Manor House School Magazine 2018

MANOR HOUSE

LIFE A SELECTIVE INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 4-16 WITH CO-EDUCATIONAL NURSERY

#ACADEMICEXCELLENCE • MR JONES TALKS ‘GIFTED AND TALENTED’

#FUTURELEADERS

#Creativeand Collaborative Showcasing the Creative & Expressive Arts

INTRODUCING OUR SENIOR PREFECT TEAM FOR 2018-19

#HappyandHealthy The Prep School

Issue 2: Autumn 2018 MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 1

CONTENTS HEAD’S MESSAGE

1

NEW APPOINTMENTS

2

GIFTED & TALENTED PROGRAMME #AcademicExcellence 3

4

THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT #ALoveofLearning 4 NEW HEAD OF THE PREP SCHOOL 6 NURSERY & KINDERGARTEN

7

THE PREP SCHOOL: RECEPTION, YEARS 1 & 2 #HappyandHealthy 9 THE PREP SCHOOL: YEARS 3, 4, 5 AND 6 - #HappyandHealthy 12

18

20

SENIOR PREFECT TEAM & FUTURE SCHOOLS - #FutureLeaders 15 PHYSICS IN FOCUS

16

GERMAN, ITALIAN AND SPANISH TRIPS #UnforgettableExperiences

17

SPORTS ROUND-UP #IndividualChallenge 19 ART & DESIGN #CreativeandCollaborative 22 DRAMA 24 MUSIC 26

24

FUNDRAISING & THE COMMUNITY

28

WELCOME

HEAD’S MESSAGE As we approach the end of the academic year, I am proud of all we have achieved and excited by our future prospects as we look forward to celebrating 100 years of Manor House School in 2020.

Life at Manor House School continues to be vibrant and creative on a day to day basis. School productions, music concerts and individual performances have illustrated the breadth and depth of pupils’ creativity which you will see for yourself as you enjoy this publication.

Drama, Art and Music continue to play a major part in the life of the school promoting creative expression and positive self-esteem.

Each section of the school has grown in the last two years and we are now approaching three hundred pupils. We aim to continue this growth until the school reaches its optimum size.

The special and enduring ethos that we feel on a day to day basis is important to us and we aim to continue to reinforce and instil the values and qualities that enable our girls to develop into confident, happy and well-rounded individuals.

Academically, we surpassed expectations in our GCSE results last year and we continue to track, monitor and support all girls in their quest for academic excellence. The ‘new look, new feel’ uniform has been a successful change and we were delighted that, with the help of a parent, we could ship the ‘old’ uniform to The Oluti Mixed Secondary School in Kenya.

Tracey Fantham

Our smartly dressed sports teams have made their mark enjoying a range of success across many different activities.

We are very proud of our beautiful environment and have welcomed the opportunity to open our doors to our wider community. Taking part in Heritage Day, Bookham Open Gardens Day and Bookham Village Day is always a unique opportunity to meet local people, expupils and staff.

We aim to provide the best facilities that we can, creating an inspiring teaching and learning environment for our pupils and staff. Improving facilities for sport and the creative arts remains a priority.

Finally, we remain committed to creating learners who set high expectations of themselves and have high hopes for the future. ‘To love is to live’ was chosen as the school motto in 1921 by the Bishop of Plymouth, Dr. Masterman, who was a close friend of Miss Wheeler. As we approach our centenary year, it is time to reflect on that motto. Interpret ‘Love’ in its widest sense – let it cover those essential human virtues of integrity, honesty and loyalty towards each other and we have the key to founder Elizabeth Green’s purpose in life. Today, we wish our pupils to ‘love learning’, to be engaged and curious learners who enjoy the opportunities offered. We encourage our pupils to ‘love each other’. In other words; members of our community who demonstrate kindness, respect, celebrate diversity and develop leadership skills.

Finally, to ‘love themselves ‘; pupils who develop positive self-esteem, confidence and responsibility.

TRACEY FANTHAM BA (HONS) MA NPQH HEADTEACHER

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 1

SCHOOL NEWS

NEW APPOINTMENTS NEW ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS Miss Suzanna Lopez joins the Senior Leadership Team in September as Head of the Preparatory School (see main article on page 6).

Miss Suzanna Lopez, Head of Prep

We look forward to working with: Mrs Michelle Hinkley who joins as our new Head of Academic Advancement. Mrs Hinkley has worked for many years as a successful SENCO lead and is passionate about inclusion and well-being as part of daily practices. Mrs Hinkley and her family will be new to the area.

Mr Paul O’Neill joins as Head of Mathematics, bringing extensive knowledge of embedding strong mathematical concepts. He is an experienced leader and we look forward to his contribution to the Maths Department.

Mrs Philippa Knight joins as Head of Technology from September bringing with her an array of experience, including accompanying two overseas World Challenge trips trekking with pupils across parts of Africa. We look forward to her inspirational approach and new ideas!

Ms Eleanor Mayes joins as part-time French/Spanish teacher.

Ms Mayes has contributed to many online resources and is an experienced teacher and enjoys learning new languages.

She is also a keen gardener and we look forward to some extra-curricular gardening clubs in the new school year.

Our Humanities Department is excited to be welcoming Mr Gareth Phillips as the new part-time RS teacher. His background includes Moral Education and his holistic approach to individual learning is certain to inspire the girls’ confidence and success.

In the Summer term, we welcomed Miss Hannah Jones as our new Head of PE (pictured below). Miss Jones says: “Starting my first half term at Manor House in the Summer meant that I have had the pleasure of working with many of the girls already and experiencing what a fantastic community I have joined. I look forward to implementing new ideas into the PE department over the coming year and working alongside an excellent team to deliver high quality lessons and educational experiences to the girls.”

Miss Hannah Jones, Head of PE

2 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

The Early Years Department welcomes Miss Phoebe Alloway as a full time member of staff working in the Nursery with Mrs Nicholls. Miss Alloway is an experienced practitioner with skills in differentiation and social interaction.

SCHOOL NEWS

GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMME Mr Jones talks to us about his new role as Gifted and Talented Leader, what it means for Senior School pupils and why the initiative has been introduced. #AcademicExcellence

Mr Jones with Senior Academic Scholars At the end of my first year at Manor House School, I can say that it has been a real pleasure to teach French and German to the girls. To have witnessed them making progress and growing in confidence and ability throughout the year in language lessons has been extremely pleasing and I look forward to the challenges ahead with new and existing classes.

I am delighted that, in addition to subject teaching duties, I will be leading the school’s Gifted & Talented Programme from September 2018.

Gifted & Talented is the umbrella term for the recognition that some pupils have abilities or talents which range well beyond the average for their age group or academic year. Gifted are those who possess a high level of academic ability in one or more subject areas, whereas Talented includes those who show an exceptional talent in a particular area. This may be within the school curriculum, but talents such as leadership, creative imagination or highly developed social skills may also be acknowledged. The Department for Education indicates that around 10% of a school cohort may be identified in such a way, with approximately 7% defined as Gifted and 3% as Talented.

