St Leonards Gazette 2020-2021 by St Leonards School

ST LEONARDS

2020-2021

CONTENTS 92

MEET THE HEADS OF YEAR

12 NEWS & EVENTS

4 A WARM WELCOME

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

ACADEMIC

7 A FOND FAREWELL

93 SPORTS

104

119

MUSIC

BOARDING

131

BEYOND THE WALLS

140 PRIZEGIVING & CELEBRATIONS

161

ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT

108 DRAMA

INTRODUCTION FROM THE HEAD

A WARM WELCOME Simon Brian joined St Leonards as Head in August 2021. Prior to his appointment, he was Deputy Head (Academic) at Charterhouse School, Surrey. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Simon has a wealth of educational leadership experience from his first Deputy Headship at Cheltenham College, and from various roles at prestigious London day schools, namely Dulwich College and Highgate School. Joined at St Leonards by his wife, Véronique, and their three boys, Simon is thoroughly enjoying making the most of his return to Scotland; being fully immersed into the vibrant university town, the friendly and welcoming school community and making time for post-work runs along the beautiful beaches. Below are Simon’s reflections on his first term in post.

very warm welcome to this edition of the St Leonards Gazette. I am delighted that I can make my first contribution to this publication, and I hope that you enjoy its diverse and inspirational content. I first moved to Scotland to read French and German at the University of Edinburgh. Twenty years later, the opportunity then arose for me to return, to take up the post of Head of St Leonards; this was a prospect that filled both me and my family with such excitement, and I am pleased to say that we have enjoyed every minute so far. Upon our move to St Andrews, we were excited to explore the town and the surrounding area, and it has been incredible to see the wealth of opportunities on offer here. Within a matter of days, my children had caught their first waves in the surf, swung a driver for the first time down at the St Andrews Links, and sailed the calm coastal waters of the East Neuk - and so, naturally, it was only a matter of time before we were queuing for Fisher & Donaldson fudge doughnuts and Jannettas ice creams to replenish energy levels!

The opportunities for young people in this area are truly unique, and there is something very special indeed about the location of St Leonards, situated in the heart of one of Scotland’s most well-known destinations, with beaches, a vibrant, cosmopolitan town, worldfamous Links golf courses, and now the UK’s top university, right on our doorstep. Put simply, our campus must be one of the most stunning and inspirational settings for a school. But,

of course, it is our warm, welcoming, inclusive and diverse community of young people and staff that really brings it to life, and it is thanks to this community that I have absolutely loved my first term at St Leonards. It has been a joy to experience the buzz, energy, and positivity of our young people and our hard-working staff around the campus, whether it be academics, drama, art, music, sport, clubs, societies or any other of the myriad offerings.

TO BE ABLE TO WORK ALONGSIDE SUCH A TALENTED BODY OF STAFF AND PUPILS IS A PRIVILEGE. There is such a palpable sense of opportunity that pervades all that we do here, and this makes for the truly extraordinary education that St Leonards provides. I feel a strong sense of pride in leading our outstanding school; to be able to work alongside such a talented body of staff and pupils is a privilege. For me, the School’s strong Scottish

heritage combined with the vibrant international perspective and the IB curriculum are a great combination, and an enviable context in which to educate our young people with relevance and purpose for the future. Over the coming months and years, I am looking forward to building on the School’s thriving cocurricular programme, academic ambition,

pioneering heritage, international outlook, and welcoming community, ensuring that St Leonards continues to prepare its young people for their ultimate steps into adulthood, university and the world of work. And so, it is with great optimism that I look forward to being part of the journey into our future as one of the world’s leading schools.

INTRODUCTION FROM DAWN PEMBERTON-HISLOP

THE STRENGTH OF THE TEAM IS EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER. THE STRENGTH OF EACH MEMBER IS THE TEAM. PHIL JACKSON

t truly has been another extraordinary year at St Leonards. I think it is safe to say that no one would have expected social distancing, mask-wearing, and all the other Covid restrictions to spill into another academic year. However, in true St Leonards style, pupils and staff pulled together, supported each other, and ultimately achieved great things in the face of adversity: our actors took their rehearsals online; our instrumentalists and vocalists produced music across the ether; the community stayed fit thanks to team Strava challenges organised by the PE Department; and curriculum content was delivered creatively and effectively by our teaching staff, both in person and online. As I leafed through the pages of this colourful publication, I felt an enormous sense of pride to be part

of such a special school community; a community that has tackled the challenges of the past year with positivity, resilience, and creativity. I hope that you feel the same way as you read the various different articles and reports in the pages that follow - St Leonards really is composed of outstanding individuals who together create a very special community. This edition of the St Leonards Gazette reflects not only upon our school community’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but also by another significant event from this academic year: the retirement of Michael Carslaw, who led St Leonards from strength to strength during his 13 years as Head and shaped it into the school that we know and love, indeed Scotland’s Top Independent School 2019. You can read more about our farewell to Dr Carslaw, as well as his own reflections on his

time at St Leonards, in the pages that follow. As one academic year drew to a close, we looked to the next with the arrival of our new Head, Simon Brian, in August. In the Summer Term that preceded Simon’s arrival at St Leonards, it was an honour to lead the School as Acting Head. We look forward to many successful months, terms and years to come as St Leonards continues to go from strength to strength. For now, my thanks go to the External Relations team, in particular Anna Stephenson and Sophie Sanders, who have compiled, edited and produced this publication. Happy reading! Ad Vitam. Dawn Pemberton-Hislop Acting Head of St Leonards (Summer Term 2021)

A FOND FAREWELL

The end of the Spring Term marked the end of an era at St Leonards as our whole school community said a fond farewell to Dr Michael Carslaw, who led the school from strength to strength during his 13 years as Head. On behalf of the pupils, families, staff, Seniors and friends of St Leonards, we wish Dr Carslaw, and his wife, Nicola, a very happy and healthy retirement

At the Year 13 Prizegiving, we were pleased to unveil a portrait of Dr Michael Carslaw, commissioned by Council to commemorate his 13 years as Headmaster of St Leonards, and painted by local artist Maggie Milne. The portrait will be displayed alongside paintings of fellow former Heads of St Leonards in the School Hall. The likeness encapsulates Dr Carslaw’s time at the school, nodding both to St Leonards’ status as the first all-through International Baccalaureate school in Scotland, and the prestigious accolade of Scotland’s Independent School of the Year 2019, awarded by The Sunday Times.

he end of the Spring Term marked the end of an era at St Leonards as our whole school community said a fond farewell to Michael Carslaw, who has led the school from strength to strength over the past 13 years. As Headmaster of St Leonards, Dr Carslaw demonstrated vision, compassion, dedication, enthusiasm, energy, and outstanding leadership. He has been a true advocate of the International Baccalaureate, and shaped and steered St Leonards to become the wonderful community that we know and love. Whilst we were sadly unable to gather in person to mark this important milestone in the St Leonards story,

pupils and staff celebrated Dr Carslaw’s years as Head through a special virtual event, which was live-streamed for all pupils and staff. This included the streaming of a bespoke film, created for the occasion of Dr Carslaw’s retirement, reflecting on the many highlights of his time at St Leonards; a presentation of gifts and cards; and, last but by no means least, the latest addition to our trophy cabinet, the ‘Carslaw Cup’, which will be awarded annually to a pupil who embodies the attributes of the Learner Profile. At Prizegiving in June, we were delighted to announce Natasha Reid as the first recipient.

A FOND FAREWELL

Whilst we were sadly unable to gather in person to mark this important milestone in the St Leonards story, pupils and staff celebrated Dr Carslaw’s years as Head through a special virtual event, which was live-streamed for all pupils and staff.

Gifts presented by the school included a beautiful armchair, upholstered specially for Dr Carslaw

Gifts presented by the school included a beautiful armchair, upholstered specially for Dr Carslaw by Isobel Myles, a former parent and staff member of St Leonards to include the traditional lozenge, and a sketch of the view from the Head’s Study. Representatives of the St Leonards Parents Association also gathered on St Leonards Grass to present Dr Carslaw with a range of thoughtful and generous gifts in honour of his long service to the school. You can read more about these gifts on page 31.

On behalf of the pupils, families, staff, Seniors, and friends of St Leonards, we wish Dr Carslaw, and his wife Nicola, a very happy and healthy retirement. Together with their three daughters, Emilia, Olivia, and Anna, and their dog, Howie, they will be greatly missed.

REFLECTIONS FROM DR MICHAEL CARSLAW

ST LEONARDS HAS BEEN A PIONEER AND INNOVATOR FROM THE BEGINNING

s the Head of a boarding and day school, you live above the shop: work is home and home is work. My family and I arrived in the St Leonards Quad on 4 April 2008 to the sounds of screeching seagulls swooping in the sunshine. The light on the grey-stoned school buildings was golden. People walking through town were wearing t-shirts and shorts. My wife, Nicola, who’d braced herself for a bitingly cold North Sea climate, was surprised and delighted. Our three daughters raced around the Quad in excitement, before we entered the blue front door of Head’s House. They’d already chosen their bedrooms: one overlooking the garden, one above a bed of roses near the Green Room, and the other with a turret and a curved window shaded by a lime tree. Little did we think then that we would still be at home there 13 years later and choosing, even after my retirement, to buy our own grey-stoned house just down the road in St Andrews. Apart from its location by the sea, in the Home of Golf and one of the world’s top universities, St Leonards is truly fortunate to have the motto, ‘Ad Vitam’, handed down from Prior John Hepburn, who founded St Leonard’s College in 1512. Never has our motto resonated more strongly than during the current global pandemic. Hopefully we are now at the ‘beginning of the end’ of the current crisis, or at least the ‘end of the beginning,’ and can look forward to the continued easing of restrictions. Many schools pay only lip service to their founders’ principles, which are often encapsulated in their motto. At St Leonards, however, ‘Ad Vitam’ enables us to practise what it preaches and embed its principles into the fabric of the school: a values-based approach to teaching, learning and preparing young people ‘for life’ with all its ups and downs. From an underpinning set

of values, the ‘Learner Profile’, flow policies and procedures and indeed our unique ethos and culture. This has been made possible by three equally significant factors - all of which embody resilience, adaptability and excellence - which make me so proud: * a consistent approach to teaching and learning for primary, middle and senior years; * wonderful teaching and support staff all through the school; * amazing pupils and their hugely supportive families. To get to this point has not been plain sailing. We had to hold our nerve in the face of doubters, nay-sayers and those who remembered their own education and wanted their children to have precisely the same experience as theirs 20, 30, 40 years earlier. With Council’s support we resolved absolutely to nail our colours to the International Baccalaureate. We held parent and community meetings, workshops, seminars and one-to-ones to explain, persuade and convince those who were open-minded and keen to understand how the forward-looking education at St Leonards is an approach to learning that equips our young for the 21st century and beyond. This approach does not sit comfortably with traditional education systems, such as SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) Highers and A levels, and so St Leonards truly is leading the way in Scotland. With any change you can’t and never will please everyone. Some preferred to send their children to schools with ‘better-the-devil-you-know’ exam systems. However, we attracted so many more than we lost. Families could see our commitment as a school to the IB approach and an international outlook, and witnessed young people who’d had a St Leonards education come out after

Year 13 confidently prepared for the next stage. The school roll has climbed and climbed. Accessibility to what might be termed an ‘Ad Vitam’ approach to learning has been further transformed by the introduction of the more vocationally oriented IB Career-related Programme, accompanying the IB Diploma Programme in the Sixth Form. With the IB Middle Years Programme and Primary Years Programme, St Leonards is in a unique position to drive forward ever more strongly under the leadership of Simon Brian. The recent confusion in the Scottish and English education systems, characterised by the proposed abolition of the SQA by the Scottish Government, has contrasted with the resilience and stability of the IB, consistent in its approach for over 50 years. With the IB approach to learning and accreditation, you really do know what you are getting. I sincerely hope that the contribution of St Leonards in pioneering this innovative and effective approach leads to broader recognition in the educational landscape of Scotland. The work of all involved has been immense. It certainly should do. St Leonards has been a pioneer and innovator from the beginning: it founded a world sport (women’s lacrosse), in 1890; was the first girls’ school to have science laboratories, which were opened by Ernest Shackleton in 1910; and played a seminal role in the founding of other pioneering schools - Wycombe Abbey, Godstowe, and Benenden, in 1896, 1900 and 1923 respectively. This approach has never really gone from St Leonards - it’s still there in spades and I look forward to finding out, from a distance, what the next exciting new chapter in the school’s history will be. Michael Carslaw Head of St Leonards, 2008-21

News &

EVENTS

A whistlestop tour through some of the curricular and cocurricular highlights of the academic year - everything from daring dooks to remembrance reflections, farewell feasts, planting projects, and solar spectacles!

NEWS & EVENTS

August

Landing Programme

AUGUST Landing Programme

The boarders had a blast on our inaugural Landing Programme, which enabled them to fulfil quarantine requirements and settle back into life in the boarding houses before lessons commenced and school fully re-opened. There was an exciting programme of onsite and offsite activities - everything from sailing to outdoor film nights, art workshops, and beach games. Many thanks to Mrs Pennycook and the Resident House Assistants for organising this. Back to School

The wet weather didn’t dampen the pupils’ spirits as they returned to the school for the new academic year. The Junior buildings were awash with colour for the first day with bunting and balloons and, after almost five months away from the campus, it was wonderful to see friends reunited and to hear laughter, both inside and outside the classroom. Pupils and staff took the

Back to School

new Covid routines and procedures in their stride, and made the most of being back on campus, albeit in separate bubbles. To help keep our community safe, and to facilitate social distancing, there were some exciting new additions to the campus, including: temporary teaching and learning spaces on Birdcage and St Leonards Grass used by the Year 8 and Year 9 bubbles and two new yurts, used as breakout spaces by our thespians and Junior pupils.

Blown Away

in 2020-21? We are immensely proud of our international community and celebrate the wide range of mother tongues at St Leonards. To celebrate European Day of Languages (which takes place on 26 September each year), the Modern Languages Department organised a series of fun and interactive activities including quizzes, language wheels, and debates! Springboard Week

European Day of Languages

Years 1-6 enjoyed a series of exciting challenges and activities as part of ‘Springboard Week’, which focused upon adventure and togetherness. The aim was to foster teamwork skills, to encourage the children to try new things, and to push themselves into new experiences and out of their comfort zone. It was fantastic to see the pupils grow in confidence, get excited for the adventures that the academic year would inevitably bring, and develop communication, persistence, and positive thinking.

Did you know that there were 37 different nationalities on our pupil roll

The pupils enjoyed recreating the iconic scene from Chariots of Fire (1981) on

Blown Away

Our Year 12 pupils had a fantastic Induction Day on the West Sands trying their hand at a number of different water sports with the help of experienced instructors from Blown Away. The students enjoyed reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones - it was certainly a memorable way to start the Sixth Form!

SEPTEMBER

September

European Day of Languages

Springboard Week

the East and West Sands. All you had to do was imagine Vangelis’ music playing, whilst the children tore across the beach at top speed in white t-shirts. Some of the pupils logged distances up to eight kilometres! Another highlight of the week was a Sandcastle Competition on the East Sands. Armed with buckets and spades, the children teamed up to create castles, volcanoes, and dragonlands galore. It was a wonderful way to end the first full week back. Well done to Sebastian Ivan, William Wilson, and Julius Gill who won the prize for the most inventive and original sandcastle. St Leonards Shout Out

Robert Louis Heron is the author of a series of children’s books about a ginger cat that lived in St Andrews named Hamish McHamish. There is a bronze

Pupil Voice

St Leonards Shout Out

statue of Hamish opposite Holy Trinity Church, on South Street. Wonderfully, in the third book, Hamish and the Alien, St Leonards is mentioned! Connected Community

At the start of the Autumn Term, the pupils in Years 1-6 worked on a collaborative project in Art. The classes designed and created sections of bunting which were then strung together to remind the children that whilst the school community was divided into separate bubbles, it nevertheless stayed connected, together whilst apart. Pupil Voice

Pupils at St Leonards are able to voice their thoughts and opinions via the Pupil Council, which is chaired by Mr Durward (Deputy Head, wellbeing). This year, they have discussed a range

Connected Community

of topics, including the introduction of a trouser uniform option for female pupils in Years 7-11 and the rules surrounding hairstyles. This year’s elected representatives were: • Year 13: Phoebe Liang & Valentin Trenkwalder • Year 12: Imogen Newton & Archie Clarke • Year 11: Lisa König & Malakai Mackenzie • Pre-IB: Annika Nowak & Ishan Kishinchand Situmal • Year 10: Maddy Wallard & Will Jacks • Year 9: Nicky Forgues-Puccio & Raf Howison • Year 8: Emmy Wallard & William Berry • Year 7: Evie Gardner & Hamish Fleming • St Leonards Connected V2: Keyuri Ade

NEWS & EVENTS

October

Healthy Eating Week

OCTOBER Healthy Eating Week

Year 4 celebrated Healthy Eating Week by making and eating delicious fruit kebabs, which contributed to their five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. This tied in with their inquiry into ‘Staying Healthy’. The pupils looked at different food groups, and learned that they should be eating a balanced diet. Who knew that healthy eating could be so delicious? Cycle to School Week

This year, St Leonards participated in the nationwide Cycle to School initiative for the first time. The success of the initiative was evidenced by the full bike racks outside the Junior buildings - lots of children cycled into school, and the classes loved getting out and about in the fresh air to practise their skills and test their endurance. Years 4-6 took part in the inaugural ‘Tour de St Leonards’, a cycling route which took them around and through various different parts of the school

Cycle to School Week

Daring Dooks

campus. It was fantastic to see the pupils dressed up in their Island colours and demonstrating such great team spirit - the enthusiastic and speedy cyclists were cheered on by their peers as they completed their laps. Daring Dooks

This year, we launched the Polar Bear Club for Years 1-6. To become fullyfledged members, pupils must complete short ‘dooks’ (dips) in the North Sea at the start of each term, cheered on by their peers, teachers, and parents. There are different levels: Years 1-3 dip their toes in, Year 4 go up to their knees, and Years 5-6 wade up to mid-thigh level and then dip under the chilly waters. Afterwards, the children wrap up in their towels and are piped back up The Pends to enjoy a warming mug of hot chocolate at school. The dooks are intended to encourage the children to try something new, realise that they are capable of more than they can imagine, and to be fun. Needless to say, it has been a roaring success!

Brilliant Business Bash

As part of the BTEC Business course, students must manage and organise an event to develop teamwork, communication, time management, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. This year, the BTEC Business students, led by Alfie Love, organised a Halloween Cinema Night for the Year 7 pupils. The evening started with supper in Restaurant 1877, followed by party bags with treats to accompany the film Coco that was screened in the School Hall. There were also prizes for the three best costumes (pictured). Many thanks to students for organising this event, and to Ms McGregor, Mrs Prudencio-Aponte, and all the other staff who gave up their time to support the students. Red Card for Racism

Pupils and staff dressed in red to show their support for anti-racism. The ‘Wear Red Day’ is held annually in October by Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC), the UK’s largest anti-racism educational charity. In addition, pupils led

November

Red Card for Racism

Life at St Leonards

conversations in tutor groups, Ad Vitam lessons and classes with the ultimate aim of challenging racism in society. Life at St Leonards

In October, we welcomed videographer Josh Jeffrey to the campus to capture what life is like at St Leonards. It was wonderful to capture this unusual chapter in St Leonards’ history with marquees and masks, temperature checks and tunnels. The film was shared with prospective parents as part of our first Online Open Day event, and also with the school community. We are sure that future generations of St Leonards pupils will be fascinated to watch the film, and to see what school life looked like during the pandemic!

NOVEMBER Jull Medal

In November we held the Jull Medal Singing Award, which is now in its 104th year. It was a wonderful evening, with a magnificent offering of singers, singing, and songs. Congratulations to all the performers, but especially

Jull Medal

Anti-Bullying Week

to Ella Vincent who was this year’s recipient of the Jull Medal. Special mention must also go to Lara Bell, who was commended in the Senior section, Shreyas Dhasmana who won the Junior section, and Freya Seymour, Eva Smeddle, and Maddy Wallard who were all commended in the Junior section. Anti-Bullying Week

Pupils and staff marked Anti-Bullying Week by wearing odd socks to celebrate their differences, and to support and promote this important cause. Festival of Light

This year, there were a number of different events organised to mark Diwali. Keyuri and Ishwari Ade went down to the beach with Ms AbdulKarim to light candles for a blustery, but special celebration. In addition, Senior pupils discussed Diwali and how the pandemic has impacted global celebrations in their tutor times. Finally, Year 1 made Diwa lamps and retold the story of Rama and Sita using stick characters.

Festival of Light

World Kindness Day

On World Kindness Day, Year 4 left kind messages and pictures for the wider St Andrews community on the East Sands. Remembrance Reflections

Whilst we were not able to gather together in person, our school community gathered together in spirit with our town and our nation to remember all those who have given their lives in conflict to ensure that we can live in peace. The Heads of School laid a wreath at the war memorial by the cathedral to remember the Seniors who have given their lives in conflict and, on Armistice Day, the school community gathered in small bubbles across the campus to observe two minutes’ silence. The Year 1 pupils made paper wreaths and clay poppies, which were used in an assembly led by the Junior Island Captains. Rebecca Sneddon, Rory König, Anona Steven, and Mohamed Attia introduced the ceremony, led the

NEWS & EVENTS

November

Remembrance Reflections

Dyslexia Awareness Week

opening and closing prayers, and laid wreaths, whilst the Vice Captains read out the Roll of Honour. Thanks go to Revd Graeme Beebee and Lt Col Taffs for their contributions to this poignant service. Dyslexia Awareness Week

Pupils and staff donned blue blazer ribbons to support, promote, and raise awareness of dyslexia as part of Scottish Dyslexia Awareness Week. There were also tutor group discussions and assemblies, as well as a Dyslexia Information Evening for parents. Many thanks to our Head of Support for Learning, Gilly Greenwood, who has coordinated these events and initiatives. National Dress Day

To celebrate the vibrant internationalism of our school community, pupils and staff wore national dress or t-shirts decorated with flags for a day in November. It was fantastic to see a whole host of colourful costumes across the campus!

National Dress Day

Distanced D of E

Shoebox Submissions

Distanced D of E

Shoebox Submissions

Our Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh groups successfully completed their qualifying expeditions. Due to the restrictions, the expedition had an amended format and the pupils did not camp overnight... hot showers each evening were certainly a luxury! The pupils walked for seven hours each day along the coastal path from Crail to St Andrews, to Craigtoun Country Park and back, and finally a longer loop around the local countryside. The weather was not too kind, but the pupils all made it! In addition, Ms Banks set the pupils an additional challenge for two nights. Since they were not camping, the pupils were tasked with making a one pot meal at home to bring in for lunch the next day. Pasta was a popular choice, and some of the pupils even kept it warm using a Thermos flask. All in all, the pupils learned how to work as a team, navigate in uncertain weather conditions, and had a great time. The leaders that walked with them were very impressed - well done to all involved.

This year, the St Leonards community passed on 80 beautifully wrapped boxes to the dispatching centre at the Blythswood Shoebox Appeal. The boxes were then sent to children and families in Eastern Europe who face difficulties every day because of poverty, illness, or disability. It was wonderful to be able to offer a glimmer of hope to those facing uncertain and tough circumstances. Beach Clean

A group of Year 12 pupils attended the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust Beach Clean. Despite the poor weather conditions, the pupils threw themselves into the community project. They then reflected upon their engagement and the environmental impact of the initiative as part of the CAS element of the Diploma Programme. Well done to Beth Gavine, Zoe Lay, Caitlin Edmonstone, and Pamas Abhiteachapan.

December

Beach Clean

5th of November

Remember, remember the 5th of November

Christmas Card

Candlelit Carols Slices by Starlight

Candlelit Carols

The Junior pupils enjoyed various themed activities to mark Bonfire Night. The pupils learned about fire safety and built bonfires in the playground, created Catherine Wheel prints, composed eloquent poetry and prose reflecting upon the story of Guy Fawkes, and constructed threedimensional scenes in the sand.

The Junior pupils introduced a new tradition this year, walking through the school grounds and around the town with homemade lanterns, before gathering around fire pits in their bubbles to sing carols. It was a truly magical end to the term. Thank you to Miss Fisher, Mrs Arkwright and Miss Neave for all their hard work, which ensured that the lanterns went from concept to completion!

DECEMBER

The Angel Who Nearly Missed It All

Christmas Card

This year’s Christmas card featured thought-provoking baubles fashioned from circular collages which had been created by Mathilda Crisp, Charlotte Fisher, Claudia Denholm, Nicky Forgues-Puccio, Ellie Cole-Hamilton, and Zahara Vanwynsberghe. The baubles reflected upon the pertinent themes of hope, life, kindness and joy. Many thanks to Ms Rae and Mr Clark for coordinating the design.

This year’s Nativity Play was certainly one to remember! To ensure that pupils, parents, and staff were kept as safe as possible, the show was not performed live, but instead filmed in the cosy yurt and then premiered on the final day of the Autumn Term. Complete with a live donkey, fabulous costumes, and some wonderful singing, St Leonards families were able to enjoy the production from the comfort of their own homes. Many thanks to Stuart Robertson from Granite Productions for all his hard work

Polished Party

in filming and producing such a wonderful show, and also to Mrs Shiells and Mrs Stewart for their creative vision and direction! Slices by Starlight

Years 4-6 enjoyed watching Home Alone and Into the Spiderverse under the stars, snuggled up in sleeping bags and eating pizza under the stars. Polished Party

At the start of December, the Career-related Programme students organised the very first CP Dinner Mrs Prudencio-Aponte’s classroom was completely transformed to an atmospheric dining space, and the guest of honour was Dr Carslaw. It was a wonderful evening, and allowed the students to practise many of the skills that they have honed and developed this term. The attendees enjoyed a varied programme of entertainment throughout the dinner, and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. It was a Spanish-themed event, complete with delicious traditional dishes which

NEWS & EVENTS

December

A St Leonards Christmas

they had cooked with the help of their teacher, Mrs Bermejo. In addition, the students used some of the vocabulary that they have learnt in their language acquisition course. The students also took time to reflect on the past term, identifying the highlights and challenges of embarking upon their Sixth Form courses. Particular highlights for the group included: the leadership skills tasks, the time that they had spent examining their own strengths and weaknesses, and the virtual visit from the Royal Navy. A St Leonards Christmas

Pupils and staff were treated to a fantastic array of pre-recorded festive entertainment. The afternoon started with a rendition of Once in Royal David’s City, and this year the solo was sung beautifully by Shreyas Dhasmana. This was followed by more performances of traditional carols by the Chamber Choir and Love’s Angels, which were interspersed with some excellent small group recitations of Christmassy texts. Many thanks to

Festive Hockey

the Music and Drama Departments for pulling together such a fantastic celebration! Festive Hockey

The festive hockey tournament is always a highlight of the Autumn Term, and this year was no exception! The girls headed down to the beach to play some excellent matches, kitted out in tinsel, Santa hats, and other fabulous festive attire. It was a beautifully crisp, wintry day, and a great morning of hockey. Some of the girls even enjoyed a chilly dip in the sea afterwards! Christmas Jumper Day

For the last two days of term, it was fantastic to see pupils and staff don their best festive outfits to raise money for Save the Children. This charitable initiative was coordinated by Dr Ferguson’s tutor group, and over £550 was raised for this good cause. The English Department were feeling especially festive, and Mrs Johnston had even brought in some inflatable snowmen for the day!

Christmas Jumper Day

Christmas Lunch

The whole school community was treated to a fabulous, three-course festive feast in Restaurant 1877 to mark the end of term and the start of the Christmas holidays! There was cream of tomato soup with homemade bread to start, followed by roast turkey or vegetarian arancini balls with all the trimmings. To round off the feast, there was a choice of Christmas pudding or an amazing Christmas cake decorated with a winter scene made from gingerbread. Many thanks to Mr Tonge and the Catering Team for all their hard work in ensuring that our school community was able to enjoy a fabulous and safe Christmas meal!

January

Christmas Lunch

JANUARY Online Learning, Take Three!

With the advent of a second national lockdown, the St Leonards community adjusted to online learning once again. Whilst physically separated, pupils and staff stayed connected together whilst apart. A wonderful demonstration of this community spirit was the ‘distanced dook’ for Years 1-6 organised by Mr Barrable. Pupils and staff plunged into the icy waters at various points along the East Neuk coastline, and then shared photographs of themselves in the sea. Everyone warmed up afterwards with mugs of hot chocolate! Saving Squirrels

Sisters Lottie and Skye Taffs found five newborn squirrels, weighing just 12 grams each. They contacted the Scottish SPCA who took them in, rehabilitated them, and released them into an area of supported feeding where they were monitored through the cold winter months. We were delighted to see our

Online Learning

pupils play an active role in wildlife conservation, and demonstrate their understanding of their environmental responsibility, which we seek to instil in all pupils at St Leonards. Burns Day

This year, our school-wide celebration of the poet Robert Burns and his contribution to Scottish culture inevitably looked slightly different. Mr Iannone and Mr Shiells coordinated a fantastic virtual assembly for the whole school community, which included spoken and sung poetry recitations by Jackson Fraser and Lauren Hastie. Mr Iannone noted that whilst the opening verse of Auld Lang Syne, recited by Jackson, focuses on reminiscence, in the often overlooked verses which follow the speaker exhorts the listener to celebrate the present moment. This very much resonated with the experiences of our school community - during the second national lockdown it was easy to look to, and long for, happy times preCovid, but it was also important to

look to the future with hopefulness. Mr Iannone explained that the sentiment of Stars and Planets, sung by Lauren, was also pertinent for the school community. Ostensibly about disarray and destruction on earth, the poem also comments on perspective, and it is this perspective which helps us to get through the challenging seasons of life. The pupils were therefore encouraged to adopt this perspective, and be thankful for the support that we have as a community at St Leonards. The assembly concluded with two wonderful vocal performances from Isla Bell, who sang the traditional lullaby O Can Ye Sew Cushions and Ella Vincent, who performed My Heart’s in the Highlands.

NEWS & EVENTS

February

International Mother Language Day

Farewell Feast Winter Wonderland

FEBRUARY International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day is observed on 21 February each year and promotes awareness of cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as an international understanding through multilingualism and multiculturalism. Pupils and staff enjoyed hearing traditional stories in Hindi, from Ishwari Ade, and German, from Eve Zausig and Maria-Gratia von Franckenstein, in a special assembly to mark this day. Winter Wonderland

St Andrews looked like a winter wonderland for a week in February. To

start with there was just a smattering of snow, but as the week went on the white carpet got thicker and thicker! Our boarders enjoyed building snowmen, sledging, and snowball fights in their bubbles! Expressing Ourselves

This year, the theme of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week was ‘Expressing Ourselves’. All too often, children and adults bottle up their emotions for fear of showing perceived weakness. At St Leonards, we very much want to confront this stigma and to equip pupils with the language, tools, freedom, and opportunities to explore their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In doing so, we hope

to make discussions about mental health second nature. There were some fantastic discussions both inside and outside the classroom about how we express ourselves, and it was great to see pupils take time to be ‘in the moment’, whether that be through creating mindfulness jars, drawing pictures, or jotting down things that they are thankful for. Farewell Feast

Ahead of Dr Carslaw’s retirement at the end of the Spring Term, the boarding community organised a fabulous farewell feast in the Restaurant to commemorate and celebrate his time as Head. The theme was ‘From then to Now’, and the Restaurant

Random Acts of Kindness

was decked out with decorations and party poppers for the occasion. The boarders and Dr Carslaw enjoyed a delicious meal, and there were speeches from the Housemistresses and Housemasters, as well as Karajahyah Forbes-Schlagenhauf, Keyuri Ade and Ishwari Ade. Dr Carslaw was presented with a fruit basket, farewell cards signed by each of the boarding houses, a certificate of appreciation, and also a special golden cake shaped like a book, baked by Catering Manager, Darren Tonge! Random Acts of Kindness

Random Acts of Kindness week was a great opportunity for our school community to devote time to discussing the importance of kindness, to spread kindness, and to recognise those who have been particularly kind in our school community. Julian Zintl, Julius Kröll, Andrei Moklokov, Julian Langer, Mrs Maranda, Mrs Barclay, and the catering staff were recognised for going above and beyond with acts of kindness by the boarding

Long Service

Friends Reunited

community. They were awarded with certificates. Meanwhile, in their Ad Vitam lessons, the MYP pupils looked at ways in which we can be kind to ourselves, kind to those around us, and help those in need. The pupils learned that by being kind, and when others are kind to us, we release a chemical called oxytocin which promotes attachment, solidifies relationships, eases stress, and improves social skills and sleep. Building upon these discussions, the Year 7 pupils made jars of positivity and kindness to record times when someone was kind to them or they had been kind to someone; the Year 8 pupils made blessing bags, identifying someone in their life who needed a boost and created surprise gifts for them; and finally, the Year 9 pupils learned the old fashioned art of letter writing and popped a letter in the post to a loved one. Location Manager of the Year

At the Thomas Franks Awards, St Leonards’ Catering Manager, Darren Tonge, was named one of the

Location Managers of the Year. Many congratulations to Mr Tonge! Long Service to St Leonards

At the end of February, we said farewell to one of our longest serving colleagues, Iain Cantlie, who worked in the janitorial team at St Leonards for over 25 years, completing over 9,000 shifts! His time at New Park and St Leonards was celebrated with speeches, gifts, and a delicious cake, as well as a video compilation of fond farewells from those who were unable to say ‘goodbye’ in person. His service at St Leonards has been invaluable, and we wish him all the very best in retirement - he will be sorely missed. Friends Reunited

In the final week of February, we welcomed Years 1-3 back to the school campus after another period of online learning. Years 4-7 returned three weeks later, along with many of the pupils in Years 8-13 for outdoor Games sessions. By the end of the Spring Term, the campus was full of friends reunited enjoying the glorious Spring sunshine!

NEWS & EVENTS

March

ToK Exhibition

International Women’s Day

MARCH End of an Era

The final day of the Spring Term marked the end of an era at St Leonards: Dr Carslaw retired as Head of St Leonards, after 13 years in post. To read more about our commemorative events and reflections on the day, please turn to page 10. ToK Exhibition

The inaugural Theory of Knowledge exhibition took place in March. It was held in two parts - one online and one in person - as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions at the time. Pupils first congregated via Google Meets to present three objects to their classmates, each of which linked to a knowledge prompt selected from a list provided by the IBO. Examples of knowledge prompts included: ‘what are the implications of having or not having knowledge?’, ‘can knowledge change established values or beliefs?’, and ‘are some types of knowledge more useful than others?’. The Year 12 pupils

Masterchef Challenge

enjoyed gathering outdoors on Birdcage for a follow-up session. International Women’s Day

St Leonards joined in the global celebration of women’s social, cultural, economic, and political achievements for International Women’s Day on Monday, 8 March. Pupils and staff demonstrated support for the #ChooseToChallenge campaign - we can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality, which have no place at St Leonards. St Leonards Masterchef Challenge

This year’s St Leonards Masterchef Challenge was a great success. Pupils and staff were encouraged to head into the kitchen, dust off their wooden spoons, heat up their ovens, and get cooking. There were different categories for each year group, with challenges ranging from designing a dish that looked like a minibeast to recreating a favourite takeaway at home. We had hunter-gatherer salads, pastry snails, and spider cupcakes - it was wonderful to see our budding chefs present their

Book Week

Easter Bonnet Parade

recipes so clearly and confidently! Congratulations to Alexander Christie, Alvin Chen, and Harriet Fleetham who were placed first, second, and third respectively, as well as to Mrs Radons-Harris who was awarded the Staff Prize and Archie Donaldson and Kostas Gerasimou who received special mentions. Book Week

As usual, Book Week was filled with storytelling, favourite books, reading challenges, and fancy dress. On World Book Day itself, pupils and staff celebrated in style and joined online and in person lessons in creative costumes. Concerts Continued

Throughout the second lockdown, our jam-packed programme of concerts continued. The Spring Term highlights included the Spring Concert and the GCSE Concert. For further details, please turn to page 104. Easter Bonnet Parade

Years 1-3 created colourful Easter bonnets for the annual parade using

April

Kilt Friday

World Earth Day

a wide assortment of craft materials including feathers, felt, and pipe cleaners. They paraded the finished masterpieces around St Katharines Green, with Miss Neave installed on the throne as judge. The judging was anonymous, with the children showcasing their friends’ hats before the winners were revealed. Congratulations to the winners!

