No. 6 13/14 End of Summer Term July 2014 Dear parents The end
Transcription
No. 6 13/14 End of Summer Term July 2014 Dear parents The end
No. 6 13/14 End of Summer Term July 2014 Dear parents The end of the academic year has come and we can look back on a year of great progress for our pupils and great success in their work. There have been many highlights in our busy, successful and growing School. The various end of year events have been excellent culminating in a moving Sixth Form graduation held in the JGC followed by dinner in the Mansion. Summer Meeting showcases our year’s work and was a wonderful day that included guest speaker, Miss Ruth Amos. The theme of Summer Meeting was creativity and Ruth certainly set the scene for this year's event. That a thunderstorm interrupted the School song only led to a greater volume of singing and Summer Meeting including a vast array of activities and displays that demonstrate the breadth and confidence of the pupils at this School. Thank you for attending. This mailing includes the final exam result grade card for your child in Year 10, the reports for Years 7 and 10 and the Parent Information Booklet for 2014-2015. Again, this Booklet has been extensively edited and is a key document for parents, new and established alike, to ensure they have access to the procedures and standards of the Senior School. Please keep it to hand throughout the coming year. Summer term is, without exception, an eventful time. It has been very much focused on exams and we look forward to seeing first class results from our A level and GCSE students this summer. This half term, lessons and events continue to the last moment of term and it is a great pity if pupils miss these last days. We expect holidays to be carefully planned so that all pupils attend every School day right up to the end of term to enjoy Summer Meeting, commendations assembly, sports day, house competitions and end of year final tutor sessions. A level (Lower and Upper Sixth) and GCSE (Years 10 and 11) results and review days Results of external examinations will be available for collection at School on Thursday 14 August 2014 for A level results and Thursday 21 August 2014 for GCSE results, from 9.00am. These results days will be followed the next day by review mornings between the hours of 9.30am and 12.30pm for students who may need to amend their courses for next year (no appointment is needed). Course changes may still occur in the first days of the autumn term. Induction days and first day of next academic year Incoming Year 7 pupils should be in School on Wednesday 3 September at 1.45pm meeting in front of the Mansion. New pupils to other year groups should meet on Wednesday 3 September at 2.30pm in the Drawing Room. The entire Sixth Form should also attend on Wednesday 3 September at 2.30pm in the JGC for timetable confirmations. All pupils should be at School on Thursday 4 September at 8.30am. I will write to you at the beginning of September with the meeting rooms for each class on the first day of School. Summer Meeting Summer Meeting was held last Saturday and many parents have remarked how much they enjoyed this most important of days. Speeches, awards and activities demonstrated clear progress from the pupils and the School. That so many were involved so enthusiastically tells us that our girls and boys are happy and purposeful in their work and that they are keen to show their parents their progress. This year’s guest speaker, Miss Ruth Amos, spoke passionately about creativity and opportunity and was a highlight of the day. The rain failed to dampen spirits and the morning proceeded with many displays and activities involving many Senior School pupils who showcased their learning and activities to the huge crowd in attendance. There were activities and displays aplenty in the Senior School prepared by staff and pupils which gave parents the opportunity to view the varied and outstanding achievements of this year. Thank you for your attendance on this most important celebratory day. Next year’s Head Students were announced at Summer Meeting. Elliot Lamble will be Head Boy and Caitlin Barry will be Head Girl. They will lead the pupil body and will be ably supported by their deputies: Cameron Mills, Deputy Head Boy and Amy Bissix, Deputy Head Girl. The following have been appointed as Prefects for the 2014-2015 academic year: Max Kidd, Soo Ran Kim, Jon Leefe, Jamie Mackinlay, Hlanganiso Matangaidze, Garry Na, Zak Phillips, Luke Ravenscroft, Karim Saleh, Akhil Singh, Emma Souter, Sophie Spalding, Oliver Stewart and Sophie Stiewe. Congratulations are extended to this fine group and the School looks forward to their leadership and contribution whilst they are in the Upper Sixth. Staff changes We send congratulations to Miss Hoyes who recently married Mr