With our Academic Advancement Department, Manor House School already has in place a robust system for identifying those girls with needs that may otherwise be a barrier to their learning. These girls

are then supported fully to develop and attain well. In a similar fashion, there must be robust processes to identify and support those who are Gifted & Talented, as such pupils also have unique needs which must be met in their own way.

MFL AND SCIENCE SPACE CHALLENGE EVENT I was fortunate to recently attend the ‘MFL and Science Space Challenge Event’ at King Edward’s School, Witley with some of our best linguists and scientists, run in partnership with the RAF and University of Surrey. This fantastically engaging day involved girls using science, mathematics, engineering and language skills in combination to create a “Space Hotel”. The experience gave them a taste of where their interests in such subjects may take them.

Fourteen schools took part and the girls not only enjoyed it but were also challenged about the viability of growing a tree in Space which they defended impressively and stated their argument with aplomb!

It is therefore our intention to develop a new Gifted & Talented Policy, in line with the school’s ethos and values, as well as a comprehensive Gifted & Talented Curriculum to complement and enrich the learning experience.

The aim is to build relationships with other schools and organisations so that Gifted and Talented girls may benefit from similar events. Options such as study skills workshops, visits to local businesses or “university experience days” would be excellent ways to engage and further develop the skills and interests of the G&T group.

There will be an in-house programme with mentoring sessions and various G&T workshops taking place at school. I aim to tailor the content of these as closely as possible to the goals and aspirations of the girls themselves, which will be established at a forthcoming meeting.

In this way, the girls will be taking some ownership of their learning journey, which will build their resilience and sense of purpose as independent learners.

Candice H was given the top prize of all competitors from all fourteen schools for the superb demonstration of her Spanish skills in the target language presentation to judges. (Pictured second from the left).

MR T JONES BA (Hons) MA PGCE TJONES@MANORHOUSESCHOOL.ORG

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 3

ENGLISH

#ALoveofLearning in

The English Department This year has been exciting and productive in the English Department with students enjoying many opportunities to share their love of learning and literature. The girls have benefited from engaging and challenging lessons but have also had great fun along the way through their participation in many extra-curricular activities and trips. By Ms E Mayes, Head of English.

BACKSTAGE TOUR OF THE GLOBE AND A PERFORMANCE OF ‘MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING’ In March, Year 8 visited The Globe on Southbank. The girls were treated to a backstage tour of The Globe including a brilliant Shakespeare exhibition which included original artefacts and information about 16th Century London. They then watched a performance of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ which was wonderfully modern and choreographed beautifully. Sofia had this to say about the play: “I was greatly entertained, my favourite parts being Beatrice and Benedick’s ‘merry war’ that showcased some of Shakespeare’s most cutting insults, and their heartfelt love confession - especially since it happens just after the devastating failed wedding.”

TALENTED WRITERS’ CLUB This year, Mrs N Roberts launched a new venture whereby girls from the Senior School who had been identified as talented writers meet every Friday lunch time to share their work. This is student-led time where the girls are encouraged to share and explore ideas for their next piece of writing or just take the opportunity to write freely. It has been lovely to see the younger girls discussing their ideas and taking pointers from the older girls.

One of the aims of the club was to enter competitions so that the girls’ work could be read by a wider variety of readers than just their English teachers. The girls completed a short story for the Rotary Young Writer’s Competition titled ‘A Different Perspective.’ This was Manor House’s School’s most successful year with Tilly (Year 6) winning the local Junior competition and receiving Highly Commended at district level. Naomi (Year 9) was runner up in the Intermediate age group and also received a Highly Commended at district level. Orla (Year 10) was the Senior winner and Kathleen (Year 10) was runner up. Amy (Year 6), Sofia (Year 8), Eleanor (Year 9), Louise D (Year 9), Georgia (Year 10) and Bella (Year 10) all received Highly Commended awards.

Members of the Talented Writers’ Club (excluding Kathleen S, Head Girl, who can be seen on page 15) 4 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

Mr Ian Taylor from the Rotary joined us for an assembly to celebrate the girls’ successes during which we were treated to poems and stories from the perspective of a chair, The Statue of Liberty, a cat and a dress. We are very proud of the talent we have here at Manor House and look forward to seeing our girls’ work in print one day!

ENGLISH

DIGITAL SHAKESPEARE: YEAR 11 USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THEIR LEARNING

Seeking new ways to engage Year 11 students with their revision, we approached the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust who are in the process of creating digital link-up learning sessions to schools across the country.

Having taught and already tested the girls on the set text, ‘Macbeth’, they were ready for a new angle on the play, so we invited the experts to come to us, via Skype.

During a one hour, two- way link, the students recapped the main themes and reflected on key scenes, interacting with the session leader based in Stratford-upon-Avon. She guided them through the concept of Kingship and what that meant in Elizabethan society compared to the 21st Century and the girls took notes and asked questions, with great enthusiasm.

Session leader, Joanna, introduced the concept of “word imagery” really emphasising the restrictions and practicalities Shakespeare would have faced, putting on the production of Macbeth back in the 1600s. With no artificial light available at the Globe Theatre (which once burned down due to a candle igniting the thatched roof) Macbeth is full of language that depicts darkness and night time. The students found many references to this in the text and this has certainly helped broaden their understanding of Shakespeare’s craft as a playwright and has enabled them to write effectively on the play itself.

The girls relished the opportunity to step into a “virtual” classroom and benefit from the insights of a Shakespearian expert.

BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE THROUGH DRAMA We are fortunate to have the innovative and exciting Guildford Shakespeare Company on our doorstep and Year 9 certainly enjoyed the benefits of workshopping Romeo and Juliet in school. To further enhance their understanding of the play we were joined by actress and workshop leader, Eli from the GSC, and the girls were immersed into the world of the feuding Montagues and Capulets.

Taking apart the scenes and acting out the roles in a creative and collaborative space, the girls were given varying motivations and directions by Eli, and

began to understand the layers of conflict in the play. They were then all able to write some promising GCSE style response about this conflict, using their intimate knowledge of the play, characters and language and this was no doubt, influenced by the workshop.

Our study of the play culminated in a trip to see the wonderful production by the GSC at Holy Trinity Church in Guildford.

The church was atmospheric and the company certainly know how to use innovative techniques and maximise natural space. The performances consolidated the students learning of the play and as English practitioners, we certainly advocate this immersive approach to teaching Shakespeare, bringing inclusive approaches to classroom teaching.

WORLD BOOK DAY 2018 Our celebration of this wonderful day began with excitement as pupils and staff arrived for the celebratory assembly. As always we were in awe at the effort everyone had made with their fabulous ‘book character’ costumes.

