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Pride Month
Issue 20 • Summer 2023
STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF CLAREMONT SCHOOL
Three cheers for the winning team!
Claremont is an official BBC Young Reporter School!
Claremont’s The Arrow wins the First News Editorial Team of the Year 2023! By Tristan, 7P Our team of young reporters has scooped a major prize at the prestigious First News School Newspaper of the Year Competition. School publications from around the world, including Australia and Mexico, entered so this is a huge achievement by our news team. The judges liked our sense of community, as well as the quality of our stories and articles. They celebrated the support we receive from Claremont Family & Friends (formerly Friends of Claremont School) charity, and our local designer Tracy Jones of Pebble Creative Media. Working together as a community means we achieve more! Thank you to everyone who helps us become the best young journalists we can be, and to Mrs Perry and the Eco Warriors for working together on the Save Our Sea campaign. Headteacher Mr Bunker, said: "What a fantastic achievement INSIDE: Our Voices are Heard, pg 2
by our young reporters. This award recognises their hard work and tenacity as journalists of the future. Each term, the school community, which we are so proud of, looks forward to the publication of The Arrow." Claremont Principal Mrs Collins said: “We are so proud of our journalists at The Arrow. They are learning skills as young people, which will serve them well for their Mr Catt being a good sport future studies and working life, for Fundraising Week! and especially as we are a BBC See the full story on pg 7 Young Reporter school.”
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ECO SPECIAL FEATURE
Our Voices are Heard! By Nico, 5B and Leon, 5S The Claremont Eco Warriors along with Student Council members and reporters from The Arrow went up to Parliament in London last term to present our petition about sewage spills in our sea. We asked our local Member of Parliament for Hastings and Rye, Ms Sally-Ann Hart to take the issue seriously, with our Save Our Sea campaign, and added our voices to the Eco Warriors with the reponse to our petition many others protesting against this type of climate pollution. We all signed the petition, and spoke to the MP inside the Palace of Westminster, and we felt we had made a change. Even though we are children, our voices have been heard because the government has raised the fines for dumping sewage, and MP Ms Hart took the time and effort to write to us, thanking us for standing up proudly and doing something. Our petition P002821 was presented to the House by Ms Hart, who placed it behind the Speaker’s Chair in the House of Commons Chamber. The Guardian has since reported that English water companies have offered an apology for the sewage spills, and will invest £10 billion into prevention, and there is a new Plan for Water published by the Government in March setting out targets for overspill reduction. We put our MP under a lot of pressure when we questioned her. We demanded answers to some difficult questions. We participated in democracy!
Government responds to our Save Our Seas Petition! By Joe C-S, 7P The Secretary of State for Defra, Therese Coffey, has produced an Observation to our Petition, which was submitted by Hastings and Rye MP, Ms Sally-Ann Hart in the Houses of Parliament. In this observation, the Rt Hon Dr Coffey said: “The Government would like to thank the petitioners for raising the important issue of sewage spills in Bexhill and Hastings.” Defra, which is the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said it published its Plan for Water this year, and said the volume of sewage discharged by the water companies is unacceptable. Despite this, sewage spills keep happening. Reporter Joe C-S looked up the Safer Seas & Rivers Service app before going to press, and despite the government’s promises, the overflows they said will stop, are still taking place. Each area like Bexhill, or Hastings or Brighton, there is a marker to show where the storm drains are. If there is a cross against it, it means that sewage has been dumped in the last 48 hours. At the time of writing, both St Leonards and Bexhill had crosses meaning sewage pollution alerts were in place.
Southern Water makes waves at Claremont!
Learning about sustainable systems with Southern Water & Southern Water visits Claremont!
