Leweston Life
Winter 2014
Contents
Head’s Welcome
3
New Head Announced
4
Results
5
Academic Awards and Successes
6
Creative Life
9
DofE Going for Gold
12
Senior Sport
14
Junior Department
18
Nursery
26
Junior Department Sport
28
Spiritual Life
29
Boarding
30
Dates for your Diary
32
www.leweston.co.uk Cover image: Schola rehearsing for the 2014 Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey
Welcome from the Head With the end of another year upon us it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the accomplishments of 2014. Academically Leweston has once again had an excellent year. Indeed, we have just been notified that Leweston has outranked all other English schools in its category (for girls in all types of independent schools) and has been awarded the Good Schools Guide award for excellence in English Literature at Pre-U. In addition we had strong sets of GCSE and A Level results this summer and another record breaking year of AS results. Leweston’s capability for enabling girls to perform beyond expectations across the ability range is reflected by the fact that we have once again been ranked in the top 10% of schools nationally for value added at GCSE. These results and the GSG award reflect the dedication of both the girls and the staff and I am justifiably proud of this achievement which builds on our strong reputation for academic excellence. You can read more about this year’s academic performance on page 5. Investment in our School facilities continues and this summer has seen the completion of new accommodation to support the growing numbers of boarders at Leweston, as well as a new cookery suite, refurbished art block and an additional science lab. This investment continues next term with the expansion of our Nursery to cater for the growing numbers at the bottom end of the School. More about this and other developments in the Nursery can be found on pages 26 and 27. We ended this term with two of the highlights in the Leweston calendar, the Junior Department and Senior School Carol Services, which rounded off another busy and successful term in the music department (pages 9-10). It has been a busy term in the sports department with much success (pages 14-17 and 28) and we look forward to building on these impressive achievements with
the appointment of Sara Guy as Director of Sport from the summer term 2015. We were also delighted for the five girls who passed their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, following their expedition in Peru in the summer. Details of their adventures can be found on pages 12 and 13 and we look forward to the new Duke of Edinburgh season starting in full in the spring. It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Genevieve Cox as Leweston’s Chaplaincy Coordinator at the start of the academic year. Genevieve has had a busy first term, organising 5 year group retreats (page 29), as well as overseeing the spiritual life of the school. The retreat programme has been innovative, engaging and thought provoking for all the girls involved. Much more is planned for 2015, culminating in the annual Sixth Form pilgrimage in the summer term. Finally it is my great pleasure to announce that Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed Head of Leweston from September 2015, following my decision to step down at the end of the academic year. I have no doubt that Kate will continue to build on Leweston’s success with commitment, understanding and passion in the years ahead. More information about Kate’s appointment can be found on page 4. This academic year has already seen much to celebrate but as we reflect with pride on the many achievements, we also look forward with anticipation and confidence to all that 2015 has in store.
Adrian Aylward Headmaster
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New Head Announced Leweston is delighted to announce that Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed as Head from September 2015. Mrs Reynolds will take over from Adrian Aylward, who steps down at the end of the academic year after nine years in post. Mrs Reynolds was educated at St Mary’s Ascot, Wellington College and at Bristol University where she studied Law from 1986 to 1989. She passed her Law Society Finals in 1990 and practised as a solicitor until 1994. In 1994 she obtained a PGCE from Bath Spa University in English and subsequently worked at Gillingham School, Sherborne School and, of course, Leweston, where she is currently Head of EAL. In 2012 she undertook a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Buckingham University. Mrs Reynolds, aged 47, has four children and her husband, Giles, is also a teacher.
“We are delighted that we have been able to appoint Mrs Reynolds who has the vision, skills and qualities to take Leweston forward in the years ahead. Mrs Reynolds has known the Leweston community for some nine years and has a commitment to, understanding of and passion for the exceptional education the School provides. She will also be carrying forward the core values of Leweston, both within the School and in the wider community, based on the Catholic ethos of the School. I look forward to seeing Leweston continue to flourish under her leadership.” Mary Head Chair of the Governors
“I am honoured to be taking on the headship at Leweston. The School is a very special community and I look forward to building on its reputation for educational excellence.”
GCSE, A LEVEL AND PRE-U RESULTS 2014 WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT OUR Sixth Form girls have once again achieved a 100% pass rate at A Level, with 78% of examinations passed at grade A* to B or Pre-U equivalent. 51% of exams were passed at A* or A grades or Pre-U equivalent and 14% passed at A*, both figures being almost double the national average. An impressive 27% of students achieved 3 or more straight A or A* grades across a range of subjects. Average UCAS points per candidate were 387, the equivalent of over three A grades per candidate. These fantastic results have enabled almost all Leweston’s leavers to win places at their chosen universities or specialist colleges.
It was another RECORD BREAKING year for Leweston at AS Level with 73% of examinations passed at grade A or B. Particular areas of strength were maths, chemistry, geography, German and Spanish. In the latter case all girls achieved an A Grade. One third of the pupils achieved 3 or more A grades.
IN BRIEF… •
50%
OF GCSE EXAMINATIONS PASSED AT A OR A*
• A RECORD BREAKING YEAR OF AS RESULTS: PASSED AT A OR B
73%
•
78% OF A LEVELS PASSED AT A* - B OR PRE-U EQUIVALENT
Year 13 pupils Ciara and Harriet both secured their offers to study at Cambridge
At GCSE, Year 11 pupils produced an excellent set of results across the board, with 97% of pupils achieving at least 5 A* - C passes and 50% of all examinations passed at A* or A.
