Leweston Life | Autumn 2023

AUTUMN TERM | 2023

LEWESTON LIFE

LEWESTON LIFE REFLECTS THE MANY ACHIEVEMENTS OF LEWESTON PUPILS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS

Music & Creative Arts Sports

Student Profiles

Academic

In The News

Dates For Your Diary

www.leweston.co.uk 01963 210691

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

8

13

15

Music & Creative Arts

Sport, Equestrian and Pentathlon

Life In Boarding

In The Lab

16

18

19

20

Academic

Pastoral

Careers

Sixth Form

22

24

25

27

Extra Curricular & Enrichment

Chapel & Community

Christmas and End of Term

Dates for Your Diary

MUSIC & CREATIVE ARTS SCHOLARS VISIT EUROPEAN DOUZELAGE GENERAL MEETING Towards the end of September, Oliver, Daisy, (Year 13) and Dr Milestone embarked on an unforgettable journey to Rovinj, Croatia, where they attended the highly anticipated European Douzelage Annual General Meeting.

Daisy and Oliver proudly represented the UK as delegates at the Youth Meeting, while Dr Milestone shared her expertise in the Education Meeting. The conference focused on the theme of promoting and preserving local historical and cultural heritage, igniting a passion within each of them to contribute to participated in an array of workshops,

MASTERCLASS WITH RENOWNED GUITARIST

activities, and insightful discussions. They

In November, we were thrilled to host Michael

also had the opportunity to unleash their

Partington, world-renowned classical

creativity by painting a sail, immerse

guitarist, at Leweston. Michael's has graced

themselves in the melodious beauty of

stages across North America, Europe, Russia,

traditional Rovinj songs during a captivating

and Scandinavia, both as a soloist and as part

singing workshop, and exchange valuable

of ensembles. His extraordinary performances

ideas during roundtable panels. The success

have also been featured on radio programs

of this extraordinary experience would not

such as BBC Radio 3's In Tune, BBC Wales, and

have been possible without the unwavering

St. Paul Sunday on National Public Radio. With

support and funding from Sherborne

his ten solo albums released by Rosewood

Douzelage.

Recordings and his works featured on the

this cause. Throughout the event, they

Cadenza and Present Sounds labels. Michael has garnered immense praise from Classical Guitar Magazine for his "lyricism, intensity, and clear technical command." The honour of having Michael in attendance at our lunchtime Guitar Ensemble was unparalleled. He also conducted a masterclass for some of our talented guitar students. Our Music Scholars and students were given the opportunity to showcase their own skills and receive invaluable tips and advice from Michael himself.

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MUSIC & CREATIVE ARTS

REQUIEM SING DAY This term, members of Leweston Choral Society, Schola Cantorum and guests had the incredible opportunity to come together for a workshop on Matthew Coleridge's Requiem led by none other than the composer himself. Matthew took everyone on a fascinating journey through the piece, sharing his inspiration for each movement and giving a glimpse into his compositional process. It was a great experience that deepened the group's understanding and appreciation of the Requiem. Everyone is now eagerly looking forward to the main event - a full performance of the Requiem, with Matthew conducting, on Friday 22 March.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT AND FESTIVE SING DAY Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Christmas Concert and Festive Shopping Day. It was lovely to get into the Christmas spirit whilst showcasing our talented Jazz Band, Cantemus, Choral Society, Schola Cantorum, Festival Singers, Clarinet Quartet, Jazz Band, Recorder Consort, Baroque Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, KS3 Band, String Quintet, and Saxophone Ensemble!

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MUSIC & CREATIVE ARTS

KS3 CHRISTMAS PANTO CINDERELLA Thank you to everybody who joined us for an enchanting and unforgettable evening filled with laughter and festive cheer as our incredibly talented KS3 students took to the stage in our highly anticipated Christmas Pantomime, Cinderella. From start to finish, the cast captivated the audience keeping them laughing, and maintaining their characters flawlessly throughout the entire show. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and hard work.

