Summer Term 2016 second half

Dame Alice Owen’s School
Newsletter — July 2016
Letter from the Head, Dr Alan Davison
Dear Parents
Thanks
As I write my final introduction to the Owen’s newsletter, I feel a
real sadness about my impending departure. I have loved
almost every minute of my time at Owen’s, and really
appreciated the support of parents, students, staff and
governors working as a team to ensure the outstanding success
Owen’s is. There are so many things I will miss; the things that
occur to me particularly at the moment are the wonderful music
evenings, getting to know so many amazing students and
parents, and witnessing the individual successes of so many
students and feeling part of a fantastic team. I wish everybody
in the school success and very much hope that, when I bump into you in Waitrose,
Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s or on the train, you will update me on how you or how your daughters and
sons are progressing.
National and International successes
The PE Department have enjoyed some fantastic success this term,
with both teams and individuals scoring notable victories. Issy Boffey
became an international champion, winning the 800 metres at the
European Youth Championships in Georgia, whilst Ben Lloyd won the
400 metre hurdles at the English Schools’ Championships and will
now represent England in the Schools’ International event.
Meanwhile in District Athletics, the Owens teams have been
dominant, winning eleven of the thirteen competitions. In County
athletics, all four teams reached the final, with the Girls Under 14
team finishing third. Congratulations to all of the athletes for their
excellent performances and a big thank you to the PE Department for
coaching and supporting the students.
Art exhibitions for GCSE and A level
This half-term has witnessed the GCSE and A level Art exhibitions.
Those parents and students fortunate enough to see the exhibitions
will know what an outstanding year this has been for Art. Both
exhibitions showed a wonderful, eclectic mix of art, the majority of
which would have been equally at home on the walls of the
National Gallery. I am confident that this will be a record year for
exam results; although, more importantly, I can see the joy that the
students found in producing this artwork.
July 2016
Page 1 of 30
I am delighted that, yet again, nine students had their work selected to exhibit in the
Mall Gallery during July. When touring the gallery, it was clear that very few schools had
more than one item on display, highlighting the quality of our students’ work. My thanks to
Mrs Lloyd, Miss Samuel, Ms Grigson, Miss Wagstaffe, Ms Veerayen, Mr Anastasi, and
particularly to Mr Willcock who was certainly was one of my most successful
appointments. During the latter part of a very successful career, he has really inspired
students and led the staff wonderfully to provide opportunities for all students. My thanks
to him and all the best for his well-earned retirement.
Music
As is traditional, this has been a very busy half-term for the Music department. The term
started with the always enjoyable Junior Concert, featuring over 200 students performing
in Second Band, Junior Brass Group, Flute Ensemble, Junior Strings and Second
Orchestra. This was quickly followed by the recently introduced Piano Concert. So many
of our students are superb pianists – this is an opportunity for them to have a masterclass
with professional concert pianists during the day and then an opportunity to perform in a
fascinating programme of different pieces. We had a number of firsts during this concert,
including a piece for 16 students, all playing the piano at once - a very unique piece!
The following week, the Chamber Concert allowed students the opportunity to perform
individually or as part of small groups. This year’s was an exceptional concert, with
particularly accomplished performances by the string quartets, of which there is one for
each year group. Next came the Concert Band evening, which included a Viennese
Polka, an arrangement of Suk’s Bohemian Scherzo, a Mancini song, a contemporary
song, some Weather Report and the Dances by Jonnie Vinson, under the new leadership
of Mr Lance Kelly. All who attended the evening were very impressed by the continued
quality of performance, and by the enjoyment shown by the students.
In July, we were fortunate to have the Choral Concert with over 300 students from across
the school taking part. Choral work in the school continues to thrive and each of the
choirs has grown in size from last year. They performed a wonderful mixture of pieces
including two personal tributes to myself, for which I was very grateful. This Concert also
allowed the choirs the opportunity to perform the pieces they prepared for their success
at the Mid-Somerset Music Festival in Bath.
Finally, the term ended with the Senior Orchestral Concert, with
the Chamber and Symphony Orchestras performing. The
highlight of this was Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, performed
superbly by the Symphony Orchestra. This is regrettably the
last concert conducted by Mr Pepper, but it highlighted the
amazing work that he has undertaken throughout his 26 years
of leading the orchestra. The professional quality of the music
and the enthusiasm and enjoyment from the students were very
clear throughout the evening. A significant number of alumni
from previous orchestras attended the evening to make it a
wonderful celebration of Mr Pepper’s work at the school. My
thanks to Miss Jenkins, Mr Grimstead, Miss Jones, Mr Wilson,
Mr Widden, Mr Pepper, Mr Kelly and Mr Werner for all their
hard work in providing an amazing half-term of music.
July 2016
Page 2 of 30
The Senior Strings, led by Mr Widden, were successful in securing the opportunity to perform
at the Birmingham Town Hall as part of the final stages of the National Festival of Music for
Youth. They were competing with county youth orchestras and other specialist music schools
and we are confident they will reach the culmination of the Festival, to play at the
Royal Albert Hall in November. My thanks to Mr Widden for all his hard work in preparing this
group and congratulations to the students on their superb performance.
Year 7 Enterprise Day
Last week saw all Year 7s involved in the Enterprise day. This involved the Art, Maths, and
Food Departments in a business activity, to design and manufacture cookies for sale for
charity. This allows students the opportunity to understand and practise all aspects of the
production process, marketing and selling of this product. My thanks to Mr Lawlor and the
Maths Department for all their work in preparing this very enjoyable day.
Beer Money
Two of the most enjoyable days in the school year are hosting presentation of Beer Money to
the students. I was delighted to join Year 7 at Brewers’ Hall on Monday for the presentation
from the current Upper Warden, Mr Paul Wells, Chairman of Charles Wells Brewery. It is a
wonderful tradition which continued on Friday with the presentation of Beer Money by the
current Master of Brewers’ Company, Peter Furness-Smith, to the remainder of the school in
a silent ceremony. This tradition comes from Dame Alice Owen herself, who wanted to
provide the students money for the purchase of light beer (safe water) for their health. Now, it
merely provides the students the opportunity to celebrate this tradition often by the purchase
of ice-cream!
