9 January 2026 – Issue 1
HEAD’S REVIEW
Amazing Tour to Sri Lanka for Roedean Netballers
Head’s Introduction
We returned to Roedean after the holidays to the most wonderful clear skies, albeit with a little snow thrown in to provide a flashback to this time last year! I am constantly reminded how lucky we are with our School's impressive position overlooking the sea, and, for the girls, I am sure that these views would definitely have made up for the fact that the holidays were coming to an end. We have welcomed six new girls to Roedean this term, along with two new members of teaching staff – I wish them all well, and hope that they settle in to our routines quickly. In the week after we broke up, thirteen of our Netballers enjoyed a fantastic experience in Sri Lanka. Their four matches were complemented by amazing cultural experiences, seeing baby turtles, visiting a Buddhist temple, and handing over the donated clothes they had taken with them to help those who were badly affected by the floods in the weeks just before they went. I have no doubt that it will be a trip they remember for a long time to come, and I am grateful to Miss Bamford and Mr Halsey for giving up the first week of their holiday to lead the trip. At the end of last term, we had news of excellent results in Music exams and Dance exams, and this week the most recent LAMDA results have been published – it is wonderful that the girls have all done so well, and they have added to the already impressive number of Distinctions achieved in recent years. Well done! Looking ahead, our next group of six Year 9s will be going on the Roedean South Africa exchange at the start of February, ready for a 3-week adventure at our sister school. We also have the Dance Showcase and the performances of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory coming up before half-term. There are a number of residential trips in the next six weeks, including the English trip to the Isle of Sheppey, a Business trip to Disneyland Paris, the Art exchange to Denmark, and the Geography trip to Iceland, each giving our students the opportunity to provide a tangible context to what they are learning at School. Our theme for this term is 'engaged', and, in our First Chapel services this week, I encouraged the girls to think carefully about how they could be proactive in getting involved and becoming engaged in a range of activities and experiences this term. I wish you all a wonderful term, and I hope that you have a restful first weekend.
What a lovely sight to welcome the girls back to School!
U13F Victory over Great Walstead U13D
9 January 2026 – Issue 1
HEAD’S REVIEW
Dance Showcase 22nd January Get your Dance Showcase Tickets here! →
More Outstanding Success in LAMDA Exams Congratulations to all those who took LAMDA exams in December – the string of excellent grades over the last five years continues. Two of the thirteen candidates achieved Merits and eleven passed with Distinction. Well done – I’m delighted that your hard work bore fruit! Mrs Sellers
Annabelle (Yr10) – Grade 5 Musical Theatre with Distinction ■ Holly (Yr8) – Grade 4 Acting with Distinction ■ Ebun (Yr9) – Grade 3 Acting with Distinction ■ Elsa (Yr10) – Grade 6 Acting with Distinction ■ Immy (Yr10) – Grade 6 Acting with Distinction ■ Lucy (Yr11) – Grade 6 Acting with Distinction ■ Mabel (Yr9) – Grade 4 Acting with Merit ■ Mathilda (Yr8) – Grade 3 Musical Theatre with Distinction ■
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Matilda (Yr11) – Grade 5 Musical Theatre with Distinction ■ Natalie (Yr11) – Grade 6 Musical Theatre with Distinction ■ Sara (Yr10) – Grade 5 Musical Theatre with Distinction ■ Saskia (Yr9) – Grade 4 Verse and Prose with Merit ■ Summer (Yr8) – Grade 3 Acting with Distinction ■
9 January 2026 – Issue 1
HEAD’S REVIEW
Thank you from Chailey!
Eco Council Sustainable Action The Eco Council has demonstrated outstanding leadership and compassion through this meaningful sustainable action. By organising and supporting the donation of clothing and essential items, our students and staff have shown a strong commitment to environmental responsibility and social impact. This initiative not only promotes reuse and reduces waste, but also extends kindness and support to communities affected by hardship. I am immensely proud of our community for translating values into action and showing how sustainability and empathy can go hand in hand.
Chailey Heritage Foundation were delighted to receive a £100 donation from Roedean at the end of last term. Some of the proceeds from our Christmasthemed jumper day in December were donated to Chailey and will be used to provide inclusive environments that help to overcome barriers. With the support of the Roedean community, and through other fundraising initiatives, Chailey provide the young people in their care with opportunities to use their hydrotherapy pool, visit their therapy farm, and access learning that is bespoke and tailored to each individual and their specific needs.