By Eco Warrior Mrs Perry Southern Water came to talk to us after we ran our Save Our Sea campaign to stop storm overspill sewage pollution in our ocean with a petition to Parliament. We heard they have 6.4 million customers for wastewater and 2.4million to supply water to. Problems arise when huge rainfall means the network gets full to capacity. We cannot turn rain off! Jo and Gary represented the water company that supplies East and West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They said there can be too much water to cope with, and they are processing as much as they can at the treatment works. One treatment works gets 3,000L per second and when it is heavy rain, it can be 9,000L or more. If water comes too quickly, biological treatment cannot happen so they have to try to keep the treatment works operating as much as possible. There are six massive storm tanks, and when the last one is full, the excess has to go into a pipe and out to sea. If pipes stopped sending water out to sea, the wastewater would flood homes, businesses, schools and gardens. The
original system was put in place in Victorian times to ensure wastewater did not end up in the community. Thirty years ago, only 30% of wastewater was treated. The Peacehaven Plant, which has been in place for fifteen years - now treats 95% of wastewater – meaning only 5% escapes the system! So, why not build more storm tanks? Climate change is a big issue, water doesn’t infiltrate dry ground but storm tanks are made of concrete and not very environmentally friendly, so Southern Water is trying to find nature-based solutions. Rain planters which collect rainwater from roofs and water butts are two important solutions that SW have been testing in parts of West Sussex and the Isle of Wight. We also saw how important permeable surfaces are for allowing rainwater to infiltrate the ground and not run off into the sewers. Houses and buildings surrounded by grass and trees will absorb much more rainwater that those that just have tarmac drives, or even worse, astro turf! It is also possible to build permeable driveways. These greener solutions are much better for wildlife too, as well as looking more attractive. A Southern Water spokesperson said: “As part of a £2bn investment in our network between 2020 and 2025, we are exploring innovative nature-based solutions to either slow or keep surface water out of sewers. We have ambitious targets to significantly reduce storm overflows by 2030 across our region. Our ongoing work in the Hastings and Bexhill area includes the installation of digital sewer level monitors which use artificial intelligence to pre-empt blockages and issues as part of a £15m project.”
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ECO SPECIAL FEATURE
A Green Coronation! Claremont students have celebrated the Coronation by creating an incredible green legacy both for the school and the community. More than a thousand trees have been planted by the amazing 21st Eco Warriors planting (Claremont) Beavers, Cubs and Scout A green Coronation! wild flowers to celebrate group, while our Eco Warriors are & From tiny seeds...wild flowers grow! planting wild flower beds in the orchard, as part of Earth Day and the Coronation of our new king. Arrow reporter Harriet, 5D, asked Akele, a.k.a Mrs Page-Matkin, some in-depth questions about the eco initiatives. Mrs Page-Matkin said: “We are continuing our quest with The Queens Green Canopy, which started last year to celebrate the late Queens’s Platinum Jubilee, with the backing of HRH King Charles III, to plant as many trees as possible.” Claremont will be featured as a pin on The Queen’s Green Canopy website: www.queensgreencanopy.org!
One Thousand Trees! By Arrow reporter and Cub, Harriet, 5D I interviewed Akele, a.k.a Mrs Page-Matkin, about the amazing Earth Day and Coronation activities. We are planting one thousand trees here at Claremont! Q: “Please describe our Earth Day celebrations in Cubs?” A: “We’re planting as many trees as possible.” Q: “What kind of trees are we planting?” A: “We’re planting a wide selection: Common Oak, Silver Birch, Bird Cherry, Common Alder, Field Maple and Hazel!” Q: “How many trees will we plant?” A: “More than a thousand trees will be planted just by us!” Q: “How do we plant trees properly to make sure they don't die?” A: “Making sure they are well-watered when planted is vital. If you’re planting young bare root plants, maybe add a tree guard to protect them from rabbits. Check on the young trees regularly and keep weeds away from the base.” Q: “Is there anything else Cubs have done for Earth Day? A: “We continue to talk about reusing and recycling, and how to reduce future damage on the planet. Also, all Beavers, Cubs and Scouts will be planting a tree in a pot to take home.”