Lower School Visitation
This term’s Lower School Visitation had as guest speaker Nick Robinson, the Today
programme presenter. Nick has been an exceptionally supportive parent throughout his time
at the school, and gave a very interesting and thought provoking talk to the Lower School
after presenting the prizes. We thank Nick for not only presenting on this occasion, but also
being a key contributor to the Royal Albert Hall 400th anniversary concert.
Upper School Visitation
The involvement of the Master of the Brewers’ Company in the Upper School visitation always
makes it a very special occasion for senior students. It offers the school the opportunity to
celebrate the successes of so many of our amazing students! This year was special for me
with the presentation of my superb portrait painted by former student Abi Wilderspin, despite
the handicap of the subject matter! (Note from the Editor: You can see Abi and her stunning
portrait at the end of the Newsletter)
OSA summer fête
Early in July, the OSA arranged their annual summer fête. I am pleased to inform you that
this was a well-attended event, and when the sale of raffle tickets is added in, over £8,000 of
vital funding for the school has been raised. My thanks to all parents who attended, and in
particular to the OSA Committee ably led by Omar Harmon and Sarah Lewczynski. It has
been my good fortune to work with parents’ associations for nearly 30 years, and none of
them matches the current Owen’s committee - they are a real privilege to work with.
July 2016
Page 3 of 30
‘Arabian Nights’ – Junior play
The last week of term saw the Junior annual play. This year, Arabian Nights was selected,
with more intrigue than the current national political situation! I was extremely impressed by
the way the students delivered their lines, and by how much they enjoyed the performance.
My thanks to the Tech Crew, led by Ben Linwood and Damian Pace, who ensured the
successful lighting and sound of the presentation, and to Miss Govier, who ably directed a
challenging production to include humour, and for a very important allegorical message well
portrayed.
The Great Gig
This week has seen the ninth ‘Great Gig’. This is an opportunity for eight school bands to
perform to an excited audience. This event, originally started by Wesley Wroe a number of
years ago, is a wonderful charity event also a great opportunity for a very different type of
music to be performed in the school hall. I was delighted this year to have the opportunity to
perform with the school band, ‘The Lines’. I don’t believe I have a career in music, however it
was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for all who attended. My thanks to the Tech Crew,
Ben Linwood and Damian Pace, who organised this evening.
Open Day
Open Day this week was extremely well attended; the school polished its shoes and brushed
its hair to provide future parents the opportunity to see what Owen’s has to offer. As always,
the key question was how they could ensure they secure a place at the school. I am certain
that the appointment of our outstanding new Head, Hannah Nemko, led to even more parents
than usual blocking local roads and causing some local chaos – apologies to any local
residents reading.
Bid for a new teaching block
I would like to note my particular thanks to Oliver Dowden, our local MP, for his outstanding
support for our re-bid for funding to replace the teaching block. Mr Dowden has worked
tirelessly to secure a meeting with the key people at the Department for Education, to ensure
that, when we bid again in October, we have an increased chance of success. It is really
helpful to have an MP who fully understands the needs of the school, and is committed to
ensuring the best for all children at Dame Alice Owen’s School.
Ski racing team
A new school team has been developed in ski racing. Led by Mrs Davighi and Mrs Wootton,
our ski team came third in the all-London championships in June (yes, I know that’s not a
traditional month for skiing). Working in such a mountainous area, clearly ski racing is
something we should excel at! I very much look forward to hearing about their national
victories, and their going on to compete in Europe.
EU referendum
I am pleased to say that the whole school really engaged in the debate about the
EU referendum. We had a number of speakers including staff and students presenting to the
whole school body. I am delighted to confirm that 77% of our students voted to stay in the
EU, I believe having a much better understanding than some who had the opportunity to vote
in the real referendum. My thanks to Miss Cornejo and to Mr Latham for all their hard work in
arranging this opportunity for students.
July 2016
Page 4 of 30
Owen’s Bake-Off
This year’s Bake-Off was a brilliant success. The theme was the Rio Olympics, and students
produced a wealth of food that represented the Olympics. Congratulations to the overall winner,
Sophia Venters. The standard of cooking was incredibly high! My thanks to Miss Cerny for all of
her hard work in arranging the Bake-Off. This was very enjoyable for students to take part in.
Maths Edge Hill Competition
Thank you to the Maths department for ensuring our students’ entry in the national Edge Hill
Maths Competition. I regret that, whilst our students participated with enthusiasm and gained a
great deal from the experience, scoring at the event was rather confusing, and we’re not
absolutely sure where they finished. However, congratulations to the students for reaching this
national final.
Sports Day
Last week saw the postponement of the original Sports Days, followed by the successful
running on Friday. New events included an Open 600m, in which there were 200+ students
competing. Students took part with enthusiasm, and over £500 was raised for charity through
the various stalls etc. The growing success of athletics was highlighted on this day, and I very
much want to thank the PE department, Mr Parkinson, Miss Coakley, Miss Anderson, Miss Lord,
Mr Dugan, Mr Breeze, Mrs Palfrey, Mr Cotton and Mr Gamester, and our Groundsman
Andrew Ward, for all their hard work in arranging the day.
Exams
At the end of June the public exam season finally came to an end for another year. Once again
this busy and complicated process ran like clockwork and I would like to thank Mrs Beckingham
and her team for making it run so smoothly. We look forward to receiving the results in August
and wish all of those students who are involved every success.
Berlin and Somme Trips
As has been the case for many years now, forty Year 12 students took part in the annual Berlin
trip, led by the History department. The visit takes place mainly in preparation for the Year 13
‘Germany; United , divided and reunited’ course, but also allows students to visit sites of
relevance to the Cold War course that they studied at GCSE. Sites visited included
Sachsenhausen concentration camp, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie and other familiar
landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate. I would like to thank Mr Ward for organising and
leading the trip.
This year’s History department visit to France and Belgium for a First World War battlefields trip
was particularly poignant as it coincided with events to commemorate the beginning of the
Battle of the Somme. The students were based in Ypres and from there travelled to sites across
Flanders, including battlefields and cemeteries, laying a wreath on behalf of the school at
Thiepval memorial. I would like to congratulate the students for the excellent impression that
they made on the staff and to thank Mr Davies for organising and leading the trip.