APRIL Kilt Friday

April saw the introduction of a new tradition in Years 1-6: Kilt Friday. The corridors, classrooms, and ground were awash with splashes of tartan for Kilt Friday which, going forward, will take place on the final Friday of each month. World Earth Day

To mark World Earth Day, Years 1-3 learned from some of our older students about the difficulties our planet faces. They thoroughly embraced the idea that ‘you are never too small to make a difference’, and in response were vigilant in turning off taps and

Playground Refurbishment

lights, and cutting ear loops off their disposable masks before recycling them. Playground Refurbishment

The infant playground is looking very smart following a fabulous refurbishment! Together with Miss Fisher, the pupils in Years 1-3 conducted walking tours of the outdoor areas, and used iPads to document ideas about what they liked and the different areas that could be developed. Off the back of their research, picnic benches and planters were installed over the Easter holidays. Mock Election

In step with the national elections at the beginning of May, our Year 12 students enjoyed creating their very own political campaigns for a mock election. The four ‘candidates’ were tasked with creating speeches based on the real life manifestos of the key parties, as well as producing convincing flyers to promote themselves and their parties. On election day, they were quizzed by the voting public (other members of the class) and then had

Mock Election

Monthly Medal

to put forward strong arguments in order to convince voters. Topics ranged from Covid economic recovery to reducing carbon emissions, as well as supporting young people into the workforce. The supporting members of each party were on hand to provide statistics and counterarguments when necessary. Congratulations to Diederik Zoetmulder and the SNP party for triumphing in the elections; to Fynn Löwe, who represented the Liberal Democrats; Liselotte de Graaf, who represented the Scottish Labour Party; and Aron Zschachlitz, who campaigned for the Scottish Greens. Monthly Medal

The April Monthly Medal was played on the New Course on Sunday, 25 April. The golfers were treated to beautiful blue skies and fine weather as they teed off on the Links course. Well done to Aline Brede and Pamas Abhiteachapan, who finished first and second respectively, as well as Moritz Walz, Alex Böckmann, and Nina Okenova who were tied third place.

NEWS & EVENTS

May

Class of 2021

MAY Class of 2021 Celebrations

As half term came upon us, we said goodbye to our Year 13 pupils. You can read more about Prizegiving and our end of year celebrations on pages 140-157.

Tilton Rise Star Wars Day

Planting Project

Pizza Run

Star Wars Day

Pizza Run

Junior pupils and staff dressed up in Star Wars-themed costumes to mark ‘May the fourth be with you’ and raise money for Storehouse, St Andrews, a food bank serving the community of North East Fife. A total of £113.55 was raised by the school community.

The Junior Running Club enjoyed the inaugural ‘Pizza Run’ up to Papa John’s by the St Andrews Holiday Park. The children powered up the hill, refuelled with delicious slices of pizza, and then ran back down the coastal path soaking up the beautiful St Andrews skyline. What a fabulous new idea!

Exciting Enrichment

Having completed their final assessments, our Year 13 students enjoyed a fortnight of enrichment activities, coordinated by Head of Sixth Form, Aileen Rees. There was everything from cooking classes in the yurt to salt marsh restoration, rounders on Big Field to a ‘whodunnit’ crime game, and guidance on student finances to First Aid workshops. The students developed new skills and also had fun with their friends. Tilton Rise

After a long hiatus, the St Leonards Players took to the School Hall stage once again to perform an original script, Tilton Rise, written by Director

PYP Exhibition

of Drama Nickie McQuade-Powell. You can read a full review of this production on page 110. Planting Project

The Junior Gardening and Mindfulness Clubs worked together to weed and fill planters down by the harbour. The children had previously conducted research into which plants fare well in salty coastal locations, and had then chosen a mixture of grasses, sea holly, rock rose, erigeron, and armeria. Many thanks to St Andrews in Bloom who kindly supplied the funds for the plants that the children had selected.

After many weeks of hard work, in which the pupils researched a fantastic array of topics ranging from endangered animals to video games, and food access to cancer research, the Year 6 pupils launched their virtual PYP Exhibition! This is the culminating project of the Primary Years Programme, and the pupils work together in groups to research a topic of their choice, produce reports, reach conclusions, and then present their findings, be that through a slideshow, a website, or a poster. This year’s exhibition was online, and was absolutely fantastic!

NEWS & EVENTS

June

Congratulations and Celebrations

JUNE Congratulations and Celebrations

As ever, there were so many individual and collective achievements to celebrate as we reached the end of another academic year although, given the circumstances, these events took a slightly different format. Years 1-6 gathered outside on St Leonards Grass for their Prizegiving ceremony, which was filmed for families. The leavers were piped to their seats by Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Maitland whilst Years 1-5 listened to Here Comes the Sun. Speeches were given by Dawn Pemberton-Hislop, guest speaker Professor Rebecca Sweetman of the University of St Andrews, and the Island Captains, and prizes were then awarded. The Years 7-12 Prizegiving took place in the School Hall, and was streamed to tutor group bubbles around the school campus. There was also a Year 11 & Pre-IB celebration, complete with an outdoor ceilidh and barbeque, to mark the

DELF Diplomas

end of their GCSE assessments, and a special Year 9 assembly to congratulate the pupils on the successful completion of the Middle Years Programme. DELF Diplomas

The DELF Class of 2019 enjoyed a belated celebration on St Leonards Grass. DELF is a certificate awarded by the French Ministry of Education to certify the language proficiency of foreign students. We were delighted to welcome Laurence Païs (French Consul, Edinburgh) and Philippe Sibeaud (Director of Studies, French Institute, Edinburgh) to the outdoor ceremony to present the certificates. Solar Spectacle

On Thursday, 10 June pupils enjoyed gazing up at the partial solar eclipse through protective viewing glasses on Birdcage. At its peak, just over 30% of the sun was obscured by the Moon. Many thanks to the Physics Department for facilitating this memorable morning.

Solar Spectacle

Talented Thespians

At the start of June, our budding Year 7 and Year 8 thespians and the Drama Department pulled together to stage two fantastic productions. Year 7 staged a fabulous performance of Rebels of Gas Street, whilst Year 8 presented their adaptation of The Willow Pattern. The casts thoroughly enjoyed performing to live audiences again, albeit with safety measures in place. Track and Field

School records were broken at our Sports Days this year. Why not turn to pages 96-99 to find out more? Watersports Experience

The MYP pupils walked down to the West Sands for some wonderful watersports workshops with Blown Away. They had lots of fun, pushing themselves beyond their comfort zones and, in doing so, developing both confidence and resilience!

Talented Thespians

Watersports Experienec

Hidden Gardens

At the end of June, we were pleased to welcome members of the public to walk around the gardens of Queen Mary’s Library and the Head’s House as part of The Preservation Trust Hidden Gardens event. The roses were in full bloom! Innovative Induction

As the Summer Term drew to a close, we ran a programme of online and inperson induction events and moving up mornings for current and new pupils. The events were designed to give pupils a flavour of the next chapter in their educational journey, ease the transition process, and answer any questions that the pupils had ahead of the new academic year. Pride Celebrations

To mark Pride Month, and to raise awareness of LGBTQ+, Mrs Prudencio Aponte’s tutor group organised a range of different events. The Year 12 pupils prepared and delivered a presentation to pupils and staff, with the aim of educating our school community; coordinated an LGBTQ+ Concert;

Hidden Gardens

Pride Celebrations

Hats, Hives & Honeycomb

organised a casual clothes day with a fun photo booth; and also planned an afternoon of games for their peers. It was a vibrant day of events, and a great CAS project! Hats, Hives & Honeycomb

Over the course of this academic year, the pupils have enjoyed a number of apiculture masterclasses with bee guru and St Leonards parent, Jo Goodburn. The Year 4 pupils were particularly excited to take part in harvesting the first crop of honeycomb and spinning the honey, and by early in the Autumn Term 2021, the first batch of St Leonards Honey was ready for sale.

Summer Sandcastles

children noticed that there were signs of marine pollution everywhere and decided to carry as many pieces of plastic back to school as they could we were immensely proud of the children’s awareness of their environmental responsibility and eagerness to act upon it. Summer Sandcastles

Armed with buckets and spades, the PYP pupils headed down to the East Sands for the annual St Leonards Sandcastle Competition. The teams worked together to construct and decorate some superb sand sculptures in the summer sunshine!

Intrepid Explorers

Home and Away

Years 4-6 enjoyed spending time with their friends in the great outdoors, and made the most of the glorious summer sunshine on their end of term hike along the Fife Coastal Path. This exciting outing was part of the growing series of adventures which are pillars of our Primary Years Programme. The walk coincided with World Ocean Day. On the way back to school, the

To mark the end of their time in the Primary Years Programme, our Year 6 pupils enjoyed a week of adventures, either at the Ridgway Adventure School, Rhiconich, or closer to home in the East Neuk. The pupils enjoyed foraging, camping, canoeing, hiking, paddleboarding, baking and more.

From blazers to balconies:

DISCOVERING ST LEONARDS’ HIDDEN GEMS

Following his retirement in the Spring Term of 2021, after 13 years at the helm, we asked Dr Michael Carslaw to reflect upon 13 of his most memorable items, views, images and artefacts from his time as Head.

The Clock Tower Clock Face The clock tower is such a St Leonards landmark. The clock chimes were reactivated in 2012, thanks to a generous donation from the St Leonards Seniors; the clock face and chimes are both reassuring reminders in sight and sound. 2

History of the School - 1877-1927 I read this extraordinary book at regular intervals - particularly when I needed reminding about the trailblazing (and under-recognised) place of St Leonards in women’s education in Scotland. Of particular note are the charismatic and driven founding Head, Dame Louisa Lumsden who, with the support of Council, was prepared to take risks, and a similarly dynamic second Head,

Dame Frances Dove, who went on to found Wycombe Abbey. Whenever I felt the challenges of the moment as Head, I dipped into this book to remind me of the importance of keeping to your values and principles. 3

Susan Jane Tomlinson’s (BE 1973-77) Lacrosse Stick Susan was a boarder in Bishopshall East, and was Music Monitor during her time at St Leonards. Her lacrosse stick (made of wood) for some reason ended up in the Head’s study. However it was proudly on display there and I often used it to impress (in a friendly manner) visiting parents and pupils. 4

1920s St Leonards Blazer In 2009, we introduced a blazer to the school uniform. The school uniform

had never apparently included a blazer and this presented a difficulty. However our archivist and librarian, Angela Tawse, and former Deputy Head and Housemistress, Jane Claydon, were soon able to put me right by retrieving a 1920s woollen blazer, worn by Seniors, which was almost identical in style, if not practicality, to the new blazer, including the ‘Ad Vitam’ lozenge. The blazer remained hanging on my study door along with its modern counterpart - a pleasing symmetrical reminder. 5

St Leonards Grass The view from the Head’s study is one of the best, looking out on to St Leonards Grass, the site of the first ever codified game of women’s lacrosse in 1890. Most people don’t realise that

St Andrews is the home of two world sports: golf (which everyone knows about), and women’s lacrosse (which everyone should know about). This view was painted by Jan Fisher and the painting kindly presented to me by the St Leonards Parents Association on my retirement and it is now hanging in my house as a permanent reminder. IB Career-related Programme Certificate St Leonards is the only IB continuum school in Scotland, one of two in Scotland, and one of 41 in the world. The certificate, presented to St Leonards in 2019, marked the final step in an extraordinary journey for the school which started in October 2005 with the IB Diploma Programme accreditation, followed by the Primary Years

Programme in 2017 and the Middle Years Programme in December 2018. I like to think that the founders of the school would share the school’s pride in this achievement, fitting in well with their dynamic and forward thinking approach. Door Code Locks Irritating and essential. Bring on the key fob! 6

The History Classroom Balcony The room in the school which really has the best view is a toss-up between the top floor of Hepburn House, looking out onto the Harbour and the East Sands and the History Classroom on the top floor of the main building. I think the History Classroom edges it, with its balcony and all-encompassing

view of the grounds, cathedral and beyond. I often told prospective parents and pupils that the St Leonards site has buildings and structures from each century from the 12th to the 21st century and from this view you can see them all. 7

The St Leonards Archives - Photo and Film Collection My favourite photo is of a lacrosse goalkeeper, protected only by a pair of cricket pads and a floppy hat - very different from the protective armour worn by today’s hockey and lacrosse goalkeepers. The goalkeeper pictured here is Gillian Pollock (daughter of the famous author Enid Blyton) representing the university side in a match against St Leonards in 1950.

The National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive has a number of fascinating films of St Leonards from the 1930s and 1950s and the school holds a range of amazing historical photographs. 8

St Leonards Rugby Shirt The first competitive boys rugby match played by St Leonards as a school team was in 2011. The shirt design has gone through a number of iterations since then, and the highly successful SLM Blues are going from strength to strength - a brilliant example of cooperation and collaboration between St Leonards and Madras Rugby Club. 9

St Leonards Golf Bag Another symbol of success, innovation and collaboration, is the St Leonards golf bag (an example of which proudly stands in the Green Room).

This recognises the outstanding St Leonards Golf Programme, one of the largest school-based programmes in the UK and again representing the hugely successful collaboration with the St Andrews Links Trust and the St Andrews Links Golf Academy. & 11 David Brewster and Matthew Forster Heddle’s Blue Plaques I looked at these every time I walked home and regularly came across visitors reading the inscriptions. Both were enormously important academics in their field. David Brewster a pioneer in the field of optics and photography (some of the earliest ever photographs were taken in St Andrews, including in the St Leonards gardens), and Heddle a pioneer in the field of Geology. A theme runs through from Dove and Lumsden to Heddle and Brewster and leading back to Prior John Hepburn, one of the founders of St Leonard’s 10

10 11

College in 1512 whose crest and the memorable motto, Ad Vitam, is found throughout the school. 12

Hugh Lyon Playfair’s Pagoda This is an object that no longer exists, though a photograph remains. The extraordinary pagoda was constructed in the gardens of St Leonards House and apparently had water-powered wind chimes at various heights. It was built by Hugh Lyon Playfair, who was the first Provost of St Leonards and who lived in the house at the time. I can’t imagine that the pagoda was able to withstand for long the periodic gales and storms encountered in the East Neuk of Fife, but Hugh Lyon Playfair’s values of creativity and curiosity did. He was a risk-taker, yet reflective, both knowledgeable and enquiring, balanced and open-minded. The impact of his personality and values still remains in the town and school today.

From the Parents Association

he Halloween weekend saw the first events of the year. St Leonards families decorated the outside of their homes to create a wonderfully creative Pumpkin Trail. The children enjoyed finding the decorated homes around the town, creating a real sense of community despite our physical limitations. We also donated some funds to enable the pupils in Years 1-6 to have a fun Halloween-themed afternoon in place of the annual PA Pumpkin Party, and also to the BTEC students to enable them to organise and host a party for the Year 7 pupils. All in all, it was a spook-tacular weekend! At Christmas, we organised a virtual wine tasting event in partnership with Peter Wood of St Andrews Wine Company. It was a fantastic evening: the parents’ knowledge of wines to serve at the Christmas table was enhanced, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for all those who attended. It was certainly a lovely way to round off the Autumn Term! In March, we said a fond farewell to Michael and Nicola Carslaw, as the former retired from his post as Head. The sun shone brightly as a small group gathered for a socially-distanced occasion on St Leonards Grass to present an array of gifts to the Carslaws which had been bought with generous donations from St Leonards families, both past and present. The gifts

THANKS TO THE POWER OF ZOOM, THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION HAS CONTINUED TO MEET AND ORGANISE EVENTS OVER THE PAST YEAR. included: tickets to the London Opera House; an afternoon tea and overnight stay at The Savoy; a bench engraved with the school motto for their new home; book vouchers; wine; and, last but by no means least, a fabulous picture painted by local artist Jan Fisher of the view from the Head’s study. Dr Carslaw was also presented with two trees, one of which was planted by the wall of the Head’s garden, and a matching one for his new garden. It was a lovely send off, and both Michael and Nicola Carslaw will be missed by the parents. Mrs Carslaw’s contribution to the PA over the years has been hugely appreciated, and so we would like to take this opportunity to thank her for all her help and to wish her all the best as she embarks upon this new chapter. As well as raising funds for school projects and organising events for pupils and parents, the Parents Association also coordinates the Second Hand Uniform Shop. This has been in a state of flux over the past 12 months, as the Portakabin used for sales was reallocated for isolating day pupils showing symptoms of Covid-19.

However, one of our committee members, Susan Shirreffs, very kindly offered to run the shop from her own home. She has done an amazing job meeting one-to-one with parents who wish to purchase items, quarantining and washing new stock, and generally keeping things going. A huge thanks to Susan for all her hard work. We hope to get back to the school campus in the coming year. As we look to the new academic year, we hope to have the green light to be able to meet up in person and plan more events. Every penny raised from these events goes back into funding projects and items that the staff and children request to make their experience at St Leonards even better. We are always delighted to see new faces at our PA meetings, which are open to all, and encourage all parents to join us whenever they wish. The last 18 months have certainly been challenging, and we are excited to reconnect in person over the coming year! Lindsey Anderson and Alice König Co-Chairs of the Parents Association

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM Embracing the ‘New Normal’

THE PANDEMIC SHAPED, BUT CERTAINLY DID NOT HALT, THE EXCITING CALENDAR OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES AT ST LEONARDS.

YEARS 1-3: HIGHLIGHTS A ‘CAN DO’ ATTITUDE

ow, what a year!

After a busy few months filled with trepidation and excitement as we planned for the return of pupils to the school campus and wondered how our very youngest pupils would adapt to another ‘new normal’, the Autumn Term finally began. Our concerns were quickly quashed as every single child merrily donned their mask, had their temperature taken, and skipped happily into the school buildings, including our new Year 1 pupils who took their first momentous steps into the world of formal education, in what can only be described as the strangest of times. As I reflect back on this moment, I see that the response of our children to new routines had so much to do with the

‘can do’ community spirit that makes St Leonards such a special school. THE LAUNCHPAD FOR ST LEONARDS LIFE Years 1-3 is staffed by an extraordinary team of dedicated and inspirational teachers, and this is one of the reasons that our children have truly exceptional experiences that stimulate their interests, harness their natural curiosity, and are inspired to have a lifelong love of learning. We see ourselves as the launchpad for St Leonards life: our task is to inspire and facilitate every pupil as they start their unique educational journey. LEARNING THROUGH PLAY In Years 1-3, pupils are introduced to a huge array of activities both inside and outside the classroom and are

encouraged to discover themselves, learn through play, follow their interests and, most importantly, have fun! As you read the snapshots from each year group in the pages that follow, I challenge you not to be amazed by what the children have experienced and enjoyed this year - from planting projects to pond dipping, parades, paddling, and plays. The pandemic reshaped, but certainly did not halt, the exciting calendar of events and activities at St Leonards. Here’s to another year of harnessing the innate curiosity and enthusiasm of our pupils, and helping them to fulfil their own unique potential through investigation, inquiry, problem-solving, and teamwork! Claire Boissiere Head of Years 1-3

YEARS 4-6: HIGHLIGHTS LEARNING JOURNEYS

he journey through Years 4-6 is a wonderful and incredibly formative time in a young person’s life, and, at St Leonards, it is one that we try to make as interesting and inspiring as possible, both inside and outside the classroom. These varied experiences and contexts shape how the pupils see and perceive themselves and the world around them. Our learning is centred around equipping pupils with the tools to have a successful life, as well as the knowledge, concepts, skills, personal attributes and capacity to take action to improve themselves and the world around them. As we reach the end of another academic year, I am incredibly proud of the pupils and the wonderful class teachers, specialists, and administrative staff who have helped them on their journey over the past 12 months. A SHARED ETHOS What is the theme of this journey? What is its ethos? These are important questions which get to the heart of what life in Years 4-6 looks like on a daily basis. For an ethos to have value, it needs to be shared by everyone, and so I decided to ask the pupils for their reflections on the past year. Here were some of their responses: “I discovered that if you try your best and work as hard as you can, in Games and other lessons, you can do more and will go further in life.” Patrick, Year 5 “I have really enjoyed Maths on the beach. I learned about distance and measures using natural resources. I discovered that it was a very good mindfulness task too.” Theo, Year 4 In the classroom, out on the sports field, and down at the beach, the children are always encouraged to try their best. In the Primary Years Programme, lessons are often focused on small experiences and achievable challenges that help the pupils to realise

their abilities, perhaps even talents and strengths that they were not aware of before. Beach School continues to be an important and wonderful part of the school week - sometimes it is an extension of topics that have been explored in the classroom, whilst at other times the children are tasked with challenges which build leadership and teamwork skills or even just given the space to play with their friends and work on soft skills that are so important in life. RESIDENTIAL ADVENTURES Years 5 and 6 are our residential adventure years, and these week-long experiences are formative, incredibly important, and a unique aspect of what we offer at St Leonards. Reflecting on her time on the Year 6 Ridgway Adventure, Nahla said that “it was the hardest and best thing that I have done.” These trips are, in part, a celebration of what has been achieved throughout the year, but also a springboard opportunity for the pupils to find out more about themselves and how they react in moments of fun and fatigue. These are memories that will last for many years to come, and also teach them lessons that will give them confidence for the future.

OUR ETHOS IS ONE OF DISCOVERY - FOR IT IS THROUGH DISCOVERY THAT WE GROW.

DISCOVERY AND GROWTH Put simply, throughout Years 4-6, our ethos is one of discovery - for it is through discovery that we grow. Not everything in life is easy, and not everything in Years 4-6 will be easy either, but these tough moments help the pupils to develop a positive mindset, be open to new challenges. In every failure, there is a lesson to be learned and an opportunity to be grasped. Here at St Leonards, the pupils embrace challenges and don’t give up easily! Duncan Barrable Head of Years 4-6

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

WE WORK TOGETHER TO ENHANCE EACH CHILD’S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE, HELPING THEM TO LEAD THEIR LEARNING JOURNEY.

OUR LEARNING COMMUNITY

t is an honour and a privilege to be the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator, and it is truly inspiring to work with our wonderful pupils and be part of their learning journey - but what does my role look like on a daily basis? In short, I collaborate with staff, pupils, and our wider learning community through weekly meetings, facilitate reflections, produce suggested reading and guidance, and also plan and deliver workshops to ensure that our parents are up to speed and involved with their child’s learning journey. Our learning community plays a huge role in helping our curriculum to run smoothly, and we are always delighted to welcome parents into our (virtual and physical) classrooms to share their knowledge and expertise! I also ensure that we are using appropriate assessments and developing

new and exciting resources, so no two days are the same. THE LEARNER PROFILE At St Leonards, pupils of all ages, starting in the PYP, strive to be and to demonstrate the Learner Profile attributes, to be knowledgeable, caring, reflective, open-minded, balanced, and principled thinkers, inquirers, communicators, and risk-takers. In Years 1-6, we use picture books to help our youngest learners understand the concept and meaning of each attribute, awarding certificates to pupils who successfully demonstrate them. Wonderfully, there are so many successes to celebrate - I observe these attributes in our pupils each and every day, and also strive to demonstrate and model these attributes myself. I would not be anywhere without our fantastic facilitators of learning, or

teachers, as they are more commonly known! We work together to enhance each child’s educational experience, helping them to lead their learning journey. Learning in the PYP is therefore great fun, and takes all sorts of unexpected twists and turns. Our curriculum is based on six transdisciplinary themes, which form the basis for our Units of Inquiry. These inquiries encompass and explore as many subject areas as possible including fractions, phonics, science, geography and history. OUTDOORS AND ONLINE In the Junior years, we are working hard to integrate and develop our Outdoor Learning Programme, allowing pupils to take their inquiries outside into our leafy campus and down to the beautiful beaches which are just on our doorstep. Over the past year, we have also made great steps forward in our utilisation of digital resources, whilst remaining conscious of the adverse effects of too much screen time. We have started to use ‘Renaissance Reading’ to assess pupils’ literacy level, and then equip them to independently choose a suitable book. This allows for agency alongside guided reading. In addition, we have continued to use ‘Mathletics’ and ‘Timetable Rockstars’ to consolidate the rote numeracy work in the classroom. NO SUCH THING AS ‘NORMAL’ As I reflect on my first year as PYP Coordinator, I am incredibly proud of our pupils who, in the face of uncertainty and adversity, have developed and broadened their technological and social skills and also become increasingly able to speak fluently about their feelings, emotions, and wellbeing. These are skills, concepts, and ideas that would not have been developed so much in a ‘normal’ year. But what is ‘normal’? Well… that is a question for a PYP pupil! Catherine Brannen PYP Coordinator

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

YEAR 1

ver the Summer Holidays, I was delighted to be ‘on the move’ once again for the new academic year - this time, to Year 1. To prepare for the return of the pupils, together with our lovely cleaner, Irene, I had a good declutter and clean of the classroom - the toys came home for a wash in the machine or to be ‘Miltoned’ and laid out in the sunshine to dry. Everything needed to be squeaky clean for the start of the new school year, and I wanted to do everything in my power to help the children to feel welcome, happy, and safe in their new environment. Given the circumstances, I had only met the new Year 1 pupils once for a virtual Teddy Bears’ Picnic’. It was

so exciting to meet the children faceto-face when they came in for an induction afternoon in August. We started the year all guns blazing, and set about getting to know each other and having fun. Sadly, the Sorting Hat could not meet everyone in St Katharines Hall, and so the Years 1-3 bubble gathered together and the new pupils were sorted into their Islands. It was an exciting time… how the Hat knows so much about the new pupils is just mind-blowing! There were trips to the beach aplenty, including for the Chariots of Fire run and the Sandcastle Competition. In addition, the class learned their sounds, numbers, how to write their names, new songs, and new games. The pupils also created

some wonderful masterpieces in Art and became water confident in their swimming lessons. They were ready for the half-term holiday in October, knowing that November and December would be very busy in the run up to their first Nativity play! At the end of October, the pupils enjoyed a Halloween-themed day - they dressed up, took part in a pumpkin carving challenge, as well as a scavenger hunt. It was lots of fun! The pupils then began their rehearsals for the Nativity which, because of the restrictions, took a different format this year. Thanks to the hard work of Mrs Stewart and Mrs Shiells, the finished result was truly amazing - it was performed outside in the yurt and around the firepit with

WE STARTED THE YEAR ALL GUNS BLAZING, AND SET ABOUT GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND HAVING FUN. real donkeys, and then shared with families through a special feature film. Before we finished for Christmas, the pupils braved the chilly North Sea and had their first Polar Bear paddle, and there was a party for Years 1-3 in St Katharines Hall, a delicious Christmas lunch in Restaurant 1877, and a lantern walk with carols around the firepit. All in all, it was an amazing end to 2020… but how would 2021 begin? The new year brought another lockdown, and we were back teaching online. This was a new challenge for the Year 1 pupils, but the children and their parents were just fabulous! The pupils were keen and eager to learn and to do their best, in spite of the unusual circumstances. They logged onto their Meets ready with their whiteboards and chalkboards, and mastered the art of turning their mics on and off enabling them to fully interact with the lessons. Meanwhile, I mastered the art of presenting my screen and mirroring it to my smartboard for the key worker children who were physically in the classroom. In the mornings, we focused on Maths and Literacy, and in the

afternoons there were lots of exciting craft activities themed around The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and The Gruffalo. My inbox was flooded with the children’s creations everyday…I feel like I could write a book on what to do with a paper plate! There was also ample time for play and time away from screens, and the children enjoyed building snowmen and sledging with the welcome week of snow in February. It was just what we all needed. It was wonderful to welcome Years 1-3 back to school in February. Lessons resumed as normal, although as part of our inquiry into life cycles there was the exciting addition of 24 quails’ eggs to look after in an incubator and nurture when they hatched. In the final weeks of the Spring Term, the children enjoyed dressing up as their favourite characters as part of Book Week, creating and wearing their Easter Bonnets for the annual parade, and said goodbye to Dr Carslaw upon his retirement. The Summer Term featured lovely visits to the beach to build homes for

the Three Little Pigs using buckets, spades, sticks, and shells, as well as some clay modelling and the creation of shadow puppets with Ms McIntee. This was part of our inquiry into houses and materials as part of our ‘How the world works’ unit. We also read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and off the back of the book made fruit kebabs and learned the days of the week. To keep the ‘live’ excitement in the classroom, we replaced our lovely quails with tadpoles. The wait for them to turn into froglets and then frogs required a lot of patience! As the academic year drew to a close and we looked back on all that we achieved, we also looked forward to the future and the excitement that it will bring - a new teacher, a new classroom, and new challenges. I am sure that the Year 1 pupils will never forget their unusual start to their school experience - they should be very proud of themselves! Ailsa Beebee Year 1 Class Teacher

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

YEAR 2

he academic year 2020-21 will certainly be one to remember in years to come. Not only due to the strange times that we have found ourselves in, but also for the inspiring way that Year 2 coped with online learning. Learner Profile attributes came into their own this year, as children became great risk-takers in their new virtual learning environment, learned to communicate in a different way through a screen, needed to be especially caring to one another through a challenging experience, and became well-practised at being open-minded as they fluctuated between being in school in person or online, needing a truly balanced disposition. Everyday learning this year was characterised by these

attributes and truly great preparation Ad Vitam, for life. With much promise and hope, and after a somewhat turbulent summer of mixed governmental announcements, the Autumn Term kicked off. Children skipped into their new classes, and the new Year 2 pupils were excited to be back in school once more, in a new class with new teachers. We were all very excited. We soon became used to taking our masks on and off at the appropriate moments, endless handwashing after every lesson and playtime, and the constant cleaning of our learning environment. We were just delighted to be meeting again in the flesh, and so the ‘new normal’ emerged. We created our own fun within our

bubbles, and Beach School took on a new dimension, as other visits and trips were not allowed to take place. We bolted for the beach as soon as the sun came out, and embarked on as much hands-on interactive learning as we could to make up for lost time, having been tied to computers in the previous term. In our first unit, we spent time looking at different skills needed in the workplace, and how technology has impacted some jobs. We mainly considered jobs in our community and our immediate surroundings. We talked to local people, such as the fishermen and local café owner, as well as different members of the staff team at St Leonards. The children

WE TOOK TO THE OUTDOORS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, AND WERE JUST HAPPY TO BE ONCE AGAIN LIVING THE DREAM THAT IS LEARNING OUTSIDE. interviewed our cleaner, Irene, as well as various members of the leadership team to get a good picture of how the school is organised. We also heard from one of our parents, Dr Christie, about what life as a GP is like and visited the Scottish Oceans Institute to find out more about what being a Marine Biologist entails. By the end of the session, a number of the pupils were converted to the idea of life riding the waves in the pursuit of bottlenose dolphins and hammerhead sharks. Next, we turned our attention to investigating family histories as part of our inquiry into ‘Where we are in place and time’. We were lucky enough to have Catherine’s grandmother, Anne Tynte-Irvine, visit us and speak to us about what life was like for her growing up. We set up a Family Museum, sharing our findings with our friends and family online, and unveiled plenty of fascinating facts about our own histories, telling the stories of our class, whose ancestors hailed from all over the world. Rehearsing and performing our annual Nativity Play was a little different this year, and families experienced the antics of the Wise Men and their

camels online this year, rather than in the School Hall. A rather wonderful recording of the Christmas story narrated around the school grounds and in the inn-like yurt, with real donkeys stealing the show, made a memorable keepsake for our families. The Spring Term proved to be a little different, too, with the majority of the term online. However, due to an easing of restrictions, Years 1-3 did manage to come back in person before the rest of the school. The Year 2 pupils surpassed themselves as they researched six simple machines which are in our everyday world. They researched how these machines make our lives easier and save us energy and time. Whether in the Key Workers’ Hub or working from home, the children really did adapt formidably to their new learning environment and continued to impress and surprise us with the outstanding level of commitment that they and their families showed. Daily lessons ensued, interspersed with social meets for the children to chat to their friends and maintain some kind of normality. The class dug deep, turning up for more, day after day, week after week, with great perseverance.

As we started to come back into school, we embarked upon a new Unit of Inquiry looking at stories from around the world and how they make sense of the world that we live in. We all thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories around the fire from a number of different cultures represented amongst the class - fairy tales, folk stories, fables, and even comic strips created to convey messages to pass down through the ages. In the Summer Term, we looked at the interrelationship between plants and minibeasts, and the social responsibility that we have to encourage pollination to protect our environment for the future. Our inquiry was brought alive through pond dipping at the Botanic Gardens, a day trip to Cambo Estate for various outdoor woodland activities, and rock pooling on the East Sands. We took to the outdoors at every opportunity, regardless of the weather, and were just happy to be once again living the dream that is learning outside. Annabel Lindsay and Anna Fisher Year 2 Class Teachers

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

YEAR 3

hat a joy it was to hear a classroom full of excited Year 3 pupils on their first day of the Autumn Term! New faces were welcomed without hesitation, and from the very beginning there was no denying that this class was characterised by a spirit of teamwork, togetherness, and true friendship. The eagerness and desire to learn was plastered across all their faces… and so, the adventure began! Our first Unit of Inquiry focused on historic heroes, tying in with the Learner Profile attribute of risk-taking. The children reflected on what qualities make a hero, and then researched heroes from the past. The children honed their questioning, research,

and presentation skills and developed their literacy skills. A highlight of this inquiry was reading Superworm, by Julia Donaldson, especially because some real worms visited our classroom to help us expand our adjective vocabulary! We also made the most of the dry weather to take advantage of all that the beach has to offer - from sums in the sand to symmetry and, of course, sandcastles. After the Half Term holidays, we embarked upon a new Unit of Inquiry and we considered the question ‘Why do people create inventions?’. The children took their foundation of research skills and followed their own areas of interest - they really did lead this inquiry. To connect their inquiry to a real life context, one of our parents,

Mr Pyne-Carter, gave a fascinating talk on inventing and problem solving. The children achieved all of this whilst preparing and participating in the Nativity rehearsals and recordings. They showed real commitment to learning their lines and songs, and developing their characters. A real-life donkey was definitely a highlight for the children! The new year brought new challenges, but the Year 3 pupils faced them with their usual enthusiasm and positive attitude. Although it was difficult to only see their peers online, this did not prevent some exciting and inspiring learning and discoveries. We inquired into ‘How the world works’ through the lens of the function and safety of electricity. The children took ownership

WITH THE HELP OF ONLINE GAMES OF MUSICAL STATUES, AND SIMON SAYS, AS WELL AS VIRTUAL HUGS WE KEPT SMILING. of this unit by investigating electricity in their homes, experimenting with balloons, discovering how circuits work, taking apart old computers, and studying solar panels. With the help of online games of Musical Statues, as well as Simon Says and virtual hugs, we kept smiling.

for which they produced posters and a collaborative book Oi! Get off our Campervan, based on the story written by John Burningham highlighting the environmental plight of various animals. It was fascinating to listen to the insightful conversations and observations that the children raised.

