TWGSB School Magazine: Eclectics 2015-2016

Eclectics 2013-14

ECLECTICS 2015-16

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys

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Leavers’ Prom

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Eclectics 2011-12

Eclectics 2015-16

Headteacher’s Foreword Head Student’s Report School Awards Science, Technology, Maths & Engineering Future Planning Sixth Form Media Studies History Drama Geography English Library Art Physical Education Music Duke of Edinburgh Year 12 Philosophy and Ethics - Athens Year 8 Outward Bound - Devon Year 10 MFL - Madrid Year 7 MFL - Paris Sports Day Activities Week ‘in school’ School Photograph

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Front Cover Logo Design: Andrew Charlton, 13B Back Cover Photo: Jonathan Bourne, 13E

TWGSB, St John’s Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9XB www.twgsb.org.uk l facebook.com/twgsb l twitter.com/twgsb

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Eclectics 2015-16

Headteacher’s Foreword Welcome to the 2015-16 edition of “Eclectics”.

This year, as I sit down to write my introductory comments, I do so knowing it is for the last time. Spending the last ten and a bit years as Headteacher of this fine school has been the highlight of my professional career and has never been less than an honour. Watching each edition of “Eclectics” take shape has always been a particular pleasure.

entirely on the measurable we will lose sight of what is really important. Of course, I accept that excellent examination results are part of that, but my greatest source of pride, my greatest satisfaction, is in seeing the boys who join us in Year 7 becoming such fine young men, ready to leave us at the end of Year 13 prepared to make their way in the world and to be a positive influence on it. Those core values, their character, is so important.

The magazine reflects and reports many of the outstanding projects, activities and successes that the school – and its students – have completed during the last academic year. It is hard not to be inspired by the contents. Indeed, I trust that current students will be!

It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to be Headteacher at this school. To students and colleagues past and present and to the countless parents who have supported their sons and daughters and this school, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you. I have loved this job and it has brought me so much pleasure. I know I am going to miss the school (by which I mean all the people) enormously after I leave. I suspect I don’t yet realise how much. However, I will keep a keen eye on how everyone is getting on and I hope I will see a few of you at future events or on the touchline at county finals.

In preparing for this introduction I looked back at the first Headteacher’s Comment I wrote after a couple of months at the helm where I introduced myself to the school and set out some of my thoughts and beliefs. On re-reading that introduction I am struck by on one hand, how much has changed and on the other how much remains the same.

Of course many staff, and all the pupils, have changed over ten years but the determination to do well, to work together, and the enthusiasm for learning within staff and students remains as much a strength as it ever was. Ten years ago I set out my desire to improve the fabric and facilities of the school and in some areas, most notably the 3G pitch, we have succeeded, but more remains to be done on that front. I also explained how I had taken a number of assemblies and set out my core values of Respect, Excellence and Determination. I conservatively estimate several hundred assemblies have followed, many referring implicitly and explicitly to the same values – and there will be time for a few more before the end of December.

I do get frustrated that the modern world seems so desperate to measure everything it can in a school and try to distil all these measures down to a single grade. Much of what this, and other great schools, achieve is not easily measured but is evident in the young people who leave the school after seven years. I fear that if we allow the system to focus

With every best wish to you all.

Mr J G Harrison, Headteacher

Eclectics 2015-16

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Head Student’s Report Having attended TWGSB since 2009, I had the privilege last year of representing the school in the role of Head Student. I am very proud of everything that the Head Student Team and Senior Prefect Team achieved, and I look forward to younger years in the school profiting from the improvements that continue to be made to Sixth Form life. As I leave the school, I will look back on the year with pride and a wealth of fond memories.

The capacity of TWGSB to develop well-rounded young people was once more demonstrated in all year groups, resulting in excellence in both academic and non-academic fields. The 2nd XI and the U17 football team deserve special mention for their especially successful seasons, each winning their Kent Cup competitions. Off the sports field, I was privileged to watch the school’s soul band - the ‘Groove Merchants’ - perform with exceptional professionalism at a number of gigs, and plenty more musical talent was on show at the school concerts.

The diversity of talent at TWGSB continues to be an invaluable asset of the school community.

Each year the Head Student has the opportunity to select a charity for the school to fundraise for.

I chose to raise money for Calcutta Rescue Fund, a small charity working in Kolkata, India, to provide medical care, education and school training to children and adults living in the slums. The charity’s belief in equipping everyone with the tools to create

opportunities for their future truly echoes the ethos of TWGSB. By supporting this charity, I wanted us as a school community to both recognise how lucky we are, and to use that privilege to help those who are not so fortunate.

We organised a variety of fundraising events during the year, including Own Clothes Days, the Fun Run, the Christmas Party, and cake sales, overall raising £5263.92. This year also saw some radical changes to the Sixth Form Common Room, replacing the flooring and furniture as well as adding a pool table and painting a mural on one of the walls (see p17).

This required some separate fundraising, which brought the fundraising total for the year to almost £6000. I would like to thank all the students, staff and parents for their tremendous contribution.

The year was a real challenge, but one which produced remarkable achievements and significant improvements to the school environment. I would like to thank my team of Deputy Head Students and Senior Prefects for their tireless proactivity which made everything we achieved possible, and Ms Fernandez and Mr Harrison for their support throughout the course of the year. I wish all the best to next year’s Head Student and Senior Prefect team, and I wish the school and all of its students a happy and successful future.

Asa Kerr-Davis, Head Student 2015-2016 Senior Prefects: Freddie O’Connell, Llywelyn Colnet, Will Welford, Alex McDougall, Anna Jennings, Matthew Barber, James Holland, Charlie Mahood, James Gray, Robert Norman, Fabian Kommu, Ben Price (deputy), Harry Whitehouse, Joe Massey (deputy), Jessica Abbott (deputy), Asa Kerr-Davis (Head Student), Funmi Sobamiwa (deputy), and Elliot Nicholds (deputy).

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Eclectics 2015-16

Sixth Form Awards Subject

Year 12

Year 13 (leavers 2015)

