MANOR HOUSE LIFE | ISSUE 4

HEAD’S MESSAGE

Reflecting on this academic year fills me with gratitude for the achievements and activities we have enjoyed. Signs of normality slowly returned to all aspects of School life and I hope you will enjoy reading all about our successes.

On the stage we returned to a live audience, filling The Elizabeth Green Hall with applaud for our Senior School Production of ‘Annie’. The heart-warming storyline was delivered through outstanding performances from our talented cast.

Later in the year, the Prep School turned EGH into ‘Crunchem Hall’ in their witty performance of ‘Matilda’

With travel restrictions eased, the long awaited School ski trip departed for Crans-Montana in Switzerland and an unforgettable week was enjoyed by all.

Sports fixtures recommenced and the

Sports pages highlight the breadth and depth of talent across the School. The PE Department’s motto ‘Enjoy, Empower, Excel’ underpins the experiences we offer and it is pleasing to see so many pupils engaging in Sport this year.

If the last three years have taught us anything, they have taught us to be kind, flexible and adaptable and above all to live one day at a time.

I applaud the many acts of kindness we have witnessed including the work of the Supportive Friends towards the many new pupils who have joined through the year, the charitable fundraising activities we have seen across the school, the work of the Prefects in supporting the younger pupils and the many friendships that have been formed across the year groups.

Thank you to our FOMHS committee and parent helpers for enabling the social and

Tracey Fantham

fundraising events to recommence.

I am so very proud of our pupils and staff and hope that you enjoy reflecting on a year well spent of tremendous achievements.

MS FANTHAM, HEADTEACHER

I am delighted to share this reflection of the last academic year with you in this, our third edition of Manor House Life.

We wish to say thank you to Emay T and Jessica H for being super role models as Head and Deputy Head Girls during the 2021-2022 Academic Year.

We also wish to introduce our new Head and Deputy Head Girl, Olivia W and Georgie A.

New Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl for 2022-23

Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl from 2021-2022

– Emay T (Head Girl), Jessica H (Deputy)

MHOG

Friendships, work placements and hiding in the chemistry lab toilets

On the eve of starting her new job in May 2022 as Marketing Manager for Berkeley Homes at their Head Office in Aldgate, London, Danielle visited Manor House School with her mum (Mrs Jane Baynes from our Admissions team) on a sunny morning in late Spring. We chatted about the nine intervening years since she sat her GCSEs here in the summer of 2013.

Now living in Clapham Old Town, South West London, we explored some of the big decisions that have shaped her life so far:

What led to you moving to London? And how have you settled into London life?

After graduating from University in the summer of 2019, I moved back to my parent’s home in Surrey which allowed me to save up and travel during the Summer, including a month long USA road trip on the West Coast. Following a fantastic Summer, I accepted a temporary job whilst I was interviewing for full time Marketing roles and in November 2019, I accepted a job offer as Marketing Coordinator for Lifestory Group (formerly Anthology), a residential real estate developer. I started the role in February 2020 and commuted into London Bridge from Surrey for only six weeks until the COVID-19 restrictions. I then worked from home, which took its toll on my work-life balance. Once the worst of Covid had passed, a few of my friends Surrey friends started to move to London and I soon did the same in September 2021. I chose Clapham Old Town because the majority of my friends live there or nearby and it is where I spent most of my weekends when still living in Surrey. It’s also relatively quick to visit my family in Surrey (which is quite often!). I share a house with two friends from University which I absolutely love, and my brother lives just around the corner which is also a big plus! I also recently found out that the boyfriend of another Manor House friend lives opposite us – small world!

Netball has also played a big part in your life so far, tell us more?

Manor House was where my love for Netball began. It was the highlight of my day! Miss Buck was our Netball coach and encouraged me to also join a Netball club outside of school to progress my skills, it also improved my confidence. We competed regularly in matches against other schools as well as tournaments which were the highlight for me. I remember

feeling so excited and proud when my parents came to watch me! My love and passion for Netball continued through to St Johns where I secured a Netball and Tennis Scholarship. Netball also allowed me to bond with girls who weren’t in my form group or who I didn’t know so well. I am still in touch with all of the girls in the A Netball Team through social media. In fact, many of us from that team now play together in a Netball league in Clapham Common every Monday night. It’s really unique that this bond was formed at Manor House and still remains strong almost ten years later!

How did you find your transition to St John’s Leatherhead after Manor House?

It was pretty straight forward. It helped that there were a number of us moving across from Manor House. The main thing was getting used to boys every day!

It also felt quite natural to leave Manor House because everyone was leaving at the same time given that there was no Sixth Form. It was comforting knowing that no one was being left behind and that it was the end of an era for all of us together.

Looking back on your time at Manor House, what has stayed with you most? Definitely friendships; making good friends and keeping that bond as close as ever. This is something that I know is shared by a number of people and is unique to Manor House in comparison to other local schools. Also I would say that the values that underpin Manor House have really carried through with me throughout my later education and early career, these being passion, self belief, drive, enthusiasm and helping others. Finally, fun! Whilst working hard and getting good grades was important to me, I had so much fun along the way which I think enabled me to succeed at Manor House.

I will always remember my Year 3 form teacher and French teacher, Madame Lelong, for being so enthusiastic and caring. I also loved English lessons with Mrs Parish – I remember visiting her during lunchtime and break to share makeup tips and hear all about her dogs!

My ties with Manor House still remain strong. I come back to the Christmas Fayre every year with my mum who still works at the school so I still feel very connected to it. Some may

call me a hoarder but I do still have my old Manor House PE kit and blazer hanging in my wardrobe at my parents’ house! It will always hold a special place in my heart.

And finally, congratulations on your new role with Berkeley Homes. Tell us about your career path to date? Why was a work placement so important to you?

After studying and completing my A-Levels (Spanish, Business Studies and Philosophy & Ethics) at St Johns, I chose a degree in Business Management at The University of Leeds. Despite being offered an unconditional offer to the University of Nottingham, I chose Leeds in particular as they offered a Year in Industry as part of the degree, making it four years in total. This was really important to me as I felt it would provide me with real industry experience and differentiate me amongst others when searching for a job after graduating.

Following a challenging six months of applications, interviews and assessment centres, I accepted a role as Marketing Intern at Hilton Worldwide for my placement year (year 3 of my degree) and I can honestly say it did not disappoint. Not even the three hours of driving per day from Surrey to the Head Office in Watford put me off! I learnt so much during my 12 months with Hilton and I couldn’t recommend a placement year enough as it definitely did help to differentiate me from other applicants without industry experience when applying for graduate jobs. I also based my final year dissertation on my placement year experience and utilised contacts from that year to interview which was fantastic and definitely made me more invested in and more passionate about my dissertation! Hilton was where my passion for Marketing began.

