The Gryphon Newsletter Spring 2015

Spring 2015

Rock Challenge

This year around 50 students from The Gryphon School competed in the International Dance and Drama Competition ‘Rock Challenge’. Rock Challenge encourages young people to lead healthy lifestyles and to be their best without the need for tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. The competition saw nine schools from around the Hampshire/Dorset area perform at The Guildhall in Southampton, a fantastic opportunity for young people. Our theme was a twist on the ‘Pied Piper’ exploring the story through energetic choreography and fast-paced drama. The whole production was led by four Year 11 students; Sophie Ward, Daisy Baxter, Chloe Hart and Sarah Bradley. They not only came up with the concept themselves, they also choreographed the performance, ran rehearsals, created ideas for set and costume and chose the soundtrack. The girls did an absolutely fantastic job and Rock Challenge presented them with the ‘Student Leadership Award’ for their hard work and commitment to the performance.

This was the second time The Gryphon School competed in Rock Challenge and although we did not place this year due to the outstanding competition we did win awards for Excellence in Drama, Visual Enhancement, Concept, Set Design and Function and Entertainment.

All involved should be very proud of their hard work as it was a fabulous performance.

Holly Young - Drama

Nick Scott Photography

Maths Conference at The Gryphon School Sixth Form students from across Dorset and Somerset gathered at The Gryphon School this term for an all-day Maths Conference. The students and their teachers attended workshops to develop their mathematical problem solving skills. The event was aimed at students who are thinking of studying Maths or related subjects at university. More than 80 students from ten schools took part in a variety of activities including a FunMaths Roadshow where they solved a wide range of puzzles accumulating points for correct answers and explanations. Other workshops included writing and communicating Mathematics to others and a geometry and proof practical session on 2D and 3D geometrical problems.

The students, who are all in Year 12 and studying Further Maths, also worked on problems from Oxbridge entry papers. This helped them learn how to use and apply their current knowledge to solve problems more difficult than they are used to so far.

Gryphon Students train for Ten Tors

Geoff Cooke – Ten Tors Co-ordinator

In mid-February, seven local primary schools each sent a team of four chess players to The Gryphon to compete against each other.

Each player took part in eight matches during the day, accumulating points for their respective schools. At the end of the day the points were totalled up and the winners revealed; Thornford School had retained their trophy and won the Primary Chess Competition 2015.

The Gryphon School has been allocated teams in the nationally renowned Ten Tors Challenge. A Year 10 team will take part in the 35 mile event, and a group of Sixth Formers will be in the 55 mile event. The Ten Tors is an Army organised event and has been running for more than 50 years. Teams have to complete a 35, 45 or 55 mile route across Dartmoor over two days, taking in ten tors along the way. The teams have to camp overnight on the moor and carry all their equipment and food with them.

It is a very demanding physical challenge and the students involved are developing a wide range of skills. The two Ten Tors Squads have been training every Tuesday since November. The first training walk was 13 miles in a day across Mere Down at the end of January followed closely by a First Aid Training Day. Training is going well and future training is planned around Cheddar Gorge and across Dartmoor before the event in May.

Primary Chess Competition 2015

The schools taking part were: Bishops Caundle, Bradford Abbas, Buckland Newton, Sherborne Abbey, Sherborne Primary, Thornford and Trent. My thanks go to all the primary school students and to Cameron McKinnon, Owen Loader and Hannah Roberts of Year 8 for their help in preparing and running the day.

Patrick Unwin - Maths

Some of the students working in one of the geometry and proof practical sessions Patrick Unwin, the Maths teacher from The Gryphon School who co-ordinated the day, said, ‘All the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were extremely involved in each of the sessions. It was a great success and we expect to host a similar event next year.’

The schools involved were The Gryphon School, Kings of Wessex Academy, Poole Grammar School, Purbeck School, Sexey’s School, Shaftesbury School, Strode College, The Blandford School, The Thomas Hardye School and Twynham School.

The day was organised in conjunction with the Further Maths Support Programme For further information see http:// www.furthermaths.org.uk/

www.gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

Building Blocks

Students’ work commemorates First World War Gryphon Student stands for Youth Parliament Year 10 student Iga Sikorska stood in the recent Youth Parliament elections in a bid to change society for the better. Students from The Gryphon School voted in February for four of their peers to represent them in the UK

Year 9 pupils focused on the First World War when they put together a multimedia piece of work during their Business and Enterprise Day, as part of a community arts project. The group of 26 students created the piece for the Sherborne branch of the Royal British Legion. It featured monochrome mixed media panels covering battlefield maps and imagery, which, when assembled, had a symbolic poppy superimposed in faded colour. Three of the students, Isaac Broom, James Dighton and Joshua Whittick, all now in Year 10, together with Head of Art, Michael Fenton-Wilkinson, presented the artwork to representatives of the Sherborne branch of the Royal British Legion. RBL spokesman Anthony Chambers said; ‘I was extremely impressed by the work and obvious emotion which had gone into it. Our chairman Dave Bows saw it for the first time at the presentation and was again very impressed by the way the students had gone about putting it together and the way they had managed to incorporate a stylised poppy into the work.’ The artwork is now hanging in The Sherborne Hotel where the RBL holds its monthly meetings.

Youth Parliament, two Members of the Youth Parliament and two deputies. Iga was one of eight candidates from the county and fought her campaign on a platform calling for more cycle paths in the area. She did not win a place but is determined to stay involved in politics. She says, ‘We are the generation that will change our future, and young people should take an interest in politics because we will be the ones that make changes.’

The Lego Club for Year 7s, started in September, has been a huge success. Vital financial support from the Learning Support Department allowed the club to buy three large boxes of Lego and the Lego charity sent us a huge package of new but incomplete Lego sets. We’ve had lots of fun building and last term a minibus full of Lego enthusiasts set off from Sherborne to see Brick 2014 at the ExCel Centre in London. Brick is a huge exhibition organised for Lego enthusiasts young and old. It has Lego yet to be released, old Lego being sold on to new fans, and a zone for fans to share exhibits. We saw a very impressive one which ran around a number of tables with all kinds of moving parts. Design teams from Sweden had flown over to hold a Q&A session about upcoming designs and advice on how to build and what to build.