“Once again Leweston pupils have excelled across the whole ability range, generating some truly outstanding results. I am delighted that their hard work and dedication has paid off and would like to congratulate them all on their incredible achievements not only academically but also in other fields such as sport, music and drama. Particular mention goes to our Oxbridge and Medical School candidates who have all been successful in meeting their offers; as a school we have a justifiably strong reputation for preparing girls for future success in these areas and this year’s results only help to cement this reputation further.” Adrian Aylward - Headmaster 5
Academic Awards and Successes
OA awarded UCL Scholarship Congratulations to OA Justyna Ekert (Class of 2014) who has been awarded the Andrew Szmidla Scholarship which amounts to £10,000 per annum towards her studies. The aim of the scholarship is to enable and encourage academically able students to pursue their undergraduate studies at UCL. Justyna who completed her A Level studies in chemistry, biology, physics, maths, and Polish at Leweston School, will be studying medicine at UCL.
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Good Schools Guide Award for Excellence
Gold at this year’s Cambridge Chemistry Challenge
Congratulations to the six Leweston Sixth Formers (pictured) who, after sitting a very stretching and challenging paper, were awarded certificates in this year’s national Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. A special mention must go to Alina Pietruszewicz who came in the top 7% of 6,687 entrants to obtain a GOLD award! This was closely followed by Cecilia Jennings and Jenny Lau who were awarded SILVER and were in the top 14% of entries. Well done also to Daisy Lewis, Rosie Frampton and Christy Ling who achieved COPPER awards and were placed in the top 35% of entries.
Leweston has been awarded The Good Schools Guide Award for Excellence in English Literature at Cambridge Pre-U. This means that Leweston has outranked all other English schools in its category (in this case for girls in all types of independent schools), for the subject and exam concerned.
“This award reflects the dedication of both the girls and the staff. I am justifiably proud of this achievement which builds on our strong reputation for academic excellence, especially as this is in the context of a number of top academic schools across the country. The response to the Cambridge Pre-U from parents and girls has been excellent and I am delighted that our pupils have been rewarded for their efforts.” Adrian Aylward - Headmaster
Letter to an Unknown Soldier Leweston pupils have contributed to a national project to mark the centenary of the First World War created by the organisation 14-18 NOW. The project, ‘Letter to an Unknown Soldier’, was inspired by the statue of an unknown soldier that resides at Platform One of Paddington Station in London. The statue is reading a letter and so, on the hundredth anniversary of the declaration of war, in a year crowded with official remembrance and ceremony, 14-18 NOW invited everyone to write their own version of the letter he is reading. The response was extraordinary, with 21,439 letters written.
I N T E R M E D I AT E Y O U T H S P E A K S 2 0 1 4
Letters from the Leweston pupils to the Unknown Soldier can be read at www.1418now.org.uk
Congratulations to Year 8 pupils Freya Jacques, Kate Bickerton and Emily Davis who gave excellent performances on the topic of ‘The Rise and Fall of Reading’ at the local round of the annual Youth Speaks competition. Their competent and passionate performance meant they have qualified for the regional rounds in January. Good luck girls!
Leweston’s Latinists embrace the Leweston motto Gaudere et Bene Facere!
Year 11 girls with Dr Roberts
Leweston’s Latinists have certainly embraced the school’s moto of ‘Rejoice and Do Well’ this term. Year 11 girls enjoyed an informative lecture on Pompeii, hosted by the Sherborne Historical Society and given by Dr. Paul Roberts (the curator for the universally acclaimed British Museum exhibition in 2013) which explored the uncovered world of Roman daily life at Pompeii and Herculaneum – a great supplement to their study of Pliny’s letters detailing the eruption. The girls were lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with Dr Roberts to discuss their studies, which proved both informative and inspirational. In addition, Sixth Form classicists have embraced every opportunity to attend lectures given by
leading academics in the field, both locally in Sherborne, and in London and Cambridge University too. These lectures have enabled the girls to broaden their appreciation of classics and their set text literature in particular. Year 7 with their Roman models
At the lower end of the school the Year 7 pupils have been busy creating miniature Roman houses as part of their studies exploring life in Pompeii. Their efforts proved motivating to the Year 9 Latinists who were challenged to create a 3-D model of Fishbourne Palace and aim to do so in the Spring term! 7
Pupils take on the ‘Juvenes Translatores’ Challenge Children’s Novelist Meets Leweston’s Literary Festival Prize Winners Leweston was delighted to welcome the award winning children’s novelist Caroline Green in October. As well as giving an inspirational talk to girls from Years 7-11, Caroline presented prizes to two Year 11 girls who were successful in the recent Sherborne Literary Festival poetry writing competition: Hollie Clarkson (second place) and Connie de Pelet (highly commended). Well done also to Maddie Austin (Year 8) who was awarded a highly commended certificate for her entry.
Good luck to the five Sixth Formers who have entered this year’s ‘Juvenes Translatores’ languages competition. This annual competition is sponsored by the European Union and was started in 2007 to find the best young translators in the Europe. Leweston was one of a small number of schools in the UK
selected to take part in this year’s competition. Congratulations to Charlotte Edwards, Rosie Frampton, Cecilia Jennings, Georgie Watson (Year 13) and Lily Glydon (Year 12) who where chosen to participate. We look forward to reporting the results later this academic year.
