Prior's Field Achieving Magazine issue 3 (2019)

#ACHIEVING #HAPPY #GIRLS Edition 3

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Welcome

Achieving Magazine is a photographic celebration of all things Prior’s Field, from the small everyday unplanned moments of joy, which we share each week, to the headline grabbing events, trips and occasions which have been months in the planning and are highlights in the calendar. Each and every achievement is of equal importance and tribute to our belief that every girl can achieve so much, in so many different ways.

In this edition of the magazine, we will introduce you to several of our animal companions and celebrate the vital contribution they make in creating a family feel within the school community and a sense of wellbeing, from which we all benefit. The importance of ‘family’ is also a focus as we introduce the families that lead our boarding houses and examine why they chose to undertake such an important and rewarding vocation. Team spirit is under the spotlight, as we focus on all the many teams that PF conjures up. From daring duos who tackle the debating arena, to top tennis teams, sporty gym squads and brave bunches of DofE adventurers, who have to stick together no matter what!

Performance is a huge part of the Prior’s Field DNA. We take the opportunity here, to revisit some of the most magical moments from the feast of performances which took place over the last year and featured incredible acting, singing and musical talents. Creative hands-on talent is constantly fostered and is in evidence in every corridor of the school. In ‘Making Masterpieces’ we take the opportunity to showcase some of that work which originated in the imaginations of the girls and was developed in the art, textiles and technology classrooms.

Our School motto: ‘We live by Admiration, Hope and Love’ was chosen by Julia Huxley when she founded the school in 1902. If Julia were still alive today, we think she might allow us to change it with the following addition: We live by Admiration, Hope, Love and Fun.’ At Prior’s Field we all work incredibly hard, in our academic endeavours, our co-curricular clubs and for the benefit of others.

Whilst we do this, we also have fun. We dress-up, we bake cakes, we fanatically fund-raise and are always mindful of why mufti can make a difference, as you will see as we look back on another amazing year at this inspirational school.

The Editorial Team

A THE

hema t a m rly maste

-TEAM

ACHIEVERS

Team spirit is a vital part of success both in and outside of the classroom.

Prior’s Field boasts an extraordinary number of teams of all shapes and sizes from debating duos to singing trios and Fourth Form foursomes going into battle at Maths Feast 2019. We highlight just some of those A Team achievers here.

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own Prior’s Field is kn ce xcel en as a centre of e rts and every wal a for the creative ng with the eavi and corridor is h t talen evidence of the here. We which is nurtured of that of some share a snippet creativity here.

Pet Power Prior’s Field has always been a second home from home for our boarders, but also for many animals who are either resident here with their owners during term time or make a daily journey to the site. The very first Prior’s Field pet was a dog called Bruno, owned by our Founder Julia Huxley, and he is featured in some of the earliest photo albums of the school from the 1900s.

The opportunity to engage with the pets during the school day, has a very beneficial effect on everybody’s mood. Many of the girls are eager to volunteer to stretch their legs at break-time with a canine companion, steal a stroke of a friendly feline called Freda (yet male!?) or take the opportunity for some time out, if needed, in the pastoral office with a furry friend in the form of Eva, Ms Troup’s most loyal and obedient retriever.

STAGE PRESENCE APLENTY DIRECTOR of DRAMA

MRS P HORTON

DIRECTOR of MUSIC

MR T PRATT

ASST DIR. DRAMA

MS A HEDLEY MRS N HARRISON ASST DIR. of MUSIC

Opportunities to take to the stage are thick and fast at Prior’s Field. Each term there are several performances where either music or drama is the focus, but often, both will merge in beautiful harmony.

A student-led Cabaret evening ‘Here Come The Girls’ played homage to iconic women through history and included skits of famous females Margaret Thatcher, Mary Berry; cover versions of tracks by Kate Bush, Amy Winehouse and Shirley Bassey and sketches from plays and about topics such as female emancipation.

Also in the Autumn Term, the Upper School take the lead in a musical production and there was a decisive gear change from the first all-girls performance of Les Miserables in 2017 to Amercian teenage angst of the 1950s as quiffs were fashioned, jive-ready circle skirts sourced and Grease graced the stage.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales were the focus of the Spring Term House Drama Competition which featured a riot of colour, laughter and blossoming talent, whilst House Music had a more serene and harmonious air. February’s fanfare was a Rock and Pop Night featuring over fifty girls and had a decisive flavour of the Seventies offset by some soulful ballads of more recent years.

March marched in loud and proud with a stunning performance at the G Live Guildford Rotary Concert which showcased soloists, the choir and various instrumental ensembles complete with a roof-raising Rock Band.

Alice in Londonland, the Lower School Production, polished off the PF performance year with aplomb! Character actors abounded in spectacular make-up and costumes. They sparkled and shone with a truly infectious and effervescent quality which tingled the spine and left the whole audience with a wonderful feel-good glow.