The best part of the day was the ‘freebies’ and, for some of the students, ‘playing in the Lego pits’. They are exactly as they sound, pits full of the same coloured Lego. Adults and children alike were taking off their shoes and climbing in to build whatever came to mind.

Brick 2014 was a very exciting experience for the Lego Club and has inspired them to try more complex builds. Members of the club are now itching to get going on some challenging new projects later this year. They are hoping to build a Lego version of Sherborne Abbey.

Watch this space.

Helen Pearce – Lego Club

Science Club

Swimming the Channel Year 9 student Edward O’Grady set himself a challenge at the end of last year; to swim the 22 mile length of the English Channel (that’s 1416 lengths of a 25m pool)! Ed, who is a member of the Oxley Swim School and Wincanton SC, decided to take up the challenge after picking up a leaflet after a local swim session.

Not only did he complete his challenge in ten weeks but Edward raised a huge £866 for Aspire - a charity which helps people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury.

Every pound Ed raised helped Aspire provide practical help to a spinal injured person, allowing them to live a more independent life.

He would like to express a big thank you to all those who kindly donated and encouraged him along the way. Who knows he may swim the actual channel some day!

For more information see: www.aspire.org.uk

Year 7s in Science Club recently took part in the RSPB Big Schools’ Bird watch. This involved spending a full hour surveying and recording all the different species of birds that visit The Gryphon School’s top field. The event was a great success with six different species spotted including numerous starling murmurations. Science Club has submitted its results to the RSPB and we look forward to exploring the national results in the coming months. Meanwhile, at the end of February we placed a "bug hotel" in the wildlife garden to encourage pollinators to visit the garden. The bug box we used was made and sold by Year 10 students as part of a business enterprise. We are hoping this will encourage the growth of native wild flowers in the area. We also carried out our early-spring pond dip and were amazed to find newts as well as frogs living in the pond.

Catherine Moore - Science

Careers One Stop Shop There is a new Careers section on The Gryphon School intranet. The aim is to make it a ‘one stop shop’ for information on Careers, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Resources and options for both students and parents.

The new section enables me as the Careers Adviser to update, develop and extend some of the excellent, independent resources that are now available online. It also shows local and regional apprenticeship vacancies which will be updated every Monday. If students want to book an appointment to see me, they can do this through a booking form in the new section. If you would like more information email careers@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk Steve Martin – Careers Advice and Guidance Manager

2

A change of Champions!

The winners of this year’s PTA Quiz, held earlier this term, were, for the first time in six years, not the ‘Quizologists’. The reigning champions lost their title to newcomers ‘Basher’s Bevy of Brilliance’ who finished with an enviable score of 90 out of 110. Once again it was a close run competition with the result in the balance right up until the last few rounds. There will be a new name on the coveted cup and our congratulations go to the members of ‘Basher’s Bevy of Brilliance’ who, with their wide-ranging breadth of knowledge, romped to victory. Many thanks to the PTA members, who worked so hard to make the evening such a success, and to the quiz master, Steve Little, who always devises such challenging questions. Our particular thanks go to Martin Curtis who gave up so much of his time and to the Britannia Inn in Sherborne who donated a barrel of beer. The evening was sold out with over a hundred people forming 15 teams competing for the prized trophy. Over £500 was raised and the event was, as always, great fun. We are now looking forward to next year’s quiz. Book early and maybe yours will be the team to beat!

Literary Heroes

For the second year running, The Gryphon School joined in with World Book Day and many of our dedicated staff and super-fun students dressed up. This year there was a theme: come to school dressed as a hero from literature, either a character or an author. A lot of effort was put in and everyone looked superb. Mr Jem Shackleford suited Gatsby impressively; the Maths Department did us proud with their homage to Potter characters; Tasia LingMarriott was a triumphant Carrie and our Sixth Form Scooby gang were spot on!

Again, it was outstanding to bring literature to more pupils and encourage the discussion of character and literature. We all smiled a little wider and laughed a bit more than usual.

Fearn - English

Assistance dog at Year 7 Assembly One of the charities Year 7 is supporting this year is Woofability, a local volunteer based organisation which trains assistance dogs for disabled people in Dorset and Hampshire. Andy Clarke, the founder of the charity, brought his dog, Snoop, to an assembly this term to demonstrate the work they do.

Trained assistance dogs can open doors, take the washing out of the machine, help someone to dress or undress, fetch the post or the telephone and much more.

The dogs give people the confidence to become more independent and Andy told Year 7s that their help really changes lives for the better. Snoop charmed everybody by taking clothes out of a mock washing machine, and demonstrating how he opens doors and helps take socks off.

It takes a total of two and a half years and £5,000 to train a dog fully and costs another £6,000 over the next ten years as the charity supports the partnership of dog and disabled person with regular visits and back up. For more information and to donate visit: www.woofability.com

Mindful Matters – take a pause Last month an all-party group of MPs suggested that frontline public servants are less likely to fall ill with stress if they engage in mindfulness meditation. It is further evidence of the growing interest in mindfulness and how it can help alleviate many problems caused by having high-pressured, stressful lives. At The Gryphon we are endeavouring to reach as many people as possible, staff as well as students, but the pressures of timetabling mean that we are not able to put on courses that everyone can come along to. In the meantime, it is possible to make some small steps to being more mindful in our everyday lives. One way is to take small pauses in your day.

When you have to wait for someone to answer the phone, a website to download or kettle to boil, rather than waiting impatiently (it will never boil anyway!) take the pause to close your eyes and focus on your breath for a short while. Notice the movement of your breath and the way in which the body moves as it breathes. Just taking these micropauses in your day can have a beneficial effect, allowing you to have a bit of space in your life and easing the pressure.