Our visiting author, Cath Howe, also ‘writer in residence’ at Kingston University, was introduced and explained in the assembly how her role as a Drama and English teacher evolved into becoming a writer. Cath presented prizes for the ‘Design a Bookmark’ competition. Mrs Marriott went on to announce the library’s most popular and busiest books: Early Years: Funnybones by Janet Ahlberg Prep: Magic Puppy: School of Mischief by Sue Bentley Seniors: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo Cath Howe then ran three very successful workshops through the day.

During her first workshop - ‘Creating the Rainbow’ to Early Years and Lower Prep, she asked the girls to think of a world in

just one colour and then for them to imagine what would happen if the worlds merged. In ‘The Highwayman’ to Key Stage 2, she asked the girls to think what they imagined a highwayman to look like and stressed the importance of originality in story writing. She also read excerpts from the book. During her session on ‘Creating a Character and Theme’ for creative writing to Key Stage 3, Cath gave the girls a series of objects to start their writing. A glamorous boot, a hat, a picture. The girls were all fully engaged and very responsive to the activities, gaining much enjoyment from them.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 5

PREP SCHOOL

NEW HEAD OF THE PREP SCHOOL Miss Suzanna Lopez is Head of the Preparatory School from September 2018. As a mother, teacher, science lover, writer and advocate of animal welfare, environmental issues, fitness and nutrition, she talks of how we should prepare our children for the future and the benefits of an independent education at an early age.

Miss Lopez previously worked at the independent preparatory school, Westbury House, as Assistant Head (Academic). She managed to complete a BSc in Environmental Studies and a PGCE in Primary Education on a part-time basis whilst raising a family and completing an MSc module in Contemporary Issues in Science Education for good measure.

Initially growing up in Epsom, Miss Lopez later moved to the coast in West Sussex. However, being of Spanish descent, she also spent much of her childhood in Galicia, North West Spain, where her father is from. She began her teaching career in the maintained sector and worked in several inner London state schools before moving to the independent sector in 2011.

Interested in animal rights and welfare, environmental issues and nutrition, she has been a vegan since the age of twelve and learns Spanish in her spare time.

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?

I find inspiration in all areas of life, from people that I meet or read about, from places that I have visited or would like to visit, and from music that I listen to. I use this inspiration to set myself both professional and personal goals, and in turn hope that other people will be inspired by my actions.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

I enjoy attending local park runs and I love to compete in military boot camps. Despite setbacks from various injuries, my goal is to one day be able to take part in ultramarathons and multi-stage distance races. Physical activity develops selfconfidence, a positive body image and the mental strength to cope with the stresses of everyday life. I am also writing a murder mystery novel and hope one day to get it published.

than themselves. I believe in helping girls understand how they can improve their learning by recognising their own strengths.

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, ARE THE BEST FOUNDATIONS OF A GOOD EDUCATION? A positive and safe learning environment, teaching staff who are creative and innovative, strong home-school partnerships where parents are fully supportive and involved in their child’s education and the teaching of core values and life skills, including those linked with new technologies.

WHY DO YOU THINK AN INDEPENDENT EDUCATION AT AN EARLY AGE IS BENEFICIAL?

I believe outdoor learning is a powerful tool in developing essential life skills such as independence, collaboration and respect for the world and the environment in which we live. I look forward to enjoying Forest School at Manor House!

Young children, in their formative years of development, mature and progress at different rates and in their own time.

What children need most is time and lots of attention in a stimulating, nurturing and safe environment. Smaller class sizes offer greater individualised teaching and learning underpinned by strong discipline, high expectations and a healthy sense of competition. A broader and more balanced curriculum affords wider opportunities for personal growth, as well as academic success. A much wider variety of extra-curricular activities means that independent schools like Manor House instil a unique sense of self-belief in pupils, helping them to develop confidence and resilience, and prepare them for life as a successful adult.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR PUPILS?

HOW SHOULD WE PREPARE OUR PUPILS FOR THE FUTURE?

WHICH FEMALE ROLE MODELS DO YOU FIND INSPIRATIONAL? My interest in animals and the sciences led me to discover and admire the work of two amazing women, Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall, who transformed the scientific method behind primatology.

AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENTHUSIAST, WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON OUTDOOR LEARNING?

I think that girls should be independent in their thoughts and actions and be able to stand up for what they believe in; to be resilient, to have the strength and ability to overcome challenges and to have compassion for those less fortunate

6 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

By equipping them with the skill sets they will need to take on the challenges and opportunities in a future that our generation cannot yet foresee. By delivering a curriculum that gives the space to explore, create and innovate!

NURSERY & KINDERGARTEN

NURSERY AND KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATIONS In Early Years, we encourage the children to recognise that they are all unique and different. The children have learnt about Diwali and Eid this year and also spent a day learning about Hinduism. The children often bring objects and photographs from home sharing their family traditions with their friends.

UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD Kindergarten and Reception classes learn together each week to develop their understanding of the world around them. This year we have enjoyed visits from a vet, Mrs

A LOVE OF LEARNING We encourage the children to learn in as many different ways as possible. Each classroom has an interactive whiteboard, access to iPads, illuminated writing boards, a light box and programmable toys.

The children have enjoyed learning in our fabulous grounds in all weathers. During our topic of ‘light magic’, the children and

Harvey’s dogs and ponies from the local stables. The children were lucky enough to have a pony ride and used their questioning skills to find out how to take care of animals.

their parents were invited to return to school in the dark with their torches to explore the grounds. They went on a nocturnal animal hunt in The Dell, our outdoor learning area, and finished the evening with hot chocolate and a story by the fire!

Every Friday afternoon the children love going to The Dell for Forest School, which encourages risk taking and consequently builds confidence. This year they have had a variety of experiences including making magic wands, leaf kebabs and potions.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 7

NURSERY & KINDERGARTEN

HARTBEEPS ‘HAPPY HOUSE’ AT TODDLER GROUP From September, our new Toddler Group held every Wednesday during term-time from 9.30am, includes a ‘Hartbeeps Happy House’ session coupled with outside play in our own nursery play area or indoor activities (weather permitting) and time to chat over refreshments.

This year both Nursery and Kindergarten have had their own separate classrooms.

This has enabled the children to take part in both age related learning and, where appropriate, come together for joint learning. They benefit from specialised teaching and participated in French, Music, the Performing Arts, PE and Forest School.

To develop their fine and large motor skills, essential for writing, they enjoyed Yoga and Write Dance lessons.

Our outdoor play area has a new sensory kitchen that inspires the children to develop their imagination in a joyful way. During our topic of the ‘Potting Shed’ the children planted potatoes and were thrilled to harvest a bumper crop!

They weighed, sorted, counted and finally cooked the potatoes.

8 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

PREP SCHOOL

RECEPTION CLASS At Manor House, our Reception Class enjoy lessons in subjects such as French, PE, Swimming and Violin, all taught by specialist teachers. This year, the class gained in confidence during their swimming lessons and were able to develop their swimming skills over the course of the year.