Art

Aaron Mesnard

Amelia Ryan

Biology

Jack Greener

Simon Masters

Latham Cup for History

Tom Nichol

Business

Cameron Wenham

Ellen Hayman-Gearing

Alex Jackson

Chemistry

Alex Walsh

Sabina Rahman

The Norman Dodd Maths Cup for Progress during KS4

D & T Graphics

George Fryett

Daniel Jakes

Thomas Connolly

D & T RMT

Tim Rowe

Lewis Church

The Mervyn Davies Cup for Service to the Community The Arkwright Scholarship

David Robson

Economics

Robert Marsden

Harvey Osbourn

English Literature

Tom Nichol

Joseph Clark

The Jed Grayston Trophy for Service to the School

Joshua Rapley

English Lang/Lit

Aaron Mesnard

Harry Cozens

The Strong Cup for Extra Curricular PE

Jake Smith

French

James Comben

Daniel Best

Further Maths

David Robson

Harvey Osbourn

Geography

Amy Wharrier

Ross McCracken

Government & Politics

Tyron Surmon

Andrew Everest

History

Tom Nichol

Gregory Hall

ICT

Eleri Sarsfield

Joe Lynch

Mathematics

Miller Grice-Davies

Joseph Pontin

Media Studies

Mishaal Memon

Ben Bovington-Key

Music

Daniel Wild

Physics

David Robson

Joseph Pontin

Physical Education

Max Borland

Jamie Weller

Philosophy & Ethics

Max Borland

Ross McCracken

Psychology

Alice Walsgrove

Sociology

Jamie Goodge

Alexander Skerman

Spanish

Chris Boxley

Austin Lovell

EPQ

Simon Blewett

Year 12

Year 13 The Dobbo Cup for Sporting Endeavour

Daniel Kommu

The Barnard Humanities Cup for Outstanding Performance in a Humanities Subject

Gregory Hall

The John Fowle Award for Dedication to the School

Harry Cozens

The Best Design of the Year Award

William Grooms

The Michael Reidy Cup for Senior School English

Simeon Blewett

The Michelle Roberts Plate for Psychology

Alice Walsgrove

The Watts Spirit of Sport Cup

Hamish Wyatt

Eclectics 2015-16

KS3 and KS4 Awards Subject

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Art

Joshua Perrett

Adam Marshall

Peter Young

Daire McEwen

Biology

Harrison Smith

Ruben Dascombe

Jess Hobbs

Harry Bradshaw

Chemistry

Tom Treutenaere

Rohan Gupta

Ryan Baldock

Lewis Roe

D & T RMT

Theo Tite

Sam Gardiner

Matthew Hooper

D&T Food & Nutrition

Charlie Drew

Adam Flint

Oliver Beadle Samuel Mihalceanu

D & T Graphics

William Hawksfield

Paul Cameron

D & T Electronics

Owan Newman

George Shaw

Drama

Arran Donald

Nicholas Peters

Luke Willis

Inigo Percival

English

Tom Treutenaere

Edward Jennings

Thomas Brian

Ethan Arnold

French

Joshua Perrett

Louie Stickland

Rory Sturgeon

Max Wilch

Henry Westhorp

Luke Taylor

Andrei Espenilla

Spanish Geography

Theo Tite

Charlie Clay

Ben Baker

Will Shoosmith

History

Ollie Brooks

Isaac Rayor

Archie Harding

Will Shoosmith

ICT

Sam Leech

Harvey De Jesus

Louis Mayes

Aiden Wallis

Mathematics

Owen Abbott

Daniel Hayes

Jacob Ludman

Ben Austin

Music

Joseph Romans

Finn Palmer

Ethan Turrell

Felix Billington

Physical Education

Ben Poulsom

Louis Swaby

Jack Gallagher

Ben Austin

Physics

Felix Ledger

Andrew Tsoi

Archie Harding

Matthew Hooper

Religion & Philosophy

Bruno Page

Louie Stickland

Harry Francis

Henry Patient

Business Studies

Edward Smith-Dunlop

Geology

Samuel Mihalceanu

Media Studies

Charlie Alldis

Statistics

Tarek Hinde-Ahmed

Year 7 John Else Football Cup

Alfred Rule

Gill Madin Cup for Creative Writing

Benjamin Wilson

Will Carus Cup for Determination

Joshua Perrett

Year 8 Andrew Wood Cup (Football)

Kyle Anson

Andrew Wood Cup (Tennis)

Hamish Ironside

Chess Cup

Ruben Dascombe

Jeanette Jenkins Maths Shield

Dillian Guelfand

The John Harmer Plate

Jacob Farrell

Year 9 and 10 Les Jones Cup for Geography

Felix Brooks

Gerry Fowler Cup for DT

Nat Wolfe

Judy Green Science Cup

Jess Hobbs

Jane Buttery Art Prize

Adam Flint

The Carnegie Cup for Reading and Debating

Leo Henry

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STEM TeenTech On the 20th of June 2016 both me (Cameron Wardrop) and Tom Rowley went to the Royal Society in London for the TeenTech final for 2016. As soon as we got there we could see the amount and variety of projects taken on by the students from up and down the country. For the entire day we were showing our idea to all the judges (which was quite interesting!), companies and students alike as well as them pitching to us. There was a massive amount of high profile business people and celebrities looking at the students’ work throughout the day, including Maggie Philbin, the CEO of TeenTech, and Professor Brian Cox. Although we did not win an award we still had a fantastic time at the Royal Society, and I am not likely to forget this day in a long time.

Cameron Wardrop, 10G

The Dungeness tour Have you ever wondered where your electricity comes from? No, nor have I. However, ten of us took the rare and exciting opportunity to visit one of England’s nine currently active nuclear power stations. Placed in a northern desert, in Dungeness; the Dungeness B power station supplies electricity to millions of homes in Kent. It is one of the few advanced gas-cooled reactors in the world today.

The tour started with a brief overview of the plant and its workings, it then proceeded to close-up looks at the different stages of the plant. We were taken through the different components of the machinery; from water intake through to reactor before cooling room, each with its own expanse of amazing technology. The tour taught us about many different aspects of nuclear energy and made us feel a lot more positive towards the use of uranium when generating electricity. The amount of radioactive waste that is produced is minute compared to the damage that coal-fuelled power plants do to the environment. For every bus-sized lump of coal, the amount of energy produced is the same as two uranium, fingernail-sized, pellets. Furthermore, we didn’t just see the working plant, we also saw Dungeness A which was decommissioned in 2006. It is amazing the depth of safety that EDF Energy take into ensuring that nothing is missed. All components

have recently been removed bar the reactor which will be monitored closely for the next hundred years before it can be dismantled in 2115.

The afternoon was spent with some of the latest EDF Energy students who were volunteering as part of their university degrees; they took us through the many different jobs that occur at nuclear power plants. There were many more than we first expected with over twenty different student degrees required to build and function one. Then we were shown the different career paths that could lead to a job with EDF Energy, at one of their power plants.

They showed us all the different routes that we could take through various different stages in our education to apply to one of their schemes. The day really encouraged us all to think about the value of nuclear energy, and also the ways in which we can use our educations to improve the world we live in.

Will Shoosmith, 10D

Eclectics 2015-16

STEM Faraday IET Day For the IET. day we had to programme a Micro:bit to help and improve an aspect of life.

We used a programme called ‘touchdevelop’ to send signals to our micro:bit. We made the micro:bit into an alarm clock to wake up a traveller on a journey, such as: a bus trip or a train journey. We chose this as many people travel around the world and miss their stop by accident. So hopefully this will sort out lots of problems.

I enjoyed: • Programming the micro:bit • Showing our micro:bit to the judges • The free food!

• Planning and developing our micro:bit to help the world • Learning new ways of programming a micro:bit • Finding new apps that helped us to program the micro:bit

There was a lot of pressure on us to complete the task on time but I really enjoyed learning new ways of programming a micro:bit, finding new apps that helped us to programme the micro:bit and feeling like we were real engineers.

Overall I would like to do this IET. day again as it was really fun.

Jory Launder, 7K IET = Institute of Engineering and Technology

Year 8 RiskIT Year 8 pupils take part in a competition organised by MEBP and Kent STEM. They were given the task of designing and building a prototype of a vehicle or device that could be used to rescue survivors of a natural disaster. There were some incredibly imaginative ideas and some impressive looking prototypes produced.

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STEM Coventry University Engineering Department On Friday 11th March, a group of fourteen students travelled to Coventry University to experience some of the factories, laboratories and technology within the Unipart of the engineering department. Our tour organiser, Ian Wilson is a senior lecturer in Mechanical, Automotive and Manufacturing at the University and has had previous contact with the school for other STEM activities.

The tour started with a look at the development laboratory of a joint company of the University, Unipart Manufacturing. The brand new state of the art building holds the key research currently going into building machinery which can be used by automotive companies such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Land Rover and Jaguar in their high-performance cars. Mr Wilson showed us one technician who was programming an 8 axis welding robotic arm that enables multiple tasks to be performed. He proceeded to demonstrate the successes of the laboratory in its short 12-month lifetime. The materials that are being used for the exhaust systems in the high-performance cars have been significantly reduced in weight by using thinner materials, some as small as 0.5mm. However, such delicate materials require a new class of machinery to cut and process them and that was the role of the laboratory. We also had the chance to view the chassis and engine of an Aston Martin Vantage and the exoskeleton of a new Jaguar XF estate.

Then, one of Mr Wilson’s first-year students, Henry Lee, took us round the factories next door which were using this new technology. We saw the exhaust systems of all sorts of cars being manufactured on a large scale – it was mind-blowingly impressive.

The factories’ input is reliant on timing as their demand varies; they have to work under high pressure often at short notice.

After lunch, we were taken to see an EDM cutting machine in action. It uses a charge and brass wire to cut through metal by decaying the material rather than coming into physical contact with it; which can cause the shape of the material to warp. The technology was amazingly futuristic and allowed us to see some of the latest techniques used in the manufacturing of cars. Furthermore, another of Ian’s students showed us a device he had created from the Lego Mindstorms kit which solved a Rubik’s cube for the user.

Mr Wilson then took us to the main Coventry University building where we saw some of their machinery. They have a wind tunnel, steam tunnel, dynamometer, an array of cutting machines, 3D Printers and a Harrier Jet that we got to sit in, and that’s only floor one of seven. Ian gave us a talk about applying to the University and what he specifically would look for in students who apply. It was soon time to leave. Despite the prospect of the three-hour drive home waiting for us, the day was absolutely fantastic and gave us a great insight into Coventry University and its workings. It also opened up new contacts with Coventry University that the school can use in the future.

We are all extremely grateful to Ian Wilson for the tour of his department, Mrs Zachary for organising the trip and ‘Captain’ Kirk (Mr Kirk) for driving us all the way to Coventry and back.

Will Shoosmith, 10D

Eclectics 2015-16

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STEM Mathematics Maths in Motion World Final On the 22nd of June Ben Hencken (7K) and I went to the Maths in Motion world final and raced against 31 other schools, including schools from Scotland and Spain.

We started off the day by meeting Lord Digby Jones. We then had to create our cars and set them up for a tense race. We had an hour and a half to create a car which we thought was good enough for a strong finish; we would start the race from 7th out of 32. We had a quick lunch and looked round the museum. After lunch, we went back into the main hall and watched the teachers and pupils race. Mr Young came second in the teachers’ race. The main event followed.