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'Cinderella'

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SPORT, EQUESTRIAN AND PENTATHLON U14 GIRLS CROWNED HOCKEY DORSET CHAMPIONS Congratulations to our U14 Girls’ Hockey Team who were crowned the Dorset County Champions at the Dorset County Tier 2 Tournament. The team displayed exceptional skills and determination, securing three impressive victories from their four matches, while only conceding a single goal throughout the tournament. Their outstanding performance earned them a well-deserved spot in the highly competitive South West Regional Championships held in Bristol.

LEWESTON AND BATH RUGBY FESTIVAL In September, Leweston welcomed 100 pupils from Perrott Hill Prep School and Sherborne Preparatory School to a start of season Rugby Training Festival held in collaboration with Bath Rugby. All pupils in Year 7 and 8 practiced

INTER-HOUSE CROSS COUNTRY

the core principles of play with a variety of

This term, Leweston came together to run the

coaches in a range of coaching styles. It was a

annual Inter-House Cross Country in the

great way to prepare for a busy season.

grounds. Pupils donned their House t-shirts and a sea of green, red, blue and yellow set off to complete the 2.4km course. With a range of ability levels across the school, the event is a celebration of House spirit. Whether pupils were battling at the front end of the race, or focused on completing the course without walking, everyone pushed themselves to do the best for their respective houses.

Congratulations to the winners: Boys' Race; 1st - Reuben (Year 11 / Fisher), 2nd - Tom (Year 13 / Mayne), 3rd - Charlie (Year 11 / Mayne).

Girls' Race; 1st - Lucy (Year 12 / Campion), 2nd - Izzy (Year 10 / Campion), 3rd - Esme (Year 10 / Mayne).

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SPORT, EQUESTRIAN AND PENTATHLON

NORTH DORSET SWIMMING GALA At the North Dorset Schools’ Swimming Gala our talented team emerged victorious in multiple categories, securing first place in the U16 and U18 Boys divisions and a welldeserved second place in the U16 and U18 Girls categories. The excitement continued as Leweston clinched a thrilling victory in the 8x50 cannon relay. We are immensely proud of our team's dedication and teamwork, which resulted in us being crowned the overall winners at the Gala. Thank you to Bryanston School for hosting this fantastic event.

TWO NATIONAL TITLES AT THE NSEA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Congratulations to all our riders who competed at the 23rd NSEA National Schools Championships at Addington. They achieved some fantastic results which we are very proud of! Placing, or even getting a clear round at the Nationals, is an amazing accomplishment.

Special well done to Molly who retained her National Open SJ title winning the last class of the four day show and to Ruby who won the National Plate Prelim title.

Follow our page on Facebook for the latest Equestrian news. - @LewestonEquestrian LEWESTON LIFE | page 09

SPORT, EQUESTRIAN AND PENTATHLON

WORLD BIATHLE AND TRIATHLE CHAMPIONS This term six students from Leweston Prep and Senior School travelled to Bali to compete in the World Biathle and Triathle. Overall, our pentathletes achieved some fantastic results.

In the U11 girls, Lexie finished in the Triathle with GB team Silver and in the U17 category Izzy had a great race to take individual Bronze and team Silver. In the U17 boys Triathle, Reuben, Jay, and Josh showed some fantastic determination in their race, just missing out on a team medal to finish fourth. In the Biathle the U17 boys raced well with Reuben and Josh part of the GB Silver team. A big well done to all who competed, showcasing fantastic determination and resilience in a World Championship.

SOUTH WEST SHOOTING COMPETITION Leweston hosted the South West Regional Schools Shooting Competition on 24 November. Our students achieved fantastic results winning the Intermediate and Senior Team categories (qualifying for the National Finals), as well as becoming Intermediate Individual South West Champions!