Jem Shackleford – Mindfulness Facilitator

During February a group of 50 Year 8 and Year 9 students went to visit two of the nation’s greatest (and once secret) displays.

The Computing Department organised for a group of students to visit the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park whilst a number of Maths students also went to examine codes and cyphers at the home of the world famous code breakers.

At the National Museum of Computing students gained hands-on experience of the world’s oldest ever computer (the Harwell Dekatron Computer), learnt how to programme on BBC Micros and examined how computers have progressed over such a short period of time and even saw what happened as a result of the BBC Domesday Project (for those of us who can remember it). Students tried out early home computers and games consoles as well as having an indepth look at how and why computers were developed from the early days of Colossus to the modern tablets and desktops that we use today. They followed the development of computing from the ultra-secret pioneering efforts of the 1940s through the mainframes of the 1960s and 1970s, and the

rise of personal computing in the 1980s.

At the same time a number of Maths students were taken on an in-depth tour of the world famous Bletchley Park (currently seen in the film The Imitation Game which features some Gryphon School students as extras!). Students explored some of the iconic WW2 code breaking huts and blocks and marveled at the astonishing achievements of the code breakers whose work is said to have helped shorten the war by two years. They also took part in code breaking exercises and saw where the Sherborne educated Alan Turing sat and worked during his remarkable contribution to the war.

Nigel White, Head of Computing and ICT, said ‘The day was an amazing success for both Computing and Maths students. We never stopped and it was fantastic for students to see what we talk about in the classroom actually put into practice and demonstrated through historical examples.

Some of the achievements these computing pioneers were simply mind-boggling and it was amazing to see how far we have come in such a relatively short space of time’.

SCHOOL CROSSING PATROL FOR BRISTOL ROAD - URGENTLY REQUIRED

School Crossing Patrols are paid £7.00 per hour, and, of course, they don’t work during school holidays.

Full training and uniform is provided.

If you are interested in this valuable community role, or for more details, please contact Alan Proctor at the Dorset County Council Road Safety Team on 01305 221710

Experiencing Pioneering Computing

Penny

3

Where ar

Alumni Special

Sixth Form Spring Term Having completed their pre-public exams Year 12 and Year 13 students are heads down and working hard for their actual exams this May /June. By the 15 January deadline we had processed just over 150 university applications , approximately 30 of these being post-results applications from students who left us last summer and are currently on a gap year. Whilst a few of our students wait for their final choices to get back to them, many are deliberating over firm and insurance choices. Many students have received offers from prestigious Russell Group universities as well as four Oxbridge conditional offers and three from medical schools. Meanwhile, Year 12 students applying for Medicine or Oxbridge courses have had the opportunity for collaborative work with other schools this term. 15 students attended Cambridge University master classes in Biology, History, Physical Sciences and History of Art at Kings of Wessex School in Cheddar, as part of the Cambridge University HE+ scheme. The students will now be invited for a residential at Cambridge in July as well as having access to the HE+ scheme online resources and discussion forums for G and T students.

This term, our Year 12 Gifted and Talented programme with Sherborne Girls has seen students taking part in lively intellectual debates. The first held at The Gryphon explored the controversial issue of mitochondrial donation during IVF.

Charity

S F O S E I R O T S E H T E HERE AR

Anna Bolhuis I graduated from The Gryphon in 2013 with A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Geography. I took a gap year and worked as an AuPair in Amsterdam, for six months. I lived right in the city centre and looked after two small boys. It was a fantastic experience. I then travelled to New Zealand toured the South Island and even did a bungy jump! I’m currently studying for a Bachelors in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Maastricht, the Netherlands. I am part of the Maastricht University Orchestra where I play the viola and bassoon. Studying abroad so far has been a truly amazing experience. In Maastricht, the community is so international, it’s amazing to hear at least five different languages everyday. In our student house, there is nobody that has exactly the same nationality or ethnicity. If you are even slightly considering studying abroad, I can highly recommend it!

‘The Gryphon encourages you to look beyond your English boundaries and to take the chance to consider an international studying experience’.

Our congratulations go to Hannah Cracknell (Year 13) who supported the British Heart Foundation ‘Wear it, Beat it’ campaign in February.

Hannah raised over £300 for the British Heart Foundation by holding a cake sale and encouraging fellow students to wear red for the day.

n a m r o N a m m E I attended The Gryphon between 2000 and 2007, and then studied Law at the University of Leicester. There I was involved in various activities such as ‘Mooting’ (mock trials) and the Student Law Society and also arranged legal work experience each summer including some formal ‘vacation schemes’ (large law firms run these as part of the recruitment process for graduate jobs). After graduating I was offered a Training Contract by a law firm with offices in Leicester and Northampton.

In the meantime, I completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Birmingham, followed by a year’s work at Coventry Cathedral and as a Games Maker for the London 2012 Olympics. As a trainee solicitor I worked through four placements of six months each before qualifying as a solicitor in September 2014. I now work in Birmingham for a national law firm, Bevan Brittan LLP and I really enjoy the work.

‘I really enjoyed my time at The Gryphon and would encourage students to take up its various activities, opportunities and offers of support as this is all good experience for your career paths afterwards.’

Guy Tut

After completing my A levels in 2007, I stud degree in Criminology at Leeds Metropolita University. Following my graduation, I joine in London as a production runner – working of sports shows including outside broadcas later I became an editorial assistant in the F Department working on Super Sunday prod inserts for the show such as openers and pl features. I continue to work on Super Sunda the past year I have also had the opportunit a live studio as an assistant producer on the Monday night football show. I feel very fort can combine work with something I am trul about.

‘I still have great memories of The Gryphon pleased to have kept contact with so many friends in Sherborne.’

