park
the
the Leighton Park School newsletter
Sixth Form Africa Trip Quaker Schools Week WW1 Commemoration
Autumn 2014
Headlines have also centred on the themes of peace and conflict, developing our students’ awareness of war, tragedy and loss, even in victory. Over 50 Sixth Formers travelled to three African countries over Long Leave; Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania, after fundraising for their biennial visit over the previous 12 months in order to help communities less fortunate than our own to thrive. There has also been an overseas trip to China and more local visits have taken students to France, London, Oxford and Winchester.
The Autumn Term often feels like the busiest term of the school year with so many new students joining us and settling into their new lives at Leighton Park. This year felt even busier than usual with 19 brand new Yamaha pianos arriving the day before the students, marking the start of the school’s relationship with the Yamaha Education Partnership, in our 125th anniversary year. The pianos are now being enjoyed throughout the school as are the other developments organised for 2014-15; the new food tech facility, the refurbished ICT suite and the renovation of the public areas in Old School. Some of you will have seen the plans announced for the new Music and Media Centre, extending and expanding the existing Main Hall facility. On the first full day of term the poignancy of the World War I centenary was commemorated with a very moving open air whole school Collect remembering the 28 Old Leightonians who lost their lives in WW1, and whose stories are told in the book ‘Great Ideals: Leighton Park School and the First World War’. A series of three Collects, Quaker Schools’ Week, a visiting exhibition, two author visits and the Sixth Form Peace Conference
I continue to be deeply impressed and entertained by the breadth and quality of the talent possessed by our students, from the persuasive arguments of the JB Hodgkin Speech Competition, in its centenary year, to the entertaining, and occasionally astonishing, performances of “LP’s Got Talent”. The music department has been as active as ever with the Soloists’ Concert, Jazz Infusions Concert, Ensembles Concert and the Christmas Concert showcasing our wonderful musicians, alongside an intense rehearsal period for the forthcoming musical, “Phantom of the Opera”, in February 2015. Rugby and Hockey have dominated the sporting programme with the girls’ U16 Hockey team reaching the semifinals at Southern Counties Indoor Hockey Tournament, a first for Leighton Park. As the new year approaches, I am looking forward to the 22nd January 2015 when our whole community will join in celebration of 125 years of Leighton Park School. From just four students in 1890 to a thriving co-educational community of almost 500 today, Leighton Park has changed so much whilst remaining true to the principles and testimonies on which it was founded. We look forward to the next 125 years being just as successful. Best wishes, Nigel Williams, Head.
We were pleased to welcome the Independent School Inspectorate to Leighton Park at the end of November for our latest inspection. The initial feedback we have received is positive and we are looking forward to being able to share the report with you in the new year. Thank you to all our parents and students who took the time to respond to the inspectors’ requests for information.
Contents News
page three
What’s New on the Park page four
News
page five
Learning Adventurously pages six and seven
Library
pages eight and nine
World War One Commemorations pages ten and eleven
Music & The Arts
pages twelve and thirteen
Tales from Africa
pages fourteen and fifteen
Sixth Form sixteen
Old Leightonians seventeen
Important Dates Tuesday 6th January Thursday 22nd January Wednesday 11th–Saturday 14th February Friday 13th–Monday 23rd February Tuesday 24th February Tuesday 3rd March Thursday 5th March Thursday 26th March
Inspection
Sport
First full day of term Leighton Park’s Official 125th Birthday Senior Production The Phantom of the Opera Long Leave
pages eighteen and nineteen
PTA
page twenty Visit www.leightonpark.com for up-to-date news Follow @LPSchool
Book Crossing Launch Gala Film Screening In the Shadow of the Sun House Music / World Book Day Yamaha in Education Partnership Launch: Concert with Julian Joseph Trio
2
The front cover picture is from the delivery of 19 new Yamaha pianos at the start of term.
A special thanks to Park Prefect, Alex Granville (Upper Sixth) for his contributions to the articles and photographs in this edition of The Park.
News
JB Hodgkin Celebration Dinner
100 Years of Debate: Argument and Entertainment at Leighton Park
Over 100 Old Leightonians, many of whom had taken part in the competition, as well as current parents, teachers, governors and this year’s JBH participants joined together for a very special JBH anniversary dinner to celebrate the 100th birthday of the competition. OL Sir Tony Baldry MP hosted the evening with aplomb, telling some amusing anecdotes. The after dinner speaker was OL Sir John Adye, former Director of GCHQ, who delivered a fascinating after dinner speech on his career and the issues of security and personal freedom.
The centenary of the unique J B Hodgkin Speech Competition was enthusiastically supported by a great crowd on 20th November, keen to encourage the five competitors, Finbar Aherne, Alex Angwin, Nat Dean Lewis, Victoria Roberts and Manu Sidhu. The topics were as controversial as always and each of the speakers tackled complex issues with incredible verbal dexterity, whilst contending with hecklers attempting to sway their concentration. The Chair of Judges, Ian House, commented “The standard of the speeches is so impressive; I am amazed that young people can deliver such high quality speeches.” The competition was founded in 1914 by the school’s first Chair of Governors, Jonathan Backhouse Hodgkin, a passionate educator. Students must speak for 3 minutes uninterrupted, withstand 7 minutes of heckling whilst continuing and then sum up in a further 2 minutes. Those who have put themselves under the spotlight have gone on to a huge variety of professions. Michael Foot, considered by many to be one of Britain’s greatest orators, came in second place, deliberating on the future of the Liberal Party in 1931. This year’s contestants were judged against criteria of content, style and hecklerhandling; those who fared best were able to bring the audience along the journey of their argument and who offered informed and robust responses to heckles. The five speakers and their warm-up, Fergus Head, were all outstanding, but overall winner was judged to be Manu Sidhu, Lower Sixth, with his articulate and entertaining offering on ‘Sexism: Why Men Suffer More’. You can listen to each student’s speech by visiting www.leightonpark.com/JBH2014. Copies of the JBH 100 Souvenir brochure are available from the Old Leightonians Office.
Fun on the Park on Newcomers’ Day
The first day of term was a fantastic opportunity for our new students to participate in some team-building exercises. Those joining Year 9 – 11 met current students moving from Year 8 to Year 9 and took part in some exciting activities on Grove Field, including finding unique ways to pass through a giant spider’s web, using planks to work across stepping stones and taking part in mathematical number challenges. Meanwhile, new Year 7 students were set a fiendishly difficult task devised by Tim Green, Deputy Housemaster of Fryer, of finding several locations across the Park using only a series of close-up photographs.
3
Headlines have also centred on the themes of peace and conflict, developing our students’ awareness of war, tragedy and loss, even in victory. Over 50 Sixth Formers travelled to three African countries over Long Leave; Malawi, Uganda and Tanzania, after fundraising for their biennial visit over the previous 12 months in order to help communities less fortunate than our own to thrive. There has also been an overseas trip to China and more local visits have taken students to France, London, Oxford and Winchester.
The Autumn Term often feels like the busiest term of the school year with so many new students joining us and settling into their new lives at Leighton Park. This year felt even busier than usual with 19 brand new Yamaha pianos arriving the day before the students, marking the start of the school’s relationship with the Yamaha Education Partnership, in our 125th anniversary year. The pianos are now being enjoyed throughout the school as are the other developments organised for 2014-15; the new food tech facility, the refurbished ICT suite and the renovation of the public areas in Old School. Some of you will have seen the plans announced for the new Music and Media Centre, extending and expanding the existing Main Hall facility. On the first full day of term the poignancy of the World War I centenary was commemorated with a very moving open air whole school Collect remembering the 28 Old Leightonians who lost their lives in WW1, and whose stories are told in the book ‘Great Ideals: Leighton Park School and the First World War’. A series of three Collects, Quaker Schools’ Week, a visiting exhibition, two author visits and the Sixth Form Peace Conference
I continue to be deeply impressed and entertained by the breadth and quality of the talent possessed by our students, from the persuasive arguments of the JB Hodgkin Speech Competition, in its centenary year, to the entertaining, and occasionally astonishing, performances of “LP’s Got Talent”. The music department has been as active as ever with the Soloists’ Concert, Jazz Infusions Concert, Ensembles Concert and the Christmas Concert showcasing our wonderful musicians, alongside an intense rehearsal period for the forthcoming musical, “Phantom of the Opera”, in February 2015. Rugby and Hockey have dominated the sporting programme with the girls’ U16 Hockey team reaching the semifinals at Southern Counties Indoor Hockey Tournament, a first for Leighton Park. As the new year approaches, I am looking forward to the 22nd January 2015 when our whole community will join in celebration of 125 years of Leighton Park School. From just four students in 1890 to a thriving co-educational community of almost 500 today, Leighton Park has changed so much whilst remaining true to the principles and testimonies on which it was founded. We look forward to the next 125 years being just as successful. Best wishes, Nigel Williams, Head.
We were pleased to welcome the Independent School Inspectorate to Leighton Park at the end of November for our latest inspection. The initial feedback we have received is positive and we are looking forward to being able to share the report with you in the new year. Thank you to all our parents and students who took the time to respond to the inspectors’ requests for information.
Contents News
page three
What’s New on the Park page four
News
page five
Learning Adventurously pages six and seven
Library
pages eight and nine
World War One Commemorations pages ten and eleven
Music & The Arts
pages twelve and thirteen
Tales from Africa
pages fourteen and fifteen
Sixth Form sixteen
Old Leightonians seventeen
Important Dates Tuesday 6th January Thursday 22nd January Wednesday 11th–Saturday 14th February Friday 13th–Monday 23rd February Tuesday 24th February Tuesday 3rd March Thursday 5th March Thursday 26th March
Inspection
Sport
First full day of term Leighton Park’s Official 125th Birthday Senior Production The Phantom of the Opera Long Leave
pages eighteen and nineteen
PTA
page twenty Visit www.leightonpark.com for up-to-date news Follow @LPSchool
Book Crossing Launch Gala Film Screening In the Shadow of the Sun House Music / World Book Day Yamaha in Education Partnership Launch: Concert with Julian Joseph Trio
2
The front cover picture is from the delivery of 19 new Yamaha pianos at the start of term.
A special thanks to Park Prefect, Alex Granville (Upper Sixth) for his contributions to the articles and photographs in this edition of The Park.
News
JB Hodgkin Celebration Dinner
100 Years of Debate: Argument and Entertainment at Leighton Park
Over 100 Old Leightonians, many of whom had taken part in the competition, as well as current parents, teachers, governors and this year’s JBH participants joined together for a very special JBH anniversary dinner to celebrate the 100th birthday of the competition. OL Sir Tony Baldry MP hosted the evening with aplomb, telling some amusing anecdotes. The after dinner speaker was OL Sir John Adye, former Director of GCHQ, who delivered a fascinating after dinner speech on his career and the issues of security and personal freedom.
The centenary of the unique J B Hodgkin Speech Competition was enthusiastically supported by a great crowd on 20th November, keen to encourage the five competitors, Finbar Aherne, Alex Angwin, Nat Dean Lewis, Victoria Roberts and Manu Sidhu. The topics were as controversial as always and each of the speakers tackled complex issues with incredible verbal dexterity, whilst contending with hecklers attempting to sway their concentration. The Chair of Judges, Ian House, commented “The standard of the speeches is so impressive; I am amazed that young people can deliver such high quality speeches.” The competition was founded in 1914 by the school’s first Chair of Governors, Jonathan Backhouse Hodgkin, a passionate educator. Students must speak for 3 minutes uninterrupted, withstand 7 minutes of heckling whilst continuing and then sum up in a further 2 minutes. Those who have put themselves under the spotlight have gone on to a huge variety of professions. Michael Foot, considered by many to be one of Britain’s greatest orators, came in second place, deliberating on the future of the Liberal Party in 1931. This year’s contestants were judged against criteria of content, style and hecklerhandling; those who fared best were able to bring the audience along the journey of their argument and who offered informed and robust responses to heckles. The five speakers and their warm-up, Fergus Head, were all outstanding, but overall winner was judged to be Manu Sidhu, Lower Sixth, with his articulate and entertaining offering on ‘Sexism: Why Men Suffer More’. You can listen to each student’s speech by visiting www.leightonpark.com/JBH2014. Copies of the JBH 100 Souvenir brochure are available from the Old Leightonians Office.