Focus On ROTARY WRITING COMPETITION

Abigail K of Year 8 was the winner of the intermediate age group in the District Level of the Rotary Club’s Young Writer Competition. Scout W, Lauren I, Matilda G, Natasha W and Isobel G were all awarded certificates in recognition of their achievements in reaching the District Level of the competition.

PARALLEL WORLDS

It’s lonely up here. I should be used to it, I guess. As far as I know I’m the only parallel world barrier out there. I guard two worlds; Anthropomorphim and Deanthropomorphim. Two parallel worlds, one small difference, one massive change.

Well, you see the small difference is a single species. Some could say insignificant. Nevertheless, from what I have seen, they are extremely important.

Humans. They call the world I know as Anthropomorphim ‘Earth’. These humans are destroyers, to put it bluntly. They are the reason for the massive change.

Deanthropomorphim is a paradise. Green and blue extends for miles across delightful, textured land. Slight whispers of a divine breeze flutter around like a butterflies’ dance class. Fauna frolics freely around the globe, gently grazing on heavenly flora. Trees grow tall and high, easily creating beautiful habitats for elegant creatures and a diversity of plants. The expansive oceans are called home by a multitude of graceful and magnificent species with an incredible measure of harmony. The moon was a pocketmarked, but still a wonderfully created, glittering opal shining bright in the clear night sky. The sunsets and sunrises painted a picture of golden pinks and vibrant oranges streaking across the heavens. The golden light of the sun shone down splendidly over vast, intricate wildflower meadows complete with fluffy buzzing bees and adorable skittering field mice.

This world is perfect. Untouched. Everyone and everything lives in a beautiful symphony of life and death. There is no meddling inside this planet of life and beauty. This idyllic utopian world has never been touched by greed, anger, sadness or anything truly evil.

I don’t know how it can happen. How can a world be so perfect and untainted? How can one small difference create such a massive change? Just one species – humans – have decimated the world beyond measure. The death and distress envelops anyone and anything that is unfortunate enough to be included in the hellscape called Anthropomorphim.

Anthropomorphim is a dystopia. The world is a wreck. Anthropomorphim is a world of polluted water and overbearing heat with barely any landmass at all. Natural disasters hunt you down, chasing you everywhere as if they were starving, half-crazed, desperate animals. The wildlife seems nonexistent, biodiversity abolished and happiness only for a very select few. For the humans that have messed up this world infinitely, the tide has turned. Well, at least for most of them. These humans are either overly rich, corrupt and greedy, in extreme poverty or dead. The

people in extreme poverty are declining in numbers by the day. The natural disasters and diseases running rampant are mounting causalities in the thousands and no one with the capability of doing so has even thought about helping. The scorching days are only counterbalanced by the freezing nights where nothing that isn’t highly adapted or has protection will survive.

These are the worlds I guard. These are the parallel universes I look over. One a perfect paradise; one a pit of despair. I hope that one day Anthropomorphim might possibly progress and become something more similar to Deanthropomorphim. Even though I fear that would take a colossal miracle. Or a unique human who could somehow convince everyone to actually help and to learn to work together in the chaos of Anthropomorphim.

BY ABIGAIL K, YEAR 8

Focus On

MATHEMATICS

Academic Mathematics is important at Manor House School and the Schemes of Learning put in place to align with the iGCSE 9-1 grading are working well. We tailor topics taught to overlap throughout Key Stage 3, building upon pupils’ previous knowledge, to master the foundations of content prior to beginning the Key Stage 4 Scheme leading them towards their iGCSE Examination at the end of Year 11.

The iGCSE Mathematics Examination differs from the traditional GCSE Mathematics in having extra content (Calculus, Arithmetic Series, and some further Vectors) that gives pupils a good start toward A-Level Maths topics. The pupils sitting iGCSE also have a slightly different format – Two 2-hour papers (calculator is permitted in both), compared to three 1.5-hour papers for GCSE (1 non-calculator). The inclusion of a Formula sheet at iGCSE also sets the two apart. The choice to sit the Edexcel iGCSE examination is based on research that suggests females perform better when provided with formulae, and less application of questions on spatial-reasoning which appear frequently on non-calculator

The Department are keen to give pupils opportunities for problembased questions too. The UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) offer various challenges and this year, pupils in Year 7 and 8 had the opportunity to sit a special “25th Anniversary Challenge”. This was run in addition to the Junior Maths Challenge (for Years 6 to 8) and the Intermediate Maths Challenge (for Years 9 to 11). There are two questions from this below for you to try. Unfortunately, the much loved “Team Challenge” was unable to run this year due to timing of the lifting of Covid restrictions, but we hope that this will be back again next academic year.

Mr O’Neill

papers (Ceci, Williams, & Barnett, 2009; Liu & Wilson, 2009; Miller & Halpern, 2014).

This year the Mathematics Department have been thankful to be back in the classroom. All pupils settled well and made smooth transitions from last academic year to this year.

Focus On

SCIENCE OUTSIDE OF THE CURRICULUM

As a Department our aim is to instil an interest to investigate and a desire to delve into the details of a topic, not just to meet the demands of the curriculum but to empower our pupils to be able to navigate the ever-changing world around us with confidence. Year 6 and Senior STEM Clubs worked towards their Crest SuperStar certificates, awarded by the British Science Association.

Year 6 STEM Club had the opportunity to work in the Senior School laboratories to complete a series of investigations and challenges. They designed and built bridges and rafts, explored forces and stability. They even made cheese! They tested different ways of collecting fingerprints, made toothpaste and jelly testing different concentrations and recipes. They learnt about Bunsen Burners even using them to cook pancakes. The girls experimented with different ink pens using chromatography too.

Whilst completing these tasks, the girls had to think about how they would record and present their data and were encouraged to use the correct scientific terminology to discuss variables and reliability.

All in all, a fantastic introduction to problem-solving within a STEM context offering the girls the opportunity to develop investigative and teamwork skills through hands-on challenges.

Senior STEM club were working towards their Silver Crest Awards. The pupils have to choose a topic and plan a series of investigations around this. To link their work to science in a ‘reallife’ pharmaceutical they devised a trial practical to determine the

boundaries of the variables, review and redraft their methods, test their new methods and evaluate the final results. Some of the projects included: making their own bath bombs; design of animations; producing the best lemonade and the most effective method to gather accurate fingerprint evidence.

STEM Club also plays a crucial role in the work carried out during Science Week each year. All of our Science Ambassadors from Year 3 to 11 work together to present a whole school assembly that launches the theme. During the week they then run ‘pop-up playground practical’s each break to encourage others to enjoy the varied and engaging tasks. A wonderful leadership opportunity for the girls.