Ridings. A marriage made at School is a wonderful thing! Miss Norsworthy is to marry Lance Corporal Andy Culley this summer and will return to School as Mrs Culley. Mrs Beamer is expecting her first child and will take maternity leave for the coming year. We wish her well for the exciting year she has in store. In addition to the leaving staff I wrote to you about in the summer half term newsletter, we will also say goodbye to Mrs Macnaughton who has been such a valuable member of the IN department for a number of years. She has worked with individuals to really put in place our ethos of helping every child achieve their potential through careful teaching and tutoring. The School thanks Mrs Macnaughton for her considerable contribution to this School and its pupils. Miss Blandford, who has been on maternity leave for nearly two years, has decided to stay with her new family and we wish her well on resigning her post and trust she will stay in touch with us. I wrote incorrectly in the last newsletter of Miss James. She is leaving us for a new post after nearly two years of successful teaching at Claremont Fan Court School. The School, and the English department in particular, will miss both these English teachers. Mr Nanson and Mr Engelhardt are both retiring from their leadership roles in the school but will keep their teaching roles. Mr Nanson leaves his leadership of the sports department in a very good state of health with more sports than ever available to our pupils. Mr Nanson will now teach predominantly in the languages department. Mr Engelhardt leaves his role as Head of Faculty: Mathematics but will remain in the department to teach maths and further maths. Mrs Philip will take up the role of Head of Faculty: Mathematics and Mrs Ridings will take up the role of Head of Year within Sixth Form. She will also maintain her role as Head of Faculty: Humanities but will relinquish her Head of Department: Geography responsibilities. We congratulate Mrs Philip and Mrs Ridings on these promotions. New Staff In September we will be welcoming new staff in the PE, maths, English, geography and the Individual Needs departments. Mr Andrew Mawson BSc, PGCE takes up the renamed role of sports leadership as Director of Sport. Mr Mawson attended university at St Mary’s University College studying sports science and biology as well as qualifying as a teacher. He comes to us from Lancaster Royal Grammar School where he was Head of PE and Games. Cricket, rugby and racket sports are Mr Mawson’s main interests as well as sports as diverse as trampolining, golf and swimming. Miss Laura Uden MA(Hons), PGCE studied geography at Edinburgh and then undertook teacher training at Goldsmiths University. She will take up the position of Head of Department: Geography in September after teaching most recently as department head in Thomas Tallis School, London and St John’s School, Leatherhead. She has travelled extensively and is looking forward to joining our vibrant department. Miss Bryony Roberts BA(Hons), joins the PE department and will work with our girls in both PE and games. Miss Roberts has been a lacrosse player since Year 5 at school and attended the University of Brighton where she qualified in PE and teaching. She is also an accomplished horse rider and also enjoys teaching cheerleading, rugby and athletics. Mr Oliver Vella MMaths, MSc, PGCE joins the mathematics department after teaching at the Archbishop Lanfranc School in Croyden. He studied maths and physics at East Anglia and King’s College, London before his teacher training was completed at the Institute of Education, London. Mr Vella enjoys running as well as maths and physics activities. Mrs Helen Crosbie BSc(Hons), PGCE studied at Durham and St Mary's University College. She will join our mathematics department as a part time teacher working most recently at Prior’s Field School. She is a keen gardener, runner and reader and has many mathematical interests including cryptography. Mrs Helen Stone MEng(Hons), PGCE joins us in a part time capacity in the mathematics department. She studied aeronautics at Queens’ College Cambridge and took her teacher training at St Mary’s University College. She joins us from Lady Margaret School, Parsons Green, London. As well as mathematics, she enjoys competitive hockey, photography and sewing. Miss Olivia Hall BA(Hons), PGCE studied at Loughborough and Bristol Universities in English, History of Art and teacher training. Miss Hall joins the English department from the Red Maids’ School, Bristol. She enjoys public speaking, creative writing, poetry and debating as well as tennis and horse riding. Mrs Nicola Roberts BA(Hons), PGCE will teach English in a part time capacity and joins us from the British School in Houston. She attended school in Wales and university in Leicester and