Fun on the Park on Newcomers’ Day
The first day of term was a fantastic opportunity for our new students to participate in some team-building exercises. Those joining Year 9 – 11 met current students moving from Year 8 to Year 9 and took part in some exciting activities on Grove Field, including finding unique ways to pass through a giant spider’s web, using planks to work across stepping stones and taking part in mathematical number challenges. Meanwhile, new Year 7 students were set a fiendishly difficult task devised by Tim Green, Deputy Housemaster of Fryer, of finding several locations across the Park using only a series of close-up photographs.
3
What’s New on the Park Pianos on the Park
Summer Developments
The activity didn’t stop on the Park during the Summer Holiday, as builders, designers and decorators set to work across the School. Old School Reception, the Cadbury Room, the Parents’ Meeting Room and the Library all had an overhaul, as a touch of paint, new carpet and a change in furniture and décor of each room bought new life to the building. School House also underwent renovation, with improvements made throughout the boarding facilities.
It is not every day that nineteen brand new Yamaha pianos get delivered to your school, but that is exactly what happened at the start of this term. The delivery of the pianos, including three Grand pianos, one a nine foot Concert Grand, and sixteen uprights, signals the start of an exciting and mutually beneficial partnership between Leighton Park and Yamaha, under their Music Education Partner Programme. The pianos were assembled on the front lawn of Old School which provided a fantastic opportunity for students, who came in especially to welcome the pianos onto the Park, to play them all together. Head, Nigel Williams commented “This is such a wonderful opportunity for all our students, to have access to these beautiful instruments which will become an integral part in the musical life of the school and the wider community.” David Halford, Yamaha Europe’s Business Development Manager for the Music Education Partner Programme, who was also there on the day to see the safe arrival and installation of the pianos explained “We are delighted that Leighton Park School has
joined our Partnership Programme and we hope to add to the already excellent music provision of the school by providing the students with access to an exceptional range of varied activities and experiences which will significantly enhance not only their individual experiences, but also the musical life of the school.” The CFX Grand Concert Piano, which is the first to be purchased by an educational institution in the UK, was personally selected at Yamaha’s European HQ in Hamburg in June by Rosemary Scales (Director of Music), with the assistance of Julian Joseph, the globally acclaimed virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster. Julian Joseph commented
“I was thrilled to be invited to help the school select the pianos that best suited the demanding and varied musical settings of their musical education curriculum; inspiring school, inspiring teaching and now inspiring instruments.” 4
Meanwhile in the David Linday Centre, DL1 was transformed into a fullyequipped Food Technology Facility. Brand new appliances and workstations, including some high-tech Panasonic cookers, were installed and tested ready for the start of the Autumn Term. It wasn’t long before the rooms were being used, as a Year 9 class set out to cook some pizzas. Emily MacKenzie, who made a Hawaiian Pizza, said “I really enjoyed kneading the dough…” while Jo Morea commented “It tastes surprisingly good considering I cooked it.” Another new introduction to the David Linday Centre included a brand-new Laser Engraver which took its place in our Design Technology Room. The engraver had its work cut out for it on our Annual Open Morning, as 180 Leighton Park rulers were engraved for students and visiting families. Later on in the term the film and media arts curriculum was boosted by the delivery of four specialised video cameras and associated accessories courtesy of the David Lean Foundation.
News LP’s Got Talent
Leighton Park’s signature talent show saw a revival on 27th November, as students took to the stage to demonstrate their skills. This event was organised by Leighton Park School’s charity group, Amicus, to raise money for the Mustard Seed Project, a small UK charity working in Kenya to help bring people out of poverty by providing them with education and skills to improve their way of life. Students were tasked with creating three performances per House; Dancing, Comedy, and ‘Other’. Each act was limited to five minutes with points deducted for exceeding the allocated time. The evening included everything from impressive dancing and entertaining comedy acts to a revolting eating challenge and a surreal re-enactment of the Lion King. Congratulations to Grove House, who came away victorious, and also massive congratulations to all participants who demonstrated some impressive (and often ridiculous) talents.
A Trip to the West End Boarders Feeling Festive at Christmas Market On Wednesday 17th September I was able to join A/AS Level theatre and music students to go see Miss Saigon. Miss Saigon, as a whole, is a very good musical and I think the Prince Edward Theatre portrayed it well. Going to London with the other students was really fun and energetic, even at midnight! Since this was my first time seeing a West End production, I did not know what to expect. I have been to my fair share of Broadway productions, but this was nothing like that; it was a good kind of different. It was not crowded like Broadway, or flooded with tons on tourists’ attractions either! Overall, I was really pleased with the experience and I’m looking forward to seeing another production on the West End. Lillie Sokolski, Lower Sixth
Boarders were getting into the festive spirit during one of their weekend activities as they paid a visit to Winchester’s Christmas Market this term. It was nice to get into the holiday spirit, see a different town and enjoy this time of year! It was very crowded with people shopping everywhere. There were cute mini-houses set up and people were buying lots of gifts for loved ones. The centre of the market had an ice rink and many people were skating. The atmosphere was exciting and it was interesting to see all the stalls and crafts on offer.
It was really interesting to see an English Christmas market, coming from Germany where we have so many. When you go to the German Christmas markets you hear lots of loud music playing, but in Winchester the sound was much quieter and it was the sounds of people that filled the air. There were lots of sweet mini houses which were stalls selling crafts and Christmas food and drink, and you could buy Christmas presents. Many people were wearing Christmas jumpers and you could see children playing on the ice rink. It was a nice trip to go on and I think this helps you to get in the Christmas mood!
Shanaya Khan, Pre-Sixth
Philina Bauschke, Pre-Sixth
5
What’s New on the Park Pianos on the Park
Summer Developments
The activity didn’t stop on the Park during the Summer Holiday, as builders, designers and decorators set to work across the School. Old School Reception, the Cadbury Room, the Parents’ Meeting Room and the Library all had an overhaul, as a touch of paint, new carpet and a change in furniture and décor of each room bought new life to the building. School House also underwent renovation, with improvements made throughout the boarding facilities.
It is not every day that nineteen brand new Yamaha pianos get delivered to your school, but that is exactly what happened at the start of this term. The delivery of the pianos, including three Grand pianos, one a nine foot Concert Grand, and sixteen uprights, signals the start of an exciting and mutually beneficial partnership between Leighton Park and Yamaha, under their Music Education Partner Programme. The pianos were assembled on the front lawn of Old School which provided a fantastic opportunity for students, who came in especially to welcome the pianos onto the Park, to play them all together. Head, Nigel Williams commented “This is such a wonderful opportunity for all our students, to have access to these beautiful instruments which will become an integral part in the musical life of the school and the wider community.” David Halford, Yamaha Europe’s Business Development Manager for the Music Education Partner Programme, who was also there on the day to see the safe arrival and installation of the pianos explained “We are delighted that Leighton Park School has
joined our Partnership Programme and we hope to add to the already excellent music provision of the school by providing the students with access to an exceptional range of varied activities and experiences which will significantly enhance not only their individual experiences, but also the musical life of the school.” The CFX Grand Concert Piano, which is the first to be purchased by an educational institution in the UK, was personally selected at Yamaha’s European HQ in Hamburg in June by Rosemary Scales (Director of Music), with the assistance of Julian Joseph, the globally acclaimed virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger and broadcaster. Julian Joseph commented
“I was thrilled to be invited to help the school select the pianos that best suited the demanding and varied musical settings of their musical education curriculum; inspiring school, inspiring teaching and now inspiring instruments.” 4
Meanwhile in the David Linday Centre, DL1 was transformed into a fullyequipped Food Technology Facility. Brand new appliances and workstations, including some high-tech Panasonic cookers, were installed and tested ready for the start of the Autumn Term. It wasn’t long before the rooms were being used, as a Year 9 class set out to cook some pizzas. Emily MacKenzie, who made a Hawaiian Pizza, said “I really enjoyed kneading the dough…” while Jo Morea commented “It tastes surprisingly good considering I cooked it.” Another new introduction to the David Linday Centre included a brand-new Laser Engraver which took its place in our Design Technology Room. The engraver had its work cut out for it on our Annual Open Morning, as 180 Leighton Park rulers were engraved for students and visiting families. Later on in the term the film and media arts curriculum was boosted by the delivery of four specialised video cameras and associated accessories courtesy of the David Lean Foundation.
News LP’s Got Talent
Leighton Park’s signature talent show saw a revival on 27th November, as students took to the stage to demonstrate their skills. This event was organised by Leighton Park School’s charity group, Amicus, to raise money for the Mustard Seed Project, a small UK charity working in Kenya to help bring people out of poverty by providing them with education and skills to improve their way of life. Students were tasked with creating three performances per House; Dancing, Comedy, and ‘Other’. Each act was limited to five minutes with points deducted for exceeding the allocated time. The evening included everything from impressive dancing and entertaining comedy acts to a revolting eating challenge and a surreal re-enactment of the Lion King. Congratulations to Grove House, who came away victorious, and also massive congratulations to all participants who demonstrated some impressive (and often ridiculous) talents.
A Trip to the West End Boarders Feeling Festive at Christmas Market On Wednesday 17th September I was able to join A/AS Level theatre and music students to go see Miss Saigon. Miss Saigon, as a whole, is a very good musical and I think the Prince Edward Theatre portrayed it well. Going to London with the other students was really fun and energetic, even at midnight! Since this was my first time seeing a West End production, I did not know what to expect. I have been to my fair share of Broadway productions, but this was nothing like that; it was a good kind of different. It was not crowded like Broadway, or flooded with tons on tourists’ attractions either! Overall, I was really pleased with the experience and I’m looking forward to seeing another production on the West End. Lillie Sokolski, Lower Sixth
Boarders were getting into the festive spirit during one of their weekend activities as they paid a visit to Winchester’s Christmas Market this term. It was nice to get into the holiday spirit, see a different town and enjoy this time of year! It was very crowded with people shopping everywhere. There were cute mini-houses set up and people were buying lots of gifts for loved ones. The centre of the market had an ice rink and many people were skating. The atmosphere was exciting and it was interesting to see all the stalls and crafts on offer.
It was really interesting to see an English Christmas market, coming from Germany where we have so many. When you go to the German Christmas markets you hear lots of loud music playing, but in Winchester the sound was much quieter and it was the sounds of people that filled the air. There were lots of sweet mini houses which were stalls selling crafts and Christmas food and drink, and you could buy Christmas presents. Many people were wearing Christmas jumpers and you could see children playing on the ice rink. It was a nice trip to go on and I think this helps you to get in the Christmas mood!
Shanaya Khan, Pre-Sixth
Philina Bauschke, Pre-Sixth
5
Learning
Art Trip to Paris
Adventurously China Trip A fantastic time was enjoyed by sixteen of our Year 8, 11 and Lower Sixth students who journeyed to China over long leave to spend eight days visiting Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. Travelling from Heathrow via Zurich, the pace was set when after just two hours sleep the group visited Beijing’s Capital Museum, a government tea house and the zoo; all on their first day! The trip was packed with incredible sights and experiences. Historic attractions such as the ancient Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Shaanxi History Museum, Tiananmen Square and the amazing terracotta army provided a fascinating glimpse into China’s past. Modern phenomena such as the bullet train, the magnificent high rise skylines, the litter-free streets and the nose-to-tail riot of rush hour offered an insight into life in a modern city. Some elements of China seemed timeless such as the food, eating with chopsticks and haggling in the markets over souvenirs. Students were lucky enough to spend time with pupils at the Beijing Haiden Experimental School; a great opportunity to practice the Mandarin they have been learning at Leighton Park.