#ALoveofLearning

MRS WATERHOUSE, HEAD OF KEYSTAGE 3 AND SCIENCE

The Senior School has been a hive of activity this year. Our debate teams from Year 9 and 10 had phenomenal success in the Rotary Debate Competition securing second and third place respectively. This was particularly impressive as the girls were competing again Sixth Form teams. The Year 9 team as a result were invited to the finals which saw Flora D and Lottie E being awarded individual prizes for ‘Best Proposer’ and ‘Best Opposer’.

This year in Food & Nutrition parents have had numerous treats brought home from fresh baked baguettes to beautifully decorated meringue roulades.

An Autumn Term highlight is the famous House Arts Competition. Year 10 really did shine with their inspirational leadership during this time.

The Languages Department work tirelessly to ensure all pupils have the opportunity to not only engage in learning a new language but also to appreciate the culture of different countries. This was highlighted in the fun of Journee Internationale de la Francophonie where the challenge of flag finding got everyone involved including staff!

Each Spring Term Year 10 have the opportunity to apply for positions of responsibility. The quality of the Head Girl husting was exceptional.

Journée Internationale de la Francophonie

There have been numerous trip opportunities enjoyed by Seniors this year. Year 7 and 8 camped out in Swanage for three days enjoying teambuilding tasks and outdoor activities. Other adventures have included the Ski trip to Switzerland, a Classics trip to the Roman Baths, a visit to Wintershall with the RS Department and a number of Theatre experiences.

As part of our assembly programme, we have been fortunate to have a range of inspirational people present. From lawyers to chemists, each brought with them a unique story about their work journey. One very special visit was from Giles Clark of the Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent. He is a conservationist and T presenter who spoke passionately about his work across the world. As a result of this link, Years 5, 6 and 7 were able to visit the Sanctuary in July with a bespoke workshop from Giles himself.

Head Girl Hustings

Debate Team

Special Days and Events

The Lower Prep Department of the School consists of the Early Years classes and Year One and Year Two. We have our own entrance, classrooms and play area which allow the children to have a gentle entry into School life ready to build their foundations for learning.

As such, the children learn and play together and often share special events where we invite families to come and take part.

CHRISTMAS

We were delighted to invite parents to watch a performance of ‘A Midwifes Crisis’ The children worked hard learning catchy songs and dances to tell the story of the Midwife who attended Jesus’s birth!

The children in Kindergarten to Year 2 went on a trip to Juniper Hall where they entered the world of Santa’s Winter Wonderland. They took part in a variety of races and activities such as stacking presents, a Santa treasure hunt, craft making and finally ended the morning with a visit from Santa who gave them all a gift.

The Nursery children had a party of their own, wearing their best party outfit and enjoyed games and a party tea.

PUMPKIN HUNT

In Autumn, the children went on a Pumpkin hunt. They began the morning with the story of ‘Pumpkin soup’, hunted for pumpkins in the Dell and swapped these for the real pumpkins which were hiding in the meadow. The pumpkins were so big, we needed to borrow the gardener’s wheelbarrow to bring them back to school.

RECEPTION TASTER DAY

Each year the children in Kindergarten join with external visitors to discover what life is like in a Reception class. The children bought in their favourite toy to talk about and show the other children. They loved sharing some facts and answering their questions. They enjoyed listening to the story of The Stickman and then enjoyed a range of activities such as making edible stick men, measuring different size stickmen, counting them and threading them using laces.

They finished the day by spending time in The Dell where they went on a hunt for items from the story and enjoyed making stick man out of clay.

Stephan, the school gardener, prepared some wreaths that the children decorated and put onto the door of their classroom.

PANCAKE DAY

The children love nothing more than being able to take part in house events that allow them to work with other children in the School. Pancake day gives them this opportunity and there is always lots of cheering as the younger children race concentrate so hard and try not to drop their pancake. The older girls are always very gentle with them and give lots of support.

MOTHER’S DAY

Year 2 wrote a beautiful acrostic class poem, using the alphabet to say how much they appreciated their Mummy. The rest of Lower Prep invited their Mummy to a special Mother’s Day performance and tea on the lawn.

EASTER EGG HUNT

This is our favourite activity of the year. The children were visited by an Easter Bunny (AKA the Prep Prefect) came to visit with some friends. The giant bunny knocked on the doors of Kindergarten and Reception and beckoned for the children to follow. They went to the meadow where there were lots of coloured eggs to find. The youngest children had to match some coloured eggs, the Kindergarten children matched patterns and the Reception class had to match numbered eggs and ones with rhyming words. When they had collected their eggs, the Easter Bunny generously swapped them with a real chocolate egg. The children loved having a group photograph taken before it hopped away waving goodbye.

Comic Relief

Expert Teaching in Subjects

The children in Reception, Kindergarten and Nursery classes have a creative curriculum both with their own class teachers and with other specialist teachers within the School, who use their knowledge and skills to develop the children’s learning.

FRENCH LESSONS

The children were engaged through plenty of repetitive games and songs with the help of our favourite French puppet, Lucie Lapin. New vocabulary was introduced and secured through memory games such as “Loud-Quiet Cache-Cache” in which children take turns to hide a picture or object for someone else to find with the help of the class saying the word loudly or quietly to show their proximity to the object. There were plenty of opportunities to lead the activities and the children loved helping each other with their recall of French vocabulary. Building up knowledge and confidence, we encouraged all our children to ‘have a go’ and to listen again. Some examples of activities are Four Corners, Charades, learning songs and changing them to include our own versions of verses, as well as drawing and writing. We used our iPads to create videos of topic related language. Learning a new language was exciting and fun.

SCIENCE

Lizzie from the Surrey Wildlife Trust took the Kindergarten and Reception pupils on a nature walk. They shook the trees to see what insects they could find.

FOREST SCHOOL

The children loved their weekly lesson in The Dell. They took part in a variety of activities designed to teach them how to tie knots, build shelters, and use a variety of tools safely. They loved to toast marshmallows over the open fire.

MUSIC

Music in Early Years and Lower Prep is given by a specialist music teacher weekly. The children enjoyed singing songs and fun singing games. The children in Lower Prep used percussion instruments and learnt about rhythm. They were thrilled to create their own music.

DRAMA

The pupils loved their drama lesson each week. They danced and enjoyed lots of role play which helped them prepare for their wonderful nativity.

CLUBS

The children had fun at various clubs.

These have included Puzzle club, Challenge club, Outside games, Gardening club, R and R club and Football club. The children even had the opportunity to take part in a Lower Prep School Choir too!