Geographers go to Cambridge and Dorset
Almost the whole of Year 7 went to Cambridge this term, for a visit to the British Antarctic
Survey at the Scott Polar Institute. The students enjoyed learning about the perils of Antarctic
July 2016
Page 5 of 30
exploration from the personal experiences of Dr Peter Clarkson (BAS), a geographer was
from an era of dog sleds and rudimentary technology. His stories from the 1960s recalled
what it was like to be truly isolated in the Antarctic wilderness. A record number of groups also
managed to find all the orienteering markers that had been devilishly placed around
Cambridge. Meanwhile eighty-six Year 10 students travelled down to Dorset this half-term to
complete controlled assessment. They were based in Swanage and carried out a series of
studies on the costs and benefits of tourism. They enjoyed their time in the great outdoors and
I would like to thank Mr Payne for organising both of these trips.
German Exchange
This half term twenty five Year 9 students hosted German students from our partner school in
Viernheim as part of their language exchange. Our visitors really enjoyed their stay, especially
exploring London on foot, a day in Cambridge as well as experiencing a day at school or
being taken to Mega Jump by their partners in their free time. I would like to thank Frau Möller
for organising the exchange.
New Designers Exhibition
Students of textiles from Years 9-12 recently attended the New Designers Exhibition, in
Islington, to experience the work of the very best in UK graduate design and talent and to
inspire students to start working on their GCSE/AS projects. The students found the day very
interesting and beneficial and I would like to thank Mrs Cerny for organising and leading the
visit.
Newspaper Day
Newspaper Day, which is a long running feature of the summer term, took place this month.
The whole of Year 9 participated, working in small groups to produce a newspaper by the end
of the day. Reporters attended press conferences and were fed other stories which allowed
them to build their paper, plan, make editorial decisions and be creative. The students worked
very hard to produce some excellent papers and learned a lot about teamwork and
organisation. My thanks go to Ms Friel for leading the day and to the English Department and
other teacher volunteers for working with them during the day.
The Real Life Game
In the last week of term, Year 8 students participated in the Real Life Game, which involved
them learning about life beyond school and the world of work. As part of the game they
applied for a job and some of the students ended up being interviewed by a member of SLT in
front of their class. The students found the experience enjoyable and helpful and I would like
to thank Mrs Whiter and Mr Simpson for organising it.
And finally…
I would like to particularly note my thanks to the Governing Body, ably led by Peter Martin, for
all of their support throughout my eleven years at the school. I am sure that many parents are
only partially aware of the amount of work the Governors undertake on their behalf, and the
major contribution they make. I am very grateful for the support provided by all Governors
and by Peter in particular, who is in the school on at least a weekly basis, purely as a
volunteer.
Alan Davison
Headteacher
July 2016
Page 6 of 30
Thank You Sir
I always promised myself that the first school I
would head would be one in moderate trouble;
a school which was coasting perhaps … or
one which had lost its way. No such luck
however, as the school I fell in love with is
none of the above and in my short time at
Owen’s, I have grown to understand that this is
in no small part down to one amazing person:
our very special Dr Davison.
Dr Davison is a visionary leader who never
takes no for an answer. He thinks big, is
sometimes considered a little mad, but always
pulls it off. How many headteachers could you
find who, upon being told by British Rail that
there are no trains which could take a school
of children from Potters Bar to the Royal Albert
Hall, would have ended up securing a specially
timed train with an agreement that the engine
would even carry the DAOS badge?
Since Dr Davison started at Owen’s he has lead building projects resulting in three new
blocks; he has put teaching and learning at the heart of the school and has helped us all
remember that when we get knocked down, we have to get up again (remember that
assembly?).
As a staff we have enjoyed the freedom to explore the pedagogy we knew would help our
students achieve that little bit better; we have known that his support is never ending but
that his challenge would be high too. Through his lead we have all sought the ‘excellence
in everything’ he seeks of himself and the whole school community has become
increasingly involved in school life be that through sport, drama, music, art, maths
challenge, debating, Duke of Edinburgh… the list of ways we improve and extend
ourselves at Owen’s is endless.
Somewhat tenacious and slightly eccentric, we have yet to see the red braces reported to
have been Dr Davison’s trademark at other schools, but we will all miss his calls for
another cup of coffee mid-sentence as well as his regular appearance at early morning
meetings in his lycra cycling gear!
They are big boots to fill and whilst stilettos may soon replace brogues, one thing is for
sure, it is what Dr Davison has established over his past 11 years which brought us all to
Owen’s. The family feel, the high standards and the cheeky enjoyment of all that we do.
It is this legacy we all wish to build on in the years to come so that we remain as proud of
the school and of what Dr Davison has taught us as we are today.
Dr Davison, the whole Owen’s family wishes you nothing but good health and good times
in your retirement.
Hannah Nemko
July 2016
Page 7 of 30
William Hamilton-Hinds retires
Wonderful surprise for William Hamilton-Hinds at
his Retirement Assembly on Thursday 7th July, as
one of his former Maths pupils, Gary Kemp,
dropped in to pay tribute to a man who's spent an
amazing 61 years associated with Dame Alice
Owen's School #endofanera #theowensway
Uniform reminder!
As all eyes turn to buying new uniform for September, please remember
that students are expected to attend school in a sensible closed shoe.
Canvas and trainer style shoes are not acceptable. The uniform policy
has been further clarified and from September will read:
School shoes are to be plain black leather/ leather effect, closed shoes.
These must have a low heel. Trainers and canvas shoes of any kind will
not be acceptable.
Please note that nail varnish, gel or acrylic nails or nail varnishes and
alike are equally not allowed at school.
Thank you for your support
Wanted
We have a vacant bungalow on the school grounds which we are hoping to let out to new
teachers from next term. It does need some basic furniture, and we were wondering if
anyone might be able to donate any furniture which they no longer need and is in a
reasonable condition. In particular we would welcome single beds and mattresses, a
dining room table and chairs, bookshelves, drawers etc. If you have anything suitable,
please could you drop an email to
[email protected]
(we
may be able to arrange a collection for bulky
items)
July 2016
Page 8 of 30
News from the Maths Department
JMC Follow on rounds
In June over 22 pupils from Years 7 and 8 took part in the Junior Maths Challenge (JMC)
follow on rounds. The Junior Kangaroo is a multiple choice one hour paper and the British
Olympiad is a longer two hour written paper. To qualify for the Kangaroo a score of more
than 92 was required in the JMC while more than 110 was needed to get into the British
Olympiad.