At the end of February, we were reunited once again and were thrilled to be back together. We enjoyed visits from some of the older students in the polytunnel classrooms. Ingrid Moreno-Faulds treated the pupils to four weeks of Spanish lessons, whilst Noah Badia and Molly Donaldson delivered a fabulous presentation on sea pollution. This fitted in perfectly with our next Unit of Inquiry investigating the effects, causes, and possible solutions to climate change. The class’ investigative skills really came to the fore, and they researched a wide variety of animals and concluded the unit with a celebration of World Earth Day,

Throughout the year, as we considered the transdisciplinary theme ‘Who we are’, we thought about how choices impact our health. These discussions encouraged the pupils to make changes that they felt would be beneficial everything from choosing to get some fresh air instead of another hour in front of the TV to recognising that sometimes we need to take some time out to look after our mental health. The children learned about the importance of balance in their lifestyle choices. We concluded the academic year with an investigation into ‘Where we are in place and time’, centred on the idea of

homes and how they reflect personal identities and backgrounds. The children reflected on what homes mean to them, researched homes in other countries, built their own homes at the beach, and created a non-fiction book they certainly found a new perspective and deepened their understanding of what ‘home’ means. As usual, the final few weeks of the year were a whirlwind of learning, trips, picnics, paddles, sunshines, and goodbyes. As the year ends, we can see the children anticipate their next adventure and look forward to moving up to Year 4. Over the past year, they have grown in maturity, confidence, academic ability, and literally - they are ready to say goodbye to the Years 1-3 playground, assemblies, and classrooms. I am not so sure that we, the teachers, are ready to see them leave! Claire Boissiere and Aisling Bonner Year 3 Class Teachers

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

YEAR 4

t the beginning of the year, we welcomed Louise McQuade, affectionately known as ‘Ms Mac’, to the Year 4 bubble. She joined St Leonards from Mozambique where she had been teaching Year 6 in an International Baccalaureate school. The Autumn Term got off to a flying start with our inquiry into systems. Under our guiding question of ‘What makes a system a system?’, we studied the differences between man-made and natural systems. We looked at the transport system, identifying the different types of transport, the parts of the system, and how they work together. We also made connections to our ‘Who we are’ unit by looking at body systems.

In the lead up to Christmas, we began a new and exciting Unit of Inquiry focusing on ‘How we express ourselves’. The children had opportunities to explore various forms of artistic expression to articulate their feelings and emotions, including dance and music. In January, lockdown was enforced once again but this did not hinder Year 4. The pupils adapted to St Leonards Connected with confidence and ease. We explored how light and how it helps us in our lives, before moving on to become historical detectives. We welcomed Mrs Henderson to our online classroom to share her expertise from working in the specialist Archives Department at the University of St

Andrews. As part of this inquiry, we were also fortunate to have a fantastic session with Damian Kell, Head of History at St Leonards. The grand finale of this unit was St Leonards’ first ever ‘Living Museum’. The Year 4 pupils all immersed themselves in history by researching, validating, and organising facts on their chosen period or person from history - it was amazing! The return to school near the end of the Spring Term was highly anticipated, and we hit the ground running, well walking… all the way to Craigtoun! The Year 4 pupils are still asking for a rerun of this fantastic expedition! In fact, as part of our marble treat, they voted to go on an extended walk, which finished with an ice cream, of course.

IT REALLY IS EXTRAORDINARY TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AS A TEAM. THE RESILIENCE AND SPIRIT THAT HAS EMERGED HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.

In our final Unit of Inquiry, the pupils each chose an issue related to how we share the planet that they were passionate about. They were tasked with becoming experts on that issue, and then using this knowledge to take action and do something about it, however small. Big changes start with small ripples! The pupils reached out to many different members of our amazing community here at St Leonards conducting interviews, sharing their knowledge, and through all of this were seeking to make our planet a better place for all living things. As we reflect on the year, it really is extraordinary to see what we have accomplished as a team. The resilience and spirit that has emerged has been incredible. As we look forward to a more ‘normal’ school year ahead, we wish Year 4 all the very, very best as they move up to Year 5! Nikki Arkwright and Louise McQuade Year 4 Class Teachers

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

YEAR 5 ooking back on a year that has been filled with challenges, it is amazing to see how resilient, confident, and focused our Year 5 learners have been. They have developed skills that they would not have done in any other year, and displayed admirable tolerance and appreciation in the face of uncertainty and adversity. The Year 5 pupils really have been a creative, respectful, inclusive, cooperative, empathetic, and enthusiastic group of independent learners!

each month, reading books that sparked discussion about these attributes, and celebrating the successes of pupils as they became ever-more balanced, principled, reflective, knowledgeable, caring, and open-minded thinkers, communicators, risk-takers and inquirers. These attributes were also fostered by our Units of Inquiry. The content of these units change each year, because each class leads their journey into their learning - this is one of the reasons that learning at St Leonards is so exciting!

At the start of the academic year, we created essential agreements in the Year 5 classrooms, aligned with the IB Learner Profile Attributes. We enjoyed focusing on a Learner Profile attribute

Our first Unit of Inquiry, ‘Who we are’, delved into the rights and responsibilities that we enjoy and how they need to be protected. We looked at the inspiring historical figures who

led change in the past, as well as people and organisations involved in the local community in the present day. As part of the ‘taking action’ phase of the inquiry cycle, the Year 5 pupils led a food drive for our local foodbank, Storehouse St Andrews. The children created a video to inform the school community about the need for food bank donations, and encouraged families to give food to help support our wider community. We then moved onto an exciting new Unit of Inquiry which under the transdisciplinary theme of ‘How we express ourselves’ looked into perspectives of beauty. This was planned by the children as they brainstormed their ideas for learning experiences. Since we were unable to

THE 2020-21 ACADEMIC YEAR IS ONE THAT STAFF AND PUPILS ALIKE WILL REMEMBER WITH WONDER AND PRIDE. travel outside of the school grounds due to the pandemic, we created our very own art gallery in the corridors of Hepburn House which helped start discussions about perceptions of beauty. We were also delighted to have talks from members of our wider learning community, including Mr Ylitalo, who delivered a fascinating and entertaining talk on the whalers and explorers of historic Dundee. This year, we decided to have one Unit of Inquiry which spanned the whole year. Our ‘How the world works’ inquiry, which focuses on energy and forces, intrigued the children throughout the year, was guided by the children’s curiosity in the world around them. We created paper helicopters, kites, and marble runs, and even used the beach to experiment with friction and resistance. We really are extremely fortunate to have the beach on our doorstep! During our period of online learning, we explored where we live and the

many regions of Scotland in our exploration of the transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the planet’. We grouped the children using breakout rooms on Google Meets, enabling us to inquire further into the events in Scottish history that have shaped the country as it is today. It was great for the children to be able to interact with their peers and work in groups at a time when social interactions were so restricted. The groups used their research skills to complete a project which culminated in a visual timeline. In the Summer Term, the children enjoyed playing Monopoly at the beginning of their inquiry into ‘How we organise ourselves’. The children learned about the key concepts of the unit through play and inquiry, and their curiosity was certainly piqued through this provocation! This inquiry culminated in a pupil-led Summer Fayre, in which the children learned to budget and run a successful business!

process, and the children in Year 5 keep a learning journal in which they log their thoughts, feelings, and interactions each day. The Learner Profile Attributes are a prominent part of these reflections - the pupils write about what they have learned, the things that they have enjoyed, questions that they have, and the highlights of their day. By the end of the year, it is clear that they have been on an amazing journey! The 2020-21 academic year is one that staff and pupils alike will remember with wonder and pride. The two Year 5 classes worked very closely together, and shared learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom. We are enormously proud of what the Year 5 pupils achieved, their approach to learning and their resilience. Duncan Barrable, Catherine Brannen & Georgina Majcher Year 5 Class Teachers

Reflection is a core part of the learning

PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME

YEAR 6

ear 6 started off the year with an inquiry into water, exploring how it is used and the problem of access to clean water in some parts of the world. After finding out about sewage treatment and the water cycle, we experimented with ways to clean water, using filtration and evaporation to remove salt from the seawater that we collected on the East Sands. We also compared access to water and rainfall totals in poorer and more affluent countries, and investigated the problems that arise when access to clean water is restricted. Our second Unit of Inquiry was under the theme of ‘How we organise ourselves’, and it focused on the importance of inventions and their impact on

our everyday lives. We looked at the raw materials, manufacturing, and transport required to bring electrical goods into our homes and considered the environmental impact of these processes. We enjoyed finding out about the WEEE man, and this allowed us to consider the problems of electrical and electronic waste. The Unit culminated in the eagerly anticipated Year 6 Appliance Museum, which featured exhibits on the toaster, television, mobile phone, microwave oven, and refrigerator. The pupils’ model-making skills came to the fore as the groups created some impressive models of their appliances! After the Christmas holidays, we introduced a new Unit of Inquiry

focusing on migration. We explored the reasons why people move to different parts of the world, both in the past and the present day. We learned about ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors, and then considered the impact of migration on countries and individuals. The pupils then explored a major migration of their choice - there were a wide range of migrations covered, everything from Syrian refugees to the Highland Clearances, the California Gold Rush and historic migrations to Canada, the USA, and Australia. We then moved on to look at advertising and how persuasive techniques are used to sell products. We explored written and visual advertising in many different forms, thinking

about the ways in which companies use words, images, and a range of media to persuade the reader or viewer. We also analysed how effective the advertisements were, and discussed how advertisements had changed over time and the way in which innovation in media has affected advertising and the expansion of the platforms on which products are now advertised. Following on from this, we explored the concept of responsibility in advertising and enjoyed creating advertisements containing some irresponsible elements such as exaggeration, false claims, and modified images. For the final project in this inquiry, the children worked in groups to create an advertising campaign for a product of their choice, putting into practice all the different techniques that they had studied. At the start of the Summer Term, work began on the PYP Exhibition, for which pupils devise their own Units of Inquiry under the theme of ‘Who we are’. The topics chosen this year included endangered animals, baking, food banks, gorillas, jaguars, ocean conservation, cancer, and video games

to name just a few. This unit was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to demonstrate their learning and skills to parents and the rest of our school community. As the provocation for our final Unit of Inquiry, we studied pictures of natural rock features. These raised many questions and led us to look at the structure of the Earth, the types of rocks, and the natural forces that shape them. There were opportunities to carry out scientific investigations into the hardness of different rocks, and to consider how different rocks are formed. We then applied this knowledge to considering how weathering and erosion can cause problems in buildings and how these might be overcome. Dianne Cormack, Teresa Fynn & Aisling Bonner Year 6 Class Teachers

THE TOPICS CHOSEN THIS YEAR INCLUDED ENDANGERED ANIMALS, BAKING, FOOD BANKS, GORILLAS, JAGUARS, OCEAN CONSERVATION, CANCER, AND VIDEO GAMES TO NAME JUST A FEW.

ART IN YEARS 1-6

Year 3 Art

his year, it has been wonderful to be back in school, in the Art Room, witnessing the pupils’ creativity and enthusiasm first hand again. Whilst the months of online teaching and learning were a wonderful opportunity for pupils to develop their own style and ideas, it is certainly better to be all together in one physical space inspiring each other. The selection of artwork on the pages that follow reflects the pupils’ fantastic use of colour, shape, pattern, line and mark-making, and reveals symbolic imagery describing their feelings and thoughts. There are also a number of entries for the Heroes Royal Mail Stamp Competition which our pupils entered this year - these entries are an embodiment of their ever-increasing resilience and creativity.

I love teaching Art and Design at St Leonards: it is a real privilege, and I feel incredibly fortunate. Every child is different, with so much artistic talent and their own individual style. Each and every pupil has a desire to do well, and enjoys using a wide variety of materials and techniques. Art Clubs are a whirr of glue guns, lollipop sticks, fluffy pompoms, and paint and it is always incredible seeing the creations that are made in a short time, then taken home with pride.

Rose Bertile

I am looking forward to next year, when I hope that it will be possible for us to be full steam ahead in our artistic endeavours without restriction, and the school buildings will once more be adorned with the children’s artwork. Adele Neave Junior Art Teacher

Olivia Rafferty

Michelle Chernin

Abdulla Al Ajami

Thea Steven Jamie Sever-Smith

Year 4 Art

Eleanor Henderson

Olivia Rafferty

Isobel Blair

Monty Wright

Milla Mery

Jonathan Schwöbel

Rodrigo Inesta-Hernandez

Year 5 Art

Ishbel Reid

Sophia Zhou

Sufyan Salman

James Wright

Harry Turner

Cara Lang

Year 6 Art

Isobel Manifold

Sebastian Ivan

Lottie Taffs

Vidal Mann

George Crook

Nahla Thanoon

JUNIOR HERO STAMPS

Max Mery

Theo Kell

William Wilson

Isabella Timmins

Sophie Sever-Smith

Rowan Seymour

Sofia Young

Edith Griffin

Jamie Blair

Evie Horisk

Michelle Chernin

Rakan Al Ajami

Rebecca Sneddon

ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS

Lessons from Lockdown Learning he losses and sacrifices of the past year have been widespread and far-reaching. But, as educators, what have we learned and what will we take away from the last 12 to 18 months?

into online learning packages, such as Kognity. These packages integrate online books with links to video clips, quizzes, and exam-style questions. It seems that the days of carrying heavy bags full of books may be behind us!

Having spoken to teaching colleagues since our return to the school campus, one thing that many of us have noticed is the importance of the subtle interventions that we make in the classroom on a daily basis - many of which were lost with online learning. These interventions are prompted by cues ranging from an enthusiastic expression on a pupil’s face encouraging greater exploration of a topic or idea, to reading body language that suggests the need to explain a misunderstanding in a different way. These micro-engagements which take place in a classroom are so important in the learning process. For me, the lockdown has emphasised the importance of face-to-face interaction between teachers and pupils, be that inside or outside.

Thirdly, throughout the lockdown period, we have all become far more confident in our use of technology. This has allowed us to host or participate in events in a new way, be that tours of the school, parent-teacher meetings, or pupil-led conferences. These conferences are no longer limited by geographical location or time constraints, with recordings making it possible to catch up on demand from all over the world. It has been particularly good to be able to engage with new international pupils and their families through a variety of online induction events before they physically arrive in St Andrews. Going forward, I think we will take with us some of the changes that technology has enabled, but wholeheartedly embrace and celebrate the face-to-face interactions that we have all missed so greatly.

Secondly, for many of our pupils, this past year has seen a move away from traditional textbooks. Our school community has dived enthusiastically

Lockdown learning has also led to major changes around campus,

including a proliferation of picnic tables, which are used for social moments at break and lunch times, lessons, meetings, and exhibition events. The Year 12 students took amazingly well to the new experience of delivering their Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Exhibition online, making good use of their well-practised online meeting skills, using breakout rooms and mute buttons effectively. However, it was a real pleasure, with the easing of restrictions, for the students to be able to take part in a follow-up exhibition event outside, bathed in glorious sunshine. Finally, and perhaps most controversially, we have come to appreciate examinations as a means of assessment. It has been a challenge to fairly and accurately assess pupils’ learning over the duration of a course without the anonymous, independent verification of external examiners. For all the faults of written examinations of which there are many - I think that we have come to realise that replacing exams is not an easy task, and that they will remain with us for some time to come. I hope that you enjoy reading the departmental reviews in the pages which follow - in true St Leonards style, pupils and staff really have risen to the challenges put before them, and there have been some fascinating projects and inquiries this year! Ben Seymour, Acting Deputy Head (teaching and learning) - Summer Term 2021

DEPARTMENT REVIEWS

Art &

DESIGN Year 7 Visual Arts

MANUEL BARBOSA, Lino Cut

CECILIA DANIEL-PEDERSON, Collage

LOIS WOOD, Collage

CHARLOTTE PRICE, Black Pen

HAMISH FLEMING, Lino Cut

Year 8 Design Seat of Power: Chair Design In order to raise awareness for the plight of endangered species around the world, the chairs the Year 8 pupils created for this design unit are based on an endangered species of their choice. Less can be more in design, and by narrowing down the theme for their design the pupils can focus on the shape, colour, texture, and pattern of that animal to develop an original, contemporary chair design. We are very proud of all of the Year 8 designers this year, but the pupils of Year 8A deserve a special mention as they had to complete this challenge at home during a lockdown supported by online lessons. The lockdown designs you see here were created from materials the children gathered at home. Cardboard tubes, newspapers and homemade papier mâché paste are just some of the things that were used to create these fabulous designs. Donna Rae Head of Art MOLLY WILLIAMS, Orangutan

RACHEL HOGG, Panda

INGRID GRIFFIN, Shark

TING DUNCAN, African Wild Dog

NIHAL DHILLON, Red Panda

ARCHIE BARTON, Blue and Yellow Macaw

JENNIFER NIVEN, Ladybird Spider

XIURONG GONG, Panda

CHUNG YUE NG, Amur Leopard

LOGAN GRAHAM, Turtle

ANDREW MARR, Florida Box Turtle

SIMON IVAN, Red Panda

LEILA JOHNSTON, Blue-ringed Octopus

Year 8 Visual Arts Drawing Conclusions: Collage ‘Drawing Conclusions: Uncovering the Hidden Beauty of Nature’ is an observational drawing unit devised to make meaning out of what is not necessarily obvious in the natural world. The pupils used new and exciting graphic materials and techniques including graphite, charcoal, water-soluble colour pencils and felt-tip pens, magnifying glasses and microscopes in their investigation of skulls, shells, insects and plants. These drawings were then photocopied and used to create fantastic collages. A great deal of work went into putting together a strong composition and in using creative finishing techniques. They were pleased with the results of their efforts and in seeing what was possible! Donna Rae and Winsome Hardie Head of Art & Teacher of Art

ARCHIE BARTON, Charcoal Pencil

SKYE TAFFS, Water-Soluble Pencil

GEMMA DENTON, Painting & Charcoal

TING DUNCAN, Charcoal

MOLLY WILLIAMS, Mixed-Media Collage

CHUNG YUE NG, Mixed-Media Collage

JENNIFER NIVEN, Mixed-Media Collage

Year 9 MYP Visual Arts Making Faces: Sculpture This sculpture unit focused on the use of masks and on hiding one’s true feelings. Using human emotion and expression as a theme, pupils learned simple sculptural techniques such as casting, construction, modelling and surface treatments when creating these faces. The project was started in Year 8, when the pandemic hit and we were forced to stop in March 2020. By this time, the pupils had got as far as casting their own faces, but it was not until August 2020, when they were in Year 9, that we were able to resume work. This gap caused not only their faces to grow bigger, but their ideas, too. Art is a form of communication and, judging by the emotions expressed in these sculptures, I don’t think our Year 9 sculptors hid how they felt about the global pandemic! Donna Rae Head of Art

TOM MIFSUD

ARCHIE SAMPSON

CLAUDIA DENHOLM

QUIRIN KOHLER

ISHA BHASKAR

MADDY FLEETHAM

CHRISPOPE ABHITEACHAPAN

Year 9 MYP Visual Arts Sense of Place: Abstract Painting ‘Sense of Place’ is an abstract, experimental painting unit that requires our pupils to choose a place that is very special to them and re-create it using shape, colour and texture, rather than realism. Their goal was to capture the essence of their place, creating how it feels, rather than how it looks. This project had many different stages including breaking down their special place into words, assigning shapes, colours or texture to those words and using them to create an abstract composition. During lockdown, we were able to continue with this unit by sending out painting kits. From home, the pupils were able to carry out colour theory exercises including the colour wheel, tonal exercises, colour mixing and experimental painting techniques including sgraffito and frottage, with support from online lessons. Upon our return to school, we prepared our backgrounds and put our compositions together. The hardest part of this unit was for our pupils to learn to think abstractly and to create a strong composition that does not overwhelm the eye. They certainly did just that! Donna Rae Head of Art

MADDY FLEETHAM, Salcombe Union Street

RAF HOWISON, Tiree

ARCHIE SAMPSON, Yas Marina

ELLIE COLE-HAMILTON, The Kitchen

LUKE FARQUHAR, Camelback Mountain

GCSE Art Year 10 Year 10 produced some strong work over the year, despite the compromised conditions. On the theme of ‘Transition’, their first workshop involved objective drawing of man-made objects transitioning into natural objects or vice versa. This was then developed into a low relief plaster tile. Rising to the challenge, during lockdown they all participated in the first part of a printmaking project called ‘Plant Memory’. Once back in the studio, the second part involved the intaglio printmaking technique of etching, where they overlaid their ‘Plant Memory’ images with their etched drawings of chosen plants and flowers, to create some beautiful images. Well done, Year 10! Margaret Behrens and Winsome Hardie Teachers of Art

ALBIE MILNE, “Plant Memory”, Print

MADDIE GAVINE, “Plant Memory”, Pen drawing

EVA SMEDDLE, “Transition”, Triptych of drawings

SOPHIA HAMILTON, “Transition”, Observed drawing

MADDIE GAVINE, “Bird Skeleton”, Charcoal and coffee drawing

JAMIE PENNYCOOK, “Transition”, Triptych of drawings

KATHRYN WALMSLEY, “Plant Memory”, Print with etching

ISMINI MCLEOD DORIZAS, “Plant Memory”, Print with etching

CORINNE DUMBRECK, “Transition”, 2D observed drawing into 3D clay tile

GCSE Art Year 11 GCSE Art and Design is a two-year skills based course that enables the pupils to develop, explore, create and communicate their own ideas. Throughout the course, the pupils demonstrate these skills through the development, refinement, recording, realisation and presentation of their ideas through a portfolio of work and by responding to an externally set assignment - the ten-hour Set Test. However, with the decision to forgo the Set Test due to Covid, Year 11 actually had more time to focus on their portfolio work. For some, being in lockdown was beneficial in allowing them to follow a more personal narrative within the Assessment Objectives and in some cases producing work with a creative and conceptual depth of considerable maturity. Margaret Behrens and Winsome Hardie Teachers of Art

ISOBEL WILLIAMS, Mixed media - collage/painting

EMMA LOWRIE, Mixed media - etching

LUCY RATHBONE-TULLETH, Mixed media - collage/painting

EMMA LOWRIE

EVIE RHODES, Chine collé/etching

NIAMH HEADON, Mixed media

NIAMH HEADON

SAM GOSMORE, Mixed media - digital manipulation/ drawing

IONA TURNER, Mixed media - collage/drawing/painting

IONA TURNER, Mixed media

FAITH MACKENZIE PAGE, Pen drawings

LILY DRISCOLL, Mixed media

FAITH MACKENZIE PAGE, Mixed media - ink/teeth

NIEVE GREENER, Mixed media - plaster/thread

DP Visual Arts

RAMISHA KHALIL, “Captive”, Mixed-Media

This particular group of DP Visual Arts students has been quite simply amazing. The pupils not only had to endure a lockdown in Year 12, but also another one in Year 13. Yet, despite these monumental challenges, the students managed to produce some terrific work. Their work is both technically and conceptually strong, with some very powerful messages as a result of their unusual circumstances; protection, isolation, deterioration, confinement, possibilities, prejudice and hope are evident. We are immensely proud of these students and know that if they can produce this calibre of work under these conditions, they can do anything. Donna Rae Head of Art

IONA WHITE, “Ant”, Mixed-Media Sculpture

IONA WHITE, “Cultural Beauty”, Digital Photography

LARA BELL, “Lonely Seascapes”, Digital Photography

LUCY TABBERER, “A Smaller World”, Ceramics

FRIEDA KIMMRITZ, “Medusa”, Mod-Roc Sculpture

IB Visual Arts

LARA BELL, “Circe’s Hands”, Alginate Cast

IONA WHITE, “Representation of Confinement”, Beaded Bracelets

LUCY TABBERER, “Protection”, Tesco Bag Tent

IONA WHITE, “Re-imaged”, Architecture

LUCY TABBERER, “Deterioration”, Digital Photography

IB Visual Arts

RAMISHA KHALIL, “Closer Together”, 3D Pen

LARA BELL, “Self-Portrait”, Oil on Board

LARA BELL, “Diamonds”, Acrylic on Plaster

RAMISHA KHALIL, “Layers”, Embroidery

FRIEDA KIMMRITZ, “Doorways”, Digital Photography

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

BIOLOGY Biology really has been a blast this year! As ever, the pupils covered a wide range of topics - everything from pulse rates to pollination, smallpox and sustainability. Below are a few selected highlights. In their MYP Science course, the Year 7 pupils focused on how different cycles, caused by transformations or movement, can lead to sustainability and change. In particular, the classes focused on the carbon cycle, water cycle, and plant reproductive cycle. As part of this, Year 7B embarked on a dissection lesson to identify the reproductive structures found in a flowering plant. Having successfully identified the parts, the students then had to display and annotate what they had found. This line of inquiry then led the pupils to consider the role of bees in plant pollination and fertilisation, and also the human impact on bee populations and the impact of a decrease in bee numbers. The pupils came up with some fantastically creative solutions to this problem, and produced some informative project boards which were then displayed in a mini gallery and peer-assessed. Amongst other topics, our Year 9 classes looked at microbiology, a pertinent issue in this pandemic era. The pupils were fascinated to learn about how and why vaccines work, the concept of herd immunity, and the challenges of producing mass vaccine rollouts in a short period of time. They linked their knowledge of Covid-19 to past and present diseases, including Smallpox, Whooping Cough, and Spanish Flu. The pupils finished this inquiry with a new-found knowledge and appreciation of how biologists contribute to saving lives across the world. Finally, our Pre-IB biologists enjoyed learning about the effect of exercise on pulse rate in the great outdoors. The class was very fit, and so they returned to their resting pulse rate very quickly.

We look forward to more field trips, experiments, and inquiries next year! Rachel Deegan Head of Biology

BUSINESS This year, Business relocated to the Main School Building, and the Year 12 students made it their mission to help with the decoration of the new Business Management classroom to transform it into a wonderful learning space. Due to the pandemic, lessons also took place online and outside - it was wonderful to see the students participate with enthusiasm and energy whether learning inside, outside, or across the ether! Business Management Diploma Programme Over the course of the year, the classes in Years 12 and 13 enjoyed applying their knowledge of marketing, Human Resources, outsourcing, finance and business culture to real-life scenarios and businesses, both in the UK and across the globe. They produced some fantastic plans and presentations for a plethora of businesses including a coffee shop, a mobile hairdresser, an energy drink brand, and an after-school club, and also started research projects focusing on a range of companies which will form the basis for their Internal Assessment. Special mention must go to Rudy Newton who was this year’s recipient of the Business Management prize.

BTEC Business Career-related Programme With the introduction of the Careerrelated Programme (CP) at St Leonards, the BTEC Business course continues to go from strength to strength and there were lots of exciting ‘firsts’ for the students. As ever, it is difficult to select highlights from the year, but below are a few of my favourite moments! The Year 12 class started the year with a fantastic trip to Muddy Boots, a farm shop, children’s activity play centre and café in Balmalcolm. Over a sociallydistanced cup of tea and a slice of cake, the pupils had the opportunity to quiz business owner Treina Samson about all aspects of the business, discuss the impact that Covid-19 has had on the company, and to look at the business’ facilities. In October, the Year 12 students attended a fantastic online talk entitled ‘Future Proofing through Innovation’, delivered by Professor Daniel Rukare who lectures at Hult International Business School, Oxford Cherwell Valley College, Oxford Brookes University and Swansea Metropolitan University. He explained that the complex nature of innovation requires the development of adaptive systems,

as well as agility in operationalising the process to achieve growth objectives that drive market distribution. He also discussed the creation of new disruptive value networks, and the reframing of future value-based objectives around consumer behaviour. The students found the talk to be informative, interesting, eye-opening and thoughtprovoking, and it sparked some excellent discussions. The Year 12 and 13 students organised two fantastic events, which gave them the opportunity to practise the skills that they had developed throughout the term, namely teamwork, communication, time management, negotiation and problem-solving. Led by Alfie Love, the Year 13 students organised a Halloween Cinema Night for the Year 7 pupils with a fish and chip supper in Restaurant 1877 followed by the film Coco, which was screened in the School Hall complete with tasty treats. A great time was had by all. To celebrate the conclusion of the Autumn Term, the Year 12 students organised a dinner. The Business classroom was completely transformed into an atmospheric dining space, and, with the help of Mrs Bermejo, the students cooked delicious Spanish

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM dishes for the staff involved in the CP. They even used some of the vocabulary that they had learned in their Language Acquisition course (which forms part of the CP Core). Congratulations to all involved! In the Spring and Summer Terms, the students enjoyed two more excellent lectures. The first was delivered by Frances Sutton, who works in Public Relations and has been involved in a number of high-profile events Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Official Royal Opening, to name three. Frances gave a fascinating insight into the sector, speaking about the role of a corporate event organiser, as well as the challenges and satisfactions of event organisation. The students also enjoyed hearing from Daniela Prudencio, CEO of Mamoot Communication, a boutique advertising company in Mexico. Daniela spoke about the steps that should be followed to create a successful marketing campaign, which the students then put into practice when working on a project to increase the brand awareness of an e-sports team. At the end of the Summer Term, the CP students completed their leadership journey with the Royal Navy. The journey began virtually in November when the pupils had indepth discussions about leadership qualities and attributes. In December, the pupils enjoyed taking part in a role play exercise which pitted their decisions against real NASA astronauts. The final stage of the journey was a disaster event simulation in which the students had to make decisions on how to distribute aid to a refugee camp. This was based on a real scenario that the Royal Navy had faced. All in all, it has been wonderful to watch the students grow in their knowledge and application of key business principles over the course of the year! Paula Prudencio-Aponte Teacher of Business Management

St Leonards Enterprise Programme This year saw the exciting launch of the St Leonards Enterprise Programme (STEP), which gives Year 12 students the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial and leadership skills by creating and managing their own companies. This year’s companies were: Green Life Cases: environmentally-friendly phone cases created from bamboo and other eco-friendly materials FAMA: face masks and maks-holders Totally Tote: customisable eco-friendly tote bags 4U Clothing: hoodies sold to raise awareness of mental health Fluffy Empire: fluffy blankets Qube: homemade scented candles Congratulations to Qube - Natasha Reid, Nicole Johnston, Colette Johnston, Mikulas Ivan, Aron Zschachlitz and Daniil Zhirov - who were the winning company. Special mention should also go to Sophie ColeHamilton who was the winner of the STEP logo design competition, as well as Ciara Cherry, Charles De Beir, Nikolas Lafrentz, Zoe Lay and Nico Swales of Totally Tote who gave the best presentation, and the members of 4U Clothing - Sophie Cole-Hamilton, Emilia Forgues-Puccio, Elizabeth Fisher, Ida Schultz-Suechting and Josefine Stuven - who were awarded the prize for the best product idea.

CHEMISTRY It is hard to believe that this academic year is drawing to a close - they say that time flies when you’re having fun, and that certainly rings true in the Chemistry Department! Whilst this has been a challenging year for us all, we really have been incredibly impressed with the pupils’ perseverance and enthusiasm as we have adjusted time and time again to new ways of teaching and learning. Practical experiments are always a highlight of the year, and in the weeks that we were able to be in the labs it was fantastic to see the students put their theoretical knowledge into practice. We encourage students of all ages to pose questions and investigate issues through research, observation, and experimentation, and it has been fantastic to see pupils use their scientific thinking skills, have ‘lightbulb moments’, and draw conclusions. My favourite part about teaching Chemistry is definitely seeing the abstract concepts brought to life in front of the children’s faces with colour changes and explosions!

A particularly memorable experiment from this year saw the Year 8 pupils use Universal Indicator to create a rainbow of colours as part of their investigation into acids and alkalis the results were simply stunning. The Year 12 students also planned a set of creative and imaginative practicals for their individual investigations, focusing on a range of different areas including stoichiometric relationships, periodicity, thermochemistry and kinetics, to name just a few. The students worked hard

to come up with titles and predictions, hone their research questions, develop their methodologies, and then analyse and evaluate their results - we look forward to reading their full reports in due course.

course. Its rigours, especially with lockdown, must have made them feel that it was they, not Caesar, who were landing on the shores of Britain in the teeth of fierce opposition. When they got back to school, they may have felt, like Hannibal, that they had got the worst of the Alps behind them. Not so. They have endured a barrage of work and been tested to distraction. In the world at large, dollars have been printed on a scale which seems to risk a centennial memorial to von Haverstein... I suspect that the Latin grades we feel our pupils earned this year will stoke similar inflationary fears, but they have produced a battery of evidence to satisfy scrutiny.

‘Good grades’ and ‘completing the course’ illustrate past achievement and provide evidence of one’s abilities, but we aspire to things of much more enduring worth. Latin is often seen as ‘not easy’, but we want our pupils to enjoy feeling a sense of empowerment as they develop their intellect. We want them, through their study of Latin and its Graeco-Roman culture, to enjoy a sensitive and sophisticated understanding of language, ideas and their own cultures, things which open the individual to a fuller and richer life.