After a very exciting and close race we came second losing out by 14 seconds. As we finished on the podium we received some prizes including a Jaguar key ring (Jaguar are the main sponsor), a Jaguar cap, a Maths in Motion Final Clock, a certificate each (and 1 for the school), a radio controlled Meccano Car and a trophy for

each of us. We also won a laptop cabinet for charging laptops for the school. It was an amazing result and it didn’t sink in for a couple of days! We were both really pleased with the result. If you want to join Maths in Motion speak to your maths teacher.

Danny Jones, 7K

Invicta Maths Challenge In the weeks leading up to the heats, the two teams practiced once a week at lunch to refine our logic skills and try and understand the type of questions we might be asked. Some weeks both teams did really well, others everyone found it hard, so these sessions were also helpful in showing our weaknesses as individuals, not only as teams.

The heats were held at Invicta Grammar School on the 22nd of January. Both of our teams tackled several difficult tasks in the hopes of qualifying for the final. These included timed questions, relay questions in which half the team has to solve a question in order for the answer to be used in the other pair’s calculation. Other challenges were multiple choice or large, unseen questions which could be on any area of maths in KS4 or KS5. Out of 14 Teams, only 7 from this heat could go through; the team I was in came 4th, and the other came in 11th.

The remaining team having had a few more weeks of practice went back to Invicta Grammar School on the 22nd March for the final. This was very similar to the heats in terms of format; however we were now facing some stronger teams. Therefore unfortunately we came in 5th, Tonbridge Grammar School taking both 1st and 2nd place.

Overall, I would strongly recommend anyone with a passion for maths to get involved if given the opportunity, as not only is this a great competition in which to represent the school, but it can actually be quite fun.

George Rutt, 11E

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STEM West Kent Math Challenge Team: Fynn Goodhew (7E), Sam Leech (7E), Jake PullenGreen (7K), Tom Treutenaere (7K) On the 28th June 2016 we went to Weald of Kent Grammar School for a maths challenge which was very exciting. After several rounds of questions and reasoning, we came out on top, a single point clear of Skinners.

We were very good at the Sudoku and finished first. We also finished first in all of the other challenges including a cups and saucers game and some mental arithmetic.

Mrs Peadon was very happy with our win and so were we. Among the other participants were Weald of Kent, Skinners, Skinners Kent Academy, TGS , Hillview, Hayesbrook and Hugh Christie.

Jake Pullen-Green, 7K

We had different trails to test our teamwork, problem solving, strategy and quick thinking. We worked well as a team and thought of different tactics to answer each question.

We had a question on shapes and making ten 2D five cubed shapes and had to think of a way to find all the different solutions of all ten and how to make a rectangle with them all. We had two Sudoku problems one with cubes and one with cups and saucers. We also had a maths quiz with twelve questions.

We tried our best and worked well as a team and some people were better at certain questions so we had a variety which worked well with the questions.

I had a really good time and had lots of fun working as part of a team to answer questions and I think I improved my teamwork skills and fast thinking.

Fynn Goodhew, 7E

Year 7 Inter-House Maths Competition After an extremely competitive day, Ospreys and Kestrels tied in first place. Well done to all who took part.

Kestrels (Jack Butler, Joseph Romans, Ben Hencken, Danny Jones, Shrey Patel, Jacob Quinton-Hale, Jack Dewar, Sam Chard).

Ospreys (Archie Foad, Jed Jago, Harvey HarrisTanzer, Dylan Manser, Ben Chapman, Harrison Smith, Andrew Saunders, James Aris).

Ospreys: joint-winners

Eclectics 2015-16

STEM Electronics

Smart Phone Mount, Matthiew Collyer,11K Plant Monitoring System, William Allewell, 11M

Scale Modeller’s Storage Unit, Remy Brooks-Johnson, 11H

Art Deco inspired Speaker System, Thomas Cubbon, 11M

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STEM Resistant Materials

Picnic Hamper, Alfie Talbot,13I

Medication Trolley, Reece Rooprai,13I AA and AAA Battery Storage System, Douglas McCoy, 12J

Landrover Breakdown Recovery Storage System, Liam Draper, 13C

Eclectics 2015-16

STEM Graphics

School Band Promotional Material, Ollie Manser, 11K

A flat packed model of a Victorian Factory, Robert Kurilov, 11F

Diner, George King, 12F

Diner, Jamie Prescott, 12A

Architectural Model, Tom Wiles, 13J

Architectural Model, Stefan Wright, 13J

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STEM Food and Nutrition

Year 7 Christmas Cakes

GCSE Food and Nutrition

Eclectics 2015-16

Future Planning Oxford and Cambridge University Visits Early in March 2016, students from Years 10, 11 and 12 were given the opportunity to visit Queens’ College in Cambridge and St Hugh’s College in Oxford. After an early start, meeting at school at 8:15, we then suffered the torment of the morning rush hour as we attempted to make our way to Cambridge while surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the morning traffic. Eventually, we found ourselves arriving at Queens’ College, where Mrs Corp, explained her past traumas of nearly being hit by a ‘flying intellectual’ on a bike, while admiring the unique architecture of Cambridge. This story was then put into context when we left the coach and witnessed a flock of ‘flying intellectuals’ pass us by. We then continued to the college and were met warmly and invited for a guided tour of the facilities by students in their second year at the college.

The tour was extremely informative as we were able to interrogate a current student who was eager to answer any questions that we had. The vast facilities available to the students were more social and fun than I originally had thought. The bar area and the squash and tennis courts were all places for the students to ‘chill out’ in between study time; many places throughout the college were available.

The integrated church and library allowed students to almost never have to leave the college, except

for classes and lectures. The ‘buttery’ (posh for canteen) provided all the meals for the students at very cheap prices, with surprisingly delicious food.

We then had a talk with the admissions administrator, who answered many of our more specific questions about admissions to both Cambridge and the College. He also gave us some useful tips and sources that we should use to maximise our chances of being accepted into the University. This was very helpful for all the students involved as it gave us an idea of what the Universities look for when deciding who to give offers to.

We then had some free time to explore Cambridge in small groups. For our group, this time was spent trying to decide what to do in the free time and then proceeding to not do anything in the free time and perching six people on a park bench. We then bid our farewell to Cambridge and set our sights on Oxford, which was also another painful journey as we collided with the afternoon rush hour.

We arrived at the Youth Hostel where we had dinner and went on a mid evening tour of Oxford, guided by Mr Ross. Here we saw how the features of the town differed from Cambridge and started to form a personal opinion as to which we preferred.

Personally, I was surprised at the lack of bikes in Oxford compared to Cambridge, this factor made it seem more like home than the Harry Potter like streets of Cambridge. We then returned to the Hostel and all promptly went to bed after a long day.

The morning was another early start as we had decided to have free time before the college rather than after. After brief deliberation and a spot of rain, our group finally decided to actually take advantage of this free time. McDonalds.

After what we were told would be a brief walk up the road (which actually seemed more like a mile trek) we found ourselves arriving at St Hugh’s College to the North of Oxford. This time we had a talk first, which was extremely detailed and informative. So much so that it was quite awkward at the end when the speaker asked for questions and there was a long silence.

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Sixth Form After a brief biscuit break, the rest of the day followed a similar format to Cambridge, a guided tour of the facilities. It was great to see the differences between Queens’ and St Hugh’s.

Queens’ being more true to its heritage with older buildings where as Oxford took the more modern approach with new technology playing a huge part in the function of the college. The new ‘Dickson Poon’ building was the most modern and from its top, there was a great view over the city of Oxford. After lunch in Oxford we headed home, this time missing any of the traffic making it a much more pleasant journey.

Overall, the experience of visiting these colleges at two of the top universities in the world was amazing.

The standard of the students and teaching was off the charts and has been for hundreds and hundreds of years. To have the admissions administrator give us tips was a big help and will definitely put us on the right track to being able to have the honour of taking part in further education at one of these universities. It was a brilliant experience.

Ben Austin, 10A

Mock United Nations General Assembly MUNGA plays a vital role in helping young people to understand the global issues which face today’s society. William Delves, 13C

Head Student Charity

Asa Kerr-Davis presents a cheque to Sean Duggan from Calcutta Rescue

Sixth Form Induction at Bewl Water Team-building exercises

Eclectics 2015-16

Sixth Form Year 12s Activities Week in School The focus of the week for Year 12 students in school was ‘Future Planning’: preparing students for their university applications and for the world of work.

Students took part in a number of activities throughout the week to prepare for practice interviews as well as teambuilding exercises.

This included Admissions Officers from the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Reading and Sheffield visiting to deliver personal statement workshops.

Every student had the opportunity to take part in a practice interview. Over 50 volunteers (including parents, grandparents and governors) came into school to interview Year 12 students providing invaluable preparation for both university and

employment interviews. In addition, there were subject and careers talks taking place which provided further insight for students considering their future career path.