24 students from the Year 11 GCSE Art course immersed themselves in art, architecture and culture for two days in September. The ten boys and fourteen girls made the most of the opportunity to gather, record and absorb visual material stimulating ideas for their GCSE coursework portfolios. Greta Kitch, Year 11, commented “I loved that at times we could just sit and simply draw. I loved being in Paris, being able to look at other artworks in the Pompidou. But mostly I just loved being able to sketch outside in the same way as the Impressionists before me.” In addition to the Musee D’Orsay, the group sought inspiration from locations as diverse as La Defense and Les Halle; as old as Notre Dame and as modern as the Pompidou Centre. Many of the city’s highlights were enjoyed and students did not miss out on landmarks like Monmatre, Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower. Vlada Evtushenko, Year 11, noted, “Paris takes your breath away. When I see all the contrasting buildings of old and new it makes me consider just how small people are and how big art can be.”
Entertainment included an acrobatic show with eight men motorcycling inside a cage, a night river cruise and seeing Shanghai through the glass floor of the 257m high Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower. China 2014 was an unforgettable trip for students and staff and they have returned
inspired by their experiences, eager to continue learning more about China, further their Mandarin, and maybe one day, to go back. You can find out more about the trip by visiting the China Blog at www.lpchina2014. tumblr.com
The trip was an excellent success and great preparation for the coursework to come. “It was an exhaustingly wonderful trip.” commented Head of Art, Mark Wood, “We will definitely have images and drawings aplenty. The students had a fantastic time and have returned fully geared up for fresh new work.” Photographs by Coco Wu (Year 11)
Joyeux Noël de Lille
Quaker Foxtrot
Students studying French in Years 8 and 9 travelled to Lille in the North of France at the end of term. The city is well-known for its Christmas Market. With a Ferris Wheel, 18-metre high Christmas Tree and seasonally decorated wooden chalets, there was plenty for students to look at.
Sixth Form students journeyed up to 1652 country at the end of September as they explored the origins of the Society of Friends and followed in the footsteps of George Fox. The annual trip involves a group of Quaker Schools and takes place in North Yorkshire and the south of Cumbria, home to founder of Quakerism. Students travelled from Pendle Hill, where George Fox first envisaged the idea of Quakerism, to Firbank Fell, where he held one of the first Quaker Meetings. They even stood upon the same rock he is said to have preached from and practised their own speeches.
This was also an opportunity for students to practice their language skills as they walked through Lille’s fabulously decorated streets trying a range of sweet food and purchasing many Christmas presents for family and friends. They also had the opportunity to demonstrate their singing ability as they entertained a coach of senior citizens during a delayed ferry journey home. “It was quite cold and raining when we arrived in Lille, but the weather didn’t ruin the fun we had in the Christmas Market in ‘Old Town’, which was located in the centre of town. The best part of it was that you could buy yummy waffles in chocolate sauce, pancakes, sweets
6
and doughnuts! The next day we and went to see how people make bread. They showed us the old way to make bread and told us that the main ingredient was invisible (air). Then we had pizza for lunch and finished our weekend by visiting an “Auchan” hypermarket.” Kristina Perepelkina and Anfisa Denisenko, Year 9
7
Learning
Art Trip to Paris
Adventurously China Trip A fantastic time was enjoyed by sixteen of our Year 8, 11 and Lower Sixth students who journeyed to China over long leave to spend eight days visiting Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai. Travelling from Heathrow via Zurich, the pace was set when after just two hours sleep the group visited Beijing’s Capital Museum, a government tea house and the zoo; all on their first day! The trip was packed with incredible sights and experiences. Historic attractions such as the ancient Great Wall, the Summer Palace, Shaanxi History Museum, Tiananmen Square and the amazing terracotta army provided a fascinating glimpse into China’s past. Modern phenomena such as the bullet train, the magnificent high rise skylines, the litter-free streets and the nose-to-tail riot of rush hour offered an insight into life in a modern city. Some elements of China seemed timeless such as the food, eating with chopsticks and haggling in the markets over souvenirs. Students were lucky enough to spend time with pupils at the Beijing Haiden Experimental School; a great opportunity to practice the Mandarin they have been learning at Leighton Park.
24 students from the Year 11 GCSE Art course immersed themselves in art, architecture and culture for two days in September. The ten boys and fourteen girls made the most of the opportunity to gather, record and absorb visual material stimulating ideas for their GCSE coursework portfolios. Greta Kitch, Year 11, commented “I loved that at times we could just sit and simply draw. I loved being in Paris, being able to look at other artworks in the Pompidou. But mostly I just loved being able to sketch outside in the same way as the Impressionists before me.” In addition to the Musee D’Orsay, the group sought inspiration from locations as diverse as La Defense and Les Halle; as old as Notre Dame and as modern as the Pompidou Centre. Many of the city’s highlights were enjoyed and students did not miss out on landmarks like Monmatre, Sacre Coeur and the Eiffel Tower. Vlada Evtushenko, Year 11, noted, “Paris takes your breath away. When I see all the contrasting buildings of old and new it makes me consider just how small people are and how big art can be.”
Entertainment included an acrobatic show with eight men motorcycling inside a cage, a night river cruise and seeing Shanghai through the glass floor of the 257m high Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower. China 2014 was an unforgettable trip for students and staff and they have returned
inspired by their experiences, eager to continue learning more about China, further their Mandarin, and maybe one day, to go back. You can find out more about the trip by visiting the China Blog at www.lpchina2014. tumblr.com
The trip was an excellent success and great preparation for the coursework to come. “It was an exhaustingly wonderful trip.” commented Head of Art, Mark Wood, “We will definitely have images and drawings aplenty. The students had a fantastic time and have returned fully geared up for fresh new work.” Photographs by Coco Wu (Year 11)
Joyeux Noël de Lille
Quaker Foxtrot
Students studying French in Years 8 and 9 travelled to Lille in the North of France at the end of term. The city is well-known for its Christmas Market. With a Ferris Wheel, 18-metre high Christmas Tree and seasonally decorated wooden chalets, there was plenty for students to look at.
Sixth Form students journeyed up to 1652 country at the end of September as they explored the origins of the Society of Friends and followed in the footsteps of George Fox. The annual trip involves a group of Quaker Schools and takes place in North Yorkshire and the south of Cumbria, home to founder of Quakerism. Students travelled from Pendle Hill, where George Fox first envisaged the idea of Quakerism, to Firbank Fell, where he held one of the first Quaker Meetings. They even stood upon the same rock he is said to have preached from and practised their own speeches.
This was also an opportunity for students to practice their language skills as they walked through Lille’s fabulously decorated streets trying a range of sweet food and purchasing many Christmas presents for family and friends. They also had the opportunity to demonstrate their singing ability as they entertained a coach of senior citizens during a delayed ferry journey home. “It was quite cold and raining when we arrived in Lille, but the weather didn’t ruin the fun we had in the Christmas Market in ‘Old Town’, which was located in the centre of town. The best part of it was that you could buy yummy waffles in chocolate sauce, pancakes, sweets
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and doughnuts! The next day we and went to see how people make bread. They showed us the old way to make bread and told us that the main ingredient was invisible (air). Then we had pizza for lunch and finished our weekend by visiting an “Auchan” hypermarket.” Kristina Perepelkina and Anfisa Denisenko, Year 9
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Library Patron of Reading: Gillian Cross
Earlier this term, Gillian Cross our Patron of Reading, made her first official visit to the school. She began by helping to launch an exciting new CAS project with Years 7 and 8. Gillian is also the Patron of Cord, a charity which aims to build peace and strengthen communities through education and sustainable projects. The students have been planning fundraising activities and are looking forward to making and testing out solar cookers which have made such a difference to women’s lives in Chad. Gillian also presented prizes to the students in Year 7 who had won the Design a Dream Library and Storytelling Chair Competitions set over the summer holiday. Congratulations to winners: Hannah Butcher, Emily Dunbar, Joe Gipple, Eleanor Hawkins, Morgan Marr, Ellie Pearson, Logan Phipps, Maia Stevens, Jessie Sumroy and
Author Visit: Michelle Paver
Louis Sykes. Their entries can be seen on display in the library. This was followed by a writers’ workshop based on Gillian’s most recent novel After Tomorrow, which explores what it might feel like to be a refugee.
We were delighted to be offered the opportunity to host a second multi-school event for Waterstones. Michelle Paver has visited the school before to talk about her popular Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. This time she was launching the third book in her new series called Gods and Warriors which is set in Ancient Greece. An audience of over 300 primary and secondary school children, including Leighton Park’s Years 7 and 8, were held spellbound by stories about swimming with dolphins and getting close up with lions. She also brought related artefacts which the students could handle and ask her about while getting their books signed.
Over lunch Gillian chatted informally with members of our Sixth Form Book Group and was interviewed by Alex Granville and Adam Stokes for their blog which can be read in full at www.leightonpark.com/ GillianCrossInterview We are looking forward to welcoming Gillian back on World Book Day in March, accompanied by Neil Packer, the illustrator of her retelling of The Odyssey.
Book Crossing
Author Visit: Paul Dowswell
Exciting plans are afoot for the library’s contribution to the school’s 125th birthday celebrations.
Paul Dowswell first visited Leighton Park in 2010, when he talked about his swashbuckling series of books The Adventures of Sam Whitchall. This time we invited Paul to talk about Eleven Eleven which is about three young men brought together by fate on the last day of WW1. Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed listening to his fascinating illustrated talks and were inspired by his writers’ workshops. He also talked to the Sixth Form Book Group and, in the evening, to an adult audience who enjoyed hearing how he takes inspiration from paintings, etchings and photographs.
‘Book crossing’ is the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others who then do likewise. During February we are hoping to leave 125 books around Reading for the local community to enjoy. Each book will have been chosen to represent the year it was published in, and together they will celebrate the history of publishing for young readers. In the New Year we will be inviting students, parents, Old Leightonians, staff and governors to sponsor a book. A proportion of the money raised will be donated to the Book Bus which was founded by a publisher and OL called Tom Maschler. The charity supports literacy projects in Africa, Asia and South America.
Author Visit: Marcus Sedgwick
Private Peaceful
Author Marcus Sedgwick brought our Quaker Schools Week to a close by talking to the whole school about conscientious objector Howard Marten, the subject of his book Cowards. We are delighted that Marcus will be returning to Leighton Park in March with his brother, Julian, who is also a writer. They will be talking about their passion for graphic novels at the Writing for Teenagers Conference which will be attended by book groups from local secondary schools as well as some of our own students.
Members of Fryer Book Club and their friends enjoyed a fantastic retelling of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful at Theale Green Secondary School. This was one of a programme of book related events organised by the Berkshire Education Library Service to link with the Centenary of World War One. Storyteller John Kirk used props, music and physical theatre to bring the story alive. We were so impressed by his performance that we have invited him to visit Leighton Park during our Book Week in March. Be sure to follow our wonderfully busy library on Twitter @LPLibrarian
8
9
Library Patron of Reading: Gillian Cross
Earlier this term, Gillian Cross our Patron of Reading, made her first official visit to the school. She began by helping to launch an exciting new CAS project with Years 7 and 8. Gillian is also the Patron of Cord, a charity which aims to build peace and strengthen communities through education and sustainable projects. The students have been planning fundraising activities and are looking forward to making and testing out solar cookers which have made such a difference to women’s lives in Chad. Gillian also presented prizes to the students in Year 7 who had won the Design a Dream Library and Storytelling Chair Competitions set over the summer holiday. Congratulations to winners: Hannah Butcher, Emily Dunbar, Joe Gipple, Eleanor Hawkins, Morgan Marr, Ellie Pearson, Logan Phipps, Maia Stevens, Jessie Sumroy and
Author Visit: Michelle Paver
Louis Sykes. Their entries can be seen on display in the library. This was followed by a writers’ workshop based on Gillian’s most recent novel After Tomorrow, which explores what it might feel like to be a refugee.
We were delighted to be offered the opportunity to host a second multi-school event for Waterstones. Michelle Paver has visited the school before to talk about her popular Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. This time she was launching the third book in her new series called Gods and Warriors which is set in Ancient Greece. An audience of over 300 primary and secondary school children, including Leighton Park’s Years 7 and 8, were held spellbound by stories about swimming with dolphins and getting close up with lions. She also brought related artefacts which the students could handle and ask her about while getting their books signed.
