The Laurels Admissions Newsletter April 2024

The Laurels News

Celebrating our pupils

Our annual play, involving so many of the girls, is just one of our recent highlights We’ve also been celebrating three girls’ success in an international competition run by Oxford University, held our annual Wonderful Women’s Day and won our first ever Robotics prize. It’s been a great few weeks!.

Contents

Our 10th birthday celebrations

We marked this exciting milestone with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Moger and a reception

A journey into Narnia

Our whole school production is always a muchanticipated highlight of the year and this year ’ s play lived up to expectation

First class philosophers

Our team triumphed against some impressive opposition to win first prize in an international ethics competition run by Oxford University

It’s all in the design

Lego Robotics is a new venture at The Laurels this year, so we were delighted when our team scooped the design prize in their very first competition

Celebrating Women

Wonderful Women’s Day is our opportunity to consider the achievements and talents of women with our pupils on a day filled with enrichment activities

Other features

Read about our Spring concert showcasing our pupils’ talents, find out about this term’s virtue and learn more about how to support your daughter’s healthy sleep

A term with much to celebrate

There have been notable highlights, but seeing individual pupils overcome their personal challenges is equally worthy of celebration.

We were thrilled to have so many highlights in our Spring term The drama production, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ was an absolute triumph All the pupils who were involved should feel justly proud of their contribution We are equally delighted with the incredible achievement of our Sixth Formers and Year 11 pupil who won the Oxford University National Philosophical Debating Competition against tough opponents, and the pupils who won the Robot Design award in the First Lego League Masterpiece Challenge However, I would also like to mention all those pupils who, in different ways, overcome challenges and obstacles to become more resilient, responsible, and diligent in their daily lives

We are also delighted to be celebrating our 10th anniversary, marked by a special mass and reception, along with our brother school, The Cedars

Mrs Linda Sanders HEADMISTRESS

Narnia recreated

On stage and behind the scenes, many pupils from Year 7 to Year 11 participated in this year’s play, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

The annual production at The Laurels is always keenly anticipated, and as ever, this year ’ s play lived up to expectations Our talented Director of Drama, Miss Cook, adapted the well-loved novel by CS Lewis, transforming the PACT Hall into the world of Narnia.

Clever switches mid-act meant that we saw different girls assume the main roles, with many strong performances capturing a range of character types which included the innocence of Lucy, the coldness of the White Witch and the animal nature of Mr Tumnus.

We must pay tribute also to the backstage crew, who skilfully managed the light and sound, and kept everbody beautifully on track

First class at Oxford

Congratulations to Zuzia, Samar and Isabel, who were awarded first place in an international competition run by the University of Oxford’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics.

Year 12 students Samar and Isabel, guided by Ms Clark, our Head of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, had initially submitted a video with a response to an ethical question and were selected as one of four teams to compete in the final, held in the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford

The girls, joined by Year 11 pupil Zuzia, competed against teams from Westminster School and the Royal Latin School, debating ethical questions and responding to questions about their stance

The judges commented that the team ‘provided sound, clear and

well-reasoned responses to questions and challenges’; they were ‘ very impressed by the team’s knowledge and command of philosophical concepts They showed very good analytic skills and followed rigorous argumentative strategies ’

Although the main focus was on the two competitive sessions between the teams, there were also presentations and activities from researchers and staff These included exploring 'What makes a Good Excuse', an exhibition debate between two judges and a look at Slippery Slope arguments

What really set them apart was how they thought on their feet and sincerely engaged with questions and points made by the other team"

Before the final, the girls, assisted by another Year 11 pupil, Lucia F, who was sadly ill on the day, had to do a lot of preparation, including marshalling both sides of their arguments and thinking of questions to pose the other teams

Their final debate was on who’s to blame for fast fashion, the consumer or the company

Mrs Sanders, the Headmistress, said, ‘When you look at the schools we competed against, our girls really showed their ability to think, show initiative and develop their intellectual arguments We are all very proud of them!’