Students undertaking the Extended Project Qualification took part in the Extended Project set-up day, a crucial opportunity to understand the expectations of the course, begin to develop project ideas and develop the right project focus. Those students not undertaking the EPQ were able to take part in a cultural trip to the capital visiting the Tate Modern and the South Bank.

Students were able to spend the final two days of the week either doing work experience, volunteering or attending university open days.

Fundraising This year’s fundraising saw some radical changes to the Sixth Form Common Room, replacing the flooring and furniture as well as adding a pool table and painting a mural on one of the walls.

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Media Studies

BBC School Report is a great event which develops our journalistic skills. We had to create a news report which would be put online on the 10th March. From October we started planning and deciding what our topics were going to be. They were the European Referendum, Bullying in School, Obesity, Bus problems and Creative Subjects in Schools. We went to Tunbridge Wells town centre to interview a few people about their views on these subjects and also interviewed a local GP. Overall it was a great opportunity to get involved in and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Henry Morrell, 9E

Eclectics 2015-16

Media Studies

Year 12 Trip to Wilderness Wood The 18th of November in 2015 was a Wednesday, so frankly it should have been rather unremarkable.

However, for a select few, this was not the case.

On this date, a group of budding, Year 12 media students embarked on an immense journey from Room 43 to the unforgiving and bitter Wilderness Woods, a distance of about 15 miles. Their task: to produce a preliminary, short film in preparation for AS Coursework, and the planning, production and shooting of their own horror film openings. Armed with cameras and production gear aplenty, the Spielbergs and Kubricks teamed up and scouted the untamed forest, performing a location recce to find the most horrifying, the most wit-cutting, and the most filmically appropriate corner of the no-man’sland to, for example, stage a murder in or...stage a different murder. Murder was evidently just a dial away.

Some hours (and a non-vegan lunch break) later, the afternoon was given over to principal photography, with directors, writers, actors and best boys (and Natalies) throwing caution to the

wind, and prompting a heavy dose of off-the-wall, guerilla filmmaking. Footage was shot, tripods were muddied, people were shot (or at least made to look like it), and by the time the sun was setting over frosty hills and windswept treetops, the makings of eight excellent short productions were safe and sound in their pockets. All that was left was the editing, a word which here means “yelling at your group members for the sake of preserving artistic integrity, and hopefully making a film in the process.”

Though over a year ago now as I write this, the Wilderness Woods filming trip remains fresh in my mind, as my first true experience creating my own production. Though all of us went on to produce even better films, whether as a part of our coursework or outside of the subject, I think we could all look back and see something special and skillful in them, considering the timeframe they were made in.

Some of the work we went on to be a part of is available to watch on the TWGSB Media Studies YouTube channel.

Taran Knight, 12I

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History Year 9 Normandy

very cool to walk around. Outside they even had a replica of one of the allied landing craft, we were later told that it was used in the movie ‘Saving Private Ryan’.

Afterwards we took the coach to Pegasus Bridge where some of the German battlements were still present which gave you a feel of what the British glider pilot regiments who landed there must have felt. Whilst at the museum we saw the original Pegasus Bridge. It still has remnants of the battle such as bullet holes. The Pegasus Bridge, originally situated by the Battlements, was moved to the museum so that it would remain preserved. A replacement bridge was then built over the river.

The First day started early which may have made others tired but just made me more exited for the trip to come. The journey didn’t feel long but that might have been because I was listening to music for the duration of the drive.

On the Tuesday, after we had arrived and settled in, we went to Juno Beach where we had a very good tour of the Bunkers, which was very interesting, and the staff were very happy to answer all the questions we asked, such as ‘why are the ventilation holes in the wall so close together?’ the staff member answered by giving us a demonstration which was throwing a rock (imitation grenade) through the top ventilation hole and seeing it come through the bottom hole, the ventilation holes were actually a deterrent which prevented the ventilation shafts from being blown up by the allies!

After the tour we went to the museum and had a look at the memorial dedicated to all the Canadians and allied men who died at Juno. Whilst there, many students bought clicking ‘Crickets’ which would be banned if it annoyed any of the teachers especially Mr. Kern. ‘Crickets’ were used in the war to help the soldiers communicate with each other; however, this backfired as the sound imitated that of a German gun reloading which caused many unnecessary deaths. We then went to a German Headquarters which British paratroopers didn’t pay much attention to at first. The entire bunker is still intact and was

We also saw a Memorial and later the remnants of one of the Gliders used with uniforms of the infantry who took part in the battle. To finish off our first day in Normandy we visited the Merville Gun Battery, which even had a room where you experienced the sounds of gunfire and explosions while watching a video of a battle. This was a great first day to start our Normandy trip.

The next day we went to the Bayeux Tapestry where we had an audio headset tour which told us about why ‘William the Bastard’ came to England to defeat Harold, King of England and consequently became William the Conqueror, King of England after the Battle of Hastings. After the tour we walked to the Bayeux Cathedral where we learnt a tiny bit about the building and its architecture, which I enjoyed. We also went to Château de Falaise where we walked around with tablets which allowed you to see what the castle would have looked like in its time, over a thousand years ago, using virtual reality. The Castle is where William the Conqueror was born.

On Thursday we went to a German war cemetery where we saw how small and compact the graves were. In the middle of the cemetery there was a mound where over 100 Germans were buried.

Point Du Hoc was next on the list, this was what I had been looking forward to most and for me it was the best part of the trip as you could explore so many German Bunkers that are still intact. Being in the German Bunkers gave me a sense of what

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History it would have been like at the time. Next we visited the American war cemetery at Omaha Beach, it amazed me just how many graves were present, all you could see were rows of white crosses marking the soldiers that had died. In comparison to the German cemetery this was huge. What shocked me the most is that actually more people are buried at the German cemetery but you do not get a sense of this by the mound that was built there. Our picnic was eaten at Omaha Beach and we saw another memorial as we walked. After lunch we visited Longues sur Mer Battery, here we saw four of the guns and the command post bunker. We finished the day by going to Arromanches where we saw the remnants of a port which had been transported from England by boat so that the allies had a working port in Normandy, something that the Germans were certainly not expecting to find.

For the final day we were able to visit a British war cemetery, we put a wreath down to pay our respects before we headed back home to England, like the other cemeteries we had visited during our trip the feeling of calm and tranquility reigned over all of us.

It had been an exciting and interesting trip, whilst also allowing us to appreciate just how many had lost their lives to ensure that we are able to live ours today.

Ethan Turrell, 9E

Year 9 Ypres - December

Year 7 Battle Abbey - October

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Drama GCSE Adam Maurice, 10D: “The stage immediately grabbed the audience’s attention as we walked through the door with its grid like design. It had the labels ‘space’ and ‘time’ on it against a plain black background, this immediately gave the suggestion of mathematics which was a key theme throughout the performance. Some of the seats in the audience had a grey cover on them, these seats were prime numbers and attached to them was a piece of card explaining that Christopher (the main protagonist of the play) liked prime numbers as they don’t have rules. This gave a further sense of mathematics being important in the plot and also gave the audience an insight into Christopher’s character before the play even started.”

Leo Henry, 10E: “This brings me on to what I consider to be the best part of this play: that the entire performance is from Christopher’s point of view, that the story is told by him. This is shown by the fact that Christopher never leaves the stage apart from during the interval, whilst characters and scenes rotate around him, seemingly forming from his mind. The director also conveys this via interactions with other characters. Characters that he considers as friends, he is more relaxed, and these characters are often friendly towards him too. This is shown with his communication with Siobhan, who he regards as a friend. He is very open with her, and tells her about everything that he is doing, or planning to do. Siobhan spoke in a soft tone of voice, and was dressed in a neutral white.

Mrs Alexander also was quite friendly towards him, compared with the caricature portrayal of other characters. His dynamic with them is different to characters who are strangers to him. Elements of Berkoff are found as these characters are caricature and exaggerated. For example, other characters he meets when going from door to door are very brash and loud. His stepdad speaks loudly, has an aggressive tone of voice, and is inhospitable towards Christopher. It is also seen with characters he meets on the train journey, such as the shopkeeper, who accused him of wanting to steal a map and was hostile. Christopher’s vocal expressions also changed when speaking to unfamiliar characters;

The Curious Incident of t

the Dog in the Night-time

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his pace became slower, and was putting more emphasis on individual words, almost as if he was patronising them. These subtle changes reinforced Christopher’s black and white view of the world.”

Henry Raj, 10E: “The production used comic relief to help ease the tense atmosphere in climactic scenes such as when Christopher is investigating his father’s room and stumbles across his ‘dead’ mother’s letters to him - the tension was relieved by one of the actors from the ensemble eating a biscuit that he was supposed to be holding up to signify one of the items under Christopher’s fathers bed.