Water Companies Apologise! The Arrow reporter Toby J takes a look at national newspaper The Guardian’s recent article about the new measures announced by English water companies after public pressure, which Claremont School was part of. By Toby, 7P Water companies in England have apologised for ongoing sewage spills and have pledged to invest £10 billion this decade in an attempt to quell public anger over pollution in rivers and seas. The companies will triple their existing investment plans to drive funds into the biggest modernisation of sewers. Environment Agency figures released earlier this year, showed there were a total of 301,091 sewage spills in 2022, an average of 824 a day! The spending on more than 350,000 miles of sewer comes on top of the current £3.1billion being spent between 2020 and 2025. Water Facts Timeline via the Government’s new Plan for Water: By the end of 2023 – 100% of storm overflows will be monitored.
Letters to the King! By Lara E, 6C Students from Claremont have written two letters to our new king. Using only oak galls, iron sulphate and water, Year 6 created homemade ink in Forest School. This ink was used to write an official letter of congratulation to King Charles II, using goose feathers and paper. Through history, important documents such as the Magna Carta, the Royal Charter of Rights from 1215, were written using this precious ink. Oak galls are leaves that have developed into a hard sphere because gall wasps have laid eggs inside the acorns. These are the steps we undertook to create the ink and quill: Step 1. You must identify and collect these galls to create the ink. Step 2. You must then crush them until it is a powder, which is a tricky task! Step 3. Pour the powder into a small amount Ancient writing of water. techniques Step 4. Filter your oak gall water through cloth. Step 5. Add iron sulphate, which blackens the ink, and there you have it, your homemade oak gall ink! As you can imagine, writing with goose feathers is not very easy. You have to make sure to direct it at a slight angle to make sure your cursive looks lovely. Miss Holmes said: “We felt the King would approve of the eco ink-making and the fact oak gall ink was used only for documents of Royal or historical importance. The ink was indelible (meaning it cannot be erased), which made it perfect for formal documents. Many famous documents from history were written in oak gall ink. The Magna Carta, the American Declaration of Independence and the transcript of the trial of Guy Fawkes to name a few.” Reporters from The Arrow also wrote to the king, asking if they could go to Buckingham Palace to interview our monarch!
2020-2025 – £7.1 billion invested by water companies on environmental improvements (including £3.1 billion in storm overflows). August 2020 – Storm Overflows Taskforce set up. November 2021 – Environment Act created to address pollution and force water companies to publish overspill data, and a duty set in law to reduce adverse impacts of overflows. August 2022 – Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan published. £56 billion invested over 25 years to upgrade infrastructure ie the Victorian sewage pipes system! February 2023 – All water companies need to form an action plan for every storm overflow, especially those spilling into bathing sites and nature sites. March 2023 – £1.1 billion of new investment by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Ofwat (Water Services Regulation Authority) to eliminate 10,000 storm overflow discharges. March 2023 – Government’s Plan for Water launched to meet new targets set in the Environment Act.
SPORTS SPECIAL
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Sunshine on Sports Day! By Henry A, 7P This year's Sports Day was amazing and the sun shone all day! Lots of students competed, trying their best and going for gold, or at least, points for our three houses: Sparta, Corinth and Athens. There were many events, including the races, high jump, javelin, cricket ball-throwing, long jump and the relay, which always ends the day. It was wonderful seeing so many parents and teachers cheering the children on who were trying their absolute best, which is what Sports Day is all about! Head of Outdoor Learning, Mr Brownbill, who shot the starting pistol, said: “I always love seeing students for whom competing might not be their main passion, and their determination in taking part. “Sports Day is accessible and fun, with a great spirit of competition! It’s nice we can share this with parents again too. Thank you to all the Claremont staff who make this event possible.” Intrepid reporters, Joe M, 3C, Leonardo R, 5D & Jacob C, 5S, reported from the field on the day. There were a few nerves from students. Riley, Bruce, Oli W and Josh E all said: “We feel nervous but excited!” Mrs Peña said: “It’s always a great day, watching the races and seeing what our students can achieve.” Friendship, community, competition and determination were the main themes of the day. Max W added: “I hope to win some events, but I will be exhausted!” Well done to all our competitors!