Over lunch Gillian chatted informally with members of our Sixth Form Book Group and was interviewed by Alex Granville and Adam Stokes for their blog which can be read in full at www.leightonpark.com/ GillianCrossInterview We are looking forward to welcoming Gillian back on World Book Day in March, accompanied by Neil Packer, the illustrator of her retelling of The Odyssey.
Book Crossing
Author Visit: Paul Dowswell
Exciting plans are afoot for the library’s contribution to the school’s 125th birthday celebrations.
Paul Dowswell first visited Leighton Park in 2010, when he talked about his swashbuckling series of books The Adventures of Sam Whitchall. This time we invited Paul to talk about Eleven Eleven which is about three young men brought together by fate on the last day of WW1. Years 7, 8 and 9 enjoyed listening to his fascinating illustrated talks and were inspired by his writers’ workshops. He also talked to the Sixth Form Book Group and, in the evening, to an adult audience who enjoyed hearing how he takes inspiration from paintings, etchings and photographs.
‘Book crossing’ is the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others who then do likewise. During February we are hoping to leave 125 books around Reading for the local community to enjoy. Each book will have been chosen to represent the year it was published in, and together they will celebrate the history of publishing for young readers. In the New Year we will be inviting students, parents, Old Leightonians, staff and governors to sponsor a book. A proportion of the money raised will be donated to the Book Bus which was founded by a publisher and OL called Tom Maschler. The charity supports literacy projects in Africa, Asia and South America.
Author Visit: Marcus Sedgwick
Private Peaceful
Author Marcus Sedgwick brought our Quaker Schools Week to a close by talking to the whole school about conscientious objector Howard Marten, the subject of his book Cowards. We are delighted that Marcus will be returning to Leighton Park in March with his brother, Julian, who is also a writer. They will be talking about their passion for graphic novels at the Writing for Teenagers Conference which will be attended by book groups from local secondary schools as well as some of our own students.
Members of Fryer Book Club and their friends enjoyed a fantastic retelling of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful at Theale Green Secondary School. This was one of a programme of book related events organised by the Berkshire Education Library Service to link with the Centenary of World War One. Storyteller John Kirk used props, music and physical theatre to bring the story alive. We were so impressed by his performance that we have invited him to visit Leighton Park during our Book Week in March. Be sure to follow our wonderfully busy library on Twitter @LPLibrarian
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9
World War One
Exploring Peace During Quaker Schools Week
Commemorations On Tuesday 11th November a quiet stillness fell over the Park at 11am marking the silence for Remembrance Day. Sixth Formers, Michael Otty and Owen Turner, played the haunting notes of ‘The Last Post’ on their trumpets standing in the heart of the grounds and the sound echoed poignantly across the lawn and playing fields, reaching the whole school community. Over the last six months we have planned and delivered a series of events to mark the centenary of World War I in a way that respects the significance and impact of the Great War, as well as reflecting the Quaker testimonies of peace and reconciliation. Low key, yet inclusive of all members of our diverse international community; solemn yet allowing our voices to be heard; reflective yet enriching for all participants; these have been our goals. At the end of June, Year 9’s ‘Global Awareness project’ researched and discussed important issues relating to war and conflict such as the morality of weapons of mass destruction. Also in the Summer Term, Year 8 examined the role of Conscientious Objectors in detail as part of their History curriculum.
with librarian, Chris Routh, to build on their initial learning by producing videos about the characters. The Sixth Form Peace Conference held on the same day provided Year 12 and 13 students the opportunity to debate the nature of peace and conflict in today’s world. Public speaker Angela Findlay, Matt Jeriorski from Pax Christi and Richard Cloutman from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament presented opinions and information, and tackled some difficult and insightful questions from the group of almost 150 students.
The first day of the new academic year witnessed an open air Meeting for Worship in remembrance of the 28 Old Leightonians who lost their lives in WW1, and whose stories are told in the book ‘Great Ideals: Leighton Park School and the First World War’, published last year by our archivist, John Allinson, and Head Girl, Charlotte Smith. As the Autumn Term has progressed a series of three Collects have reflected on the tragedy of the First World War and on war in general. The Collects have centred around the Tavistock Square memorial for conscientious objectors in London and around the introduction of eight historical characters closely connected with Leighton Park who represent a variety of attitudes to, and experiences of, the First World War.
Leighton Park is proud to welcome students of all faiths and none, but exploring Quaker values and heritage during Quaker Schools Week is a significant and important event for the whole school community. Between 6th – 10th October students throughout the school celebrated the Quaker ethos and commemorated the role of Quakers during World War I, by exploring the theme of peace.
These eight characters were the focus for the off-timetable day in October, marking the end of Quaker Schools’ Week, when twenty four teams of mixed year group students spent the day engaged in a character research project each creating a display about one of the eight characters. Following the event, Fryers are working
All year groups assembled for the beginning of the day in Main Hall for an introductory talk by Brendan Carr, curator of the
10
Museum of Reading, who set the scene and developed the students’ awareness of the historical context for their subsequent work. Brendan also visited the temporary exhibition in the Peckover Gallery which displays information and artefacts about Reading in World War I and is being used to support the academic curriculum during the Autumn Term. Brendan researched and commissioned the display boards so it was interesting for him to see them in use. Years 7 to 11 spent the day busily engaged researching and creating displays about
11
eight Quakers and Old Leightonians, their characters, beliefs and roles during the First World War. The students, inspired by videos, artefacts and other appropriate materials, collectively presented their impressive displays in Peckover showcasing the work on each of the selected characters by the different groups. The displays included cookies in the shape of poppies, a model aeroplane fashioned out of card, a huge variety of white peace poppies and traditional red ones, two wooden carved planes and a number of 3D interactive creations.
World War One
Exploring Peace During Quaker Schools Week
Commemorations On Tuesday 11th November a quiet stillness fell over the Park at 11am marking the silence for Remembrance Day. Sixth Formers, Michael Otty and Owen Turner, played the haunting notes of ‘The Last Post’ on their trumpets standing in the heart of the grounds and the sound echoed poignantly across the lawn and playing fields, reaching the whole school community. Over the last six months we have planned and delivered a series of events to mark the centenary of World War I in a way that respects the significance and impact of the Great War, as well as reflecting the Quaker testimonies of peace and reconciliation. Low key, yet inclusive of all members of our diverse international community; solemn yet allowing our voices to be heard; reflective yet enriching for all participants; these have been our goals. At the end of June, Year 9’s ‘Global Awareness project’ researched and discussed important issues relating to war and conflict such as the morality of weapons of mass destruction. Also in the Summer Term, Year 8 examined the role of Conscientious Objectors in detail as part of their History curriculum.
with librarian, Chris Routh, to build on their initial learning by producing videos about the characters. The Sixth Form Peace Conference held on the same day provided Year 12 and 13 students the opportunity to debate the nature of peace and conflict in today’s world. Public speaker Angela Findlay, Matt Jeriorski from Pax Christi and Richard Cloutman from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament presented opinions and information, and tackled some difficult and insightful questions from the group of almost 150 students.
The first day of the new academic year witnessed an open air Meeting for Worship in remembrance of the 28 Old Leightonians who lost their lives in WW1, and whose stories are told in the book ‘Great Ideals: Leighton Park School and the First World War’, published last year by our archivist, John Allinson, and Head Girl, Charlotte Smith. As the Autumn Term has progressed a series of three Collects have reflected on the tragedy of the First World War and on war in general. The Collects have centred around the Tavistock Square memorial for conscientious objectors in London and around the introduction of eight historical characters closely connected with Leighton Park who represent a variety of attitudes to, and experiences of, the First World War.
Leighton Park is proud to welcome students of all faiths and none, but exploring Quaker values and heritage during Quaker Schools Week is a significant and important event for the whole school community. Between 6th – 10th October students throughout the school celebrated the Quaker ethos and commemorated the role of Quakers during World War I, by exploring the theme of peace.
These eight characters were the focus for the off-timetable day in October, marking the end of Quaker Schools’ Week, when twenty four teams of mixed year group students spent the day engaged in a character research project each creating a display about one of the eight characters. Following the event, Fryers are working
All year groups assembled for the beginning of the day in Main Hall for an introductory talk by Brendan Carr, curator of the
10
Museum of Reading, who set the scene and developed the students’ awareness of the historical context for their subsequent work. Brendan also visited the temporary exhibition in the Peckover Gallery which displays information and artefacts about Reading in World War I and is being used to support the academic curriculum during the Autumn Term. Brendan researched and commissioned the display boards so it was interesting for him to see them in use. Years 7 to 11 spent the day busily engaged researching and creating displays about
11
eight Quakers and Old Leightonians, their characters, beliefs and roles during the First World War. The students, inspired by videos, artefacts and other appropriate materials, collectively presented their impressive displays in Peckover showcasing the work on each of the selected characters by the different groups. The displays included cookies in the shape of poppies, a model aeroplane fashioned out of card, a huge variety of white peace poppies and traditional red ones, two wooden carved planes and a number of 3D interactive creations.
Music & the Arts Sharing a Marvellous Morning of Music On Thursday 20th November 34 pupils in Year 6 at Thameside Primary School in Reading joined students at Leighton Park School for the morning, continuing the partnership established in June between the two schools by Director of Music, Rosemary Scales, and Sophie Greenaway, Thameside Deputy Head.
Artists Inspired by Yuletide Students from all year groups were invited to submit a design for the official school Christmas card at the end of November. The winners Max Jennings (U6th), Laura Schult (L6th) and Alexandra Shulzik (Year 9) had their designs printed and were awarded a prize by the Art Department for their superb efforts.
The concert was fronted by Chris Mitchell, Assistant Director of Music, and Leighton Park students from Year 7 all the way up to Upper Sixth who welcomed the Thameside pupils for a series of musical experiences including beatboxing, brass instrumentals, sing-alongs, LP Brass, Fryer Voices and accompaniment from the excellent U6th band.
The Reinstein Alldis Music Award 2014
The Christmas cheer continued at December’s Evening Meeting followed by carol singing from students, staff and parents. Peckover was beautifully decorated by the PTA with festive garlands and the finale of the evening was the Christmas Cake Competition. Students had spent two Saturday morning activity sessions creating wonderful fruit cakes and had decorated them with plenty of flair and imagination. With 16 entries the standard was high but the judges finally concluded that the 2014 winner was Kiki Zheng (Year 10). The auction of the cakes raised over £240 for The Mustard Seed Project, this year’s Amicus group charity.
This award was presented in December, following donations by Old Leightonians Dominic Alldis and Dan Reinstein. Passionate about music providing the “inspiration for a lifetime”, both were extremely keen Jazz musicians during their time at Leighton Park from 1976 to 1980. Dan Reinstein, graduated from Cambridge and became a pioneering eye surgeon, specializing in laser surgery, but is also an accomplished jazz saxophonist and plays regularly in a London jazz club. Dominic Alldis is a professional musician - pianist, singer and conductor. He performs as a solo artist, with his Jazz trio and conducts orchestras worldwide. He has released a number of albums, taught at several leading musical institutions and founded The Canzona Chamber Orchestra. The 2014 award goes to Niamh Green (Year 11) and Hugh Macdonald (U6th) for showing significant development musically during the current academic year and demonstrating high standards of etiquette in practice and performance.
12
Five students were entered into a new annual event held at the Rivermead Centre, marking the Autumn festival, Durga Puja. Alongside outstanding work from a number of Reading schools, Sixth Former, Angela Gao’s work won a second place award. The judging panel was a select number of local art practitioners, who have many years’ professional experience. Angela’s work, titled “Calcium Tubastraea” is a porcelain ceramic piece inspired by furled natural forms, reminiscent of rose petals and the coral formation from which it takes its name.
