We began the new school year with the introduction of Yondr pouches for our day girls in L4 to U5. Although we have been a largely smart phone-free school for a while, we wanted to reinforce the message that the school day is for focusing on the business of education without interruptions from elsewhere, and that education includes learning to interact with real people face to face. Moreover, there is increasing research suggesting that social media can have a negative impact on mental health.
Whilst boarders leave their smart phones locked away in the boarding houses, day girls secure theirs in Yondr pouches, which cannot be opened until the end of the school day. And the impact? We have certainly noted more social interaction from students. If you’d like to learn more please watch this clip from the BBC Politics Show in which we discuss the introduction of Yondr pouches in more detail.
As the days get darker, it can become more challenging to get involved in exercise. Of course, many of your daughters are keen lacrosse and netball players, but we recognise that not everyone enjoys the thrill of an icy wind. Over the past year, we have been offering increased opportunities to get involved in different types of exercise for the joy of getting stronger, faster or simply increasing cardio-vascular fitness.
We have also been thinking hard about what discourages some of our pupils from accessing exercise. Sometimes it is simply not having comfortable sportswear, which is why we invited PeBe, sports bra specialists, to come into school to offer fittings and advice, a service taken up by the majority of our pupils.
Darker days and colder nights typically lead to better sleep. However, that is not true for all our pupils. We have been working across the school this term to educate everyone on how to get a better night’s sleep as we know the positive impact on memory, learning and physical and mental health.
Looking ahead to the summer term, our biennial festival will focus on wellbeing as we continue to look at how we can help all members of our community to have enhanced physical and mental health. As we know, it’s not just about a lovely mediation session, but the myriad of activities that help us to deal with pressure, disappointment and everyday irritations such as having to wear correct school uniform!
M5 students participated in The Poverty Trap simulation organized by Empathy Action in a transformed OJS hall resembling a slum. In groups of six, they faced the challenges of living in extreme poverty by making paper bags to pay rent, buy food and secure access to sanitation. Amid the chaotic atmosphere, some resorted to desperate measures to survive. Following the simulation, they explored enterprise solutions and created posters and presentations for products or services to improve lives. In the afternoon, they pitched their ideas to a panel of judges and their peers.
THREE HEADS
As part of our 140th Anniversary celebrations, our headmistress Jane Gandee was joined by former heads Dr Helen Harvey and Lady Joan Appleyard to discuss their memories of St Swithun’s. The evening gave an insight into the history of St Swithun’s, the development of our campus and also the impact of advances in technology on the classroom.
REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
All students and staff attended the remembrance service on November 11 to commemorate all of those who gave their lives in the line of duty. Students played the Last Post before impeccably observing a two-minute silence.
SCHOOL LIFE
TEAM BUILDING
L4 and L5 took part in team building activities at the start of term, with tasks that develop collaboration, communication, trust and problem-solving.
YONDR POUCHES
As part of our commitment to student wellbeing, we’ve introduced Yondr pouches to create a smartphone-free environment for our day students in years 7-11. This initiative aims to improve engagement and mental health by keeping phones out of reach during the school day, allowing our pupils to maintain focus, build real connections and develop vital social skills. You can visit www.overyondr.com to find out more about how they work.
AUSTRALIAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS
As part of our international exchange programme, this term we have hosted pupils from Tara Anglican High School for Girls in Sydney, Australia. They embraced the opportunity to immerse themselves in our school community, actively participating in our multitude of activities from sport to drama productions, and learning Spanish for the first time. They delivered informative presentations to both the prep and senior school during Global Education Week, sharing fascinating insights into Australian culture.
“Swithun’s has truly been a home away from home”, commented Chelsea from Tara Anglican High School for Girls, and her fellow pupil Lara said that, “My favourite part of the exchange was meeting and getting to know new people around the school”.
GREENPOWER TEAM RACE AT GOODWOOD
St Swithun’s Greenpower team raced ‘Neon’ in the International Final at Goodwood, featuring the top 70 cars from regional heats. The Greenpower Education Trust helps to inspire young people around the world to get involved with STEM subjects with the unique challenge of designing, building and racing a car, and our students have worked hard this term to compete on the famous Goodwood track. The club also aims to empower future innovators, and drive the next generation of sustainable engineers.