ART

The children got creative in Art this year and experimented with pastels, paints, pens, pencils, clay and textiles. They were also inspired by what they could find in the grounds of the School and gathered natural resources too! They created some super masterpieces. Cooking was a highlight in the Summer Term, when they made fruit smoothies and savoury muffins!

PE

The children burned off some energy in sports which include Gymnastics, Cricket and Athletics. They developed ball skills. This weekly Swimming lesson at Dorking Leisure Centre was a highlight too.

YEARS 1 AND 2

The Year 1 and 2 classrooms are a happy, vibrant and busy place to be. Most days begin with the teaching of core subjects, English and Mathematics.

ISLANDS

In the Summer Term, the Year 1 classroom has transformed into an island based on Maurice Sendak’s beloved story of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. The girls wrote their own fantasy stories and created their own 3D Modroc islands adding their own human and physical features.

WALK AROUND BOOKHAM

During our topic of Houses and Homes, the girls explored our local area and observed the different styles of houses that the village of Effingham has to offer.

CASTLES DAY

To celebrate our topic of Castles, the girls visited Windsor Castle and had a fantastic day exploring the castle grounds, visiting the state rooms, and enjoying the wonderful Queen Mary’s dolls house. At the end of our topic, we took part in ‘Castles Day’ where the girls dressed up as a medieval princess or knight and learnt medieval dancing, took part in sword and shield decorating, peppermint cream making along with a delicious medieval feast and lunchtime. Great fun was had by all!

MRS FERREY, HEAD OF EARLY YEARS AND LOWER PREP

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON

Our Year 2 topic about the Great Fire of London is such an engaging way to learn about a major historical event in British history. We enjoyed a Theatre Workshop which extended and broadened their understanding of the time around 1666, acting out events such as the Great Plague as well as embedding their understanding of the way of life in that time. Everyone was able to get involved and have a turn at roleplaying characters such as Samuel Pepys or King Charles II and the consequences of their actions and decisions on life in London today. Skills based learning helps the girls understand how to think critically about evidence. During the workshop with the National Theatre the girls learned that being a history detective is important and useful. All our learning culminated with an opportunity to build our own Tudor houses, which we positioned in The Dell. Taking photos, and later creating videos, of the re-enactment of the Great Fire was an exciting way to bring our learning to a close. It provided an opportunity for the girls to bring all their knowledge and understanding together through a creative task.

Toy Museum

Painshill Park

3

In Year 3, the Class teacher teaches the main core subjects Mathematics and English, in the mornings.

Following the Abacus Mathematics Scheme of work with lots of online work on iPad and Mathematical challenges, the girls in Year 3 developed and expanded their learning.

In English, the girls read varied texts, to broaden their knowledge and creativity and develop their ability to express themselves and their views.

The children’s work in Year 3 is always imaginatively expressed in various ways with Art, Drama, and Creative Writing.

Specialist teachers teach French, Music, Science, Art, P.E, R.E and Performing Arts.

The highlights of the year have been the Humanities School trips where they visited Fishbourne Roman Palace in the Autumn Term, which complimented their study of the Celts and Romans.

In the Spring Term they visited the British Museum where they were able to view the amazing Anglo-Saxon artefacts found at Sutton Hoo.

In the Summer Term they visited Juniper Hall for one night and two days on a residential trip. The girls did mammal trapping and were beyond excited to find voles and mice, which they then released back into the woods.

They visited the River Tillingbourne where they raced rafts and experienced ‘pond dipping’. They used microscopes to help them identify the various invertebrates they found.

With this taste of independence the girls had to make their own bed and in the morning after breakfast, make sandwiches to take on the walk up Box Hill. The evening ended with a campfire, songs, stories, and toasting marshmallows.

Year 3 girls have learnt to be independent, confident and enjoy sharing their many and varied talents with their peers. They have forged caring and healthy friendships.

MRS HORROCKS

YEAR 4

Year 4 are widely referred to as ‘Team 4D.’ The girls have worked with purpose, creativity, and a determination to do their best all year because they love what they do every day. They have consistently displayed a high degree of interdependence as a team in supporting each other both in and out of the classroom.

From writing books to talking through their Maths strategies with their learning partners to developing a genuine love of the Tudor Times, and achieving significant progress in core subjects, Year 4 have had a great year together – as the following gallery of images demonstrates.

MRS DARLINGTON

5

Year 5 is a year where pupils become more independent in their learning and take more responsibilities.

The academic year started in September with a residential trip to Sayers Croft. Aswell as being away from home the girls experienced a wide range of challenging and fascinating activities including Bouldering, Orienteering, Pond Dipping, a fascinating Bat Walk, Campfire with songs and sketches, River walking and Mrs McMillan’s absolute favourite, Ballista building (and firing).

The Autumn Term topic of Victorian Britain was brought to life through stories and an immersive visit to the Guildford Schoolroom.

to explore the hands on exhibits and participate in a robotics workshop which culminated in a robot disco!

In Design Technology we created aprons out of old pillowcases using hand stitching.

These aprons were then worn in the Spring Term during Food Technology sessions when the pupils made shortcrust pasty from scratch, firstly following recipes and then creating their own flavour combinations and designs.

The final project of the year was learning about CAM movements and mechanisms. This required understanding of the mechanisms, creativity in design and a lot of problem solving and perseverance. A challenge which Year 5 are always up for.

MRS MCMILLAN

In the Spring Term Year 5 go Greek! and become captivated by the legacy of the Greeks and enjoy the world of Gods, Monsters, Heros and Mortals through the study and retelling of myths. This also inspired their own version of the 12 Labours of Heracles which was confidently written and performed by the whole team.

The day trip to Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium always goes too quickly. Sitting in the Planetarium brings to life the science topic of Earth and space and links closely with the astronomy of the Ancient Greeks. In addition to this there was time

Design Technology is a firm favourite in Year 5

YEAR 6

The final year in the Prep Department is always a busy and exciting year, full of opportunities and unforgettable experiences. The girls are expected and encouraged to work hard and play hard, to be excellent role models in all aspects of Prep life and to support and lead activities wherever they can, for example House Arts where the girls choreographed the House Song, giving up their time to lead rehearsals and to support the younger girls.

Throughout the year, the girls enjoyed a mixture of Class teacher and specialist teaching; providing them with the opportunity to get to know some of the Senior teachers and to find out more about subjects that they will study in greater depth from Year 7.

Developing independence and personal organisation is one of our main focuses for the year. The girls take on new leadership roles and are encouraged to become more responsible and independent in their homework and class projects and to try out new activities before they leave the Prep Department. Our aim is always to nurture individual talents and interests and to encourage the girls to aspire to be the best they can.