Congratulations to the following students for qualifying for the Kangaroo:
Huan Xu (merit)
Oliver Zhao
India Jordan-Jones
Elaine Lin
Ranjana Ram
Emilia Warr (merit)
Adrian Medina
Anahitha Vijay
Cammy Nguyen
Abigail Peel
Sadie Ward
George Bayley (merit)
Ibtihaaj Koleoso
Nayan Patel
Eddie Johnston (merit)
Rufus Dacey
Thomas Mitchell
Oscar Siddle
George Dean
Sajni Shah
Further congratulations go to Patrick Whitman and Niall Kim for achieving merits in the
Olympiad.
Edge Hill Maths Challenge 7th July 2016
Edge Hill is a competition open to year 9 students. It requires a high level of mathematical
skill, good communication and problem solving skills, team work and the use of ICT. Two
of the five Owen’s entries made it to Stage 2 and one of these made it to the Final, an
excellent achievement seeing as there were over 400 entries nationwide. Well done to
Sebastian Kreutz-Wellsted, Aron Thomas, Matthew Mayes, Jeremy Weinstein,
Alice Wood and Rebecca Fall, also known as team “Slice of pi”, for their input.
Sebastian, Aron and Matthew worked extremely hard on putting together the final solution
demonstrating excellent mathematical and ICT skills. They presented their solution,
alongside 23 other finalists, to a panel of judges at Edge Hill University, after a very
exciting night in the Halls of Residence! A
second congratulations to Sebastian who
won a spot prize on the day. A very big
thank you to Mr Wellsted for driving the
boys to Ormskirk, Lancashire. The trip
could not have gone ahead without his
help. I hope Mr Wellsted has recovered
from a night in Halls and 170 miles of
maths jokes!
Mrs Price
Maths Department
July 2016
Page 9 of 30
News from the Library
Author Caroline Green visits Owen’s library twice
We were delighted to be able to round off the term with two visits from author
Caroline Green. Caroline has visited the school several times before, and her thrillers are
very popular with our students. On Friday 8th July Caroline spoke to some Year 7 classes
and certainly inspired them to read her books.
Caroline signed copies of her books for Year 7
students.
We are grateful to the OSA for enabling
Caroline’s Year 7 visit.
On Monday 11th July Caroline returned as
guest author for the Sixth Form Independent
Reading Day to hold a creative writing session
with our Year 12 students. Caroline spoke
about her work as a writer, about creativity and
the importance of reading, and then
encouraged our students to try some creative writing tasks themselves using song lyrics
as inspiration. This was a lovely opportunity for our students to explore creative writing
beyond the exam syllabus.
Mrs S Compton
Librarian
News from the Computing Department
Great to hear that Zak Buzzard in Year 9 has made it through to the finals of the
BAFTA Youth Game Designers with his amazing Box Game. Good Luck!
Here’s a link to try the game yourself!
July 2016
Zak’s Box Game
Page 10 of 30
The Great Owen’s Bake Off
Tuesday 5th July saw the 6th annual lower school baking competition. 38 keen bakers
from years 7, 8 and 9 took part in a 2 hour competition to bake an item that could be
served at a buffet to celebrate the Rio Olympics.
As always, the standard was incredibly high and the students worked very well under
pressure to produce an incredibly creative range of dishes that not only looked good, but
also tasted delicious. Highlights included Olympics swimming pools, the Velodrome and
Christ the Redeemer, all crafted out of cake!
This year we were delighted to welcome Miss Anderson, Miss Kent, Mr Latham and
Mr Davies as our guest judges who did a great job of tasting 38 different dishes!
The winners were as follows:
Year 7 Alice Bayley for
her ‘Olympic swimming pool’
Year 8 Lucy Cameron for her
‘Olympic medal Swiss rolls’
Year 9 Sophie Lotinga for her
‘Continental flavoured cupcakes’
who deserves a special mention for
battling through the competition with
only one hand, as she has a broken elbow!
The overall winner of the competition was
year 7 student, Sophia Venters, for her
‘Rio Platter of savoury quiche’
Very well done to all of the competitors!
July 2016
Page 11 of 30
News from the PE Department
Rounders – District League Competition
The year 7, 8, 9 and 10 teams all played Yavneh College. The year 7s won by a score of
18-6 with Noa Shmueli voted as player of the match; the year 8s lost 7.5-10 with
Layya Salim selected as player of the game; the year 9s won 14.5-9 with Emma Ritson
voted as player of the match and the year 10s won 21.5-13 with Maxine Borden and
Kristin Errington joint players of the game.
The year 7, 8 and 10 teams subsequently played Mount Grace School. The year 7 team
won 18.5-2.5 with Inez Crowe and Maisie Taylor joint players of the game; the year 8
team won 10.5-5 with Ruby Richards awarded the player of the match accolade and the
year 10 team lost 12-6 with Maxine Borden player of the game.
The year 7, 8 sides and 9 then went on to play Queenswood School, all recording
victories. The year 7s won by a score of 8-4.5 with Inez Crowe player of the game; the
year 8s won 9.5-7 with Georgia Albert Palmer and Elisah Aziz sharing the player of the
match award and the year 9s won 17-15 with Mineli Cooray player of the game.
Against Chancellor’s School the year 7s won 19.5-10 with Anya Kotecha player of the
game, the year 8As won 9.5-6.5 with Naina Stubbs player of the game and the year 8Bs
won in a friendly 10.5-3 with Honey Millard-Clothier player of the game.
All year groups qualified for the semi-finals of this competition (the year 7 and 9 teams did
so undefeated). The year 7s played Sir Frederic Osborn School in their semi-final and
were triumphant by a score of 24.5-4.5 with Inez Crowe receiving the player of the match
award. The year 8s faced Bishop’s Hatfield Girls’ School and won 14-5.5 with
Megan Boulton and Georgia Albert Palmer sharing the player of the match award. The
year 9s defeated Monk’s Walk School in their semi-final by a score of 8.5-7 with
Niraali Mehta player of the match. The year 10s played Stanborough School and won by
a score of 16-4 with Maxine Borden player of the game.