Sherborne Insight lectures Sixth Formers were delighted to attend a lecture on ‘Faith in Parliament’ given by Revd Preb Rose HudsonWilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, as part of the Sherborne Abbey Insight Programme in September. Pupils learned of the celebrations of Anglican services and Catholic Mass, prayer breakfasts and other Christian prayer groups, which support the MPs in their important work and discernment of ethical issues. This encouraged animated discussion of issues surrounding faith in parliament. We look forward to our next joint chaplaincy and politics trip to hear Nick Spencer, Director of Theos Think-Tank, speak on the topic of ‘Faith in the Public Square.’
AS Study Trip to Almuñecar At the start of the autumn term Leweston’s AS Spanish pupils took part in a week long study tour to Almuñecar in Granada. The girls attended daily lessons at academia CICA, stayed with local families and, in the afternoons, enjoyed a combination of activities and cultural visits. One of the most memorable experiences was the visit to world famous Alhambra in Granada where the girls saw the Moorish cultural and historical influence in Andalucia. A successful and informative trip. 8
Creative Life
Christmas Carols and Concerts The 2014 Christmas Concert was held in the Church of the Sacred Heart and St Aldhelm, Sherborne on Saturday 6th December. The thoroughly entertaining concert featured superb performances by Leweston’s Schola Cantorum, ensembles, soloists and the Sixth Form band. The concert raised over £500 for the Church, the Kampala Music School in Uganda and the 2016 Schola Tour to Nepal. Congratulations to all the performers involved! The Christmas Concert was followed by the end of term Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey. This fitting end to the term featured performances from Leweston’s Schola Cantorum, soloists and Junior Choir and was made all the more special by the wonderful surrounds of the Abbey.
Pupils Impress at Joint Schools’ Concert
Jazz Workshop with Andy Williamson Leweston was delighted to host a jazz workshop with Andy Williamson of the Big Buzzard Big Band in October. Andy worked with members of the Leweston Jazz Band and the Leweston Choral Society who gained a lot from the workshop and his vast experience. Andy has shared the stage with Jamie Cullum, Stacey Kent, MoBo Best Jazz Act 2012 Zoe Rahman, Michael Parkinson favourite Joanna Eden and Mama Tokus. He also played with some musical heroes: Al Casey, Tom Robinson, Suggs and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.
Leweston Girls Sing for Their Supper Leweston’s Schola Cantorum and Sixth Form band raised £66 for the 2016 Schola Tour to Nepal performing outside Sherborne Waitrose in December. Staff and customers at Waitrose were so impressed by the talent on display that the store agreed to play and sell Leweston’s Schola CD! 10
Twelve Leweston girls, selected from the Sherborne schools’ competitive auditions this September, performed with both the Joint Schools’ Sinfonia and Symphony Orchestra in November. The standard was extremely high and music included Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite from Symphony Orchestra, led by Year 13 music scholar, Clara Hewitt. Sinfonia performed Mambo and the Pink
Panther and included girls from Years 8 and 9. Junior Choir (Years 7 and 8) gave their first performance together this academic year, with a beautiful rendition of O Waly Waly by Alexander L’Estrange and I am a Small Part of the World by Sally Albrecht and Jay Althouse, featuring soloists from both year groups. They achieved an excellent blend of sound and sang both works from memory. A wonderful concert enjoyed by all.
Concert in a Day with Port Regis We were delighted to welcome pupils from Port Regis School to Leweston for a day of musical master classes in October. Joining Leweston’s Years 7 and 8, the girls formed a choir, attended a music composition class and masterclass, joined the Leweston Junior Orchestra and took part in a percussion workshop in preparation for their performance in a concert later in the day. The day was a great success and the resulting concert well attended by parents from both Port Regis and Leweston. We look forward to welcoming Port Regis back to Leweston soon.
TABLE NO. 2 CAPTIVATES AUDIENCES The Senior School autumn term production of Table No. 2 was performed over three nights to great acclaim. The cast of girls from Years 9-13 impressed throughout, handling the challenging script, idiosyncratic characters and mature themes with great skill. The production was sleek and professional, the costumes authentic and the set design convincing, the latter bringing the Beauregard Hotel
alive, propelling the action from the drawing room on the stage, to the restaurant on the audience’s level. Seating the audience members on their own private tables, surrounded by actresses cast as waitresses was an ingenious touch which served to envelop the onlookers right in the thick of the action. The School would like to congratulate the entire cast and crew on a fantastic production.
“It was an enjoyable and interesting interpretation of an ambitious and challenging play. The process of rehearsal was truly collaborative and the characterisations of the hotel residents that resulted were extremely well-drawn. The tech team created a wonderful ambience with their lighting and sound. The reactions of the audiences were very positive indeed. If I may quote the Chairman of Governors: ‘Who needs to go to the West End?!’” Mr Irvine - Head of Drama
OUTSTANDING LAMDA RESULTS Congratulations to the girls who took their LAMDA examinations this year achieving an outstanding 33 distinctions and 17 merits!
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Going for Gold: build a floor in the community hall at Patacancha, a remote village just out of the Sacred Valley. For five days the team collected rocks, mixed concrete and pushed wheelbarrows. Playing with the local children was also a popular pastime and they managed a visit to the local school to see the younger children being taught.