This year we were delighted to welcome many new families into Year 6. It was exciting to start the year with a great team building day at High Ashurst in the Surrey Hills. Later in the Term, we enjoyed a Humanities field trip to the River Tillingbourne. The girls also visited Henley Fort in Guildford.

STEM Club is run exclusively for Year 6. Each week in this highly sought after club, the girls undertake investigations using specialist equipment in the Science labs

gaining a taste of the exciting science work to come in the Senior School.

In Creative Arts, the girls all really benefitted from opportunities to perform on the stage, rising to the challenge performing in House Arts and the Rock and Pop Concert in the Autumn Term and most recently our amazing Prep Production of Matilda.

They also attended The Junior Citizens Workshops and took on Bikeability.

In the Summer Term they enjoyed Canoeing, Climbing and Fencing at PGL on the Isle of Wight.

MRS MILLER

ROTARY WRITING COMPETITION

“We congratulate all entrants from Manor House Year 6, whether you chose prose or poetry, fact or fiction, your certificates are very well deserved, and I hope that you all had fun in practising your writing skills. We are inspired and encouraged by your optimism and hopes for the future. Well done, please keep writing and enter again next year!”

ROTARY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

Congratulations to everyone who entered this year’s Bookham & Horsley Rotary Club Photography Competition. The theme was ‘Colours of Nature’. Asha M was awarded Highly Commended for the Intermediate age category. The judge remarked that ‘the standard of entries from Manor House School were very high.’ Have a look at these wonderful entries.

Ella B of Year 4 was the Junior Winner of the District competition.

Asha M of Year 9 was awarded Highly Commended for the Intermediate age category.

Jael S, Yr 9

Darcey B, Yr 7

Agnes R, Yr 9 Fleur S-M, Yr 8

Christina S, Yr 9

Lucy S, Yr 7

Bella L, Yr 7

Emily F, Yr 8

Lexie H, Yr 6

Jette S, Yr 7

Amy F, Yr 6

Ruby H, Yr 10

Daisy H, Yr 8 Izzy W, Yr 6

GCSE ART AND DESIGN

Our talented GCSE Art pupils are encouraged to develop an individual style and work in a variety of materials. Some have enjoyed working large and developing their skills with paint and mixed media, whilst others have explored the potential of textiles. Many of our pupils go on to study Art at A level and beyond and then go on to pursue careers in the arts, including fashion, design and theatrical costume. For example, Erin Mitchell left Manor House School in 2016 having studied both Art and Drama at GCSE. She has recently graduated with a First Class Honours degree in costume and theatre design from London and is now looking for her first job. She credits her enthusiasm for, and success in this area, with the opportunities offered to her at Manor House School.

Sophie L-W

Alisha F

Veronika J

Jessica H

Sacha K

Emay T

Elena W

Sofia G

PREP SCHOOL DRAMA

Once again our Prep pupils excelled themselves in their annual Drama Production. This year the EGH resonated to the songs of Matilda, with our Year 6 pupils convincingly bringing Roald Dahl’s story to life in the leading roles and strong ensemble work from Years 3, 4 and 5. Manor House productions are all inclusive and a highlight of the year.

MRS WILLIAMS, HEAD OF ART AND DRAMA AND KS4

SENIOR SCHOOL DRAMA

This year’s Senior Production of Annie in March was particularly memorable since it was our first live production for two years and we were delighted to have a full house on all three nights. There is nothing like a live audience, and the 120 strong cast and backstage team really rose to the challenge and performed magnificently. On the last night they received a standing ovation and later celebrated with an after show party. All the performers were stars but special mention must go to Maggie, who took the role of Sandy the dog. Maggie had never trod the boards before, but was a natural and worked beautifully with Annie, who was played by Maggie’s owner, Alice M!

MRS WILLIAMS, HEAD OF ART AND DRAMA AND KS4

“Annie”

There are a range of pathways that the girls can choose from including Acting, Speaking Verse and Prose and Public Speaking. Each pathway has many benefits and will equip the girls with a range of skills that can be used throughout life.

Many people think that in order to take up LAMDA tuition they have to be good at Performing Arts and Acting, but LAMDA can help in many ways and not just if you want to be on the stage.

LAMDA can help those quiet and shy students to find their voice, to gradually build their confidence in speaking in front of others, to know how important eye contact is when you are talking to someone. This is one of the requirements for the entry examination grades, in their exam it is essential that they make eye contact with the examiner learn not to fidget when they are presenting their pieces. All these small but essential skills can help us all in the long run. Not to mention in interview situations, confidently presenting yourself as you walk into a room.

A previous pupil recently remarked, ‘Standing in front of patients and giving them a diagnosis was like standing up in front of an examiner. Presenting a piece and making sure you understood the definitions.’ It made me realise that LAMDA tuition had helped her and had made her the confident and clearly spoken doctor she is today.

MRS HAMER, LAMDA TEACHER info@stagestarsuk.com

Many girls from Year 1 to 11 attend LAMDA tuition at Manor House School. 93 girls have recently taken their LAMDA examinations with 95% of girls receiving a distinction and the rest gaining a high merit.

For two of our Scholars, Lily W of Year 8 and Felicity W of Year 11, Prize Giving provided solo violin performances to both Prep and Senior parents.

All three Houses prepared brilliant musical items for The House Arts. Pupils also choreographed and lead the Prep House Choir rehearsals. Everyone performed with great energy and musicality.

As Christmas approached, we prepared for Christingle, The Prep Nativity and our Carol Service. Rev’d McVean led our first al fresco Carol Service on the lawn with the Orchestra. The whole School learnt and sang Silent Night with sign language, led by Isabella M and Lily L in Year 5. The service finished with the addition of snow machines for “A Christmas Blessing” by Philip Stopford which was sung by Parent, Staff, Senior and Prep Choirs.

After many weeks of rehearsals, the Senior Production of Annie finally arrived and we were thrilled to welcome Mr Pratt to join us as guest Musical Director with Mrs Harman due to go on maternity leave.

In February our Year 9 band competed in the new Battle of the Bands competition at Prior’s Field School. The pupils had rehearsed under the direction of Mr Lucas as well as running their own rehearsals at break times to prepare their three song set. Kat V (guitar and vocals, Beth S (guitar and vocals), Natasha W (drums), Jess H (bass) and Olivia G (keys) demonstrated great teamwork and determination in the run up to the competition and, despite coming second to the host School, were highly commended by the judges with a

special award being given to Beth S as the best band member across all the bands. The Judges commented ‘They had the best image as a whole, really looked united as a band. The singer who won the award was a real stand out of the whole event, she was fantastic. Her voice was really great and quite unusual and unique, and her guitar playing was really great too. I felt they made fantastic song choices as a band. You really got a clear idea of their sound. Their 3rd song was brilliant and the vocal harmonies were a real highlight for me.’ ‘These girls came a very close second and it was such a tough decision. We all felt like they were very talented musicians; particularly the two singer/guitarists who also had a great connection on stage. I loved the diversity and the fact that

they swapped instruments - it added interest. They were the only band who used harmonies and that really made the performance stand out. You know it is an engaging performance when you don’t take any notes!’