Claremont Principal Mrs Collins enjoying the Sports Day sunshine Mr B shoots the starting gun_ Ready. Steady… Go!
Celebrating Sports Day success! Raring to go! Sports Day excitement
Coronation Celebration Party! By Joe M, 3C, & Faraz, 3W The whole school came together to mark the coronation of King Charles III – and celebrated with a right royal party! Students dressed up in red, white and blue (some even came in ermine), while Mr Bunker was draped in a British flag and wearing fun Union Jack glasses! Parents, staff, guardians and students ate cake, ice-cream, burgers and hot dogs while playing games and drinking lemonade in the sunshine. The coronation of a king is an unforgettable event, and it was so exciting!
Having fun at the Coronation Party & I say old chap!
Mr Bunker said: “The coronation was a day for the community and King Charles urged us all to go out and give back where we can, which is very much the spirit of Claremont. We hope he can do as good a job as his mum!” Claremont Friends and Family (CFF) generously gave a Coronation pin for every child’s lapel as a legacy for the school.
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SPORTS SPECIAL
Inspirational Emma! By Henry A & Tristan, 7P We interviewed Emma P, a 15-year-old Claremont sensation who plays for the French women’s cricket team. She played whilst revising for her GCSEs! Recently, the team played in the ICC T20 Division Two World Cup qualifiers – in a series against Italy, Germany, Turkey, Jersey and Sweden at international level. They won, and so in September, Emma goes to Spain to play Scotland, Italy and The Netherlands in the Division One qualifiers. Emma said cricket is a growing sport in France and there are only four women's teams. She started playing in Year 4 at Claremont, and was the first girl to play hard ball. Emma is a right arm pace bowler, who has taken nine wickets for France and prefers bowling to batting. She bowls 55-60 mph on average! Emma was picked for the French national team when she went on a school cricket trip to Nantes. Emma, who gave our reporters a bowling masterclass, said: “A lot of people don’t like the idea of women playing sports as they have oldfashioned patriarchal attitudes. This means that people think women should not become sportspeople, saying we are ‘not built for sport and should stay in the kitchen!’ This isn’t true. Women and girls can do whatever they want in life.”
Bowling masterclass by amazing French national cricketer, Emma P
Do you want to succeed in sport? Emma had these tips: 1. Hard work always pays off. 2. Be very resilient as sport, especially cricket, is a mentally difficult game. 3. Judge your performance, but not too harshly. 4. Keep going!
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Female Role Models at Claremont
By Headteacher Mr Bunker Here at Claremont, we are on a mission to develop girls in sport – and leadership. Emma P, and others such as Charlotte W who is in the Sevenoaks Hockey Talent Academy and the England U16 development squad, are examples of strong female leads in their chosen fields. Mrs Hurst, Miss Holmes, Miss Burvill and Mrs Bonnici lead
Astonishing Emma P! & Leonardo R shows impressive technique during Emma P's bowling masterclass
our female sports department, while Mrs Bonnici is behind the junior lifeguard awards. The number of girls playing hardball cricket is increasing, which is great to see, and there is always a strong mix of female and male roles in the performances our drama team produces. We are incredibly strong in promoting leadership with girls, our head girl and prefects are brilliant examples of the way girls are leading, creating opportunities for themselves and others. Recently, I was approached by three Year 8 students, Varnika, Olive and Amelia, who made a business plan to support their project raising money for MIND, the mental health charity. As a school, we want equality in opportunity for every student, and to encourage this kind of entrepreneurial mindset.
SPECIAL FEATURE
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Amazing Activities Week
Outdoor adventures during Activities Week 2023! & Fantastic London trip for Activities Week! & Archers during Activities Week & Year 8 is ready to rock (climb) in Activities Week!