Autumn Concert Series A spectacular series of concerts through the Autumn Term have continued to give our talented musicians a chance to perform in the Main Hall. Soloists and Ensemble groups both featured in October, with an array of music to suit all tastes ranging from Dvorak, Pachelbel and Bernstein to Bob Marley and Snow Patrol. The Jazz Infusions Concert in November demonstrated the continual growth of Jazz at Leighton Park under the leadership of our Head of Jazz, Stuart Henderson. Some wonderful performances included solos from Emily Dunbar (Year 7), Michael Rincon (Year 8), Nadim Cramer (Year 10) and Ben Cobley (L6th) and a wide range of trios, quintets and bands, including the Jazz Funk band and the full ensemble on stage for the last item, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”. The annual Christmas Concert at the start of December, featuring well over 125 students on stage, set the tone for the festive season. Wonderful performances from all involved including the wonderful Senior Choir, LP Brass, Fryer Voices and all manner of woodwind groups, string groups, solos, trios plus the now traditional finale of “Christmas Festival” from the orchestra. Photographs by Coco Wu (Year 11)
Head Girl on the BBC
“We were given a phenomenal experience of how fabulous Leighton Park’s choir were. I cherished every second.” - Ben, Thameside Primary
Meeting with Carols and Cakes
Sculpture Wins New Art Award
Artists in Oakview
Head Girl, Mathilde Bataille (U6th), was featured on BBC Radio Berkshire‘s new music show on 1st November performing her own composition, ‘Compass Mind’.
This term students’ artwork has been showcased in the entrance of Oakview.
Liza Gargarina (L6th) Liza’s work has been developed from the familiar subject matter of ‘Portraiture’ but is executed with a unique expressive flair. Her portraits are taken from the everyday, be it friends, family or simply interesting faces. Using herself as a starting point, Liza’s style has been developed from studying artists such as Egon Schiele and the Impressionists. Dan Wu (U6th)
Dan’s work explores ideas around the theme of ‘Isolation’. Having roots in Hong Kong, Dan reflects on notions of mass media and population growth. He is fascinated by density, be it in terms of people or of the data we exchange on a daily basis. His layered portraits look at the effects of increased use of technology and social media and invite the viewer to make sense of the image. As an avid mathematician Dan enjoys the challenge of isolating numbers to find a solution, comparing this to his artwork and the process of refining an image to individual parts of visual data.
Christmas Cheer at RBH Members of the Senior Choir entertained patients at the Royal Berkshire Hospital with Christmas songs and carols on 8th December. There was a terrific atmosphere as audience’s faces lit up and they joined in with some festive classics such as ‘Silent Night’ and ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’. Our students saw first-hand the impact their visit had with some of the patients telling us “Christmas has arrived” and shedding tears of joy at listening to them sing. Our students seemed to really enjoy the visit and Martin Dixon (U6th) was so inspired he asked about going back on his own to play on the wards.
13
Music & the Arts Sharing a Marvellous Morning of Music On Thursday 20th November 34 pupils in Year 6 at Thameside Primary School in Reading joined students at Leighton Park School for the morning, continuing the partnership established in June between the two schools by Director of Music, Rosemary Scales, and Sophie Greenaway, Thameside Deputy Head.
Artists Inspired by Yuletide Students from all year groups were invited to submit a design for the official school Christmas card at the end of November. The winners Max Jennings (U6th), Laura Schult (L6th) and Alexandra Shulzik (Year 9) had their designs printed and were awarded a prize by the Art Department for their superb efforts.
The concert was fronted by Chris Mitchell, Assistant Director of Music, and Leighton Park students from Year 7 all the way up to Upper Sixth who welcomed the Thameside pupils for a series of musical experiences including beatboxing, brass instrumentals, sing-alongs, LP Brass, Fryer Voices and accompaniment from the excellent U6th band.
The Reinstein Alldis Music Award 2014
The Christmas cheer continued at December’s Evening Meeting followed by carol singing from students, staff and parents. Peckover was beautifully decorated by the PTA with festive garlands and the finale of the evening was the Christmas Cake Competition. Students had spent two Saturday morning activity sessions creating wonderful fruit cakes and had decorated them with plenty of flair and imagination. With 16 entries the standard was high but the judges finally concluded that the 2014 winner was Kiki Zheng (Year 10). The auction of the cakes raised over £240 for The Mustard Seed Project, this year’s Amicus group charity.
This award was presented in December, following donations by Old Leightonians Dominic Alldis and Dan Reinstein. Passionate about music providing the “inspiration for a lifetime”, both were extremely keen Jazz musicians during their time at Leighton Park from 1976 to 1980. Dan Reinstein, graduated from Cambridge and became a pioneering eye surgeon, specializing in laser surgery, but is also an accomplished jazz saxophonist and plays regularly in a London jazz club. Dominic Alldis is a professional musician - pianist, singer and conductor. He performs as a solo artist, with his Jazz trio and conducts orchestras worldwide. He has released a number of albums, taught at several leading musical institutions and founded The Canzona Chamber Orchestra. The 2014 award goes to Niamh Green (Year 11) and Hugh Macdonald (U6th) for showing significant development musically during the current academic year and demonstrating high standards of etiquette in practice and performance.
12
Five students were entered into a new annual event held at the Rivermead Centre, marking the Autumn festival, Durga Puja. Alongside outstanding work from a number of Reading schools, Sixth Former, Angela Gao’s work won a second place award. The judging panel was a select number of local art practitioners, who have many years’ professional experience. Angela’s work, titled “Calcium Tubastraea” is a porcelain ceramic piece inspired by furled natural forms, reminiscent of rose petals and the coral formation from which it takes its name.
Autumn Concert Series A spectacular series of concerts through the Autumn Term have continued to give our talented musicians a chance to perform in the Main Hall. Soloists and Ensemble groups both featured in October, with an array of music to suit all tastes ranging from Dvorak, Pachelbel and Bernstein to Bob Marley and Snow Patrol. The Jazz Infusions Concert in November demonstrated the continual growth of Jazz at Leighton Park under the leadership of our Head of Jazz, Stuart Henderson. Some wonderful performances included solos from Emily Dunbar (Year 7), Michael Rincon (Year 8), Nadim Cramer (Year 10) and Ben Cobley (L6th) and a wide range of trios, quintets and bands, including the Jazz Funk band and the full ensemble on stage for the last item, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy”. The annual Christmas Concert at the start of December, featuring well over 125 students on stage, set the tone for the festive season. Wonderful performances from all involved including the wonderful Senior Choir, LP Brass, Fryer Voices and all manner of woodwind groups, string groups, solos, trios plus the now traditional finale of “Christmas Festival” from the orchestra. Photographs by Coco Wu (Year 11)
Head Girl on the BBC
“We were given a phenomenal experience of how fabulous Leighton Park’s choir were. I cherished every second.” - Ben, Thameside Primary
Meeting with Carols and Cakes
Sculpture Wins New Art Award
Artists in Oakview
Head Girl, Mathilde Bataille (U6th), was featured on BBC Radio Berkshire‘s new music show on 1st November performing her own composition, ‘Compass Mind’.
This term students’ artwork has been showcased in the entrance of Oakview.
Liza Gargarina (L6th) Liza’s work has been developed from the familiar subject matter of ‘Portraiture’ but is executed with a unique expressive flair. Her portraits are taken from the everyday, be it friends, family or simply interesting faces. Using herself as a starting point, Liza’s style has been developed from studying artists such as Egon Schiele and the Impressionists. Dan Wu (U6th)
Dan’s work explores ideas around the theme of ‘Isolation’. Having roots in Hong Kong, Dan reflects on notions of mass media and population growth. He is fascinated by density, be it in terms of people or of the data we exchange on a daily basis. His layered portraits look at the effects of increased use of technology and social media and invite the viewer to make sense of the image. As an avid mathematician Dan enjoys the challenge of isolating numbers to find a solution, comparing this to his artwork and the process of refining an image to individual parts of visual data.
Christmas Cheer at RBH Members of the Senior Choir entertained patients at the Royal Berkshire Hospital with Christmas songs and carols on 8th December. There was a terrific atmosphere as audience’s faces lit up and they joined in with some festive classics such as ‘Silent Night’ and ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’. Our students saw first-hand the impact their visit had with some of the patients telling us “Christmas has arrived” and shedding tears of joy at listening to them sing. Our students seemed to really enjoy the visit and Martin Dixon (U6th) was so inspired he asked about going back on his own to play on the wards.
13
Africa Tales from Africa Tanzania On the morning of Thursday 16th October, over 60 Sixth Form students arrived at Leighton Park knowing that 24 hours later they would be in East Africa. The biennial trip gives students the exciting opportunity to visit one of three countries. With Uganda departing early and the Tanzania and Malawi trips doing the first leg together that afternoon, the anticipation amongst the groups was huge. Having spent months preparing, fundraising and waiting everyone was ready for what would be two of the most memorable weeks of their lives.
Malawi Going on the Malawi trip gave us a new perspective on the world. During our trip, we built up to the windows of a teacher’s house, landscaped a dust bowel, made tippy-taps for the toilets, introduced rugby to the village, built a football goal, and taught the children of Manyenje to dance to “Jump on it”. Whether we were shovelling dirt, playing with the children, or ill in bed, we all had a trip that we could never forget. In Malawi, we visited a very different kind of church service, saw traditional village dances, woke at 5am to see the sun rise over the mountains, and went on an amazing safari. Over the week, we all had the opportunity to work in the feeding centre, and we took every chance we had to play with the village children, who probably did the most to make our trip so special. I think the two most memorable people we met on our trip were our Malawian guide Joe, and our cook, Ida. During the trip, it was Joe’s birthday, at which he told us that he had never had his birthday celebrated before that he could remember. Ida’s cooking was incredible, especially under the conditions by which she had to make it, and she certainly kept us from missing Oakview. The song Ida sang for us the day we left, along with the rap written to us by the local youth group, were two of the most touching moments of the trip. I’d like to thank Jo and Adrian for running the trip for us, as well as our leaders Rachel and Andy from Inspire Worldwide, for the experience we had. Michael Hawkins and Joss Lazenby (Upper Sixth)
Having left the Malawi group at Addis Abba, our next destination was Kilimanjaro airport where on arrival we stepped out into the furnace of Tanzania. Meeting up with our Inspire leaders, Gemma and Louise, we boarded our coach for the journey to the hotel to prepare for what lay ahead during the next two weeks. Arriving in Babati at the school to a greeting of singing, dancing and celebration we were immediately accepted in their community. Having spent the afternoon setting up, discovering long drop toilets and safari showers, we soon started to settle in. From day one we were straight in with mixing ‘zegge’ (a mix of cement, water, rocks and sand) to start the floor for our library renovation. Meanwhile brick lines were in place across the school site as we worked on our other project, a cow shed with a methane collection tank for use in cooking; the first in a school in Tanzania. As the days progressed, so did our projects; with breaks to play with the children, visit the local secondary school and compete in a football match beating the local fundis 2-0, a highlight of trip, continuing to show the strength and teamwork of the group. As our work came to a close with designs being drawn and painted furniture moved in, we were invited to a closing ceremony to be presented with gifts and gratitude by the local education officer and other dignitaries. Our time at the school had come to an end and as the evening set in we sat down to our last rice meal looking back over the finishing touches from the morning and our ‘dancing’ from the afternoon. The adventure was finished with a two day safari, some market shopping and a museum visit. As we left Tanzania behind, the memories we took with us are ones we will never forget. Alex Granville (Upper Sixth)
Uganda As a team we raised ourselves above and beyond what we, and the charity, could even have imagined and as a result we were able to complete what can only be described as extraordinary project work.
orphanages and villages. In our time in Uganda we completed two tyre playgrounds in a children’s home and a babies’ home, built a kitchen in a school whose entire inside and outside walls we also painted, constructed a new house for a woman in a village whose previous mud house was deteriorating and built desks for a school faced with a rapidly increasing number of pupils. We also had the opportunity to visit the site where the water tank funded by the Fryer’s ‘Water For All’ project will be built. On top of all of this, our fundraising efforts meant we have also been able to fund a kitchen in an orphanage and were able to donate a huge amount of toys, clothes, sports equipment and books to the various people we visited. Undoubtedly the most valuable part of the trip was being able to spend time with the Ugandan people. We had the opportunity to spend time with the children at the schools, orphanages and homes, but were also extremely privileged to get to know a group of boys from the local rugby team. I have no doubt that it was this opportunity to experience the true value of human interaction that brought us together into the team that we were.