Follow LewestonPent on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

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SPORT, EQUESTRIAN AND PENTATHLON OLYMPIC HOPES PENTATHLON Well done to all the Leweston athletes that took part in the Olympic Hopes Modern Pentathlon event in Poland as part of a GB squad. Our athletes achieved great results and learned a great deal from the experience. Massive congratulations to Reuben who won the U17 event, an amazing achievement in an international competition which sets him on the path to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Further congratulations to Millie who came 18th, and Thomas 26th.

AN EXCELLENT SEASON FOR U14 RUGBY The Leweston U14 rugby team enjoyed a variety of exciting games this term. To quote Mr Cannon, “The U14s have shown the true spirit of rugby this season. They understand that win or lose, the most important thing is that they play for each other and take pride in the school shirt.”

Great work team.

Follow Lewestonsport on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

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'Inter-House Cross Country'

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LIFE IN BOARDING

A BUSY TERM IN BOARDING Amongst the wide variety of activities on offer at evenings and weekends, boarders have also indulged in House dinners at local restaurants, hosted a thrilling basketball social with Milton Abbey, participated in an exhilarating Go Karting trip, and created everlasting memories while spending quality time together in their cosy dorms!

In September, they visited the Belvedere, eagerly searching for the enchanting moon as part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The crackling fire pits illuminated the night and fostered a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Follow Lewestonboarding on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

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'Boarding Go-Karting Trip'

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IN THE LAB STEM DEBATE | LEWESTON VOICES PODCAST In this episode of Leweston Voices Podcast, Mr Paget-Tomlinson sits down with Ollie and Felicity (Year 11).

Last year, as part of a Scholar's Society session, Ollie and Felicity produced a fantastically well researched presentation using a mix of rhetoric, data and interactivity on the “Arts V STEM” debate.

Mr Paget-Tomlinson met with Ollie and Felicity to discuss the debate further. Listen to the podcast on our website.

STEAM ROBO DOG VISITS LEWESTON Thank you to Wing Commander Austin, who gave an eye-opening talk and live demonstration to our Year 10 to 13 Physics and Computer Science students. During the demonstration, Wing Commander Austin introduced 'Spot' the Robot Dog and unveiled the remarkable capabilities of this cuttingedge technology used by the MOD. From bomb discovery to disposal, 'Spot' is revolutionising the way tasks are performed in the field.

Our students were amazed to learn about the development of 'Spot' over the years and the intricate training process required for these robotic canines to tackle complex missions. It's a perfect fusion of science, technology, and innovation!

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ACADEMIC ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT CLUBS Throughout the term, pupils were busy researching, discussing and debating various topics as part of our academic enrichment offering. In one of their sessions, Rhetoric; an academic enrichment activity for Years 7 to 9, the group undertook a series of team building challenges, testing their logic, team work and communication skills. Scholars Society for Years 10 and 11 met to organise groups and themes for the debates and presentations that will occur over the course of the year, researched and led by the pupils themselves.

Finally, during Year 12’s first meeting of the Head’s Essay Society they focused on the topic ‘What limits should we place, if any, on the right to freedom of expression?’. Pupils had to research the topic, compose an essay and then debate and discuss their ideas as a group with Mr Paget-Tomlinson and Mrs Dencher. A thoughtful and well informed debate took place, with all pupils contributing their ideas.

SHAKESPEARE WORKSHOP In November, the amazing Three Inch Fools came to Leweston to work with Year 10 and 11 puils on their GCSE text, Macbeth. The morning started with a performance by the visiting cast, followed by a workshop in which pupils were split into groups which discussed the themes of the play, and dissected the elements which make it stand out. They then worked on warm-up exercises and a section of the script, providing a hands-on theatrical experience, allowing them to actively engage with the language, characters, and plot.

A live performance followed by a workshop was a great way to engage pupils with the material and enhance their understanding of the play.

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ACADEMIC EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES On 26 September we celebrated the European Day Of Languages, for the second year running. This fun, annual event started in 2001 with the aim of promoting the benefits of language learning and drawing attention to language and cultural diversity in Europe.