100 % EPQ Success 20 Year 13 students submitted their Extended Project Qualification in November 2014. Following external moderating, the students achieved a 100% pass rate with 12 at A* and 8 at A. The wide range of subjects covered included areas as diverse as the use of statins and contrasting literature from different eras.

In effect the EQP can be a mini dissertation akin to university level research.

Claire Cahill It’s been over 10 years since I last walked through the quads of The Gryphon School. I loved Drama, loved Science, got fantastically confused in Maths and was asked to leave the library for talking too much more times than I care to remember. After The Gryphon I was lucky enough to be accepted in to Drama Centre London to train as an actress and spent three unforgettable years performing in theatres in the UK and Internationally before deciding to step away from the spotlight, and move behind the camera. Now I’m a TV producer and have just spent six weeks in Ethiopia filming a tribe for a new Channel 4 series that will be out later this year. It’s the most rewarding job I’ve ever done and I go into work each day excited about the challenges ahead.

‘I will always be grateful to The Gryphon School for giving me the confidence to be ambitious, and to really push myself to achieve my goals. It’s a fantastic school and I feel really lucky to be a small part of its history.’

Ian Daw

Flora Brown

I am now reading History at Merton College which includes an intense workload. Histor any period to study; I’m currently studying European Medieval History while still balan extra-curricular activities. I am part of the M College Rowing Team which is improves my winning races in regattas makes it all worth despite the horrid early mornings. I have al the Oxford University Officer Training Corps Army Cadets) where I get paid to go to train exercises! For example, I’m hoping to go ka France this summer. Through this I’m also a be a Reserve officer. This together with bein ambassador means that the terms are inten incredibly rewarding.

I am currently studying Dentistry at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in Whitechapel. I am in my third year of a five year course.

We’re always very busy and it’s so exciting being able to treat patients and use the skills you’re learning as you go. Each week I practise new treatments on patients and I gain new skills all the time. I’ve restored and extracted multiple teeth, and we have just started our crown and bridge course! I’m really enjoying my time here and I’d thoroughly recommend studying dentistry if you have an interest in Science and enjoy being practical and working with the public. I have really grown in confidence since I started seeing patients. Studying in London is daunting at first but really fun as you have everything on your doorstep. I’m glad I chose to study in an interesting and diverse city.

‘The Gryphon Sixth Form provides you with opportunities you need, but it is you who n them.’

‘I couldn’t be where I am without the staff from The Gryphon School. Thanks!’

Finalist in national photography competition A Gryphon School Sixth Former was a finalist in the Clothes Show Live ‘Fashion Photographer of the Year’ at the end of last term. The age group for this competition is 15-22 years. The brief was ‘Bring together femininity and power with photography’. Boo Walters, who is in Year 13, submitted an image that represented both femininity and power in equal measures. Competitors were asked to consider the definitions of each term and then bring them together to produce a dramatic and arresting high fashion image. However, the main objective was to create an image true to the photographer’s individual unique style, pushing the boundaries both creatively and technically. Each entrant also had to include a technical spec and a write up of their motivation.

Sadly Boo did not win, but we are enormously proud of her achievement getting to the final despite an enormously strong and wide field of entries.

Mike Fenton-Wilkinson - Head of Art

4

re they now

l

?

: P U D E N G I S Y D A E R L A E V A H O H W I N M U L A R U O F O E SOM

tton

died for a an ed Sky Sports g on a variety sts. A year Football ducing layer ay, but over ty to work in e Sky Sports tunate that I ly passionate

n and am school

wes

Cath Evans After attending The Gryphon Sixth Form, I spent a gap year working in Zambia then studied Theology at Birmingham University before completing a Masters in International Development. I then went to London to pursue a career in politics. I am now Business Relations Manager for the Liberal Democrat Party, where I have a key role communicating what we are doing in government to businesses and the wider public. I find my job constantly interesting. It is so exciting to be part of government and be close to the policy-making having a direct effect on everyone in the country especially with a hotly contested election coming up in May.

‘I have such fond memories of attending The Gryphon Sixth Form. It was a joy to be so intellectually challenged in such a supportive environment and to meet so many like-minded people. I am hugely grateful to the many inspiring teachers who helped create such a great atmosphere. I met some of my best friends there and managed to get a few A levels along the way!’

t h ig r W e c n e r Law

e Oxford ry offers me British and ncing it with Merton y fitness and hwhile, lso joined s (essentially ning and ayaking in applying to ng an access nse but

Since leaving The Gryphon in 2013, I’ve been studying Medicine at the Hull York Medical School. I am now coming towards the end of my second year and am preparing to move into the clinical phase of my studies.

In this time I have learnt so much, gained lots of clinical experience and made some amazing friends. I’m currently involved in the running of two societies for HYMS; the Society for Paediatric Medicine and the Teddy Bear Hospital Society which goes into primary schools and gets young children used to being around doctors and healthcare professionals. I’ve actually got the chance to present a poster about our work with Teddy Bear Hospital at a national conference in London which is very exciting!

Despite the amount of work, I’ve enjoyed every second of my time at HYMS and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else!

h all the needs to find

‘I firmly believe that it is the motivation and support from students and staff alike at The Gryphon that got me to where I am now’.

Ollie Devoto I moved to Bath in 2011. I’m currently a professional rugby player for Bath Rugby. A couple of highlights this year have been representing the England Saxons team and reaching 50 appearances for Bath.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed my education at The Gryphon.

The way they promote sport, rugby in particular at the time, played an integral part in my development to enable me to get to where I am today.’