Unfortunately, the wet weather meant the finals could not take place so the trophies were
shared for all age groups.
Rounders – District Tournaments
Unfortunately all tournaments fell victim to the weather.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Isabelle Boffey (year 11) who was selected to represent Great Britain
at the European Youth Championships at under 18 level in the 800m and went on to win
Gold in a time of 2.07 minutes.
Congratulations to Laura Jones (year 9) who has been selected to represent England at
Taekwondo.
Congratulations to Lucy Georgiou and Neve Mayes (both year 9) on being selected for
the Junior Regional Performance Centre for under 15 hockey.
July 2016
Page 12 of 30
The U14 Girls’ Athletics squad have had a fantastic season. The whole team’s dedication
and commitment paid off this summer term. The team were placed 1 st in the County
League, a trophy we have not received since 2010. The team performed very well at the
County Final which resulted in 3rd, just 1 point behind 2nd and only 5 points from 1st place.
The team also qualified from the county round of the Track and Field Cup. The regional
round took place at Allianz Park, the entire team were very impressive on the day which
resulted in 1st place. Congratulations to all athletes involved!
In addition, for the second year running both boys’ and girls’ U14 and U16 teams qualified
to the County League final, a great achievement by all
Congratulations also to the years 7-10 girls who won the Saracens Cheer and Dance
Competition at the weekend .
News from the Careers Department
Real Life Game
Year 8 students spent half a day off timetable in the last week of term to play the Owen’s
version of the Real Game. The objective of the game is to introduce students to the world
of work including the purpose of getting a job and how to cover the cost of living. The
game also includes how to apply for a job and what to expect in the interview process.
Members of SLT carried out the job interviews to find the best applicant for a part-time job
in a local music shop. Thank you to the Year 8 Form Tutors as well as the interviewers
for making it a highly successful and enjoyable morning.
Work Experience
Year 10 students – save the date for work experience next year. We have moved the
work experience scheme to take place after GCSE exams. The current Year 10 students
will carry out a week in the work place next July after the Sixth Form Induction
programme. The scheduled week is 3-7th July 2017 inclusive. More information will
follow in September.
A Level and GCSE Results Days
I will be in school on Thursday 18th August for A Level results, to help any students with
any queries relating to their university choices. Our Youth Connexions Personal Adviser,
Luisa Grandine, will be in school on Thursday 25 th August for GCSE results, to help any
students and their parents/carers with alternative choices to our Sixth Form. She will also
have up-to-the-minute information on the enrolment procedures and schedules at the
local colleges.
I wish everyone a relaxing summer break.
Mrs C Whiter
Careers Co-ordinator
July 2016
Page 13 of 30
National Art & Design Saturday Club Trust 2016
Congratulations to Gargi Purandare, Sophie Lloyd, Sarah Kapllani-Mucaj,
Aphra Sterne-Rodgers and Sally Gunsaya for successfully completing The National Art
and Design Saturday Club course. Students had the opportunity to use the amazing
facilities at Middlesex University to explore photography and etching as well as shoe
designs from their Masterclass at Pentland. Classes are free to attend and are delivered
by specialist practitioners, expert tutors and visiting professionals. The culmination of the
course led to a wonderful Summer Show Exhibition at Somerset House and all work
produced will be used as part of their Art GCSE portfolio for assessment in May next
year.
Well done to all who participated and our sincere thanks to Mrs Grigson for organising
this fantastic experience for our young artists.
The Art Department
July 2016
Page 14 of 30
News from the Music Department
The Summer Term has been as busy as ever in the Music Department, with a series of
wonderful concerts, performances and events bringing together hundreds of pupils and
members of staff from across the school.
The Junior Concert on Wednesday 25th May featured an exciting variety of musical styles
from Mozart to Bruno Mars, performed by pupils in Second Band, Junior Brass Group.
Flute Ensemble, Junior Strings and Second Orchestra.
The French-themed Piano Concert on Thursday 16th June included a performance by
guest pianists, Janneke Brits and James Kreiling, and a piece for 16 pupils and one
piano!. The many stunning individual and small ensemble contributions to the Chamber
Concert on Wednesday 22 June demonstrated the high level of commitment and
dedication of students in preparing their performances.
One audience member described attending a Choral Concert at Owens as ‘being like
given a huge, warm hug’, as the full. rich and beautifully blended sounds of the Junior
Choir, Junior Chamber Choir, Senior Mixed Choir, Senior Chamber Choir and Close
Harmony Group fill the EGH. The concert on Thurs 30June was no exception, with a
July 2016
Page 15 of 30
programme that featured moving arrangements of traditional folk songs, madrigals, choral
pieces, songs with instrumental accompaniment and a special a capella vocal tribute to
Dr Davison.
The term then reached its conclusion with a
fantastic evening of brass/wind/percussion
repertoire performed by the Concert Band on
Wednesday 6 July, joined by Senior Strings
who performed an innovative programme of
contemporary music. The very next day, the
Senior String Ensemble travelled to
Birmingham, to perform in the National
Festival of Music for Youth.
After a highly commended performance in the regional stages of the National Festival,
Senior Strings were delighted to have been chosen to go through to the final stages of
the festival, the largest of its kind in the world. Their performance in the School Chamber
Orchestra category received outstanding feedback from the adjudicators, who
commented on the ensemble’s very high level of technical accomplishment and
committed performance. Senior Strings were then delighted to be nominated for a Music
for Youth Education Partnership Award and now eagerly await to hear whether there will
be an invitation to perform at the prestigious Schools Proms in November at the Royal
Albert Hall.
July 2016
Page 16 of 30
Finally, the Orchestral Concert on Thursday 14 July proved a fitting climax to another
amazing year of musical performances. Mr Pepper conducted his last concert at Owen’s,
after an impressive 25+years of service with a baton, which he then duly ‘handed’ over to
Mr Wilson and Mr Widden, who will be carrying on the great tradition of orchestral
performance which Mr Pepper has dedicated so much time to establishing and
strengthening.
