now reading natural sciences, whilst Harriet is studying modern languages.

The 2013 – 2014 Biathle season was extremely successful for Leweston pupils, with girls competing at numerous regional, national and international events.

Value Added Leweston has once again been ranked in the top 10% of schools nationally for value added at GCSE. GSA Award Leweston has been awarded The Good Schools Guide Award for Excellence in English literature at Cambridge Pre-U. The Good Schools Guide website states that if a school has won one of their subject awards, it has outranked all other English schools in its category (for girls in all types of independent schools), for the subject and exam concerned and that teaching is likely to be very good.

Headmaster Adrian Aylward commented, “This award reflects the dedication of both the girls and the staff and I am justifiably proud of this achievement which builds on our strong reputation for academic excellence.”

In the summer of 2013, 3 pupils travelled to Cyprus to compete in the World Biathle Championships as part of Team GB. Anya E, Elektra C and Victoria H performed superbly, helping GB to come top of the medal table and to win team gold for their age categories.

In the autumn term of 2013, 13 girls took part in the National Biathlon Championships in Solihull representing the Dorset Pentathletes. Here Victoria H and Rebecca B were part of the victorious U17 team who were crowned National Champions. Leweston pupils Olivia M and Anya E also helped the Dorset Pentathletes to wins in the U15s and the U10s respectively.

9 Senior girls and 3 Junior Department girls qualified for the National Schools’ Biathlon Finals which were held at the Olympic Park in London in April 2014.

6 pupils represented Great Britain at the Biathle World Tour in Germany during the summer of 2014. The team of Daisy L, Olivia M, Portia M, Poppy B, Elizabeth T and Elektra C travelled to Erding to compete at this illustrious international event. The girls performed brilliantly, generating some fantastic results including a silver in the U16 category (Olivia) and a win in the U14 event (Elizabeth).

Pupil Wins Public Speaking Competition for International Students Sixth Former Marielle C fought off strong competition from 11 other finalists from 5 schools to win the 2014 Public Speaking competition for International Students held at Sherborne International College.

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Duke of Edinburgh

A busy year for Leweston’s Duke of Edinburgh candidates was topped off by a team of Sixth Formers travelling to Peru to complete their Gold award. The trip involved the final project phase, where the girls helped to build a community hall in Patacancha, a remote village just outside of the Sacred Valley; the final expedition phase, a challenging 5 day trek through the mountains; and a visit to the world famous Machu Picchu. As a result of this trip, the 5 girls entered for the award - Harriet T-B, Harriet G, Victoria H, Molly F and Tatiana W - have been successful in achieving their Gold.

The School would like to congratulate all pupils that were successful in achieving their DofE awards this year across all the levels.

All Bronze award candidates from years 9 and 10 also passed their expedition phase this summer.

Leweston Tops the DfE Performance Tables for Dorset and Somerset Once Again Leweston has come top of the Department for Education Performance tables for Dorset and Somerset for a second consecutive year, due to the excellent examination results achieved in 2013. Leweston’s A Level and Pre-U students achieved an average UCAS point score of 929.2 per student, the best of all independent and maintained schools in the two counties.

A Momentous Year for the Junior Department

Inter-House Swimming Gala and Sports Day

2013-2014 was a very exciting year at the Junior Department. The year started with the School celebrating its 20th anniversary at its current location in the old coach house. The day saw pupils and staff enjoying a celebratory tea and burying a time capsule in the grounds to act as record for pupils of the future.

Very competitive Inter-House sports competitions were held at the end of the summer term.

The two days saw some incredible performances, with many records broken in the pool, on the track and on the field. Winners of the House Championships on both occasions were Campion, with Sports Day seeing sisters Portia and Olivia M crowned as the 2013/2014 Junior and Senior Victrix Ludorums respectively.

September 2013 also saw the Nursery extend its provision, opening all year round from 8am – 6pm daily, to enable more families to access the exceptional education offered at Leweston. The Nursery is currently going from strength to strength under the expert guidance of Nursery Manager Sally Turner.

This year the Prep School became Leweston’s Junior Department, with Adrian Aylward now overseeing the headship of all areas of the School. This positive move has seen both schools benefiting from a fuller integration with one another. The Junior pupils now take advantage of the specialist teaching in languages, (including Spanish), art, maths, domestic science, music and sport that is provided by the Senior School. There has also been a further ‘twinning’ of Houses across both schools, enabling us to implement some cross-campus activities.

In September 2014 we welcomed Victoria BridgemanSutton to her new role as Senior Teacher of the Junior Department.

Ten Days of Extraordinary Sporting Success Leweston’s pupils enjoyed an unprecedented ten days of success across fourteen different sporting disciplines in the 2014 spring term. In less than a fortnight, Leweston girls achieved incredible sporting feats at national, regional, county and inter-school events; were selected for a number of regional and county teams; and broke School records, at a level never before seen.

Currently 10% of Leweston girls are either competing internationally for Team GB or are on the pathway to national selection, working regularly with international coaches. One such girl is Rebecca B (Year 13), who is combining her studies at Leweston with her training as part of the Pentathlon World Class programme. In 2014 Rebecca was crowned South West U18 champion at the South West Modern Triathlon Championships.