It really has been a wonderful, albeit unusual year in the Chemistry Department thanks to the enthusiasm and resilience of both pupils and staff. Sophie Sprot Head of Chemistry

CLASSICS It was a relief to get back into school and resume face-to-face lessons at the start of the academic year, though online meetings did feature again and, whilst not ideal, did make learning possible through the winter lockdown. The experience even emboldened one or two to take up the offer of some online Latin reading with their teachers for fun over the summer holidays! Hats off to all our pupils for their continued learning, but hats off in particular to members of our certificate classes who have responded well to the additional uncertainties over their exams. A particular well done is due to the GCSE pupils who, before lockdown, had taken on a new Latin

Andrew Lang Head of Classics

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

COMPUTER SCIENCE Despite what the expectation may have been, Computer Science was not immune from technical issues related to remote learning, and when used in the real-world environment of poor network connections and mass participation, technology showed its limitations. This just showed that there is still plenty of scope for innovative and skilled computer scientists and software engineers in this technological world, and so it was fantastic to see pupils of all ages grow in aptitude and interest for the subject! Computer Science continues to grow in popularity, and as the year drew to a close it was wonderful to see the students achieve another set of excellent results at both GCSE and Diploma level. As part of the ICT and Digital Technology section of their MYP Design course, the Year 9 students designed and built a website to showcase artists and personalities that they admire. The pupils worked hard to produce interesting and imaginative designs for their websites,

ECONOMICS This year, in Economics classes, we sought to apply the theories and concepts from the Diploma course to Covid-19, looking to previous pandemics to learn lessons and make

demonstrating considerable design, HTML, CSS and other coding skills in the process. As well as learning how the Design Cycle applies to digital technology developments, the students learned about academic honesty and correct attribution when using work created by other people - true to the IB approach, these skills are applicable across all subject areas and beyond into life. The Year 10 students built upon the coding skills and theoretical knowledge that they acquired in the MYP and made good ground on the revised GCSE syllabus, whilst the Year 11 students demonstrated significant perseverance and commitment as they completed their qualifications in what can only be described as difficult circumstances. The Year 13 Internal Assessment projects were of a particularly high standard, and covered an impressive range of areas. For example, Lau Kai Wai created a web crawler and JR Boos an exam invigilator web app using

predictions about how the economy will bounce back in the coming months and years. The students were interested to learn that the 1918 Influenza pandemic had originated in Kansas (before spreading on troop ships during the First World War, with a stronger

GDP growth forecast for the euro area and the EU (Spring 2020 Economic Forecast) Source : European Commission

Python, Ivan Simakov developed a dynamic ecommerce website using PHP and MySQL, Cameron Prentice used Java to practise Latin-English translation and Thomas Laland-Brown used the same programme to do 3D spatial position calculation. Two pupils also chose to write their Extended Essay in the subject: JR compared the effects of different compression algorithms on image recognition by an Artificial Neural Network, and Lau Kai wrote on the use of Artificial Intelligence-based tutoring and teaching systems in Hong Kong and China. Both essays were very interesting and compelling reads. At the start of the academic year, Computer Science took up residence in the Shackleton Building, giving the department a permanent home next door to the rest of the Science subjects. We very much hope that this will lead to more interdisciplinary projects in the coming months and years. Gus Ferguson Head of Computer Science

second wave when the soldiers were demobbed and returned home), and that the economies that bounced back most quickly were those that locked down soonest and hardest. Congratulations must go to the Year 13 pupils who successfully completed their Diplomas with a virtual examination. We wish them all the best for the future, whatever it brings, trusting that their time at St Leonards truly has prepared them, Ad Vitam, for life. As I also move onto pastures new after 18 years at St Leonards, I would like to take this opportunity to wish my successor, Pablo Funcasta, all the very best as he takes over the reins of the Economics Department. John Lambert Head of Economics

ENGLISH

WHAT IS WONDERFUL ABOUT GREAT LITERATURE IS THAT IT TRANSFORMS THE MAN WHO READS IT TOWARDS THE CONDITION OF THE MAN WHO WROTE, AND BRINGS TO BIRTH IN US ALSO THE CREATIVE IMPULSE. E. M. FORSTER Having waded through the intricate plot structure of A Passage to India, my Year 13 students echo Forster’s sentiments: for many, the text transformed their understanding of the British Raj, but also made them empathetic to Forster’s rather absurd relationship with India and British Imperialism. As always, it is this empathy and compassion that we endeavour to cultivate in all our students in the English Department through the exposure to great works, both literary and non-literary. Middle Years Programme Mrs Gilbertson and Mrs Johnston showed characteristic enthusiasm in nurturing a love of literature and a perennial thirst for knowledge in the Year 7 pupils, who read some rather hefty literary texts this year, including Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis. Mrs Johnston noted how “the students demonstrated infectious enthusiasm throughout the study of this text,” commenting on how her classroom strategies of hot seating and writing monologues brought the text to life and helped to garner a great deal of empathy. Highlights for our Year 8 pupils included the annual Debating Day, which was slightly refashioned given the need for social distancing. As the previous year, we collaborated with our esteemed colleagues in the PE Department to produce an Interdisciplinary Debating Unit. Mr Baxter gave a supremely edifying talk to the students on drug misuse, and Miss Carroll lectured students on the

gender pay gap in sports. The Debating unit culminated in a series of rigorous British Parliamentary Debates which took place in class. Motions included the following: “This House regrets the gender pay gap between sportsmen and women” and “This House believes that performance enhancing drugs should be prohibited”. We very much hope to restore the Year 8 Debating Day to its former glory once social distancing restrictions are eased. Our Year 9 learners, too, have been solidifying their skills in English, commencing the Autumn Term with a unit on Travel Writing in which they tackled questions such as: “How do humans impact the world in which they live in?”. The cohort then moved on to Journey’s End and Comparative Poetry in Spring, and later on to Sherlock Holmes in the Summer Term. Highlights on the co-curricular front included the Year 9 participation in the Cambridge Union Debates. The preliminary Scottish round of the prestigious Cambridge Union debates took place in early December, and heralded St Leonards’ inaugural participation in the competition. Our budding Year 9 debaters, Nathaniel Tonning, Zachary Sewell, Isla Bell, Lucca Hartman, Freya Seymour and Claudia Denholm, initially debated two challenging Economic motions in a row: “This House would make trade union membership compulsory” and “This House would pay interns”. Given that our Year 9 pupils have not begun their GCSE journey, nor studied Economics

in any formal capacity, they tackled both of these motions admirably. Demonstrating real spirit, tenacity and creativity, Isla actually placed the first debate in a global context. The third motion was designed to be difficult: “This House opposes the narrative of sacrifice in a pandemic”. A great proportion of our Friday Debating Club has been spent discussing the pandemic and the various strands of debate it sparks; however this motion was designed to unpack the language of a pandemic which is a tad more difficult. Both Isla and Lucca came second in this debate, losing out to a university-level swing team! Arguably, the motions got progressively tougher, and the fourth round motion was as follows: “This House regrets the narrative that motherhood is a rewarding experience”. Zachary approached the motion with a spirit of inclusivity, arguing that ‘motherhood’ doesn’t limit itself to those who give birth naturally and therefore does not contradict any feminist movements. Lucca was placed on Opening Opposition, and purported that regretting such a narrative would streamline the views of the masses. Perhaps what impressed me the most about our budding debaters was that our Year 9 pupils debated against Year 12 students, thus making their achievements all the more impressive. Unfortunately, our teams were not one of the three that qualified for Cambridge Union Finals, but it did give our debaters much-needed exposure.

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM GCSE It has been a productive year for our IGCSE students, but there are two fundamental successes that really stand out for me. First, both Keyuri Ade and Ella Gracie were recognised for their achievements in the field of Creative Writing. Inspired by her love of literature, Keyuri entered the Young Writers’ Imagine Competition and her poem was published. Keyuri notea how under the careful guidance of Mrs Johnston, she has been given the confidence to pursue her passions for writing. Ella Gracie had similar success in the Antiviral Writing Competition; her diary entry was Highly Commended. Another notable achievement was Martim Barbosa’s letter to poet Benjamin Zephaniah. His class teacher, Mrs Gilbertson spoke avidly about this accomplishment: “In the spirit of Inquiry in the IB learner profile, Martim’s interest was piqued whilst we were studying Benjamin Zephaniah’s Young and Dyslexic, You’ve Got It Going On for the IGCSE English Language paper”. Martim observed that Zephaniah had struggled at school and made the astute comment that he would probably be unimpressed to have his work studied as part of an exam syllabus. Martim took it upon himself to search for Zephaniah’s agent and ask him directly what his views were. To everyone’s delight, Zephaniah wrote Martim a lively and engaging response, bringing the work from the syllabus to life for the class. His response can be found opposite. Diploma Programme Our Year 13 students have faced a number of challenges in this rather unconventional year, yet have shown courage, determination and dedication throughout. The main focus for Year 13s was completing the HL Essay and preparing for the Individual Oral. Like most things the Individual Oral was refashioned and teachers went to

great lengths to ensure that this critical assessment went smoothly. Naturally, our Year 13 students were keen to excel in this important IA, and this was evident in the intellectually stimulating Global Issues that they selected for exploration. Our Year 12 Language and Literature, and Literature candidates have been busily ploughing their way through the course. Their return to school in April coincided with a spell of glorious weather and this meant that the students were afforded the opportunity to have a few lessons outside. Some classes became very creative, with Mr Iannone’s class doing dramatic readings in the QML Garden. The Year 12 cohort are naturally creative, and this has translated into their Extended Essay topics; we have a range being covered from Victorian Novels to Graphic Novels. We look forward to reading the finished essays!

When I was asked to write this piece by the good folk in Marketing another Forster quotation came to mind: “Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practise.” For once, I actually disagree with Forster. Given the unconventional times that we live in and the extraordinarily busy nature of the school year, school life has been both challenging to chronicle and practise! There have been moments this term in which I have been plunged into the murky waters of existential despair. However, having a supremely able, spirited and good-humoured English team has made this bearable. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge the hard work and effort of teachers in the English Department. Nafeesa Abdul-Karim Acting Head of English (Summer Term 2021)

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL) The Nigerian Igbo culture and proverb ‘Oran a azu nwa’ (‘it takes a community or village to raise a child’) echoes the ethos at the heart of the EAL Department at St Leonards: we work collaboratively with the other academic departments in the school to scaffold language learning and help pupils develop their English language proficiency so that they can excel in other areas of the curriculum. Every year, a large number of bilingual learners join our community, and this year has been no different; many of them are already proficient English speakers, whilst others are earlier in their journey of acquiring skills and knowledge which will help them to learn in English. To help our early developers in English, we have begun to use The Learning Village, an online language learning website. In a typical month, our learners will complete over 400 hours of online learning, both at home and in class. Congratulations to Maksym Starun who won a special award for the most hours of online learning completed on The Learning Village, Sophie Liu who was awarded a prize for the most progress made in The Island (the Senior section of the website), and Nasser Al Ajami who completed the highest number of assessments successfully on first attempt. Special mention must also go to Mohamed Attia who worked hard throughout the year to develop his academic English skills by working through The Learning Village, and also produced some fantastic pieces of creative writing. Further up the school, we had a record 19 students take English B at IB Diploma level this year. Of those, a special mention to Eva Demidova, who as well as winning the English B prize for best student, supported a new Year 7 student, who joined the school from the Ukraine. Eva helped him quickly get settled in by acting as interpreter

(and big sister!) at the beginning of his learning journey and sitting in on many of his online lessons, so that she could help him orientate better to online learning. Language is a social phenomenon and requires social interaction, yet, despite the lack of direct social contact, our learners have exceeded expectations this year and have truly risen to the challenges of online, remote learning, developing their language skills and acquiring new language learning strategies. Our Year 11 and Pre-IB EAL learners, especially, have developed sophisticated writing skills allowing them to compare and contrast poetry, write creatively and analyse a variety of texts. Their linguistic accomplishments this year must be highly commended. Special mentions to XingYing Zhou, Emilia Peters, Andrei Moklokov and Georg von und zu Franckenstein who, despite joining us in the Spring Term, made terrific progress, with XingYing winning the Pre-IB prize for English as a Second Language (ESL). Other unexpected benefits of St Leonards Connected, included the possibility of holding a number of online workshops, coffee mornings and information events for bilingual families all over the world. Many of our families enjoyed the opportunity to share experiences and discuss the

challenges and joys of raising bilingual children. We believe that partnering with bilingual parents is the key to ensuring the best outcomes for their children. Helping families to map out a language plan aids children and families to continue to develop their linguistic goals for the future. The benefits of bilingualism have long been known, but more recently these were confirmed in a study by Strand and Lindorff (2020), which concluded that in the UK, “average educational achievement of fluent EAL learners aged 5, 7, 11 and 16 is higher than monolingual English speakers”. Given this strong evidence of the relationship between a strong family language and English, we strive to work with parents to ensure that both languages are valued, promoted and utilised throughout their child’s education. This year, education truly has been defined by the IB learner profiles: the need to be caring, reflective, openminded and the need to think creatively and use our collective knowledge in our communities. To that end, if you or anyone in your family would like to collaborate and volunteer their language skills in our school we would be very happy to hear from you. Dawn Cremonese Head of EAL and English B

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS & SOCIETIES (ESS) Whilst we have not been able to get out and about as much as in a usual year, the Geography Department have nevertheless tried to give all year groups a virtual taste of the world beyond our classrooms! Below are a few of our favourite trips which took place, either in and around St Andrews or over the ether. Year 8 went on a virtual tour of the Thames Flood Barrier. The pupils enjoyed seeing it in action, and considering what might have happened if it had not been built. Later in the year, the pupils carried out a microclimate study of the St Leonards campus as part of their inquiry into weather systems. Meanwhile, from the comfort of their classrooms, the Year 9 pupils enjoyed watching volcanic eruptions in Iceland and Italy, and also investigating the diverse landscape, weather, culture, and development of the different regions of India. The GCSE classes focused on coasts and rivers, and the Year 11 pupils went down to the East Sands to measure the size and shape of pebbles and study the beach profile. The pupils also considered the issues and errors that often occur when gathering data. The Year 12 pupils put a variety of fieldwork techniques into practice with the help of the Field Studies Council,

and focused on a range of topics including filtration rates in soils and the ecological footprint of the class.

Unfortunately, our work from two years ago has not survived, but hopefully this year’s efforts will make a difference.

Last, but by no means least, a number of our Year 13 students headed out to the South Shore of the Eden Estuary to work with Dr Clare Maynard, of St Andrews University, to help replant the salt marshes at the Kincaple Flats.

We look forward to more trips and adventures next year! Jill White Acting Head of Geography

(Spring & Summer Terms)

HISTORY At St Leonards, we are fortunate to live and learn in a town which is steeped in history; it is certainly not hard to see how, both as individuals and a community, we are connected to the past. The History Department aims to draw on this heritage, providing roots and branches to what appears before us in the present moment, helping pupils to make connections between past and present and to broaden their perspectives both locally and internationally. Despite the wealth of local history, we endeavour to make our curriculum as open-minded and international as possible, in line with the IB philosophy. The MYP gives us great freedom to instil this open-mindedness at an early age, with units driven by concepts rather than content, promoting student-led inquiry. We seek to develop the key skills of self-regulated learning and research, encouraging students to look critically at sources and to question whether or not they can be trusted. For example, this year, the Year 9 students compared ancient African and European civilisations as they grappled for power in the Mediterranean, and also found time to fashion some ‘Hardboiled History’ as part of their Jacobite unit. This competition saw them paint and costume egg figures - our favourites included Charles Eggward Stuart, Neil Eggstrong and Eggizabeth I, to name just three! Meanwhile, our Year 9 historians investigated how scientific and technical innovation changed social perspectives. At GCSE level, the pupils battled on valiantly through their respective curricula against the backdrop of remote learning and in-school assessments. Topics covered included: the transition in US foreign policy from isolationism to activism in the Second World War, civil rights and protest movements in the USA, and a thematic

breadth study charting the changes in Medicine from 1845-1945. In the Sixth Form, our historians have enjoyed being able to exploit the rich resources in QML. The Year 12 students had a fantastic full day of research, in which they immersed themselves in the evaluation of sources. This research will form the foundation of their Internal Assessment, and will also stand them in good stead for university-level study in due course. The pupils chose to explore a wealth of interesting topics for their IA assessments - everything from the Korean War to the Salem Witch Trials. Special mention must go to the Year 13 historians who maintained a positive approach to their studies in the face of adversity. As a department, we are incredibly proud of the way that they have acquitted themselves and wish them the very best in their onward adventures and learning journeys. It really has been fantastic to see pupils of all ages question knowledge, evaluate the source and production of knowledge, and formulate and articulate reasoned arguments based on what they believe to be the most knowledge. We look forward to more debates and discussions next year! Damian Kell Head of History

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

MATHEMATICS

THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP MATHEMATICAL THINKING, ANALYTICAL AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS, WHICH ARE VITAL TO, AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER BY EMPLOYERS IN TODAY’S WORLD.

In Mathematics, the students have been indefatigably diligent in their approach, displaying every aspect of the Learner Profile in abundance. In the pre-Covid world, risk-taking, thinking, and inquiring would be the key attributes that we would look to kindle in the young mathematician. In these times, however, caring is the attribute that we have strived to spark most of all in our Mathematics classrooms. Every aspect of the academic year has been different. This has indeed been the case with Diploma Mathematics,

in which we entered our second year of the new courses, Analysis and Approaches, and Applications and Interpretation. A recognised strength of the IB Diploma is the requirement for all students to continue with Mathematics until they leave school, completing one of the above courses. These two trails offer something for every student, regardless of their enthusiasm for the subject. The aim is to develop mathematical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, which are vital to, and highly sought after by employers in today’s world.

Regardless of the mathematical route taken, all students must complete a Mathematical Exploration for their coursework. The Exploration provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge, understanding and skills creatively and innovatively in a context relevant to them, out with the stifling atmosphere of an exam hall. We are often taken aback by the calibre and originality of the students’ work and are delighted to give you a flavour of the paths our students have pursued this year.

Duncan Bouchard (Analysis and Approaches, Higher Level), Suspension Bridges and Catenary Curves This investigation aims to develop and compare mathematical models for the shape of various hanging objects: the cables in two suspension bridges, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge, a strand of a spider’s web, and a hanging cloth sheet. It asks, “How can the curves in suspension bridges and other hanging objects be modelled?”. The graphing software Autograph was used to plot graphs of different types of curve over a background side-on image of each hanging object, and the results were visually compared to determine the closest-

fitting function. The investigation found a piecewise function to closely model the shape of the three sections of each suspension bridge using two cubic functions for the side spans and a parabolic function for the central span. It generalised a formula to model the shape of the central span of any suspension bridge, but not the

side spans, which needed to be determined individually. It also accurately modelled the shape of the spider’s web with a catenary function (a function which describes objects hanging under their own weight), but the cloth sheet did not fit a similar model, as it hung in three dimensions.

Lara Bell (Analysis & Approaches, Standard Level), Modelling the Proportion of Asymptomatic Covid-19 Cases in the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Outbreak Today, the outbreak of Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of mathematics and data analysis as essential tools for protection. In February of 2019, a passenger disembarking the cruise ship, The Diamond Princess, in Hong Kong tested positive for Covid-19. The ship went into quarantine, and a contained Covid-19 outbreak occurred with 711 total cases. This study aims to model the proportion of asymptomatic Covid-19 cases over the course of the Diamond Princess cruise ship outbreak. A combination of data sources was used to create two logistic

functions illustrating the number of symptomatic versus asymptomatic Covid-19 cases on any given day of the outbreak. According to the final model, we can conclude that the

proportion of asymptomatic cases was at roughly 74% throughout the outbreak, although the increase of asymptomatic cases was delayed by roughly five days.

This year, we were also delighted to have one student, Catherine Fleming, complete an Extended Essay in Mathematics. Catherine did not originally choose to pursue this avenue, but rather was steered in this direction due to the lockdown and was unflappable and joyfully adaptable in her approach, producing a coherent, crisp extended essay which looked at finding a mathematical model to power a lighthouse using solar energy. Below is a soupçon of her work. Russell Hall Head of Mathematics

Catherine Fleming (Analysis and Approaches, Higher Level), Mathematical Modelling of Environmentally Sustainable Lighthouse Energy Generation Research Question: To what extent can we use mathematical modelling to deduce the required battery capacity and solar power generation to run a lighthouse all year round on renewable sources? The aim of my project was to develop a mathematical model of the year-round powering of a lighthouse using exclusively solar energy. In developing this model, I used differential and integral calculus as well as trigonometric functions. The importance of this use of renewable energy alternatives is to limit the use of fossil fuels. With these global issues in mind, using a

lighthouse to model these problems was appropriate. I decided to use an offshore lighthouse to model a solution. The challenge for powering a lighthouse is to capture sufficient solar power during daylight enabling the light to run through the hours of darkness even in the depths of winter. The lighthouse I am using in the development of my mathematical model, the Bell Rock lighthouse, is located on a treacherous reef, twelve miles off eastern Fife in Scotland. I researched the Bell Rock lighthouse and discovered that running the light and associated machinery required 250W. During mid-winter there are 17 hours of darkness at this location

so during the 7 hours of daylight the solar panels have to generate 2073 kW hrs of energy. The model was further developed taking account of the published data of sunlight hours as opposed to daylight (taking account of cloud cover, fog and rain), leaving only around two hours on an average winter’s day. I also applied a correction for unproductive battery leakage. I concluded that the final solar energy generation requirement was 4261 kW hrs. Therefore, I have demonstrated the feasibility and some of the technical requirements for running a lighthouse solely on solar power all year-round.

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

MODERN LANGUAGES The vibrancy and internationalism of our learning community at St Leonards is reflected in our linguistic diversity. Amongst pupils and staff, there is a wide range of mother tongues and, this year, we were delighted to facilitate the study of language and literature in Chinese, French, Russian, Dutch, German, Japanese at Diploma level. Language acquisition is also at the heart of the IB curricula, and we are delighted that all pupils in Years 1-13 learn a language in addition to their native tongue, whether that be French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, German or Russian. Alongside the communicative and metacognitive gains, learning a language also helps the pupils to foster an awareness of and appreciation for other cultures. Whilst trips and language exchanges were not possible this year, we were pleased to maintain an authentic cultural link with France, Spain and

Germany through our Language Assistants, who offered a direct connection with and insight into their respective cultures. In addition, our Year 9 German pupils embarked on an e-twinning project with our partner school in Salzburg, centred around the issue of climate change. In true IB style, we hope to develop this into an interdisciplinary project in the coming year. Our pupils made the most of other virtual opportunities, too. We were delighted that St Leonards finished in 14th place (out of 41 UK schools) in the Northern Hemisphere Education Perfect Language Competition, and were also impressed by the creativity and flair of our pupils who entered the Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation and worked hard to grasp the intricacies and nuances of the target language.

Next academic year, we are looking forward to the continued promotion of the importance of language learning in our globalised world and to celebrate the internationalism of our learning community. In particular, as restrictions continue to ease, we look forward to reinstating some of our favourite events which usually punctuate the calendars of pupils and staff alike - St Nicholas Day, Chinese New Year, and Russian New Year, to name just three! Nora Gannon & Mary Bradley Head of Language A & Head of Language B

PHYSICS The start of this year heralded some personnel changes in the Physics Department. We were very sad to bid farewell to the nous and cheer of our technician Aaron Strong, who is now lending his technical skills to the National Grid. In his stead, we were delighted to welcome Lyall Smith who, as a pilot and amateur radio enthusiast, brings intriguing possibilities to the department. In addition, we were delighted to welcome Gerry Young to join our experienced team of Physics teaching staff. Other notable moments from the year included a record haul in the very challenging Physics Olympiad papers, with 21 awards won by pupils in Years

11-13. Special mention must go to Leonard Hockerts and Chris Barker who both received Gold Awards. The Physics IA days were another standout event. There were a range of different investigations, including: how the fill affects the thrust of a water rocket; how density affects wave speed, both in liquids and solids; the stiffness of spaghetti; the viscosity of oil; and the path of electrons in a magnetic field. We were also impressed by the Year 13 pupils who had elected to write their Extended Essay in Physics, and who undertook some excellent experiments as part of this project. One pupil investigated how the proportion of ethanol affects the dipping bird’s

eagerness to drink, another looked at the wind profile around turbines and the effect on power output, and a third investigated aspects of trebuchets. We look forward to reading their conclusions in due course. Finally, I could not finish without mentioning the huge leaps forward that we have made in our use of technology as a department - the necessities of lockdown really have mothered a lot of invention! Particular mention must go to Robert MacGregor for his creative suggestions for using technology in the classroom. Patrick Smith Head of Physics

PSYCHOLOGY The 2020-21 session saw Psychology go from strength to strength at St Leonards, with a record 39 pupils taking the subject. It has been wonderful to see so many young people excited to study how the human mind works, even if it means that I have been rushed off my feet! The students started the academic year ready and raring to go, and then coped incredibly well with the

tightening restrictions and lockdowns which then ensued. It was exciting to debate and discuss a wide range of research methods and psychological approaches, including biological, social, and cognitive perspectives, and to apply these to an even wider range of issues. Special mentions must go to Sakinah Haro for getting up in the middle of the night to attend her virtual lessons from the USA, and also to Julia Knecht

who was the recipient of this year’s Psychology prize. Finally, as I move onto pastures new, I wish all the Psychology students every success for the years ahead - it has been a privilege to guide them through this chapter of their learning journey. Craig Martin Teacher of Psychology

Curriculum Reviews MIDDLE YEARS PROGRAMME (MYP) In what can only be described as an unusual year, it has been wonderful to see the MYP pupils embrace the challenges which have come their way and make the most of all the opportunities at St Leonards and, in doing so, develop their communication, research, thinking, self-management and social skills. In August, Year 7 took up residence in Queen Mary’s Library whilst Years 8 and 9 embraced the new marquees on Birdcage and St Leonards Grass. These temporary teaching and learning spaces enabled the pupils to have a safe and socially-distanced return to school. The pupils hit the ground running with their curricular learning, examining a wide range of concepts and themes - everything from celestial bodies to space, soundtracks, slavery, and chivalry. A highlight of our curricular offering in the MYP is Design, in which pupils discover that even the simplest of items needs to be thoroughly investigated, planned, and tested before it becomes

part of our everyday lives. Design is taught by a variety of subject specialists, spanning the Music, Theatre, Visual Arts and Computer Science departments, and therefore enables the pupils to embark upon a plethora of projects. This year, in Design, the pupils created fabric organisers, made toys from upcycled materials, designed a board game, fashioned a model chair based on an endangered species, composed a soundtrack, enjoyed an introduction to set design, built a website, and developed an advertising campaign! These exciting long-term projects allow the pupils to channel their creative juices, and often form the basis for new extracurricular activities. During the lockdown, the MYP pupils stayed connected with each other through a series of virtual challenges, which resulted in some impressive culinary creations, elaborate dens, and superb snowmen! The pupils also worked hard to rehearse for some excellent online concerts, and also delivered some excellent pupil-led

conferences via Google Meets which enabled them to reflect upon and showcase their learning to their parents and tutors. In the Summer Term, it was great to be back together on campus after several months of online learning. Highlights included trips down to the West Sands for watersports workshops delivered by Blown Away, two excellent drama productions (Rebels of Gas Street and The Willow Pattern), and volleyball and parkour in the sunshine, to name just a few.

Finally, as I finish, I would like to congratulate the Year 9 pupils who completed the MYP at the end of the Summer Term. The pupils have achieved so much over the past three years, encapsulated by their fantastic and accomplished array of community projects. You can read more about their service learning on page 134. To mark the end of this chapter in the pupils’ learning journey, we celebrated their individual and collective achievements in a special assembly, featuring music, certificates, and prizes. A highlight of the celebration was the Year 9 band’s performance of an Oasis classic many thanks to Isha Bhaskar, Sam Henderson, Maddie Fleetham and Raf Howison for serenading us so well! We wish the pupils all the best as they begin their (I)GCSE courses next academic year. Kate McGregor MYP Coordinator

DIPLOMA PROGRAMME (DP) & CAREER-RELATED PROGRAMME (CP)

As they embark upon the final chapter of their learning journey, our Sixth Form students choose between the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP). Despite our hopes that the May 2021 examination diet would go ahead, the UK government ruled that this would not be possible, and so our leavers were once again graded by algorithms which incorporated their predicted and internal assessment grades. However, in the face of continued disruption, Years 12 and 13 demonstrated considerable mental dexterity and emotional maturity, and, accordingly, it has been incredibly difficult to condense the Sixth Form highlights from this academic year into this short review! Launch of the CP St Leonards has been at the forefront of education since its foundation in 1877, and has demonstrated a progressive spirit from its inception as a pioneering school for girls through to its rebirth as the fully coeducational, IB continuum school that it is today. In August 2020, we were excited to launch the CP as an alternative pathway for Sixth Form students. We are not only the first school in Scotland to offer this

curriculum option, but also one of just two in the UK to actively offer all four IB programmes.

Scotland’s minimum alcohol price strategy (2018) was in reducing ‘problem drinking’.

The CP is an exciting pathway for those Sixth Form students who are interested in continuing academic study but wish to develop skills for employment through practical, hands-on experience. A real strength of the programme is that it is holistic and can be shaped by the students to meet their own interests. CP students study at least two Diploma courses at Higher or Standard level alongside their DP counterparts, undertake a BTEC in Business, and also immerse themselves in Service Learning, a Reflective Project, Language Development, and the Personal and Professional Skills course.

Their CP counterparts also undertook a piece of extended writing in the form of the Reflective Project, which centres on an ethical issue explored in their Business course. This year, the pupils considered: the extent to which it is ethical to use zero-hours contracts in business; how the safety of Formula One drivers has improved in the 21st century; and whether pharmaceutical companies should receive government funding if they go on to make substantial profits from Covid vaccines.

You can read about more CP highlights on page 75. Creativity, Action & Service (CAS) It was fantastic to see the DP students continue to engage in creativity, action, and service this session, in spite of the limitations and restrictions that were in place. The pupils thought innovatively and creatively, and engaged in a diverse range of projects. For example, one pupil established a new Chess Society in the summer with online participation and year group bubbles in place to ensure the safety of participants. Extended Essays (EE) & Reflective Projects (RP) As part of the DP, students write an Extended Essay on a topic of their choice. This year’s topics have been wide-ranging, including: how DC graphic novels represent the evolution of the Gothic novel; how probiotics in fermented foods compare to entericcoated dietary probiotic supplements in their ability to survive low stomach pH; and an evaluation of how effective

Induction & Enrichment As part of their induction into the Sixth Form, our Year 11 and Pre-IB students spent the second half of the Summer Term sampling the full range of subjects on offer, listening to presentations on the various core elements of the programmes, finding out more about the university application process, and taking part in a range of enrichment activities. The extended induction period afforded the pupils ample time to think about their choices moving forward, and concluded with a celebratory ceilidh and barbeque which was a wonderful end to the year! All in all, there has never been a more interesting and exciting time to be part of the Sixth Form team at St Leonards. Our students truly are blossoming thanks to the wealth of curricular and cocurricular opportunities on offer here, and it is a privilege to be a part of their educational journey and to help prepare them ‘Ad Vitam’, for life. Alfonso Iannone Acting DP & CP Coordinator (Summer Term 2021)

e Meet the Heads of Year The Heads of Year are our pastoral leads at St Leonards, working closely with Tutors, Housemasters and Housemistresses, Residential House Staff, and Teachers to ensure that pupils at St Leonards are happy, healthy, and flourishing. We caught up with our Senior Heads of Year, Fiona McGregor, Head of Years 7-9, David Blair, Head of Years 10, 11 & Pre-IB, and Aileen Rees, Head of Sixth Form, to find out more about them, and their positions at St Leonards.

Fiona McGregor Head of Years 7-9

How long have you been at St Leonards? FMc: I started working at St Leonards in August 2020. Moving north from Buckinghamshire, I was thoroughly excited to be heading back ‘home’. I studied in St Andrews and have always loved Fife - the beautiful beaches, cobbled streets, delightful selection of ice cream flavours all within close proximity to family and friends - and so knew that, one day, I would return. My passion lies in the pastoral side of education, and so when the role of Head of Year was advertised at St Leonards, I jumped at the opportunity! I love the small size of the school and its focus on wellbeing - no one gets lost in the cracks. I was also excited by the idea of working with Years 7-9, as I know how important it is to ensure that pupils are settled, routines embedded, and cultures created before they embark upon examination years, and it is wonderful to be a part of this chapter of their educational journey.

David Blair Head of Years 10, 11 & Pre-IB

DB: I also joined the St Leonards community this academic year. I had heard great things about the culture and ethos of the school, and so was very keen to work at St Leonards. My wife is also a Senior, a former pupil of St Leonards, and thoroughly enjoyed her time at school here. AR: I started at St Leonards in 1994 as Head of Biology. Before this, I had worked at the North London Collegiate School, and wanted to live in a place that I didn’t want to escape from all the time. St Andrews is hard to beat as a location, to live and work. Do you wear any other hats at St Leonards? FMc: I teach Biology and am involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, helping to prepare pupils to take part in their Bronze and Silver Qualifications. Outside of school, I have set up a local Year 5 to Year 7 training group for girls’ rugby. In addition to five girls from around Fife, there are 11 St Leonards

Aileen Rees Head of Years 12 & 13

pupils in the group, as well as two older pupils from St Leonards who help me coach. I am hoping that girls’ rugby will grow in popularity at St Leonards, as it is something that I love! DB: The Head of Year role is a busy one, but I also teach Ad Vitam to the pupils in Years 10 and 11 and can also be found out on Big Field or in the gym hall teaching PE. AR: I also help guide the Sixth Form with their university applications and consider their next steps in my roles as Careers Advisor and UCAS Coordinator, and am a Biology Teacher. Describe St Leonards in three words. FMc: Friendly. Passionate. Kind. DB: Community. Caring. Inclusive. AR: Tolerant. Internationally-minded. Dynamic. What is your favourite book, and why? FMc: My favourite books of all time are the novels in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter

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series. They are the first books that I remember not being able to put down, and I loved that once you finished a book you had to wait a year until the next one came out - it was exciting, and certainly added to the experience! At the moment, I am reading a book called The Boy I Am by KL Kettle. It is a wonderful dystopian story of a boy and an assassination plot. Over the summer, I plan to work through a list of 18 recommendations from the MYP pupils! DB: Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About The Business of Life, by James Kerr. I really enjoyed getting an insight into one of the best rugby teams in the world through this book, which focuses on the importance of creating a good culture in order for a team or an individual to be happy and succeed in life. It has so many great messages that can be applied to life and the workplace. AR: The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor Katz. This is a book for my kitchen, which is sometimes more like a laboratory! It is such an insightful book about the role of bacteria to promote health. I also find Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker a very interesting read - if you want to do just one thing to improve your health, go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning every single day.

What is your favourite Learner Profile attribute, and why? FMc: Open-minded. Being able to be open to understanding other people’s opinions, cultures, perspectives, and values is so important. A huge part of growing up is identifying that not everyone’s the same. Appreciating what drives people and makes them the people that they are can help us to understand the way in which they interact with others and the world around them - these interactions with other communities and cultures can help us grow as individuals too! DB: Caring. Showing empathy, compassion, and respect towards the needs of others is vital for communities, and it is what sets St Leonards apart as a school. AR: Caring. Over the past 15 months, I feel that we have all shown how much we care for each other in this special community. What does your ideal Sunday look like? FMc: My ideal Sunday starts with a lovely cup of coffee and something delicious for breakfast, say scrambled eggs on toast. Then I would head to the gym to do a Crossfit workout. The rest of the day would be spent pottering about making up lunches for the week, getting the washing done, and giving the house a good spruce! I am very fortunate to live in the countryside,

so I would also squeeze in a nice long walk around Lucklaw Hill. Oh, and I have become quite obsessed with my greenhouse and am currently nurturing some broccoli, onions, potatoes, and raspberries from seed - so I would tend to my plants! Then, I would sort out some emails and lessons for the week ahead before heading to bed early for a good night’s sleep. There’s normally a lot to deal with first thing on a Monday morning! DB: I have two young children, and so an ideal Sunday would start off with a lie-in; however, I am not sure that this will happen for a few years! As a family, we love going for walks and exploring Fife - throw in a Sunday roast dinner and a few holes of golf after the children are in bed and it’s a pretty perfect day. AR: Going paddle boarding in the early morning, followed by brunch with family and friends in the garden and a long afternoon bike ride. What is your go-to Jannettas ice cream order? FMc: Mint Choc Chip, always. DB: Oreo Peanut Butter. AR: I don’t actually like ice cream. My go-to treat would be a chocolatine with a latte, taken down to the East Sands. If the dolphins choose to swim by, even better!

