The Boarding Review
Passing on the baton...
After a busy term as Interim Head of Boarding, I pass the baton of leadership to Ms Murton, our incoming Head of Boarding, who will also teach RE and be a Deputy Head in the Day School.
Although it has been interesting and challenging, I am looking forward to returning to my role as Houseparent of Bolton House, and focussing my skills and experience on nurturing and challenging the Sixth Formers.
Another person who has been nurturing and caring for the boarders this half term is our new Health and Wellbeing Lead, Mrs Willard. She has hit the ground running and already brought a wealth of knowledge around mental health, because this is where her specialism lies.
My colleagues and I wish outgoing students the very best in their new adventures; and the team looks forward to spending some time resting and recuperating ready for our new and returning boarders in September. Wishing you all a peaceful and healthy summer. Mrs Oliver
Welcome to our new Head of Boarding
Ms Sarah Murton was educated overseas and in the UK at a variety of day and boarding schools, as were her 3 children. She readAncient and Modern History (MA, BAHons) at Worcester College, Oxford, where she served as JCR President and enjoyed establishing and playing in the Martlet String Quartet.
Following a career with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with postings in Japan, Mauritius, Kenya and Belgium, she completed her PGCE at Canterbury Christ Church University specialising in Religious Studies. Most recently, Sarah has been Houseparent and teacher of Philosophy\Theology at Christ’s Hospital School near Horsham and therefore brings a wealth of academic and pastoral experience.
Sarah’s goal is to ensure the SGS boarding experience provides a nurturing and supportive environment enabling pupils to flourish, becoming the very best version of themselves. She values honesty, enthusiasm and effort. Her aim is for boarders to leave SGS understanding the value of kindness, empowered to instigate positive change in the world. Sarah is delighted to have moved to Steyning where she can enjoy cycling and running with her springador, Benji.
Fruit Kebabs
Friday night saw a variation on the usual chocolate fountain theme. Anyone who has cleaned up the choc fountain machine will appreciate the benefit of dipping rather than using one.
Happy Birthday Odein
Asparkling 15th. Congratulations!
Whodunit?
Asmall elite group of Boarding sleuths assembled to take on a number of murder cases. Fuelled by sweets, Doritos and the occasional Twix, they ploughed through the piles of evidence sorting out the guilty from the innocent. Congratulations to the students from Bennett House for working out the culprit in their story first.
Drugs andAlcohol Talk
Boarding welcomes PC Sally Scott who came in to Boarding to give an educational talk on the topic of drugs and alcohol to our Boarding students. Leaflets were given out and Sally was available for questions from students afterwards.
Goodbye to our 2024-25 Student leaders.
Muna, Jay & Jesnia are seen here posing for their last picture as our Student Leaders for the year. Dan, the fourth in the team, was busy working in the Boarding kitchen. The new team take over in the last term so that our Year 13 students can concentrate on the “A” level exams.
Student Leaders help out with Home Learning and represent Boarding at a variety of events. They are regular readers at our church services and, on Remembrance Day, read the names of students who gave their lives in the Worlds Wars and other conflicts. Their names can be seen on the honour roll behind them, though it looks like we have just run out of space.
On the Hustings
Each year Boarding students choose their new Head and Deputy Head girl and boy. The election takes place before half term so that the current incumbents, Jesnia, Jay, Muna and Dan, can concentrate on their exam studies free from responsibilities.
This year four candidates, Noah, Tosan, Dom and Sofie, stood up in front of their peers to put their cases for election to Head Girl and Boy.
After each had put forward their manifesto for the coming year the traditional secret ballot was taken. Year 13 students do not vote in the election. With the votes counted our Headteacher, Mr Timmons, announced the results. Tosan was named Head Girl with Sofie as her deputy and Noah as Head Boy with Dom as deputy.
Decarbonisation
There have been major works on the Boarding campus over the term with heat pumps being installed and the central heating systems of our buildings being upgraded. This has been made possible by a government grant as part of their Decarbonisation Initiative.