Pupils also confidently gave two violin performances to parents.

The first during the Nativity Play at Christmas and the second at the Summer Showcase.

The girls worked extremely hard this year to master their phonics skills. They understood that they were learning their phonics because it helped them to read and write. The structure of each teaching and learning session was the same.

The girls would revise the work already covered by going over the individual sounds and digraphs that had already been learnt. A digraph is two letters that make one sound, for example ‘th’, as in thin.

During Maths, the girls used the working wall daily to support their learning and made great progress during the year.

They enjoyed challenging each other by asking Maths questions and would always explain how they came to their answers.

Pupils then learnt something new each lesson such as a new digraph or high frequency words with tricky parts. They practised the new skill and always applied their knowledge through games, activities, reading or writing to help embed their learning.

During independent learning sessions, pupils can choose their own learning. The expectation is to challenge themselves.

The girls liked to tell the class what they had done during this time, what they found challenging and how they could make their work even better.

It has been a privilege to watch the girls grow in confidence, courage and independence and to witness the significant learning that has taken place over the course of the past academic year in Reception.

MRS R HALSEY BA (Hons) QTS

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 9

PREP SCHOOL

YEARS 1 & 2 In Key Stage One, our curriculum is exciting and busy. Young children have a thirst for learning and are curious to find out about the world and make sense of it. Stimulating activities are carefully planned to engage, inspire and challenge all pupils, and to help them reach their own potential in a supportive way.

Whilst the classroom is the base for much of the work, outdoor learning is very much a part of what we do, making the most of the beautiful school gardens and grounds whenever possible.

Forest School is a highlight of the week, and takes place throughout the year. Girls love to explore The Dell, climbing trees, drinking hot chocolate by the camp-fire, and collaborating to make musical instruments, fairy gardens and dream-catchers, to name a few projects, using natural resources that they find there.

There is a big emphasis on practical work, using a wide variety of resources that enable children to work in a multisensory way, before making the jump into more formal methods of working.

10 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

Our Science topic during the Summer Term was ‘Life and Living Things’, and we enjoyed plenty of opportunities to learn about the microhabitats of minibeasts both inside the classroom and outdoors.

The inviting and interactive Small World

PREP SCHOOL

YEARS 1 & 2

areas have given the girls the chance to put their knowledge into practice, creating the kind of environment small creatures like to live in. Outside, the girls use the Bug Hotel, and the Summer Meadow, to search for minibeasts in their natural habitats, and to record their findings.

hot and cold deserts, and considered why these habitats must be protected.

Our trip to Painshill Park was a perfect way to extend what we had learnt in school, and to hunt for minibeasts in the long grass, woodland areas and trees of a larger habitat. Games were organised to bring the survival needs of small creatures to life, and to learn about camouflage, predators and their prey. Back in the classroom, we found out about large habitats, such as the rainforest, ocean,

From this early stage, girls are actively encouraged to participate in all areas of school life, and to give things a go. They grow in confidence and enrich their experience, through extra-curricular clubs, productions, sport, music, and other events on offer, which they are keen to be a part of. They aspire to be like the older girls, and are proud to represent their school in Maths challenges, on the local radio, and to join older girls at local village days.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 11

PREP SCHOOL

YEARS 3, 4, 5 & 6 SCIENCE

MATHS

A high-quality science education provides the foundations for understanding the world through the specific disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. The aim of our science teaching at Manor House School is to develop a sense of excitement and curiosity about natural phenomena and to stimulate an interest in and enjoyment of science as a subject.

In the Upper Prep School, we place great emphasis on this subject.

Our hope is that pupils will develop an enjoyment and curiosity about Maths, gain confidence to reason independently, think logically and apply skills learned to solving real life problems. Our lessons are differentiated and in some year groups, we work in sets. This helps us to ensure that all individual needs are met; supporting those who find Maths challenging and extending the more able.

Some year groups attend educational visits to places of scientific interest, such as the Year 5 trip to Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium to reinforce their topic on ‘Earth and Space’. Whilst back in the classroom, Year 6 investigated evolutionary changes in Science by looking at how birds’ beaks have adapted over time and Year 5 tested air resistance by running around the playground with a parachute strapped to themselves.

The girls are taught to ask their own questions about what they observe and make decisions about which types of scientific enquiry are likely to be the best ways of answering them.

WORLD MATHS DAY Our more able mathematicians in both Years 5 and 6 once again took part in the Primary Maths Challenge this year. It encourages enthusiasm, boosts confidence in mathematics and shows the different way questions can be asked.

Prep girls celebrated World Maths Day by taking part in a mathematical treasure hunt around the school. Ten questions were put up in the school grounds and the girls enjoyed firstly finding the question and then using their problem solving skills to solve it. The questions covered many of the different areas that are taught within the Primary Maths Curriculum and it was lovely seeing the girls working either individually or collaboratively to solve each of the challenges.

WRITING Earlier in the academic year, Manor House won the local Rotary Junior competition for talented writing.

The title for this year’s competition was 12 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

‘A Different Perspective.’ This year, one of our talented Year 6 writers won the local competition and received a Highly Commended award at district level.

QUIZ CLUB HOSTS

Manor House School hosted twelve teams from seven different schools who took part in the Quiz Club competition to test general knowledge. The game is similar to ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ – but with no money! Excitement was high, and the calibre of players equally so, for some of the questions were really tricky! Our teams did us proud.

WOODWIND ENSEMBLE Girls within the Woodwind ensemble came into a Prep assembly to play some inspiring pieces, either on their flutes or clarinets. It certainly inspired many of the girls to think about playing a musical instrument in the future.

STEM EVENT CHALLENGE Manor House School came alive in the Autumn term as children from Manor House and fourteen other local schools took part in an exciting STEM Event Challenge. The event was aimed at children from Reception to Year 4 and they took part in a range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics workshops.

These included: making lava lamps and volcanoes in bottles, constructing giant pyramids, and creating stop-motion animations with our new iPads. The older pupils enjoyed completing a code-breaking treasure hunt around the grounds and everyone was rewarded with medals and certificates at the end of the morning.

PREP SCHOOL

HAPPY PUZZLE COMPANY Prep School children took part in a special puzzle challenge day run by the Happy Puzzle Company aimed at building collaborative team work and logic skills. There were different workshops throughout the day for Nursery to Year 6. Manor House has now purchased some new resources from the company for use at our after school club.

PREP SCHOOL GALLERY Year 3 at Juniper Hall – Residential Trip’

Year 6 using their French skills

Year 6 Experie nce Day – welcoming seni or applicants Prep School Swimming Gala

PGL Residential Challenge

g real field Prep girls undertakin recording d an g rin work – measu Onatti French Play

Hindu Workshop

n Lacey

Singing at Polesde

Marwell Zoo

bly

Tudor Assem

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 13

PREP SCHOOL YEARS 3, 4, 5 AND 6

PREP PRODUCTION OF ‘MY LITTLE MERMAID’ The summer term saw one of the highlights of the Prep School calendar, the Prep Production, take place. This year it was ‘The Little Mermaid’ and once again, in true Manor House style, the show was delivered with confidence, professionalism and enjoyment by all of the girls from Years 3-6. Year 6 got into character and were brilliant as the lead roles, making the audience truly believe that they were under the sea.