MEET THE HEADS OF YEAR What has made you proud to be a Head of Year this year? FMc: How long have I got…? I can’t begin to tell you the full list of things that have made me proud, but I will give it a go: the pupils’ tenacity during online learning; the Year 7 pupils’ ability to delve straight into MYP life; the care and love that pupils are capable of showing towards both peers and staff; the ease at which the pupils can stand in front of everyone and play a beautiful piece of music; the pupils’ ability to make me laugh on a daily basis; and, in particular, the pupils’ drive to better themselves in their learning. I am constantly in awe of our pupils, and am so unbelievably proud of them. DB: I was incredibly impressed by the way in which the pupils adapted to online learning via St Leonards Connected once again this year. It was

challenging for many of the pupils, yet they all showed a tremendous amount of resilience during the lockdown. I am also proud of my fantastic team of tutors who have been a great support to the pupils in Years 10, 11 and Pre-IB this year. AR: What a challenge this year has been! I was very proud of the Year 13 leavers at their Prizegiving on their last day of school. Which four guests would you invite to your dream dinner party? FMc: Maggie Alphonsi, international rugby player and champion of women’s sport; Ginny Weasley, the most underrated Harry Potter character, and an exceptional female role model; Matt Fraser, Crossfit athlete and an exquisite example of how hard work pays off; and David Attenborough, a self-explanatory one for an environmental biologist!

DB: Peter Kay, as he would provide the entertainment. I would also invite my three brothers as we are very close and have great fun, but it’s not easy getting opportunities to be together. AR: This is so incredibly difficult! I would invite: Aneurin Bevan, founder of the NHS, because his vision and determination created real social change but he knew that without free access to health care, we would not be able to have a more equal society; Kamala Harris because, much as she has been quieter than I had anticipated since the inauguration of Biden, I am delighted that there is finally a woman in the White House; as well as Anna Radons-Harris and Charlotte Kirby, my dear friends and fellow Biology teachers - they would be brave enough to strike up conversation with and ask interesting questions to Nye and Harris, and are also so articulate about social and racial injustices.

SPORT

SPORT AT ST LEONARDS AT A TIME WHEN THERE WERE LOTS OF RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE, WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE THAT SPORTS WERE ABLE TO PLAY A PART IN RELIEVING THE STRESSES OF OUR PUPILS.

am delighted to introduce the Sports section of the St Leonards Gazette. This year has been challenging, to say the least. We were sadly unable to run our normal programme of competitive fixtures; however, as a department, we worked hard to come up with new and alternative ideas to keep our school community active, and it was amazing to see the take up and enthusiasm for these initiatives. The resilience of our pupils really has been clear for all to see. In the Autumn Term, all timetabled sports lessons and activities took place outside - often in some pretty grim weather! The polytunnels on Big Field proved to be an invaluable facility, offering a covered outdoor space for particularly rainy and windy days. However, the pupils never complained and just got on with the drills and

games, whatever the weather. In fact, participation was above and beyond what we could have hoped for: we had record attendance at our Saturday morning hockey and rugby training! At a time when there were lots of restrictions in place, we were pleased to see that sports were able to play a part in relieving the stresses of our pupils. In the Spring Term, we were once again faced with the challenge of keeping our pupils active whilst in a remote learning environment. We worked hard to engage the pupils in physical challenges which would help them take a muchneeded break from their screens. Years 1-6 engaged fantastically with the ‘PE Menu’ challenges uploading videos and pictures of their endeavours to Flipgrid, whilst Years 7-13 supported the Strava and ‘Doddie Gump’ team challenges and also embraced our online fitness

classes. We also invested heavily in golf practice facilities for the school campus so that our boarding pupils could continue to hone their golfing skills. The Summer Term was so refreshing. It was wonderful to have the pupils back on campus, and to run tennis and athletics sessions. We averaged 70 pupils on Saturday mornings for social tennis - incredible! We were also delighted to run our traditional Sports Day events, albeit in an amended ‘bubble’ format in timetabled Games and PE lessons. We are looking forward to the new academic year and getting back to our programme of competitive fixtures, and hope that participation and enthusiasm levels remain as high as they have done this year! Mark Baxter Director of Sport

JUNIOR SPORT

t has been a year of ‘firsts’ and ‘favourites’ for the Junior sports programme at St Leonards. In addition to the much-loved fancy dress Halloween hockey session, end of term celebratory pool parties, and Sports Day, Years 1-6 enjoyed the inaugural St Leonards Chariots of Fire run and Ultra Challenge events. All in all, whilst there were no competitive fixtures, our Junior pupils remained active and enthused about sport - we couldn’t have asked for more! At the start of the Autumn Term, in ‘Springboard Week’, Years 1-6 enjoyed

recreating the iconic Chariots of Fire scene on the East Sands and the West Sands. Throughout the year, our keenest runners continued to enjoy exploring new East Neuk routes along the coastal path, cross country, and around the streets of St Andrews. Halloween Hockey was another highlight of the first term; the pupils dressed up in some spook-tacular outfits and played some great hockey. It will be great to see the girls showcase their stick skills and fitness when competitive fixtures resume again next year.

After Christmas, and with the advent of another national lockdown, we had to think creatively as a team about how to engage our pupils in physical activities over the ether. We came up with the Junior Ultra Challenge, which was a huge success. Over the course of January, there were 91 participants, over 900 videos uploaded, 12,506 views, and over 1000 hours of exercise undertaken by the pupils in Years 1-6 a truly amazing effort! It was wonderful to see so many pupils and staff take part to accumulate minutes of exercise for their islands and, in doing so,

boost their physical health and mental wellbeing. The pupils were creative in their exercise - with everything from sledging to beach walks, and tennis to yoga. Congratulations to Lewis who emerged victorious in the inter-island competition! In the second half of the Spring Term, the Junior pupils enjoyed selecting exercises and activities from an online ‘PE Menu’, helping them to exercise the whole body and the mind each week. It was great to be back in school for the latter part of the Spring Term, and then

the whole of the Summer Term. The pupils enjoyed games of rounders on the beach, tennis on the AstroTurf, and, of course, Sports Day. It was fantastic to see the pupils compete at both track and field events with energy and enthusiasm - all that was missing was our usual crowd of parent supporters. Years 1-3 enjoyed sprinting, egg and spoon, quoit on head, mini javelin, cricket ball throwing, and long jump, as well as an inter-house shuttle relay. Congratulations to Mull who were the winners of the Years 1-3 Sports Day. In the afternoon, Years 4-6 took to the

athletics field for relay races, hurdles, sprints, and longer distance track events, as well as long jump, javelin, cricket ball throwing, and shot put on the field. Congratulations to Lewis who were the winners of the Years 4-6 Sports Day. We look forward to more inter-house events and competitive fixtures next year! Rosie Dawson Junior PE Coordinator

SENIOR SPORT As you would expect, this has been a sporting year like no other: for the most part fixtures against other schools were not able to run; year group bubbles were unable to mix for practice sessions; and, for much of the year, contact sports were not possible. However, as we look back on an unusual year of sporting endeavours, there is still lots to celebrate!

t the start of the year, the SLM Blues squads headed down to for weekend rugby sessions on the beach, which usually ended with a dip in the chilly waters! It was certainly difficult to keep motivation levels high with no end product to play for, but the coaching group worked hard to keep the sessions fresh with creative drills and innovative activities. After the October half term, we set up bubble competitions. Each age group was split into two teams, and the ‘East Sands’ and ‘West Sands’ squads in each year would then play each other in various game formats on a Saturday morning. The overall winners of the tournament were ‘West Sands’, with a final score of 3-1. They were awarded the Callum Parsons Trophy. It really was great to see so many boys out and keen to train and channel their energies into the drills and game-play scenarios. Congratulations and thank you to the boys who persevered through this difficult season. In the Autumn Term, the girls were also dedicated to the weekend hockey programme, come rain, hail or shine (sometimes all in one session!). There were so many girls at the first session

of the year that we struggled to fit them on the pitch, and this continued - we are delighted that participation in the weekend sports programme has been at an all-time high this year. Our fancy dress Halloween Hockey and Festive Hockey mornings were particular highlights of the term, the latter taking place on the East Sands due to a frozen pitch. Spirits were high on both occasions, with music playing and smiles all round. Unfortunately, we were unable to play lacrosse this academic year, but we are looking forward to getting back out on the field next year. The five-tier Golf Programme was also able to continue through the Autumn Term, and our golfers enjoyed practising their putting on the greens, honing their swings at the Driving Range, and playing the beautiful courses around the town. The ‘Monthly Medal’ events were a highlight of the year, and our golfers also enjoyed success in local and national competitions. Congratulations to Verity Swift who played in the national final of the Wee Wonders Golf Championships, and Ewen Farquhar who finished in second place in the

Junior division of the R&A Gold Medal Competition and won the Paul Kirkcaldy Trophy. Later in the year, our golf team travelled to the Strathmore Golf Course in Alyth, Perthshire, for the Barry Douglas Scottish Junior Masters and played Glenalmond in the ISGA schools knockout. The team enjoyed individual and collective success at both events. The year finished with another set of golfing successes at the St Andrews Boys Championships - Will Jacks and Edward Clement finished in first and second place respectively in the senior handicap section, and Ewen Farquhar finished second in the scratch section. In the run up to Christmas, the St Leonards Swimming Club got off to a fantastic start. The pupils enrolled enjoyed structured swimming sessions focusing on stroke development, and also had the opportunity to partake in fun relay races and other team games. During the lockdown, the PE Department ran two different challenges to keep the school community active. Pupils and staff joined the Doddie Gump Inter-District challenge, raising awareness and money

for the causes and treatment of Motor Neurone Disease and contributing to the total miles travelled in the Caledonia region. The St Leonards community raised over £1000.00 for charity - a huge thanks to all who ran, walked, cycled, and donated. Building upon the success of this virtual challenge, we set up a St Leonards Strava team with group challenges to complete, including some of the most demanding ultramarathons on the planet. As a community, we successfully completed the Marathon des Sables, the Badwater 135, and the Spartathlon - a fantastic effort! In the Summer Term, we were delighted to be physically back on the school campus and able to run inperson sports once more. The Summer Term usually revolves around tennis and athletics, and this year we also introduced cricket for the boys in Years 8-10 which was met with great enthusiasm. We even managed to have two fixtures against George Watson’s College. The Year 8 team came up just short, losing out 164 to 128 runs. The highlights of this match included two great catches from Joe Gosmore and Jimmy Penman, alongside some fierce bowling and batting from Lochie Nairn. The Year 9 boys had an epic encounter that came down to the last ball of the match… Raf Howison delivered a perfectly aimed fastball

that hit the stumps sealing the St Leonards victory! It was wonderful to see the boys out competing again, and we look forward to more competitive fixtures as we take steps back towards normality. There were no competitive tennis fixtures for the girls, but it was nevertheless great to see pupils of all ages and abilities turn out to develop their game and have fun with their friends. A real highlight of the year was our Senior Sports Day, which inevitably took a slightly different format. In place of our usual celebration, complete with spectators and locally-grown strawberries, the track and field events were held in year group bubbles during timetabled Games lessons. There were some school records broken, and a great time was had by all. Well done to all the pupils for a fantastic, albeit unusual, year of sport. We look forward to returning to competitive fixtures in the new year, but hope that the exceptional enthusiasm and high participation levels shown this year will remain! Louise Carroll and Andrew Turnbull Senior Games Coordinators

AT HOME IN THE ‘HOME OF GOLF’

ON THE OLD COURSE AT ST ANDREWS: THIS IS THE ORIGIN OF THE GAME, GOLF IN ITS PUREST FORM. ARNOLD PALMER

t Andrews is known the world over as the ‘Home of Golf ’. The game was first played in St Andrews in the 15th century, and today the town boasts seven beautiful courses which together form the Links Trust. The elite five-tier Golf Programme at St Leonards is run in partnership with the St Andrews Links Trust and has been developed and refined over a number of years, and, with over 80 pupils enrolled, is one of the largest golf programmes in the UK, attracting students from all over the world. The five tiers of the Golf Programme are as follows: ‘St Leonards Minis’, designed specifically for pupils aged 8-12 who are looking to gain or continue to build on an understanding of golf, including basic skills and techniques. ‘Introduction to Golf ’, which is tailored to pupils aged 12 and above who are new to the game.

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‘Q School Programme’, which serves as an ideal stepping stone for players coming up from the Introduction tier, and is open to players with handicaps between 28 and 54. ‘Performance Development Squad’, designed for students who are interested in developing the game and have handicaps between 16 and 28. ‘High Performance Squad’, which is our top tier for the most experienced, skilled golfers with a handicap of 15 or better. Students enrolled on the Programme receive personalised, expert coaching, delivered by our Director of Golf Fintan Bonner and his team of experienced instructors at the St Andrews Links Academy. Fintan is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, a PGA Level certified coach, and a Custom Fit Specialist. He believes that the roots of good coaching are grounded in the instructor’s ability

to communicate effectively, and this is reflected in the Programme. The pupils each have a personal instructor and a personalised training plan, enabling them to grow as players and individuals. Students are encouraged to hone their swing and strike, but also to develop their time management skills and refine their nutritional intake - the Programme seeks to help pupils to be the best golfer that they can be, and also the best version of themselves. In line with the school motto, the Golf Programme truly prepares boys and girls ‘Ad Vitam’ and complements the skills and attributes fostered inside the classroom at St Leonards. The Golf Programme offers students access to the best possible training and practice facilities. Each week, there are over 100 visits to the Golf Academy by St Leonards pupils, many of whom hit over 3000 balls per month in the 22 indoor floodlit bays. The

instructors at the Golf Academy utilise world-class equipment including the Digital V1 Pro Coaching system, Sam PuttLab, AMM 3D Biomechanics Data Collection, and Trackman, and are on hand to assist students in creating scholarship application videos for entry to US universities. Those enrolled on the programme are eligible to apply for a Links Ticket, giving them unique access to some of the finest golf courses in the world, including the worldfamous, major championship venue: the Old Course, which will host the 150th Open Championship in July 2022. During the winter months, there is an emphasis on more technical golf coaching alongside strength and conditioning ahead of the summer tournaments. The St Leonards teams are frequently successful in these national competitions and international tours, though due to the pandemic these opportunities were inevitably more limited in the 2020-21 academic year. Highlights from the year have included the Barrie Douglas Scottish Junior Masters at Strathmore Golf Club, organised by the Stephen Gallacher Foundation in May. Representing St Leonards in the competition were Moritz Waltz, Jaspar Löwe, Fynn Löwe, Ewen Farquhar, Pamas Abhiteachapan and Chris Abhiteachapan. In addition, St Leonards took part in the ISGA national competition again this year, reaching the finals (Scratch Matchplay) with Fynn Löwe, Ewen Farquhar and Jaspar Löwe, and the Plate Finals (Combined Stableford) with Jan Eckhard, Moritz Waltz and Julius Kröll, in strong gusting winds on the Eden Course, St Andrews.

“Golfers are a product of their environment. By playing at and practising on the world-famous courses at the St Leonards Links Trust and utilising the fantastic technology on offer to them at the Golf Academy, students are able to refine their skills and achieve their golfing goals.” In 2017, the Tom Morris Scholarship was introduced, in partnership with the St Andrews Links Trust, to recognise an individual student’s talent, achievement, and dedication to the game. The scholarship is named after the four-time Open champion, and is open to current and prospective students. The prestigious award lasts for the duration of one year and not only carries a fee remission, but also sets high-achieving golfers apart and stands them in good stead for university and college applications, especially if they are interested in applying for a Golf Scholarship in the UK, US, or internationally. Students in the High Performance Squad are often approached by American universities looking to sign them to Golf Scholarships. Recent examples include siblings Ben and Ellen Caton, who were awarded scholarships to Houston Baptist University and the University of Indianapolis respectively. The St Leonards Golf Programme continues to go from strength to strength, and we look forward to nurturing and developing young golfers in the months and years to come.

Together, the beautiful courses, expert coaches, and state-of-the-art technology ensure that the St Leonards Golf Programme is the Gold Standard. According to Fintan Bonner, Director of Golf,

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A Birdie on Big Field:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOLF AT ST LEONARDS

ld Tom Morris was born in St Andrews in 1821. His legacy and influence on the game of golf is unrivalled, as a club-maker, greenkeeper, and championship winner, not to mention the ways in which he has shaped the life and culture of the town. St Leonards has a very special connection with Old Tom Morris: the School once had a nine-hole golf course designed by the golfing great, which was laid out in 1893. The short course was announced in the St Andrews Citizen on 3 June 1893: “A short golf course of nine holes has been laid out by Tom Morris for St Leonards School. The green is within the large expanse of grounds adjoining the school and is of a suitable description for the game. The distance between the holes, though not so great as on an ordinary driving course, is greater than is usual on putting links.”

To commemorate the bicentenary of his birth, we have selected nine of our favourite golfing objects and images from our archives - one for each hole of the course at St Leonards. Our thanks go to Jane Claydon, Honorary Senior and former Deputy Head of St Leonards (1975-2007) for sharing her new research on this topic, which formed the basis for this Gazette feature.

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Genesis of the Golf Course

According to a previously overlooked entry in the St Leonards Gazette, the catalyst for the provision of the Tom Morris course may have been a Senior named Edith Bruce Johnson, who completed her studies at St Leonards in 1882. The article notes that Edith had even outlined the location of the course, ‘in the field below the cricket pitch’. There is no evidence so far to suggest that Edith, herself, was a golfer, though her sisters, Gertrude and Katharine, who did not attend St Leonards, were very successful golfers in the mid-1880s. 2

A Birdie on Big Field

The first hole of the Tom Morris Golf Course at St Leonards was likely located to the right of this photograph, which was taken in 1895. 8

Woods and Irons

This is the earliest golf photograph in the St Leonards archive, featuring the winners of the Golf Cup in 1902. The silver cup, presented in 1896 by the Housemistresses, was used for golf, fives, and tennis. Violet Brown (pictured here with Helen Teacher) later became a member and captain of St Rule Golf Club. To this day, there is a Medal and a Trophy named in her honour. 4

& 6 Matchplay Medals

Miss Frances Dove, Headmistress of St Leonards (1882-1896), was well known as a pioneer in the development of Games for girls. In Work and Play in Girls’ Schools, published in 1898, she remarked “where there is a golf course arranged, let there be an autumn and a spring medal.” This was in line with the arrangements in place at St Leonards - in June 1894, Miss Wordsworth and Miss Abernethy kindly gifted and then presented the Spring and Autumn Golf Medals. Each match consisted of two rounds, or 18 holes. Miss Harriet Wordsworth (later Mrs John Stirling) was a pupil at the school between 1878 and 1886, and was briefly a member of staff between 1890 and 1892. Miss Abernethy was appointed a member of staff in 1891, and was then Housemistress of Bishopshall West from 1900 until 1922. 9

Today, the School recognises talent, achievement, and dedication to the game of golf through the St Leonards Tom Morris Scholarship. Pictured above, in 2018, together with Old Tom Morris’ great, great granddaughter and St Leonards Senior Sheila Walker (DG, 1958-63), is the first recipient of this prestigious award, Ben Caton (201219), who, upon leaving St Leonards, secured a Golf Scholarship to Houston Baptist University, following in the footsteps of golfing great Colin Montgomerie. Ben’s golfing game is going from strength to strength, and his handicap is currently -3.6. Most recently, the Tom Morris Scholarship was awarded to Fynn Löwe, whose handicap is scratch.

Notable Names

Older Seniors will remember this board, which hung on the wall of the indoor Fives Court. The board lists the winners of the golf competition, initially students at the University of St Andrews who occupied College Hall, and then, from 1894 until 1898, pupils of St Leonards. 8

Patience when Putting

An amusing comment was recorded by a girl in March 1894, in the house magazine Tulloch Gorum (the magazine title referenced the girls’ housemistress, Miss Amy Tulloch). She wrote that she had “lost all patience on the golf course between the 5th and 6th holes”. Patience is certainly a prerequisite for golfing success! 9

Senior under Scratch

Two factors influenced the closure of the Tom Morris course at St Leonards: the creation of the 12-hole Jubilee Course in 1897, originally intended for ladies and children, provided a longer and more challenging course for the St Leonards girls to play; and the development of the land within the Abbey Walls, namely the construction of St Rule East and West and the levelling of the cricket field between 1894 and 1897 caused difficulties for those who wished to play golf. However, the legacy of Old Tom Morris and his influence at St Leonards lives on.

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MUSIC

MUSIC AT ST LEONARDS Choirs and Concerts Against All Odds

hat a year it has been! We started the academic year by putting Covid protocols in place to allow as much face-to-face teaching as possible, as well as to ensure that a large number of our groups and ensembles would be able to continue rehearsals. The strict guidance on singing and wind instruments meant that a few activities were unable to operate, but as a department we used our creativity to ensure that musicmaking has been kept alive throughout the pandemic! Our concert programme continued, and there were an amazing 26 online concerts over the course of the academic year, giving pupils the opportunity to showcase their hard work and achievements. In addition to these individual performances, there were a selection of ensemble performances by the Show Choir, Concert Band, and Love’s Angels - these required considerable upskilling from pupils and staff alike! Whilst performing virtually has been better than nothing at all, I know that I speak for all the St Leonards musicians when I say that nothing can replace the combination of adrenaline and audience warmth

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which come from a live performance in the Auditorium - we can’t wait to get back to in-person performances in the coming months! The online and virtual performances over the course of the year have been pearls of great hope through this difficult time. Thank you to everyone who has helped keep the Music School ship not just afloat, but very much on the crest of the wave. As ever, there were both ‘hellos’ and ‘goodbyes’ in the Music Department. This year, we welcomed a new member of staff, Ruaridh Geddes, as Junior Strings Teacher to cover Darryl Ritchie’s maternity leave. We said goodbye to our wonderful Guitar Teacher, Kenny Cormack, who leaves us to take up a post in Korea. His quiet and unassuming presence belies his ability to inspire both pupils and staff, and he will be greatly missed. Ruth Irons, our Brass Teacher, left to join her husband, Kenny, for a welldeserved retirement. Ruth has been a versatile and caring teacher whose contributions to Brass over the past five years have been invaluable. Our final farewell was to Robin Bell, who joined us as an Academic Music Teacher and Instrumental Tutor in Organ, Piano, and Voice in 2014. His unerringly

positive attitude and willingness to participate in any and every musical activity and event has made him a cornerstone of the department - his incredible combination of musical skills make him truly irreplaceable. We wish Kenny, Ruth, and Robin all the best for the future, and hope that they will stay in touch. Here’s to 2021-22 and being back to rehearsing and performing in-person! We are looking forward to welcoming new pupils and audiences to the Music School. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy reading the reflections of our Head Chorister, Ella Vincent. Fiona Love Director of Music

MUSIC

Reflections from our Head Chorister

he St Leonards Music Department never fails to deliver an incredible range of performances, and this year was certainly no exception! In spite of the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Music School has continued to provide a range of activities for musicians of all ages and abilities, going above and beyond, and allowing us to come together and create truly magical performances. It has been wonderful for us, as pupils, to connect with our creative sides and have an oftenwelcome break from the pressures and deadlines of academic work. The Music School truly is an inspirational environment - there is never a quiet moment! The Autumn Concert was our first major event of the academic year - and it set the bar high for the rest of the year, and showed that the Music School would not let Covid-19 get in the way of amazing music-making. The Jull Medal is always a highlight and, this year, 17 vocalists took part across the Junior and Senior categories. Many thanks to the adjudicators, Cheryl Forbes and Gordon Cree,

who gave enthusiastic and insightful feedback to all the performers. I was delighted to be selected as one of this year’s winners, after performing Die Lotosblume (Schuman) and Many a New Day (Rodgers & Hammerstein), along with Shreyas Dhasmana, who sang Song of a Bluebell Wood (Roe). Lara Bell, Freya Seymour, Eva Smeddle, and Maddy Wallard were highly commended in the competition. Congratulations to all. The Autumn Term flew by, and we quickly moved on to recording this year’s Carol Service. The Music and Drama Departments pulled together to create a magical event with sung and spoken performances. The Spring and Summer Terms were filled with more fantastic concerts, including a very emotional Leavers’ Concert celebrating the contributions of departing pupils and staff to the St Leonards music scene. On behalf of the pupils, I would like to thank the staff for the dedication that they have shown throughout this academic year. In spite of our physical separation, they have helped us to feel part of a wider community of musicians

and given up so much of their time to ensure that the recordings were uploaded, edited, and just right! Being part of musical ensembles has been a central part of my St Leonards experience, and I will be very sad to leave it behind. I first got involved in Year 7 after auditioning for the school play, and have loved being a part of the choirs ever since. I will miss singing a wide range of genres in the St Leonards Show Choir, which has allowed me to develop my vocal range and abilities. It has been an honour to be Head Chorister this year, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities, experiences, and confidence that the Music Department has given me. Thank you again to the staff for their support, energy, and dedication over the years. If I could give one piece of advice to pupils starting at St Leonards, it would be to join a musical ensemble, even just for a little while, as you might just find something that you enjoy whilst gaining skills which are applicable for life. Ella Vincent Head Chorister

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Memorable Moments from both Stage and Studio

erformance is woven into the fabric of St Leonards. Even a random walk through the school finds you are never far from the endearing efforts of a beginner violinist to the more mellifluous sounds of a Grade 8 pianist or someone simply playing for fun. It is part and parcel of daily life to stumble across a drama class rehearsing in the Slöjd Room for an intern-house competition or for a fullscale production in the Byre Theatre, the Hall or the Auditorium. Creativity abounds in artworks and displays as well as in the general classroom and the science labs. The IB approach to learning encourages inquiring, collaborative and, at times, vigorous discussion, activity and debate. It doesn’t happen by accident and my thanks go to the curriculum and activity leaders, the teaching teams, the visiting music tutors, artists-inresidence, drama assistants and all involved in providing the highest

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standard and opportunity for pupil engagement. There are so many highlights. Every carol service and every Prizegiving was a memorable moment. Individual performers and choirs shone. I will never forget some of the speeches from Head Boys and Head Girls. Neither will I forget the marvellous musical productions staged at The Byre Theatre, including Guys & Dolls, Grease, and Les Miserables. The St Leonards Players’

staging of Billy Liar at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was of particular note, as was Tilton Road. Other memorable events were the outstanding Summer Art Exhibitions, at which St Leonards artists proudly and articulately explained the background and context to their innovative work. Some fabulous smaller scale events lit up the weekly routine, especially the variety of performance on show at the

PERHAPS THE PROUDEST OF MOMENTS FOR ME WAS WHEN CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS OF ST LEONARDS CHOIR, INCLUDING TWO OF OUR THREE DAUGHTERS, SANG FOR HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN AT CRATHIE KIRK IN 2019.

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weekly concerts. These ranged from year group gatherings to specialist performances by wind, brass, string players and, of course, the jazz band led by the irrepressible Kenny Irons. The Christmas Mix was a personal favourite. It was uplifting to be entertained by Fiona Love and Dorothy McCabe duetting on the piano with Sleigh Ride, getting everyone in the Christmas mood.

It was memorable to listen to a human beatbox performance by Andrew Yong, one of our first boarders from Malaysia, and to be captivated by the sound of the Sopranino Recorder played by Bjorn Franke. Perhaps the proudest of moments for me was when current and former members of St Leonards Choir, including two of our three daughters, sang for Her Majesty the Queen at Crathie Kirk in 2019.

And who in the auditorium the night of the inaugural LGBTQI+ concert will ever forget the rendition of Village People’s YMCA by Fiona Love, Nickie McQuade-Powell, Paul Shiells and Mick Kitson?

Finally, I won’t forget all the ad hoc performances; the Ollerenshaw choir singing ABBA songs in the middle of lockdown to keep spirits up; the various spontaneous choirs, groups and bands brought together for Island competitions and concerts; our Chinese students singing at a Chinese New Year Celebration; the choirs and readers at the beautiful St Nicholas Day service in St Leonard’s Chapel, with Year 7 singing a hymn in German. I would also like to give an honourable mention to the St Leonards Ukelele Group, or the ‘SLUGs’. If performance is meant to raise the spirits, each of these certainly do.

Many memorable musical moments were one-offs. It was so moving to hear our magnificent Father Willis organ - (unique in being the only organ in the world made by this pre-eminent organ maker for a school hall) played expertly by Robin Bell or Glynn Jenkins. In 2018, we experienced the first massed band performance (as far as I am aware) on Birdcage of the combined St Leonards Pipe Band and the touring band of Scots PGC College from Australia. What a spectacle. I remember, too, a Taize Service held in the atmospheric St Leonard’s Chapel; a string ensemble in Queen Mary’s Garden; soloist performers providing the soundtrack to functions in Queen Mary’s Library; a particularly emotional performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in St Leonard’s Chapel and Faure’s Requiem performed in the Auditorium.

One of my areas of growing appreciation is the world of opera; this form of performance brings together music, drama and art, usually with a highly improbable story line. So my parting challenge would be could St Leonards stage its first opera? Maybe the Magic Flute? I would be first in line to get a ticket. Michael Carslaw Head of St Leonards 2008-21

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DRAMA

DRAMA AT ST LEONARDS Meet the Department

All pupils at St Leonards are encouraged to channel their creativity, to express themselves, and to explore life’s big questions and issues through music, drama, art, and dance. We are fortunate to have inspiring, dedicated, and passionate teachers to support and assist our pupils in their creative endeavours, both in curricular lessons and co-curricular activities. In this edition of the St Leonards Gazette, we are pleased to introduce our Drama Department… Let’s get this show on the road!

Nichola McQuade-Powell Director of Drama

Laura Stewart Teacher of Drama

Nichola McQuade-Powell Ms McQuade-Powell has worked at St Leonards for 18 years. She predominantly teaches IGCSE Drama and IB Diploma Theatre course to pupils in Years 10-13, but also dabbles in a spot of MYP Drama and Design. When not in the classroom, Ms McQuade-Powell can be found in the Hall, the Yurt, the Auditorium, or the Byre Theatre directing plays. She has so many favourites, but top of the list is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This was the first Shakespeare play that she ever directed, back in 1996! Prior to starting at St Leonards, she held positions in a variety of schools and also behavioural/secure units. At the beginning of her teaching career,

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Eva Walker Junior LAMDA Teacher

she realised that Drama could reach pupils and parts of life that other subjects were not able to, and so she is passionate about ‘educational drama’ which helps young people to understand all aspects of the world in which they live. Her specialism in theatre is directing - Ms McQuadePowell confesses that she never desired to be an actor, and in fact can’t act! She loves directing because it allows her to create ‘live pictures’, and so she gets the best of both worlds. “My favourite aspect of my job is the students. Every day is an emotional rollercoaster - and this helps me to keep young in mind, if not body! I enjoy the laughter and the tears so much, and feel hugely honoured that I am part of the

Christian Olliver Trinity Teacher

pupils’ journeys and am able to offer help and support when required. It is absolutely brilliant that we are able to create so many pieces of theatre each year, and that approximately a quarter of the student body is involved in a school production - be that as part of the cast or the crew. Every day, I am amazed by the talent and enthusiasm for theatre that surrounds me at St Leonards - it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. I also enjoy the freedom that I have to develop my own schemes of work and write my own plays. Finally, I love that I have an amazing team of staff around me - it used to just be me in the department, but having four creative heads together is so much better… we laugh a lot!”

Laura Stewart Mrs Stewart started teaching at St Leonards eight years ago, and works with every year group from Year 1 through to Year 11. She loves performing, and seeing her students blossoming on stage - both those with a natural flair, and those who thought that they could never perform. “I love the variety of my job, and teaching a wide range of age groups. The Years 1-3 Nativity Play is always a highlight of the year! I am also a Year 7 tutor and I enjoy getting to know the pupils well, and helping them transition into life in the Senior section of the school. Then there is the thrill of production week - we do at least six productions per year, and it is always fantastic to see a production come to fruition on stage. Finally, I love the people that I work with - I feel supported and cherished, and we really do have a lot of fun together!” Prior to starting at St Leonards, Mrs Stewart was a full-time mum to her three children, all of whom attended St Leonards, and before that worked for Scottish Opera in their ‘Opera for All’ programme, as well as acting with various theatre companies in Scotland, including The Singing Kettle! Her favourite plays are Shakespeare’s Macbeth, because of its dark intrigue, and Ms McQuade-Powell’s original script Tilton Road.

“Tilton Road is so good. I cried every time I saw it, and for a week afterwards I couldn’t even tell anyone about it without crying. We are so lucky to have Ms McQuade-Powell’s amazing talent here at St Leonards!” Eva Walker Over the past 18 months, Ms Walker has worn a number of different hats at St Leonards - she is a resident House Tutor in Bishopshall, and also teaches LAMDA to pupils in Years 1-6. She loves classical singing, performing on stage, and learning new languages. Her favourite musical is The Phantom of the Opera. “I love teaching at St Leonards as I have the opportunity to meet students from all over the world, and am able to learn about the skills that they already have whilst helping them to build their confidence and passion for theatre. It has been great to share the skills that I learned at university, and think creatively about the activities that I can incorporate into my classes - LAMDA is great fun!” Christian Olliver Mr Olliver has worked at St Leonards for two years, preparing students for their LAMDA and Trinity Guildhall examinations, and for the Perform in Perth festival. His favourite play is King Lear.

After training at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, Mr Olliver performed in various touring productions, including The 39 Steps in London’s West End! He later retrained as a teacher at Roehampton University, and has never looked back. With a background in acting for the stage, he loves helping students to bring their chosen characters to life. He believes that stage acting should be accessible to all, whatever their level - getting up on stage and performing in front of others has huge benefits for all children, even the shy and introverted ones! “St Leonards is a school that takes Drama very seriously. This makes for a very exciting environment for someone like me to work in - whether my students are part of the prestigious St Leonards Players group or giving theatre a go for the first time, I am constantly thrilled by the focus, imagination, and courage of the students. These are essential traits for creating an industrious, safe, and creative rehearsal space for the students to express themselves in their Trinity lessons. This was underlined by the recent Trinity grades - over half of all the students achieved a Distinction, and the remaining half achieved a Merit - as the examiner confirmed, it was a ‘very, very good set of results’!”

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DRAMA

THE ST LEONARDS PLAYERS PRESENT…

Tilton Rise

fter a long hiatus, the St Leonards Players took to the stage once again in May to perform an original script, Tilton Rise, written by Director of Drama Nickie McQuade-Powell. The play was written as a sequel to Tilton Road, which was staged back at St Leonards back in November 2018. At the end of this production, it became apparent that the beleaguered Saunders family, against

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all odds, overcame the harshness of a 1950s industrial town and prospered. Yet this was not the end of the story… a couple of days after Tilton Road closed, Ms McQuade-Powell was asked ‘How did the Saunders family make their money?’ - and so Tilton Rise was born. Tilton Rise was another fabulous production, made even more special

because the St Leonards Players were finally able to perform together again in front of a live audience. Congratulations to all the pupils involved - their perseverance, hard work, and commitment in the face of adversity deserve a huge round of applause. We can’t wait for the final play in the trilogy, Saunders Wharf, which will be staged in November 2021.

“

The satisfaction of bringing a play to life is always extremely rewarding. However, this year’s feeling of satisfaction went beyond expectations because the process of rehearsing for Tilton Rise was challenging at times - especially rehearsing throughout the lockdown. We had to rehearse via Google Meets, and still didn’t have the guarantee that we would be able to perform the play live at the end of the year. That said, everyone maintained a growth mindset through these tough times and engaged well in the virtual rehearsals. We all undertook intense character work independently, watching videos on how to speak with a Lancashire accent (the dialect used in the play)

and learning our lines so that when we were able to come back together for in-person rehearsals we could quickly resettle into our normal rehearsal routine and be ready to perform the production, in spite of the disruption. I am already looking forward to beginning the rehearsal process for the sequel, Saunders Wharf, which will be performed next academic year. After the success of Tilton Rise in such difficult circumstances, I have the confidence that the cast and crew will be able to h any challenges ch deal with which come our way!

