Pipers Post Autumn 2021

PIPERSPOST AUTUMN 2021

HIGHLIGHTS FOLLOW US

§ FOUNDERS DAY § GREASE § CHRISTMAS AT PIPERS § CHARITY FASHION SHOW1

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FOUNDERS DAY

riday 1 October marked the annual Founders Day. This year our students and staff went back in time to the 1920s and 30s, the same era in which Jessie Cross founded the school in Chiswick, London.

Students and staff dressed up as flappers and mobsters, representing the Prohibition era and the films that contemporaries would have seen on the big screen.

Disney characters also made an appearance, as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio opened in 1923.

In keeping with tradition, students laid a wreath at the grave of Jessie Cross and there was a Thanksgiving Assembly dedicated to her life and work. There was also the ceremonial cutting of cake by the Head Girl and the youngest student.

Celebrating the era, students participated in a Charleston outside the Arts Centre, watched Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Kid’, and took part in themed lessons throughout the day.

Left: Pre-Prep make 1920s bread and butter pudding, Head Girl Grace cuts the cake with youngest student, Prep students dancing the Charleston.

EXAM RESULTS

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or the sixth year in a row, the School has had 100% pass rate at A Level. This year, over 80% of students achieved at least one A or A* grade. Three of our Scholar students achieved top A* grades in all of their A Levels, Art Scholar Isabelle is studying Fine Art and Art History, Academic Scholar Ella has started at the University of York and Sports Scholar Merryn went off to Exeter University.

At GCSE, almost half of all results were graded 9 or 8, the equivalent of a A - A* in lettered grades. With a 99% pass rate, and 73% of grades attaining a high mark of 9-7, our students showed exceptional resilience despite moving to online learning for two terms.

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These fantastic set of results are testament to the hard work of our GCSE and A Level students.

ARTS AWARD CHARITY FASHION SHOW

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s part of the Gold Arts Award, a prestigious additional qualification with added UCAS points, Year 13 student Hannah hosted a charity fashion show. As a keen textiles student, Hannah enlisted the help of friends and staff to walk the runway with upcycled items.

Each item of clothing had been donated to Rennie Grove Hospice for sale in their charity shop. The items of clothing were dismantled and re-sewn, and showcased our students’ talent for textiles by using techniques such as acid-washing and tie-dye. The result was a set of incredible one of a kind clothing.

Students and staff made the show at the runway, dancing and smiling and showcasing the unique clothes. The clothes were available for sale afterwards, with many students rushing to Hannah in a bid to secure their favourite item. In total, £316 was raised for Rennie Grove Hospice, a charity close to many hearts in our School community.

@PipersSixthForm

POSTER FEATURED AT COP26

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hen Year 7 student Lucy drew her perception of the climate crisis last year, she may not have expected that her work would appear on the walls of Glasgow airport.

Lucy’s poster was a stark message on climate change, and was just one of 3,800 entries for the Rotary COP26 poster competition. Her poster was selected as one of the top three, which meant it would be displayed at COP26, in the delegates hotels and as part of a three-month display

The poster depicts the Earth being heated over a fire, causing critical change. A clear message of what we are doing to our planet.

at Glasgow Airport. The poster is on display in the Prep Department, as inspiration for our students and a reminder of our duty to our planet. It is a fantastic achievement for Lucy, and a proud moment for Mrs Rees, our Prep Art teacher. @PipersPrep

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CHRISTMAS AT PIPERS

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he Festive season at Pipers is always a special time of year, with a series of events to celebrate the holiday.

From the Christingle at Hughenden Church for our younger students, to the Carol Service at St Albans Cathedral, there is plenty of opportunity to embrace the spirit of Christmas. The spirit of giving underpinned both events, our community raised over £1,300 for Young Carers Bucks and Cancer Research.

The Pre-Prep Nativity and Prep Christmas Show provide excellent entertainment for parents, as our students sing and dance on stage.

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re-Prep Christmas Crafts is a favourite date in the calendar, for staff, students and parents. Over two days, the children produced a multitude of festive crafts.

Parents were invited into the Pre-Prep department to spend time with their daughters, and get coated in plenty of glitter! The favourite creation had to be the reindeer masks, which were worn at the Christmas Lunch.

@PipersPrePrep

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tudents at Pipers are keen to give back to the community, and share the festive spirit of charity with as many people as possible.

This year, the Royal Star and Garter received handmade Christmas cards, hanging decorations and over 100 individual Christmas cakes. The charity provides care and support to veterans living with disability or dementia.

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essons fully embraced the festive season, as teachers utilised Christmas to inject some extra fun into learning.

In Chemistry, Year 8 students learned about an alternative way to make reindeer fly. Carbon dioxide powered their reindeer decorations, but the reaction time was unpredictable!