Leweston’s Cross Country runners also enjoyed an amazing ten days, with teams winning the Marden Trophy at the King’s Bruton InterSchools’ event and the U14 Mendip League competition at Millfield Prep, and individuals taking the top spot in two events at the ‘Studland Stampede’.

Best Ever Results for Leiths Students Seven 2014 leavers achieved their Leiths Basic Certificate in Food and Wine having passed all elements of the five term course. The girls’ excellent knowledge of theory and ability to work under pressure in the timed practical exam led to our best set of results ever, including a distinction (Olivia Gregory), a merit (Isabella Holroyd) and 5 first class passes.

Leweston’s Netball First X1 took the season by storm, being virtually unbeaten. However, not to be outdone, the younger netballers also enjoyed much success, with one girl selected to play for Dorset in the U14 squad and two called up for trials for the U16 team.

Girls also excelled in the pool over this period, with one pupil swimming for the county and all swimming teams (from the Year 5s through to the Year 13s) victorious in every event entered, breaking numerous Leweston records in the process.

Further successes were also registered in the disciplines of rowing, golf, fencing, tennis, football, rugby, show jumping and dressage during this very short space of time.

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EXAM RESULTS 2014

GCSE

A LEVEL

AT GCSE, THE YEAR 11 PUPILS PRODUCED AN EXCELLENT SET OF RESULTS ACROSS THE BOARD, with 97% of pupils achieving at least 5 A* - C passes and 50% passing at A* or A. The outstanding achievement was by Alice E who achieved 11 A* grades. All pupils achieved first-rate grades which reflected their hard work and effort throughout the two years of their GCSE course. The vast majority of these pupils will be continuing their studies in the Sixth Form and we look forward to seeing their continued success.

THIS SUMMER, SIXTH FORM GIRLS ONCE AGAIN ACHIEVED A 100% PASS RATE, WITH 78% OF A LEVELS PASSED AT GRADE A* TO B OR PRE-U EQUIVALENT. 51% of the examinations were passed at A* or A grades or Pre-U equivalent and 14% were passed at A*, both figures being almost double the national average. An impressive 27% of students achieved 3 or more straight A or A* grades across a range of subjects. Average UCAS points per candidate were 387, the equivalent of over three A grades per candidate.

“

Once again Leweston pupils have excelled across the whole ability range, generating some truly outstanding results; particularly given the changes to the examination system. I am delighted that their hard work and dedication has paid off and would like to congratulate them all on their incredible achievements not only academically but also in other fields such as sport, music and drama. Particular mention goes to our Oxbridge and medical school candidates who have all been successful in meeting their offers; as a school we have a justifiably strong reputation for preparing girls for future success in these areas and this year’s results only help to cement this reputation further. I hope that all girls are proud of their results and I wish them well, knowing that they will continue to thrive in their further studies.

These fantastic results have enabled almost all Leweston’s leavers to win places at their chosen universities or specialist colleges. Many girls will be going on to the more selective institutions including Cambridge, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Nottingham, Bath, University College London, Manchester, Liverpool, Queen Mary’s College London and York, to study degrees such as accounting, biological sciences, economics, engineering, English, drama, mathematics, medicine, modern languages, music, natural sciences, nursing and Spanish.

It was also another record breaking year for Leweston at AS Level with 73% of examinations passed at grade A or B. Particular areas of strength were maths, chemistry, geography and Spanish. In the latter case all girls achieved an A Grade.

One third of the pupils achieved three or more A grades at AS level with one pupil achieving six. The academic success throughout this year group will allow the new Upper Sixth to apply to the most competitive universities.

“

Adrian Aylward - Headmaster

The Leweston Society THE LEWESTON SOCIETY IS THE UMBRELLA STRUCTURE UNDER WHICH ALL ASSOCIATES OF THE LEWESTON COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER INCLUDING SCHOLARS, OAS, PARENTS AND FORMER PARENTS, PARISH MEMBERS, PAST AND PRESENT STAFF AND GOVERNORS.

ADRIAN AYLWARD Headmaster JEMMA GOODLAND Alumni Coordinator THE LEWESTON SOCIETY PARENTS COMMITTEE Year 7 – Vikki Marsh Year 8 – Claire Godman-Dorrington Year 9 – Diana West Year 10 – Lisa Glydon Year 11 – Janie Garnon Year 12 – Fiona Maguire Year 13 – Kate Guy GOVERNORS Mary Head (Chair) Dr N Bathurst Mr C Comyn Mr C Fenton Mrs S Gordon Wild Mr M J F Hudson Fr R Meyer Mr E Newton Mr K Newton (Advisor to the Board) Mrs E Treichl Mrs B Wingfield Digby (Deputy Chair)

The Leweston Society

Sherborne

Dorset DT9 6EN

Tel: 01963 211015 Email: goodlandj@leweston.dorset.sch.uk

www.leweston.co.uk

New Website Launched!

Leweston’s new website is now live at www.leweston.co.uk .

We hope you will agree that the new website more accurately conveys the vibrancy of school life, celebrates the many successes and achievements of our pupils and provides a more efficient and functional platform to reach, alert and share information.

We have also ensured that the new site incorporates all our social media channels and you can now follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo. It is viewable on mobile, tablet and desktop, meaning that you can access information about Leweston, and contact us, on the go.

We look forward to welcoming you online!