Bath. Mrs Roberts enjoys drama, media, book clubs and creative writing as well as netball. Mrs Christina O’Regan BA(Hons) studied modern arts at Kingston University as well as undertaking specialist dyslexic training at the Helen Arkell Centre. She joins our IN department. She enjoys scuba diving, sculpture and yoga. Mr Alastair Coomes BA(Hons), MSc, PGCE studied at Sussex and Kingston Universities as well as undertaking specialist dyslexic training at Hornby College. He joins the IN department and has interests in reading, rock music and rugby. Miss Alice Walton BA(Hons), Dip European Policy joins the Senior School administrative team as our new Examinations administrator and Curriculum Secretary. She attended Oxford and Warwick universities and has worked in marketing and communications in the cultural sector; the last ten years with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Update telephone and address details Please ensure that family telephone numbers, mobile numbers, address and email details, are updated regularly. This information should be written on the Data Collection Form which will be sent to you at the beginning of the autumn term for you to confirm or amend. House Captains Congratulations to the new house captains in: Esher: Junior - Eniola Akin-Olugbemi; Intermediate - Samantha Zandt and Louis Gilbert; Senior to be announced in September. Longcross: Junior - Molly Hawksley and Matthew Trotman; Intermediate - Cameron Douglas and Annabel Niven; Senior - to be announced in September. Norwood: Junior - to be announced in September; Intermediate - Ben Sumrie and Phoebe Leake; Senior - to be announced in September. Radnor: Junior - Marina Kisel and Oliver Rhoden; Intermediate - Molly Kimpton and Thomas Richards; Senior - Karim Saleh and Jemima Hobbs. Year 11 and Upper Sixth Prom Dazzling in their ball gowns and suits, the Year 11 and Upper Sixth students arrived in style (some even in stretch limos) to celebrate their schooldays at the end of year Prom. The stunning Georgian mansion house at Burhill Golf Club was the magnificent setting. The prom was held in the Barnes Wallis suite with a fantastic music and light show. Upper Sixth Form Graduation The Sixth Form Graduation ceremony consisted of a celebratory mixture of musical contributions, photographs, student speeches, staff contributions and gift presentations. The mood was one of warmth and recollection as students looked back at their time at Claremont Fan Court and picked out their highlights. Sporting triumphs, shared memories of friends and adventures abroad featured prominently. The quality of student contributions was high and thanks are extended to all those who took part. Drinks outside the Mansion and dinner in the Great Room concluded a very enjoyable evening. Sixth Form Graduation 2014 Parents Information Evenings and Sixth Form Parents/Teachers Evening Please enter the dates for these meetings in your diary: Tuesday 9 September Year 8 Parents Information Evening, Great Room, Mansion 7.00pm Thursday 11 September Year 11 Parents Information Evening: Study Skills, Great Room, Mansion 7.00pm Tuesday 16 September Year 9 Parents Information Evening, Great Room, Mansion 7.00pm Thursday 18 September Sixth Form Parents Information Evening, Great Room, Mansion 7.00pm Thursday 25 September Year 10 Parents Information Evening, Great Room, Mansion 7.00pm Monday 29 September Sixth Form Experience Day and Open Evening, JGC and Mansion 6.00pm for Year 11 pupils Thursday 20 November Sixth Form Parent/Teacher Evening, JGC Senior School staff and I wish you an enjoyable summer. We are already planning a full and comprehensive academic programme for next year including a range of enrichment trips. This year has been one of success in all fields (academic subjects, sports, arts and clubs) especially in national exams and the increased numbers, activities and stature of this School. Thank you parents for your continuing support of the Senior School. As the academic year closes, we wish our leaving students all the very best for their university careers. We hope each of them will keep in touch with us at Claremont Fan Court School. I look forward to seeing you and your children in September for the beginning of a new academic year. Yours sincerely Mr Jonathan Insall-Reid Headmaster, Senior School This half term has been a busy one with a Year 8 geography trip to the South Coast; enrichment trips for Years 7, 8, 9 and Lower Sixth; Year 5 Adventure Maths Day for feeder schools; bronze DofE test exhibition to North Downs Way; Year 7 English trip to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Year 10 business studies and history trip to the East End of London; Years 7-10 gifted and talented English workshop; LAMDA speech and drama exams; Lower Sixth trip to ICEAW Finals, Birmingham; Years 