Miss Kelsey
Mrs Pashley
Roedean Partners with Brighton Half Marathon 2026 to Champion Community, Wellbeing, and Global Education Roedean School is proud to announce its partnership with the Brighton Half Marathon 2026, a collaboration that reflects our longstanding commitment to community engagement, wellbeing, and holistic education. Community involvement sits at the heart of life at Roedean. Across all year groups, students actively engage in charitable initiatives, gaining first-hand experience of service, empathy and social responsibility. By playing an active role within the local community, students develop a clear understanding of their place in the wider world and a strong sense of shared purpose. This partnership further strengthens Roedean’s connection with the vibrant community of Brighton. Guided by these values and inspired by the educational vision of our founders, the Lawrence sisters, Roedean is deeply committed to supporting girls and young women to remain in education for as long as possible. As part of our involvement in the Brighton Half Marathon, we are using the event to raise funds in support of our established partnership with the Catalyst Foundation in Africa. A team of five Roedean staff
and students will take part in the race, raising funds to support three girls - Natasha, Josephine, and Esther - from Zimbabwe and Zambia. The funds raised will help provide essential educational materials, daily meals at school, and bicycles, enabling safer and more reliable journeys to school. The Brighton Half Marathon itself embodies wellbeing, inclusivity, and community celebration, bringing people together in pursuit of a shared goal. These values align naturally with Roedean’s educational approach, where wellbeing underpins learning and character development is central to school life. Our extensive co-curricular programme promotes participation in sport at every level, fostering physical health, resilience, teamwork, and perseverance. Looking ahead, Roedean remains a school where ambition is matched with opportunity. Through meaningful partnerships such as this, we continue to empower and inspire students to become confident, resilient young women, equipped to contribute positively, both locally and globally, in an ever-changing world. Mrs Wienekus Page 3
HEAD’S REVIEW
Amazing Tour to Sri Lanka for Roedean Netballers ‘My highlight of the trip Over the Christmas holidays, a party of 15 travelled to Sri Lanka on a brilliant Netball tour. As well as playing four exciting matches against strong sides, the group also threw themselves wholeheartedly into the Sri Lankan culture. They embraced the culture of food while we were there, eating mangoes at the side of the road, and drinking fresh coconut milk. We also visited a silk factory and a Buddhist temple, to learn more about the country’s culture.
was holding some turtles, including some baby turtles, at the turtle hatchery!’ Molly (Yr11)
On safari, we saw elephants, crocodiles, a jackal, and lots of exotic birds. We visited a turtle hatchery, where we were able to hold 3-day old turtles, which was a remarkable experience. Following the catastrophic flooding in the north of Sri Lanka just before we went, we took some extra suitcases with us, filled with donated clothes. There were given to The Foundation of Goodness charity, which then distributed them to flood victims in need. We enjoyed an amazing welcome from every single person we met; the girls were perfect ambassadors for the School, and it was a pleasure to spend the week with them. Thank you to Mr Halsey, who also accompanied the trip.
Miss Bamford
‘Going to see all of the amazing landmarks and going on a safari and seeing lots of elep hants were also incredible momen ts.’ Tilly (Yr10)
ilient me how res d e is r p r u s ‘It re, ri lanka we S f o le p o the pe been st recently ju d a h e r e h their as t le had lost p o e p e r e h floods w was still , everyone r e v e w o H . ays lives ey were alw h t , s u o t so kind smiling.’ Tilly (Yr10)
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9 January 2026 – Issue 1
HEAD’S REVIEW
9 January 2026 – Issue 1
‘The netball matches th we played were incred at ible for us all to experienc e together as a team.’ Heidi (Yr9)
t of this 1 highligh ‘My number itely the safari, efin trip was d a lot of e got to see w se becau hants pes of elep different ty birds.’ f o ecies sp t n re fe if and d Heidi (Yr9)
y time in Sri ‘I really enjoyed m of the best school Lanka — it was one loved playing trips I've been on. I team.’ netball as part of a Mabel (Yr9)
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139 January October 2026 2023 – Issue 16
HEAD’S HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW REVIEW
U13F Victory over Great Walstead U13D The U13F team performed brilliantly in their first game of the year against Great Walstead U13Ds, winning 10-4. The girls dominated possession throughout the match, and some incredible intercepts from the entire team in both attack and defence held off the opposition from scoring for two of the quarters! The team’s work rate and resilience were admirable, especially in the cold weather. During the final quarter, goals were coming in thick and fast for Roedean, scoring 4 in quick succession. Holly was non-stop in centre, which lead to her being voted the opposition’s player of the match. An amazing start to netball term and a performance to be proud of.
4th VII Netball vs Great Walstead
U13C Netball Fixture
On a cold afternoon, the 4th netball team played their first match of the season against Great Walstead School. With nerves showing early on, it was a slow start as Walstead took control of the first quarter, moving into a 5–1 lead. However, the second quarter saw a big improvement as the team settled, showing greater composure and structure across the court.
U13C welcomed Cavendish School for a Netball fixture on Wednesday 7th January.
Scarlett, Florence and Vera worked tirelessly in the mid-court, linking play well and driving the ball forward to the shooters. Cara and Tabitha combined effectively in the shooting circle, working as a strong unit to create scoring opportunities. By the third quarter, the hard work paid off and the score was level at 7–7. Desire then came on to shoot and added crucial goals. The final quarter was fast-paced and end-to-end, with Daisy and Eve making important intercepts in defence. Despite the effort, the match finished 11–9 to Walstead. Well played to all involved and congratulations to Eve who was awarded coachs' player.
We welcome contributions from all parts of the Roedean community. If you have something you would like featured in the Head’s Weekly Review, please email: aws@roedean.co.uk
Cavendish started strong, immediately dominating the first quarter. After a little tactic talk, the Roedean girls found their confidence and fought for every ball. Juno had to work very hard in defence against a strong Cavendish shooter, with Wren and Bethany securing some excellent goals for Roedean. Well done to the girls who were voted as players of the match by Cavendish – Maisie and Audrey. Final Result: 5-13 to Cavendish
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