A team of pupils from Leweston’s Sixth Form travelled to Peru to complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award over the summer break. Accompanied by two members of staff from the School, the team spent three weeks in the South American country undertaking a project and completing the expedition phase of the award. After flying into Lima, the girls travelled for 22 hours up into the Andes to Cusco. Already at altitude, they stayed a couple of nights to acclimatise before taking a minibus further into the mountains for the start of their project. The project was to help 12
The girls then embarked on the expedition phase of their award: a five day trek to the mountain town of Lares. After 5 days of hard work and ups and downs (literally!) the girls arrived triumphant, completing their Gold in style. Their final destination was Machu Picchu, the Inca City in the mountains. Setting off at 4am the group started the climb which took a couple of hours. With a guide they covered the main areas of the city, a fitting culmination to the trip. Well done to Victoria Halford, Harriett Guy, Tatiana Whyman, Molly Foster and Hatty Trollope-Bellew (Year 13). The girls were also joined by Rose Sullivan who was not involved in the DofE scheme.
Check out the video of the trip produced by the girls at www.leweston.co.uk or on our Vimeo Channel: vimeo.com/lewestonschool
Peru 2014
“I hope that the girls have gained by this experience and that some of the memories stay with them. It was a unique opportunity which they grasped with both hands – well done to all of them.” Keith Whitehead Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator
A Fantastic Season of ‘Athlon’ Sports at Leweston
SIX LEWESTON GIRLS COMPETE FOR TEAM GB AT THE WORLD BIATHLE TOUR
The school has enjoyed a successful season across the ‘athlon’ sports, with exceptional results at all levels of competition...
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Congratulations to the six pupils who represented Great Britain at the Biathle World Tour in Germany in the summer. The team of Daisy Liddle (Year 12), Olivia Manson (Year 11), Elizabeth Tolly, Portia Manson, Poppy Boyden (Year 9) and Elektra Covell (Year 7) travelled to Erding to compete at this illustrious international event. The girls performed superbly on the day, generating some fantastic results and proving themselves against the best biathletes from across Europe. A special mention must go to Elizabeth (Year 9) for her outstanding win in the 14 and under category and to Olivia who won a silver medal in the 16 and under girls division! Other individual results were: Portia 5th and Poppy 10th (14 and under); Daisy 10th (16 and under) and
Elektra 10th (12 and under). These results topped off a sensational year of sporting achievements for Leweston’s biathletes. Well done Team GB!
Three Leweston Girls Selected for Biathle World Championships! Due to outstanding individual performances at the National Biathle event at Salford Quays, Lily Amor (Year 5), Elizabeth Tolly (Year 9) and Olivia Manson (Year 11) were selected to represent Great Britain at the World Championships. Lily was placed 6th, Elizabeth 4th and Olivia 3rd in their respective categories. An impressive achievement.
Success for Leweston at National Biathlon Championshps Ten pupils from Leweston travelled to Solihull for the National Biathlon Championships in November. The girls recorded many personal bests helping the Dorset Pentathletes to the title of top national club. As individuals Leweston girls won four team gold medals (Anya Evans, Year 5, Portia Manson, Year 9, Elizabeth Tolly, Year 9 and Aoife McCarthy, Year 12) and three silvers (Lily Amor, Year 5, Olivia Manson, Year 11 and Daisy Liddle, Year 12). On the back of these great results it is hoped that all ten girls, along with some other representatives from Leweston, will be selected to compete at the National Schools’ Finals at the Olympic Park in March.
Hockey Round-Up
Dorset Schools Biathlon 2014 Over 135 athletes took part in the Dorset Schools’ Biathlon which took place at Leweston in September. Congratulations to the competitors from Leweston who all performed superbly, amassing 4 team wins (Girls U12, U13, U16 and U17) and one individual win by Lily Amor (Year 5) in the U11 category, as well as a number of strong placings across all the divisions entered. Well done all.
National Modern Pentathlon Two girls from Leweston took part in the national Modern Pentathlon at Solihull. In the 12 and under event Elektra Covell (Year 7) competed in her first full pentathlon and finished 5th, a fantastic achievement as she was one of the youngest competitors. In the 18 and under competition Rebecca Bowles (Year 13) was 11th and part of the Dorset team that took team gold.
Congratulations to Leweston’s Under 16 Indoor Hockey Squad who played some outstanding matches to finish 5th at the West of England finals at Cheltenham in December. This term has also seen some outstanding individual success with Year 11 pupil, Lizzie Davis, being selected to train with the West of England JRPC and play for the Exeter squad at the Tier 1 tournaments for the 2nd consecutive year. In addition, Leweston is delighted that the following girls have been selected for the 2015 County squads: Poppy Boyden (U14s), Freya Logan, Lizzie Davis, Beth McMillan, Mollie Parsons, Elizabeth Hobbs and Polly James (U17s). Netball Academy Selection Well done to Portia Manson (Year 8) who has been selected for the Satellite Netball Academy. This is the first level of the England Excel Netball Development Pathway for netballers aged 11-14 years old. We look forward to her continued development. 15
NSEA Championships at Addington Manor Following excellent performances at NSEA Show Jumping Qualifier at Bryanston School, Leweston sent two teams to the hotly contested National Schools Equestrian Association’s National Championships at Addington Manor in November. Excellent performances from both the Intermediate and Mini teams meant the girls were placed 2nd in the NSEA Regional Points League for the South West. Congratulations to Ellie Guy (Year 11), Lydia Hannam (Year 11), Georgia Buckland (Year 13), Kitty Godman-Dorrington (Year 10), Sacha Godman-Dorrington (Year 8), Isabella Colwell (Year 6) and Alice Southcombe (Year 7) for being excellent competitors.