(photography courtesy of www.photoviva.co.uk) 14 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

The musical numbers came to life with bright, clear singing and despite the tricky choreography, all girls performed with enthusiasm and energy in the big dance routines. It was an absolute joy to watch!

SENIOR PREFECT TEAM

SENIOR PREFECT TEAM #FutureLeaders Core Prefect Team

Supporting Prefect Team

Becoming a Prefect is a way for girls to give something back to Manor House School and embrace one of our seven core values as a #FutureLeader.

It is a means of pupils establishing themselves as a positive role model to the younger girls in the school and supporting staff by undertaking a number of duties, as well as providing valuable leadership experience.

The application procedure starts with an Application Assembly in April.

Initially, applications are accepted for Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl and after a decision has been made on these two positions, two further Senior Prefect roles are chosen from the pool of applicants to form our Core Prefect Team. Further applications at this stage are automatically passed into the pool for the Supporting Prefect team which includes House Captains, Academic Prefects, STEM Prefect, Sports Prefects and all other available positions.

Prep Leaders

MANOR HOUSE PREFECT TEAM 2018-19

PREPARING GIRLS FOR FUTURE SIXTH FORM DESTINATIONS

Core Prefect Team Head Girl Deputy Head Girl Senior Prefect Senior Prefect

As a girls’ only school up to aged 16 and a GCSE specialist, we realise the importance of preparing senior girls for life beyond Manor House School.

Kathleen S Maya B Orla J Faiza H

Supporting Prefect Team Academic Prefect – English Marianne E Academic Prefect – MFL Candice H Academic Prefect – Emma S Humanities Art Prefect Freya P Drama Prefect Ellen M-T Events Prefects Sophie M, Ellie F House Captain – Discovery Jessica F House Captain – Endeavour Isabel M House Captain – Victory Bella J Lead Supportive Friend Prefect Olivia B Music Prefect Georgia W Performing Arts Prefect Cecily F Prep Prefect – K Suzy B Prep Leader – N Liberty W-W Prep Leader – N Gracie S Prep Leader – R Izzy Q Prep Leader – 1 Sophia L Prep Leader – 2 Izzy C Sports Prefects Abigail M, Molly M

STEM Prefect

Ellie N

Year 10 girls have attended individual interviews this year with Ms Fantham, Headteacher or Miss Brodie, Head of Key Stage 4, as well as undertaken trial post-16 interviews with our Governors to prepare them for future interviews at their targeted sixth form destinations in the Autumn term.

Having worked on their CVs, Key Stage 4 pupils were given the opportunity to sign up for a workshop on ‘Interview Techniques’. This focused on how to create excellent first impressions and how to project the correct body language. Girls are also offered optional ‘Critical Thinking’ lessons in September (either after school or on dedicated days) as some Sixth Forms ask applicants to undertake a task in critical thinking and this helps prepare students.

Manor House School also holds taster A-Level lessons whereby we invite

other Sixth Form destinations to come in and run sessions in subjects that will be new to them at A Level e.g. psychology, sociology, politics, economics, philosophy, law and business studies. Throughout the year, these future schools are encouraged to run workshops and present to the girls about what they can expect in the sixth form. CLFS recently ran a Languages Workshop at Manor House School.

The Library has continued to expand its’ section on future schools and university prospectuses. The Careers Board is regularly updated with open days, university taster days, career specific programmes e.g. Young Doctors Programme, local business open days and career fayres so that girls can maximise their knowledge of the options open to them post-16.

Our biennial Sixth Form Exhibition held in May welcomes a vast array of independent and mainstream sixth form destinations as well as local colleges and is open to pupils from the local community. It has been a popular and well attended event and the next exhibit is planned for May 2019.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 15

SENIOR PHYSICS

PHYSICS IN FOCUS

BY MRS EVANS, PHYSICS TEACHER

Year 7 have enjoyed burning fuels Physics has always been a passion of mine and I take great joy in teaching students of all ages the wonder of the world around us. We have had a great year in Physics; Year 7 have enjoyed burning food, Year 8 used Oreos to learn about the phases of the Moon. Year 9 enjoyed the thrills and spills of Thorpe Park, whilst attending a workshop on the Science of Rollercoasters and Year 10 enjoyed utilising our new infra-red camera to discover the surfaces which emit the most heat. The highlight has been the Key Stage 4 team making it to the Grand Final of the SATRO Problem Solving Challenge, held at ACS Cobham.

A real lens fr om an eyeball dissec tion

Year 7 investigating static electricity

I place great importance on engaging girls in Physics and providing them with the skills necessary to continue to study the subject post-16, if they choose to. Unfortunately, there is a national shortage of Physicists and the UK has the lowest proportion of females in STEM jobs across Europe.

Year 10 utilising the infra red camera

Evidence suggests that co-educational schools fail girls, with a lower proportion taking Physics to A Level and this is something I experienced in my first teaching role. I was astounded that in a school of nearly 2000, there was not one girl taking Physics. There are complex and varied reasons but one of them is the stereotype that Physics is a ‘boys’ subject’.

The wonderful thing of teaching in an all-girls’ environment is the lack of any barriers to girls choosing the pathway they enjoy. Physics is challenging but all students can access it and enjoy the mind boggling array of interesting facts.

Year 8 used Oreos to learn about the phases of the Moon 16 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

ting the Year 9 demonstra nce ta sis re air of t effec

Girls at Manor House are encouraged to learn challenging subjects and embrace them. I always advocate making mistakes and learning from them. Students need to stay curious and open minded and question the world around them. The girls need to be bold in the decisions they make and excited by their future choices.

In my slightly biased opinion, there is no better choice than a career in STEM. MRS T EVANS BSc (Hons) MSc, PGCE

EDUCATIONAL TRIPS

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES A LANGUAGES AND DISCOVERY TRIP TO ANDALUCIA, SPAIN

During October half term, Years 10 and 11 GCSE Spanish students travelled to the Spanish town of Jerez de la Frontera, nestled in Andalucía, to fully immerse themselves in Spanish culture and further their speaking skills. They stayed with local families and undertook excursions to Bolonia, Cadiz and Sevilla.

“On arrival, we were put in pairs and allocated a family to stay with. Every morning we had lessons at the language school ‘Tenidiomas’ where we were taught by native Spanish speakers. The lessons were completely in Spanish!

We did listening and speaking exercises but mostly games to improve our grammar and quizzes. The games were fun and really improved our Spanish pronunciation. Every day after school we visited different places in Jerez. (Freya P).