7 and 8 debating finals; summer art exhibition; move up day; Sixth Form induction day; Year 11 and Upper Sixth prom; Year 9 science fair; Sixth Form graduation; Summer Meeting; Year 7 geography travel show. Lots of sporting activities including athletics, house swimming galas, tennis, rounders, cricket and the Senior School sports day. Year 8 Geography trip to the South Coast Year 8 pupils visited the South Coast to carry out a geographical investigation of a river and coastal area. When they arrived they applied sun cream and set about taking the three-mile coastal path through the Seven Sisters Country Park down to the beach at Cuckmere Haven. The weather was glorious and on their trip they saw many famous geographical features such as meanders, ox-bow lakes and wavecut platforms. They began by following the path along the meanders, stopping on the way to draw sketches, study the different landforms and explain their causes. Next, they headed across the park to see the straight channel where the river’s meanders have been cut off and the river has been artificially straightened. They then headed to the beach, ate lunch and played ball games by the sea. After that, they carried out a pebble analysis to determine the direction of longshore drift. They also looked at the different types of cliffs in the area. This beach is famous for being in many films such as Harry Potter and Robin Hood as well as featuring in one of Cheryl Cole’s music videos! Once they had completed all their investigations, they headed back through the park to the coach where there was just enough time to enjoy an ice cream and cold drink before heading back to School. Sixth Form Enrichment Week The annual Enrichment Week saw the Sixth Form students taking part in numerous activities at School, in London and at CERN, Switzerland. Offsite activities included visits to the BBC, the British Museum, Old Bailey, Freud Museum, National Portrait Gallery and a cultural scavenger hunt. An intensive one-day workshop on Oxbridge applications focused on personal statement writing and mock university interview practice. Former Claremont students returned to share their experiences of university life. At the end of the week, the students had a Life Skills Day which included cooking, First Aid and Mindfulness. Lower Sixth CERN Trip The Lower Sixth physicists and chemists travelled to Geneva for the day to see the famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Although the day started at 4.00am, the early start was well worth it for the opportunity to squeeze in a visit to the famous Geneva Water Fountain in the morning and explore the beautiful shopping streets of Geneva City Centre at lunchtime before departing to the CERN Research Site in the afternoon. They were treated to a talk by research scientists who work at the LHC followed by a guided tour to the LHCb Detector where they were able to put on hard hats and descend 100m underground to see some of the most crucial features of the Particle Accelerator (which is not operating at the moment because it is being upgraded). This was a rare opportunity as this time next year the LHC will be operational again and we will not be allowed underground. Accounting National Finals for Sixth Form Students In June, six Sixth Form students travelled to the Hilton Hotel, Birmingham for the final of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales BASE challenge. The team were given an accounting examination case study and asked to identify the key issues facing a business, analyse the firm’s accounts and create and deliver an eight minute presentation to business professionals. Although not successful on the day, it is a tremendous achievement to reach the national final, with over 500 schools taking part. After a long day’s work, the students were able to relax in the evening at the gala dinner with keynote speakers from the BBC and Marks & Spencer. The students should be commended for their enthusiasm and success in this year’s challenge which has given them a valuable insight into accounting and finance and opportunities to network with professionals. Year 9 Enrichment Week UK based group The week started with a trip to London’s Southbank, visiting the London Dungeon and the London Eye. The Dungeon proved to be considerably more frightening than most of them had anticipated, although they all made it to the end of the attraction without loss of life or limb. At one stage Mr Yeoman was in danger of having to demonstrate a seventeenth century torture chair but he was set free at the last moment and managed to escape intact! It was a clear day and the view of London from the top of the Eye was stunning although a few of the group realised they were not quite as confident with heights as they had previously assumed. A gentle walk to the