Farlington Focus February March 2015

Farlington Focus
February/March 2015
Issue 39
Message from Louise Higson, Headmistress
Spring has certainly arrived - the days are lengthening, the daffodils have emerged and the weather is gradually
improving. In true Farlington spirit the girls and staff have been as industrious as ever; it amazes me just how
much we manage to pack in! In just five weeks, events have included an astronomy star party on the South
Lawn, World Book Day and two stunning productions: ‘Annie’ and ‘Anything Goes’. The talent and energy which
the girls display never fails to astound me. One of the things I love about the girls at Farlington is their ‘can-do’
attitude! Ellie Burnell-Price triumphed in her organisation of the Farlington
Fashion Show – from Nursery to Sixth Form and staff, the whole school
community was involved. This week, the Year 10 girls taking part in the St
Catherine’s Hospice Challenge have succeeded in raising their £1500 target;
fundraising initiatives have included a sponsored silence (a very peaceful
day!), car washing and a Prep disco.
I know the girls, and boys in the Nursery, are ready for a holiday, and I must
admit the staff are too! I wish you all a wonderful Easter break and I look
forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 20th April.
FARLINGTON FASHION SHOW
Alice in Wonderland was the theme for 18-year-old Ellie
Burnell-Price’s Fashion Show on 18th March 2015. The Trina
Mawer Hall had been miraculously transformed into a
catwalk worthy of Paris, Milan or London. The catwalk ran the
length of the hall, lit by a gantry of spot-lights and speakers
provided by Concert Tech. Models - fabulous in flats, poised
in platforms or bopping in bare feet - appeared as if by magic,
accompanied by appropriately themed music melded into
one continuous track by top London DJ, Jez Pereira. The buzz,
in a Hall decorated with balloon-tree rose bushes and oversized tea-cups, was palpable. The models were drawn from
the staff and students of Farlington - from one of the
youngest students, three-year-old Isla Turner, to some of the
oldest students in the Upper Sixth. Each segment of the show
was sponsored by particular designers and local companies:
One Forty, Joanna Zara Millinery, Molly Coddle
Childrenswear, Jenny Collicott London, Lizzie Lock Millinery,
It’s Not Me It’s You London, Zoozoo2, Type on Top and
couture designer, Hiroshi Goto. Louise Higson, Headmistress,
commented after the show, “This was a truly incredible event
for an adult in the fashion or PR industry to have pulled off,
let alone an 18-year-old student, but then Ellie is hardly your
average student and Farlington is hardly your average
school.” Whatever next year’s EPQ students produce, their
work will have been inspired and enkindled by this awesome
event from an amazing young woman. Watch out for her
name: her future is bright.
Jane Williams’ full review of the show can be found on the website.
What makes a great
school?
This
week,
I
revisited
Farlington’s most recent, 2010
Independent Schools Inspection
Report. I did this for several
reasons, one of them being that
we are currently updating our
Development Plans and looking
ahead to next academic year.
This in itself seems incredible when we are just two thirds
of the way through 2014-15, but taking the long-term view
is so important in order to get things done.
As a Team Inspector myself, I find it interesting to read
such reports anyway but what I found most edifying was
that by looking back five years, I could see how much has
been achieved in that timeframe; we never stand still.
Innovations since the last inspection include developing
the libraries in the Prep School, making better and more
use of computers for teaching and learning and giving
greater opportunity for independent thinking and learning
in lessons. It was the frequency of the words, excellent
and outstanding, relating not only to standards of work
and of teaching, but also in reference to behaviour,
leadership and management, governance, extra-curricular
provision and much, much more that made me feel very
proud to be a part of the team.
So, what is the essence of a great school? Browsing
through articles on this subject, one finds recurrent
themes such as staff collaborating and supporting each
other, continually learning, developing and improving;
happy, healthy learners who make excellent progress. The
list is extensive. So what makes Farlington a great school?
For me, it includes all of the above, but I would add to this
the calm, purposeful work ethic that pervades this place;
the positive outlook, tireless effort and creativity of staff,
but most of all, the Farlington Community, all pulling
together.