In other Riding News…
Equestrian Team Success at Aldon
Leweston Inter-Schools Show Jumping Event Leweston welcomed over 100 riders, representing schools from across the South West, to its InterSchools Show Jumping event in September. The home teams did exceptionally well, coming 2nd and 3rd in Class 3. A special mention must go to sisters Perdi (Year 7) and Mimi (Year 4) Digby who were placed 1st and 2nd individually in Class 3. A full breakdown of the results can be found at www.leweston.co.uk.
The Leweston Equestrian Team of Perdi Digby (Year 7), Kitty Godman-Dorrington (Year 10), Ellie Guy (Year 11) and Lydia Hannam (Year 11) secured a fantastic win at the Cattistock Pony Club One Day
Event held at Aldon in September following strong dressage, show jumping and cross country rounds. An excellent result for Leweston – well done girls.
Pupils Excel at Triathlon Three pupils from Leweston enjoyed a successful day at the Wyle Valley Pony Club Triathlon in November. The school was well represented in the 11 and under event, with Year 7 pupil Elektra Covell and Isabella Colwell (Year 6) taking 1st and 3rd place respectively. A great result for Leweston and the girls’ respective Pony Clubs. The 14 and under category saw Poppy Boyden (Year 9) come 3rd individually at her very first Pony Club Triathlon. Well done all.
Success at Stonar Congratulations to the Leweston Eventing Team of Kitty GodmanDorrington (Year 10), Ellie Guy (Year 11), Lydia Hannam (Year 11) and Hattie Trollope-Bellew (Year 13) who were placed 2nd at the Stonar Inter-Schools One Day Event in September. 16
Cross Country News
Leweston Relays Over 350 competitors, representing schools from across the South West, descended on campus for the Leweston Cross Country Relays in November. Leweston had 56 girls competing and secured a team win in the Minor Girls division (Years 5 and 6) beating 24 other teams! Congratulations to Lily Amor, Erin Cassingham, Izzy
Victory at St Mary’s The Leweston teams enjoyed much success at this term’s St Mary’s Shaftesbury Cross Country Relays. Well done to the Senior Team (pictured below) who were victorious in the Year 9 and above category. A special mention goes to Year 9 pupil Elizabeth Tolly who completed the fastest lap of the day and to Olivia Manson (Year 11) who was hot on her heals claiming the second fasted lap. Well done also to the Year 7 and 8 team of Missy Brazier, Elektra Covell and Isabelle Bridge who finished in a very commendable 3rd place out of 15 teams.
Colwell and Anya Evans who was also awarded the trophy for the fastest Minor runner. In addition Leweston enjoyed a podium place in the Senior/Intermediate competition (for girls in Years 9 and above) with the team taking 3rd place. A full breakdown of results can be downloaded at www.leweston.co.uk
Leweston Take Top Honours in the Mendip Cross Country League Leweston’s teams performed superbly at the final Mendip Cross Country League fixture to secure gold and silver medals in the overall league standings. Good runs from Kate Bickerton and Missy Brazier ensured that the U13 team finished 2nd out of 7 schools in the league. The U14 team of Elizabeth Tolly, Portia Manson, Sofia Garcia-Sainz and Elsie Gibbs performed superbly to win the league, with Elizabeth, Portia and Sofia being placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively in the final league standings (pictured). A fantastic achievement.
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Junior Department European Languages Day Friday 26 September saw a colourful start to the morning when children arrived in a variety of European costumes to mark the ‘European Languages Day’. There followed a lively assembly where everyone had the opportunity to practise saying hello in many different ways. The children also learnt just how many languages are spoken not just in London, but in the entire world. A wonderful day spent exploring the rich cultural diversity of the continent.
Hampton Court Palace In preparation for their historical study into life in Tudor England, the children in Year 5 enjoyed a trip to Hampton Court Palace with the girls in Year 11 at the Senior School. Their tour included a visit to the magnificent Great Hall with its spectacular tapestries and they even managed to meet Henry VIII himself (or a very convincing double anyway!).
Outstanding LAMDA Results for Junior Department Pupils Congratulations to all of the children who took their LAMDA examinations this year. Pupils from the Junior Department achieved an exceptional 22 Distinctions. You can’t get better than that!
Leweston Pupils Commemorate the First World War Pupils from across Leweston Junior Department took part in exciting and enriching workshops as part of their First World War topic. Children from Reception to Year 6 enjoyed learning more about the Great War from visiting historian Toby Stok of ‘Hands On History’, who dressed appropriately in military uniform to help bring the era alive. The children were able to investigate many different artefacts from the period and they all enjoyed practising their marching drill outside under the instruction of ‘Major Toby’.
“This day complemented many other activities being undertaken in the Junior Department to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War. Poems have been explored and written, names on the Yetminster memorial cross have been researched, and the Reception and Year 1 children have even made ‘Trench Cakes’ in cookery.”
The Harvest Mass of Thanksgiving Thank you to all parents, pupils and staff who brought in donations for the Sherborne Food Bank at the Harvest Mass of Thanksgiving in October. The Mass was orchestrated by Year Five who confidently led the bidding prayers, scripture reading, altar serving and the offertory procession. The Chapel Choir and Schola excelled themselves in singing harvest anthems for the Mass.