Lego Robotics

Robotics club has now been running very successfully over the past two terms, led by Mrs Pardo ,and the girls have participated in their first regional tournament, run by First Lego League During the competition they were judged on their research project, robot game, core values and robot design They were thrilled to win the Robot Design Award, a great start to this new initiative and encouragement for the team as they learn new skills

Wonderful Women’s Day

We mark International Women’s Day every year with our own take on it, showcasing the diverse talents and achievements of women through the six branches of our Arete programme. Some of our pupils recount what happened in workshops they attended

Women who care

This was a chance for everyone to learn about refugees and the sacrifices they make in order to survive We went through different scenarios and with each we had to give up one of our six items (that we all chose) Even though there were some difficult decisions to make, we all made it in the end This workshop was led by CAFOD and was an amazing experience By the end of the session, everyone saw how hard it is to be a refugee (compared to what we are used to) and started to appreciate the hard working charities (like CAFOD) that support and help these refugees on their rough journeys Sarah K

Women and Wellbeing

Year 9 participated in a zumba class, a wonderful opportunity to have a good time and also learn a lot It was a great way to boost your mood and bond with your friends The teacher talked to us about the importance of exercise and how it's good for your overall health and wellbeing Taking part in zumba not only increases your heart rate but also helps your performance in everyday life We danced to music and

everyone ' s mood lifted Participating in this workshop inspired me and many others to start looking after our well-being better Rebecca U

Women who love

The Year 11s gave us a talk on womanhood It really helped all of the girls in Year 7 to understand a woman ’ s journey and how and what we can do to help ourselves and others They delivered the talk very well and answered all our questions (no such thing as silly questions!) We were able to confide our worries and thoughts and they were kind and considerate towards us They gave us their own extra tips and were friendly and funny By the end of the talk we all felt special to the wonderful women in our community Elizabeth H

Women who think

We had a chance to use our imaginative and creative skills and just have fun at the end of the day We built robots with lego and then controlled them with coding, making them move around the classroom It was very insightful as well as enjoyable, teaching us that women are capable and smart, and can use their imagination in every way It was a lovely end to the Wonderful Woman’s day! Helena and Nina

10th Anniversary

From its first home in Clapham to its fourth and permanent home in Crystal Palace, The Laurels has come a long way!

To mark our 10th anniversary, the Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark, Bishop Philip Moger, celebrated Mass in The Church of the Faithful Virgin

This was a joint celebration with our brother school The Cedars, for boys aged 11 to 18, as both schools were founded 10 years ago

It’s the first time that both our choirs have sung together, contributing to the liturgy with their beautiful singing

The evening was a beautiful occasion, attended by some of the founding families of the two schools, former teachers and pupils, and many of the current familiies who are all part of the PACT community.

The Laurels opened in Clapham with 14 girls, moving very quickly to Atkins Road in Clapham From there, the school spent two years on Chelsea Embankment before moving to its new home in Crystal Palace in 2022

Meanwhile The Cedars opened in South Croydon, moving to the same campus as The Laurels in 2022 Both schools now co-exist along with the prep school, Oakwood School, which opened in the 1990s in South Croydon and moved to Crystal Palace in 2023.

Introducing our pupils to future careers

For pupils from Year 10 to 13, our biggest careers fair yet was the ideal opportunity to learn more about potential future choices. Run in conjunction with The Cedars, the Future Pathways fair had 25 exhibitors, all ready to share their experiences and the route to their current job.

A recurring theme from many of the delegates was that career paths can change, reassuring for today’s teenagers just beginning to explore their future options

There were certainly plenty of opportunities to seek advice –delegates included top executives from Amazon and Santander, chief financial officers, a barrister, psychiatrist and a leading landscape architect.

The fair is currently a bi-annual event and we were delighted by the range of careers represented. We are very grateful to all the parents, friends of our schools and other contacts who generously gave their time to encourage tomorrow’s workforce. If you are interested in contributing your expertise, whether at a fair, a special talk or a workshop, please get in touch with Mrs Prat: cristinapratmartine@thelaurelsschool orguk

Making the most of the opportunity

In advance of the fair, our head of careers, Mrs Prat Martinez, worked with our pupils to ensure that they were well-prepared with thoughtful questions She commented, ‘The fair really inspired the girls to consider their future career pathways We were incredibly grateful for the time and insight offered by our parents, colleagues and friends of the two schools’

A celebration of music

Performing in public is a wonderful opportunity for performers to share their talent with their peers

The whole school was treated to an inspiring concert featuring pupils from Year 7 to Year 11