Frances Mwale, Prep Headmistress
UNIFORM CHANGEOVER
Prep School – girls can wear summer dresses or their winter
uniform until Tuesday 5th May, after which summer dresses
must be worn by all.
GRANDPARENTS’ AFTERNOON
20th March saw
the first Prep
Grandparents’
Afternoon.
A
brief welcome
was followed by
refreshments,
then a short
concert. The girls
rose
to
the
challenge, with Choirs and the cast of ‘Annie’ singing with
gusto. There were some fabulous harp, oboe and flute pieces
performed, too, all showcasing the confidence with which
our girls share their considerable musical talents, under the
excellent guidance of Mrs Thomas and Mr Dallimore. Family
values are closely held by our happy and vibrant community
and it seemed very fitting to reserve this special occasion for
our grandparents, to thank them for their interest in the
School and, of course, for the wonderful part that they play
in the girls’ education. The afternoon was a wonderful
success and as usual this was down to a marvellous team
effort!
WORLD BOOK DAY
The Prep School supported the charity Big Brother Mouse on
World Book Day, with each girl paying a pound to wear a
onesie, so she could curl up with a good book, or dress as her
favourite book character for the day. Big Brother Mouse is an
organisation set up in Laos to help get books into schools. It
is trying to change Laos from a country where traditionally
“people don’t read” into a country which loves books. Books
are taken by canoe and elephant to the more remote
villages. Sarah Welsh, Prep 6W’s teacher, said, “All the girls
and l agreed that a life without books would be miserable, so
we are very happy to support this charity.”
MOTHER’S DAY TEA
On 13th March, the girls from Reception and Prep 1 invited their
mothers to a Mother’s Day Tea. In preparation, the Reception
children printed place mats and bunting to decorate the table and
the classroom; they also made invitations illustrated with their stilllife pictures of the class amaryllis plant. They baked lemon biscuits
and sponge cakes from scratch. It was a really special occasion and
everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a lovely way to say ‘thank you’
to their mothers.
-2-
PREP 4 TACKLE MODERN ART
VICTORIAN DAY
On 16th March Prep 6 came to school to experience education
from a different era as part of their history topic. They all
looked wonderful in their Victorian costumes (girls and boys)
and were quite surprised to find their classrooms transformed
into a very austere, bare-looking environment. Their teachers
were suitably strict and their lessons very different. Chanting
dates and facts was a new experience and as for the Victorian
maths, ‘very confusing’ was the verdict! Writing on slates,
however, was appreciated by some as they realised they could
rub out any mistakes easily. An object lesson studying and
drawing a daffodil or an onion was an interesting session,
whilst others read from some rather dated reading material.
‘Our books today are so much more fun,’ someone was heard
to say. Having eaten their own packed lunch - no plastic,
chocolate or clingfilm in sight - they played with hoops, ropes
and marbles to while away their break. By the end of the day,
and having to recite a poem by heart, they decided they
preferred their own school life and were glad not to have been
Victorian school children.
What is art? This was the question that the girls from Prep 4
were asked as they looked at the interesting, yet, somewhat
strange, artwork in the Tate Modern on Tuesday 10th March.
They discussed the artists’ use of colour, line and shape, and
the mood created by the various paintings and sculptures. It
was fascinating to look at the work of famous artists such as
Picasso and Salvador Dalí. They also took inspiration from
the art work on ‘Dreams’ and thought about images that
they might include in their own work. They are looking
forward to using different media to create work in the style
of their favourite artists. And their answer to the question
was . . . ‘Art is anything you create from your imagination. It
can be any shape, size or colour. It doesn’t have to look
beautiful or perfect, and there is no right or wrong.’
GLOBE THEATRE TRIP
HOOKE COURT
Prep 5 visited Hooke Court in Dorset for a two-day residential
trip to support their study of the Tudors. Highlights for the girls
included candle-making, the boat-building challenge, the
murder mystery evening, learning traditional dances and the
Tudor banquet.