Throughout the week, students tested their language knowledge with quizzes during tutor time, and on the day itself they refuelled with some delicious snacks from various European countries. The Belgian waffles were a great hit as well as our Leweston MFL stickers.

Merci, gracias, danke, to every student and member of staff who got involved in celebrating the day!

GEORGE STILES | LEWESTON LECTURE We were delighted to welcome George Stiles to give the Leweston Lecture this term. George spoke about his time studying music at the University of Exeter where he met his writing partner Anthony Drewe (and our organist Paul Cheater). He discussed the challenges he faced trying to make a living as a musical composer, before finally hitting the big time when Honk! won the Best New Musical Olivier Award beating big names like Mama Mia and The Lion King.

George explained some of the technical aspects of his compositional process, which was very informative for those studying GCSE and A Level Music as well the Music Scholars. One of his compositional illustrations was a piece called The Limpopo River from one of his first successful musicals, Just So, based on stories by Rudyard Kipling. He discussed his use of a descant for the second section of the song, and then a very effective tertiary modulation for the climax of the piece.

We also enjoyed his explanation of his compositional process for the music of Mary Poppins, where he worked with the Sherman Brothers in order to ensure a seamless transition from the original music of the Disney film, to their new repertoire for the stage show. George’s career has now moved in another direction and he is the musical producer of Six, shown in the West End, Broadway and Toronto.

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PASTORAL PASTORAL FOCUS | LEWESTON VOICES PODCAST Our second podcast this term, ‘The importance of a strong pastoral focus in schools’, saw Mr Paget-Tomlinson, and newly appointed Pastoral Lead, Mrs Hintz discuss her new role at Leweston and the importance of having a strong and effective focus and approach to pastoral care in the education sector.

WELL-BEING HUB Leweston is delighted to have recently joined The Well Being Hub, developed by child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing experts, ‘Teen Tips’. The Well Being Hub is an online portal for students, staff and parents providing expert-led support for young people and those that care for them.

As part of the launch we were delighted to invite Leweston parents to our Parents Pastoral Seminar - “How to support an anxious young person”.

As mental health continues to dominate the national discourse, Leweston’s expert practitioners regularly share practical tips to help parents and pupils understand the issues.

Ultimately, our aim is to empower our pupils to

Mrs Robyn Hintze, Pastoral Lead

deal with the inevitable pressures of life by themselves, but getting to that stage does often require informed intervention and support, which we are always pleased to provide.

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CAREERS CAREERS TALK WITH AUTHOR KIRSTY CRAWFORD We are immensely grateful to author Kirsty Crawford for visiting us this term. Not only did Kirsty captivate us with her remarkable journey to becoming a published author, but she also provided a invaluable insight into the world of publishing and editing. Needless to say, her talk left our Year 9, 10, and 11 pupils and Scholars brimming with excitement and curiosity. Their engagement was evident from the multitude of questions they posed to Kirsty. She clearly sparked their interest in pursuing a fulfilling career in writing and publishing.

LEWESTON CAREERS FAIR 2023 On 23 November, Leweston held its inaugural Careers Fair for Year 11 and 12 pupils and their parents. Exhibitors from the armed forces, finance, banking, human resources, architecture, marketing, public relations, consultancy, healthcare, sport, filming, design, music, IT, law, education, science, property and manufacturing attended, to increase the pupils’ awareness of their potential future careers and answer their questions. Leweston is extremely grateful to the OAs, parents, governors, and organisations who gave up their time to support us.

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SIXTH FORM

MASQUERADE BALL On Saturday 2 December we hosted our Sixth Form Winter Masquerade Ball.

The event saw the School Dining Hall transformed into a black and gold extravaganza, with help from Head of Computer Science, Mr Stephens, as well as parent, Mr Mortarotti, who gave up his time to be the DJ. Thank you to our Events team, Sixth Form Prefects and Mr Ryan East, for organising and to Chartwells, for the delicious three course meal in which the staff served to our Year 12 and 13 guests.