Hardy) is reported nes (stage name Ben Jo n Be , ni um al us mo ale in As one of our most fa nt spell as Peter Be ood after a triumpha yw ll Ho r . fo ni g um in Al ad n he ho to be ing The Gryp lighted to be launch EastEnders, we are de ts can keep in touch bsite and past studen we r ou on ge pa ni um is to form a We have now got an Al of The Gryphon Alumni m ai e Th . se ba ta da through their lives by signing up to our ents as they progress ud st t en rr cu d an st and tell former connection between pa ol to keep in touch ho Sc e th s le ab en up g of future events. and careers. Signin w and to inform them no ol ho Sc e th at on advice, networking pupils what is going by providing career ls pi pu t en rr cu lp he already come into The Alumni can also ents. Former students em ac pl ce en ri pe ex pupils find it and facilitating work Careers Café and our ay id Fr r la gu re r ou edecessors.Please school to present at successes of their pr e th t ou ab ar he to enormously inspiring w alumni page. you know about our ne ts en ud They can sign up at st st pa y an tell nalumni.co.uk/ http://www.thegrypho

Libi Redman During my time at The Gryphon Sixth Form I studied Psychology at A level. I found the subject interesting and enjoyable and each lesson furthered my inspiration to study Psychology at university. I went on to graduate from Northumbria University with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology with Criminology with a 2:1. In 2014 I travelled around Europe visiting several countries including Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic and Austria. I continue to live in Newcastle before I embark on another year of education at UWE in Bristol to complete a PGCE in Primary Education to enable me to teach. Throughout my three years at university I developed a passion for teaching. I feel teaching is a fulfilling job and that my teachers at The Gryphon School left a lasting impression on me and will continue to do so as I enter the teaching profession myself.

‘The Gryphon School was a great place to spend my school years, making friends and being inspired to carry on my education’.

s s a l d o o G s s o R I spent 7 incredible years at The Gryphon School and it is where I first developed a passion for the media arts.

After achieving the grades needed I packed my bags, left the rolling hills of Dorset and headed to London to study Television Production at Westminster University.

Following my degree I landed a job at a television production company working as a researcher on shows for National Geographic and the Discovery Channel.

The role took me to some far-flung places from The Bahamas looking for the lost city of Atlantis to Mount Ararat on the Iranian border searching for the remains Noah’s Ark…we never found any. Working in television throws you into a whole host of weird, wonderful and fascinating worlds; you never really know where the job will take you next. Having worked in the industry for seven years I am now a producer working at an award winning documentary company, Firecracker Films, known for making such shows as My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (Channel 4) and Susan Boyle: An Unlikely Superstar (ITV).

‘You might not appreciate it now, but one day you’ll look back and realise that The Gryphon is a truly extraordinary school and you should have squeezed every last drop of opportunity out of it.’

n o s k c a J id v a D With a degree in Commercial Music from Bath Spa University, I moved back home whilst looking for a job. I was going to be a famous rockstar, obviously - but something told me I should probably have a backup.

After six months of sending applications and trawling job listings, I was no closer to a career (or being a rockstar). Desperate to prove to myself that I did have something to offer, I applied for an internship as a writer for a Bristol magazine. Here I learned new skills, met new people, and regained my confidence. Two internships later, I got a full-time job as a video editor for Future Publishing in Bath - working on their video games portfolio. Six months later, I joined a small project Future was trialling with Sony called ‘PlayStation Access’. Today I am the producer of PlayStation Access, now working at the Yogscast, Still can’t wait to be a rockstar though!

‘The Gryphon School gave me opportunities and experiences I simply don’t believe I would have had access to at any other school - I am forever grateful.’

Nell Redman I graduated from The Gryphon Sixth Form in June 2012 having achieved an A* and two As in Biology, Chemistry and Maths. Before university, I spent ten months working at Yeovil District Hospital as a Pharmacy Assistant before travelling around North America for a month. On my return to England, I enrolled into my first year at University College London (UCL), studying Biomedical Sciences. When I graduate in 2016, I intend to obtain a Masters in Clinical Embryology which will allow me to practice in an IVF Clinic. Studying at UCL has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I am eternally grateful to my Sixth Form teachers and experiences for preparing me for this phase of my life, both academically and socially. I made life-long friends whilst studying at The Gryphon, many of whom I am in contact with daily.

‘The Gryphon Sixth Form gave me an invaluable grounding for my future career, granting me the opportunity to flourish academically and nourish my extra-curricular interests, thus securing my place at one of the top ten universities in the country.’

y a d w a L m a S I am now in my fifth of six years at Southampton Medical School, and I am part way through completing a Masters in Medical Science alongside my medical studies, which involves research on children with congenital heart disease. I am starting my final year in June and if all goes well will be starting as a doctor in August 2016. I have had a fantastic time here at Southampton and have got heavily involved in our medics hockey team and the Medical Society. I have also thoroughly enjoyed my studies and have been fortunate enough to have placements in California, Thailand and Malaysia, as well as across Hampshire. I also have a placement at Great Ormond Street this summer. I am now a trained community first responder and aid the ambulance service in responding to 999 calls.

‘The time I spent at The Gryphon School was not only a lot of fun, but prepared me for the challenges that lie ahead as part of my medical training and career.’

e l o t a P n a r a K I left The Gryphon Sixth Form in 2011 to pursue a degree in Economics at the University of Bath. At university, I am an active member of the Bath Finance Society and various sports teams. After completing the initial two years of my degree course, I was fortunate enough to secure and complete a year long placement as a Risk Analyst at Lloyds Banking Group. I am currently studying for my final year and aim to graduate with a First Class degree this summer. As a final year student, the hard-hitting reality of securing a graduate job in a highly competitive sector was a scary prospect but determination and hard work paid off; I am now an incoming analyst joining the Global Banking and Markets team at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. ‘

‘Not just a school but a community in itself, make use of the unparalleled support offered at The Gryphon - as the teachers and friends you meet here will end up being relationships that last a lifetime.’

5

Technology in Learning Week The Gryphon School hosted a ‘Technology in Learning’ week this term. The aim was to give parents a chance to see how technology is being integrated into Teaching and Learning throughout the school as part of a wider BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiative. We ran classroom visits throughout the day, teacher workshops during the evening and presentations from external speakers. We had a very successful week with parents describing it as ‘impressive’ and ‘really good fun’.