The machinery required for a site of our size is of impressive size and has been installed behind Bennett House and on the edge of Wykeham lawn.
The basic principle is that warmth, in the winter, is extracted from the seemingly cold air outside and this is used as partly warmed air inside. This means that the building is heated partly using extracted heat thus reducing the bills to achieve the desired internal temperature.
Canadian visitors
Once again Steyning Grammar hosted groups of Canadian teachers who visited a number of the BohuntAcademy schools. They were accommodated by Boarding in Dormer House and regularly ate their meals with us. They also made a good effort at showing our students how Canadians play basketball. It was a pleasure to have them visit.
Afond farewell to Nurse Barnard
Our Boarding Welfare and Medical lead, Georgia Barnard, left us at half-term and has moved to another, larger, boarding school.
It has been a delight to have her, and the enthusiasm she brought, over the last two years.
There was a gathering of staff, hosted by Ms Templeman, who provided some fantastic home-made sausage rolls. The cake, baked on request by Mr Treadwell, was Georgia's favourite, Lemon Drizzle.
Karaoke Night
Students gathered in Bolton common room for a Saturday night of karaoke. The volume and quality were both impressive…. and sometimes happened at the same time. Agreat time was had by all with some mass chorus singing and a lot of hand clapping. Drinks and doughnuts were quickly polished off to end a great evening.
LEGO - The Empire Strikes Back
One Imperial T.I.E. (Twin Ion Engine) Fighter and twoAdvanced T.I.E. Fighters were added to the imperial arsenal that already includes two Imperial Star destroyers.
These are great models and have missiles that actually fire with a range of about...oh…. 40 cm. They also come complete with Minifig pilots, a Service Droid and an Imperial Stormtrooper.
Even More LEGO
For those less interested in space warfare there were a number of other kits to choose from.
Leavers’Dinner
After the traditional drinks on the lawn all of Boarding gathered together for our evening meal. As usual the students, particularly those leaving soon, dressed up to the nines…. though there were a few hints that some had even more impressive outfits ready for the Prom later in the week. There were, of course, a few older folk amongst them and we were thrilled to see Mr Leighton present for the event.
Mr Reeves wore his traditional Cornish Kilt for the occasion though this led to some of our Spanish visitors calling him “the man in the skirt”.
It was also time to take the annual whole Boarding group photo with the photographer, Tom Packer, leaning out of a top floor window in Bolton house to get “that perfect shot”.
The picture below isn’t it by the way. His is much better. :-)
Prizes and Thanks
Gordon won the Bennett Boarder of the Year prize with Camille winning it for Bolton House. The top award, Overall Boarder of the Year, went to Soibi.
The Leavers’Dinner is also when the Golden Ticket draw takes place. Throughout the year students take part in many events and competitions, each of which can earn them a coveted “Golden Ticket”. The prizes are well worth winning. Third place is £50, second £100 with a whopping £200 for the top draw.
Laren took the third prize whilst Phoebe was drawn for the second. As she had already left for the end of the year her fellow Year 11 student Prisca collected it for her.
The big finale came when Mr Leighton drew the most golden of Golden tickets. The winner was our outgoing Head Boy Jay. Congratulations Jay and very well deserved.
Speeches
At the end of our evening it was time for the traditional speeches.
Mrs Randall, having done her research carefully, regaled our students with anecdotes from their time in Steyning.
It was then time for our departing Head Girl and Boy to say a few words. What follows are extracts from the start of their speeches.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve finally reached this point. Tonight is a night to celebrate our time here. To remember the laughs, challenges and friendships that have shaped us.
For me I arrived at Steyning just two years ago. I came from Kenya not quite sure what to expect but hopeful that I would find a place to grow, learn and belong…. and somehow this Boarding house became that. Asecond home.
When you move countries, schools and even continents there’s always a fear of not fitting in, but from the start I was welcomed with warmth, kindness and a loving community spirit that makes this place so special.” Jay.
