VI Form News

Building Team Spirit at Blacklands Farm

The battle at Blacklands Farm for the top form prize ensued on 13th September. In their new year 12 forms, students completed mental and physical challenges to solidify friendships and foster team spirit. Accompanied by the year 13 ambassador prefects, who shared the wisdom they had acquired the previous year, the year 12s excelled, putting teamwork and ingenuity into practice.

Abseiling 15ft drops, navigating through the trees on high ropes and filling an impossibly leaky pipe, 12G were crowned the overall form winners, gaining the most points from their activities. While the Gs showed their penchant for outward bound teamwork, each form gained valuable experience and had the chance to bond with their peers.

The day offered the opportunity to put competitive spirit to good use and develop relationships within form groups, with their form tutor and members of year 13. It was an invaluable experience and lots of fun.

Eleanor Goodman, Vice Captain of School

Year 13 Oxbridge Workshop

Jenny Medland, Admissions Officer at Mansfield College, Oxford, led two invaluable sessions on Wednesday 19th September in the Sixth Form Library. The first of the two Oxbridge Applications Forums was held for staff in order to further refine and develop the quality of support which they can offer to those students aspiring for places at these prestigious universities. The second was directed at the applicants themselves and was attended by almost half of Year 13.

This latter session consisted of a detailed and engaging presentation covering all aspects of the admissions procedure, debunking myths which surround the interview process, offering valuable hints on fine-tuning the Personal Statement of the UCAS application and offering a broad range of advice on how best to prepare for the forthcoming admissions tests. The presentation was followed by a lively question and answer session in which our students acquitted themselves with their usual incisive yet gracious aplomb. Jenny Medland will be visiting the school again (with the Senior Admissions Tutor for Mansfield College) on the occasion of the forthcoming Oxbridge Evening for Year 12 students to be held in the Great Hall on March 18th.

Young Olavians’ Day

The Young Olavians’ Day took place on 12th September, with over 60 Young Olavians taking part in a range of events from chess to rugby, and many more Young Olavians coming to watch, cheer and get behind the teams. Despite some very tough contests, the results did not fall kindly for the school and the only victory was in chess, with the Saint Olave’s chess team defeating the returning Old Olavians 3-1. The match looked tight from the beginning and, though three wins in a row raised hopes of a whitewash, it was not to be. Nevertheless it was a pleasing result for their first match of the year!

The netball match took place for the first time in five seasons, helped by the Young Olavians calling up two Cambridge netball players at the very last moment, which helped secure them a victory. The results were as follows:

This proved to be an excellent afternoon for the Sixth Form and the students who left last year. We wish all students going off to university the very best of luck.

Assemblies given by the Joint Captains of School Conflict Assembly

On Tuesday 9th October, an Upper VI Former gave an assembly in front of the whole school about the issue of conflict. In his assembly, Mo outlined the conflict faced in the Syrian civil war, and described the consequences of a number of potential solutions to the crisis. He then went on to conclude that whilst there may not be an immediate answer to the Syrian conflict, we can learn how to resolve most of the conflicts we encounter in our lives by adopting ideas from people such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

‘Imagination is more important than knowledge, knowledge is limited; imagination encircles the world’ On the 16th of October, a VI Former gave an assembly on the potency of imagination, focusing of how it can ‘set us free’. She talked about the true story of French fashion magazine editor ‘Jean Dominique Bauby’. In 1995 Bauby had a massive stroke, leaving him with ‘locked in syndrome’- a condition where in the mental faculties remain intact but most of the body is left paralyzed.

Bauby was only able to blink his left eye lid, and used this limited physical freedom to dictate a book (one letter at a time) via blinking called, ‘The diving Bell and the Butterfly’.

Grace used this metaphor of physical imprisonment vs mental liberation to demonstrate that, like Bauby, we can surpass our own limitations in life to achieve something remarkable. As somebody studying both Literature and Drama, Grace perceived this story as a form of portraying the importance of artistic expression. She argued that there are so many ways to express ourselves, not only via language but also through music, theatre and painting. Grace wanted to show that, although you cannot do a GCSE, an A-Level or even a degree in imagination, it is by far our greatest gift.