Rock and Pop

House Music

Cabaret

House Drama

Alice in Londonland

House Choir

Grease

Grease

Our Aim...

The overriding aim of every day at PF is to create achieving, happy girls. Armed with her trusty cam on film where the girls smiles say it all. From boarding rooms to break-time, Maths lessons to movie

mera, a member of the marketing team regularly takes a stroll around the site to capture moments e nights, cross-country circuits to circus club – the smiles are evident everywhere!

Every Day

is an Achieving Day

WE Y CAKE

We live by Admiration, Hope and Love and oh yes the odd little bit of cake! We are blessed with the most wonderful chef Ricky and his truly inspiring team.

Who, each day, conjure up an amazing and extensive menu which includes home-made hearty soups, freshly baked breads, an exotic array of vibrant salads, wraps and masterly main-courses for vegetarian, vegan and every possible palate! However, every now and again a (nut free!) cake appears. Sometimes it is from catering to mark a notable occasion, or it’s a studentbaked interpretation of a study brief, a showstopping entry in one of our Masterchef rounds; simply a way of saying something special or just a member of staff getting creative with surplus courgettes from their allotment!

Sense of A

Adventure Walking boots, rucksacks and waterproofs are a vital part of any PF girl’s wardrobe. From their bonding trip in the first term of year one, adventure is a regular offering on the PF extra-curricular menu. Activities Week falls in the last few weeks of each academic year and does not disappoint those girls who are keen to push their physical and mental boundaries and embark on an adventure. Some choose the Mystery Trips, others wade straight in for the Water sports options or sign-up for a Safari.

The Duke of Edinburgh awards each feature an Expedition and physical activity. Whilst walking is the traditional mode of transport, our girls opted to add cycling and canoeing in to the mix this year to cover the distance.

The Geographers are also amongst the most adventure hungry.Their field trips this year have been no exception and have included sorties to Snowdonia, Shropshire and Dorset where they battled with weather terrain and some of the indigenous wildlife.

Probably the greatest adventure of the year was the much anticipated return to our partner school in Tanzania.

Boarding a plane just two days after the end of term, our intrepid travellers from the Fifth and Sixth Form truly had the adventure of a life-time with an incredible week teaching in the school, getting to know the community of Tinga Tinga and taking a few days out to go on Safari. Trekking in the Arusha National Park, they came face to face with graceful giraffes and giant lobelias and marvelled at the mountains dominating the horizon.

Geography Fieldtrip - Dorset

Bronze DofE

Tinga Tinga

Gold DofE - Croatia

Silver DofE - Peak District

Activities Week

a

First Form Bonding

Activities Week

Geography Fieldtrip - Snowdonia

FAMILY K R E K E NI THE VAN

BOARDING: IT’S A

Gideon van Niekerk is originally from South Africa. Born into a family with a ily – Mr foundation in nature conservation and iekerk Fam Heads with three brothers as his ‘partnersN n a v e g th ew Joint Introducin erk our n in-crime’, the word ‘boredom’ simply k ie N n a v ding r a o and Mrs B r io never existed. Days were either spent of Jun exploring nature with a pair of binoculars around his neck and a camera in his hand, or battling it out with one of his brothers on a tennis court.

Even though he discovered a passion for fraying his nerves on a unicycle and writing and illustrating children’s stories, he’s always known that education was where his heart belonged. Following this love of teaching, he has worked in boarding schools in South Africa, Switzerland and England, where he has seen time and time again, that the heart and soul of a school lies in boarding.

Sarah grew up in Leicester. She enjoyed playing the flute and dabbled in all things arty and crafty, but it was dancing that she loved the most. Never letting a chance to dance pass her by, from an early age she strutted her moves in every available dance class.

When she was eighteen, she gained a place at the world famous Rambert School to train in ballet and contemporary dance.After graduating, she performed professionally and also shared her love of dance through teaching.When not in the dance studio, she would have been found exploring fantasy worlds through the pages of a vast collection of books or queuing up at midnight for her favourite book releases.

It was the hands of serendipity that guided Gideon and Sarah together; him as a spectator and her as a dancer entertaining a crowd in Covent Garden. Soon their family of two became three, with the birth of their son Reyn. Before he could even crawl, he had shown his own passion for stories through his obsession with dragons and peculiar creatures with knobbly knees and turned-out toes that dwell in woodlands.

Together with their two black Labradors, Jessie and Ebony, the van Niekerk family are proud to be part of the Prior’s Field school community and become members of the boarding family.

THE PICKE

Head of Boarding – M her fa

Having arrived at Prior’s Field to be years ago, Emma Picken has enjoyed r Form boarding houses, along with o school before taking on the task of h Giving young people a happy home grow up confident of their individua Emma’s remit at Prior’s Field.