LEAD WITH LONDON INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOOL As part of our innovative Sixth Form LEaD (Leweston Enrichment and Development) programme, Year 12 and 13 were given the opportunity to work with the London Interdisciplinary School. Our students will be challenged to understand and tackle real-world, complex problems from a multiple-disciplinary perspective. The LEaD programme seeks to challenge, enrich and extend our students, providing them with new ways of learning and thinking as well as offering a range of beneficial experiences they can carry with them into their adult lives.

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SIXTH FORM PSYCHOLOGY TALK FROM TEAM BUILDING

MASTERS STUDENT

For the second year running, Year 12 visited

This term we welcomed Charlie Oldfield to

Mill on the Brue for a Sixth Form ‘away day’, focusing on developing teamwork, leadership, communication, problemsolving and resilience. The day was full of smiles, laughter, some mud and lots of water! We would like to thank the Mill on the Brue staff for being so fantastic – their professional approach to safety, sense of humour and ability to motivate and inspire the students to work effectively together were very impressive and much appreciated.

Leweston to talk to the Sixth Form about his experience within the field of psychology. His studies started in 2014 when he developed an interest in the new up and coming field of science, and decided to take it at A Level. He went on to achieve a First in the four-year Psychology Bachelors. He is currently studying a Masters of Clinical Psychology at the University of Exeter. In his talk Charlie raised several key points, which will help our students with their current studies and if they continue to higher education. He highlighted the importance of being critical, not just of research, but all aspects of their lives.

Following this talk, there was an enthusiastic question and answer session.

ENGLISH TRIP TO WALES Sixth Form students embarked on a Literary Tour of Tintern Abbey and the Wye Valley, walking in the footsteps of William Wordsworth in Wales. The students experienced the landscape and setting that inspired Wordsworth’s famous Romantic poem of the same name, gaining a better understanding of the sensations felt by the poet as he penned his creative works. Everyone embraced the day, absorbing and engaging with maturity, reverence, open-mindedness and intellectual curiosity. They then wrote their own poems, which are brilliant and a testament to how inspiring the trip was for them.

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EXTRA-CURRICULAR AND ENRICHMENT VISIT TO SISTER SCHOOL IN NEPAL During October half term a group of Year 11, 12 and 13 travelled to Nepal to visit our sister School, Jana Jyoti. The pupils had a photo with the bear in Doha airport before exploring Kathmandu and visiting WWF (NGO). The group then travelled to Jana Jyoti, in Lamjong Region. They took with them cricket equipment, donated by the Lords Taverners, along with tennis, football and rugby balls.

Pupils have been writing to their Nepali pen pals for the last 18 months and both groups were very excited to finally meet each other. After the introductions there was dancing, fun and games, as well as photos at the Friendship Gate. The gate has become so iconic to Leweston pupils that it was hard to believe they were finally stood in front of it.

Pupils also spent time visiting the Vocational Agriculture course polytunnel and classroom. Here they learned how Nepali students are taught sustainable farming techniques and saw first-hand how the money raised for the agriculture equipment for the school will be used. It was then a six hour bus journey to Pokhara. Down the very steep mountain road and along the extremely bumpy roads to start their five day trek to Poon Hill.

Read more about their trip on our website.

SILVER DUKE OF EDINBURGH QUALIFYING EXPEDITION Congratulations to the six teams who completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Qualifying Expedition in the New Forest. All of the teams were well organised and focused and we are proud of the effort and commitment that they put into the weekend.

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EXTRA-CURRICULAR AND ENRICHMENT COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING AT LEWESTON On Saturday 18 November, members of the Leweston community came together to plant 210 saplings in the school grounds, as well as building and hanging new bird houses.

The saplings will eventually form a hedgerow of hawthorn, dogwood, wild cherry, silver birch, rowan, and hazel to create a natural border of year-round colour.