Malawi
Asha Sumroy (Lower Sixth)
“Being in Tanzania has taught me not to take the things we have for granted, and that we don’t need luxuries to find happiness. The people around us is what brings us together. This has never been more true than during our stay in Tanzania.” Michael Otty (Upper Sixth)
“There is a special feeling when you travel to a foreign country and help people. It is an experience you can only describe by being part of it.”
Tanzania
Hugh Macdonald (Upper Sixth)
“The need for a change in my approach to life has never felt to prevalent.” Vicky Sandbach (Upper Sixth)
“I have never felt more at home in a place so very far away from where I live.” Wilf Ross (Upper Sixth)
Staying in a central location in Jinja, as opposed to on the project site, enabled us to travel between many different schools,
14
Uganda 15
Africa Tales from Africa Tanzania On the morning of Thursday 16th October, over 60 Sixth Form students arrived at Leighton Park knowing that 24 hours later they would be in East Africa. The biennial trip gives students the exciting opportunity to visit one of three countries. With Uganda departing early and the Tanzania and Malawi trips doing the first leg together that afternoon, the anticipation amongst the groups was huge. Having spent months preparing, fundraising and waiting everyone was ready for what would be two of the most memorable weeks of their lives.
Malawi Going on the Malawi trip gave us a new perspective on the world. During our trip, we built up to the windows of a teacher’s house, landscaped a dust bowel, made tippy-taps for the toilets, introduced rugby to the village, built a football goal, and taught the children of Manyenje to dance to “Jump on it”. Whether we were shovelling dirt, playing with the children, or ill in bed, we all had a trip that we could never forget. In Malawi, we visited a very different kind of church service, saw traditional village dances, woke at 5am to see the sun rise over the mountains, and went on an amazing safari. Over the week, we all had the opportunity to work in the feeding centre, and we took every chance we had to play with the village children, who probably did the most to make our trip so special. I think the two most memorable people we met on our trip were our Malawian guide Joe, and our cook, Ida. During the trip, it was Joe’s birthday, at which he told us that he had never had his birthday celebrated before that he could remember. Ida’s cooking was incredible, especially under the conditions by which she had to make it, and she certainly kept us from missing Oakview. The song Ida sang for us the day we left, along with the rap written to us by the local youth group, were two of the most touching moments of the trip. I’d like to thank Jo and Adrian for running the trip for us, as well as our leaders Rachel and Andy from Inspire Worldwide, for the experience we had. Michael Hawkins and Joss Lazenby (Upper Sixth)
Having left the Malawi group at Addis Abba, our next destination was Kilimanjaro airport where on arrival we stepped out into the furnace of Tanzania. Meeting up with our Inspire leaders, Gemma and Louise, we boarded our coach for the journey to the hotel to prepare for what lay ahead during the next two weeks. Arriving in Babati at the school to a greeting of singing, dancing and celebration we were immediately accepted in their community. Having spent the afternoon setting up, discovering long drop toilets and safari showers, we soon started to settle in. From day one we were straight in with mixing ‘zegge’ (a mix of cement, water, rocks and sand) to start the floor for our library renovation. Meanwhile brick lines were in place across the school site as we worked on our other project, a cow shed with a methane collection tank for use in cooking; the first in a school in Tanzania. As the days progressed, so did our projects; with breaks to play with the children, visit the local secondary school and compete in a football match beating the local fundis 2-0, a highlight of trip, continuing to show the strength and teamwork of the group. As our work came to a close with designs being drawn and painted furniture moved in, we were invited to a closing ceremony to be presented with gifts and gratitude by the local education officer and other dignitaries. Our time at the school had come to an end and as the evening set in we sat down to our last rice meal looking back over the finishing touches from the morning and our ‘dancing’ from the afternoon. The adventure was finished with a two day safari, some market shopping and a museum visit. As we left Tanzania behind, the memories we took with us are ones we will never forget. Alex Granville (Upper Sixth)
Uganda As a team we raised ourselves above and beyond what we, and the charity, could even have imagined and as a result we were able to complete what can only be described as extraordinary project work.
orphanages and villages. In our time in Uganda we completed two tyre playgrounds in a children’s home and a babies’ home, built a kitchen in a school whose entire inside and outside walls we also painted, constructed a new house for a woman in a village whose previous mud house was deteriorating and built desks for a school faced with a rapidly increasing number of pupils. We also had the opportunity to visit the site where the water tank funded by the Fryer’s ‘Water For All’ project will be built. On top of all of this, our fundraising efforts meant we have also been able to fund a kitchen in an orphanage and were able to donate a huge amount of toys, clothes, sports equipment and books to the various people we visited. Undoubtedly the most valuable part of the trip was being able to spend time with the Ugandan people. We had the opportunity to spend time with the children at the schools, orphanages and homes, but were also extremely privileged to get to know a group of boys from the local rugby team. I have no doubt that it was this opportunity to experience the true value of human interaction that brought us together into the team that we were.
Malawi
Asha Sumroy (Lower Sixth)
“Being in Tanzania has taught me not to take the things we have for granted, and that we don’t need luxuries to find happiness. The people around us is what brings us together. This has never been more true than during our stay in Tanzania.” Michael Otty (Upper Sixth)
“There is a special feeling when you travel to a foreign country and help people. It is an experience you can only describe by being part of it.”
Tanzania
Hugh Macdonald (Upper Sixth)
“The need for a change in my approach to life has never felt to prevalent.” Vicky Sandbach (Upper Sixth)
“I have never felt more at home in a place so very far away from where I live.” Wilf Ross (Upper Sixth)
Staying in a central location in Jinja, as opposed to on the project site, enabled us to travel between many different schools,
14
Uganda 15
Sixth Form Inspiring Maths Nine Sixth Form students attended the Maths Inspirations Lectures at the Hexagon Theatre on Friday 21st November. The Maths Inspiration Lectures were founded 10 years ago with the aim of making maths more interesting and accessible for teenagers aged 15-17 years. As a group we were very much inspired; firstly by the maths behind the bouncing bomb and boomerangs, followed by the statistics behind poker and finally an adventure into the world of four dimensional objects. All the students had a fantastic time commenting they’d never laughed so much in a maths class and that it opened up whole new areas of maths they never knew existed. Robert Clare, Maths “It was interesting how there are so many ways of using maths in our complex real world to find order and logic to make the problems we face easier.” - Michael Otty, Upper Sixth “The enthusiasm with which each lecturer presented their topic was contagious - they really brought maths to life.” Ayesha Tandon, Upper Sixth
Senior Maths Challenge
On Thursday 6th November 2014, 50 students from Year 11 and the Sixth Form took part in the Senior Maths Challenge. Students at Leighton Park achieved 8 golds, 9 silvers and 15 bronzes and 6 were invited to sit for the next round of the competition, the Senior Kangaroo, on 28th November 2014. Over 81,000 students from across the UK participated in the Senior Maths Challenge with the top 10% receiving a gold certificate, the next 20% silver and the next 30% bronze. We congratulate Evgeniy Levitskiy (Lower Sixth), William Chen and Stephen Sun (Upper Sixth) who all achieved Gold, Best in Year and Best in School certificates. We are also pleased that this year 64 percent of our students achieved merit certificates. Well done to all participants for their tremendous success in 2014. Premnath Samyrao, Co-ordinator: Maths Challenges
Focussing on the Future Three Oxbridge hopefuls and two would-be doctors have been busy preparing for the next big step in their education this term. The Upper Sixth students, four studying the IB and one A Levels, took part in the annual Oxbridge Interview Exchange in November with Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire. Following the journey to Hook and a delicious lunch with LWC’s candidates, Ayesha Tandon, Harry Day, Alex Hitchens, Matthew Frey and Yiannis Ioannou, were gruellingly put through their paces by senior staff at Lord Wandsworth.
Sixth Special As part of the Sixth Special series of talks, Old Leightonian, Richard Wilkinson (left 1960) visited Leighton Park to speak to Sixth Form students about his formative role in international research into the societal effects of income inequality and social detriments of health.
“Invigorating; it gave me a burning desire for social justice that will never die out.”
of the Chemical Analysis Suite, were set the challenge of identifying chemical compounds using spectroscopic data, and attended a lecture with Howard Colquhoun, Professor of Materials Chemistry. Jo Payne, Head of Chemistry
“The spectroscopy course at Reading University showed me an insight into university life as well as helping with my decision to go into biochemistry at University “– Joss Lazenby, Upper Sixth 16
Oxford Leighton Park Sixth Formers with their eyes set on Oxford and Cambridge had a great opportunity to quiz current Old Leightonian Oxford undergraduates about their experience of the application process, and life amid the gleaming spires.
Twenty Bruneian OLs met up with former Head John Dunston at a Reception recently in Brunei. “This was possibly the largest gathering of OLs ever held in Brunei” wrote John. “I was delighted to be able to host it on behalf of LP on a return visit to the Sultanate. The affection felt by all for their old school, and just as much for their former Houses, was palpable, giving the reunion a real joy and buzz. Altogether twenty OLs attended, in some cases with parents, partners and children, ranging from the first ever Bruneian cohort (who left Leighton Park in 1996) to those who left in 2010. It was an exceptionally happy occasion.
‘The White Devil’ Theatre Trip Earlier in the term a group of A Level English Literature and Theatre Studies students travelled to Stratford-uponAvon to the Swan theatre to witness a modern production of John Webster’s The White Devil. The White Devil, one of this year’s A2 English Literature exam texts, is a revenge tragedy set in Padua and Rome, Italy in 1518. Written in 1612 it reflects on the renaissance period of literature, however this production portrayed it as a modern interpretation. The trip provided an opportunity for us to gain an extra understanding into an important exam text in an exciting and highly dramatic production. Alex Granville, Upper Sixth
WWI “Great Ideals: Leighton Park and World War I” is available to buy from Reception or the OL Office. Written by John Allinson, Archivist, and 2013’s Head Girl Charlotte Smith it is a fascinating insight into the life of the school at the time, the dilemma of Quaker Old Leightonians and poignant profiles of the school’s war dead. Price £6.50
Field is 50 “An inspiring performance of incredible acting emphasised by the renaissance style theatre that brought you closer to the action” Simon Terry, Upper Sixth
“A contemporary spectacle of a fascinating and wild play” Mathilde Bataillé, Upper Sixth
Reception in Brunei
They were joined by a number of other OLs living locally, and the result was a very enjoyable evening.
Gideon Kasaska, Upper Sixth
Spectroscopy Master Class On Wednesday 24th September, 16 Upper Sixth students studying A Level and IB Chemistry travelled to the Chemistry department at Reading University. The day started with an introduction to Spectroscopic techniques, with students being led through the different techniques including Mass spectroscopy, Infra-Red spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. Students were also given a tour
Old Leightonians
Field House celebrated its 50th birthday this term. Former Housemasters Keith Walshaw, Tom Harrison, Nigel Williams, Mark Simmons and former Head, John Chapman, joined Jakki Marr and Old Leightonians to mark the occasion. OLs from Field’s opening year mingled happily with leavers from across the years as well as with other staff. The event was held before the start of term and OLs enjoyed being able to roam freely around the House, finding their old bedrooms, many still with the original name plates. Some were amazed to see that the large dormitories that they remembered no longer exist and loved seeing the newly refurbished study and relaxation areas.
Vintage Tea In December around twenty Old Leightonians attended the termly vintage OLs tea in Oakview, a festive opportunity to catch up with friends over mince pies and yule log. The Young Enterprise group, Sustain, were able to launch of the 125 anniversary calendar at the tea, generating lots of memories.
OL Sport The OL Mixed Hockey team narrowly defeated a school team 2-1 in a close match in September. The OL Rugby 7s Tournament also took place the same day, with some very high quality play, and the 2006 team winning. After the matches, as is now a tradition, all the players and spectators enjoyed a BBQ and a chance to catch up with old friends and teaching staff.