CSI DAY
U4 students took part in a forensic science workshop, hosted by Pulse CSI. The day involved practical, hands-on activities relating to evidence recovery, retrieval and preservation in a crime scene scenario. Students learnt how to identify and analyse fingerprints, hair, fibres and footprints using authentic forensic equipment. In the afternoon, they applied their newly acquired knowledge and skillset to the investigation of a mock-up crime scene.
CLAIRE TRANT ALUMNA PLAQUE
Claire Trant, the co-founder and CEO of Untap Health and St Swithun’s Alumna, was awarded a Women in Innovation Award by Innovate UK for her work in providing an early warning system for viral outbreaks. A purple plaque has been installed outside the science department which recognises the achievements of Women in Innovations Awards winners and aims to inspire more girls into STEM.
SOLAR PANELS INSTALLATION
New solar panels on the prep school roof were installed over half term and they will provide 39% of the energy needed to power the prep school. This is an ambitious step forward in our sustainability efforts as a whole community.
SCHOOL LIFE
PIZZA AND POTTERY
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
PARENTS IN DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Parents joined our design and technology department in a Christmas crafts workshop in December.
Day house girls enjoyed an evening of pottery painting and a hearty dinner from a wood-fired pizza truck during the last week of term.
Students from all year groups enjoyed our annual chocolate-fuelled Christmas Quiz at the end of term with categories ranging from the origins of Christmas to the science behind some of our traditions.
ADVENT CALENDARS
CHRISTMAS AT SCHOOL
Students took on the ultimate festive design challenge of building their own advent calendars from scratch in design technology.
On the penultimate day of term, students and staff came together to celebrate Christmas. The annual Christmas assembly is looked forward to by all, featuring staff performances and Christmas carols, followed by Christmas lunch and then the house drama competition and showing of the upper sixth Finlay video.
MEDIEVAL FEAST CLUB
Students in U4 spent the term researching different aspects of a medieval supper. As a final culmination of their hard work, they donned medieval costumes and enjoyed an authentic feast of pottage, roast meats, vegetables and fruit tarts, with fizzy grape juice and medieval games.
WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL CAROL SERVICE
The girls delivered a beautiful festive service at Winchester Cathedral on the last day of term, to parents, students, staff and members of the school community.
1. Earlsdown Christmas celebrations
2. Boarders watch the northern lights
3. Hillcroft Christmas party games
4. End of term house outing to the arcade
5. Ice skating at Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park
KEY House drama performances
6. Hyde Abbey – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
7. High House – Mr and Mrs Twit
SWITHUN’S LIVE
Bands from St Swithun’s and Winchester College performed in the ever-popular rock concert to a packed auditorium.
ST CROSS RECITAL
A selection of our music award holders performed solos at the beautiful chapel at St Cross.
SCHOLARS CONCERTS
Our two termly musical scholars and exhibitioners concerts showcased the finest musical talent at St Swithun’s.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PRODUCTION
Our autumn drama production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ sold out, showcasing a potent mixture of talent and commitment from students of all ages.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
The concert included performances from a selection of St Swithun’s musical ensembles, including Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and Brass Ensemble.
RUTH STRAUSS FOUNDATION FUN RUN
In a wonderful show of collaboration, the entire senior school, staff and pupils alike, joined forces for our Ruth Strauss Foundation fun run. With a flash of red and a field full of smiles, St Swithun’s raised over £400.
SHOEBOX DONATION
Pupils donated 98 shoeboxes to House of Opportunity this year, to be sent to Bulgaria for young people and adults who would not otherwise receive Christmas presents.
HAMPSHIRE HARVEST COLLECTION
HOUSE SPORT
Persevering through some very cold weather, all eight houses took part in Junior House Lacrosse and Senior House Netball in November. The results were:
St Swithun’s 1st and 2nd lacrosse teams won the South West U19 Lacrosse titles after going unbeaten throughout the day. Meanwhile, the U16 and U14 netball teams emerged victorious in the National Schools County rounds and will go on to represent Hampshire in the regional finals in February.
Alice Clegg, 1st team lacrosse captain, added “We’re really pleased to be so cohesive as a team at this stage in the season. It was a great day and has given us the best possible platform to build on as we look forward to more successful, challenging and fun days ahead.”
CRICKET
Cricket continues to go from strength to strength at St Swithun’s with pupils called up to county age group squads (Madeleine B, Millie P, Scarlett DK, Isabella P, Grace C and Scarlett H). The school was also included again in The Cricketer’s Schools Guide as one of the best 20 all-girls schools in the country.