However, this is not just for comedic purposes for it changes the mood of the audience and can almost make it even more shocking when eventually the climactic event does happen. There was a great use of physical theatre to represent props such as the door to a home would be shown by a performer twisting an imaginary door handle. Lots of the furniture and things within the house of Christopher and his father were created by physical theatre such as doors, coat hanger and sofa, this meant that the sets could be changed swiftly and easily.”

Kile Simmonds, 10B: “All in all, Christopher hated being close to anyone no matter who they were and throughout the performance you recognised this due to his expressions and spatial positioning. With his parents if he was upset or angry they would raise out their hands palm out and would stay in that position until Christopher then did the same and both hands would touch. This was done effectively in almost slow motion which built tension until finally the hands would join and everyone in the theatre would relax as well as the actors on the stage. I think this is key in the production because it is the only time that Christopher would allow physical interaction with anyone at all. A key moment in the production was when he felt like his dad had betrayed him he would not touch palms with him at all. This showed to me that the connection they had was cut off hence why he went to find his mother.”

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Geography

Iceland

We spent the majority of the Monday travelling, having arrived promptly at school by 08:00 hours, we had boarded the coach by 08:15. The airport of choice being Gatwick, naturally that’s where we headed for. Having clung onto what little Icelandic Krona we had on us through duty free, we found ourselves on a ‘WOW Airlines’ flight to Keflavik Airport (where I have to say, I’m pretty sure that the entirety of Iceland were arriving to after their defeat in the Euros). Having survived the flight and retrieved our bags through a sea of men in blue football T-Shirts, we headed onto the coach to our first destination of the trip… a pizza restaurant.

From there, we made our way to the internationally acclaimed, ‘Blue Lagoon’, which, unknown to me, was actually right next to a power station which is what gives it its ‘powers’. However, having mastered the art of changing into trunks in an open changing room, we rather excitedly headed out into the fantastically healing waters of the blue lagoon! Our stay consisted mainly of coming across ‘puddles’ of mud on the floor of the lagoon, going to the saunas, deciding the saunas were a bad idea and finally, rubbing the world famous mud on our faces, an incredibly odd yet enjoyable experience.

The coach ride to the Selfoss Hostel consisted of mainly arguing over the rooming and staring at the incredibly strange yet fascinating expanse that is Iceland.

Another start at 08:00 hours prompt, saw us travel to Thingvellir National Park where we spent some time in the visitor centre before heading down the gorge to a small waterfall. Mr Ash took us through some of the geology of the surrounding area, which is a rift valley dividing the North American plate from the Eurasian Plate.

We then headed to the ‘headline act’ of the day, the geysers. I wasn’t that prepared for them in all honesty, particularly the largest one, as there is a misleadingly disappointing track that leads to the main and biggest one. The overbearing sound and size of the geysers was amazing and almost provided a watery end to a tourist’s drone that got just a little too adventurous. The geysers also provided an astonishing and loud backdrop to eating our lunch.

The next waterfall was Gulfoss. We were given the chance to go and explore briefly, before heading to

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Geography the coach. I have to say that I think it ‘went down very well’ with most of us! Our final destination of the day was an extinct volcanic crater, which kind of speaks for itself.

You guessed it! On Wednesday we were up and at breakfast for 08:00 before heading to catch our ferry to Heimaey. We headed from the ferry straight up the dormant volcano on the island, it was quite a steep and laborious trek but it was worth it for the view at the top! The volcano was almost completely a rusty brown color that was such a contrast to its surrounding landscape. We spent an hour or so here before we headed back to the docks for our boat trip around the island.

We headed out to sea to observe the island and its many seabirds, puffins and kittywakes. However, spotting a pod of orcas, soon after leaving the shore was incredibly exciting. This, along with the captain playing his saxophone whilst light danced on the walls of a cave he had taken the boat into made our boat trip experience completely surreal.

Back up the hill, we headed into a museum dedicated to the eruption on the island that took place 43 years earlier. The entire building was built around a house that was buried in ash and rock from the eruption that was excavated. This was incredibly chilling, and it proved to be a very informative exhibition.

Our last day of activities was kicked off by a short trip to watch a video about the Eyjafjallajokull

volcano. This followed the story of a farm and its experiences throughout the eruption.

We then visited the final waterfall of the trip where we were taught an optical illusion you can create there. The cliff appears to move if you stare at the waterfall first! We also explored, although our time was limited as we had to get to the next activity, this being my personal favourite.

The glacier was definitely the largest and the coldest place we had been on the trip, but it was an awe-inspiring moment. We had a hole digging competition with our ice axes and were navigating huge crevasses whilst taking pictures, getting used to crampons and being told some incredible facts about the glacier itself.

The final destination on the trip was Reynishverfi beach, this was particularly special as it was completely black.

The last evening consisted of packing and loading the coach ready for the 02:00 start in the morning.

The coach and plane journey was perhaps the quietest of the trip due to the catch-up on lost sleep!

Before long we arrived at the school and ran into the arms of parents anticipating the conversation as to what we did on the trip, which I’m sure in most cases, sounded similar to this!

Edward Shamwana, 10B

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English

Refugees They come! They come! In their thousands, Drawn to the light of a future, They run and flee from the dust of their lands Wary, but ever hopeful…

They linger like sober, restrained spirits, Caught up in No- Man’s Land, Living with disease, lice and nits, Struck down, but ever hopeful…

Adults scrutinize the future, Like tigers, morose and dying, Children do not play or talk with pleasure, Subdued, but still ever hopeful.

But, they send a message, So that people in the future can learn, They cannot live forever on the edge, They need us, and we must help them.

Alex Homard, 9E

photo credit: Jo Harrison / Oxfam

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English ‘Lord Of The Flies’ Play Review Regent’s Park, September 2015 When we went into the Amphitheatre we saw the set, it was a plane fuselage with suitcases piled up in front of it, part of the plane wing was stuck in the sand next to it creating a slope into the backstage where the actors would come out of. There were scraps of the plane scattered across the set with dispersed clothes hanging from trees.

The costumes that the actors were wearing were posh school uniforms, which 6 of them wore along with a graduation hat and cloak. Piggy was wearing normal everyday clothes, a purple jumper with a jersey and black trousers. Ralph was wearing a school uniform, which was different from the other boys, a blue jumper with white shirt and black trousers. The young boy (Percival) was wearing primary school clothes and a colourful backpack along with a teddy bear and hat inside. The final boy Roger was also in a slightly different school uniform instead of a jumper he wore a black blazer along with a white shirt and black trousers. Half way through the play everybody’s clothes changed apart from Piggy’s. Three of the boys became savages (Roger, Jack, and Maurice). They all wore tribal paint on their chests and faces with only a spear in hand and tattered shorts to wear. The boys who stayed with Ralph ended up just wearing their tattered school uniforms.

The effects the play used were sound cues, slow motion, smoke machines and fire. These were used extremely well because they created tension and at one point a jump scare where a parachute had fallen from a tree, however, they all thought it was the beastie inside their heads.

My 5 key moments of the play are…my first key moment is when the three boys who turned into savages killed their first hunt and they started to put blood on each other’s faces, this was the turning point where they separated into two groups them being savages and the others still trying to keep sane. My second key moment is when Simon died straight after the savages killed the pig. They all got worked up doing their tribal dance and they mistakenly thought Simon was the beastie so they killed him. My third

key moment of the play is Piggy’s death because they had tormented him for so long and the savages eventually killed him by pushing him off the cliff. This moment is key because Jack then thought to himself that only the strongest will survive so they planned to kill Ralph, this leads to my fourth key moment, which is the chase. This is where Ralph is running away from the savages through the forest. The savages plan to burn down the forest to find him. This moment is key because it leads to my next key moment where the army sees the smoke and saves all of them.

My favourite actor was Ralph because he had the role of the main character. He was so into his role that when his microphone had a malfunction he just carried on like it’s normal and just made his voice louder. I think he did very well here because most people would just panic and stop the play to fix it.

He also did very well because he was the leader of the group in the play and made it look as if he was the character because he remembered all his lines without stuttering at all.

My overall judgement of the play is that it was very well done and it related to the book with only some differences which is very hard to do with such a small set to work with. All the actors were very good because it is extremely difficult to imagine being stuck on an island with no adults to help you. The savages group did very well because if I was to be in a situation where I had to hunt down my own food I wouldn’t be able to do it let alone kill another human being. I would probably go insane and believe the beastie is real as well. I would recommend this play to anyone who wants to study “Lord of the Flies” or just have a good day out with the family or your school like we did.

Peter Norman, 10G

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Year 12 English Students visit Paris Diana, carved by Rodin Hunter Glazed eyes surveyed a scene of carnage, the hunter stopping a moment before loosing another steel shaft into the sweet flesh of their prey.