We Will Rock You Sell out show reviewed BERLIN TRIP 2015

Teacher workshops The teacher-led workshops gave parents the opportunity to experience a mobile device led lesson first hand. Parents tried some of our commonly used applications such as quizzing using Socrative and augmented reality lessons with Aurasma.

A particular hit was the animation session by Computing teacher, Matt Doble, who created simple animations using a blend of good oldfashioned mini whiteboards and mobile devices. Using an application called ‘Hyperlapse’, parents saw how traditional and innovative teaching methods can be integrated within the classroom to engage students fully. One parent echoed the thoughts of many saying ‘It’s been very enlightening and a good opportunity for parents to get involved with the proposals for the school’.

Classroom Visits Parents also took part in classroom tours which showcased how teachers were using BYOD. They were particularly impressed by the possibility of instant feedback using some of the assessment tools available on mobile devices, as well as the levels of student engagement in the classroom and the amount of fun students were having. This was particularly obvious during the demonstration of thinking and stopping distances using the camera function on their devices in Beth Martin’s Science lesson.

Joe Dale To top off a successful week, we were visited

by Joe Dale, an expert in integrating ICT into the classroom, who is regularly featured in articles in The Guardian and The Telegraph as well as attending events throughout the country. His sessions were a chance for parents to experience different ways of innovating teaching and learning, for example through the use of QR codes and eBooks.

6

The Gryphon School put on a production of Schools We Will Rock you at the end of last term. All three performances were sold out and a matinee for students at the school was packed.

Wow! What a show. The Gryphon School production of WWRY was a truly epic spectacle and of a standard that would not be bettered in the West End.The stunning choreography had, at times, over 80 students taking part in perfectly synchronised routines as they sang the much loved Queen numbers that had the audience totally mesmerised. The leads were confident and brilliantly cast. Lucy Bennett producing a feeling of real menace as Killer Queen to her hapless sidekick Michael Woolley, Josh McSevney (a regular lead in Gryphon productions) once again provided a flawless character performance as Pop, Issie Swan gave a suitably strong performance as the rebellious Meat Loaf in an excellent partnership with Nat Berry as Britney Spears; special mention must go to Ellie Bevan for her outstanding performance as Scaramouche and Ryan Andrews for his enthusiastic portrayal of the central character Galileo.

Nicki Edwards – Deputy Head

Debating Success This term the Sixth Form Debating Team took part in the regional final of the Debating Matters Competition in Bristol. This prestigious and challenging competition requires students to research a topic, speak about it under timed conditions and then answer tough questions from a panel of independent judges. Our Sixth Form Team had beaten the competition in two earlier rounds to reach this stage.

In the grand surroundings of Clifton Hill House, part of the University of Bristol, they pitted their wits against five other schools from the West and South Wales region. The calibre of the debating was extremely high and the quality of the arguments on a range of topical issues put our team of four speakers to the test. Henry Straughan and Theo Ayers-Harris argued forcefully in the first round that ‘Nobody has the right not to be offended’, narrowly missing out to North Bristol Post-16 Centre, who went on to become the winners of the day. In their second round debate, Gaby Dryden and Jenna Freak successfully swayed the judges with their points against ‘the advent of three parent IVF,’ beating Wadebridge School. Our supporting team of Sophia Rogerson, Joy Ingle and Rachel Anderson–Deas, asked challenging questions that impressed the judges and Henry came away with a ‘commended’ performance for his overall contribution to the day.’

Sally Hall - English

In February, 47 Year 10 students made the annual Gryphon School trip to Berlin.

We stayed at the H2 Hotel Alexanderplatz, a modern, well-appointed hotel right in the centre of East Berlin.

The hotel is a good vantage point from which to observe the Stalinist-style architecture of the communists who ruled this part of Germany from 1949 to 1991.

Today, the area has been brightened up and modernised with the usual trappings of capitalism: advertising boards, neon lights and graffiti. The hotel itself was more than comfortable and the food excellent. The buffet-style dessert counter was particularly popular with the students.

Part of the trip involved a visit to the Story of Berlin museum, a relatively new exhibition with lots of interactive displays. These included cars and telephones from the 1920s, a pile of books banned by the Nazis, houses that had been bombed during the Second World War and segments of the Berlin Wall to peer through. The exhibits gave our students a feel for what life was like in the past. Straining to see people on the other side of the Berlin Wall allowed students to start to appreciate the difficulties that people had communicating with loved ones who found themselves on the ‘wrong’ side of the Wall. Harder to appreciate was the fact that, for many, this was the only contact they had with each other for 25 years.

Underneath the museum is a huge nuclear bunker that can accommodate up to 3,600 people. In the event of a nuclear attack, the bunker would be used on a first-come, first-serve basis. The conditions inside, which largely consisted of bunk beds, hardly made for comfortable surroundings and many students felt they would prefer to stay above ground and take the risk of radiation poisoning. The bunker may now be part of a museum, but it would still be used today if a nuclear bomb was dropped on Germany and would be operational in forty-eight hours.

The whole trip was a great success, due in no small part to the excellent behaviour and mature attitude of the students and the help of their teachers. I would particularly like to thank Mr Baker, Mrs Brighouse, Mr Coulter and Miss Smart for their contributions towards making the trip such a worthwhile experience.

Steve Phillips – Head of History

Music Raising the roof at London Waterloo!

More than 100 singers and musicians plus staff from The Gryphon School and Sherborne Girls raised the roof of Waterloo Station before Christmas. They entertained thousands of festive travellers with carols during the rush hour at London’s busiest station to raise money for our local Weldmar hospice charity.

Carol Service A massive thank you to all students who performed, either singing or playing in this year’s School Carol Service. The standard achieved was superb and many parents and staff commented afterwards on the quality and the variety of music and ensembles that performed. A huge thank you to our organist Harold Jackson of Chilton Cantelo School, and to Marjory Huckle and David Gostick who directed the choirs.