-3-
Prep 6 stepped back in time when they entered the Globe
Theatre in London. They were given an insight into the life of
an actor and the ways in which stagecraft is orchestrated in
the round. They visited one of the Globe’s studios where the
girls were put through their paces, working in small groups,
staging freeze-frames of specific scenes and working in pairs
on using their voices and body language to convey the scene
where Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to do the deed.
In the museum they looked at the costumes, props and
musical instruments that are regularly used on stage. They
even got a chance to wear some of the costumes and to find
out how unhygienic the Elizabethans were… only washing
four or five times a year!
SPORT
Message from Miss Whittaker
CONGRATULATIONS
On the netball court progress has been made by Years 7–11
with some good results and tight matches played! The U14’s
have had some close encounters and are proud to have Gaby
Eltham playing for them, who was again selected to
represent the Sussex U14 squad. The U15 team was placed
2nd in the West Sussex tournament. Two teams made it to
the semi-finals of the Sussex Knockout Cup. The U16, after a
great run, lost to Hurst and the U13 also lost to Brighton
College at the same stage. We were delighted that six girls,
pictured below, had the opportunity to be ball girls for Surrey
Storm in a match at Surrey Sports Park.
Rania Hyde and Freya Millis both came away with bronze
medals from the Sussex Indoor Athletic Championships Rania in the 60m and Freya in the High Jump. Tamsin
Campbell won the pole vault.
At the County Swimming Championships,
Amelia Wright, pictured right with Issy,
scooped 5 silver and 2 bronze medals and
Issy Hayes won 10 medals - 3 gold, 5
silver and 3 bronze.
Freya Millis and Amelia Wright both
performed well at the Sussex Schools
Cross-Country Championships and will be running for
Sussex at the Inter-Counties event.
Our fencers competed well at Ardingly in
the recent competition against various
schools. Eleanor Harvie, right, finished a
fabulous 3rd in the Public Schools in the
epée event winning a bronze medal and she
came 11th in the U23 championships out of
39 women.
Anna Wilson came third at the Surrey 1m
Diving Competition at the Spectrum in
March.
Sophie Kitson, right, came second in the
U14 Girls Singles, and won the U14 Girls
Doubles at the Tunbridge Wells Autumn
Badminton Tournament on 8th March.
In terms of hockey, the U12 team went to the Christ’s
Hospital tournament and played brilliantly. The U13’s, U14’s
& U15’s have had some good games against local schools and
have made great progress in all aspects of the game. The
U13’s were very unlucky to be knocked out of the cup after
letting in a soft goal early on and then dominating the second
half against Hurst.
Congratulations go to all the girls who have played in the
various squads on offer over the last season. They have
shown great commitment, perseverance and determination
which has resulted in the fantastic progress which has been
made.
PREP INTER-HOUSE NETBALL
On 18th March, Prep 4, 5 and 6 took part in the annual Prep
Inter-House netball tournament. Some fantastic netball was
displayed across all houses. In section 1, Keller 1 were
runners-up with 11 points, but scored a marvellous 16 goals,
and the winners, winning all of their matches, were
Nightingale 1 (Emily Higgs (Captain), Hettie Low, Abigail
Cooper, Daisy Littlewood, Isabelle Skinner and Beth
Lillywhite) finishing with 15 points. In Section 2, Nightingale 2
were runners-up with 10 points, and Keller 2 (Maddy Giller
(Captain), Isabella Hayes, Liesl Bridge-Butler, Emilia Fisher,
Samantha Kumaraswamy, Anusha Kansagra, Alexia
Homerstone and Rujina Thapa) were the winners, winning all
of their games, totalling 15 points and scoring an amazing 29
goals. All the points were added from both sections to decide
the overall winners. It was a close finish with Nightingale on
25 points and Keller with 26 points, which meant that they
are the 2014-2015 champions.
NETBALL ROADSHOW
On Saturday 21st March, Farlington was delighted to host
the Surrey Storm Junior Netball Roadshow, sponsored by
ReEnergise Renewables, which was attended by 80 girls. 25
girls from Farlington participated and the other 55 places
were filled with girls from Cranleigh, Rudgwick, Brighton
and the other side of Guildford. The sessions were led by
Rachel Dunn (England International), Bongiwe Msomi
(South African International) and Amy Flanagan (Surrey
Storm 1st Team). Girls were split into age groups and stayed
with their coach for the two-hour session. They all had great
fun throughout the varied warm-ups and the skills-based
sessions. It was obvious to any spectators that the girls were
not only enjoying the tasks, but were also learning and
developing their netball skills.