”

Pablo Gomez-Martin, who played ‘Mikey Saunders’

“

Help out with Tilton Rise was Helping incredible - I really enjoyed it. Together with Max Janik-Smith, the Stage Manager, I was tasked with finding the right cables and setting up the lighting equipment just four days before the play. It was interesting yet challenging, because we had to switch the cables and wires three or four times to find the right one! The first time we watched the play through, we had to write down the cues and how the actors worked with each other. It was amazing to see how Ms McQuade-Powell had taught the actors to bounce off each other and embody their characters! The feeling of being part of something great and surrounded by the nicest and most incredible people was overwhelming - at the end of the production, when we all gathered backstage and applauded each other, it felt unreal. The drive and atmosphere amongst the cast and crew was unstoppable. I am so thankful that I was involved, and hope to be involved in more productions over the coming years. rs.

”

Hector Lindsay, Lighting Technician

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Life in Lockdown Creative Challenge

gratitude | reflection | community

ver the past 18 months, we have weathered the storms of the pandemic together as a school community - staying connected, together whilst apart.

Years 1-6 - Ewan Wilson For his poem ‘Free as a Bird’, which conveyed a lovely balance between hope, anguish, and resilience through an effective use of imagery.

In true International Baccalaureate style, pupils and staff regularly reflected upon their experiences of lockdown and online learning, seeking to grow through this unprecedented time. We wanted to collate these reflections, both to mark this chapter in the history of our school and to foster our sense of togetherness. Therefore, at the start of the Spring Term, we launched a creative competition entitled ‘Life in Lockdown’ which encouraged our school community to reflect upon the themes of community, gratitude, and reflection in a medium of their choosing. We were delighted to receive over 70 poems, photographs, musical compositions, collages, drawings, and other entries. Congratulations to the following, who were selected as our category winners:

Years 7-9 - Zachary Sewell For his thought-provoking composition, which is a really original interpretation of the fluctuating emotions and turbulence that we have all experienced in lockdown.

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Years 10-11/Pre-IB - Nate Tyler For his rhyming poem ‘Lockdown’ which touches on many of the collective memories that we will all take away from lockdown, from wearing facemasks to a sudden national enthusiasm for exercise and baking. The poem has a lovely rhythm, carrying the reader through to the glimmer of hope held in the concluding lines. Years 12-13 - Albert Cai For a truly stunning set of photographs which focus on interpersonal

interactions on the streets of China in the early phase of the pandemic. The heightened use of colour and tone emphasise the intimacy of these interactions, whilst the composition of the photographs draw attention to the isolation and separation that the subjects are facing. Staff and parents - Lisa Donald For a beautiful set of landscape photographs which capture the beauty and grandeur of the Fife countryside, and also the simple pleasure of being immersed in and appreciating nature. (When Christmas plans were cancelled, Lisa and her family decided to use the festive period to climb the 12 Fife hills of Christmas. This adventure is the subject of her photographs.) Finally, particular mention must go to the overall winner, Albert Cai - the judges were very impressed with his submission.

Free as a Bird

Lockdown

Free as a bird

From a plane in the sky, to a car on the ground.

Free as a bird flying sky high Wherever i want Going up to see the sunrise Another day is coming Across the seas Across the deserts Going places far away Escaping my home Doing the same thing Day in and day out I miss my friends I miss my family I want this disease to end I know it will And until then I will spread my wings And fly again. Ewan Wilson

All I see now is masks all around. Taxis, buses, trains and more. Walking and biking is our new norm. New hobbies we find, motivation we take. From Joe Wicks on YouTube, to Victoria sponge cake. As lockdown continues, summer creeps in. But to walk abroad, our chances are thin. We hear the news updates, Boris speaking aloud. About how the NHS are doing us proud. At first we thought, a month this would last. However nearly a year on, it’s not yet our past. Hope and support will carry us through this. And soon we’ll get back to doing the things that we miss. Nate Tyler

! "

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NHS Thank You Collage by Nathan Wyburn

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In addition to these fantastic photographs, creative compositions, and powerful poems, our pupils also produced pertinent written reflections on the pandemic. We particularly enjoyed reading this essay, penned by the winner of our writing competition, Lily Driscoll, which considers the positive and negative impacts that Covid-19 has had on our society.

Critically evaluate the following statement:

‘Covid-19 has had a wholly negative effect on our society’. The occurrences in this last year would have been unimaginable to anyone even two years ago, with the pandemic and its consequences sounding like the plot out of a science-fiction movie. Nevertheless, the impact of Covid-19 has made unforgettable changes in our society, which could be interpreted in many different ways and concluded to be positive or negative depending on the individual’s view. However, it cannot be disputed that the pandemic is a subjective topic and I will be exploring this through a few different impacts such as global climate change, how families have dealt with the pandemic, the political change, the individual impact, the social impact and the impact on the concept of a community. Firstly, the development when it comes to global climate change is a complex matter, but I believe it in its entirety shows a positive effect on our society. As is taught in many school classes over the last century, a long-term effect from the industrialisation of the world is the increase of global temperatures. This is causing unprecedented, catastrophic weather which affects many places around the world such as the Russian and Australian forest fires, with 34 people dying in the Australian example.1 Furthermore, due to the pandemic fewer people have been flying to other countries, which, in turn, reduces their carbon emissions by a great amount, as

at one point the number of scheduled flights worldwide decreased by 43.5.2 There are also many other examples that could be given which connect to climate change, such as fewer people buying new clothes and driving to work, again reducing overall carbon emissions. Therefore, I believe that the effect that Covid-19 has had on global climate change is a positive one as it has increased the awareness of society on how reducing their travel and consumption of new goods such as clothes directly affects their carbon output and, therefore, shows that it is possible to make a difference. Another positive effect on our society concerns that of the concept of a community and the care that is shown to others. To expand this idea, I am sure that you have also noticed within our society that professions such as working in the NHS have suddenly become more recognised and respected, to such an extent that it was not uncommon for you to see rainbows stuck onto windows thanking the dedication these courageous people have shown to the community.

much in the news and on social media that it must have had a positive effect on the mentality of society as they realise that there are always those who care. Covid-19 had the positive impact of forcing society to rediscover the concept of a community and start to show more care and respect for others in most cases. An effect of Covid-19 that is very subjective is the impact on families and relationships. Firstly, in most cases many people have been furloughed by their professions or forced to work at home, creating an immediate increase in time, as travel time is taken away from the equation of working family members. This leads to having more time for family members to spend with their loved ones, single working parents suddenly being able to spend that one more hour playing with their

Personally, my father is a surgeon and I know this change in attitude has made a difference to his life, making NHS workers know more clearly that they are valued by everyone. Furthermore, neighbours have started to care more for one another in a time where it is hard to interact with others. These acts of kindness have been highlighted so

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young children, strengthening their relationships with their family. On the other hand, as many people have had more time for recreation and time with their relatives, in families where relationships are strained this can cause even more tension and limit any personal space or comfort from some lives. Therefore, the effect that Covid-19 has had on families can be seen from both angles, strengthening or straining familial bonds to create wider changes in the society as a whole. Conversely, Covid-19 has had negative effects on society, as the media has shown a detrimental impact on individual health. Throughout the pandemic it has been devastating for many people, with families losing their loved ones to the virus or losing their lives themselves. In total, the UK alone has lost over 150,000 people with deaths connected to Covid-19.3 However, the excess death rate has yet to be determined, therefore not taking into account how many people had underlying health issues that would have caused death in the absence of Covid-19. This is a horrifying number

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and reveals how the pandemic has affected so many people. This number is of such a magnitude that it cannot be disputed that Covid-19 has reduced the population drastically. With this being the main information presented to the public, proving that the pandemic has damaged the society. Another point that could be seen from multiple viewpoints is that Covid-19 has affected politics drastically. This is due to the fact that the virus has led to many deaths and with people panicking, they look for a leader who will tell them what to do. This

Miguel Ángel Barbosa

Donald Trump

encouraged people to trust in their governments and health services; however, it also put an immense and sudden pressure on leaders in different countries to give suitable and effective advice. Therefore, many leaders who did not yet have the evidence provided by science to give instructions then stated false claims to the public. This can be seen when Miguel Ángel Barbosa, a governor in Mexico, said that ‘we, the poor, are immune to the coronavirus’, which has repeatedly been proven completely false as the numbers rose especially in poor communities where healthcare was limited.4

Melinda Gates

Donald Trump, president of the US repeatedly stated throughout this year that the coronavirus was “going to disappear”, which was also proved incorrect because due to scientific evidence the coronavirus will not “disappear”.5 This destroyed the trust of some of their supporters, creating an unstable environment. So, Covid-19 has created a large disturbance in the world of politics as many leaders who stated false claims have been proved wrong and lost some of their political standing. In addition, other statements by wellknown figures have highlighted issues and division within our communities

as a result of Covid-19. In an interview, Melinda Gates said that “this pandemic has magnified every existing inequality in our society – like systemic racism, gender inequality, and poverty”.6 I personally agree with this statement, as healthcare inequalities lead to unreliable vaccinations and information for the public. Furthermore, in the US and the UK minority ethnic groups were two to four times more likely to die from the virus, creating more prejudice even if these results are based on an individual’s genetics. Additionally, although it is close, there is a higher percentage of women working as cleaners and in low paid part-time jobs.7 As they come into

contact with more people than other jobs and they cannot work from home, this means that more of them were exposed to the virus. Therefore, the pandemic has had a negative effect on society by emphasising inequalities. Finally, Covid-19 has had a negative impact on the social aspects of all of our lives. During this pandemic, all schools were shut, the majority of workers worked at home and no-one could go outside unless necessary. By April 2020, half of the world’s population was under some form of lockdown.8 This impacted the social confidence of all people but especially school-age individuals and the elderly generations. Both I and others I have met have agreed that on the easing of lockdown, we struggled to cope with the sudden explosion of socialising. For people who are less comfortable socialising online, such a requirement created colossal barriers. Therefore, Covid-19 has had a negative effect on our society because it has taken away normalities such as speaking face to face and mingling with others that many people ultimately relied on. In conclusion, the pandemic has impacted society in a number of ways both positive and negative. I would therefore disagree with the statement ‘Covid-19 has had a wholly negative effect on our society’ because the use of the word ‘wholly’ is wholly incorrect.

Footnotes 1

Christopher Hughes, ‘Number of deaths due to the bushfire season Australia 2019-20 by state’, 23 March 2020, (www.statista.com/statistics/1104739/australia-bushfire-human-fatalities-by-state).

Elena Mazareanu, `Weekly flights change of global airlines due to COVID-19 as of January 2021’, 27 September 2021 (www.statista. com/statistics/1104036/novel-coronavirus-weekly-flights-change-airlines-region).

‘Deaths from Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United Kingdom’, UK Government, (https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/deaths).

Adelaida Sarukhan, ‘A Pandemic Year in 10 Quotes’, 21 December 2020 (www.isglobal.org/en/healthisglobal/-/custom-blog-portlet/apandemic-year-in-10-quotes/3098670/0).

Daniel Wolfe and Daniel Dale, ‘“It’s going to disappear”: A Timeline of Trump’s claims that Covid-19 will vanish’, 31 October 2020, (https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2020/10/politics/covid-disappearing-trump-comment-tracker/).

‘COVID-19 lockdowns’, Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_lockdowns). Last modified: 19 October 2021.

Emma Bedford, ‘Person responsible for cleaning in households in the UK 2019, by gender’, 3 June 2021 (www.statista.com/statistics/878269/person-responsible-for-household-cleaning-by-gender-united-kingdom-uk/).

‘COVID-19 lockdowns’, Wikipedia.

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MODEL UNITED NATIONS (MUN) Climate change, atomic energy, poverty, human rights, gender equality, peace - just a few topics from a much longer list of issues which the United Nations confront on a daily basis. We call these topics ‘global issues’, as they affect the global community. Realistically, and sadly, many of the above issues will not be solved in the near future; they will affect us on a large scale for the rest of our lives, hence it is all the more important for our generation to start addressing them now. The Model United Nations Club provides a unique opportunity to do just that. Much like the real United Nations, we address, discuss and debate real world issues during our weekly meetings. The selection of topics is unlimited, and includes topics that might not come up in everyday conversations, or ones that are ignored and boycotted by society. Just a few examples from our recent meetings would be space legislation, concentration camps in China, the situation with Hamas, organ trafficking, and the Armenian genocide. While representing member countries (everywhere from North Korea to Venezuela, Israel, France, the United Kingdom and many more), students act as delegates and adopt the perspectives

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and approaches held by their countries, communicating their ideas and resolutions on global issues in focused, often heated, debates.

resolution on Sustainable Fashion in Specon was debated and passed! Thanks must go to Mrs Samuel for organising this amazing experience.

The conferences are structured like United Nations debates, with the evaluation and then passing or rejecting of resolutions through votes. However, in our practice debates in the classroom, while all topics are addressed in a serious manner, delegates also have a range of liberties, provided they still comply with their countries’ opinions. This ensures fun away from procedures, with often drastic, unconventional and unexpected outcomes (and yes, really everything is possible!).

MUN really does provide the perfect environment to, without any pressure, improve general knowledge, research and public speaking skills, and, of course, find many friends with similar interests. I would wholeheartedly recommend joining the MUN Club next year - maybe, in the near future, we might even nuke our neighbours together!

At MUN conferences, we have the exciting opportunity to meet with delegations from other schools and countries to discuss these global issues on an even larger scale. In March, 13 delegates and two teachers ‘travelled’ over the ether to Platon School, Athens for an online conference focused on climate change. St Leonards represented Libya and Iceland, and the delegates lobbied with impressive tenacity showing great promise as future leaders. I was delighted to speak in the General Council, and we were all proud of Zachary Sewell whose

Louisa Lemor, MUN Captain 2021-22

ICELAND Sophie Clark, Ishan KishinchandSitumal, Charlotte Fisher, Thomas Rowlands, Freya Seymour, Annika Nowak

LIBYA Louisa Lemor, Grace Halden, Carina Ng, Amol Loomba, Maya Turton Pheby, Balthasar ForssmanTrevedy, Zachary Sewell

BOARDING:

a Home from Home

THE BOARDING HOUSES AT ST LEONARDS REALLY ARE A ‘HOME FROM HOME’, AND THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR THE BOARDERS WHO STAYED WITH US DURING THE JANUARY LOCKDOWN.

ver the past academic year, as restrictions became more stringent across Scotland and the wider world, home became more important than ever before. We returned to the rhythms and routines of the first lockdown: home was where we all worked, lived, socialised, and relaxed for months on end. The boarding houses at St Leonards really are a ‘home from home’, and this was particularly true for the boarders who stayed with us during the January lockdown. Baking, workout challenges, and all sorts of ‘homemade fun’ abounded, and it was wonderful to watch the beautifully refurbished boarding houses, with their spacious social areas and stunning sea views, come into their own and become sanctuaries for our

boarding pupils amidst the storms of the pandemic. The bubbles of boarders became tight-knit second families, supporting each other through thick and thin and the resilience, kindness, and care displayed by both pupils and staff was truly amazing. As the year drew to a close, restrictions began to lift and this enabled the boarders to enjoy a more ‘normal’ programme of activities and events with a greater number of their friends. We hope that you enjoy reading about these exciting events and amazing adventures in the pages that follow. It has been said that a house is made of bricks and mortar, but that a home is made by the people who live there. Bishopshall, Ollerenshaw, and St Rule

are so much more than houses; they are homes filled with incredible people. Therefore, I could not finish without saying a huge thank you to the pupils and staff who make up the boarding family at St Leonards. Thank you to the House staff who worked tirelessly to ensure that our pupils remained happy, safe, and well, and to the volunteers who helped out when additional support was needed. And, finally, thank you to our amazing pupils - your positivity and energy carried us through the ups and downs of the past year, and it was a privilege to spend so much time with you this year. Here’s to another fantastic year of boarding at St Leonards! Gerry Young Deputy Head (boarding)

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BOARDING

From Friends to Family Friendships are at the heart of the St Leonards boarding experience - the smiles really do say it all. It was amazing to see friendships grow over the year, as the bubbles of boarders rallied together to support one another and remain strong in the face of adversity.

THIS WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR BOTH STAFF AND PUPILS, WITH THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING RESTRICTIONS AND PERPETUAL UNCERTAINTY. INDEED, FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR, THE BOARDERS WERE UNABLE TO MIX WITH THEIR FRIENDS FROM OTHER HOUSE BUBBLES. THAT SAID, OUR COMMUNITY WAS AMAZINGLY RESILIENT AND ADJUSTED TO THE ‘NEW NORMAL’, AND EACH HOUSE LOVED BEING ONE BIG FAMILY. JENNIFER MURRAY-TURNER, HOUSEMISTRESS OF BISHOPSHALL 120

THE PANDEMIC DIDN’T STOP THE BOARDERS HAVING FUN - WE ADAPTED AND BECAME MORE CREATIVE! THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS YEAR WAS SEEING THE RESILIENCE AND TENACITY OF THE BOARDERS. IT WAS A HARD TIME FOR EVERYONE, BUT WE GOT THROUGH IT TOGETHER AS ONE BIG FAMILY. OUR COMMUNITY HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER, AND I AM SO PROUD OF THE PUPILS - THEY ARE A VERY SPECIAL GROUP OF PEOPLE. JULIANNE PENNYCOOK, HOUSEMISTRESS OF ST RULE

Exceptional International Experience We were thrilled that St Leonards was shortlisted for the best International Student Experience in the Independent Schools Parent Awards 2021, recognising our successful approach to blending tradition with innovation, creating a vibrant global boarding community and attracting pupils from all over the world. A St Leonards education really is a ‘golden ticket’ to the world beyond - the International Baccalaureate curriculum taught to pupils aged five to 18 at St Leonards is recognised and valued around the globe. The school calendar is peppered with debates, quizzes, activities, and events based upon or inspired by international issues and religious and cultural festivals from all over the world, whether that be lighting candles to mark Diwali or a school-wide ceilidh for Burns Day. We are proud to have had pupils from 37 different nationalities on our school roll this year, and encourage each one of them to be proud of their heritage and to share it with others.

“My favourite thing about boarding at St Leonards is meeting new people from different countries.” Soraya Manferdini

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BOARDING

Unrivalled Location The boarders certainly made the most of our lovely location this year! During the lockdowns, walks and runs on the beach and along the coastal path became a staple part of daily life. The pupils loved taking Miss Walker’s pooch, Cleo, and Mrs Pennycook’s dogs, Marley and Baxter, for walks - there’s nothing like a bit of canine therapy! The boarders were also able to enjoy honing their putting and driving skills at the Golf Academy, and play the beautiful Links courses in town. As restrictions started to lift, the boarders also enjoyed watersports workshops with Blown Away on the West Sands.

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BOARDING

Activities for All

This year, the boarders enjoyed unwinding and relaxing in the boarding houses through a variety of mellow activities. There was everything from face masks to flower arranging, mocktail nights to manicures and movies, and puzzles to pumpkin carving. The boarders also enjoyed takeaways from some of their favourite cafés and restaurants in town as weekend treats, as well as toasting marshmallows around the firepit. Baked goods abounded in the boarding houses this year, with the pupils honing their skills and making everything from cinnamon buns to chocolate cakes, brownies to biscuits, and tiramisu to traybakes. Bishopshall set up a baking club, and there was an Inter-House Bake Off. There are some talented chefs in our midst! A huge thank you must go to the Heads of House and boarding staff for the time and energy that they put into organising the activities. The Bishopshall girls had a fun Sunday evening making and rolling their own sumptuous sushi, which was a great success!

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Food and friends are two key components of the St Leonards boarding experience, and Jannettas ice cream sundae spreads are always a highlight of the Bishophsall social calendar. This year, the boarders in all three houses enjoyed creating their own delicious homemade pizzas from scratch. The pupils kneaded and rolled out the dough, lathered on delicious toppings, and then topped their creations with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Pizza-making will certainly be a permanent fixture on the activities programme going forward. The St Rule House Nights remained a popular evening of the week, with steak and burgers being some of the favourites! 5

Each year, the boarders mark Shrove Tuesday by making delicious stacks of pancakes, and this year was no different. The Ollerenshaw boys (pictured) enjoyed using their

crêpe makers to cook beautifully thin pancakes, which they then topped with a range of different toppings including lemon and sugar, chocolate spread, and jam. 6

During the lockdown, our boarders stayed active and enjoyed using the sports facilities in the grounds. There were games of dodgeball, basketball, football, and badminton in the gym, swimmings sessions in the pool, and hockey matches on the AstroTurf. The girls in Bishopshall enjoyed workout videos filmed by Mrs Murray-Turner, and also set up a virtual running club with the aim of running the length of the UK as a house. Meanwhile, the St Rule bubble enjoyed games of Capture the Flag and rounders. As restrictions started to lift, the boarders enjoyed a number of more adventurous off-site excursions, including mountain biking at Comrie Croft, paddleboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, ice skating, navigating inflatable courses at Wild Shore Aqua Park in Dundee, and white water rafting.

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Pupils at St Leonards enjoy first-class facilities within our stunning campus, from expansive playing fields to cosy yurts, the Music School Auditorium and more. Outwith the school day and during the holidays, our facilities and grounds are available for hire by external organisations, including summer camps, language course providers and sports teams. Throughout the year, we welcome a range of residential and non-residential clubs, courses and activity providers, from Heart of Midlothian FC to Soccer AM, Wild Outdoors and Warm Hearts Yoga.

The facilities available to hire at St Leonards include: a 25m indoor heated swimming pool; floodlit AstroTurf sports pitches; multiple grass playing fields; a gymnasium and squash courts; music auditorium and teaching rooms; Drama and Art studios; classrooms; spacious halls; and two yurts, complete with woodburning stoves. At an additional cost, catering can be tailored to suit a group’s requirements, in partnership with our catering providers, Thomas Franks.

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 RESIDENTIAL STAYS AT ST LEONARDS

As we look forward to the 150th Open Championship in July 2022, St Leonards is pleased to be offering single, twin and dormitory accommodation to let in our three boarding houses - Bishopshall, Ollerenshaw, and St Rule - for full-board accommodation during, and in the weeks surrounding, the championship. The comfortable, modern bedrooms have internet access and will be serviced daily, with bed linen and towels provided - ideal for individuals, organisations or family groups. In addition, each residence has its own state-of-the-art kitchen, spacious common room, and bespoke golf locker room.

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For more information, please contact the Commercial Operations Team at commercial@stleonards-fife.org or on 01334 237025

stleonards-fife.org

Celebrating

125 YEARS OF ST RULE In September 2021, St Rule, which is now a ‘home from home’ to our youngest boy and girl boarders, celebrated its quasquicentennial anniversary, and so it seemed apt to shine the spotlight on the fascinating history of the House in this edition of the St Leonards Gazette.

CONSTRUCTION, CELTIC CROSS & COLOURS St Rule was the first custom-built boarding house at St Leonards, opening its doors to girls in 1896. It was designed as two houses: St Rule East (SRE), which opened in 1896, and St Rule West (SRW), which was opened in 1897. The first housemistresses were Miss Sandys and Miss Lewis respectively. The House colours became green and orange for SRE, and red and blue for SRW. These colours were worn as part of the uniform in its multiple incarnations - first in the hood of the

cloak, then the stripes of the tie, and latterly as a badge. When the foundations of St Rule East were being dug in 1895, a number of interesting artefacts were unearthed, including: a large stone Celtic Cross, which is now on display in the Main School building; a solid stone shrine, dating from around 800 AD, which is housed in the Castle Museum, St Andrews; and 40 dead bodies in stone cysts.

NOTABLE NAME Designed by well-known architects Gillespie & Scott, the House is named after Saint Rule, also known as St Regulus, who left the Holy Lands with the bones of Saint Andrew, travelling west until he came ashore at a Pictish settlement called Kilrymont,

now known as St Andrews, where he buried the bones and founded a chapel and tower. The name also harkens back to St Leonards’ beginnings as a boarding school: the second boarding house, which was in existence from 1879-82 and situated at 3 and 4

Queen’s Terrace (QT), was christened St Regulus. In addition, it is interesting to note that the first boarding house, known as ‘School House’ and located at 23 and 24 Queen Street from 18791882 is now a university-owned Hall of Residence of the same name.

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Anji Hunter

Joy Liebert on SLG after breaking the school record with 143 runs. The old workshop is in the background.

Rosabelle Sinclair 1909 Lacrosse with Shield and with Kitty and Norah

Alice Naish

SPORTSWOMEN, SCIENTISTS & SUFFRAGETTES St Rule boasts a wealth of distinguished former residents including, but not limited to, sportswomen, suffragettes, and scientists. There are any number of sporty St Rule Seniors that we could shine the spotlight on, however, Kitty Godfree (née McKane) (SRW 1909-1914) is perhaps the most noteworthy. A remarkable and record-setting tennis player, Kitty won five medals at the 1920 and 1924 games and held the record for the most Olympic medals ever won by a tennis player until 2016. In 1925, she became the first person to reach the Singles Finals of RolandGarros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. With her husband, Leslie, she is one half of the only married couple who have won the Mixed Doubles at Wimbledon. Furthermore, until 2000, Kitty and her sister and fellow Senior Margaret (Peggy) McKane Stocks (SRW 1908-13) were the only sisters to contest a Wimbledon Doubles Final in 1922. In addition, it is interesting to note that Peggy also competed at badminton with her sister, winning the England Badminton Doubles Tournament in 1924 and the Singles Tournament in 1925. Another accomplished St Rule sportswoman was Kathleen Doman (SRE 1909-14). She played hockey for England, captaining the team on their first tours abroad to South Africa and then America, in 1924 and 1925 respectively. The team was undefeated

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on both occasions. She also played Lacrosse for Scotland in 1917 and England in 1921, and was a founding member of the Women’s Cricket Association. Another excellent cricketer was Joyce (Joy) Liebert (SRE 192732) who played in the first four Test matches for England in 1934 and 1935. Norah Strathairn (APN & SRW 1905-10) was another Senior involved in the Women’s Cricket Association, but her sporting prowess extended further still. She was also a hockey and lacrosse internationalist, and returned to St Leonards as a Games & Drill Mistress in 1919. Norah was also a member of the first Scottish Women’s Lacrosse Team, who played their first international match in 1913. Fellow St Leonards Seniors Rosabelle Sinclair (SRW 1906-1910) and Joan Ross (SRE 1903-08) also represented Scotland in this match. Known as the Grand Dame of Lacrosse, Rosabelle later established the first women’s lacrosse team in America in 1926 and, in 1992, was the first woman to be inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. This brief survey of St Rule sportswomen highlights the seminal role that St Leonards had as the ‘cradle of lacrosse’ - not only does St Leonards lay claim to be the first place in the world at which girls’ lacrosse was played, but pupils, both past and present, have also been key players in the development of the game as an international and well-loved sport. In addition to sportswomen, St Rule

has also been the launchpad for a number of pioneering scientists, including Alice Naish (née Stewart) (SRE 1920-24) and Hilda Bruce (SRW 1916-20). Alice was an epidemiologist whose research focused on radiationinduced illness. She was a founder of the British Journal of Industrial Medicine, and was the first woman to be elected to both the Association of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians. Hilda was a zoologist known for her research on the pheromonal behaviour found in some rodent species, eponymously termed ‘The Bruce Effect’. Moving onto the political figures of St Rule, the strident campaigns of Margaret Haig Thomas (2nd Viscountess Rhonnda) (SRE 18991902) immediately spring to mind. Margaret is listed on the plinth of the Millicent Fawcett statue in Parliament Square, London, alongside three other St Leonards Seniors and 51 other significant suffragists and suffragettes. Her strength of character is also illustrated by the fact that she survived the sinking of RMS Lusitania, which was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915. She did not make it to the lifeboat, but amazingly survived by clinging onto a piece of wood until rescued. Fast forward to the end of the century and another St Rule Senior, Anji Hunter (SRE 1967-71) was making a major political impact in and around Downing Street, this time as

Director of Government Relations in Tony Blair’s government. From political to Royal Service, another St Rule Senior whose achievements are particularly noteworthy is Ann Stevenson, Dame Ann Griffiths (SRE 1946-50). She started out as a Lady Clerk, before being recalled to Royal service as Prince Philip’s Private Archivist. Her dedication and loyalty

were recognised by Her Majesty the Queen in 2005 when she was made a Dame Commander of the Victorian Order (DVCO). She worked for Prince Philip for over 40 years, and he attended her funeral in 2017.

Peck) (DG & SRE 1899-1900) and Elilzabeth Mavor (SRW 1941-45), who authored 25 books including The Green Equinox, a biography of the Duchess of Kingston which was shortlisted for the 1973 Booker Prize.

Last, but by no means least, St Rule has produced some excellent wordsmiths and writers, perhaps most notably the novelists Winifred Knox (née

Looking at the impressive lineage of St Rule Seniors, who knows what the current generation of residents will achieve in years to come.

St Rule Stories

St Rule East and St Rule West have been home to generations of Seniors. At this milestone moment in the House’s history, we were pleased to hear from a number of former residents - a selection of their favourite memories can be read below. “Too many great memories, but best of all sharing a house with lots of awesome girls that I am still in touch with 30 years later.” Abigail Woods (née Lord) (SK & SRE 1989-94) “We were able to lie in our beds for longer in the morning, as the dining hall was right beside us! We were a happy lot - no squabbling, just all supported each other.” Alexandra Robertson (née Stenhouse) (SK, CC & SRE 1964-73) “Amazing sunrises from one of the dormitories at the very top of the house looking out towards the Harbour and the East Sands, and coming back at morning break in our cloaks in the rain

or cold to have hot chocolate in the basement locker room.” Fran Dorward (SRE 1966-71) “Midnight feasts, sneaking up onto the roof, watching Top of the Pops and Miss World. I loved getting letters and ice cream from Jannettas.” Ginny Hobday (SRW 1974-80) “I followed a family tradition - my mother Lydia Peltzer was in SRE just before the First World War, as was her elder sister Elvira and younger sisters Louise and Enid. Enid brought the Coubrough girls, Mary and Jean, to the family through marriage - Mary being ahead of me in SRE just before or at the beginning of the Second World War.

“When I arrived, I was lucky enough to have Aunt Enid’s beautiful serge cloak with a real silk lining in the hood in house colours, as well as a real silk tail and ancient girth with a serge gym slip inherited from my family - it was a gift when all new clothes were on coupons! Among many memories, one stands out: I was in quarantine for chicken pox in the Hospice all alone - there was no one else in the building. Then I heard the skirl of bagpipes and I knew the war had ended! It was 73 years later that I learnt from my great friend Jean Rollo of the hijinks that I had missed feasting, fancy dress, and partying with abandon in SRE!” Miriam Howitt (née Cooper) (SRE 1943-46)

November 2020 marked 50 years since construction began on the Central Dining Room (CDR) at St Leonards, which has been renamed Restaurant 1877 in honour of the school’s foundation year. Sticky pink buns at break time, bread and jam at team time, as well as butteries, have been just some of the favourite treats over the years.

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ST LEONARDS IN THE COMMUNITY

BEYOND THE WALLS

t Leonards prides itself on its sense of community, and this is a feeling that is emulated in the town of St Andrews, thanks to the university, local businesses, fellow schools and residents. The concept ‘six degrees of separation’ rings true here - so many people know people who know other people, and so continues the chain. It is a chain that, as a direct result of the wonderful international mix both at St Leonards and in the town more widely, spans the globe, fostering connections and collective memories. Our school may be bounded by medieval walls, and indeed steeped in tradition, but we never look inwards or backwards. St Leonards is progressive, in line with the

International Baccalaureate curriculum and, year on year, we strive to broaden our horizons, build relationships in the wider community, reach out and develop connections wherever possible. Community projects are at the heart of our curriculum, whether through the CAS and Service Learning elements of the IB Diploma and Career-related Programmes, the MYP, or in tutor groups, and through the combined efforts of our team ‘Islands’ - Harris, Lewis, Mull and Skye.

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD. MAHATMA GANDHI

This year, we have continued to reach beyond our school walls, demonstrating creativity, resourcefulness and care in everything from litter-picking on the beach to tending to the harbour planters with St Andrews in Bloom, organising collections for the Storehouse food bank, sponsoring local events, preparing meals for those in need and writing letters to residents in care homes, to relieve loneliness. We look forward to building upon and strengthening the partnerships fostered during the pandemic over the coming months and years, and I hope that you enjoy reading about just some of these activities in the coming pages. Andrew Durward Deputy Head (wellbeing)

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Charity, Community &

PARTNERSHIPS

At St Leonards, we seek to cultivate a spirit of service within our pupils, and help them to learn to identify and meet authentic community needs. Community action is at the heart of the IB curriculum and accordingly our pupils engage in charity and community projects throughout their learner journey - be that litter-picking excursions, collections for our local food bank, planting trees in a local village, or bake sales. Pupils and staff also partner with local, national, and global charities and organisations by raising awareness and funds. Below are a few highlights from the past year.

Beyond Education - Being Human

his academic year, St Leonards partnered with catering company Thomas Franks in a fantastic social enterprise project entitled ‘Beyond Education - Being Human’. The project built upon the success of the Feeding Communities project, spearheaded by Thomas Franks during the first lockdown, which saw the St Leonards kitchens become a hub for the production of nutritious meals which were distributed to those in need in our local community. ‘Beyond Education’ harnessed the time and energy of pupil volunteers, who were first taught basic food preparation and hygiene skills leading to Level 1 Food Safety certificates. Under the guidance of Catering Manager, Darren Tonge, the bubbles of boarders gave time to help to produce meals, such as macaroni cheese and chicken katsu curry which were then shared with three local charities: Transform Community, Home Start, and St Mary’s Community Trust. Since its inception, 24 pupils have partnered with our catering staff,

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and just over 8200 meals have been produced in the St Leonards kitchens. Pupils, teachers, parents, and support staff have assumed a plethora of different roles to ensure the preparation and delivery of these meals - whether that be supporting the project financially, chopping vegetables, or driving minibuses. Mikulas Ivan was one of the pupils volunteers in the project. He decided to get involved because he was “interested in helping others who were in a less fortunate position because of Covid-19, perhaps having lost their jobs due to the pandemic”, recognising that “even the smallest effort can make a vast difference to someone’s day, week, or even life.” He remarked that he “wouldn’t hesitate to be involved again”, and was looking forward to using the skills that he has learned to help out with other community projects in the future. We look forward to building upon this project in the months and years ahead.