By Harriet & Leonardo, R, 5D Claremont students had an amazing Activities Week this term. Our pupils from Year 3 to Year 8 had great fun. The main events included a London trip, a trip to Barcelona and the New Forest, rock climbing, outdoor adventures, lifeguard training and a Greek day! Year 5 went on the London Eye and enjoyed a boat tour down the Thames River. Year 6 went on a residential trip to the New
Forest where they did archery, orienteering and kayaking. The Year 4 group went to the Big Sing and sang extraordinarily well. Year 7 went to a water sports park and had the time of their lives while the Year 8s had adventures in Spain. Thank you to Mr Ware and everyone involved in organising these amazing experiences!
Upcycled School Shop
Celebrating the upcycled CFF shop
By Henry A, 7P & The Arrow news team Timber with footprints from the old school playground forming part of the main desk. Brackets from the old climbing frame forming part of a display. Unused plastic boxes upcycled and filled with equipment for sale. The only part of the fantastic new Claremont Family and Friends (CFF) charity shop that is new are the screws! The Arrow joined the Eco Warriors to meet CFF chairman Mr Page-Matkin at the opening of the shop this term. Mr Page-Matkin said: “Alongside all the usual pre-loved uniform, we’re going to stock water bottles, sports equipment from cricket and football to wet suits, and we hope this will be a meeting space as well. We intend the shop to be a real asset to the school. There will be a space for eco products from the Eco Shop, and a coffee machine for visiting parents! Please give as many donations, especially of sports kit, to us as you can. Every penny goes into supporting the work of Claremont School.” The CFF do lots of amazing things for our school. Every child received a Coronation pin for their lapel, and the charity regularly hosts events, providing refreshments and raising money for projects and initiatives, such as The Arrow!
Colour and pattern in Aboriginal Dreamtime paintings
By Faraz, 3W Year 3 drew Aboriginal artwork exploring Dreamtime themes and using the dry paint method. This means we used the paint without water, with a clean, dry brush to make textures. We used our imaginations and let our minds go wild. We made patterns out of different coloured dots, like the native Australian Aboriginal people did to make Dreamtime stories to describe myths and legends.
SPECIAL FEATURE
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Unstoppable Dan Freedman By Leonardo R, 5D & Toby J, 7P Dan Freedman is a phenomenal sports writer and author who loves football and has worked with professional teams in the premier league! Mr Freedman writes books about football, and he came to Claremont to speak to us about them. He told us that when he was a journalist for the England football team, he met loads of amazing people like Nelson Mandela! Reading Enrichment and Learning Mentor, Ms Bauer, who organised the event, said: “It was incredible to have Meeting Dan Freedman! Dan speak to our students and impart his wisdom on all things football, reading, writing and most importantly, how to foster resilience and a strong commitment to our vision and goals. His new book, “I Am Lenny Brown”, which was released in June, is now being reviewed by some of our students who were eager to begin reading our signed copy!"
I Am Lenny Brown - Book Review By Ellie B, 5B Although I haven't finished this incredible book, I can say it's a massive inspiration! It is about a boy called Lenny Brown who lives with his dog Rocky and his mum. Sadly, his dad dies and he has this problem that he can't talk in public. He becomes really nervous. He wants to talk but can't, something stops him. At his old school, his teacher understood him, but at his new school there is a boy called Cameron who bullies Lenny about how he can’t talk. There A gifted signed copy of Dan is a girl called Layla who stands up for Lenny Freedman's latest book! (he likes her). Layla loves football, so Lenny tries to train himself to do well in football (he plays it with his dog Rocky!). I love this book because when you read a chapter, it leaves you on a cliff hanger and you just want to read on. It is also really good because it reminds you that even if someone doesn't talk much, then we shouldn’t bully them. We should remember there may be a lot on their minds, and life could be quite overwhelming. I think that Dan Freedman didn't just think of an idea and write it, he took his time and worked hard to put it together. I like Dan Freedman's books because they're so adventurous, and they grab your attention. He inspires me to reach for my dreams and never to stop believing even if something is in your way or impossible. So, don’t let anything stop you. Keep believing in yourself and never stop. If something is in your way, don’t let it block your dreams. Always see the light in the darkness. On the front of I Am Lenny Brown, it says: ‘There’s more than one way to find your voice’. This is so true because I felt lost when I had to move from Spain to England. I had no friends and didn't know what to say, but I've made great friends. I could barely speak to people when I just moved. I was so scared, and I didn’t tell my parents I felt this way because they might have panicked, but trust me, you must tell a person you feel comfortable talking to.