Stepping gracefully onwards with a carefully placed foot, white as marble and carved in the beauty of a goddess, she arrived at the corpse. A spasming limb, a wide, twitching eye, witnessing life drain from the body as crimson blood pooled outward. The woman’s lips parted slightly, as if but witnessing something serenely beautiful yet with a hidden maleficence that made her pause in a tired shock.

But it was a beautiful, clean kill. This satisfaction, satiation of the list for a perfect death to be dealt by my own hands overwhelms the mind, simply standing in the midnight stillness, relishing the moment, this art, beauty, the pinnacle of life.

She melted into the night, as if some lunar shadow, white cloth gently flowing with every precise movement. Diana showed no sign of excitement, satisfaction in her actions, instead moving her calm features towards the next animal to the slaughter, for it was her duty.

I laughed loudly. Even though blood coated only the corpse, I clawed at my hands, washing away my imperfect, wretched form, potential beauty wasted with every breath spewing from my lungs. Ugly, incomplete, corrupted. For I had come to realise that humans ascend to the purest form of beauty as a lifeless corpse, a fulfilled form, whole life leading to such a moment. Unique.

Gliding through the darkness, the pale figure stood, shining almost, with white ringlets cascading down smooth shoulders. A look of blank remorse set sculpted on Diana’s face as she ended a life for the gods.

The cold kiss of steel embraced my throat, and I was perfect.

Elliot Hicks, 12I

Year 12 English trip to Paris aimed to explore the city of love and the city of light; students wrote and sketched and reflected on Paris as well as visiting museums, galleries, the opera house and eating fine food.

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Library The South East Schools Themed Book Awards (SEBSTA) This club enables boys from all year groups to read books they haven’t read and talk about them with other boys and the librarians. Our theme this year was ‘First Impressions’. The Teen books included: Johnny and the Bomb by Terry Pratchett, Long Lankin by Lindsay Barraclough, and Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean. The Young Adult books included Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman, Why We took the Car by Wolfang Herrndorf, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

SEBSTA has several competitions: the book review competition; the alternative cover competition where you draw a new cover for one of the books; and the book trailer competition where the whole school films a trailer for one of the books. Our school’s trailer was for Boys Don’t Cry. In February participating local schools attended an event at Kent College. We watched trailers, bought books and spoke to guest authors, Tim Bowler and Sally Gardener. They were both hilarious as they recounted tales of how they first came to write books.

We had a great time and would like to thank the librarians for running the club.

Ivor Blythe, 10E

Carnegie Shadowing During the summer term of 2015/16 school year, I took part in Carnegie Shadowing for the fourth year running. Eight books were shortlisted for the Carnegie Award for Outstanding Literature, and the schools that participate (Skinners, SKA, TWGGS and TWGSB) were given 12 weeks to read said books with one meeting per week. At the end of those 12 weeks, all of the schools congregated at Skinners to discuss each book and decide which book is the best, although not having any impact on the actual decision. We were each assigned a book and were given an hour or two to argue, in a balloon debate format, why one book should win the award - a hot air balloon is slowly sinking and all but one book must be thrown out to be able to land the balloon safely. There are prizes for the winning group plus additional prizes for the best book review and the best book cover submitted. There are also internal prizes as well at TWGSB, which also include prizes for the best internal book review, first book review uploaded, and the Carnegie Cup for the best overall participant over the 12 weeks. I was delighted to win the cup, and I highly encourage any students who enjoy reading to participate.

Leo Henry, 10E

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Art V&A Year 12 and 13 Art Trip At the beginning of October, Art AS and A level students went on a school trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Full of stunning artworks and engaging, enriching workshops, I think I can speak for all the students when I say that we had a truly inspiring time.

For the first half of the day, we took part in a number of different art workshops where we learnt many new artistic techniques as well as gaining more innovative ways of approaching our projects. The enthusiastic members of staff gave us insightful ideas and concepts as well as inspiring us to try and look at the world in a more creative dimension. We created pieces in wire and masking tape for the majority of the morning, two media few of us had used before.

We all worked outside our comfort zones with the support of the workshop leaders and ended up producing a range of pieces that we were all rather proud of.

For the second half of the day we were set free in the gallery and had to gather a range of concepts, sketches, photography and inspiration to fuel our projects and give them an extra edge. Roaming round this gallery space was a wonderful experience and the renaissance style sculptures were breathtaking in their presence and form. It really opened my eyes and made me look at the more classical art (that I would perhaps dismiss normally) in a completely different light. I found it fascinating to see the artworks that have inspired so many of today’s modern artists and I loved learning more about the world’s art history.

For us Art students, visiting the V&A was a great way for us to take an active role in creating and viewing art with the motivation of gaining more knowledge and ideas.

Fleur Adderley, 12E

Tape Drawing

Ceramics Gallery Workshop

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A Level Art

Doug Wilson, 13J

Katrina Briers, 13A

Jerick Seruelas, 13J

Sophie Shrubb, 13J

Louis Linsey, 13F

Will Sainsbury, 13H

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Art Years 7, 8 and 9

Finlay Nwanosike, 7O

Reilly Wemhoener, 7O

Montage: Year 7 Fish and Butterflies

Adam Marshall, 8E

Adam Flint, 9F

Harvey Wood, 9F

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GCSE Art

Jack Nolan, 11H Eric Parker, 11K

Cameron Russell, 10F

Thomas Martin, 11M

Sam Barker, 10D

Michael Davidson, 11F

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Physical Education Football It was another excellent season for football this year.

Below are some of the highlights: Congratulations to the U17 who defeated Hayes School 2-1 in the Final of the Kent Cup with goals from Louis Leipseger-Mason and Charlie Sargeant, following a fine 4-1 victory against Ravens Wood in the Semi-Final.

The U15 B team played Ravens Wood in the Last 16 of the National Cup. The team drew 0-0 after extra-time eventually losing on penalties. In normal time TWGSB had a penalty saved and also missed a glorious chance with a close range header. The boys deserve credit for reaching the Last 16 of a national cup.

The U13 B team played a strong Hayes team in the Last 16 of the National Cup. The team drew 2-2 after extra-time eventually losing on penalties having led in the shootout. All the boys played well with Finn Langley making a fine penalty save in normal time.

Very well done to these boys for playing so well and reaching the Last 16 of a national cup. Some of the boys reached the Quarter-Final of the national cup when they were in Year 7.

2nd XI Squad achieved the Double!

Congratulations to the senior 2nd XI football squad who won the Kent Cup 3-0 v Dover G.S, with goals from Ben Jacquin, Fabian Kommu and Max O’Neill.

This capped off an excellent season for the squad, having won the league and remained undefeated all season. It was a gritty, difficult game for the boys, who defended resolutely and took their chances well in the game, against a very direct, physical Dover Grammar team. All the players have been superb all season; have great team spirit and a determination to keep their unbeaten run intact.

U16 won Kent Futsal competition. Louis Collins scored 10 goals in 5 games playing a year above his age group.

Rugby 1st XV: The autumn term is the busy period for National Nat West and Kent Cup rugby fixtures.

The 1st XV were involved in two Nat West fixtures and battled to a superb 21-19 victory over a very well drilled Duke of York Royal Military Academy. A superb push over try in the last few minutes of the game by Nathan Wilson was enough to record a memorable victory and send the team through into the next round to face a very strong Chislehurst and Sidcup team. After 20 minutes play TWGSB were 24-0 down. The boys battled back and won the next 60 minutes of play 10-0. Unfortunately this was not enough points to seal a victory but was certainly a heroic effort given the fact that the team was also short of several first choice players including scrum and fly half.

The 1st XV then played in the Nat West Vase where they beat Folkestone Academy 53-0 and Oakwood Park GS Maidstone 27-10. Through to the last 64 of this national competition they then came up against The Duke of York team who took advantage of home soil and an enthusiastic crowd of 300 spectators to turn the tables on TWGSB and run out 29-14

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Physical Education 1st XV rugby

winners. There were some superb performances by many TWGSB players in these games and special mention must go to the Ingamell brothers who gave the opposition double vision and then pummelled their defences with thundering powerful runs.

side that inflicted a heavy defeat on TWGSB. It was a closer affair in the Vase but TWGSB still went down 15-0 to Reigate. The Year 10 side were also narrowly beaten in the first round of the Kent Cup 7-3 v Wilmington GS.

Year 9: The new rugby talent emerging at TWGSB is the year 9 cohort that made it through to the quarter finals of the Kent Shield. The U14s started their campaign with a thumping 37-0 victory over Harvey Grammar School and followed this up with a trip to Sandwich where they were victorious over a lively Sir Roger Manwood’s School (27-10). It was back to the seaside again on the 9th of November where they faced Dane Court School Broadstairs and were narrowly beaten 5-0. Dane Court then went on to be losing finalists. This Year 9 squad should take confidence from their performance in this competition and hopefully will win some silverware further up the school.