We reintroduced our lunchtime recitals in All Saints’ Church, where parents, staff and students enjoyed hearing a variety of solos, duets and chamber ensembles perform. For some students it was their first live performance at Manor House School and for others it was their last. We welcome Mr Allen for the Summer Term.

Despite all the virtual and recorded opportunities provided during Covid, we recognised that, for students, the skills that hadn’t been rehearsed for a couple of years were the ability to manage the nerves of live performance, and enjoy the overwhelming feeling of success post performance.

MRS HARMAN, HEAD OF MUSIC MR ALLEN, ACTING HEAD OF MUSIC

“Rock and Pop Concert”

Our annual Rock Concert, normally in June, took place just before October Half Term and we were delighted to be able to welcome a live audience into the Elizabeth Green Hall to celebrate the talents of so many students across the Prep and Senior Departments.

With the addition of fantastic lighting and sound from DS Lighting, the audience were treated to a wonderful and exciting evening with performances from soloists from Year 4 to 11, Senior Choir, Prep Choir, Senior Vocal Ensemble, Prep Vocal Ensemble, Orchestra, Year 11 Music students and bands from Year 8, 9 and 10.

With the expert tuition and direction of our instrumental staff, the students performed a brilliant programme from artists such as The Cat Empire, Griff, Adele, Lewis Capaldi and Stevie Nicks. As usual, the evening finished with a tribute to a well-known artist and this year Dolly Parton was that artist. Students from Years 4 to 10 sang short excerpts of her back catalogue expertly accompanied by our staff band. Our particular thanks go to Mr Lucas our guitar teacher for his work with the bands, our singing teachers Mrs Baillie and Mrs Turner for their work with the Vocal Groups and Mr Wills, drums, and Mr Cox, bass, who again played in our staff band.

COMPETITIONS

This year in the Sports Department, we have thrived on getting back out on the courts, fields, and track to enjoy all those things we missed so much. We have been able to compete once again, against other schools, we have enjoyed playing sports we were restricted in playing and we have been able to compete at elite level; challenging our most able pupils.

We have enjoyed trips to Wembley to watch the Woman’s FA Cup final, Top Golf, Surrey University for workshops with Surrey Storm’s Felisitus Kwangwa and the Surrey Human Performance Institute, Effingham Cricket Club and Effingham Golf Club.

We have introduced new Manor House School sports camps, which kicked off with Cricket and Athletics at Easter and continue with a pre-season Netball camp in August.

We have celebrated so many team and individual achievements throughout the year, including our U12’s coming 3rd and our U13’s and U15’s coming 2nd in their District Netball, U13’s coming 1st and 2nd in their District Cricket, our intermediate Athletics team winning District Athletics by an unbelievable margin and both our junior and intermediate Athletics teams qualifying and coming 3rd overall in the ESAA regional finals.

We are beyond proud of the some of the achievements we have witnessed and been apart of this year and we look forward to continuing to build on them next year.

MRS TAUBER HEAD OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

DISTRICT ATHLETICS

Our Junior and Senior Athletes achieved huge success at the District Championships, with the U15’s getting a bronze overall, and the U17’s a gold medal.

The Senior Relay Team beat the 1982 record of 53.5 with a new District Relay time of 51.2. The U17’s scored a total of 121 points which was an astonishing 57 points above the Silver.

U17’s

• Sienna K – Gold in 100m and shot

• Elin R – Gold in hurdles and long jump

• Fleur PJ – Gold in high jump and 5th in 100m

• Jessie S – Gold in triple jump and Bronze in 200m

• Amelie P – Bronze in 800m

• Darcey M – Bronze in 1500m

• Georgie A – Silver in triple jump and Bronze in hurdles

U15’s

• Bella C – Silver in discus

• Lola F – Silver in discus and 4th in 300m

• Holly R – Silver in 100m

• Sammie D – Bronze in hurdles

• Emma D – Bronze in discus

U8’s, 9’s and 10’s

In May we achieved success at another District event too.

• Scarlett M – Gold in the High Jump and 1st in 75m and 600m

• Sarah S – 3rd in her Vortex Throw heat

• Charlotte W – 1st in the 400m

WOMEN IN SPORT – WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS SUMMER

This summer is set to be a great celebration of female sports and a chance to get things back on track for female athletes following a difficult couple of years of postponed and cancelled events due to Covid-19.

Female sport participation and spectating was at an all-time high at the end of 2019, with monumental achievements of record crowds, new fans and game-changing investments. The momentum of women’s sports was spiralling. unfortunately, like many other areas of society, all of this took a huge hit.

This Summer will see female sport continue to rebuild, bigger and stronger with various competitions which will be televised worldwide. We will see the best athletes, tennis players, footballers and all-round sports women competing in various competitions to demonstrate their comeback.

WHAT’S ON?

We are looking forward to Wimbledon in June, Athletics World Championships in July being held in Oregon, USA. Also, in July; UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Tour de France Femmes. All of this before Women’s Rugby World Cup and Rugby League World Cup in the Autumn.

WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR?

WIMBLEDON 27TH JUNE – 11TH JULY

Garbine Muguruza

Country: Spain | Age: 28

Height: 6 ft

Plays: right handed

Ranked: 7th in singles Garbine is a Spanish tennis player who is currently ranked 7th in the world. She has played 8 championships and specialised in ladies singles. She has won 303 matches over her career.

Ashleigh Barty

Country: Australia | Age: 26

Height: 5 ft. 5 in | Plays: right handed Singles rank: 1 | Doubles rank: 102 Doubles partner: Jennifer Brady

Ashleigh Barty is a female tennis player. She

started playing tennis at four years old and became a professional at the WTA Tour when she was 14 years old. She is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, and the reigning champion at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. She is also a Grand Slam doubles champion in 2018 at the US Open. Barty has won 15 singles title and 12 doubles title on the WTA tour. Overall she has played in 8 championships and overall has won 205 matches in her career so far

UEFA WOMEN’S EURO 2022 6 – 31ST JULY

Guro Reiten Nationality: Norwegian Age: 27

Guro is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English club Chelsea and the Norway national team. Before joining Chelsea in 2019, she played in Norway for Sunndal, Kattem, Trondheims-Ørn and LSK Kvinner. She made her debut for Norway in 2014 and appeared at UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Ella Toone Age: 22 Club: Manchester United Nationality: English Ella Toone is a professional English footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United and England. Ella represented England at the under 17, under 19 and under 21 and senior levels. Ella Toone has become one of Manchester United alltime record goal scorer. She has 13 caps and has scored 10 senior goals.