With dedications, special tributes and farewells, concerts this term have all had both a
celebratory and emotional intensity to them, underpinned by the commitment, enthusiasm
and dedication of all the pupils, music department and school staff involved. Our thanks
and congratulations to everyone who has contributed to such wonderful music-making
this term, and the music department would like to extend a huge, heartfelt thank-you to
Dr Davison for his constant, unerring support of music in the school and his enthusiastic
attendance at so many concerts over so many years. We will really miss you!
Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s
Award Success – July 2016!
Many congratulations to seven more of our amazing Year 13 students for completing their
Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards: Eleanor Wright, Amari Korpal, Emma McIntyre,
Caitlin Creeley, Jasmin Ranu, Amish Jethwa and Sophie Hallums. Now officially
approved by Regional Office, they’re just waiting for their invitation to St James’s Palace
to receive their certificates!
As Direct Gold entrants, they’ve had to complete
Volunteering, Physical and Skill sections between 6-18 months each, qualify on two
Expeditions in Wild Country over four days each and undertake a week’s Residential
course.
July 2016
Page 17 of 30
Eleanor volunteered for 18 months with a local Beaver Scout Colony in Little Heath with
boys and girls aged between 6-8 years old, encouraging and supervising them and for
her Physical section, trained at a gym for 12 months, improving her running and jogging –
she plans to take part in a 13 mile half marathon this October.
She completed her Expeditions in the Brecon Beacons and the Lake District, sometimes
in challenging weather; she was a hard working member of the group, consistently
cheerful & showed good navigational judgement. Eleanor worked with her team to give a
presentation about the flora and fauna discovered at different heights during the
Assessment trip.
Learning to drive over a 6 month period, she passed her theory and physical driving tests
for her Skills section and undertook a pilgrimage to Taize, France, for the international
Youth Week, travelling independently with thousands of other young people for her
Residential trip. Her assessor credited her maturity and confidence in making new
friends as well as her incredibly friendly, open and engaging nature, saying she was a
real asset to the group.
Eleanor has a place at Bristol University to study Law in September. We wish her the very
best of luck!
Amari volunteered in DAOS history lessons with Year 8 and was great in encouraging
under confident children to participate and helping those who were struggling accessing
the work as well as being a group leader when needed. For her Physical section, she
attended Virgin Active Health Club with the main goals being whole body toning,
strengthening legs muscles as well as building & developing the back muscles!
Spending a year developing her Skills in public speaking, “devising and presenting some
very informative and powerful speeches”, has enabled her to work towards her Grade 8
LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) exam, which she takes this July.
On her Residential Spanish language course, she socialised with her new friends, often
cooking her own meals, navigated her way round Salamanca and took part in group
activities, increasing her independence!
July 2016
Page 18 of 30
Her Expeditions were also to Wales and Cumbria, with
her group’s aim of also discovering flora & fauna found
at different heights. The assessor said Amari was a
valuable team member and although she had injury
niggles, felt the cold and lost her walking pole (which
through no fault of her own broke!), she remained
extremely determined to complete her expedition
throughout.
Amari is hoping to study Politics & International
Relations at the University of Warwick in September.
We wish her much success in August!
Emma had a hockey focus for her Residential, Physical and Volunteering activities! She
attended the Lilleshall National Sports and Conferencing Centre in Shropshire, run by
England Hockey Coaches for a week’s educational programme, related to the
maximisation of high performance athletic potential. She was selected for the UK
Schools Games last September.
Volunteering to help coach the DAOS Year 9 Hockey Team, Emma developed good
leadership skills and an excellent rapport with the girls. Improving her individual skills at
Southgate Hockey Club, she has been a huge value to the team on and off the pitch,
seeking goal scoring positions and being relied upon to convert those opportunities!
Contributing to the DAOS Concert Band, Emma had a weekly percussion lesson which
led her to become an outstanding role model and gave a solo performance at one of the
Concerts. In her Assessment Expedition to the Lake District she took a key navigation
and leader role within the team which looked more in-depth at team work and morale; her
positive and bright personality helping keep the team in good spirits throughout.
Emma is planning to read Biological Science at Durham in September and we wish her
much success in the future!
Caitlin, like Emma, also had a Hockey focus and attended the Residential England
Hockey Futures Cup 5 day competition and was subsequently selected for the U18 Girl’s
National Squad trials. Our DAOS Year 9 Hockey Team benefited from her volunteering to
train them on Monday lunchtimes, concentrating on team tactics. The girls went onto win
the Year 9 County Cup. Also a member of Southgate Hockey Club, she demonstrated an
incredible training ethic and ability to transfer learning to the game, being a huge asset to
the team.
For her Skills section, Caitlin undertook driving lessons and confidently passed her
driving test first time within the 6 month period. She undertook her Practice Expedition to
Wales and Assessment Expedition in Cumbria, where they faced challenging conditions
across the Lake District. Despite the tough going underfoot, she was endlessly cheerful
and upbeat which really helped lift the morale of the team and carried them through. Their
assessor said the team’s camp craft was excellent, particularly at the “wild campsite”
which they really enjoyed!
July 2016
Page 19 of 30
Caitlin has an offer from Birmingham in September and we wish her good luck with her A
Level results!
Sophie volunteered helping Mrs Compton, our Librarian, for over a year, working on
managing resources, supporting at events such as World Book Day, assisting students, in
particular Year 7, and creating displays. For her Physical activity, she attended Pilates
classes at the David Lloyd Gym, North Finchley, mastering the fundamental principles in
flexibility, balance and core work and has now progressed to the intermediate class.
She also took up driving for her Skills section, working
very hard to pass her theory and practical tests, with
the “perfect attitude”! For her Residential she attended
a Scout Camp in Kings Lynn as a Young Leader,
looking after over 30 scouts – her assessor said, “She
was a tremendous asset to the Scout leaders, used her
acute sense of humour to bring out the funny side of
scouting, was ready to listen to other people’s opinions
and enjoyed exploring alternative ideas with them”.
The Expeditions in Wales and Cumbria were
challenging and the assessor noted Sophie overcame
these by showing great navigational and camp craft
abilities – she also brought a good atmosphere to the team and was an overall great
attribute.
Sophie wants to study Maths at Bristol in the autumn and we hope she succeeds with her
ambitions!