Inter House Rugby winners: Year 7 - Ospreys, Year 8 - Kestrels and Year 9 - Merlins

Year 10: The Year 10s won their first game in the Nat West Cup 44-14 against Darrick Wood school but immediately came up against a very strong Judd

Rugby Sevens Year 8 Rugby Sevens winners: The Year 8 rugby sevens team won the Kent Sevens (Emerging Schools) 12-10 defeating Wilmington who they lost to by the same score in the group phase. In the group the scores were as follows: • Lost 12 – 10 versus Wilmington • Won 26 – 0 versus Folkestone • Won 33 – 5 versus Harvey Grammar • Qualified as group winners • Won semi final versus Norton Knatchbull 33 – 5 • Won final 12 – 10 versus Wilmington Grammar.

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Physical Education Congratulations to Jamie Phillips who skippered the side well. All of the players represented the school with great determination and sensible team work.

Year 9 Rugby Sevens runners up: The Year 9 ‘Sevens’ rugby team were worthy runners up in the Kent Plate Rugby Sevens Tournament in March.

TWGSB beat Hurstmere School, Folkestone Academy, the Howard School and St Dunstans in the group stages and Dane Court in the semi Year 7 Eagles v Falcons Cross Country final before facing Norton Knatchbull from Ashford Cricket in the final. This was a close encounter that was eventually decided by a golden try in extra time.

The Year 7 team had some memorable wins: One There were excellent performances from many which stands out was against St Olave’s with team members. Stand out players on the day were Liam McGroarty scoring exactly fifty not out in our the feisty Cameron Stewart, the powerful George total of 89 on a wet wicket. Excellent tight bowling Gallagher, and the quick captain Alfie Ballantyne.

by Freddie Ball (4 runs off 4 overs!) and Liam McGroarty, restricted our opponents to 75 off their Basketball allocation of twenty overs. The Year 8 B team had a tight match against new Beacon – not so the A team Congratulations to the Year 9 and Year 11 basketball match! – and Jacob Quinton-Hale, a technically squads who reached the play-offs of the West sound opener, top scored with sixty.

Kent League. The Year 9 team had wins against Cranbrook, Sackville and St Gregs and lost to The Year 7 “Indian Premier League style” pairs Skinners and Judd. They lost to Skinners in the play- cricket competition proved to be very popular. Well off. The Year 11 team defeated St Gregs, Bennett, done to Tom Carter for his “five for” (bowling) and and Sackville and lost to Judd and Cranbrook and to Fraser Abbot who took six wickets, both with Judd again in the play off semi-final. fine spin bowling. Notable runs notched up include: Ben Henchen (20 runs), Ben Poulsom (28) Louis The Year 8 and 10 teams also reached the playEgan (34) Will Edwards (16) Henry Ryland (13) Olly offs but were defeated by Judd and Skinners Brooks (15) Rory Barnes (12) and Alex Watson (18). respectively. However, there is a great deal of promise in both squads and attendance at training has been excellent.

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Physical Education Table Tennis – What a Year!

TWGSB U13 Boys and U16 Boys team won the Kent Schools Table Tennis Association (K.S.T.T.A) Both TWGSB teams that entered the competition won their age group in Kent and went on to the Zone finals in London at the end of January where they met teams from the South East of England.

Zone Finals, January U16 Boys: Tim Walters and Tom Arnott convincingly won through all their matches to meet each other in the final of the U16 boys. Tim eventually beating Tom to win through to the individual National Competition which took place in Wolverhampton in April. George Sainsbury, the third competitor from TWGSB also did extremely well reaching the semiTim Walters and Tom Arnott Jan 2016

finals where he unfortunately (for George) met Tim. George ultimately secured a very respectable 4th place.

A fantastic achievement for TWGSB taking first, second and fourth places in a strong field of over 40 competitors, with special Congratulations to Tim who went onto the Nationals in April as the winner of Kent a brilliant and much deserved achievement.

U13 Boys: Julio Key and Richard Holmes came third and fourth respectively with Joe Gillhouley in 5th place. In a field of 40 competitors this was a great achievement for the boys.

Regional Finals, March Julio Key, Ben Baillache, Richard Holmes and Joe Gillhouley took part in the Regional Finals. This was the last in a series of competitions before the Nationals at Hinckley.

The competition consisted of eight matches against each school who had qualified for a place at the Regionals. The boys played the Lawrence Sherriff School from Rugby, Warwickshire and achieved a resounding win 8:0, then they played the St Lawrence School from Wiltshire also winning 7:1, finally they met the London Academy from Edgware North London where they lost 0:8. Consequently this year they were runners up and ended their season of school competitions. It was a tremendous achievement to get as far as they did - winning Kent, then winning the Zone finals in London and then runners up in the South of England regional finals.

Athletics

It was a frustrating summer with the weather, with regular cancellation of athletics matches because of rain. However, there were some promising performances in the TWGSB West Kent Athletics meet and Boys Grammar won each of the age groups, apart from Year 7 where we had no athletes due to all the Year group being on an English trip.

We had well fought matches against Mascalls and Skinners in the last few weeks of term.

County Athletics Congratulations to Felix Brooks who came second in the Kent Schools Athletics Championships at Ashford in the Pole Vault. Rory Sturgeon was also second in the Triple Jump and both have now qualified for the South East Regional Championships.

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Physical Education Tennis Year 8 Tennis: The team played a cup match away at Langley Park with Louie Filtness, Hamish Ironside, Oscar Briggs and Kyle Anson representing the school. The boys played well but lost 4-2 in sets.

Year 8 tennis practice has been very well attended on Thursdays after school with typically 20 boys playing.

An unbelievable year for Sam Large in acrobatic gymnastics!

Sam Large competed in China at the World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships

Year 9 Tennis: The team played a cup match away against a strong Tonbridge School team. The boys lost the match but thoroughly enjoyed playing on excellent artificial clay courts. Axel Cornell, Jonathan Chick, Alex Howard and Bradley Austin represented the school.

Year 10 Tennis: The team played out a very close match against Judd which resulted in a 3-3 draw in sets. Judd progressed to the next round as they won more games. Ben Sherwen, Matt Hooper, Euan Pincott and George Sainsbury represented the school.

February Ski Trip The February 2016 ski trip was a great success.

The boys skied three separate resorts, Pampeago, Bellamonte and Cermis for five hours a day for five days. Despite the excessive physical demands this placed on some students, the majority skied the total amount and the group suffered no serious injuries.

Ski conditions were difficult at times, particularly at Cermis where it snowed all day during lessons, but we had bright sunshine on the last day in Pampeago when the boys completed their slalom runs for their ski tests.

In August 2016 Sam (Year 10) and his acrobatic partner, Hector Kinghorn, became British Champions for Men’s Pairs 11-16. At the end of September they represented Team GB in the European Championships in Germany, and became European Champions beating the Russian pair who were current World Champions at this level!

At the beginning of November Sam and Hector won gold at the Pat Wade Classic international competition in Stoke-on-Trent and at the end of November they won gold at the Breda Open Acrobatic Championships in the Netherlands and a trophy for the highest score of the day of the whole competition for their balance routine.

The Mayor of Tunbridge Wells took quite an interest and local pride in the boys’ achievements and invited them to a reception at the Town Hall after the European Championships and then asked them to perform some moves and balances at the beginning of a full Town Council Meeting.

In March 2016 they successfully trialled for the Great Britain squad and qualified for the finals in China. Sam was selected to represent all the gymnasts at the opening ceremony to read the gymnasts’ oath. They came second overall which is an outstanding achievement. Well done!

Eclectics 2015-16

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Music

Performing in Italy

School Concert

The Italy trip was amazing fun. We got to do so much in the week that we were there. We visited local towns, went to Verona, Venezia, Sirmione and Garda, played concerts, and watched an opera. We performed in three locations: two local towns and a nursing home. I wish I could do it again.

Ashdon Mellor, 9H It was fun in Italy. We went to three different places to perform with our very experienced, sensible orchestra. The hotel was very good and the swimming pool was fun. I specifically liked the last performance, where we went to an old people’s home and one of the ladies said it was the best thing she had heard for a long time. We also visited many interesting places around Lake Garda. Paul Cameron, 9E In Year 9 music we reproduced the song ‘La La La’ by Naughty boy and Sam Smith. It gave us an insight into Music technology. It prepared us for GCSE music and was quite fun to complete. The self-help videos were particularly useful.

Russell Sullivan, 9M Last year we had Battle of the Bands. Bands from throughout the school competed for various prizes that were donated by local music businesses. We also had outside people come to judge the competition. Although my band didn’t win, I had fun.