Keeping in Touch OLnews The latest edition The Old Leig htonians Ma gazine
of OL News, the Old Leightonian Magazine, is available from the OL office, or available to read on the OL website.
NORMAN
ANGUS
RAYMON
D ASHBY
HERBERT
BARBER
HOWARD
BARLOW
FRANCIS
BRAIN MICHAEL
WILLS
ALAN CROSSLE
Y
JAMES FARMER GEORGE JAMES DOWNIE
HODGKIN
FREDERIC
K KNOTT
GEORGE
HOWKIN
S
ARTHUR
HUBERT INGLIS
DOUGLAS
KEEP
EDWARD
WILLIAM LENNARD
RANSOM
SOUTHAL
L
CLIVE THORPE
SAMUEL
LENNARD
ALAN LLOYD
ERIC MITCHEL
L
ALFRED RICHARD SON
HENRY UPRICHA
RD
WILLIAM
VICKERS
JAMES MORTON
FRANCIS
WALLIS
WILFRED
They died for greaT ideals
POLLARD
ARCHIBA
LD WARNER
You can also keep up with news from the OL Community on Twitter @Oldleightonians, Facebook or by visiting our Flickr album.
17
2013 -2014
Sixth Form Inspiring Maths Nine Sixth Form students attended the Maths Inspirations Lectures at the Hexagon Theatre on Friday 21st November. The Maths Inspiration Lectures were founded 10 years ago with the aim of making maths more interesting and accessible for teenagers aged 15-17 years. As a group we were very much inspired; firstly by the maths behind the bouncing bomb and boomerangs, followed by the statistics behind poker and finally an adventure into the world of four dimensional objects. All the students had a fantastic time commenting they’d never laughed so much in a maths class and that it opened up whole new areas of maths they never knew existed. Robert Clare, Maths “It was interesting how there are so many ways of using maths in our complex real world to find order and logic to make the problems we face easier.” - Michael Otty, Upper Sixth “The enthusiasm with which each lecturer presented their topic was contagious - they really brought maths to life.” Ayesha Tandon, Upper Sixth
Senior Maths Challenge
On Thursday 6th November 2014, 50 students from Year 11 and the Sixth Form took part in the Senior Maths Challenge. Students at Leighton Park achieved 8 golds, 9 silvers and 15 bronzes and 6 were invited to sit for the next round of the competition, the Senior Kangaroo, on 28th November 2014. Over 81,000 students from across the UK participated in the Senior Maths Challenge with the top 10% receiving a gold certificate, the next 20% silver and the next 30% bronze. We congratulate Evgeniy Levitskiy (Lower Sixth), William Chen and Stephen Sun (Upper Sixth) who all achieved Gold, Best in Year and Best in School certificates. We are also pleased that this year 64 percent of our students achieved merit certificates. Well done to all participants for their tremendous success in 2014. Premnath Samyrao, Co-ordinator: Maths Challenges
Focussing on the Future Three Oxbridge hopefuls and two would-be doctors have been busy preparing for the next big step in their education this term. The Upper Sixth students, four studying the IB and one A Levels, took part in the annual Oxbridge Interview Exchange in November with Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire. Following the journey to Hook and a delicious lunch with LWC’s candidates, Ayesha Tandon, Harry Day, Alex Hitchens, Matthew Frey and Yiannis Ioannou, were gruellingly put through their paces by senior staff at Lord Wandsworth.
Sixth Special As part of the Sixth Special series of talks, Old Leightonian, Richard Wilkinson (left 1960) visited Leighton Park to speak to Sixth Form students about his formative role in international research into the societal effects of income inequality and social detriments of health.
“Invigorating; it gave me a burning desire for social justice that will never die out.”
of the Chemical Analysis Suite, were set the challenge of identifying chemical compounds using spectroscopic data, and attended a lecture with Howard Colquhoun, Professor of Materials Chemistry. Jo Payne, Head of Chemistry
“The spectroscopy course at Reading University showed me an insight into university life as well as helping with my decision to go into biochemistry at University “– Joss Lazenby, Upper Sixth 16
Oxford Leighton Park Sixth Formers with their eyes set on Oxford and Cambridge had a great opportunity to quiz current Old Leightonian Oxford undergraduates about their experience of the application process, and life amid the gleaming spires.
Twenty Bruneian OLs met up with former Head John Dunston at a Reception recently in Brunei. “This was possibly the largest gathering of OLs ever held in Brunei” wrote John. “I was delighted to be able to host it on behalf of LP on a return visit to the Sultanate. The affection felt by all for their old school, and just as much for their former Houses, was palpable, giving the reunion a real joy and buzz. Altogether twenty OLs attended, in some cases with parents, partners and children, ranging from the first ever Bruneian cohort (who left Leighton Park in 1996) to those who left in 2010. It was an exceptionally happy occasion.
‘The White Devil’ Theatre Trip Earlier in the term a group of A Level English Literature and Theatre Studies students travelled to Stratford-uponAvon to the Swan theatre to witness a modern production of John Webster’s The White Devil. The White Devil, one of this year’s A2 English Literature exam texts, is a revenge tragedy set in Padua and Rome, Italy in 1518. Written in 1612 it reflects on the renaissance period of literature, however this production portrayed it as a modern interpretation. The trip provided an opportunity for us to gain an extra understanding into an important exam text in an exciting and highly dramatic production. Alex Granville, Upper Sixth
WWI “Great Ideals: Leighton Park and World War I” is available to buy from Reception or the OL Office. Written by John Allinson, Archivist, and 2013’s Head Girl Charlotte Smith it is a fascinating insight into the life of the school at the time, the dilemma of Quaker Old Leightonians and poignant profiles of the school’s war dead. Price £6.50
Field is 50 “An inspiring performance of incredible acting emphasised by the renaissance style theatre that brought you closer to the action” Simon Terry, Upper Sixth
“A contemporary spectacle of a fascinating and wild play” Mathilde Bataillé, Upper Sixth
Reception in Brunei
They were joined by a number of other OLs living locally, and the result was a very enjoyable evening.
Gideon Kasaska, Upper Sixth
Spectroscopy Master Class On Wednesday 24th September, 16 Upper Sixth students studying A Level and IB Chemistry travelled to the Chemistry department at Reading University. The day started with an introduction to Spectroscopic techniques, with students being led through the different techniques including Mass spectroscopy, Infra-Red spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy. Students were also given a tour
Old Leightonians
Field House celebrated its 50th birthday this term. Former Housemasters Keith Walshaw, Tom Harrison, Nigel Williams, Mark Simmons and former Head, John Chapman, joined Jakki Marr and Old Leightonians to mark the occasion. OLs from Field’s opening year mingled happily with leavers from across the years as well as with other staff. The event was held before the start of term and OLs enjoyed being able to roam freely around the House, finding their old bedrooms, many still with the original name plates. Some were amazed to see that the large dormitories that they remembered no longer exist and loved seeing the newly refurbished study and relaxation areas.
Vintage Tea In December around twenty Old Leightonians attended the termly vintage OLs tea in Oakview, a festive opportunity to catch up with friends over mince pies and yule log. The Young Enterprise group, Sustain, were able to launch of the 125 anniversary calendar at the tea, generating lots of memories.
OL Sport The OL Mixed Hockey team narrowly defeated a school team 2-1 in a close match in September. The OL Rugby 7s Tournament also took place the same day, with some very high quality play, and the 2006 team winning. After the matches, as is now a tradition, all the players and spectators enjoyed a BBQ and a chance to catch up with old friends and teaching staff.
Keeping in Touch OLnews The latest edition The Old Leig htonians Ma gazine
of OL News, the Old Leightonian Magazine, is available from the OL office, or available to read on the OL website.
NORMAN
ANGUS
RAYMON
D ASHBY
HERBERT
BARBER
HOWARD
BARLOW
FRANCIS
BRAIN MICHAEL
WILLS
ALAN CROSSLE
Y
JAMES FARMER GEORGE JAMES DOWNIE
HODGKIN
FREDERIC
K KNOTT
GEORGE
HOWKIN
S
ARTHUR
HUBERT INGLIS
DOUGLAS
KEEP
EDWARD
WILLIAM LENNARD
RANSOM
SOUTHAL
L
CLIVE THORPE
SAMUEL
LENNARD
ALAN LLOYD
ERIC MITCHEL
L
ALFRED RICHARD SON
HENRY UPRICHA
RD
WILLIAM
VICKERS
JAMES MORTON
FRANCIS
WALLIS
WILFRED
They died for greaT ideals
POLLARD
ARCHIBA
LD WARNER
You can also keep up with news from the OL Community on Twitter @Oldleightonians, Facebook or by visiting our Flickr album.
17
2013 -2014
Sport
U16 Hockey Team Double 2nd in Berkshire
The Autumn Term is a great opportunity for students to participate in football, rugby, hockey (indoor and outdoor) as well as swimming and games in the gym. Alongside the regular practices and matches there have been a number of highlights this term.
World Cup Winner Coaches 1st XV
Photographs by Alex Granville (U6th) Former British and Irish Lion and member of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad, Mike Catt, passed on some top tips to the 1st XV in September. The current England attacking skills coach, who was part of the British and Irish Lions squad in 1997 and 2001, visited Leighton Park to coach the school’s 1st XV. Mike put over 20 boys aged 16–18 years through their paces for more than an hour. Head of Leighton Park School, Nigel Williams, said: “Mike enjoyed an illustrious career on the pitch for almost 20 years, showing how far dedication can take you in life and he is a great role model for our students.” “Sport is a vital part of our extra-curricular programme so being able to bring a sportsman of Mike’s stature to the school to pass on his experience to our students is inspirational for them. They will always remember the day when they shared a rugby pitch with a World Cup winner.” Senior Rugby team made it to the Berkshire Cup Semi Final losing to St Bartholomew’s. They also won the Super 8 plate final against LVS, recording their highest finish in the competition for several years. The U15 rugby team have reached the Berkshire Cup semi-final which is to be played early next term.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to have someone of Mike’s level give us some inspiration at the beginning of the season.” – Alex Rae (U6th)
David Clarke: A Sporting Pioneer In October I went to David Clarke’s INSPIRE talk, organised by Clydesdale Bank at The Forbury Hotel. A retired England football captain now with five golden boots and the FA lifetime achievement award, he has been placed in the football hall of fame, alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson. The reason you may not recognise this footballer? He has done all of this blind!
Outdoor: The U16 girls travelled to Epsom College on 5th November to represent Berkshire at the Southern Counties Hockey Tournament. Sixteen schools representing southern counties between West Berkshire and Kent were competing for the top four spots and a place in the national finals.
It was fascinating to hear his stories of fighting to play the game against those older, bigger and better sighted than him. Whilst playing ‘goalball’ (a stationary game where players throw a heavy ball with a bell inside at the opposing teams goal) at university; his dream still remained with football. Then came the opportunity for his first blind football competition in Spain - after 20 years of practice and dreaming the wait was finally over.
This is the first time the Leighton Park squad have been so successful in the competition and it says a great deal about their determination and abilities that they qualified second in the county.
Even though a hat-trick versus Germany and carrying the Olympic torch into the opening ceremony were high up there, his greatest accomplishment was seeing his childhood dream of playing blind football
Well done to Anna Gutierrez (Captain), Greta Kitch (Goalkeeper), Robyn Ellis, Alyssa Rowson, Kiera Frost, Celestine Poirier, Abbie Dixon, Katie Miles, Scarlett Hudson, Katinka Pim, Jess Fairhurst, Yasmin Easton and Daisy Butterworth.
become not only a reality, but a worldwide professionally funded sport, now officially part of the Paralympic games. His advice for achieving something that seems too far away or too difficult was to plan, work and prepare - then go for it, letting nothing or no one stop you. Alex Granville (U6th)
“Where you start off and where you end is almost impossible to know it’s what you do along the way” David Clarke
Harry Minter (Year 11) took gold in the Trampolining National Championships in Cambridge in December, becoming National League Champion in his age group. Connor Burns (Year 11) is part of the Berkshire Rugby, London Irish and the U16 England Rugby Development Squad.