Interested in training to become a teacher?

The North Dorset Partnership is part of the School Direct training programme which is open to both recent graduates and career changers. It offers talented individuals the chance to be part of a teaching team from day one by combining teacher training with on the job learning. We offer training at one of four schools: The Gryphon School, Gillingham School, Shaftesbury School or Sturminster Newton High School.

Successful candidates will be eligible for taxfree bursaries of up to £25,000, or a salary, as well as the chance to train alongside experienced teachers in some of the best secondary schools in the country.

We have vacancies now to start training from September 2015 and we’re looking for people who have (or will have) a degree, have a passion for teaching and want to inspire young people to fulfil their potential. We also offer school experience if you just want a taster of what teaching could be like. Come in and chat with us about the exciting teacher training opportunities available.

Call Justine Holland on 01935 811063 or email justine.holland@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk for further information.

The Gryphon School library was transformed into Hogwarts earlier this term as students celebrated Harry Potter book night. Libraries across the world were taking part in an initiative by Bloomsbury, the publishers, to encourage reading.

HARRY POTTER NIGHT AT THE GRYPHON

This was a joint collaboration between our two schools and was the largest event of its kind ever to be staged at Waterloo Station. A huge thank you to the army of volunteers who turned out to collect donations from passers-by. The final sum raised was a staggering £2,000 within two hours.

Organisation of the day by Chris Loder of South West Trains Network Rail Alliance (an ex-Gryphon student) took months to plan. Travel to London and back was courtesy of South West Trains with extra carriages added especially.

Twenty students, from Year 7 to Year 11, came dressed for the occasion and stayed after school to enjoy a range of wizarding activities. Starting with a ‘sorting ceremony’ in the specially decorated library, the students were placed into one of the four Hogwarts Houses and then feasted on Harry Potter cupcakes and chocolate frogs. Best behaviour was maintained under the watchful eyes of groundskeeper Hagrid (Mr Freddie Jobbins), transfiguration teacher Professor McGonagall (Mrs Linda Mumford), divination teacher Professor Trelawney (Ms Charlotte Froom), Moaning Myrtle the ghost (Mrs Beth Oxford) and the evil Bellatrix Lestrange (Mrs Jen Jacklin).

Mrs Julie Hoskins, the LRC Manager (dressed for the occasion as Professor Dolores Umbridge), took the young wizards and witches to a range of classes hosted by the Science Department. Mr Lee Moore (playing the part as the severe Professor Snape) demonstrated Defence

against the Dark Arts and Mrs Catherine Moore (dressed as the kindly Professor Sprout) taught herbology and showed the students how to care for spider plants.

Meanwhile, Mrs Catherine Freeborn (as a visiting potions expert) showed her magical skills with some spectacular colour change chemistry.

For the first time ever, and with the help of Allens’ Organs, a full-sized organ was played on the station concourse by Simon Clarkson to the delight of passers-by.

Literally thousands of commuters received an unexpected and uplifting reminder of the meaning of Christmas as the joint choir directed by John Jenkins (Director of Music at Sherborne Girls’) and Val Mizen and Marjory Huckle (from The Gryphon) sang, alternating with playing from our own Gryphon Brass Ensemble directed by our Brass teacher, Miles Hewitt.

The students returned to the library for paper owl flying lessons, before taking part in an inter-house Harry Potter quiz, with, fittingly, Gryffindor winning and taking home the prize. A fun evening was had by both students and staff, and the library hopes to run another Harry Potter Book Night next year.

Freddie Jobbins - LRC Assistant

Pro Corda National Chamber Music Competition: Once again our Brass and Baroque Chamber ensembles entered this year’s Pro Corda National Chamber Music Competition. Our Baroque group (Chloe Sum, Christian Jones, Eleanor Carr and Amelia Monaghan) were successful in reaching the semi-finals but are as yet to compete in the next round.

Val Mizen - Head of Music

7

Sport

Sport for All We are having another successful year in providing students who struggle to access the school teams, the opportunity to take part in regular sporting activity after school. This year we have already had successful Fun Dodgeball and Football tournaments. These have taken place once a week after school and have been well attended with approximately 30 students taking part from Years 7, 8 and 9. The students simply turn up and play, with new teams selected every week by Mr Barker, which keeps the focus on having fun. It is also a great opportunity to get to know students from other Year Groups, whilst getting involved regularly in healthy exercise. This HalfTerm we have been playing Capture the Flag, which has been heavily subscribed with over 50 students signed up to play! We hope to be able to get even more students involved when the sun starts shining in the Summer Term.

Chris Barker - PE

s y o B

Cross Country

y e k c o H

We have been very successful in cross country this year, the after school club on Wednesdays has been regularly attended by 12-15 keen runners who have been working on their running technique and tactics. The season started with the Dorset Cross Counrty Competition at Port Regis School. All 9 runners finished in the top 50 in fields of over 120 runners. This was a fantastic performance in very challenging muddy conditions. A particular mention must go to Amy Northam who finished 3rd winning a medal, Michael Biss (5th) and Harrison Jones (11th) who all qualified for the Dorset squad for the South West Cross Country Competition in Chippenham.

In that competition Michael could not compete due to injury but Amy finished 19th overall in her year group and 4th in the Dorset team resulting in Dorset finishing 3rd overall.

The Gryphon School has been awarded funding to run a boys’ hockey club for the next three years. This club is in conjunction with Yeovil and Sherborne Hockey Club using their coaches to develop boys’ hockey. Boys from all Year Groups are welcome to attend on Mondays from 4-5pm.

All equipment is provided so if you fancy giving hockey a try please just turn up to a session.

Competitive matches are being arranged for those who are seeking a form of competition.