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ST LEONARDS IN THE COMMUNITY

MYP PROJECTS As part of the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Year 9 pupils undertake an extended community project which brings together all the threads of the pupils’ three-year learning journey - it really is the apex of the programme! The pupils identify a need or issue in the local area, propose an action, and then seek to make a meaningful difference, either as individuals or in a small group. The pupils can choose between four different types of service activity: direct service, indirect service, advocacy, or raising awareness and, as ever, the pupils selected a wide range of projects. Below are a few examples. Thomas Rowlands wanted to find a way to show appreciation to the NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. After discussions with one of the charge nurses, he decided to bake sweet treats for the Covid triage workers at Kings Cross Hospital, Dundee, and also took time to learn about the triage process and the experiences of the staff. Maya Turton Pheby wanted to give back to her former community in Zimbabwe by raising awareness of the low literacy rates and organising a book drive to send resources via the Library network. She collected over 50 books on a range of topics which will help the charity to continue their work in rural areas. Polly Morris decided that she wanted to serve the St Leonards community and give back to the school by creating a new induction guide for pupils joining

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the Middle Years Programme. After carrying out surveys and researching existing publications, she produced a comprehensive guide which will help new pupils to have a smooth transition as they start at St Leonards. Tom Mifsud worked hard to raise awareness of the levels of poverty in St Andrews, and correspondingly decided to support the Storehouse community food bank. His 180km walk along the Coastal Path raised £1225.00 for the charity, double his original target! Sam Henderson worked with the Kennoway Community Shed to update their website, integrating their social media feeds and improving its visibility. He also started a Crowdfunding

campaign to raise funds for the Shed, and, in doing so, helped the Shed to raise an impressive £2100.00 which allowed them to complete their Memorial Garden Mural, which pays tribute to the fallen servicemen of the town. After six months of hard work and dedication, the pupils presented their findings in an outdoor exhibition, and engaged members of the school community in conversation about the skills that they have acquired and the experiences that they have gained through the process.

WORLD AIDS DAY

Miles for Macmillan

In December, one of our Year 12 tutor groups organised a fundraising day for the National AIDS Trust, and pupils and staff wore red ribbons, the universal symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV. The money collected totalled £253.98. Many thanks to all those involved in organising the day.

In February, Mrs Cremonese’s tutor group (virtually) walked, cycled, and ran to Paris (a total of 738.6 miles) to raise awareness and funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. The students raised £130.00.

ST LEONARDS IN THE COMMUNITY

Socks for Sepsis In September, a group of Year 12 students organised a school-wide campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms and effects of sepsis. In addition to recording informative and thought-provoking assemblies for pupils in Years 1-13, the students encouraged the community to wear stripy socks and purple clothing, raising almost £700.00 for the UK Sepsis Trust.

Dr Kennovin and Mrs Deegan’s tutor group spearheaded an innovative CAS project, joining the nationwide Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Schools initiative. The nationwide project aims to reduce the use of single use plastic in schools and, to contribute to this topline aim, the pupils decided to sell reusable face masks to the school community. The proceeds were then donated to The Uphill Trust, a charity which supports children’s education and learning in Uganda through the construction of schools, the provision of handwashing facilities, and contributions to teachers’ wages. At the time of writing, the construction of a piggery was underway!

24 HOURS OF TENNIS This year, Angus Graham completed a 24hour tennis challenge, and in doing so raised more than £2000.00 for charity. He is also a volunteer coach at the St Andrews Tennis Club, and was presented with the Junior Ambassador Cup in recognition of his efforts.

Profits donated to Parkinson’s In June, we were delighted to announce Qube as the winners of the inaugural St Leonards Enterprise Programme competition. All the companies had worked tirelessly to come up with concepts, market their products, and deliver their aims as a group. Having made a profit on their sales of pom pom keyrings and scented bubble candles, the founders of Qube - Natasha Reid, Nicole Johnston, Colette Johnston, Mikulas Ivan, Aron Zschachlitz and Daniil Zhirov - decided to make a generous donation of £250.00 to The Cure Parkinson’s Trust. The pupils were joined by Helen Matthews, Deputy CEO of the London-based charity, for a cheque presentation. Speaking at the presentation, Helen said: “It is fantastic to see a group of students come together to problem solve and raise much-needed funds for our work. Every donation makes a huge difference to our work at The Cure Parkinson’s Trust and I am incredibly proud of the amount Qube has raised, and the effort and coordination that went into it is phenomenal.”

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Steps to

SUSTAINABILITY

As ‘Generation Z’ pupils, we have grown up with an awareness of environmental depletion and the increasing number of issues that our planet faces due to economic growth and development. At St Leonards, we are incredibly fortunate to have teachers who encourage us to inquire and research topics beyond the curriculum, including sustainable growth and development be that personal, collective, or environmental. 136

s an International Baccalaureate World School, and in line with the Learner Profile attributes, St Leonards crafts students to be creative, caring, cautious, and curious world citizens. This focus on environmental responsibility and reducing carbon footprint starts in the Primary Years Programme, and stretches right up to the Sixth Form. This year, our Junior Gardening Club helped maintain the community planters down by the Harbour and on Abbey Walk in partnership with St Andrews in Bloom. Pupils and staff were also involved in the planting of 273 trees and a salt marsh restoration programme in partnership with the University of St Andrews. Restaurant 1877 is committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint - whether that be by providing takeaway lunches in reusable and recyclable containers, or sourcing produce from local suppliers to reduce food miles. An impressive 35% of the food that we eat from Restaurant 1877 has been sourced locally. Like most schools, St Leonards uses a lot of paper, although that amount has decreased considerably as a result of online learning during the pandemic. We are proud to promote and use recycled paper, which reduces the need for deforestation, reduces water pollution by 35% and air pollution 74% in its production. Each tonne 1

of paper recycled eliminates 3m3 of landfill.1 Over the past year, our time functioning as an online school helped us reduce our paper waste even further, as teachers and pupils increasingly use devices and electronic resources for teaching and learning. These days, most families take the time to segregate their rubbish in their homes. Wonderfully, we now have a recycling system rolled out across the school - from the Junior buildings to the Science Department and the Main School building, we have covered it all! Not only are we responsible for our actions today, but also for the state of our world tomorrow. The St Leonards Enterprise Programme gives pupils the opportunity to design sustainable products. For example, in the 2019-20 academic year, one of the companies, Embrace, sold organic soaps and bamboo toothbrushes. This year, the companies Totally Tote and FAMA promoted reusable masks and cotton tote bags respectively. We couldn’t be more proud of the critical thinkers and environmentally-conscious future entrepreneurs in our midst! Indeed, St Leonards’ steps towards sustainability are not limited to current pupils and staff. Former pupils take these learning experiences from their time at school and convert them into large projects and careers as engineers, environmentalists, journalists, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists.

Statistics taken from Luis Villazon’s discussion centred on the question ‘Is recycling paper bad for the environment?’, www.sciencefocus.com/science/is-recycling-paper-bad-for-the-environment.

Environmental consciousness also shapes the Community Projects undertaken by our MYP pupils and the CAS Projects spearheaded by our DP students - litter picking, beach cleaning, and raising awareness of climate change, to name just three. As a school community, we raise money for charities that are working hard to make our world a greener and cleaner place, a better world for us and future generations. The spirit to save the environment and give back to our community really is noticeable amongst pupils, staff, and parents. Some members of our school community cycle to school on a daily basis, and this was championed by the inaugural St Leonards Bike Week which was a huge success! Transport is an area which we are working to improve and develop at St Leonards - we would encourage families to consider carpooling, travelling in electric cars, or even walking or cycling to school if they only commute a short distance. These small changes will make a huge difference to our carbon footprint as a school community. Together with individuals and organisations around the world, we seek to become a more sustainable school community - every small step adds up to the greater good even if its effects are not instantly invisible. Little by little, a little becomes a lot! Ishwari Ade and Keyuri Ade

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Why Outdoor Learning? SPENDING TIME IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS IS BENEFICIAL FOR OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AS WELL AS DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS AND INSPIRING LEARNING.

rom Beach School to bushcraft, adventure residentials to apiculture, and cultivating plants to camping under the stars, the Outdoor Learning programme at St Leonards really is comprehensive, varied, and exciting! At the heart of it lies the belief that learning is not confined to the classroom, and that getting outdoors and being in nature is good for our learning, wellbeing, immune systems, cognitive skills,

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creativity, and stress levels. Did you know that research suggests that even just two hours spent outdoors per week can have a positive effect on our wellbeing? In short, spending time in the great outdoors is beneficial for our physical and mental health, as well as developing social skills and inspiring learning. As a school, we are incredibly fortunate to have extensive green

spaces and outdoor learning facilities on campus - including an outdoor classroom, polytunnels, firepits, bee hives, a wormery, and yurts - as well as beautiful beaches on our doorstep. The children are able to work more creatively and collaboratively in these outdoor spaces. This year, it has been wonderful to watch the St Leonards Croft initiative grow and develop. In the Autumn Term, the pupils collected seaweed on the beach to use as

compost, and then have grown plants and seeds in our polytunnels, tending to their flowers, herbs, and vegetables throughout the year. This initiative has promoted a deep connection with the natural world, not only supporting the pupils’ wellbeing but also nurturing a pro-environmental attitude in our children, which ties into our aim as an International Baccalaureate World School to cultivate responsible global citizens who seek to make a meaningful difference in their communities. Another highlight of the year has been watching the pupils in Years 1-6 work collaboratively to plan a new wellbeing trail which will be a fantastic addition to our outdoor learning environment. Next academic year, the pupils will dig and plant the trail themselves, and then going forward will be responsible for maintaining the trail, fostering a sense of collective responsibility and community. The skills and ideas fostered by these outdoor work efforts will be underpinned and supported by learning in the classroom, with time set aside each week to understand the importance of our actions, and ultimately how they impact our wellbeing. Learning to take calculated risks, whether lighting a fire, using a bushcraft knife, or climbing a tree, is a vital part of a St Leonards education, and indeed our Outdoor Learning

Programme. Children get better at skills they get to practise, and risk management is one of them. By letting our children learn to manage small, everyday risks, such as those that they encounter when playing freely in the grounds, or during bushcraft, we teach them to recognise, manage, and overcome risk. This is where our various adventure residentials come into their own. The children learn to push themselves when they are cold and tired, but also reap the rewards of feeling exhilarated and enjoying time with their friends when they reach the top of a mountain or hill. These experiences are so much more than the skills and steps that lead them to that moment; they will continue to walk with the children for years to come, and remind them what they are capable of in the face of adversity. We want our children to grow up to be resilient, self-reliant and social adept. We want them to care for those around them, and for the environment that they live in. We ultimately want them to be happy, and healthy. These things can all be achieved through consistent and cohesive outdoor learning, and that is why we are so passionate about and committed to taking learning into the great outdoors at St Leonards. Duncan Barrable Head of Years 4-6

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Prizegiving

CEREMONIES

As restrictions were starting to ease, we were delighted to be able to hold inperson Prizegiving ceremonies for pupils in Years 1-13, which were recorded for families and friends to enjoy over the summer holidays.

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CONGRATULATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS

The pupils and staff of Years 1-6 gathered outside on St Leonards Grass for the PYP Prizegiving ceremony. It was a beautiful Summer’s day, and so it was apt that Years 1-5 listened to Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles as they arrived to take their seats, before the Year 6 pupils were piped through the arch from Birdcage and up the aisle by Andrew Maitland, our Chief Operating Officer. Speeches were given by Acting Head Dawn Pemberton-Hislop; guest speaker Professor Rebecca Sweetman of the University of St Andrews, who also presented the prizes; and the Island Captains of Harris, Lewis, Mull and Skye. The Island Captains’ speeches can be found on pages 154-57.

The Years 7-12 Prizegiving took place in the School Hall, and was watched live by tutor groups around the school, with prizewinners attending in person. Mrs Pemberton-Hislop addressed the pupils, and congratulated them for completing another challenging year. The focus of her address then shifted to the importance of comparing ourselves to who we were yesterday, rather than who someone else is today. Andrew Durward, Deputy Head (wellbeing), then announced this year’s prizewinners (and the legacy prizewinners from the 2019-20 academic year), who were seated in the Hall and walked across the stage to receive their awards.

The Year 13 pupils also had a special ceremony to mark the end of their time at St Leonards, complete with croissants, coffee, prizes, and speeches. You can read more about the Year 13 Prizegiving, as well as our other celebratory leavers’ events, on page 152. All in all, it was wonderful to celebrate the pupils’ achievements, both individual and collective, at these three ceremonies. We very much hope that we will be able to welcome friends and family to the ceremonies once again in the years to come!

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ACTING HEAD’S ADDRESS

“

warm welcome to the Year 13 Prizegiving. Welcome to the Class of 2021, proud parents, friends, and families, members of Council, Year 12, and our guest speaker, Dr Carslaw. How odd it is to call you a guest, Dr Carslaw. Today, we conclude the three days of leavers’ celebrations in school, though I am sure that you will continue to celebrate in the weeks ahead. We also celebrate the fact that we can all come together - I think that we would all agree that we did not think that we would get to this moment. This moment has arisen because of the hard work and resilience that you have put in over the past two years, as well as the support that you have had from parents, families and friends, both within and outside the St Leonards community. This moment has also arisen because of the hard work and dedication that your teachers have

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put in, and so I would like to take a moment to thank your teachers, who have been working so very hard to put together evidence, mark assessments, and create an environment in which they could help you, both as individuals and a year group, to succeed. In particular, I would like to thank Ms Rees who has put together the wonderful enrichment programme that you have enjoyed over the past two weeks, and also this celebration today. Year 13, we are truly in awe of you. You are the generation that has had so much taken away from you, yet as we heard in your speeches at the Leavers’ Dinner you have given so much - you have helped each other through these difficult times, and truly have a sense of gratitude and community. It is so hard to prepare a speech, but Valentin, Catherine, Rudy, Sandy, Zina, Alfie, and Ishwari, you reflected so well upon your time at St Leonards earlier this

week. While I was listening to your speeches on Wednesday, it made me think that I had better be well prepared for today! This led me to do some research on opening speeches. I came across a speech from Steve Jobs who spoke to the Stanford graduates back in 2005. He spoke about community, and about love - a love for learning and, in particular, a love of learning for life, Ad Vitam. He said: “You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your friends and lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” At the Leavers’ Dinner, I spoke about the different skills that I had when I left

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“Your dreams and desires cannot be accomplished overnight - success requires prolonged patience and persistence.”

school compared to you as a year group. However, there are also skills that we share, and one of these I hope is to keep on trying and, as Steve Jobs said, not to settle. Keep going until you find something that you love doing. To find something you love, you have to come across failure - in fact, many failures. Learn from these moments. The skill of learning from failure is sometimes referred to as ‘having grit’, being determined and resilient. Back in January 2020, I spoke to Years 8-13 about grit and determination, and this is something that I would also like to share with you today. JK Rowling must be one of the most famous authors in the world, and also the most determined and resilient - we can learn a lot from her story. It was the delayed train journey from Manchester to London where

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Chair of Council, Col. Martin Passmore

Guest Speaker, Dr Michael Carslaw

the characters Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger began to grow in the mind of Joanne Rowling. For every other passenger, it was a simple journey, but for her it was something else. She saw a vision of a young boy with whom the whole world would soon fall in love. She continued to imagine the world of witches and wizards, and the full cast of characters started to take shape. Before beginning her first novel, JK Rowling considered herself to be “the biggest failure [she] knew”. She was troubled by the death of those close to her at a young age, she had friendship and relationship troubles, very little money, and no permanent job. At this point in her life, she was very depressed. During this time, she looked to things that made her happy, and one of those things was writing. The setbacks that

she faced eventually made her stronger, yet she was still to face more struggles 12 publishers rejected her book. Finally, one company took her on, and the rest in history.

patience and persistence. Year 13, keep that determination and grit that you have shown us throughout these past two years, and carry these skills with you for life.

So, what can we learn from her story?

To finish, I would like to congratulate two students who have shown grit, determination, and resilience through their dedication to St Leonards. Alfie Love and Catherine Fleming have both been at St Leonards for 14 years. Please accept these prints of St Leonards in recognition of the time that you have been with us.

Firstly, don’t let failures stop you. If you are being rejected or running into failure, don’t let that stop you. If you’re going through tough times in your life, keep on going and don’t give up. Secondly, when things are going against you, don’t give up. JK Rowling continued to write, even when everything was against her. Thirdly, remember that success will not come overnight. It took JK Rowling five years to finish her first book, she faced lots of rejections from publishing companies, but in the end she made it. Your dreams and desires cannot be accomplished overnight - success requires prolonged

”

Class of 2021, well done. Many heartfelt congratulations.

Dawn Pemberton-Hislop Acting Head (Summer Term 2021)

‘CLEARING MIST, GLEN QUAICH’ BY YVONNE HAIR, OIL ON CANVAS.

A Contemporary Art Gallery in St Andrews Tuesday to Saturday 10am-1pm, 1.30pm-5pm | 138 South Street, St Andrews KY16 9EQ For enquiries please call us on 01334 474331 or email info@sprosongallery.com

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AD VITAM

LESSONS FOR LIFE FROM THE HEADS OF SCHOOL Lauren, Julian and Duncan, pictured with Deputy Head Girl, Ishwari Ade

A St Leonards education prepares pupils ‘Ad Vitam’, for life. We caught up with our outgoing Heads of School - Lauren Hastie, Duncan Bouchard, and Julian Shenoy - to hear their reflections on their time at St Leonards, and the skills, memories, and experiences they will take with them as they embark upon the next chapter of their educational journey.

What is your favourite memory from your time at St Leonards?

What is your favourite Learner Profile attribute, and why?

JS: I have made a lot of special memories at St Leonards, but in particular I look back fondly on the days immediately after we finished our IGCSE exams. The weather was amazing and we enjoyed playing tennis, walking along the beach, eating out at our favourite restaurants in town, and even swimming in the sea!

DB: I think that ‘communicators’ is my favourite attribute because collaboration and communication are essential for a smooth journey through life.

LH: I have so many memories from my time at St Leonards, but one of my favourite moments is becoming Head Girl.

JS: My favourite is definitely ‘openminded’, because this is the most valuable attribute that I have acquired across my three years at St Leonards. When I arrived, I was so impressed by the open-mindedness, caring nature, and accepting outlook of both pupils

DB: The Newtonmore trip in Year 9 it was a busy and fun time away with friends!

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LH: My favourite Learner Profile attribute is ‘risk-takers’ - it is challenging to put into practice, but without taking risks you won’t get very far in life.

and staff, and quickly adopted this value. I think that this mindset derives from the internationalism of the school community Sum up your time at St Leonards in three words. JS: Adventure, Growth, Family. DB: Opportunities, Development, Welcoming. LH: Community, Diversity, Education. How has your time at St Leonards shaped you as a person? LH: My time at St Leonards has shaped me into an independent person ready to face the challenges that life will throw at me, it really is an education ‘Ad Vitam’.

DB: St Leonards has provided me with lots of opportunities and experiences that have helped me to become a well-rounded person who is prepared for life. The School has also helped me develop a good mentality for facing challenges, and a better understanding of my personality.

and before you know it you will share special memories of St Leonards with those around you. What will you miss most about St Leonards?

JS: St Leonards has had a huge impact on me. I have made friends from all over the world, each of them unique and representing a different culture with individual values and mindsets. Being able to experience these different perspectives has been a tremendous help in shaping my view of the world, and preparing me for life beyond school.

JS: I will miss seeing my friends every day, and walking through the beautiful town of St Andrews with them. We have shared lots of amazing memories, including tennis sessions, movie nights, and hilarious attempts at making proper omelettes! In addition, I am so thankful for the St Leonards community - pupils, staff, and parents - who have helped us get through this highly unusual year with endless support and faith in our abilities. We couldn’t have done it without you.

What advice would you give to a new pupil starting at St Leonards?

LH: The community of staff and pupils - St Leonards is one big family.

DB: Take advantage of the opportunities - they will help you prepare for life after St Leonards.

DB: I will miss the location St Andrews is a safe and small town, with some really nice spots - especially the beaches!

LH: Take every opportunity that you are given! JS: Don’t be afraid to meet new people and make new friends - you are at the beginning of an incredible journey,

What is your favourite event in the St Leonards calendar? JS: Prizegiving obviously comes to mind - it is a huge milestone at the end

of a year. There are also smaller events that I look forward to, including surfing on the beach as part of the enrichment and weekend activities programmes. DB: I always look forward to the Christmas Mix concert - it is a good way to wind down at the end of a busy term, and helps you to feel festive. LH: There are so many to choose from, but if I had to pick three I would say the Christmas Mix concert, the Carol Service, and Sports Day. What is your favourite view on the St Leonards campus? LH: My favourite view would either be the view over the rooftop from the History classroom balcony, or the view from the top of Big Field over the AstroTurf - from both places you can glimpse the beach! JS: Without doubt, Birdcage when the sun sets and the horizon slowly turns purple before it gets dark. It is also beautiful to lie and watch the stars at night! DB: The upstairs Biology classroom looking out over Big Field to the East Sands, the cliffs, and the holiday park.

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FAREWELL FROM OUR HEADS OF SCHOOL

LAUREN HASTIE HEAD GIRL

“

hank you, Mrs PembertonHislop, and good morning guests, parents, teachers, and fellow Year 13 students. Given the difficulties that we have faced over the past 14 months, it is a privilege to be able to stand here in front of you all today. When I came to preparing this speech, I initially struggled as there were a million different things that I could have said, but then it hit me: the one thing that has remained prominent and constant throughout my 10 years at St Leonards is the school’s motto, Ad Vitam, which translates as ‘for life’. I have broken the motto down into words that are not only relevant to my St Leonards experience, but also, I expect, to many of the students here today.

home, and Restaurant 1877 is certainly the heart of this school. I have spent so much time in the Restaurant sitting with friends putting the world to rights and discussing the hot topics of the day. My food highlights have to be the sticky toffee pudding, lemon meringue pie, and the extra slices of pizza on your birthday! V is for ‘Virtual Learning’. Whilst many of us are saddened by the percentage of our Sixth Form years that we have had to spend online, it hasn’t been without its advantages, namely being able to wear home clothes and making pancakes during Maths lessons - sorry, Mr Hall! As the I in ‘Ad Vitam’ is at the centre of the motto, so too is the ‘International Baccalaureate’ within St Leonards.

A is for ‘Adventure’. I can safely say that every moment of my St Leonards journey has been an adventure. Whether it be on a school trip to Vindolanda, Belgium or France, or just a trip down to the East Sands, the adventures that I have been on during my time at school here will stay with me forever.

This leads us onto T which is for ‘riskTaker’. Whilst the other Learner Profile attributes are immensely important, for me, the most pertinent quality is being a ‘risk-taker’ because without taking risks you won’t get very far in life. This attribute doesn’t come naturally to me, and so the one place that I have always been able to go if I have felt a little uneasy is…

D is for the ‘Dining Room’. They say that the kitchen is the heart of any

A, the ‘Auditorium’. This is my safe space at St Leonards. For others

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sitting here today, their safe space may be a different department, but the Auditorium has certainly been where I have spent most time, and it has become my second home. It will be extremely tough to say farewell to the Music Department, as I have so many fond memories there. I cannot thank the Music Department enough. The laughs and moments that we have shared together will stay with me forever - you are my second family. A particular thank you must go to Mr and Mrs Shiells for their guidance and support over the years, Mr Bell for always putting a smile on my face, and for bringing chocolate biscuits to Music Theory, and, of course, Mrs Love for all that she has done for me. Now, finally, the most important M in the whole of the school is ‘Managebac’, I mean memories... Of course, memories! I have a vast array of memories from my time here at St Leonards that I will take with me and cherish for many years to come. From Mr Baxter’s incessant teasing when I wore my emergency plimsolls to Games after forgetting my trainers to ‘Fibbage Friday’ with Mr Iannone when he would cringe at our team names and the answers that we would give in class, the time when we were all wearing the

SO, AS WALT DISNEY ONCE SAID, “THE WAY TO GET STARTED IS TO QUIT TALKING AND BEGIN DOING.” SO LET’S GET ON WITH DOING GREAT THINGS. same suit in my Biology class, and the day that Mr Shiells wore a morph suit with tattoos, and I could go on and on! There are not enough hours in a day to thank every single person who has made my journey at St Leonards so incredibly special. However, I do have a few thank yous. Above all, on behalf of Year 13, I would like to thank everyone: the teachers who have taught us so much; the support staff who have helped us in countless ways; and our parents, who have supported us throughout our time here at school. I would also like to thank you, Year 13, for all you have done to help me and the rest of our year group through the tough times. Thanks also to Mr Baxter and the PE Department for bringing out my

sporting skills over the years, which I had no idea existed! You have motivated me to get out of my bed every Saturday morning to play hockey, so thank you. Thank you to Mrs Proudfoot and her team, and everyone behind the scenes - you all work tirelessly to keep the school running on a daily basis, and it is very much appreciated. A special thanks to Mr Iannone, as I always say in your class ‘perfect, thank you!’. Finally, I would like to thank the Head Boys, Deputy Head Girl, Senior Prefects, and Prefects for all your hard work over the past year. It has been a pleasure to work with you all. I wish the Heads of School for 2021-22, Grace and Karajahyah, and their team all the best for the year ahead. It is with a heavy heart that I must bid

farewell to you all and to St Leonards. It has been a truly magnificent journey. There has never been a dull moment here, and when I leave school today I will feel that there is something missing in my life for a long time to come. We will all leave St Leonards with a myriad of memories, and whilst today might feel like the end of an adventure, it is simply the beginning of a new adventure. Even though we won’t be walking through the corridors laughing with our friends and teachers every day, we will always be St Leonards Seniors. So, as Walt Disney once said, “the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” So let’s get on with doing great things. I wish all those retiring from St Leonards this year all the best in their new adventures, and the Class of 2021 the very best for the future.

”

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DUNCAN BOUCHARD AND JULIAN SHENOY HEAD BOYS

“

Duncan: First, hello to all the students and staff gathered here in person, as well as to our families and friends watching the livestream from home. It is nice to finally see our whole year group back together again for one last time - this is something that we have sorely missed over the last two years. Whilst we have grown weary of Covid, we cannot escape the fact that it has shaped our Diploma years, and so it will inevitably feature in this speech. Without dwelling on the negatives, we must instead begin to appreciate the positives of the pandemic as restrictions start to lift: we have become more adaptable as individuals and as a

Starting Sixth Form

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community; the polytunnels and picnic tables are great additions to the school campus; and let’s not forget that we are sitting here with our assessments completed… if normality had fully resumed, some of us would be sitting our final Spanish B listening exams right now! Julian: On the topic of appreciation, I cannot help but think about how St Leonards has become a second home to me. When I arrived at the school three years ago and stood in this very room, which was full of strangers, I was absolutely terrified. However, from the outset, I have always been made to feel so welcome by pupils and staff alike.

Little did I know how many amazing adventures I would experience with those that I was so scared to meet, and how only a few months after starting at school here it would feel like I was coming home every time I got on a plane from Frankfurt to Edinburgh. I would never have guessed how heartbroken I would be on this very day, when the time came to say goodbye. I have come to value the boarding community, and the school community at large. Thank you to all those present today - you have been there for me through the hard times and the good times, and without you the community that makes St Leonards

Finishing Sixth Form

so unique would not be the same. You are all a part of what makes our school so special.

very grateful to have spent the last six years of my childhood growing up in such a wonderful, safe environment.

Duncan: There are such a wide range of opportunities at St Leonards. It has been wonderful to take part in the music activities over the course of my six years at the school. The Leavers’ Concert was very emotional last night! It is impossible to talk about the opportunities here at St Leonards without mentioning sport, and the sense of team spirit that it instils and fosters. I loved trying hockey and rugby for the first time in Year 8, and have been proud to represent the school in the football team during my Sixth Form years. These were important experiences to share with my friends and, to use an old cliché, it really was never about winning or losing. As well as the sport, music, and other activities, we will miss the everyday things too - such as walking around the amazing town of St Andrews and visiting our favourite cafés and the beautiful beaches. I feel

Julian: This has been a year full of ups and downs, and these experiences certainly brought our year group closer together. The bumps along the road are a part of life - things are not always going to go to plan, and it has been so good to learn this lesson before we go off to university. On the one hand, leaving St Leonards feels very daunting as there will be no house staff or teachers to help us out, but it is also an opportunity, a new adventure, and a fresh start. As I look forward to this huge change, I am incredibly grateful for what I have learned during my time at school here. St Leonards has prepared all of us for the next chapter of our lives. Duncan: I would like to thank some key people at St Leonards who have helped us through the ups and downs. Firstly, thanks to all the teachers and our parents who have put in so much

extra effort to ensure that our education and care kept running as smoothly as possible despite the unpredictability. Thank you also to Ms Rees for her help with researching universities and thinking about the next chapter of our lives. Finally, thank you to the fourth member of our Heads of School team, Ishwari, who has been a tremendous help and a driving force in organising school events, especially the recent programme of leavers events. Her motivation and dedication cannot be appreciated enough, and she really does represent all the values that make our community so unique and strong. Julian: I would like to end with a few words of wisdom, and yes I did Google ‘graduation speech quotes’! “Graduation is not the end, it’s the beginning.” The coming months and years will not be easy, but I believe in every single one of you sitting here. I know that we will all find the path we were meant to follow, one way or another.

”

I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED HOW HEARTBROKEN I WOULD BE ON THIS VERY DAY, WHEN THE TIME CAME TO SAY GOODBYE. JULIAN SHENOY

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YEAR 13 CELEBRATIONS

Class of 2021 H

aving completed their final assessments, our Year 13 students enjoyed a fortnight of enrichment activities, coordinated by Head of Sixth Form, Aileen Rees. There was everything from cooking classes in the yurt to salt marsh restoration, rounders on Big Field to a ‘whodunnit’ crime game, and guidance on student finances to First Aid workshops. The students developed new skills and also had fun with their friends. This was followed by an exciting programme of celebratory events to mark the end of the Year 13 pupils’ time at St Leonards which, whilst a little different from usual given the circumstances, was still very special. On the final Wednesday before half term, together with staff who donned academic gowns and hoods for the occasion, the Class of 2021 were piped through the grounds from Quad to Birdcage in black tie by Andrew

Sixth Form Completed!

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Leavers’ Procession & Celebration Dinner

BBQ & Outdoor Ceilidh

Maitland, Chief Operating Officer. The leavers then paused on the Birdcage steps for a formal photograph - where they received a hearty round of applause from parents, who enjoyed delicious picnics in bubbles of six, delivered by the caterers at Cambo Estate - before enjoying a formal dinner in Restaurant 1877. The following day, the pupils enjoyed an informal BBQ and outdoor ceilidh on Birdcage, and a premiere of the Leavers’ Concert online. This was the 21st online concert since lockdown began! To round off the week, pupils and staff tucked into coffee and croissants in QML Garden, followed by a Prizegiving Ceremony in the School Hall. It was wonderful to celebrate the individual and collective achievements of this fantastic group of pupils, and to welcome back former Head, Michael Carslaw as the guest speaker at this momentous occasion.

Prizegiving Ceremony

Results Day

St Leonards Seniors

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ISLAND CAPTAINS’ SPEECHES

HARRIS Rebecca Sneddon

THANK YOU TO MRS FYNN AND MRS BONNER, WHO HAVE BEEN MY TEACHERS THIS YEAR, FOR YOUR CHEERFUL SMILES EACH MORNING AND BEING A GREAT SUPPORT TO US ALL

have been at St Leonards since Year 5, and my time in the Primary Years Programme has been great. Who knew that we would get so used to face masks, hand sanitising, and temperature checks? Even though it has been a strange year, I have had a really fun time and enjoyed being the first Year 6 Island Captain of Harris. There are so many things that I have enjoyed, here are just a few… Firstly, I have loved my flute lessons with Ms Chisholm. We have had the opportunity to perform in all of the informal concerts, which I have really enjoyed. They are a great way to show your skills, and it is wonderful to listen to other people play too. Another great thing at St Leonards is the wide range of sports that we play, though sadly we didn’t have any fixtures this year. One thing that I have really enjoyed in the classroom is group projects. I enjoy working with my friends, as we get to use our communication and teamwork skills. One group project that I particularly enjoyed was on the electric oven, which I did with two of

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my friends, Eva and Lottie. I am so thankful for our kind, fun, and helpful teachers who have motivated me to work hard and give everything my best. I will always remember when Miss Brannen bought a diffuser for our Year 5 classroom as she really didn’t like the smell of wet uniforms on rainy days, and sweaty boys after Games lessons! Thank you to Mrs Fynn and Mrs Bonner, who have been my teachers this year, for your cheerful smiles each morning and being a great support to us all - especially when we were learning online. I was so excited that it was possible for the Ridgway Adventure to happen! Survival Island was super, except for the midges… my ankles have only just recovered. Thank you so much to Mr Barrable for making it happen, and thank you to Miss Dawson for lending me a walking pole - if you hadn’t, I would still be up on Arkle! All in all, let’s be thankful for completing this challenging year, a year that we will never forget. It is great to be part of a school that gives us so many fab memories.

ISLAND CAPTAINS’ SPEECHES

LEWIS Mohamed Attia

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF, REMEMBER TO TREAT OTHERS FAIRLY AND EQUALLY, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE KIND TO EACH OTHER.

joined St Leonards in 2015. On my first day, I was shy, scared, and I could not speak or understand much English, but what I did know was that there was a beach and the big blue sea over the other side of the wall from my new school - how cool! During my time in the Primary Years Programme, I have learned so much and developed as a person. Over these years, there have been good times, sad times, and challenging times. However, with the amazing support of my family, especially my Mum and Dad, and the teaching and support staff at St Leonards the good times have become fantastic times, the sad times have become happy times, and the challenging times have prepared me for the unexpected. Mrs Fynn, you were my class teacher in Year 1 and so it seems fitting that you have also been my class teacher in Year 6 as I end the Junior years at St Leonards - I hope that I have made you proud.

Being chosen as the Island Captain of Lewis was a surprise, but it has been an experience that I have enjoyed. Lewis has felt like a big extension to my already big family back in Egypt. As Island Captain, I have encouraged and motivated a superb Lewis team to participate and try their best in all the challenges that we have faced over the past year. Thank you to all in Lewis. As I move up to the Middle Years Programme, I have a few important messages for Lewis and everyone else in the Primary Years Programme: be true to yourself, remember to treat others fairly and equally, and, most importantly, be kind to each other. I have had a fabulous adventure in the junior years at St Leonards, and I look forward to continuing my journey as I move up to the senior years. I will cherish these fantastic days in Years 1-6 for the rest of my life.

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ISLAND CAPTAINS’ SPEECHES

MULL Rory König

THE OUTDOOR LEARNING PROGRAMME HAS BEEN AMAZING - IT IS SO MUCH FUN BEING OUTDOORS IN THE SUMMER!

have been at St Leonards since Year 1, and have had some wonderful experiences here. There are so many after-school activities, but I have particularly enjoyed the Running Club because sometimes you get to go out on the rocks and run over them. There are also lots of languages to learn and so many different sports to play at St Leonards. It has been great to play a variety of sports - my favourite is cricket! The Outdoor Learning Programme has been amazing - it is so much fun being outdoors in

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the summer! Some of my favourite memories from my time in the Junior years have been the Year 4 campout and the Year 6 Ridgway Adventure. The campout was so fun, and the pizza was especially yummy! At Ridgway, I enjoyed kayaking and rock climbing, and learned many new survival skills like how to make damper bread. My time in the Primary Years Programme has been enjoyable and interesting, and I am looking forward to learning more in Year 7.