18
We arrived in the centre of Perranporth. It was lunchtime and people were eating the traditional Cornish pasty and chips. Everyone was gobsmacked at the view of the three mile long Perranporth beach. This made everyone want to get surfing even more.
We got ready for our second surf session the next morning. With our instructor waiting for us we got straight in the water. The waves were reaching five feet and were very choppy. It was extremely tiring going back and forth. When you thought you had moved ten metres you had really been brought back 20 by a wave! Our instructor decided that for our third session in the afternoon we would go to Newquay as the waves were better for us to fulfil the session!
Year 8s Take on Sports Leaders UK
Tired and ready to go home we got on the bus the next day ready for school to greet us. We all had a great time and would definitely go again. Daisy Butterworth, Year 10 Indoor: On 30th November U16 indoor hockey squad went to Croydon where they competed against the top hockey schools in the south of England; winning two out of their three matches they progressed to the semifinals. Due to a small squad and one injured player they lost this match. However, it was the highest position that a Leighton Park hockey team have ever reached. For their achievements and efforts congratulations to Anna Gutierrez, Abbie Dixon, Phoebe Butler, Niamh Green, Emilia Dixon and Robyn Ellis.
Mahlah Catline (Year 11) has been part of the England U17 squad and attended an England training camp in December. She is also playing at Chelsea Football Club for the U17s. Abbie Dixon (Year 10) has been called up to the U16 England academy squad training for hockey and is looking forward to her first two training sessions in January.
Sixteen students and three teachers from Years 10 and 11 left school at 6.30am ready for an exciting three days ahead of them. Everyone was sleepy but excited to get surfing. It took five hours to get there and everyone was raring to get out of the stuffy minibus!
When we got to the hostel we had to get our clothes ready and swimming kit on. We walked down from the top of the cliff to where ‘Ticket to Ride’ surf instructors were. After our first brief we were ready to get into the water. It was cold but we enjoyed ourselves so much!
Individual Achievements Congratulations to the following students who have had their own sporting achievements outside of school over the course of this term.
Surf’s Up in Perranporth
Photo by Sue Gutierrez
Throughout this academic year Year 8 are taking part in a Young Leader Award where they will be learning how to organise and lead small games and activities. The Young Leader Award aims to help learners develop sports leadership skills such as planning, communication and teamwork, as well as helping to build confidence and self-esteem as they take on responsibility of leading their peers and younger children. The Award is administered by Sports Leaders UK and focusses on eight core areas of leadership: Participants, Area, Communication, Equipment, Fun, Activity, Safety and Teamwork. Students each receive a leadership journal which they can use to record what they have done during the course; what they have learnt, what they have enjoyed and what they found most challenging. Certificates are awarded once learners have completed the core elements of the Young Leader Award and had the opportunity to put their learning into practice. Fawn Bartlett, PE and Games
19
Sport
U16 Hockey Team Double 2nd in Berkshire
The Autumn Term is a great opportunity for students to participate in football, rugby, hockey (indoor and outdoor) as well as swimming and games in the gym. Alongside the regular practices and matches there have been a number of highlights this term.
World Cup Winner Coaches 1st XV
Photographs by Alex Granville (U6th) Former British and Irish Lion and member of England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup winning squad, Mike Catt, passed on some top tips to the 1st XV in September. The current England attacking skills coach, who was part of the British and Irish Lions squad in 1997 and 2001, visited Leighton Park to coach the school’s 1st XV. Mike put over 20 boys aged 16–18 years through their paces for more than an hour. Head of Leighton Park School, Nigel Williams, said: “Mike enjoyed an illustrious career on the pitch for almost 20 years, showing how far dedication can take you in life and he is a great role model for our students.” “Sport is a vital part of our extra-curricular programme so being able to bring a sportsman of Mike’s stature to the school to pass on his experience to our students is inspirational for them. They will always remember the day when they shared a rugby pitch with a World Cup winner.” Senior Rugby team made it to the Berkshire Cup Semi Final losing to St Bartholomew’s. They also won the Super 8 plate final against LVS, recording their highest finish in the competition for several years. The U15 rugby team have reached the Berkshire Cup semi-final which is to be played early next term.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to have someone of Mike’s level give us some inspiration at the beginning of the season.” – Alex Rae (U6th)
David Clarke: A Sporting Pioneer In October I went to David Clarke’s INSPIRE talk, organised by Clydesdale Bank at The Forbury Hotel. A retired England football captain now with five golden boots and the FA lifetime achievement award, he has been placed in the football hall of fame, alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson. The reason you may not recognise this footballer? He has done all of this blind!
Outdoor: The U16 girls travelled to Epsom College on 5th November to represent Berkshire at the Southern Counties Hockey Tournament. Sixteen schools representing southern counties between West Berkshire and Kent were competing for the top four spots and a place in the national finals.
It was fascinating to hear his stories of fighting to play the game against those older, bigger and better sighted than him. Whilst playing ‘goalball’ (a stationary game where players throw a heavy ball with a bell inside at the opposing teams goal) at university; his dream still remained with football. Then came the opportunity for his first blind football competition in Spain - after 20 years of practice and dreaming the wait was finally over.
This is the first time the Leighton Park squad have been so successful in the competition and it says a great deal about their determination and abilities that they qualified second in the county.
Even though a hat-trick versus Germany and carrying the Olympic torch into the opening ceremony were high up there, his greatest accomplishment was seeing his childhood dream of playing blind football
Well done to Anna Gutierrez (Captain), Greta Kitch (Goalkeeper), Robyn Ellis, Alyssa Rowson, Kiera Frost, Celestine Poirier, Abbie Dixon, Katie Miles, Scarlett Hudson, Katinka Pim, Jess Fairhurst, Yasmin Easton and Daisy Butterworth.
become not only a reality, but a worldwide professionally funded sport, now officially part of the Paralympic games. His advice for achieving something that seems too far away or too difficult was to plan, work and prepare - then go for it, letting nothing or no one stop you. Alex Granville (U6th)
“Where you start off and where you end is almost impossible to know it’s what you do along the way” David Clarke
Harry Minter (Year 11) took gold in the Trampolining National Championships in Cambridge in December, becoming National League Champion in his age group. Connor Burns (Year 11) is part of the Berkshire Rugby, London Irish and the U16 England Rugby Development Squad.
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We arrived in the centre of Perranporth. It was lunchtime and people were eating the traditional Cornish pasty and chips. Everyone was gobsmacked at the view of the three mile long Perranporth beach. This made everyone want to get surfing even more.
We got ready for our second surf session the next morning. With our instructor waiting for us we got straight in the water. The waves were reaching five feet and were very choppy. It was extremely tiring going back and forth. When you thought you had moved ten metres you had really been brought back 20 by a wave! Our instructor decided that for our third session in the afternoon we would go to Newquay as the waves were better for us to fulfil the session!
Year 8s Take on Sports Leaders UK
Tired and ready to go home we got on the bus the next day ready for school to greet us. We all had a great time and would definitely go again. Daisy Butterworth, Year 10 Indoor: On 30th November U16 indoor hockey squad went to Croydon where they competed against the top hockey schools in the south of England; winning two out of their three matches they progressed to the semifinals. Due to a small squad and one injured player they lost this match. However, it was the highest position that a Leighton Park hockey team have ever reached. For their achievements and efforts congratulations to Anna Gutierrez, Abbie Dixon, Phoebe Butler, Niamh Green, Emilia Dixon and Robyn Ellis.
Mahlah Catline (Year 11) has been part of the England U17 squad and attended an England training camp in December. She is also playing at Chelsea Football Club for the U17s. Abbie Dixon (Year 10) has been called up to the U16 England academy squad training for hockey and is looking forward to her first two training sessions in January.
Sixteen students and three teachers from Years 10 and 11 left school at 6.30am ready for an exciting three days ahead of them. Everyone was sleepy but excited to get surfing. It took five hours to get there and everyone was raring to get out of the stuffy minibus!
When we got to the hostel we had to get our clothes ready and swimming kit on. We walked down from the top of the cliff to where ‘Ticket to Ride’ surf instructors were. After our first brief we were ready to get into the water. It was cold but we enjoyed ourselves so much!
Individual Achievements Congratulations to the following students who have had their own sporting achievements outside of school over the course of this term.
Surf’s Up in Perranporth
Photo by Sue Gutierrez
Throughout this academic year Year 8 are taking part in a Young Leader Award where they will be learning how to organise and lead small games and activities. The Young Leader Award aims to help learners develop sports leadership skills such as planning, communication and teamwork, as well as helping to build confidence and self-esteem as they take on responsibility of leading their peers and younger children. The Award is administered by Sports Leaders UK and focusses on eight core areas of leadership: Participants, Area, Communication, Equipment, Fun, Activity, Safety and Teamwork. Students each receive a leadership journal which they can use to record what they have done during the course; what they have learnt, what they have enjoyed and what they found most challenging. Certificates are awarded once learners have completed the core elements of the Young Leader Award and had the opportunity to put their learning into practice. Fawn Bartlett, PE and Games
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PTA Nearly New Shop Supports the Africa Trips
This term Lyndsey Wheeler, who runs the Nearly New Shop, had plenty of good quality old-logo kit and worked with the Sixth Form Africa trips to extend its use. “I’m delighted to pass on kit to children in Malawi – it’s great to know it will be enjoyed” Lyndsey commented. Photograph by Jack Collins (Upper Sixth)
Decorating Peckover – Behind the Scenes …
Wednesday 7th January Friday 30th January Wednesday 11th February Friday 6th March Tuesday 24th March An AGM with a Difference!
PTA volunteers decorated Peckover Hall with baubles and armfuls of foliage generously provided by Leighton Park Estates. Here you see us tidying up to complete the creation of a stunning festive scene for the enjoyment of carol singers after the Christmas Meeting and for the last week of term. Photograph by Ethan Pearce (Year 9)
The Nearly New Shop is open 16:0018:00 at Fryer on the following dates. All proceeds go to charity.
As part of the PTA Annual General Meeting, once the formal business was over, Eddie Falshaw and, Adrian Stewart, kindly arranged with Mike Ward and Myles Nash, a technology tour. Everyone was impressed by the marvellous new Food Technology facilities – no wonder so many students are keen to be involved in hobbies and lessons using the wonderful equipment. All were equally interested in the ICT suite, where a hands-on ‘robot wars’ session caused great hilarity, and the Design Technology workshop, where we saw the laser engraver making Leighton Park rulers for Open Morning visitors.
PTA Vacancies – Can You Help ?
Farewell and Thank You to … Over the summer, the PTA committee said a fond farewell to Gwen Schroeder. Gwen’s ability to quietly implement efficient processes is legendary - in fact, we still benefit from her stock cupboard systems! We thank Gwen for her service to the Leighton Park community.
The PTA had a busy Autumn term and we thank all of you who have volunteered to help out ‘on the day’. However, we do need a few more committee members to guide and prepare our contribution to the Leighton Park community. In particular, we seek a Chair and a Secretary as well as sub-committee members to help organise events this school year and next. Many of the roles can be shared. If you would like to find out more or to join the volunteer list, please let us know at pta@leightonpark.com. You will find a warm welcome!
Coming up in the Spring Term January Monday 12th February Tuesday 10th – Friday 13th Monday 23rd March Monday 2nd
PTA Book Group: The Dressmaker, Beryl Bainbridge PTA bar for: The Phantom of the Opera PTA Book & Theatre Group trip: Behind the Beautiful Forevers, David Hare (National Theatre) PTA Book Group: Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
www.leightonpark.com The Park is printed using paper from a sustainable source.
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Fireworks on The Park Fireworks on The Park is a family favourite. This year a hearty meal included a suitably autumnal pumpkin soup. Thomas Franks’ gift of cheeses was appreciated and for younger guests, fresh popcorn was available. Amicus sold coloured glowsticks to raise funds for The Mustard Seed Project. The fantastic fireworks display was accompanied by gasps of amazement and began with “LP125” in lights!