Jasmin volunteered for 15 months in DAOS Key Stage 3 Science lessons assisting those
students who were in danger of falling behind, with kindness and understanding, helped
in assemblies and managed equipment according to the correct safety guidelines. For 18
months, she learnt Jazz Dance, was a conscientious student and worked on group
routines with complicated choreography to perform publically as well! For 6 months,
Jasmin continued to learn the piano to improve her technical skills and showed
commitment to her weekly lessons.
During her Assessment Expedition to Cumbria, she pushed herself out of her comfort
zone and with her group, checked how accurate the weather predictions were in the area
- measuring wind direction, temperature, weather conditions and visibility. Undertaking
the NCS (National Citizenship Service) course in her Year 11 summer at the Green Park
Outdoors Centre in Buckinghamshire, she “worked exceptionally hard” and developed her
leadership skills, encouraging other young people to get involved. She worked well in
teams taking part in rock climbing and abseiling and “helped others to finish their
activities”.
Jasmin wants to study medicine at Cardiff in September and we wish her the best of luck
for the future.
July 2016
Page 20 of 30
Amish spent 12 months volunteering as a teaching
assistant every Saturday morning at the Hertfordshire
Gujarati School, proving himself to be an inspirational role
model for the younger children with his teamwork,
compassion and dedication, often going the extra mile to
enhance their learning experience. For his Physical
activity he developed swimming techniques and fitness to
be able to take his Life Saving Certificate within 6 months
and over 18 months built his manual dexterity for his Skills
by creating amazing paper origami structures each week
and photographing them as evidence, as well as
supporting the School origami club.
For his Assessment Expedition in Cumbria, his team's aim was to assess how far the
predicted weather conditions matched the actual ones and their objective was to work as
part of a team, ensuring everyone was motivated. His Assessor said he showed a high
level of navigation skill and great team work through efficiency and discipline of camp
craft skills.
His Residential was spent at Hertfordshire County Scout Council,
Phasels Wood Activity Centre, where he worked hard helping leaders with activities on a
course based on the introduction of volunteers to the outdoor industry.
We’re delighted for Eleanor, Emma, Amari, Caitlin, Jasmin, Amish and Sophie that they’ve
achieved this significant Gold award and hope they inspire others! There are several
Year 13 students who are also scheduled to complete their award this summer and we
look forward to congratulating them too as Old Owenians! We’d also like to give a huge
thank you to all their assessors, including members of staff at DAOS and the students’
own parents, who without their volunteer support for young people, the Award Scheme
would not be possible.
Finally, this year is the 60th Anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and
Mrs M English (Gold Award holder herself) has just completed a Diamond Challenge to
raise the profile and funds for the Scheme to support disadvantaged and vulnerable
young people taking the Awards. She’s swum 15km in 15 days at the local Hatfield Swim
Centre, recording her distances using SWIMTAG. If you’re involved in the DofE Scheme
in any way or maybe have the Award yourself, she’d love you to donate to the DofE via:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AmandaEnglishSwimRioDofEDiamondChallenge.
Information about participating in the Awards at DAOS, is available on Life VLE. If you
are considering enrolling this September, please print and complete the enrolment form
on Life VLE and send to School with your cheque for the attention of Mrs M English
(Gold) or Miss A Lord (Bronze and Silver). Thank you!
Miss Lord
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Co-ordinator
July 2016
Mrs English
DofE Gold Support
Page 21 of 30
Drama & Theatre Studies 2015-2016
‘The Tamin’ of Katerina de Witt’
By Miss E Govier
Our Winter Production, written and directed
by Miss Govier was an adaptation of ‘The
Taming of the Shrew.’ The play was set in the
Old West and featured an array of colourful
characters.
The
cast
was
led
by
George Rowlands and Georgia Choudhuri who
played the sheriff sent to clean up town and
the eponymous wildcat whom he was
assigned to tame. There were plenty of
fireworks due to the feminist take on the play,
fisticuffs provided by the gun-slinging
Daniel Spencer-Todd and romantic interludes
between Henry Sweeney, Megan Gibbons,
Charlie Porritt and Isabella Colletta. There was
some traditional square-dancing provided by
Year 10 and even a Mexican hat dance.
Although the play explored some darker
issues, it was balanced with plenty of comedic
moments provided by Philip Protheroe who
now has a fan club in Year 7 who only address
him as Jésus.
July 2016
Page 22 of 30
July 2016
Page 23 of 30
‘High Society’
Music and lyrics by Cole Porter Book by Arthur Kopit
Additional lyrics by Susan Birkenhead Licensed by MusicScope
The Spring Production was ‘High Society’, a romantic and stylish comedy directed by
Miss Govier and Mr Werner. Emma Skelly played the ice-maiden Tracy Lord and her
three beaux were played by George Rowlands, Philip Protheroe and Seth Taylor. The
chemistry between Tracy and her admirers was both hilarious and touching and there
were plenty of well-known numbers such as ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ and ‘I love
Paris’ accompanied by our brilliant live band. Ms Makepeace-Lott coached our superb
lead singers who included Hannah Andrusier, Amy Bastani and the hilarious
Will Debnam. Mr Willcock designed his penultimate set which we all agreed was his finest
ever and the dancing certainly was the icing on the cake; beautifully choreographed by
Mrs Ellington, Lauren Ellington and Katie Lewczynski.
July 2016
Page 24 of 30
‘Arabian Nights’
Adapted by Dominic Cooke
Licensed by Nick Hern Books
The Summer Production was the ‘Arabian Nights’
directed by Miss Govier, a feast of entertainment provided
by the students in Years 7, 8 and 9. The leads were played
by Esther Bishop as Shahrazad the ingenious storyteller
and Daniel Hughes as Shahrayar, the bitter king whose
heart was melted by her tales. There were of course many
other leads as each story unfolded and we would like to
congratulate all of them, from DJ Gavriel as Ali Baba,
Jett James as The Little Beggar, Aditya Sembian as
Es Sindibad, Elian Razavi as Abu Hassan, James and
Oliver Allison as Sidi Nu’man and Martin Isik, Harry Brooks
and Emily Littlejohn as the brothers Bahman, Perviz and
their sister, the heroine Parizade.