“Our language exchange with a spanish school meant that we saw all of the children in their bright costumes on La Noche De Los Muertos (Spanish Halloween). Jerez specializes in sherry production and Andalusia was very quiet. All of the apartments however were very vibrant and colourfully decorated. The city had many quintessentially Spanish restaurants serving churros and paella which were delicious.” (Candice H – MFL Prefect).

“The first afternoon trip was to Bolonia to see the amazing sand dunes and the beautiful Roman ruins. It was enlightening to find out more about

the Romans, especially for the students studying Latin and Classical Civilisation.

We saw an ancient temple, Roman baths and an amphitheatre which was almost completely still in one piece. It really helped us imagine what life was like for the Romans. Later on we took a walk along the sand dunes which turned out to be quite a trek as the sand dunes were steeper than expected. However, when we reached the end, the beautiful view made it all worthwhile.” (Emma S) “We set off early in the morning and after a long coach trip through beautiful scenery we arrived at the famous town of Cadiz. On arrival we were all amazed at the number of enormous cruise ships on display in the harbour. After a look through the market in the town we began exploring down some of the side streets where eventually, we arrived in the main square outside the famous cathedral.

We were all astounded at the sheer size and incredible architecture of the building. Turning the corner, we reached the sea and the beautiful buildings along the sea front allowed for many photo opportunities.” (Maya B)

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 17

EDUCATIONAL TRIPS

STIMULATING CREATIVITY AND PROMOTING FEMALE CAREERS IN STEM IN GERMANY This summer, a group of students in Years 7 and 8 visited the Autostadt and Phaeno venues in Wolfsburg, Germany to stimulate creativity, ingenuity and a desire to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) vocations as future careers. The Autostadt, traditionally known for showcasing cars from the VW group, has grown to be an incredible STEM experience whilst Phaeno is a very hands-on science centre,

built like a spaceship. Pupils studying German were given opportunities to practise their language skills and experience an important part of German culture and industry.

The attractions showcased cutting edge technology including 360 degree cinemas (incorporating sound, temperature and smell), 3D printers, robotic vehicles, interacting robots and ‘holographic people’; experiences that showed what is and might be possible in the future.

The visit to the Autostadt included a one-hour tour of the VW production line (spotlessly clean, quiet and 90% automated). Girls explored the ZeitHaus museum and glass CarTowers all set amidst the beautiful park and lagoon landscape. It was possible to sit in a glass ‘car’ to experience the final stage of the production process and be ‘placed’ automatically in a fully robotic ‘parking garage’ high above the city of Wolfsburg.

Pupils also took some time out to visit Badeland, an amazing water park, which used to be the largest in Europe.

On the final day, the group visited Phaeno.

The building was created by the star architect and Pritzker Prize-winner Zaha Hadid. Resting on its ten cone-shaped “feet”, the concrete structure spans 154 metres and the inside was like being in another world. It was an ideal location for our adventurers and discoverers!

SENIOR CLASSICS TRIP TO ROME In the final week of the Easter holidays, nineteen Year 9, 10 and 11 girls flew off to Rome on a Classics Trip to experience the city’s wonderful ancient sites and soak up some Italian culture.

The adventure began at the ancient port of Ostia Antica which is rather like a small Pompeii with its large theatre, bath-house and forum to name but a few. The following morning brought us the wonders of the mighty Colosseum, then we worked our way through the Roman Forum and Trajan’s Market – a delightful family-run pizza restaurant pit stop kept us fuelled throughout!

Day 3 was jam-packed and the sports trackers hit nearly 30,000 steps!

We saw some magnificent sculptures at the Capitoline Museums, recreated our own hotly-contested chariot races at the Circus Maximus, took in the amazing feat of engineering that is the Pantheon, visited the beautifully displayed ‘Ara Pacis’, and rounded off the day with the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain (with some more ice cream)!

We couldn’t leave Rome without crossing the Tiber and seeing St. Peter’s Square and Basilica, so on the final morning on the way back to the airport, the coach dropped us off for a quick tour and photos in the piazza when the sun finally came out!

BY MRS L STEPHENS, CLASSICS TEACHER

Throwng Coins into the Trevi Fountain 18 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

ome

’ in R

es ’Selfi

Racing at the Circus Maximus

SPORT

#IndividualChallenge

SPORTS ROUND-UP Sport has continued to flourish over the last year at Manor House School with new and exciting opportunities being offered across a range of sports.

PE Staff - Mrs S Buck, Miss H Jones (Head of PE), Ms T Banfield and Mrs B Townend Throughout the year, girls have demonstrated excellent commitment to clubs and training and their hard work has reflected in their performances across a range of sports.

This year has seen the introduction of new clubs, including Taekwondo, Target Shooting and Lacrosse. Next year Yoga will be added to curriculum time for Year 11 and as an extra-curricular club.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR ATHLETICS What a fantastic Summer for Athletics we have had! The girls have demonstrated excellent determination in some very intense heat to produce great results.

The senior girls enjoyed a ‘Come and Try’ Athletics event held at Manor House School against Epsom College and CLFS, as well as competitions organised by Guildford High and Claremont Fan Court involving a large number of schools, in which our Year 9 team won overall. The highlight of this season was the District Athletics. The U14 team were 2nd overall out of fifteen schools. Kirsten W won the High Jump, Elanor T came 2nd in the 100m and 3rd in the Long Jump, Verity P-J came 2nd in the 200m, Naomi T came 2nd in the Hurdles and Alice P came 3rd in the High Jump.

In the older age group Molly M came 2nd in the 100m and 3rd in the Long Jump, Abby M came 2nd in the Triple Jump, Caitlin W came 3rd in the Shot and Gracie S came 3rd in the 100m.

From a team of fourteen girls, these nine were selected to represent Central Surrey

at the Surrey Schools Championships. Kirsten W was the most successful coming 2nd overall and going on to represent Surrey at an Inter County match along with Naomi T who competed in the Pole Vault.

Athletics Club was very popular for the Prep girls this year with lots of pupils attending regularly and representing Manor House at Athletics meets.

Our biggest success in Athletics was at the West Surrey Prep Schools Athletics Championships, Kirsten W involving twenty schools from Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire.

Fleur P-J won the High Jump and Elin R came 2nd in the Hurdles and 3rd in the 200m. These girls were then selected for the National Finals in Birmingham where Elin was 6th in the Hurdles and 11th in the 200m and Fleur was 11th in the High Jump. This is a huge achievement for both girls!

CRICKET Women’s Cricket has hugely grown over the last few years in England. This could be due to the fact that it has now become a professional sport, or it could be down to England winning the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. As a result of this and the changes that have come about in the new GCSE specification, many schools are taking to Cricket to complement, or as a substitution for, Rounders. At Manor House, we started to introduce Cricket into the curriculum as part of our Striking and Fielding Unit in the Summer term.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 19

SPORT

CROSS COUNTRY A huge thank you to Mrs Evans for her running club this year which has most definitely developed the girls’ fitness and mind set when competing in Cross country, contributing to many successes including our U12 team coming 3rd in the District Cross Country with Lauren B being selected to represent Central Surrey at the Surrey Cross Country Championships. Medals were won by Elin R, Jessie S, Verity P-J and Elanor T in the Manor House event.