ISLAND CAPTAINS’ SPEECHES

SKYE Anona Steven MY FIRST SIX YEARS AT ST LEONARDS HAVE BEEN AMAZING! I LOOK FORWARD WITH EXCITEMENT TO THE MYP AND THE YEARS TO COME.

can’t believe that I am here at this point in my life. I have wanted to be a Island Captain since I started at St Leonards in Year 1. My teachers were Mrs Turnbull and then Mrs Palmer, who taught us sign language - it was really fun! The highlight of that year was the Nativity play. I was an angel, and I couldn’t believe how pretty my dress was, or that I got to lead all the angels down between the parents in the audience. I was so excited and nervous at the same time, much like today. Apart from my nerves, there was another reason that this seemed impossible lockdown! Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to be in school. When we were filming our Sports Day at home last summer and everything was on Google Meets, the thought of being back at school didn’t seem real… but here we are, and it’s amazing. Year 6 even went to Ridgway. This was the best bit of school so far for me - I learned that I can be independent, and that I can depend upon myself when challenges come around the corner. My next job is to thank some people on behalf of Skye and Year 6. In the words of many teachers, there is no particular order! First, Mr Barrable, Miss Cormack and Miss Dawson for taking us to Ridgway. Legends! Did I mention that this was the most amazing experience of my life? Thank you for giving us that opportunity.

I hope that there will be more trips to come in my MYP life. Next, thank you Mrs Stewart. Your Nativity plays are a family highlight, as are all the other productions that you stage and LAMDA. Drama has given me confidence which I will take with me through life. Thank you to Mrs Stewart, Mr and Mrs Shiells, and all the other Music and Drama teachers for their hard work in putting on these productions. Next, thank you to the cleaning team, the catering team, janitors, and groundsmen who keep the school fed and looking beautiful. Also, I would like to thank Mrs Dewar - you are always smiling and so helpful. Thank you also to the PE staff for all the extra work that you have put in over the past year to make sure that we can play as much sport as possible. Lastly, a huge thank you to all the teachers and classroom assistants. I have great memories with all of you - there have been so many fun classes, especially yummy Maths! It’s hard to thank everyone. My first six years at St Leonards have been amazing! I look forward with excitement to the MYP and the years to come. I am ready for that next adventure thanks to all the people that I have listed above. The last thank you is to Team Skye for all their hard work this year! Have you heard the saying that there is no ‘I’ in team? I am changing that to there is no ‘I’ in Skye. Thank you for listening, and have a great summer!

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OFFICE BEARERS & SCHOLARS

Office Bearers 2020-21 Head Boys: Duncan Bouchard and Julian Shenoy Head Girl: Lauren Hastie Deputy Head Girl: Ishwari Ade Senior Prefects: Laurence Brökhof, Freddie Clarke, Klaus Krzok, Alfie Love, Rudy Newton, GuoHeng Zhang, Rosie Banks, Catherine Fleming, Zina Gharakhani, Ka Wai Lau, Phoebe Liang, Hannah Wood Prefects: JR Boos, Angus Driscoll, Oscar Ferguson, Egor Frolov, Auryn Hawdon, Ferdinand Loeffler, Alex Long, Hugo Müller, Emma Duckworth, Helena Oldroyd, Jing Shu Ruan, Lucy Tabberer, Ella Vincent, Emma Ylitalo, Eve Zausig, Alexandra Zaychenko, Maya Zillikens

St Leonards Scholars ACADEMIC Duncan Bouchard, Nicolas Müller, Helena Oldroyd, Rudy Newton, Attila Newey, David de Wolff, Zac Kunwar, Grace Adam, Oscar Morris, Archie Clarke, Thomas Laland-Brown, Xander McGregor, Hugo Müller, Catherine Fleming, Niamh Headon, Charlotte MacFadyen, Martin Dandolov, Zoe Lay, Mark Doherty, Anna Black, Kathryn Walmsley, Emma Duckworth, Sophie Clarke, Corinne Dumbreck, Eva Smeddle, Cole Tooman, Lily Driscoll, Ella Gracie, Malakai MacKenzie, Faith Mackenzie Page, Eliza König, James Bruins, Valentin Trenkwalder, Thomas Rowlands, Emma Ylitalo, Shreyas Dhasmana, Ruby Russell, Molly Donaldson, Polly Morris, Isla Thomson, Saimonas Rakauskas, Amolpreet Singh Loomba, Angus Graham, Iona White, Francesca Farah

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ART Isla Thomson, Catherine Fleming, Sam Gosmore, Colette Johnson, Esme MacMillan-Doran, Evie Rhodes, Christopher Barker, Lucy Tabberer, Iona Turner, Emma McBarron, Anna Black, Isobel Williams, David de Wolff, Ting Duncan, Jamie Pennycook, Corinne Dumbreck, Henry Shulver-Brown, Brendan Hawley, Zoe Lay, Ingrid Moreno-Faulds, Kathryn Walmsley, Lily Driscoll, Niamh Headon DRAMA Clova Angus, Freddie Clarke, Alfred Love, Olivia Turnbull-Smith, Jackson Fraser, Esme MacMillan-Doran, Faye Thomson, Grace Adam, Niamh Headon, Francesca Farah, Sophie Clarke, Davy Whatmore, Cameron Adams, Catherine Fleming, Angus Graham, Ingrid Moreno-Faulds, Paddy Pennycook, Jack Gettinby-Anderson,

Isobel Jamieson, Corinne Dumbreck, Honor Fraser, Pablo Gomez-Martin, Joseph Boyle, Zac Kunwar, Imogen Newton MUSIC Lauren Hastie, Emma McBarron, Zac Kunwar, Attila Newey, Thomas Rowlands, Beth Purvis, David de Wolff, Cole Tooman, Charlotte MacFadyen, Emma Duckworth, Nicholas Müller, Eva Smeddle, Ben Clark, Shreyas Dhasmana, Jennifer Niven, Will Jacks, Thomas Rowlands, Zachary Sewell PIPING Alfred Love GOLF Moritz Walz SPORT Helena Oldroyd, Tristan Bruce, Lauren Hastie, Francesca Calder, Ewen Farquhar, Cameron Parkin, Magnus Newton, Adam Williamson

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HELPING BUILD BRANDS FOR OVER 40 YEARS www.hbrutherford.com 118 CHURCH STREET, BROUGHTY FERRY, DUNDEE DD5 1EU

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ALUMNI & Development

t St Leonards, our former pupils are known as ‘Seniors’. Whilst their time as pupils may have come to an end, Seniors remain an important part of the extended St Leonards family for the rest of their lives. A St Leonards education truly sets you up ‘Ad Vitam’ (For Life), and our Seniors go on to achieve great things and make a difference to their local communities across the globe in different ways. We hope that you enjoy reading about a selection of our former pupils’ accomplishments in the pages that follow, from frontline workers to creative composers, sporting stars, and amazing artists.

GIVING TO ST LEONARDS Development remains central to our vision for St Leonards’ exciting future, and we currently have an exciting programme of development within the school which, in large part, is facilitated by the generosity of current and former parents, Seniors, and friends of St Leonards. Projects on the horizon include: Music Auditorium refurbishment; upgrades to the Sports facilities; the ongoing refurbishment of our boarding houses; and the restoration of the School’s organ, which was designed by ‘Father’ Henry Willis.

Thank you to all our supporters your generous donations help us to enhance the educational experience of current pupils and of generations to come. If you would like further information about these projects and how you can support St Leonards, please contact the Development Office at development@stleonards-fife.org

MERCHANDISE We have silk ties and a range of solid silver jewellery (charm bracelet, cufflinks, badge, and necklace) featuring the St Leonards school crest. The jewellery is stamped with the exclusive St Andrews Makers Mark, Edinburgh Assay Office Scottish Castle, Traditional Lion, and 925 Sterling Silver Hallmarks as a quality of the craftsmanship and quality of each piece.

Please contact the Seniors Office Please contact the Seniors Office if you would like to purchase these if you would like to purchase items, which make the perfect gift these items, which make the for Seniors. perfect gift for Seniors.

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Spotlight on our

SENIORS

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‘Message in a Bottle’

In Spring 2020, David Behrens (201016) was approached by the Cellardyke Trust who asked if he would design and build a vending machine to be installed in the decommissioned phone box at the harbour. The machine dispenses a wooden postcard to throw out to sea, an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional bottle. The finished machine is stunning! & 3 ‘Creative Composers’ Anthony White (2014-2017) has been involved in a variety of innovative musical projects over the past year, gathering musicians from across the globe to produce stunning virtual performances which have cheered the spirits of participants and audiences. For example, Anthony assisted royal composer Paul Mealor with score preparation, admin, and production in the project #iSing4Peace which united musicians across the globe for a poignant performance on Remembrance Sunday. This virtual collaboration was then released as a charity single. He also composed a piece of music entitled ‘The Wonders of our Planet’ to mark Earth Day 2021, and received his first IMDB credits for the soundtrack which he wrote for Druid (2020), a film by Karolina 2

Smolova. Kit McCarthy (2018-2020) is another composer in our Seniors community. This year, some of his compositions for string quartet and electronics were featured in an exciting, interactive online music-making event named ‘Escape’. 4

‘Innovative Art Projects’

This year, Charlotte Lorimer (19972004 & 2008-13) spearheaded an exciting online art event. ‘Picture This’ was an online drawing challenge which sought to set a new world record for the number of people drawing simultaneously. It also raised funds for two art therapy charities: Art Refuge and Teapot Trust, which support refugees, asylum seekers, and families coping with chronic health conditions. Participants were encouraged to draw their version of ‘home’ - past, present, or future - and the event was an opportunity to be ‘messy and honest’ and to think about what art can give us. Looking ahead, Charlotte has another exciting art project on the horizon. In November 2021, ‘The Light and Life of John Lorimer’, the first retrospective exhibition of the artist which has been co-curated by Charlotte, the artist’s great-great-niece, and David Patterson, will open in the City Art Centre, Edinburgh.

‘Sporting Star’

In June 2021, Alex Samuel (20062018) captained the Scottish Rugby team in the U20 Six Nations Tournament which took place at Cardiff Arms Park, Wales. An exceptional player, Alex trained with the St Leonards-Madras Blues during his time at school. He plays in the second row and is currently aligned to the Super6 side Stirling County, whilst training full time with the Glasgow Warriors. Alex is also a member of the Glasgow FOSROC Scottish Rugby Academy. 6

‘Golden Golfer’

Former Tom Morris scholar Ben Caton (2012-18) won The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews Gold Medal. The competition is regarded as the strokeplay championship of St Andrews, with local amateur golfers competing for the prestigious medal. Ben emerged victorious following two rounds of 67 and a combined total of 10 under par on the iconic Old Course. His caddy for the event was fellow Senior Charlie Webb (2016-18), who is pictured alongside Ben.

We always love to hear from our Seniors - please do let us know if you change address, are organising an event, or have a major life update. There are a number of different ways that you can stay connected with and contact the Seniors Office. seniors@stleonards-fife.org +44 1334 472126 @StLeonardsSeniors and @stleonardsschool @stleonardsseniors St Leonards School @StLeonards_Head Seniors Office, St Leonards School, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9QJ

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Seniors on the

FRONTLINE

Eilidh Oliver (BH 2008-2010)

he onset of Covid-19 early in 2020 changed the way we view, acknowledge and appreciate our frontline workers. That is to say those who have always been there, doing their jobs, working their hardest to care for patients, expand their knowledge, give their all and, ultimately, save lives. They are the people who have kept our country running, whether that be delivery drivers, supply chain workers, teachers, and national security services. For them, the pandemic meant waging war on a deadly virus - an unknown risking their lives for others; it meant change beyond all comprehension, and that has taken an unquantifiable physical and emotional toll. Most of us will know a frontline worker, be it a relative, friend, colleague or acquaintance, and within our global community of former pupils, St Leonards Seniors, there are many.

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Rachael Drummond (APN 1999-2004)

We are grateful to those who, despite the immense challenges of the past 18 months, responded to our call for Seniors to share their stories for this edition of the Gazette. “From the outset, it was certain that my unit would be at the very heart of the battle to save the lives of those suffering from Covid-19,” explains Rachael Drummond, a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. “Our lives changed drastically as we tried to prepare, and we really didn’t know quite what to expect. This was very worrying. The unknown was something I had never experienced as a nurse, and I can now imagine how soldiers may feel going to war. “I remember vividly the first time I walked into Covid ICU. As the pandemic unfolded, the sheer scale of the task became clear. The work was

unrelenting, physically demanding and emotionally draining.” Rachael, who originally trained as a dancer at a performing arts college after leaving St Leonards, certainly could not have seen this coming. Following a dance injury, she retrained as a nurse, graduating from Dundee University in 2011 and embarking on a career in critical care. “A whole new ICU was formed initially, in the theatre recovery area, as all elective theatre had been cancelled. Bed spaces were set up with various equipment and extra ventilators. Then we waited…” Rachael continues: “It was very frightening. We were hearing stories of intensive care nurses in other hospitals dying due to Covid-19 and we knew that, before long, it would be time for us to look after our own infected patients.”

OUR LIVES CHANGED DRASTICALLY AS WE TRIED TO PREPARE, AND WE REALLY DIDN’T KNOW QUITE WHAT TO EXPECT. Down south in London, fellow Senior Eilidh Oliver was in a similar boat. Also working as a nurse in the ICU, Eilidh’s career prior to the pandemic focused on caring for pediatric patients with cardiac or respiratory problems. “During the first wave I was redeployed,” says Eilidh. “I continued to work in intensive care, but was instead caring for adults with a positive Covid-19 diagnosis. It’s hard to imagine what that looks like if you don’t work in intensive care, but essentially our patients were dependent on machines, medications and staff for all their needs.” It is indeed difficult to imagine the pressure, the constant change, the desire to look after strangers whilst protecting yourself and those around you in whatever way possible. “I developed very strict routines to keep myself and my flatmates safe,” explains Eilidh. “I would leave for work in ‘home’ clothes and walk 45 minutes to get there. I avoided using public transport. “I would get to work, turn my phone off, put all my personal belongings in a zip lock bag, then put on hospital scrubs along with my ‘work’ shoes and glasses. We would eat together in the hospital canteen - food was provided free of charge - but I would be mindful not to drink too much, knowing that I would be wearing PPE for some time.” At the PPE station, for both Rachael and Eilidh, it was a case of covering all exposed skin for up to five hours at a time during a shift of more than 12 hours. “One of the biggest problems, with donning all this PPE, was that it was incredibly difficult to determine

who were your own colleagues, new staff, visiting staff, and even who was a doctor, nurse or anaesthetist. We overcame this by writing our roles and names on our visors,” says Rachael. “We ended up opening another Covid ICU due to the number of patients - on occasion we had double our normal patient load, in addition to training visiting staff, some of whom had never seen a ventilator before, let alone operated one.” At the end of a shift, Eilidh would shower in the hospital, before bagging up her ‘work’ kit and heading for home, texting her flatmate with her expected arrival time for fear of running into trouble on the way. “There had been reports of staff being attacked for their ID badges, so I was always extra vigilant,” she adds. Then it was a case of everything into the washing machine and into the shower once more in a bid to keep the virus at bay. “On my days off, I generally kept my phone and iPad off and just focused on eating, resting and reading books to escape.” If the coronavirus has shown us anything, it is the strength of the community. Our ability to work together in times of crisis, to care for one another, to go above and beyond, has remained a constant. Indeed, it has arguably become more apparent than it was back in December 2019, before many of us had heard of Wuhan. “I think there have been so many acts of kindness throughout this pandemic,” reflects Eilidh. “For me personally, the thing that sticks with me was the owner of my favourite cafe putting together

a care package for me at the beginning of lockdown, and putting in place arrangements so that key workers could phone in their grocery order and collect it without having to enter the store long before ‘Click and Collect’ became popular. “Being so far from home, and isolated from my usual support networks, the kindness of the owner and staff really made me feel supported. And, of course, a big shout-out to my colleagues who always had my back.” The beautiful campus at St Leonards seems a far cry from the pressures of the Covid wards, but it is where, for these and many of our other Senior frontline responders, learned key life lessons, and indeed fostered many happy memories. Rachael remembers fondly walking from school across to Jannettas for a scoop of Irn Bru sorbet. “I don’t think anything ever really prepares you for being redeployed to Covid intensive care, but studying for the IB Diploma at St Leonards certainly encouraged me to be a life-long learner, and my redeployment came with a lot of new learning in a very short period of time,” concludes Eilidh. “My two key messages at the end of this all would be ‘don’t take your family and friends for granted, because you never know how much time you have’ and, secondly, ‘reach out to people around you’: those who have been sick with Covid; those who have had vital medical treatment delayed; those who have lost loved ones; those who have worked from home and felt isolated. None of us are unaffected by the pandemic, and many of us will continue to be impacted for years to come.”

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2020-2021

CLASS LIST Elhanoof Al Ajami Year 1

Bethany Page Year 3

Florence Cheape Year 5

Alvin Chen Year 1

Oliver Paterson Year 3

Alexander Christie Year 5

Frieda Collins Year 1

Dylan Pyne-Carter Year 3

Freddie Donaldson Year 5

Kostas Gerasimou Year 1

James Sever-Smith Year 3

Patrick Fleming Year 5

James (David) Henderson Year 1

Thea Steven Year 3

Mia Gong Year 5

Olivia Hogg Year 1

Elin Tausch Year 3

Molly Hanton Year 5

Alberto Inesta Hernandez Year 1 Theodore Lawson Year 1 Ray Li Year 1 Ellen Mackey Year 1 Roderick Majcher Year 1 Hrian Singh Mann Year 1 Chloie Page Year 1 Albert Pennycook Year 1

Holly Anderson Year 4 Harris Birnie Year 4 Isobel Blair Year 4 Thomas Crook Year 4 Phoebe Fleetham Year 4 Adam Gardner Year 4 Eleanor Henderson Year 4

Emily Kerr Year 5 Cara Lang Year 5 Ruben Loe Year 5 Sarah McCormac Year 5 Andre Mok Dias De Aguiar Maciel Year 5 Kamilah Muqit Year 5 Chung Hei Ng Year 5 Ishbel Reid Year 5

Edwin Christie Year 2

Christina Hilton Year 4

Sofia Cremonese Year 2

Rodrigo Inesta Hernandez Year 4

Serena König Year 2

Theo Kell Year 4

Mairi Maitland Year 2

James Manifold Year 4

Sholto McWilliam Year 2

Max Mery Year 4

Toby Penman Year 2

Milla Mery Year 4

Grace Prescott Year 2

William Mifsud Year 4

Agnes Raven Year 2

Robby Penman Year 4

Stellan Searle Year 2

Annie Pennycook Year 4

Sophia Zhou Year 5

Hayder Thanoon Year 2

Olivia Rafferty Year 4

Catherine Tynte-Irvine Year 2

Aryaman Reddy Year 4

Sophie Adrain Year 6

Niamh Wilson Year 2

Jonathan Schwöbel Year 4

Albert Zhou Year 2

Ramsay Sloan Year 4

Abdulla Al Ajami Year 3 Rose Bertile Year 3 Claudia Breen Year 3

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Rakan Al Ajami Year 4

Ewan Wilson Year 4 Monty Wright Year 4 Yian Wang Year 4

Sufyan Salman Year 5 Larissa Scott Year 5 Isabella Timmins Year 5 Paula Timmins Year 5 Harry Turner Year 5 James Wright Year 5 Sofia Young Year 5

Tessneme Al Huthaili Year 6 Emily Anderson Year 6 Mohamed Attia Year 6 Mungo Berry Year 6 Annabelle Brown Year 6 Jonathan Chernin Year 6

Michelle Chernin Year 3

Marko Aggarwal Year 5

George Crook Year 6

Layla Kell Year 3

Hayfaa Al Ajami Year 5

Michael Denton Year 6

Harrison Lewis Year 3

Marta Anderson Year 5

Hari Dhasmana Year 6

Amber McGhee Year 3

Scott Arkwright Year 5

Kabir Dhillon Year 6

Priya Myles Year 3

James Blair Year 5

Oscar Flynn Year 6

Julius Gill Year 6

Evie Gardner Year 7

Gemma Denton Year 8

Edith Griffin Year 6

Lucy Gardner Year 7

Shreyas Dhasmana Year 8

Grace Hewitt Year 6

Lewis Hanton Year 7

Nihal Dhillon Year 8

Evie Horisk Year 6

Arabella Hayes Year 7

Daisy Donaldson Year 8

Sebastian Ivan Year 6

Abbie Henderson Year 7

Freddie Downie Year 8

Rory König Year 6

Harry Jacks Year 7

Ting Duncan Year 8

Aidan MacKay Year 6

Isaac Jamieson Year 7

Viola Ferrari Year 8

Euan Maitland Year 6

Timur Kislali Year 7

XiuRong Gong Year 8

Isobel Manifold Year 6

Arran Lafferty Year 7

Joe Gosmore Year 8

Vidal Singh Mann Year 6

Charlie Lewis Year 7

Logan Graham Year 8

Francis Maughan Year 6

Alastair MacFadyen Year 7

Ingrid Griffin Year 8

Jasper Nairn Year 6

Conor MacKay Year 7

Rachel Hogg Year 8

Harry Pennycook Year 6

Rory Maitland Year 7

Simon Ivan Year 8

Katherine Rafferty Year 6

Pilirani Makunganya Year 7

Isobel Jamieson Year 8

Eva Sampson Year 6

Willow Manifold Year 7

Leila Johnston Year 8

Simon Schwöbel Year 6

Harry Mason Year 7

Sacha Kislali Year 8

Sophie Sever-Smith Year 6

Lewis McCormac Year 7

Eliza König Year 8

Rowan Seymour Year 6

Lana McGuire Year 7

Sofia Kunwar Year 8

Alexis Skaggs Year 6

Edward Mifsud Year 7

Éabha Lang Year 8

Angus Sloan Year 6

Isabelle Mok Maciel Year 7

Yuk Sing Lau Year 8

Rebecca Sneddon Year 6

Angus Parkin Year 7

Francesca Lister Year 8

Anona Steven Year 6

Charles Paterson Year 7

Emily Logan Year 8

Ava Stewart Year 6

Katie Penman Year 7

Andrew Marr Year 8

Charlotte Taffs Year 6

Ollie Pennycook Year 7

Lochie Nairn Year 8

Nahla Thanoon Year 6

Charlotte Price Year 7

Manuela Navarro Bermejo Year 8

Isla Turton Pheby Year 6

Alfie Pullin Year 7

Chung Yue Ng Year 8

William Wilson Year 6

Nikitah Ray Year 7

Kayleigh Nicoll Year 8

Eliza Ylitalo Year 6

Shelagh Reid Year 7

Jennifer Niven Year 8

Rachael Slater Year 7

Jimmy Penman Year 8

Ben Smeddle Year 7

Harry Purvis Year 8

Xander Sneddon Year 7

Henry Shulver-Brown Year 8

Verity Swift Year 7

Camryn Sinclair Year 8

Aaron Taylor Year 7

Angus Stewart Year 8

Lois Wood Year 7

Skye Taffs Year 8

Sanna Wright Year 7

Emily Wallard Year 8

Emil Zapechelnyuk Year 7

Zirun Wang Year 8

Maksym Starun Year 7

Molly Williams Year 8

Nasser Al Ajami Year 7 Manuel Barbosa Year 7 Riya Bhaskar Year 7 Lucy Black Year 7 Lewis Cameron Year 7 Jay Chen Year 7 Brodie Clunie Year 7 Cecilia Daniel-Pedersen Year 7 Archie Donaldson Year 7

Thea Wright Year 8

Cameron Duncan Year 7

Archie Barton Year 8

Harriet Fleetham Year 7

William Berry Year 8

Chrispope Abhiteachapan Year 9

Hamish Fleming Year 7

Ben Brown Year 8

Saif Al Huthaili Year 9

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Noah Badia Year 9

Daniel Slight Year 9

Hector Lindsay Year 10

Jamie Barker Year 9

Nathaniel Tonning Year 9

Punchtira Losuwan Year 10

Isla Bell Year 9

Maya Turton Pheby Year 9

Millie Love Year 10

Isha Bhaskar Year 9

Yijing Wang Year 9

Katie MacAulay Year 10

Anna Black Year 9

Daniel Whiston Year 9

Charlotte MacFadyen Year 10

Ellie Cole-Hamilton Year 9

Adam Williamson Year 9

Esme MacMillan-Doran Year 10

Marina Cooney Year 9

Micah Zheng Year 9

Reiss Marshall Year 10

Claudia Denholm Year 9 Molly Donaldson Year 9 Ewen Farquhar Year 9 Luke Farquhar Year 9 Charlotte Fisher Year 9 Madeleine Fleetham Year 9 Nicola Forgues-Puccio Year 9 Alec Graham Year 9 Grace Halden Year 9 Lucca Hartmann Year 9

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Katie Adrain Year 10 Mubarak Al Ajami Year 10 Eleanor Allison Finch Year 10 Martim Barbosa Year 10 Andrew Boateng Year 10 Alexander Böckmann Year 10 William Boyle Year 10 James Bruins Year 10 Nadja Campbell Year 10

Ismini Mcleod Dorizas Year 10 Albie Milne Year 10 Aria Moore Year 10 Nicholas Müller Year 10 Poppy Page Year 10 Jamie Pennycook Year 10 Felix Plasmans Year 10 Leonard Remiorz Year 10 Sigurd Rosen Sletsjoe Year 10 Zuzanna Rozycka Year 10

Brendan Hawley Year 9

William Campbell Year 10

Sam Henderson Year 9

Sophie Clarke Year 10

Raf Howison Year 9

Edward Clement Year 10

Quirin Kohler Year 9

Struan Clunie Year 10

Ruairidh Leggett Year 9

Mate Cseke Year 10

Hanzhang Liu Year 9

Quitterie Dectot Year 10

Cormac MacKenzie Year 9

Mark Doherty Year 10

Mac McLay Year 9

Scott Drever Year 10

Tom Mifsud Year 9

Corinne Dumbreck Year 10

Ingrid Moreno-Faulds Year 9

Adam Duncan Year 10

Polly Morris Year 9

Katie Duncan Year 10

Velvet Neuhaus Year 9

Jan Eckhard Year 10

Magnus Newton Year 9

Anita Ferrari Year 10

Yee Kee Ng Year 9

Helena Flynn Year 10

Cameron Parkin Year 9

Honor Fraser Year 10

James Paterson Year 9

Madelaine Gavine Year 10

Paddy Pennycook Year 9

Jack Gettinby-Anderson Year 10

Cameron Adams Year 11

Ruby Richardson Year 9

Leila Gill Year 10

Keyuri Ade Year 11

Cody Ross Year 9

Angus Graham Year 10

Fairouz Al Huthaili Year 11

Thomas Rowlands Year 9

Sophia Hamilton Year 10

Nicolas Appel Year 11

Archie Sampson Year 9

William Jacks Year 10

Amilia Arkwright Year 11

Zachary Sewell Year 9

Layla Jones Year 10

Mateo Brenta Year 11

Freya Seymour Year 9

Cornelia Kallblad Year 10

Kyra Brown Year 11

Amolpreet Singh Loomba Year 9

Alina Khudyk Year 10

Marcel Badia Costafreda Year 11

Ruby Russell Year 10 Maximilian Schorr Year 10 Louisa Sherret Year 10 Ruaridh Sinclair Year 10 Eva Smeddle Year 10 Jacob Taylor Year 10 Elisenda Tortajada Year 10 Nate Tyler Year 10 Maddy Wallard Year 10 Kathryn Walmsley Year 10 Ailsa White Year 10 Hamish Wood Year 10 Arina Young Year 10 Ezra Ylitalo Year 10 Xiamu Zhai Year 10

Alex Barclay Year 11

Sienna Laing Year 11

Grace Adam Year 12

Christopher Barker Year 11

Josie Laland-Brown Year 11

Fleur Allan Year 12

Benjamin Bell Year 11

Julian Langer Year 11

Clova Angus Year 12

Heidi Bell Year 11

Jaspar Löwe Year 11

Valentine Atkin-Wright Year 12

Eric Berge Pradell Year 11

Emma Lowrie Year 11

Peter Boniface Year 12

Florian Bierkaemper Year 11

Kamil Lugowski Year 11

Joseph Boyle Year 12

Teighan Bonett Year 11

Faith Mackenzie Page Year 11

Tristan Bruce Year 12

Vincent Bossley Year 11

Malakai MacKenzie Year 11

Olivia Brydon Year 12

Fiona Branch Year 11

Soraya Manferdini Year 11

Veasna Bryson Year 12

Aline Brede Year 11

Xander McGregor Year 11

Sihan Cai Year 12

Clara Chalmers Year 11

Andrei Moklokov Year 11

Frankie Calder Year 12

Lixi Chen Year 11

Ava Neilson Year 11

Qiantong Chen Year 12

Benjamin Clark Year 11

Tess Neilson Year 11

Ciara Cherry Year 12

Josh Colquhoun Year 11

Annika Nowak Year 11

Essil Chiaretta Year 12

Matthew Dalton Year 11

Emilia Peters Year 11

Sophie Clark Year 12

Joseph Downie Year 11

Bethia Purvis Year 11

Archie Clarke Year 12

Lilian Driscoll Year 11

Lucinda Rathbone-Tulleth Year 11

Sophie Cole-Hamilton Year 12

Maximiliano Dungan Year 11

Evie Rhodes Year 11

Jennifer Cousins Year 12

Rowan Easson Year 11

Ella Saunders Year 11

Martin Dandolov Year 12

Leon Eckrich Year 11

Ben Schmidt Year 11

Abigail Edmonstone Year 11

Mara Schuenemann Year 11

Jackson Fraser Year 11

Isabella Stewart Year 11

Roscoe Fulton Year 11

Andrew Swales Year 11

Pablo Gomez-Martin Year 11

Faye Thomson Year 11

Samuel Gosmore Year 11

Robert Thomson Year 11

Ella Gracie Year 11

Tobias Tonning Year 11

Milla Graham Year 11

Cole Tooman Year 11

Nieve Greener Year 11

Iona Turner Year 11

Maxime Hasenstab Year 11

Constantin Van Iperen Year 11

Anneli Hawdon Year 11

Georg von und zu Franckenstein Year 11

Niamh Headon Year 11 Emilia Heim Year 11 Ashton Hillman Year 11 Leonard Hockerts Year 11 Carl Huppert Year 11 Suzanne Kassell Year 11

Moritz Walz Year 11 Isobel Williams Year 11 Govind Yemireddy Year 11 XinYing Zhou Year 11 Julian Zintl Year 11

Charles De Beir Year 12 Mariana De Freitas Souza Year 12 Liselotte De Graaf Year 12 David De Wolff Year 12 Leonardo Di Cosmo Year 12 Alexander Dollinger Year 12 James Drever Year 12 Caitlin Edmonstone Year 12 Francesca Farah Year 12 Robbie Feng Year 12 Elizabeth Fisher Year 12 Karajahyah Forbes-Schlagenhauf Year 12 Emilia Forgues-Puccio Year 12 Balthasar Forssman-Trevedy Year 12 Bethany Gavine Year 12 Carolina Ghini Year 12

Ishan Kishinchand Situmal Year 11

Dalal Al Ajami Year 12

Sakinah Haro Year 12

Elisabeth König Year 11

Daniel Bullen Year 12

Sara Elizabeth Haydon Year 12

Julius Kröll Year 11

Joshua Burns Year 12

Keira Heffron Year 12

Ivan Kulyk Year 11

Christopher Forrest Year 12

Joost Innig Year 12

Mark Kulyk Year 11

Pamas Abhiteachapan Year 12

Mikulas Ivan Year 12

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Max Janik-Smith Year 12

Isla Thomson Year 12

Emma Kimmritz Year 13

Colette Johnston Year 12

Katerina Tobert Year 12

Anastasiya Sibel Kislali Year 13

Nicole Johnston Year 12

Olivia Turnbull-Smith Year 12

Julia Knecht Year 13

Nikolaus Koplin Year 12

Kirill Ustenko Year 12

Thomas Laland-Brown Year 13

Klaus Krzok Year 12

Marlene Von Schoening Year 12

Jade Lamond Year 13

Ferdinand Kuelps Year 12

Yuxuan Wang Year 12

Jordan Lamond Year 13

Zac Kunwar Year 12

Davy Whatmore Year 12

Ka Wai Lau Year 13

Nikolas Lafrentz Year 12

William White Year 12

Phoebe Liang Year 13

Yating Lai Year 12

Elijah Ylitalo Year 12

Ferdinand Loeffler Year 13

Yin Hei Lam Year 12

Daniil Zhirov Year 12

Alexander Long Year 13

Setayesh Lashkari Ghouchani Year 12

Qing Lin Zhu Year 12

Alfie Love Year 13

Zoe Lay Year 12

Diederik Zoetmulder Year 12

Hetian Lyu Year 13

Louisa Lemor Year 12

Marius Zschachlitz Year 12

Mara Meyers Year 13

Archie Lindsay Year 12 Maria Lisitskaya Year 12 Elisa Litkowiec Year 12 Fynn Löwe Year 12

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Ka Yan Luk Year 13 Jing Shu Ruan Year 13 Ishwari Ade Year 13

Rory Milsom Year 13 Rory Moore Year 13 Marie-Christin Muench Year 13 Hugo Müller Year 13

James Mackenzie Page Year 12

Jassim Al Ajami Year 13

Konstantin Maslarov Year 12

Rosie Banks Year 13

Emma McBarron Year 12

John Bell Year 13

Sophie Merzhaeuser Year 12

Lara Bell Year 13

Emma Millar Year 12

Aleksandra Bentsa Year 13

Teah Moore Year 12

JR Boos Year 13

Oscar Morris Year 12

Duncan Alan Bouchard Year 13

Attila Newey Year 12

Laurence Brökhof Year 13

Imogen Newton Year 12

Isabella Campbell Year 13

Nina Okenkova Year 12

Freddie Clarke Year 13

Yuen Lam Pang Year 12

Eva Demidova Year 13

Nicolas Paul Year 12

Giuseppe Di Cosmo Year 13

Johanna Paulsen Year 12

Archie Douglas Year 13

Natasha Reid Year 12

Angus Driscoll Year 13

John Rimicans McLeod Year 12

Emma Duckworth Year 13

Maria-Gratia von und zu Franckenstein Year 13

Ines Sacramento Aizcorbe Year 12

Oscar Ferguson Year 13

Emily Von Wrangel Year 13

Ida Schultz-Suechting Year 12

Catherine Fleming Year 13

Shukai Wang Year 13

Florian Siefke Year 12

Egor Frolov Year 13

Paula Werner Year 13

Sabina Solari Toness Year 12

Zina Gharakhani Year 13

Iona White Year 13

Josefine Stueven Year 12

Lauren Hastie Year 13

Hannah Wood Year 13

Nico Swales Year 12

Auryn Hawdon Year 13

Emma Ylitalo Year 13

Rafael Tan Year 12

Rhuaraidh Hay Year 13

Eve-Charlott Zausig Year 13

Askold Teufelsbauer Year 12

Molly Innes-Mulhall Year 13

Guoheng Zhang Year 13

Sam Thompson Year 12

Ramisha Khalil Year 13

Maya Zillikens Year 13

Rudy Newton Year 13 Helena Oldroyd Year 13 Thomas Poylo Year 13 Margherita Raddi Year 13 Cameron Rhodes Year 13 Liam Saintraint Year 13 Tamaki Sasagawa Year 13 Julian Shenoy Year 13 Ivan Simakov Year 13 Lucy Tabberer Year 13 Valentin Trenkwalder Year 13 Sazonov Vsevolod Year 13 Ella Vincent Year 13