FUNdraising Week!
Cream pies and high jinks! for the Fundraising Week
A poem by Harriet, 5D, & Joe, 3C Fundraising is so fun, Fun for everyone. Everything and everyone are joyful, And raising money for good causes is so cool! From Christmas trees to raffle prizes, Two lucky dips and the money rises. Fundraising week was so much fun Mr Catt getting wet was number one! Each house chose a charity to raise money for: Athens raised £551.05 for MIND, a mental health charity. Sparta raised £522.95 for Make-A-Wish UK, which grants wishes for children with lifethreatening illnesses. Corinth raised £376.10 for Afghanaid, which supports men, women and children in Afghanistan.
The Wilderness Exhibition '... thirst for a never-ending adventure...' The stunning Wilderness exhibition held in the Chapel as part of a cross-curriculum collaboration; English, Art and Drama creating a magical show
SPORTS SPECIAL
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HOT TOPIC - HOMEWORK! By Tristan, 7P Homework was introduced to the UK just after the Victorian era in 1905 as a punishment for students who misbehaved in class! But, does this mean we should still have it today? There are lots of reasons we might dislike it: it can be a contributor to stress for students, and studies have shown that students from schools with no homework achieve better exam results! Students with no homework get more rest and sleep, enabling their brains to absorb more information during the day, and have a more open mind set for studying. No homework also reduces screen time because most homework is on a computer! If we can’t sleep at school, then we shouldn’t study at home! Arguments FOR homework! By Lara, 7B, & Harriet, 5D
After some fierce debate, Arrow reporters got the low down on homework at Claremont
On the other side of the argument, homework is a good way to remember what we learnt in lessons. In ancient Egypt, all schooling (if you were wealthy enough to be able to afford it) was done at home. Although the ancient Greeks didn't do homework, it was only because they trusted the goddess Athena to bless
What do you think?
1. You can catch up on pieces of school work you might have missed. 2. You can learn more than you do at school. 3. You can work as long as you want, unlike in lessons, and carry on learning about something that interests you. 4. Homework can be a source of entertainment, whilst educating you!
the children to remember the learning. Homework is also good for taking us off video games! Headteacher Mr Bunker came to The Arrow to hear our arguments for and against, and to give Claremont’s reasoning for work done at home. Mr Bunker said: “Since I’ve been a teacher (18 years), we’ve debated homework. Lots of cultures where they don’t have it do well in exams. There are convincing reasons why we have it at Claremont though. We do a lot of performing arts and sport, and so homework is the way we consolidate academic learning. The time limit is key to understanding what you can do in the time allowed, and helps us measure progress.” Arguments AGAINST homework! By Tristan, 7P, & Ryleigh, 3C
1. Your parents tell you every day to do homework, which is annoying because we want to rest or relax. 2. We need to have a life outside school, and homework can stop us from doing this. 3. Homework is tiring, and it can be stressful if you forget to do it. 4. We learn enough in school so why should we have to do more at home?
By Tristan, 7P Across 1. What is the name of Mrs Ackerley’s dog? (5) 3. What is the name of this newspaper? (5) 5. What is the name of the continent we made a flag for? (10) 7. How many pages does The Arrow have? (5) 8. What is the name of Claremont Principal, Mrs Collins’ dog? (7) 9. Which month does the school year start? (9) Down 2. What was the name of the club, run at break times by Mrs Francis? (9) 4. Who runs the school council? (7) 6. What type of bird is represented in the Claremont logo? (7) 10. In November, some of us run the Dobson ______. (4)
Down : 2. Geoclinic, 4. Señora O, 6. Swallow, 10. RaceAcross : 1. Effie, 3. Arrow, 5. Antarctica, 7. Eight, 8. Charlie, 9. September
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