Our U11 team of Elin, Jessie, Georgie A and Fleur P-J were outstanding. At the beginning of the season they were 2nd in a relays competition at St. Mary’s School. They were also 2nd at the Manor House Cross Country Competition, they won a relay event organised by Guildford High against a number of local rivals and towards the end of our cross country competition season they came 3rd at an event hosted by Claremont.

GYMNASTICS This year saw a number of girls from Year 3 to Year 10 take part in Gymnastic competitions. These have ranged from Surrey Schools tumbling, floor and vault and novices events.

We also had a number of friendly competitions against St. Catherine’s, Box Hill and Rydes Hill School in which we had twenty six of our Prep girls take part.

Those who have been particularly successful this year and have won medals in competitions include Jessica H, Sophie B, Daisy S, Verity P-J and Louise T.

GOLF A group of Year 10 students took part in a Golf unit as part of their PE lessons this year. The unit consisted of them going over to Effingham Golf Club where their lessons were taken by PGA professional coaches as well as the club captains who helped deliver sessions.

NETBALL A huge eighteen teams represented Manor House across Years 3 to 11 with A, B and C teams for many year groups. The teams demonstrated great commitment with lunchtime and after school coaching as well as ‘Come and Play’ sessions for all abilities. Some of the highlights of the year include the U11B winning five out of their seven games, the U11As also had their fair share of success and won seven games. The U10s best result was an 8-2 win against St. Andrews, while the Preps have enjoyed wins against St. Andrews Woking, Queen Eleanor’s, Rydes Hill, Notre Dame and Tormead, just to

20 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

mention a few. Our Senior teams have had wins against Notre Dame, Rosebery and Claremont amongst many others.

Our U14s have been the most successful and as a whole team they haven’t lost a friendly game all season including two hard fought wins against Guildford High B team. Unfortunately, they did not make the Surrey Finals this year even though they only lost one game and drew one in the qualifying rounds. Our strength across our age groups was proven with a team made up of players from Year 9, 10 & 11 who played Hurtwood House’s 6th form team and won 25-6!

House Netball saw Endeavour winning across the board in all age groups, with Discovery coming 2nd and Victory 3rd.

HOCKEY Our Hockey teams across all age groups demonstrated real determination last season with the U10 A team coming 3rd in their tournament at St. Teresa’s and the U11 A and B teams both winning some local games.

The girls have really developed in their skill and understanding of the game over the last year and this was particularly evident with the U15 team who went unbeaten all year.

House Hockey for the Upper Preps (Years 5 and 6), saw Victory demonstrate great teamwork coming first for their age group, while in the intermediates (Years 7 and 8) and Seniors (Years 9, 10 and 11) it was Endeavour who took first place. The overall scores were: 1st place – Endeavour, 2nd – Victory, 3rd – Discovery.

SPORT

We have been blessed with good weather this Summer meaning the girls have been able to enjoy several Rounders matches, some ‘Come and Play’ sessions and tournaments.

We fielded three Upper Prep teams this year and a large number of girls have taken part in matches. These teams enjoyed wins against Rydes Hill, Westward Prep, CLFS and Eastwick. The U11B team were particularly successful, only losing one game this season and also managing a draw against Rydes Hill. The U11 and U12 teams also enjoyed our first GSA Rounders tour in Ashford, Kent where they competed against U12 and U13 teams with our U11’s finishing 4th and U12’s coming 3rd overall.

TAEKWONDO

TARGET SHOOTING

ROUNDERS

This year saw the introduction of Taekwondo to lessons for Year 9 and a club being set up and run by coach, Mark Hayward, from Predator Taekwondo. This has been offered to selected year groups which will expand even further this coming academic year, starting with a taster session for Years 4-7 in September. The club has seen several girls developing their martial arts skills.

TENNIS This summer we entered our U15 and U13 teams into the Surrey School’s League and they played well against schools from further afield and to a high standard.

Other age groups also played in a new format called ‘Fast Four’

During the Summer Term girls have had the opportunity for the first time at Manor House to learn how to safely and accurately fire air rifles. This opportunity was provided by Bookham Rifle Club’s Target School and covered elements from understanding how to hold the rifle to controlling posture and breathing. where players play a set, winning at four games with sudden death at 40-40. Our top pair in each age group had a great day out at St Georges playing in the Surrey School’s Festival day. Evie P and Alicia P also won the SSTA Special Award for Sportsmanship.

Prep girls from Years 3 to 6 played in a festival at CLFS and gained some valuable match experience. The girls played short doubles matches against every other pair and won overall.

We look forward to holding the Family Beckwith Cup Tournament in September.

SPORTS LEADERS This year sees the introduction of the Manor House Sports Leaders Programme into the PE curriculum for a group of Year 10 students. This programme will be run in lessons and will consist of various strategies to develop leadership, communication and teamwork skills in addition to building students’ confidence when taking the lead in working with younger students. The course aims to develop confident, healthy leaders through sport and physical activity. Throughout the year students will plan and lead sessions with Key Stage 2 as well as helping to organise and run tournaments and events with the PE Department staff.

The seniors have also enjoyed a large number of matches and tournaments with many successes. In the District Rounders, our U13A + B teams both came 4th in their respective groups, U14A’s came 3rd with U14B’s coming 2nd in their groups. U15A’s came 2nd with U15B’s winning their group.

SPORTS CAPTAINS We welcome Molly M and Abigail M as Sports Captains within our Senior Prefect Team for the academic year of 2018-2019.

NEW SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME This coming year sees a revision of our Sports Scholarship Programme.

Throughout the year, scholars will enjoy regular events including workshops, trips and visits. They will each be assigned a sports specific personal mentor that will provide guidance with goal setting and reviewing. Scholars will be offered weekly strength and conditioning coaching before school as well as receiving a termly report, reviewing their academic, physical and mental progress.

In addition to this, all scholars will receive a ‘Sports Scholar’s Handbook’.

Senior Sports Scholars (A Pidgeon absent)

TRIATHLON Triathlons have continued to be a popular addition at Manor House with more girls taking part in their first triathlons this year.

This is a great Emily M came first in her age group at the last two opportunity for the girls to Triathlons held at Manor House School experience the multi-discipline sport and to keep fit and have fun at the same time.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 21

ART/ TEXTILES

#CreativeandCollaborative in

ART AND DESIGN EXAMPLES OF GCSE ART WORK Many girls at Manor House go on to study Art at A level or Art college. The large, light filled art room at Manor House School provides the perfect creative environment for pupils to develop and explore their artistic potential. At GCSE, many girls choose to work big, as confirmed from pieces seen here which represent samples of the work displayed at the Private View of our GCSE Art and Design Work Exhibition held in June.