H TAUBER, HEAD

COMMONWEALTH GAMES 28TH JULY – 8TH AUGUST

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis Age: 23

Nationality: English Sport: Netball Club: Team Bath Sophie DrakefordLewis started her international journey when she was selected into the Roses Academy back in 2016 and she now has 11 caps. Sophie joined Team Bath playing Wing Attack and Goal Attack for the 2018 season, quickly establishing herself as a regular starter, and scooped the Vitality Netball Super League Young Player of the Season Award in 2019.

Donnell Wallam Age: 28

Nationality: Australian Sport: Netball Club: Queensland Firebirds

Donnell plays as a goal shooter for the Queensland Firebirds. She is originally from Western Australia and came over to England to take part in the English Super League before returning to Australia to play for the Super Netball. Donnell is ranked 2nd in the 2022 Super Netball competition for the number of goals scored, with a total of 210. She is also ranked in the top 5 for offensive rebounds and super shots.

Abbie Wood Age: 22

Nationality: British Sport: Swimming Club: Team New York Breakers

Abbie won a gold medal in the Olympics for 400m Individual Medley. Also, another two bronze medals in the 200m Individual Medley and in the 4x100m Medley Relay.

SKI TRIP

After a long day travelling, we arrived at Crans-Montana. It was nighttime when the coach was driving through the town, with twinkling Christmas lights everywhere giving it a welcoming and magical glow. Soon after we were settled into our dorms, we headed down to the ski room to be fitted for our skis and boots, in preparation for the next day’s skiing.

On Saturday 12 February, we finally arrived on the slopes. They were clear and crisp, displaying their new layer of snow that the grey clouds of the week before had left behind. The sun was shining brightly, creating a magnificent view. Not long after we arrived, we were put into our groups and the first day of skiing began.

Our ski instructor Katie was an English skiing racer; she taught us a range of different skills throughout the week too! How to ski on one ski and go down a slope with no poles. It was hilarious to watch everyone topple over one by one. The most strenuous yet amusing thing we had to do was go up a button lift on only one ski! Throughout the week we had many adventures on the mountain – we skied down black runs and red runs. We did powder skiing and even went up to the glacier, where there was a spectacular view.

However not all the adventures took place on the slopes. The evening activities also made way for tons more fun. From moonlit walks to tennis indoors to snow tubing, there was plenty of room for even more memories to be made.

The hotel we stayed in was called La Moubra. Each room had an astonishing view of the mountains and had two bunkbeds, a desk, plenty of storage space, and a sink. Breakfast consisted of cereals, croissants, yoghurts, orange juice and hot chocolate.

In the evening, after a couple of hours of free time, we would make our way down to dinner. Every evening we would have a starter of soup, a different main course each night, and a dessert. One night we even had a ‘celebration of chocolate’! If we had money to spare, we were allowed to buy food on the mountain and sit in cafes. Sometimes, if the weather wasn’t great, we would stop at little chalets and have a hot chocolate together.

One of the things I most enjoyed about the ski trip was the amount of independence and free time I had; years 9, 10 and 11 could go out into the town to buy souvenirs after skiing, and years 7 and 8 were taken up with

teachers. We also had much more down time than I expected. I really appreciated this as it allowed everyone to spend their time how they liked. Every day, the hotel would offer us tea and cake when we returned. This was a great opportunity to catch up with your friends who were in different ski groups and tell them about your day. There were also chances to shower, go into town, or even take a quick nap if need be!

The thing that I appreciated most about the ski trip, however, was the amount of support the teachers gave everyone. The School always considered our School motto, ‘to love is to live’ and made sure everyone had the best time possible; they always recognised that the ski trip was difficult for some, and were greatly considerate, whilst still encouraging us to take up any challenges we had to face. This ski trip made me think differently about school trips; it gave me so many new memories and so much more confidence. I would definitely recommend this experience.

SURREY WILDLIFE TRUST PARTNERSHIP

In September we made contact with Surrey Wildlife Trust with the sole purpose of arranging for an ecologist to give a careers talk in assembly. Following a fantastic conversation with Mrs Foster, Education and Engagement Officer at SWT, we then joined it’s School Pilot Scheme which meant Mrs Foster coming to work with us every fortnight.

Mrs Foster started her work with us by giving a Rivers Assembly to the Preps during Rivers Week and the KS2 Science Curriculum. Liaising with Mrs Darlington and Mrs Harman, who oversee the Prep and Senior School Councils, fortnightly activities were organised. These focused on improving the ecology of the beautiful grounds, students’ well-being and the students’ understanding of the environment around them.

Working closely with Mr Hipple our gardener, Mrs Foster helped us plan ideas for the site and apply and subsequently acquire £500 funding from the Wilder Schools’ Grant to bring the plan to fruition.

Soon work that supported the KS2 Science Curriculum such as soil sampling, food chains and Charles Darwin evolved into making bird feeders in Prep Ecology Club with Miss Savage and Senior classes, constructing bird boxes in Year 5, clearing the pond in The Dell with Year 6, building a pond in the Summer Garden with Year 9 and Year 4, planting a wildflower meadow with Year 3 and taking part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch with Year 8 and 9. Mrs Foster was keen to show students the great links between ecology, appreciating our environment and well-being. She organised well-being activities for Year 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. For many, this activity was a well-being walk with time to sit in silence and sketch things around them. Several students found this so enriching and we hope many more students will take the opportunity to do more of these well-being activities at home.

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow”

Over the Easter holidays all students were invited to design a “Blue Heart” sign. These signs can be seen in many areas of the countryside where bee-friendly wildflower areas exist. The best paper designs will then be made into painted wooden signs and placed in the wildflower areas near the Science Department and Pickup Point in the grounds.

During the Summer Term, Mrs Foster continued to work with a cross section of year groups every fortnight with the first being Year 7 and 8 Biology classes. Thirty senior students went on a trip to Nower Wood which focused on ecology careers and well-being. A wonderful opportunity for those with a real passion for this area. The Pilot Scheme offered our students so much this year and our hope is that Mrs Foster leaves us with a legacy that will continue for many years to ensure our school environment supports wildlife and in turn brings a sense of well-being and enjoyment for all students and visitors.

Thank you to Surrey Wildlife Trust for a wonderful enriching experience and particularly to Mrs Foster for her time, energy and expertise.