In Year 9 our dances were choreographed by Lucia Acosta, Martha Cheek, Scarlet Kent,
Zara Kurt, Aisha Manning, Lily Moody and Caterina White. In Year 8 the dances were
choreographed by Zoe Antoniou, Lucy Cameron, Sophie Ingham, Mia Sung,
Freya Thornton and Sophie Walk. Our Year 12 Theatre Studies students
Georgia Choudhuri and Philip Protheroe also choreographed Year 8 dances and provided
much appreciated advice and support for the dancers in our Tech and Dress Rehearsals.
Miss Govier would particularly like to thank Jack Fox, Anoushka Syed and Cara Simpson
in Year 10 who valiantly helped out in rehearsals and backstage every night.
It was also time to say farewell to
Ben Linwood and Damian Pace
who have been involved in
Tech Crew since Year 7 and have
been a leading force in so many
productions, almost thirty in all if
you count all the GCSE and
A Level plays they have been
involved in. We wish you all the
best in your future endeavours.
July 2016
Page 25 of 30
July 2016
Page 26 of 30
Drama Curriculum Highlights
Year 13 Unit 3 Devised Piece: The dramatic year culminated in the GCSE, AS and A2
performances. Our first performance was a devised piece from Year 13 about ‘Memory’
which explored what memory means to us, how it can affect those who are impaired by it
and how some people find ways of preserving it as a form of Art. Megan Gibbons,
Charlie Porritt and Daniel Spencer-Todd gave truly heartfelt performances, including
many of their own memories as part of their performance. Their use of practitioners such
as Complicité and Katie Mitchell gave the piece a truly contemporary style and the
audience commented on how much they had learnt from watching the performance and
how much memory is such a fundamental part of our lives.
Year 12 Unit 2 Performances: Our AS performers Georgia Choudhuri, Isabella Colletta,
Michaela Minkin, Philip Protheroe, Emma Skelly, Henry Sweeney and Ruth Williams, all
chose a range of mature monologues that explored a range of amusing, dark and
thoughtful plays. This year they performed monologues from ‘The Collector’, ‘Oleanna’,
‘His House in Order, ‘That Face’, ‘Hush’, ‘Hangmen’ and ‘After Juliet.’ Their group
performance of ‘Macbeth’, directed by Miss Govier, was played to a packed audience in
the new Drama Studio to parents, friends and staff. The one hour interpretation of the
Macbeths’ relationship and the influence of the supernatural was a fierce physical
interpretation of the text and the actors certainly gave their all. There was certainly an air
of elation after months of hard work and a sense of immense pride in their final
performance.
Year 11 Unit 3 Performances: The GCSE performances directed by Miss Govier and
Mrs Nicolaides explored a range of issues, including the repression of women in The
House of Bernarda Alba, escape from oppression in North Korea in ‘You for Me for You’,
women’s working rights in #girlboss, the significance of memories in ‘100’, the
perspectives of parents in the psychologically tense ‘Hang’ and finally ‘Hangmen’ by
Martin McDonagh which explores the moral questions associated with the death penalty.
The students thoroughly threw themselves into their performances and really did
themselves proud.
This Year’s prizes for Drama
The W J Hamilton Hinds Prize for Drama: Ben Linwood & Damian Pace
Year 13: Megan Gibbons
Year 12: Georgia Choudhuri
Year 11: Alasdair Coulter
Year 10: Cara Simpson
Director of Drama
Miss E Govier
July 2016
Second in Department
Mrs L Nicolaides
Page 27 of 30
News from the OSA
The
Owen’s
School
Association
Summer Fete –This year’s Summer Fair on 2nd July
was a great success thanks to the help and hard work
of the Owen’s community.
Delicious food, great
entertainment, a variety of stalls and a range of fun
activities all helped to raise approximately £8,000 for the school. Thank you to everyone
who assisted in this event whether in the form of donations, manning a stall or buying or
selling raffle tickets and to everyone who supported the event by coming along on the
day.
Refreshments – This half term has been busy as it’s the end of the school year and we
would like to thank everyone who has helped serve refreshments at any of the events.
The sale of drinks and snacks at concerts, plays and parents evenings raises a
considerable sum of money during the course of the year so thank you to Sarah and her
team of helpers for all their hard work. If you are able to help in the new academic year
then please contact [email protected].
Easy Fund Raising – A really simple way to make money for the school at no extra cost
to yourself. Simply go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/, sign up and select Owen’s School
Association as your charity. Then go via Easyfundraising every time you shop online and
a percentage of your spend goes to the school. Over 3000 retailers donate including the
major supermarkets, so if you do your weekly shop online please sign up.
Book Covers – As a reminder book covers are available for sale during the year and an
order form can be found on the OSA website, www.theosa.org.uk. Alternatively a paper
copy of the order form can be found in a yellow folder in the OSA box. Please mark any
envelopes ‘book cover order’.
Matched Funding – If you are employed by a company that is able to offer matched
funding and would like to make a donation to Owens School Association please contact
[email protected]. This is a simple and efficient way that companies can make a
charitable donation.
School Uniform – As you know, this service is extremely popular and we constantly need
new donations. Should your son/daughter have outgrown any of their old school uniform
please donate it. Donations of good quality items can be handed into the school office, in
a suitable bag, labeled for the attention of Julia Clews "OSA Nearly New", throughout the
year.
Reasonably priced, previously owned school uniform is available throughout the year by
contacting Julia Clews. School uniform will also be available to purchase at Parents’
Evenings, stock permitting. Payment can be made by cash or cheque (payable to Owen's
School Association). Of course all funds raised go back to the school. Stock is made up
of donations and uncollected items of lost property stored in the school office at the end
of each academic year.
OSA Committee - The OSA committee always needs new members to help raise funds
for the school. If you would like to come to a meeting they are usually held on the first
July 2016
Page 28 of 30
Monday of the month at 8pm in The Old Library. The next meeting is scheduled for
5th September 2016. If you cannot make it to the meetings but would like to help out in
some way then please email [email protected]. or [email protected] who will be
happy to hear from you.
Finally We would like to thank the caretakers for all their support over the year and we
wish everyone a fun-filled summer holidays. Hopefully the promised heatwave will arrive.
OSA
easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/owensschoolassociation
July 2016
Page 29 of 30
July 2016
Page 30 of 30