“Five years, that’s how long I’ve spent in the little town in West Sussex, and I still don’t know if I enjoy the peace or am absolutely terrified by it. It still feels surreal as I’m sure it does to many of you as well. I arrived in the middle of Year 9 as the coolest 13 year old without ever visiting or actually knowing anything about Steyning and now I stand here as an adult who spent all her teenage years here learning, growing, and becoming the person I am today. Through all of that there have been two constants. Ms Templeman, who is basically my mum, you have seen all of us grow up and you know all of us so well. And of course my sisters, my best friends, I have so much love for you and it’s unlike any other bond I have with anyone.” Jesnia.
Year 11 & 13 Leavers’Events
Alfie &Aaron were dressed up for their Year 11 Prom night after two years of Boarding. We hope to see them back next year in Year 12.
Year 13 students went to the Metropole in Brighton similarly splendidly dressed. We wish them all the best of luck for their exam results and for the coming year.
Bennett House Draw
Bennett students gathered in their TV room for their house draw. The tickets they have earned for good behaviour, neat rooms and general helpfulness were drawn to see which students chose first from the assembled goodies.
Welcome to our Chinese Visitors
In mid July we welcomed a group of Year 7&8 aged students, and their five staff members, to Steyning Grammar School. It was great to see our Spanish students, present at the same time for a three week stay, also coming out to greet them. They arrived in perfect time for the evening meal and their organiser, Richard, quickly saw them into the dining room.
Each day a group was hosted by our Rock Road site whilst the second group attended The Towers. In the evenings students returned to play basketball or a variety of other games and activities.
Saying goodbye
With our visitors leaving early the next day our Head Teacher, MrAidan Timmons, came to give a farewell message and to present certificates. Richard presented Mr Timmons with a beautiful mounted silk panel as a gift which now adorns his office in school.
Spanish Visitors
Unlike out previous two groups from Spain, this group was fully immersed in SGS life. This involved attending school each day and living in Bennett house alongside our other Year 10 students.
As well as school during the day there were a whole series of activities to get involved with in the afternoons and evenings.
More goodbyes: Jon Reeves
Resident Tutor Jon Reeves is leaving us after two years, first in Dormer House and then in Bolton House. His musical contributions, film and theatre trips ,and general all round willingness to help, will be greatly missed. He can be seen here resplendent in his Cornish tartan kilt.
Amanda Templeman
Also leaving, and moving on to a new job at St Georges, is Ms Templeman. Ms Templeman has been at Steyning Grammar school for 18 years, 8 of which have been in Boarding.
Moving from being a Resident Tutor in Dormer House to being Houseparent of Bennetts she remade it in her own inimitable image and went from strength to strength thereafter. She has been the driving force behind some amazing Boarding events including a full Harry Potter celebration, a Willy Wonka extravaganza, winter balls and many other themed yearly events.
That brings us onto her many activity events. These have varied between Master Chef, roller disco, tie dye shirts, airsoft, theme park & shopping trips, trips to London, line dancing, Task Master, garden parties, outdoor cinema, independence days, House hoodies, personalised welcome cups, ice skating, Christmas meals…. and more. Her “I’m a Boarder get me out of here!” event has also been a highlight of the year with students braving some very “exotic” things to eat.
Amanda, your vision and enthusiasm will be impossible to replace and we wish you well with your new girls House at St. Georges. We hope they appreciate the wonders they are in for. Thank your for enriching the lives of SGS students and staff and know that you will be greatly missed.
Leavers’Service
Mr Timmons and Mrs Randall welcomed our Boarding community to a service for our students who were leaving. Most of these were from Year 13 though one or two others were moving on to others places of education.
There were readings from both students staying and going including our new Head Girl, Tosan, and Head Boy Noah.
To mark those leaving, students were asked to hang decorations bearing their names onto a tree before being given a copy of the New Testament to take with them by Mr Timmons.