@PipersSenior

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ouses worked together to create a spectacular Christmas Market.

Each House ran a stall for students, including a tombola to win toys and gifts, a stall for cakes and sweet treats, candy canes to send to friends and a hot chocolate stand with cream, marshmallows and sprinkles.

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The money raised will be shared evenly between the Houses, to be donated to their chosen charities.

GREASE

PREP CHRISTMAS SHOW

NATIVITY 5

ROALD DAHL DAY

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re-Prep and Prep students took part in Roald Dahl Day, dressing up as their favourite character and bringing in their favourite book by the author. Lessons focused on Roald Dahl and his monumental contribution to childrens literature.

Year 4 students visited the Pre-Prep department to share their favourite stories, reading their chosen book to the younger students. Donations raised went to the Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, which helps seriously ill children lead a more marvellous life.

SUSTAINABILITY LAUNCH

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nvironment group, HOPE, launched their latest campaign this term. The Sustainability Launch is threefold, encompassing a paper reduction scheme, energy saving scheme and promoting a litter-free site. Students created posters, highlighting the correct bin to use and encouraging people to turn the lights off when exiting the room. The posters were displayed throughout the school to encourage everyone, staff and students, to do their bit.

MINI MARATHON

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ipers Parent, Mrs Shirley ran in the London Marathon and raised over £3,000 for Make-A-Wish. Her story inspired students in Years 7 to 9 to participate in their own mini-marathon, to help boost Mrs Shirley’s donation. They walked or ran 2.6 miles around the grounds and raised an additional £1,150 for Make-A-Wish.

TEXTILES WORKSHOP F

lora and Fauna was the theme for a workshop with Years 9 and 10. Nicky Simpson, Textiles Artist, showcased how natural resourses could be incorporated into Textiles. The students got to practice new techniques, such as using the heat press, screen printing with leaves and then free machined over the top.

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LITERARY SUCCESS W

orld Poetry Day came at the perfect time to celebrate the achievement of one of our Year 9 students.

Chloe wrote a poem ‘A Forest of Fear’, brimming with suspense, that was featured in a Young Writers Anthology.

The anthology is available to read from the school Library, highlighting the literary creativity of young people.

JUBILEE TREE

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s part of the Queen’s Green Canopy Project, a group of PrePrep and Prep students planted a tree next to our wildflower meadow.

The project is to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee next year, and is encouraging everyone to ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’. Our enthusiastic Gardening Club were more than happy to help plant the English Oak sapling, kindly donated to us by the Woodland Trust.

We look forward to watching the oak grow and become part of our beautiful landscape.

DESIGN AND MAKE CLUB

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his term, students in Years 8 and 9 designed their own snack dispensers, as part of the Design and Make DT club. The next project is to design and create a frame, which will be entered into a Rotary Club competition.

POTATO STARCH PLASTIC

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he Enigma Science group, led by enthusiastic scientist Elizabeth in Year 13, used potatoes to create plastic.

Heating a concoction of potato starch and chemicals, the students created their own plastic alternative. A similar potato starch plastic is used by the National Trust to wrap their magazines.

INTERVIEW WITH NASA

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MINI ENTERPRISE

usiness students in Year 9 set up their own ‘Mini Enterprise’, creating products and selling them at the Christmas Fair. Some chose to sell fragranced candles, while others produced jewellery and decorations. Across the five groups, over £1,300 was raised in profit. Each of the teams will donate a portion of their profit to charity.

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ear 12 student Isabel had the unique opportunity to interview a NASA engineer. Speaking with Blake Bullock over Zoom, Isabel got to ask plenty of questions about the latest project Blake has been working on: The James Webb Space Telescope. The new telescope is an upgraded follow up to the Hubble Telescope which was launched over 30 years ago. The interview was played to Senior students during Form Time, to help inspire the next generation of astrophysicists.

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SPORT The Sports department have had a busy term of fixtures. Netball had a terrific season, the U14 County Netball tournament was a highlight for students, 7 wins and 2 losses and placing fourth in the county.

The start of the Hockey season in Marlow saw our two Year 7 teams win 10, draw two and only lose one game.

The Prep Biathlon team placed sixth in the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships, and met Olympian Jamie Cooke whilst there.

Year 13 Big Bang experiment Forest School Flatbreads

HOPE trip to Kew Gardens

Wear it Pink Day

Gingerbread competition

Geography trip to Snowdonia

Microclimate Fieldwork on a snow day

Speech Day

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Reception Apple Harvest

Pipers Corner School, Great Kingshill, Buckinghamshire HP15 6LP

01494 718255

www.piperscorner.co.uk

theschool@piperscorner.co.uk

Pumpkin carving

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Remembrance

Summer Ball

New residents: Henny, Ellie Ginger, Sparkle and Marshmallow