Sixth Form Rugby

Andrew Simpson Olympic Legacy Award

The Gryphon School U18 XV exceeded all our expectations with a hugely successful cup run that saw them reach the sixth round of the U18 Natwest Cup with wins over The Thomas Hardye School, Gillingham School, Beechen Cliff and Portsmouth Grammar School. This meant that we were able to claim to be one of the top 32 schools in the country, matching our best ever performance in the competition formerly known as the Daily Mail Cup. We were finally defeated 24-12 by Monmouth School, who are one of the favourites to win the competition. It was hugely exciting for us all to meet the Monmouth 1st XV coach, John Bevan, who represented Wales and the British Lions, and famously played in the 1973 Barbarians victory over New Zealand.

The Andrew Simpson Olympic Legacy Award was set up to provide financial assistance for pupils at The Gryphon School to reach their sporting potential. The scheme is funded by the two Rotary Clubs in Sherborne in memory of the sailor Andrew Simpson and to build on the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Pupils who compete at a level above County standard were invited to apply for the funding outlining their current level of performance, where they saw themselves in five years’ time and how the funding would benefit them in the pursuit of success.

Following this, pupils were selected to give a short presentation to members of the Rotary Clubs as well as to me, highlighting the key areas of their application.

The standard of presentations by all the pupils was superb and it really showcased the successes of pupils from Years 7-12.

Usually the Awards are only available to one boy and one girl each year, but due to the high standard of presentations both the members of the Rotary Club and I felt it was only right to award a third winner this year.

William Morris in Year 10, who has been selected for the Bath Rugby Academy, was recognised for his outstanding progress and efforts in Rugby. Madelyn White in Year 12 was awarded for her exceptional performances in Swimming and Gymnastics.

This has seen her compete at national level in both sports. Sophie Ward in Year 11 was given the final award for her commitment and high standard of performance in Karate.

She has competed nationally in this sport and is improving year on year.

Editor: Liz Oatts

All three winners were commended for the way they prepared and conducted themselves during their presentations and we hope the financial award will assist them in reaching their goals.

Alan Cummings – Head of PE and Sport

Some Year 11 students have relished the opportunity to explore a new sport thanks to a link between the PE Department and Sherborne Golf Club. Students are taking part in a series of lessons with one of the club’s resident professionals. So far they have completed one out of the six sessions and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of developing new skills.

Hockey Finals: Yeovil and District Champions Year 7 and Year 10 teams made the finals of the Yeovil and District League and went on to be the champions. The Year 7s won their semi-final with ease and excellent play and determination by all the girls in their final game ensured victory.

The Year 10s had an interesting start to their day, by winning their semi-final without even playing!

The team they were due to play did not turn up, so the girls concentrated their efforts on the final game. It took the team a bit of time to find their winning ways against a strong Park team, but with grit and determination they won the game. It is an excellent achievement for both teams, who are now Yeovil and District champions in their respective age groups. Well done girls! Joanna Peters - PE

Michael has also qualified for the English Schools Cross Country competition in Blackburn.

We took part in the Bryanston Relay event in early March. They performed fantastically. The boys’ team were fifth overall narrowly missing a medal. The girls’ team were third and were awarded medals. Well done to all the runners on the day who were a credit to the school.

Fly Half & Dorset & Wilts U18 player Rhodri Hopkins has broken in to the Sherborne RFC 1st XV this season and has excelled at this level, quickly becoming a regular fixture in the side.

We are hugely excited by his prodigious talent and his future career in rugby. Hooker Hayden Wilson must be congratulated on his selection for the U18 South West Divisional squad, the fifth Gryphon player to achieve this distinction in recent years after Ollie Devoto, George Buckney, Tom Lawday and John Mansfield.

Skipper Lewis McGrath has also represented the Sherborne RFC 1st XV this season. I am hugely excited about the future of Gryphon Rugby following the contributions of Henry BrennanCraddock, Ovi Harvey and Hywel Yandell this season. These three students are still in our U16 squad but have been amongst our best performers at U18 level this season.

Chris South – Director of Sport

Sixth Form Football

Year 7 Netball Year 7 Netballers have flourished throughout their initial season at The Gryphon with the first team squad making Gryphon history. They qualified for the County Schools Tournament in Bournemouth despite some tough and close games in the North Dorset Tournament. In the County Tournament the team narrowly lost the first game against Talbot Heath then moved forward through the pools with some wins and one other narrow defeat to Dumpton. They are the first Gryphon Netball Team to reach the Dorset round of the tournament and finished 5th in the whole of the County for their age group. An outstanding achievement, well done Ladies!

Jim Gower

Easter Holidays 30 March – 10 April

The Fitness Suite will be open from 8.30am till 10.30pm, entry is only £2.90 (once you have had an induction)

The Gryphon School, Bristol Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4EQ School and Sixth Form – T: 01935 813122 • F: 01935 816992 • E: office@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk • Conference Centre – T: 01935 810103 The Gryphon School is a company limited by guarantee • Registered in England with Company Number 08130468

Golf

The Gryphon School Sixth Form Football teams have been putting on great performances over the year.

With the ever growing numbers in the Sixth Form the popularity of sport in general is soaring. We have fielded two teams and competition for the First Team is fierce. Players are regularly playing each week and put on great performances in the National and County Cup competitions.

YEAR 7 FOOTBALL It is clear we have some very talented young players within Year 7, and they showed this by reaching the quarter finals of the County Cup. Some strong performances saw them defeat both Wey Valley and Budmouth Schools, before being beaten in a closely contested game with a strong and well organised Poole Grammar School team. The Year 7 team also contested the annual 8 a-side tournament at Gillingham School, where a highly frustrating string of 0-0 results saw them unable to qualify for the semifinals. Throughout each of these games the boys have conducted themselves well, and have really started to gel as a team; an encouraging prospect with many games to come.

Gareth Peirson - PE

Tanya Pakijavan - PE •

F: 01935 816992

•

E: conference@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk

Nursery – T: 01935 810112

•

F: 01935 816992

•

E: nursery@gryphon.dorset.sch.uk