MRS HARMAN

COGNITION, WITH A SIDE ORDER OF OPTIMISM AND A DASH OF VISIBLE LEARNING

As professionals, we spend a great deal of our time learning about cognition and about what we can do for our children that will make the most impact on their learning. In that sense, our school’s purpose, is as Professor John Hattie, Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, and author of Visible Learning, suggests: ‘to ensure that all students learn, and not merely that all students get taught.’ What we do at Manor House, is to learn about all the different ways brains (and hearts) can work, then ensure we do all we can to cater for them in our classrooms. If a child ‘isn’t getting it’, our first question is always, ‘what can I do differently (as teachers)?’ Sometimes it is as simple as providing some extra scaffolding, or a key vocabulary list. Sometimes it is testing our own practice to spot anomalies and try a different tack. It might be inviting a colleague in to watch what we are doing and give us feedback on our efficacy. Other times, we may need to run a ‘booster class’, like our extra maths sessions for senior girls, for example, or take the learning outside, like you’ll often see in physics lessons!

Sometimes, a child’s brain (and heart) will need more than an effective teacher, inspirational curriculum and a wonderful group of classmates.  In that instance, Academic Advancement, working closely with our colleagues and parents, can swing into action to help guide staff, provide extra teaching for teachers, work as an extra teacher in the classroom, or work with a child in a small group, or on a one-to-one basis. We can help advise if a child needs external, specialist support and we can arrange to have that happen here on site, in the school day.  Perhaps, a child’s heart may need more bolstering and strategies via our

ELSA and Counselling arms. These too are easily organised and often it is just a few sessions that are needed to get the heart and mind back on track.

By and large, it is the demystification of learning and the provision of tools to help children access what they need that are the keys to cognition. When we put the power of the learning in our children’s hands, they learn that mistakes are just stepping-stones to greater understanding. When we give them the tools of learning, they understand how to get themselves out of the learning pit and into the realm of knowledge. However, sometimes, there are bigger blocks at play preventing smooth cognition. Parents often wonder whether they should further assess their child, above and beyond the cognitive assessments run here at the school.

I’m a big fan of cognitive assessments: I believe there is power in finding out all we can about how a person’s brain works, unearthing potential learning gaps and strengths. Assessments only become problematic for a child when the focus is solely on the learning gaps without enough focus on the strengths. Let’s face it: it is the strength that is going to provide the child the life-long tools for traversing future learning pits; not the label of ‘I’m not good at this’. Professor Martin Seligman, pioneer of Positive Psychology, Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and author of quite a lot of books, my favourite being ‘Learned Optimism’ (1998) concurs: ‘using your signature strengths every day produces authentic happiness and abundant gratification.’

To label or not to label: that is often a

‘To love is to live.’, our school motto, really does encompass every aspect of what we do here at Manor House. But perhaps the greatest gift we develop with our pupils is teaching them to learn to love themselves: especially their brains! And this means embracing all aspects of their make-up, from their neurological wiring to the colour of their hair, to their ability to hit a ball! In my line of work, cognition is the primary focus.

question asked by parents about their children, and it might be a question you have been wondering about yourself, for you or your child. In my experience, labels can be very helpful for some children: they finally have a reason why they take so long to read something, why the letters jumble about the page so much, why they can’t see the patterns of maths, why they don’t understand jokes, or why they keep losing their pencil case! I have regularly seen the liberation to be found in just ‘knowing’ and how a child can then shift into second gear to find and use tools that work for them.

However, I have also seen that, at times, a label can be detrimental. It can become

an ‘excuse’ not to try, an opt out of anything involving further effort. For a small percentage of children, it can be a depressing metaphorical post-it on the forehead forever stuck, and seemingly forever visible. This negative cycle of what Segilman defines as ‘learned helplessness’ can however, be broken. The current cultural and political shift towards embracing neurodiversity is certainly going some way to help. Thankfully, as a team, our school is adept at encouraging resilience and helping children love their whole selves.  In close liaison with the family, we will help support you in whatever decision you want to make regarding assessments and

any subsequent ‘labels’. Ultimately, you will pursue an assessment as a way of supporting your child’s learning gaps and honing their strengths. Together, we teach our children that one difficulty or crisis is not permanent: ‘it is just a temporary setback or a challenge (and) its causes are just confined to this one case’ (yes, Segilman again).

At Manor House School, to love is to love every aspect of oneself and live with compassion, respect, resilience and grace.  We look forward to welcoming your child to do exactly the same.

MRS SMITH, HEAD OF ACADEMIC ADVANCEMENT

I am Mrs Zaltsman and I am an ELSA.

An Elsa is a member of staff who is trained to support students in the development of their emotional literacy.

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL LITERACY?

• Understanding and coping with feelings towards ourselves and others.

• Developing high self-esteem and positive interactions with others.

• Being emotionally literate – to help students focus better on their learning.

SOME OF THE AREAS THE ELSA MAY WORK ON?

• Recognising emotions.

• Self-esteem.

• Social skills.

• Friendship skills.

• Anger Management.

• Loss and bereavement.

HOW DOES THE ELSA WORK?

• A regular slot during the School week for six to eight week’s, lasting approximately 20-30 minutes.

• Sessions can be individual or in small groups and tailored to the student’s individual needs.

• Sessions are fun, light-hearted and, depending on age, crafts, stories or role-play may be used.

• They include time to talk.

• A student’s progress will be reviewed on a half-termly basis along with a weekly recording of the sessions.

AS A PARENT/CARER, HOW CAN YOU HELP?

• By informing the class teacher if there are any issues that you feel may be affecting your daughter.

• Please feel welcome to contact the teacher or the ELSA if you have any questions.

MRS ZALTSMAN, ELSA czaltsman@manorhouseschool.org

THE FRIENDS OF MANOR HOUSE SCHOOL

The FOMHS (Friends of Manor House School) are a group of parent volunteers who over this past year have already held several events – including the highly entertaining “Curry and Horse Race Night” and an energetic “Prep Disco” – as well as a “Camp Out” at the end of the Summer Term. Funds are also raised from the sale of clothing in the much-appreciated second-hand uniform shop.

All of these donations have enabled us to provide money towards football T-shirts and Athletic vests, sewing machines for use in Textiles, giant outdoor games, and subsidies for hoodies for Year 6 and 11 pupils. £14,500 shall be used to purchase

Your donations and support of the FOMHS enable us to provide these items for the school – but we cannot do it without your help! If you would like to contribute some of your time, to help organise events for the enjoyment of parents like yourselves, whilst helping to raise funds for the betterment of School life for all Manor House School pupils – please get in touch!

MRS FORSYTH, CHAIR OF FOMHS