Victoria Bridgeman-Sutton - Senior Teacher
JUNIOR DEPARTMENT BRING WW1 TRENCHES TO LIFE The Junior Department have marked the centenary of the outbreak of WW1 by creating incredible replicas of the trenches used during the conflict. The variety of materials used and the imagination required surpassed all expectations and resulted in the children developing a far greater understanding of the conditions suffered in the trenches.
“I am very grateful to all students and staff who work hard to rehearse these pieces and lead our worship in song. My thanks go to the Maintenance and Catering teams for creating the visual spectacle of our Harvest Mass and crowning our celebration with fruit, freshly baked breads, pumpkins, apples and other fruits and seeds from the Leweston grounds. It was such a treat for me to experience the Leweston Harvest Mass for the first time and to have the Reception class for faith activities during the first part of Mass.” Dr Genevieve Cox Chaplaincy Coordinator
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Grandparents’ Celebration Morning
It is never too late to further your education, as was evidenced by the many Leweston grandparents who eagerly joined the Junior Department for the annual Grandparents’ Celebration Morning in September. Grandparents of pupils across the school attended their grandchildren’s lessons and listened to prayers specially written for them by the children in the Chapel. The morning was topped off with a delicious lunch. We look forward to next year’s event.
Year 6 Explore the Lulworth Landscape
Leweston Year 6 pupils enjoyed an exciting and informative trip to Lulworth Cove during the first half of term. They were given a fantastic tour of the area by one of the Lulworth Rangers who clearly explained the history of this part of the Dorset coastline, with specific reference to the geology and human habitations of the area. The pupils were fascinated to discover the Lulworth Crumple, Stair Hole and Durdle Door. Bronze Age burial mounds were also explored and all the children managed to complete the two mile round trip on this most popular part of the South West Coast path, linking Lulworth to Durdle Door. The warm September weather completed a wonderful day for the Year 6 class who take back to school many first hand experiences of coastline formations (and erosion) to study further during the year ahead. 20
Junior Department Supports Macmillan The Junior Department was delighted to present Chrissie, a representative from Macmillan Cancer Support, with a cheque for £117.99 raised by the school’s participation in ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ held in September. Thank you to all who came along to support, drink coffee and buy cakes for such a good cause!
Stepping Back in Time The pupils in Year 3 have had plenty of opportunity to take their learning outside of the classroom, participating in several field trips this term. The first was a science visit to Lyme Regis where they studied changes of habitat over time. With the help of Old Antonian, Kate Acheson, they compared what the area was like two hundred million years ago using the fossils they found as evidence. They then searched in rock pools to study the type of organism that can adapt to many changes including temperature and salinity. This was followed by a history visit to Maiden Castle and the Dorset Museum in Dorchester. The children were able to experience how difficult it would be to attack an Iron Age hill fort. They visualised how different the area would have looked two thousand years ago and then they went to the Dorset Museum where they investigated many artefacts dating as far back as 50,000 BC! 21
Remembrance Poetry In the run up to Armistice Day, the children in Year 3 wrote some very effective and emotive World War One poetry. Their poems were mounted on poppies which are displayed in the School. An example of one of the poems can be seen below.
Remembrance
The Junior Department Service of Remembrance We were delighted to welcome local residents Sue Drewett and Daphne Barfoot to the Junior Department on the morning of Armistice Day. Sue and Daphne joined the Year 5 pupils and took part in the School’s Service of Remembrance. Year 5 had been researching the fate of some of the servicemen who departed from the village to fight in World War I. The children had many questions for Daphne whose relatives, Thomas Bennett and brothers Walter and Herbert Gould, had been a part of their research and they were interested to see photos of all three and find out a few new facts. A copy of their finished research has been presented to Sue Drewett, secretary of the Yetminster Historical Society and was displayed at St Andrew’s Church in Yetminster alongside a selection of models of the trenches made by some of the children before being added to the archive. 22
The sky is grey and the wind is howling Soldiers march, mile after mile Some run away, some stay and fight The injured bodies lie broken in fright. Some survived the dark scary noises Collapsing in fear as the shells drop around The thunder of guns seems never ending But finally, suddenly, the nightmare stops. All is now quiet where once they attacked But never forget, just never forget Soldiers lived and soldiers died A pointless war and wasted lives. Loki Marsh, Year 3
Pupils Raise Funds for the Poppy Appeal Well done to the Year 6 pupils who sold poppies for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal at Leweston in November. Year 6 Charities Captains, Grace Pilkington and Eve Fidler, organised the event, selling over 35 poppies in just three days and raising nearly £50 in donations. A fabulous effort to commemorate the great contributions our servicemen and women have made.
A Spectacular Bonfire Night Pupils, parents and friends of Leweston enjoyed a fantastic Bonfire Night on Wednesday 5 November. The grounds were bathed in the glow of the magnificent bonfire whilst guests tucked into a delicious hog roast and watched the spectacular fireworks explode across the night sky. A wonderful evening enjoyed by all!
Leweston Shows Its Stripes...Spots, Onesies and Pyjamas for Children in Need! Leweston pupils donned their favourite onesies in aid of Children in Need in November raising over £200. Thank you to all who donated.
Junior Pupils Impress at
Autumn Concert THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT AUTUMN CONCERT WAS HELD ON TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER. THE EVENT SHOWCASED THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC TALENT IN THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT, WITH FANTASTIC PERFORMANCES BY INSTRUMENTALISTS AND LAMDA GROUPS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE PERFORMERS ON A WONDERFUL CONCERT!