Scottish Country Dancing

Every Friday, during period four, year thirteen have a lecture. We have enjoyed a variety of presentations from ‘the danger of cults’ to ‘the argument behind animal testing’, but nothing was quite like what we experienced last Friday. We stood huddled together outside the doors of the great hall, not knowing what lay ahead for us. There had been rumours that this week was going to be ‘different’, and the speculations about ‘dancing’ remained a torturing threat to those of us with two left feet.

The rumours weren’t wrong. There was dancing alright. We opened the doors and scurried into the hall to be greeted with the sight of two women and one man, all dressed in the trademark tartan of Scotland. I don’t know who was more shocked (or scared): us, not knowing what they had in store, or them with the sight of a student dressed as Alice in Wonderland.

After getting into partners we lined up and simply accepted the humiliation that we would soon endure. The ‘easy’ routine was explained; deep breaths were inhaled and then came the bagpipes. Off we went. We skipped, we twirled and we even ‘Dosey Doe’d’; It only took about five more explanations until we ‘sort of’ got the hang of it!

Overall, to my surprise, it was rather enjoyable. I don’t think we had ever imagined ourselves all together, dressed as book characters, in school, Scottish dancinga surreal memory to say the least.

Upper VI Softball

Last Thursday saw Year 13 engage in a battle of wits and strength as they channelled their seven years of secondary school experience into the art of softball. With forms pitted one against another, the top field was littered with epic shots and spectacular catches. With two games apiece, everyone had a chance to bat, with varying levels of success, while the large number of fielders made for a tight and challenging game.

Although there was no outright winner, great fun was had by all in this less-than-conventional PSHE lesson. Special mention must go to Mr. “Optimus” Price, for his outstanding home run, and to Mr. Rees for an agile, but soon-disqualified, catch.

Many thanks to James Atkinson for organising the event and to the staff, especially Mrs. Upsdell, for overseeing, refereeing and scoring.

James Watson, Vice Captain of School

VI Form Association

Throughout the year, representatives from each Year 12 and 13 form have been meeting with Mr Rees, Director of Sixth Form, and the Heads of Year, Mrs Updsell and Mr Budds, as a voice for students in the Sixth Form. The Association has discussed issues raised by individual students, such as soap in the toilets and sourcing a clock for the pavilion, and matters which affect the whole of the Sixth Form, including car parking, use of the Sixth Form Library and the Leavers’ Reception.

As treasurer, Daniel Powell has been responsible for overseeing the collection and spending of the Sixth Form Subs, maintaining the condition of the Sixth Form Common Room and subsidising the Leavers’ Ball. Caroline Yuen, as secretary, has ensured agendas have been circulated and minutes issued.

I would like to thank them both for their help this year and wish Max Hamilton-Jenkins (Chairman), Alex Bargeron (Treasurer) and Shino Hiraski (Secretary) the best of luck as our successors.

Alex Rodker (Chair, Year 13)

Oxbridge Offers

During the year, students have been busy with UCAS applications and university interviews. As ever, the offers from prestigious Russell Group universities flooded in and the new year began magnificently with an impressive spread of Oxbridge offers. Congratulations to the students, whose offers bring our Oxbridge total to nearly 120 over the last 4 years.

Leaver’s Reception & Ball

A new format for the Leavers’ Event was introduced this year with a combined reception and ball held on a Friday.

This new arrangement began with a reception in the new quad, where students were joined by their parents and staff for canapés and champagne as they listened to a string quartet and the newly formed barber shop singing group. Students and parents also heard speeches by the Headmaster, Director of Sixth Form and Grace Boyle and Mohammad Fallaha, Captains of School.

We must record our thanks to Mrs Upsdell and Mrs Vaughan for organising the reception, with help from the South America rugby tourists. This was a highly successful event, marking formally the end of an era and culminating with a heartfelt and rousing (though perhaps lacking in musicality) rendition of Jerusalem, accompanied by Mr Geoghegan on the school organ.

After the reception, parents waved their sons and daughters goodbye as the students moved onto the Leavers’ Ball at Westerham Golf Club. Students danced the night away to the Take 5 Party Band and were entertained by a magician as they socialised on the balcony, overlooking the golf course.