Tate, admiring the sights and features of the riverbank ended a successful first day. Tuesday brought the greatly anticipated trip to Warner Brothers Studios to see the Harry Potter Exhibition. They explored the many exhibits, sets and props that were on display and some members of the group treated themselves to a butterbeer at lunchtime – generally agreed to be delicious but rather sickly in large quantities! On Wednesday we stayed in School for a Ready, Steady, Cook competition. The children were divided into groups and asked to plan, prepare and serve afternoon tea on a set budget. After a whistle stop tour fruit picking and shopping at Garson’s Farm, each group worked furiously to present a magnificent spread for their parents to sample at the end of the afternoon. Congratulations to Group C, whose quiche, brownies and Battenberg cake most impressed the judges! Thursday was a highlight for many of the pupils with a trip to Sandown Park for go karting and ringo-ing on the ski slopes. On what was one of the hottest days of the year, the group dressed up in their protective jump suits, gloves, hair nets and helmets to experience Formula One style racing and a competition to see who could record the fastest lap time; well done to Phoenix, who just pipped Henry to pole position in his final lap. Hot and sweaty, they returned to School for a welcome BBQ and afternoon spent relaxing in the swimming pool. Enrichment week ended on Friday, with a visit to Chessington World of Adventures. Between them, every single ride in the park was experienced at least once with the teachers proving that they can scream just as loudly as the children when it comes to riding rollercoasters! The children were a pleasure to be with and a great week was had by all. Ardeche A further group of Year 9 pupils went on a week-long water sports adventure to the South of France. The first stop was a PGL centre on Mimosa beach, where they spent three nights. Day time activities included sailing, banana boating, sea kayaking and snorkelling. In the evenings pupils were entertained with activities such as capture the flag, ‘wacky’ races and a disco from 9.00pm to 11.00pm every night! The second half of their adventure took them to another PGL centre in Domaine Segries. This was where they started a three-day canoe descent of the stunning gorges section of the Ardeche. Their descent included tackling many rapids which tested the pupils’ and the teachers’ paddling ability. Stops were also taken along the way to do some rock jumps which tested pupils’ nerves and a fun game called King of the Rock - pupils swam down a rapid and then had to cling onto a rock whilst avoid being pushed away by other pupils and PGL staff. Miss Norsworthy was declared the winner of this challenge!!! It is clear to say that everyone had a great time on this trip (including the staff!) This trip will be one to remember for years to come. Year 8 Enrichment Week Year 8 pupils visited York and Stratford-upon-Avon for Enrichment Week. Despite a torrential downpour and a five-hour coach journey, the pupils’ remained excited and enthusiastic for the week ahead. The week was packed with activities and the pupils reflected upon these each evening in their diaries. The trip to the Jorvik Viking Centre was particularly memorable as they journeyed through the reconstruction of Viking-age streets as they would have been 1000 years ago. The pupils were also given a talk that explained how, even after the defeat of the Vikings in 1066, the Viking warriors continued to influence the world we live in. Perhaps most memorable however was the fact that they had recreated the smell from the Viking age! At the York Transport museum we participated in a presentation on building bridges which was very interactive and had pupils building (or indeed becoming) parts of various bridge constructions! On their last day they visited Warwick Castle in the glorious sunshine. After covering themselves in sun cream, all pupils enjoyed climbing the very steep steps to the top of Caesar’s tower for some amazing views. It was a great end to an action packed week. They returned very tired but contented Year 8 pupils. Year 7 Enrichment Week The Year 7 Enrichment Week activities were a success from start to finish! Monday saw them at Esher and Arbrook Commons on a science day using quadrats to gauge the biodiversity in the area. They also learnt about conservation and regeneration. On Tuesday they then left for three days in the West Country, stopping off at Gosport submarine museum and Stonehenge on the way. A tour of the Roman baths at Bath was followed by an informative afternoon at the SS Great Britain in Bristol. They also had a very exciting day at Longleat Safari Park where the highlight was definitely the monkeys climbing all over the coach. Friday saw