The hedge now lines the edge of the road behind the Sports Hall and will provide a natural border to enclose our planned ‘Reflection Garden’. This event was the first phase of this exciting transformation.

Thank you to the army of volunteers, including our boarders, who gave up their time to help, despite the muddy conditions.

NATIONAL POETRY DAY In October National Poetry Day celebrations began with an inspiring assembly where pupils shared favourite poems as well as their own compositions. The English Department took this opportunity to launch our Whole School Poetry Competition. This was followed by an amazing Year 7 Poetry Slam on this year's theme of ‘Refuge’. The enthusiasm, confidence, and sheer number of pupils eager to perform was fantastic to see. Thank you to Serena and Charlie for all their hard work organising the events and congratulations to Ryan (First Place), Venice and Florence (Joint Second), and Emily (Third).

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CHAPEL AND COMMUNITY

REMEMBRANCE DAY

HARVEST FESTIVAL

The school came together in St Antony’s Chapel

During Mass, St Antony’s Chapel was filled

on 10 November pay their respects during the Remembrance Service. Thank you to current parent, Wing Commander Austin for reading. He was joined by three of our other serving parents, representing the Royal Air Force, British Army and Royal Navy. We were delighted to welcome them to stand with our students as they remembered those who lost their lives for their country.

During PSHRE lessons pupils commemorated Remembrance Day by creating their own poppy rocks to be added to the 'Remembrance Garden

with gratitude and generosity at our annual Harvest Festival. The pupils processed to place their Harvest offerings at the altar and we are proud of the incredible amount donated this year.

The donations were then delivered to the Sherborne Food Bank and will make a significant difference in the lives of those in need. Thank you to our pupils and their families for their generosity.

Display' at Trinity Manor Care Home - Barchester Healthcare in Sherborne. Furthermore, Sadie Year 7, crocheted 65 poppy badges that she delivered to the care home. These were accepted by Trinity Manors Resident Ambassador Dr Valerie Marett.

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CHRISTMAS AND END OF TERM

CAROL SERVICE We were delighted to welcome so many of the school community to the breath-taking Carol Service held at the magnificent Sherborne Abbey on the last day of term. The music was mesmerising and it was, once again, an unforgettable experience that marked the start of Christmas. We couldn't have asked for a better way to end the term.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH AND JUMPER DAY! Leweston came alive with festive cheer as everyone rocked their Christmas jumpers on 6 December and indulged in a delicious Christmas lunch, served by, Mr PagetTomlinson, and members of the Senior Leadership Team! The afternoon then saw inter-house sports, featuring Mr Cannon the Christmas elf.

It was a fantastic way to get into Christmas spirit and celebrate together before the holidays.

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CHRISTMAS AND END OF TERM CHRISTMAS IN BOARDING

Our boarders celebrated a beautiful Christingle service in the stunning Trinity Chapel at the end of term. We are extremely grateful to Bella, our Sacristan, for meticulously arranging the service and ensuring every detail was perfect. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to our immensely talented musicians and readers who made this annual service a truly special experience for everyone. The boarders were very excited to wake up to find they had been paid a visit from St Nicholas, leaving them some sweets to accompany this year’s Christmas ornament!

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Admissions Activity Day: Saturday 6 January, 9.30am ( Book here or visit ‘Events’ on our website) Leweston Fashion Show: Friday 19 January, 5.30pm - 6.30pm (Book here ) Leweston Lecture (Lord Mark Sedwill GCMG FRGS): Monday 5 February, 4.45pm ( Book here ) Leweston Pentathlon Training Days: Sunday 7 January, 4 February, 3 March (Email - events@leweston.dorset.sch.uk) Choral Society Concert: Friday 22 March, 7.00pm

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@LewestonSchool @Leweston @leweston1891

Leweston School, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 6EN 01963 211 015 | admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk | www.leweston.co.uk