For some, it was their first experience of performing in public, which as anyone who has ever played an instrument in front of an audience will agree, is a scary prospect but a memorable occasion

To make the event even more special, the performers’ parents were also invited Solo performances included Amelia playing Bohm’s Bolero and Therese playing Handel’s Passacaglia

We also heard the string ensemble, led by our Strings teacher Miss Natasha, and the woodwind band, led by our Woodwind teacher Miss Love, which also features Assistant Head Dr Daire

Congratulations to all the girls on their performances The commitment to practice was apparent through the standard of their playing

Dr Grace Gates

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

Early to bed, early to rise...

In our regular column from our DSL and Director of Wellbeing, Mrs Sumner, this month she considers the importance of sleep World Sleep Day took place on Friday 15th March and the fundamental mission of the World Sleep Society is to advance everyone’s knowledge about the importance of sleep.

A good night's sleep is crucial for our pupils as it directly impacts physical health, cognitive function, academic performance, and emotional wellbeing It helps with memory consolidation, concentration, problem-solving skills, and mood regulation, all of which are essential for learning and thriving when in school Additionally, adequate sleep supports growth, immune function, and overall resilience to potential stressors in our school environment

Sleep problems can manifest in various forms, including nightmares or sleep terrors, sleepwalking and broken sleep patterns These problems can often be temporary if good habits are consistently encouraged, but sometimes we can get ‘stuck’ in unhelpful habits

Anna Freud Mentally Healthy Schools offers support, information, advice and practical resources to better understand and promote our pupils’ mental health and wellbeing They have compiled the following sleep guidelines, which aim to support those people that are struggling with their sleep:

a regular time to go to sleep and wake up a predictable and consistent nighttime routine

at least half an hour of natural daylight, preferably in the morning enough exercise during the day avoiding caffeine, particularly in the afternoon

turning off computer screens and other devices at least an hour before bedtime low level lighting and a quiet space in bedrooms

avoiding checking devices at nighttime

Supporting children and young people to develop positive coping strategies for regulating their emotions and managing their stress levels can also aid healthy sleep

Think about having a discussion with your daughter about sleep - what may prevent them from sleeping and what might interrupt their sleep? Encourage each other to try one of the tips on the left. It’s incredible what a good night’s sleep can do!

Virtue of the term

As part of our Character Education programme, pupils learn about a different virtue every term. Our Director of Ethos, Mrs Sardina, writes here about the Spring term’s focus.

This term, the pupils have been learning more about the virtue of Order with their form teachers. First, they explored the meaning of this virtue, which led to interesting discussions: What does order mean? It involves creating a peaceful and organised environment, planning step by step instead of going around in circles After discussing the definition, students watched a video from the American Seal Admiral William McRaven, who talked about the importance of making one ’ s bed every day He explained how this simple task can

give a sense of accomplishment, motivating you to tackle more tasks throughout the day. The students realized that even small tasks matter, and doing them well is important too, especially when you want to grow in any virtue As they know, it is the repetition of good habits which makes them become second nature

Based on their learning, students set personal goals for the term and class goals to achieve together They discussed these goals with their personal tutors during tutorial sessions, planning how to work towards achieving them

"What does order mean? It involves creating a peaceful and organised environment, planning step by step instead of going around in circles".

Examples included:

Maintaining a Clean Bedroom: keep your bedroom clean and organised by making your bed daily, putting away clothes, and tidying up surfaces

Keeping the Classroom Tidy: you aim to keep the classroom tidy during class by organising equipment and keeping everything clean

Encourage your daughters to keep focusing on these targets during their Easter holidays and enjoy a sense of order at home too!

Upcoming events

Thursday 16th May

Tuesday 2nd July

10am - Oakwood Open Morning All day - The Laurels Year 5 taster

Saturday 14th September Saturday 21st September

9:30am - The Cedars Open Day 9 30am - The Laurels Open Day

Friday 15th November Friday 29th November

All day - deadline for applications* All day - entrance examinations*

Friday 14th February

All day - offer of places*

Monday 10th March

All day - deadline to accept place*

Events marked*

The Laurels and The Cedars have the same admissions procedure. Applications to Oakwood are on an individual basis

For further information, visit our website and follow us on social media