-4-
FARLINGTON SPRINGS INTO MUSICAL ACTION
So much music… and so few words with which to do the
evening justice. Farlington’s ‘Spring Concert’ on 19th March
was a dynamic, varied and skilful display of musical talent.
The girls, supported by a terrific team of music staff led by
Jane Thomas, pulled out all the stops to make the evening a
truly special event as the audience was treated to a bountiful
programme with many highlights. From Vivaldi to Scott
Joplin, from Irving Berlin to Taylor Swift, by way of The Kooks
and Karl Jenkins, such dazzling variety clearly illuminated the
vitality and vibrancy of the music that Farlington produces.
The girls performed with great skill, dedication and creativity
throughout. Impromptu moments are often a feature of
Farlington’s relaxed and confident events, and on this
occasion these came in the form of a ‘Happy Birthday’, sung
by choirs and audience alike for an unsuspecting member of
the audience and, via the wonders of mobile technology,
music teacher Brian Dallimore’s young daughter. A
wonderfully melodious and memorable evening.
Mark Slawinski
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WINDLESHAM
LECTURES
In February, Gaby Eltham and
Natasha Pennington, two Year 9
academic scholars, were inspired
by the Windlesham Lectures
entitled ‘A Force for Good’ which
focused on developing social
responsibility and character
innovation. The girls were impressed by the speakers who
included the Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, the Headmasters of
Eton and Harrow, Tony Little and Jim Hawkins, Lord Michael
Hastings CBE, KPMG International’s Global Head of
Corporate Citizenship, and Chanté Joseph from the charity,
‘Step Up to Serve’. The focus of the day was on education
for responsibility and standing for a purpose that is greater
than oneself. Tony Little, the Headmaster from Eton, asked
the students to ‘unleash their appetite for knowledge’,
whilst Chanté Joseph promoted social action for young
people and aimed to inspire students to use their privilege
to help others.
RIDING SUCCESS
There was a win for the Farlington Riding Team on Mother's
Day at the Nationals School Associations Show Jumping
competition at Parwood Equestrian Centre in Guildford.
The team of three, comprising Clarissa Burnell-Price and Ella
and Lily Heron, won the 90cm Class and were presented
with lovely red rosettes and an Easter egg each. Lily also
came third and Ella fourth as individuals. The next class was
bigger at 1 metre in height and Lily rode a brilliant and fast
clear round to come sixth individually. Clarissa and Ella both
tried really hard but knocked down a pole, which was
unlucky. Well done to all three girls for riding so well and for
representing Farlington at such a high level.
-5-
STARGAZING EVENING WITH SUSSEX UNIVERSITY TEAM
On the evening of Tuesday 24th February, the Sussex
University Physics and Astronomy Department Outreach
Team came to Farlington. High-powered binoculars and a
reflecting telescope were set up on the South Lawn, and girls
ranging from Years 8 to 11 viewed several objects in the
night sky. As daylight started to fade, their attention turned
to the Moon. The craters on the surface were clearly visible
and the girls took some great photographs through the
telescope. Throughout the evening they saw three planets:
Venus, Mars and Jupiter, along with Jupiter’s four largest
moons. Other objects included the Pleiades star cluster and
the Orion Nebula, a region where star formation is taking
place.
Chris Snewin, Head of Chemistry, who organised the
evening, said, “The girls asked some excellent questions of
the Sussex University team about the things they could see –
I think there are some budding astronomers at Farlington!”
Moon photo taken by Sophie Kitson on Natasha Pennington’s phone.