22 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

ART/TEXTILES

ART CLUBS Girls visit galleries and museums as part of the curriculum and work in many different materials including paint, collage, clay, textiles and printmaking. Manor House School offers four extra-curricular art clubs – two for Juniors, one for Seniors and one for GCSE students.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 23

DRAMA

DRAMA Drama at Manor House School is seen as a valuable tool for increasing self-confidence and communication skills, as well as enabling girls to enjoy the sheer thrill and professionalism of being involved in one of our major school productions or drama evenings.

MY FAIR LADY – SENIOR PRODUCTION

(photography courtesy of www.photoviva.co.uk) 24 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

DRAMA

THE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, LEATHERHEAD THEATRE

DRAMA EVENING AND FASHION SHOW, THEME WEEK

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 25

MUSIC

COLLABORATION IN MUSIC SUMMER MUSIC CONCERT The Summer Music Concert in June celebrated the huge variety of music that we engage in as a school community and demonstrated how Manor House welcomes music of any genre. Pupils from Years 3 to 11 were involved and performed to a very high standard, spending the entire day prior to the Concert rehearsing with specialist music teachers and the support of a bassist and drummer.

As much opportunity as possible was offered to pupils by involving girls in both the Senior and Junior Choirs who performed along with several Soloists who, in turn, combined to form Vocal Groups. The Wind and String Ensembles performed with repertoire ranging from Bach to Gershwin, and several Rock Bands treated the audience to songs from Fleetwood Mac to Pink. The Orchestra introduced the evening with a medley of Beatles and Cold Play backed by professional rock

musicians and supported by talented instrumental staff.

The evening was a great success with over one hundred and fifty people attending and fifty-four children taking part.

MANOR HOUSE MUSIC SCHOLARS PLAY FOR WORLD FAMOUS CLASSICAL VIOLINIST World famous violinist, Nicola Benedetti MBE, visited Manor House School at Easter to lead a Masterclass and Orchestral Workshop with the girls in the Senior Orchestra and String Groups.

The Scottish violinist spent time with Manor House School’s Senior Music Scholars, Georgia W , Hannah H and Kathleen S, during the afternoon. Playing to the Winner of Best Female Artist at both 2012 and 2013 Classical BRIT Awards, was no mean feat and the girls had practised in the morning before spending time with Nicola in the afternoon.

Nicola met with pupils in the Orchestra as well as the Strings in addition to giving technical advice, inspiration and tips to pupils to help them with their future progression. Students

26 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

and teachers were involved in a Q & A session before family and friends heard a solo by Nicola herself.

MUSIC

CREATIVITY! EVENING The subject of our annual ‘Theme Week’ this year, held in early July, was ‘Creativity!’ and the objective was to create a fusion of the Arts bringing aesthetic art, dance and music together.

An evening Fashion Show showcased GCSE work and improvised sketches of various areas of school life from Years 6 to 11. Music Scholars put together their own medley of Baroque music – Vivaldi and Bach - to accompany improvised modern music.

During the week, a variety of visiting musical specialists included Ollie from the ‘Beat Goes On’, who delivered Junk Percussion and Improvisation Workshops to pupils from Years 3 to 9. Girls were asked to bring in their own item to make sound and then conducted each other in groups.

They also experimented with Body Percussion and the whole school enjoyed a participatory assembly! Perform, an external Stage School, delivered workshops in Musical Theatre including dance and singing to students in Years 3 to 6. Girls choreographed their own scene from Aladdin and performed to each other.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 27

FUNDRAISING AND THE COMMUNITY

FUNDRAISING AND THE COMMUNITY THE FRIENDS OF MANOR HOUSE SCHOOL It’s been an amazing year for the Friends’ Committee who have continued to work tirelessly to raise funds for Manor House and help build a vibrant, welcoming and social school community.

We have enjoyed a Summer Camp Out Weekend and tested our

Summer Camp Out Weekend

Annual Quiz Night

general knowledge at the annual Quiz Night but a very special thank you must go to our Chairperson, Mrs Quirk and her team for making this year’s Summer Ball such a tremendous success.

A significant sum was raised for our link school in Africa, The Oluti Mixed Secondary School and further donations

28 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

awarded to support chosen charities, The Sanctuary and The Grange. As a school, we were delighted to receive the remaining £5,000 contribution to buy our next Apple iMac Suite.

Mr and Mrs Charles and two ‘strictly-style’ professional dancers gave a teaser for the next Friends’ event to be held in October 2018; ‘Strictly Manor House’.

Contact: friends@manorhouseschool.org

FUNDRAISING AND THE COMMUNITY

CHARITABLE AND COMMUNITY WORK This year, charitable activities have raised money for those less fortunate and it is only possible to list a few on this page.

We have opened our doors on Heritage Day, paraded at Bookham Village Day and welcomed over 200 visitors on Bookham Gardens Day in support of the Old Barn Hall in Bookham.

It has been wonderful to have donated, with the help of one of our parents, our old style school uniform to a Kenyan school and we hope to transport further blazers and other larger items in the coming school year.

During Theme Week we supported the Rainbow Trust, Delight and the Alzheimer’s Society. The total amount raised on the final afternoon of Theme Week was a fabulous £744. Our fundraising breakfast for Surrey Macmillan Cancer Care raised £1677 taking us

to a total fundraising amount of over £11,000 in recent years for this charity.

We continue to be one of the few schools to support the Queen Mother’s Clothing Guild and Year 9 took part in a sponsored walk for WaterAid. All entrance money from our Christmas Fayre was donated to The Grange Centre providing housing and training for

people with disabilities, in addition to supporting Jigsaw, The Canterbury Trust and The Meeting Room.

Representatives from the charities have delivered assemblies, giving pupils and staff a greater insight into their work and we continue to work in partnership with a number of other organisations.

Theme Week 2018

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS Manor House School will be 100 years old in September 2020.

The School began as two small classes run by our founders, Miss Green and Miss Wheeler in Sidmouth, Devon in 1920. In 1937, the school moved to Bookham after Miss Green purchased the Manor House at auction and it has been settled here ever since, becoming an educational trust in 1961.

We would like to connect with as many past pupils and staff members as we can in order that they may help join us in celebrating our Centenary Year. Please contact marketing@manorhouseschool.org for more information.

MANOR HOUSE LIFE | 29

XXXXXXX

‘Celebrating 100 Years in 2020’ Manor House School, Manor House Lane, Little Bookham, Surrey KT23 4EN | www.manorhouseschool.org admin@manorhouseschool.org | Admin Tel: 01372 458538 admissions@manorhouseschool.org | Admissions Tel: 01372 457077

30 | MANOR HOUSE LIFE

A SELECTIVE INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS AGED 4 - 16 WITH CO-EDUCATIONAL NURSERY @ManorHseSchool

manorhousesch