Oliver Mills, 9E

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Eclectics 2015-16

Duke of Edinburgh DofE Silver

While seeming just a slight step up from the Bronze award - having to spend more time with the volunteering, physical and skill aspects of the programme - for all those that took part, the Silver Duke of Edinburgh award was a much more challenging and worthwhile experience. The Practice expedition, as with both expeditions for Bronze, stayed relatively local, only pushing into the open landscape of the Ashdown Forest as we neared the finish line on the end of the third day of walking. The assessed expedition, however, gave us the ability to show off and prove our navigational skills through an area unfamiliar to most of us - the South Downs.

Strolling through the pleasant countryside, spending nights in tents with just a close knit team of friends and having lunch atop Beachy Head in the middle of summer were some of the many great things that made the Silver DofE so memorable. I hope it will be the same for Gold.

Tom Bell, 11E

DofE Gold: Lake District

Eclectics 2015-16

Year 12 Philosophy and Ethics Athens During activities week, the Year 12 Philosophy and Ethics students embarked on a trip to Athens. Exhausted but excited, we gathered at the school at 03:15, and soon left for Heathrow to catch a flight that departed as the sun rose. After a smooth flight we arrived at the airport and were soon hit by the blazing Greek sun and overwhelmed by the heat that we became accustomed to over our week long stay. The rest of the day was filled by a sight-seeing tour of Athens and a trip to the Cine Thisio, a local outdoor theatre located at the foot of the Acropolis, to watch ‘The Godfather.’ As a result of the film being cut short by a faulty projector we enjoyed a scenic walk around the area before returning to the hotel.

The week’s activities largely consisted of visiting fascinating archeological sites and philosophical landmarks, from the captivating views of Athens from the top of the Acropolis to the beauty of the well preserved ancient city of Delphi. To be standing next to the Parthenon, looking over the huge expanse of Athens, with its snaking white coastline in the distance was truly a site to behold. At each location we were led by our tour guide, who possessed a seemingly limitless amount of knowledge about Athens. She was able to explain the history of each specific area we visited, especially focusing on the key philosophers including what they did, how they lived and died and the inspiration for many of their ideas. She provided interesting information about

each location, for example a background of the ancient Citadel Mycenae and guided tours of the City during our coach journeys, pointing out landmarks as we went.

However, the trip wasn’t all about philosophy, on the second day of the trip we were allowed to visit ‘Allou Fun Park’ where we were given tokens to enter rides for free and bands that gave us unlimited access to most of the rides. The Fun Park was full of attractions including Rollercoasters, a terrifying Live Action haunted house, and carnival games.

The following evening, we took the Athenian subway system to a bowling alley and played for a few hours.

Our days and evenings were packed with activities but we were able to socialise in the Hotel at the very end of the day, giving us much needed breaks from the long coach journeys and excursions in the unrelenting Mediterranean sun.

The trip proved to be a brilliant experience that allowed us to appreciate Greek culture and enabled us to gain a better understanding of the philosophers we learn about within the subject. It also allowed us to experience iconic philosophical locations firsthand and appreciate the beauty of the Greek countryside and its historical landmarks.

Dan Clark, 12E

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Year 8 Outward Bound In the year 2016, Year 8 went to a place called Knapp House. We had to drive in a coach all the way to Devon! The coach journey was a long but fun one. Once we got to Knapp House, which is near Bideford, we got our bags and went to our rooms.

We then went on our first activities.

The leaders were nice and made our activities fun but safe. One of my personal favourite activities was water skiing. We firstly went on a boat to a rocky shore. We then got taught how to water ski. It was

hard to do at first but then we got the hang of it. The meals were tasty and were filling. We also had a disco which was hosted by the owners of the house which was fun and gave TWGSB boys the chance to meet new people.

It was hard to say goodbye to the amazing house but by the end of the week, we were all tired and ready to go home.

Jordan Banbrook, 8A

Eclectics 2015-16

Year 10 Madrid Madrid is an amazing place with tonnes to do, it would be impossible to be bored! SeĂąora Mason managed to pack so much in to the itinerary so that we were never bored, always up and about doing things, be it a tour of the Bernabeu Stadium or a Spanish cookery course, or even a Kung-fu lesson!

The trip is for Year 10 Spanish Students and it is a definite must-go. There was a noticeable difference in my Spanish speaking ability after the trip because at every opportunity given, we were all speaking Spanish, be it to the waiters in the authentic Spanish restaurants or to passers by on the street, we certainly got our practice in!

I went back to Spain in the summer holidays following the Madrid trip and I felt much more confident in speaking, all due to the residential trip to Madrid. The great thing about Madrid as a city is that everything is so close together, for example, it was a five minute walk to the local football fields where we had a game almost every night. Overall, Madrid was an action packed city adventure and a very enjoyable yet educational trip.

Josh Ingham, 10F

Santiago BernabĂŠu Stadium

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Year 7 Paris Jack Butler, 7K Today we had one of the best memories of my life! We went to Disneyland. We had a lot of fun and the two best rides were space mountain and Indiana Jones but my personal favourite was space mountain. Then after that truly memorable day we went to Hakuna Matata restaurant were we had a lovely pizza.

On Thursday we went up the Eiffel Tower which was truly magical and saw absolutely everything.

Then we went to the Louvre where we saw the unforgettable Mona Lisa. Finally, we went to the truly amazing palace of gold (Palais de Versailles).

On Wednesday we went to the Arc de Triomphe and the cathedral of Notre Dame. Firstly we went to the cathedral of Notre dame where we saw many different people from different religions and cultures each with very different personalities. We saw many different sculptures and paintings. Then we went to the Arc de Triomphe and went up lots of steps to the very top where we saw the river Seine and the Eiffel Tower.

The boat trip (bateaux mouches) was undeniably the most relaxing part of the trip. We went past many famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame giving us a great opportunity to get superb photos of them.

James Poole, 7H

Ethan Baker, 7H I thought Le Louvre was a fun experience and it was great seeing it, especially the Mona Lisa.

Did you know that the Mona Lisa took 12 years to paint, was actually stolen for two years and is protected by bullet and grenade proof glass. It was a treat to see all the paintings, and the glass pyramid outside the Louvre was amazing.

Alex Hale, 7K •

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Le petit déjeuner: des croissants et jus d’orange Le déjeuner: un sandwich au jambon Le diner: des nuggets de poulet

Ben Hencken, 7K On day one we had to be at school at the latest 6.00am. We then had to get the coach to Dover, this took two hours. We then boarded the ferry for a one-hour trip to get to Calais, as it was my first time on a ferry, I found it quite fun. When we got off the ferry we had a four hour drive to Paris.

The only activity we did that day was going on a fun boat trip down the Seine.

284 steps inside the Arc de Triomphe

Eclectics 2015-16

Year 7 Paris Luca Thomas Crisp, 7H Disneyland: the best ride by far was Space Mountain Mission Two. It was incredible! First you shoot up a hill before doing many flips, twists, loops and corkscrews. You barely know what is going on as you are in a pitch black tunnel with amazing L.E.D lighting flashing all around you in shapes of planets and stars.

Joseph Romans, 7K On Wednesday, we had an amazing time visiting the Arc de triomphe. It was really tall, however, the staircase was very narrow and it felt like we were going to fall off it.

Felix Ledger, 7H On Wednesday we went to the Château de Versailles, home to Louis quatorze (King Louis XIV). In the main palace the rooms were massive and almost all of them had intricate artwork on the ceiling. Probably the most impressive room was the Hall of Mirrors which was lined with 357 mirrors.

Danny Jones, 7K On Thursday we went to the Eiffel Tower. We saw the Euro 2016 fan park as the competition was going on during the trip. I went to the top so I was really

pleased with myself. You could see all of Paris and it was really cool. In the middle of the tower there was an absolutely huge football to celebrate the Euros. It was absolutely amazing.

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Sports Day Winners for each Year group are below, with FALCONS claiming the overall ‘House Cup’.

Year 7: HAWKS Year 8: EAGLES Year 9: FALCONS Year 10: FALCONS Year 12: KESTRELS RECORDS Year 7 Javelin – Tommy Mackevicius – 7F 26.58m Year 9 Javelin – Jack Gallagher – 9O 38.40m Year 12 800m – Jamie Goodge – Kestrels – 2m 12s

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Eclectics 2013-14

Sports Day

Eclectics 2013-14

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‘In-School’ Activities Week

Design and make turbine blades for a generator

‘Pan con tomate’

Create a set design

Eclectics 2015-16

Whole School Photograph Every seven years a ‘whole school’ photo is taken.

From the smallest to the tallest, all took part in this momentus event.

from the tallest ...

... to the smallest students.

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Eclectics 2013-14

TWGSB 60th Anniversary Ball

Alumni Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TWGSBAlumni/ https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8345018 alumni@twgsboys.kent.sch.uk