Christmas Jumpers Raise Money for Save The Children
Christmas Fair raises over £2,000 for Julia’s House The annual Leweston Christmas Fair was held on Thursday 6 November in the Manor House. The wonderfully festive event welcomed visitors from across the region to browse the extensive
selection of stalls and boutiques. Thank you to all the stallholders and to all those involved in the Fair’s organisation for making it such a fabulous day.
Pupils and staff enjoyed wearing some very festive attire on the penultimate day of term in aid of Save the Children. The variety and vibrancy of Christmas jumpers was spectacular and some pupils even customised their own jumpers, showing great creative skill. Well done all! 23
Father Christmas and his Reindeer Collect Donations for Operation Christmas Child 24
On Tuesday 18 November Leweston Junior Department travelled to local garden centre Bailey Ridge to donate over 50 shoeboxes packed full of useful goodies to ‘Operation Christmas Child’. The shoe boxes were transported to underprivileged children around the word by none other than Father Christmas and his reindeer who were at Bailey Ridge to receive the shoe boxes from our pupils! Every year the Junior Department donates shoeboxes to ‘Operation Christmas Child’, the World’s largest children’s Christmas project, run by the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse. Leweston Junior Department is incredibly grateful for the welcome they received at
Bailey Ridge and the opportunity to hand over their shoeboxes in person.
“The children had taken real love and care when filling their shoeboxes for ‘Operation Christmas Child’. They are aware how much they themselves have and how lucky they are. As a School we are delighted to be supporting the project and hope that our donations will help to bring joy into the lives of disadvantaged children. Being able to hand over the gifts to Father Christmas and his reindeer made the whole occasion magical.” Mrs Bridgeman-Sutton Senior Teacher
Handmade Christmas Gifts Leweston Junior Department were delighted to welcome local Jewellery maker Shelley Mcloughlin for a creative workshop at the end of term. During the session, pupils enjoyed crafting clay beads and using them to create individual and personal Christmas gifts for friends and family. Some beautiful gifts were created and will undoubtedly be gratefully received by their recipients!
Christmas at Leweston Junior Department
The autumn term was brought to a close with the Junior Department Carol Service in the School Chapel. The children in Reception and Year 1 delighted the audience of family and friends with their Nativity play and the School Choir sang a mixture of well-known and less well-known carols. The service also featured a beautifully performed solo by Year 6 pupil Sophie Worrall. A fitting end to another successful term at Leweston Junior Department.
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Nursery Nursery Children to Receive Specialist Swimming Tuition
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LEWESTON NURSERY IS EXPANDING! Due to the high level of demand for Nursery places across the age range, we are delighted to be opening a new specially designated room for our rising three year olds in the spring term. This space will join onto our baby and 2-3 year old rooms which will remain in their existing location. We are delighted that so many families are joining the Leweston community and that this new space means that even more children will be able access the exceptional education offered at Leweston.
Nursery Activity Mornings Continue to Delight!
We are delighted to announce that during the course of the spring term, Leweston will be offering a weekly specialist swim session to all the children aged 3 and over in our Nursery. These lessons will be led by Ali Parnell, a qualified ASA level 2 teacher and will focus on improving water confidence and swimming ability through play. This specialist tuition comes at no extra cost to parents and will take place in Leweston’s School Pool. We look forward to seeing the children’s progress next term!
The Leweston Nursery Activity Mornings continue to grow in popularity with record numbers of parents, grandparents and toddlers attending the two events this term. On Thursday 9 October we hosted the ‘Forest Skills’ Activity Morning. The inclement weather did not dampen any spirits with the participating children spending a wonderful morning making leaf pictures, clay hedgehogs and woodland crowns, as well as playing with conkers and enjoying a sing-a-long. At the end of term, parents and toddlers returned for another fun filled morning of Christmassy craft. Children enjoyed making snow biscuits, ‘Wise Man’ crowns and 3D Christmas trees. They were also given the opportunity to dress up as a Shepherd or a King and were able to enjoy fun with foam, ice and sparkly playdough. A particular highlight was the singing session, where everyone joined in with the well-known Christmas Jingles. A wonderful morning full of festive fun and seasonal cheer! Thank you to all who attended these events – more photos can be seen on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Leweston. You can find out more about future Nursery Activity Mornings on our website www.leweston.co.uk
Junior Department Sport
GOLD FOR LEWESTON AT THE DORSET SCHOOLS’ BIATHLON
National Modern Biathlon Medal Winners
Congratulations to Anya Evans (Year 6) and Lily Amor (Year 5) who were awarded medals at the National Biathlon Championships at the end of November. They were selected to represent the Dorset Pentathletes following excellent performances at the Dorset Schools’ Biathlon event earlier in the term. Anya won GOLD in the U12 Team competition and finished in 17th place individually. Lily won Silver in the U11 Team competition and finished 11th individually. We look forward to the girls’ continued development and to the 2015 Biathle season. 28
Leweston kicked off the Biathlon season in style securing some fantastic results at the Dorset Schools’ Biathlon time trial held at Leweston on behalf of Pentathlon GB in September. Congratulations to Year 5 pupil Lily Amor who was crowned the Dorset U11 champion and to Year 6 pupil Sophie LyonsMontgomery who put in an exceptional performance to finish 10th in her first competition of this nature. In the U12 girls event Year 6 pupil Anya Evans finished 4th with Izzy Colwell (Year 6) finishing in a fantastic 7th place. Joined by Year 7 pupil Elektra Covell in the U12 event, Anya and Izzy finished as gold medal winners in the school teams competition. Anya and Lily’s performances meant that they were selected for the National Finals which took place in November.