VIVE LECTURE
On 13th March John Bloomfield, a BAFTA-winning costume designer, gave
a Vive lecture to girls from Year 9 and above on his extraordinary work in
the theatrical fashion and film industry. John showed his detailed and
intricate drawings for various characters which included the famous coat
of the fourth Doctor Who, Tom Baker. He explained how the costumes
that featured in a number of films, including Kevin Costner’s ‘Robin
Hood’, started out as delicately drawn illustrations and how these
became incredibly remarkable costumes from a careful selection of
diverse and creative costume materials. John also illustrated his costume
designs for characters which the girls were more familiar with in ‘The
Mummy’ and its sequel, ‘The Scorpion King’. Girls even had the chance to
try on the mask that was featured in the film ‘The Mummy’! John’s
captivating talk, the detail and creativity of his drawings and how he
enabled them to come to life so effectively, was inspiring. A huge thankyou to him for sharing his work and experiences, as well as to Sixth
Former Ellie Burnell-Price who enabled this to happen.
FARLINGTONIC CONCERT ON 14TH MARCH 2015
Horsham’s Methodist Church was the venue for the eagerly awaited return of Farlingtonic Choir under the direction of Jane
Thomas, who also brought Farlington School’s Aristoskatz choir, soloists and instrumentalists to give a most appreciative
audience an evening packed with a varied and interesting repertoire. The concert also raised a magnificent total of £720 for
the charity ‘Action for Children’. Farlingtonic Choir, made up of parents, teachers and friends of Farlington School, got the
concert off to a great start with ‘Simple Gifts’ followed by Rutter’s tricky arrangement of ‘It was a lover and his lass’ and a
lively performances of ‘Hava Nagila’ complete with dancers, and finally a medley from ‘My Fair Lady’. Strood Recorder
Consort showed their versatility with Baroque dances and Berlin’s ‘Putting on the Ritz’, together with a lovely Handel duet,
whilst the Ukulele Group and The Saxophonics provided contrasting show-stoppers. The talented Aristoskatz choir sang
Brahms most movingly, then a close-harmony version of ‘Sailing’; and soloists Eleanor Harvie and Olivia Middleton gave
beautiful performances of Bach and Kurt Weill. Violinists Dawn Richards and Mackenzie Liang led the Telemann Strings in
some lively Vivaldi, whose ‘Gloria’ provided a stirring moment before the massed choirs’ final ‘Adiemus’ by Karl Jenkins.
-6-
STUNNING PREP PRODUCTION OF ‘ANNIE’
The sun will come out “Tomorrow” is the iconic song
from “Annie” – but the sun came out today for the
audiences who warmed to Farlington Prep
School’s bright, colourful and heartening rendition of
this much-loved musical.
Using Farlington’s New Courtyard Hall with its
enhanced facilities for drama, producer Lucy Cooper
made skilful and imaginative use of the space and some
50 girls acted, danced and sang with assurance, talent
and oodles of charm. Every ounce of pathos – and
humour – was wrung out of the absorbing storyline,
not least from the two girls who portrayed Annie with
such winsome panache.
The Prep 6 girls filled the range of character parts –
including a dog! - with thoughtful attention to detail
whilst the younger members of the cast showed their
versatility switching between orphans, servants and
sundry New Yorkers.
The songs have great variety and, under the expert
musical direction of Brian Dallimore, this young cast
delivered them with just the right mix of gusto and
subtlety. Definitely a triumph for the Farlington Prep
School and their ability to spread a little sunshine.
David Thomas
SENIOR GIRLS SHOW ‘THEY’RE THE TOPS’ IN ‘ANYTHING GOES’
In Farlington’s recent production of ‘Anything Goes’ an
all-singing, all-dancing cast wowed the packed
audiences with an evening of first-rate musical
comedy. Take the glamorous setting of a 1930’s liner,
throw in an exotic assortment of characters, from a
nightclub singer turned evangelist, to a pushy mother,
a hapless gangster (and obligatory moll), a selfimportant American tycoon, together with an equally
self-important ship’s captain and minister, and you
have the recipe for an evening of theatrical surprises.
With a P.G. Wodehouse-inspired script the show has
humour, in Billy and Hope a pair of delightful young
lovers, and, of course, a trademark English lord.