Emma lives on site with her family: and Ally who also attend Prior’s Field in South America and spent two ye Expedition Leaders before returning

In keeping with their fellow boarding Victor, the elderly black Labrador; O Bunkie, sibling cats. Freda believes he to gain access to school. When spare vinyl collecting or Scuba diving, wher when not studying for her MSC.

A FAMILY AFFAIR!

EN FAMILY

Mrs Emma Picken and amily.

part of the Junior boarding team 14 running both the Junior and the Sixth other roles across the wider life of heading up the whole boarding team. away from home, and the safety to al talents and skills, is at the heart of

: husband Ian and daughters Havana d. Emma and Ian met whilst travelling ears working together as Overland to the UK.

families, the Picken family also home Oreo a Jack Russell and Freda and e is a pupil and is often found trying e time allows, Ian will devote time to reas Emma enjoys yoga and running,

Despite the fact that Emma joined Prior’s Field in 2014 as a teacher of Biology and Junior Boarding Housemistress, the transition to Mrs Unwin and role of mum to Aria Jane is a more recent development.

THE UNW

IN FAMILY

The Unwin Family - M Head of Sixth rs Emma Unwin is Form Board ing

Both Emma and her husband Gareth, are originally from Wiltshire, however they did not meet on their home turf but came together two years ago, attracted to each other for their joint passion for Education.

Gareth has recently put his career in special needs education, on hold, whilst he undertakes the very important task of full-time Dad to Aria Jane and the first love of their lives – Rolo the dog.

Emma loves her teaching and her boarding roles in equal measure – she loves the fact that she can be teaching photosynthesis one minute and the next, she is on the phone to a boarding parent arranging their daughter’s taxi home. She really missed ‘her girls’ when she was on maternity leave in Summer 2019 and speaks so fondly of the challenge of being the right sort of support for girls who are on the cusp of adulthood. “Working with Sixth Form Boarders is very different, you have to get the balance right, by not over mothering but, being there, almost as an older sister.

Celebrating their highs by doing just what a parent would at home and spontaneously suggesting a pizza, whilst, equally recognising the lows and being the friendly face at their bedroom door asking if they really are ok?”

When off duty and when family life allows, Gareth loves cycling and the Unwins have a second home in Devon, which they retreat to in School holidays. Spare time is a bit of a misnomer for a full-time working mum, but if you ask her Emma would say “Spare time, ha ha, for the few minutes I get, I love to read historical fiction and cook Italian food (I used to live in Verona).

Sharing our Space

Sport Leadership Workshops

Colour Run

Colour Run

We are very privileged to have such a beautiful site in which to learn and we make every opportunity to use every aspect of the grounds for both curricular and co-curricular activities. One of the many benefits of this site is its proximity to the town of Godalming and we are always delighted to extend our boundaries and share our wonderful spaces with our local community, in whatever way we can.

We are lucky enough to have welcomed over 600 additional visitors from the community over the last year, ranging in age from just six months to ninety-two years of age. We have welcomed pupils from twelve different local schools, Beaver and Scout Troops, members of Busbridge Church Primetime, residents of Eastbury Care Home and over ninety grandparents and relatives of our First Form to name but a few!

Primetime Tea

AppArt

Relatives’ Day

Beavers at AppArt

Textiles Workshop with Queen Eleanor’s

Primetime Mother’s Day

Primetime Tea

Moss Lane School Grease Matinee

St Hilary’s at AppArt

St Cuthbert’s Gymnastic Masterclass

Scouts and Beavers

Scouts

St Hilary’s at AppArt

Mufti For Money and Championing Charity

LoveFest

Children in Need

Candy Canes for Dogs

Rag Day

Christmas Jumper Day

Delight

Philanthropy is a founding tenet of Prior’s Field and each year there is a flurry of activities which include the inevitable dressing-up, dressing down, cake baking and eagerly given donations of all sorts. Whilst each House opts to support a charity of their own choosing each year, there are many spontaneous calls for support which arise, both big and small, instigated by individuals or sometimes a year group.

Whatever the inspiration, every cause is greeted with great energy and enthusiasm.

Bowls for Bowls

Moonwalk

Jeans for Genes

Hat Day for Meath

Bowls for Bowls

Hat Day for Meath

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens�

Set in our wonderful corner of Surrey parkland, and surrounded by magnificent woodland, you are constantly aware of the changing seasons.

Yet the girls take every opportunity to embrace the great outdoors, whatever the weather.

The PF environment is one of constantly changing colours both in the skyline, the gardens and the wonderful woodland that surrounds much of the site.

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Created, written and designed by Josie Cook and Kat Turtlebrook

Registered Charity No. 312038