U11 HOCKEY TEAM QUALIFIES FOR REGIONAL FINALS Congratulations to the U11 hockey team who have qualified for the regional finals in March 2015 following their excellent performance at the In2hockey schools tournament at Talbot Heath this term. Good luck girls!
Leweston Relays 2014 Over 350 competitors representing schools from across the South West descended on campus for the Leweston Cross Country Relays in November. The Junior Department’s team of Lily Amor, Erin Cassingham, Izzy Colwell and Anya Evans claimed first place in the Minor Girls division beating 24 other teams! Congratulations to Anya Evans who was also awarded the trophy for the fastest Minor runner. A full breakdown of results can be downloaded at www.leweston.co.uk
In other Cross-Country News… Congratulations to St Margaret House who were victorious at the Inter House Cross Country competition in November. There were brilliant performances across all years. Well done to the winners and to everyone that took part.
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Year 10
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Friendship, Music, Art and Advent: Leweston’s Retreat Programme The girls in Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 have all been involved with Leweston’s retreat programme this term. Year 7 were the first with their action packed two day retreat to St Gilda’s in Langport focusing on the theme of friendship, helping them build those all important relationships at the start of their time in the Senior School. Next were the Year 11 girls who spent a day reflecting on the theme of relationships, followed by the Year 10s who explored the concept of ‘Expressing Faith Through Music’ taking part in Taize and Choral song workshops! Year 9 enjoyed a wonderfully colourful and creative retreat on the theme of ‘Expressing Faith Through Art’ and finally the Year 8 girls enjoyed a day at the Catholic parish in
Sherborne exploring the meaning of Advent in December. We look forward to the Sixth Form Pilgrimage at the end of the summer term.
“It has been a joy to hold retreats for Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 this term. The retreat activities have varied a great deal to cater for different interests and age groups. I am pleased to say that the aim of providing active, thought provoking and prayerful days for each year group has been met with wide success.” Genevieve Cox Chaplaincy Coordinator
Leweston Raises over £3,000 for Charity Leweston girls have raised over £3,000 for 7 different charities this term. As well as the annual CAFOD fast day, Leweston pupils have donned pink, spots and stripes and Christmas jumpers to raise money for Breast cancer, Children in Need and Save the Children, and have been prolifically baking for cake sales in aid of the Ebola crisis and Sherborne Voluntary Ambulance. The Leweston Christmas Fair raised over £2,000 for local charity Julia’s House and the School’s production of Table No.2 raised funds for the Samaritans. 29
} Boarding Aspiring Boarders Enjoy ‘Monkeying Around’ in Junior House After the success of previous years, this year’s Junior House Boarding taster was met with eager anticipation. The weekend did not disappoint and the house was full to bursting with girls looking at joining Leweston in September 2015 as well as some of our own girls who were trying boarding for the first time. The weekend’s theme was ‘On Safari’ and the House was decorated to the extreme with the staff even donning monkey outfits for the occasion! After a busy evening exploring the Leweston grounds, enjoying safari themed craft activities and a film night, the girls spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at Monkey World in Wareham. It was a fascinating trip during which the girls learned about the work the Monkey Sanctuary is doing to rescue and rehabilitate these amazing animals before swinging through the trees themselves at the Great Ape play area! It was soon time for the happy explorers to be collected – some wishing that their parents might just forget them so they would be able to spend another night ‘monkeying around’ in Junior House. We look forward to welcoming you back in September 2015!
International Debate 2014 Congratulations to the 10 Leweston girls who took part in an international debate in December with students from Sherborne Boys, Sherborne Girls and Sherborne International College. The seasonal topic for the debate was ‘This house believes Santa is an unjustifiable deception.’ Leweston would like to congratulate all of these pupils for their fantastic efforts. They were truly a credit to the school: animated, engaged and intellectual. 30
Record Boarding Numbers! We are delighted that this term has seen a record number of girls choosing to board at Leweston. There are over 136 pupils full or weekly boarding with more girls flexi boarding than ever before as well.
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Open Mornings 2015 Friday 13th March 2015 Nursery and Junior Department Open Morning 10.00 – 12.00
Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2015 Joint Schools Open Morning 09.45 – 13.00
Saturday 6th June 2015 Nursery Open Morning 09.00 – 12.00
Dates for your Diary… Monday 26th January - Tuesday 27th January 11+, 12+, 13+ Scholarship Days (September 2015 entry) Friday 30th - Saturday 31st January Year 8 Boarding Taster Saturday 7th February Sixth Form Ball Sunday 1st March 19.30 Choral Society Concert in Leweston Chapel Monday 6th - Saturday 11th April Biathle camp hosted at Leweston
Saturday 9th May Gaudy Reunion for various leaver years Weekly Events: Parent and Toddler: Every Thursday from 09.00-11.45 at the Junior Department Aquatots: Every Wednesday from 10.30 -11.30 in the School Pool For more information about any of these events, or to register your attendance, please call 01963 210783 or email office@leweston.dorset.sch.uk
Monday 30th March - Thursday 10th April Easter Fun Club LEWESTON SCHOOL, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 6EN 01963 211010 ADMISSIONS@LEWESTON.DORSET.SCH.UK WWW.LEWESTON.CO.UK Leweston is a registered charity number 295175