Showgirls, Chinese gentlemen, a reporter, passengers
and sailors all add to the fun, as does the full-blooded
delivery of such feel-good songs as ‘Anything Goes’
and ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow’. A great evening with the
inspirational team of director, Mark Slawinski, and
musical director, Jane Thomas, enabling us to say of
the entire cast, ‘You’re the Tops’!
David Thomas
-7-
CHARITY GOLF DAY
Farlington’s second Charity Golf Day will be held on Friday 15 th
May at Ifield Golf Club, Crawley. The day will be in aid of two
very worthwhile charities: Cancer Research UK and The
Farlington Foundation. Cancer Research UK has saved millions
of lives by discovering new ways to prevent, diagnose and
treat cancer and the Farlington Foundation was set up in 2005
‘to further the education of pupils attending Farlington School
by the awarding of Scholarships, Bursaries and Prizes’. To find
out more about the Farlington Foundation, please contact Tim
Richardson at [email protected].
If you would like to join the Golf Day, entry forms are available
from the School office. If you are not a golfer, but are keen to
support the event, you might like to
sponsor a hole or be kind enough to
donate a raffle prize or an auction
item for the day. Raffle tickets will be
sold nearer the time and parents will,
of course, have the chance to
purchase these.
UNIFORM CHANGEOVER
Senior School – summer uniform, short sleeves and white
ankle socks, should be worn from the beginning of the
Summer Term.
HAIR CUT FOR CHARITY
Rebecca Briggs in the Lower Sixth has been inspired to cut off
25cm of her hair for the Little Princess Trust! This wonderful
charity provides free, real hair wigs for children suffering hair
loss from cancer treatments or alopecia. It costs on average
£350 to make one wig so she thought she would fundraise at
the same time! Any donation, large or small will be gratefully
received and will help bring a sense of normality to a child
going through this difficult time. You can contribute to her
fundraising page: https://www.givey.com/rebeccabriggs.
NEW JUNIOR BOARDING HOUSE
We are delighted to announce that Farlington is opening a
new Junior Boarding House, ‘Fishponds’, in September 2015.
It will be a self-contained building with a kitchen, living room
and facilities for 12 boarders ranging in age from 8 to 14
years, also providing accommodation for a Boarding and
Assistant Boarding House Mistress. Older boarders will
continue living in the main Mansion House building.
Construction work is being carried out to convert the building
from a domestic residence to a homely, flexible living space
with its own back garden – great for the future plans for
‘growing our own’ - and all situated within the 33 acres of
beautiful parkland on our campus.
COMPETITION
SUCCESS FOR
OLIVIA
Having won the local round of the
Rotary Young Musician of the Year,
vocal category, Head Girl Olivia
Middleton recently delighted the
adjudicators with her choice of
songs by Ruggiero, Fauré and Kurt
Weill in the district round. Winning again, she now goes on
to compete in the regional round in April.
ALUMNAE NEWS
When I retired last August, I was delighted to be invited to join the Farlington
Foundation Committee. My job remit was to locate as many past pupils as
possible and to encourage them to join the Alumnae Facebook Group (or
communicate via email, of course!) Having resisted joining social media
throughout my teaching career, I was persuaded to sign up by Mr Allen, a
retired Farlington Physics teacher, as this would be the most effective way to
trace ‘my girls’. I joined in November and it has given me the opportunity to
touch base with hundreds of (old) Farlingtonians. Without exception,
everyone has fond memories of their time at Strood Park and they have all
kept in close contact with many of their class mates. My aim is to have 1,000
plus members in the Alumnae Group before our next meeting in May: to date
we have 914! We all enjoyed a delightful reunion meeting at the Royal Festival Hall Foyer on 20 th March for those
Farlingtonians working in London, however, our next event will be at School. On Saturday 9th May there will be tours, tea and
plenty of catch-up time from 2.00pm. Please make sure that you indicate on the Alumnae Group Page if you intend to come
along, alternatively, you can contact the main School Office. Everyone on the Committee looks forward to welcoming all past
pupils to Farlington on Saturday 9th May. I will certainly be there, too!
Joy Baggs
Farlington School, Strood Park, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 3PN Tel: 01403 254967 Fax: 01403 272258
Email: [email protected]
www.farlingtonschool.net