them at Thames Young Mariners where they learnt about raft building and kayaking. They were all wet but had a great time! All in all it was a fun and enriching week! Year 7 and Year 8 Debating Finals There was some excellent debating from the pupils in Years 7 and 8 when the finals of the Lower Senior School Inter House Debating Competition were held. They had clearly followed the example of the older year groups they had watched debate last term! The event was attended by Year 6 pupils who were the perfect audience and were eager to learn. The issues debated were also very much in the news. The Year 7 motion proposed by Esher and opposed by Longcross, was: 'that the school day should be extended to 6.00pm for all schools.' The Year 8 motion proposed by Radnor and opposed by Esher, was: 'that the UK should leave the European Union.' The Results were as follows: Year 7 The best speakers were George for Esher and Molly for Longcross. The winners were Esher. Year 8 The best speakers were Georgina for Esher and Freya for Radnor. The winners were Radnor. Special thanks must go to all the members of staff who helped with the judging and to Mr Trump for presenting the house shields to the winning teams. Year 7 Travel Show Year 7 presented their annual Travel Show after weeks of working in small groups researching a country and finding out why it is a popular tourist destination. The pupils produced some fabulous resources which were displayed and presented to parents, staff and other pupils in the Sports Hall. Pupils set up a stall each and many interesting facts were displayed such as climate graphs, information on what to pack for a holiday there, sample menus of different food and drink as well as the physical and human tourist attractions. The work was displayed in the form of movies, posters leaflets and PowerPoints. The displays were superb and many pupils brought in a selection of food and costumes to help promote their countries as a travel destination. Everyone made a huge effort to ensure that everything ran smoothly throughout the morning and all pupils were very well organised. Good work, Year 7! Orange Tree Theatre Workshop ‘Macbeth’ Actors from the Orange Tree Theatre Company visited Claremont Fan Court to conduct a workshop on Shakespeare’s Macbeth to Year 9 pupils. During the workshop the company performed key scenes from the play and initiated thought-provoking discussions based around the themes and historical context. Pupils found the workshop to be an extremely useful and enjoyable tool and will revisit the play when preparing for their literature GCSE exam. Shakespeare Workshops The English Faculty has run two workshops for Gifted, Talented and Interested pupils this term, focusing on the plays of William Shakespeare. Twelve pupils from Key Stage 3 spent the morning looking at how Shakespeare created strong heroes and villains in his plays. The pupils looked at a range of key speeches and plays, identifying the traits that were found in each of these characters. The morning culminated with a creative writing session where pupils produced their own villain or hero, modelled on the ideas Shakespeare used in his plays. Year 10 pupils enjoyed a master class which focused on Macbeth, specifically examining how the language is brought from the text to the stage. The workshop was led by Mr Kimber and visiting actor Mick Jasper, who has many years of experience performing Shakespeare. Both leaders helped our pupils to see the play from a new and interesting perspective. The ten pupils involved were encouraged not only to read the script but to act it, concentrating on the impact of the language in performance. The English Faculty continues to encourage pupils to pursue a wider interest in this subject and facilitate links between all the key stages and studying literature at degree level. We look forward to more workshops and master classes in the year to come. Year 10 Food Technology Trip to London Year 10 food technology pupils, along with Mrs Knight and Mrs Wells, went on an exciting tour of some of London’s famous food establishments. The day started with London’s best bacon sandwich at the award-winning St. John Bread and Wine - with homemade bread and award-winning bacon topped off with homemade tomato ketchup we could see why it definitely was a winning start to the day. Next they went on to try a classic East End pudding with a modern twist at the English Restaurant; bread and butter pudding but made with brioche; a real treat. They learn all about English cheeses at Androuet from London’s expert cheese mongers. They enjoyed fish and chips at Poppies which has recently won the award for the best fish and chips in England. The atmosphere at Brick Lane was fantastic and the pupils learnt about the social history of the area, enjoyed the street art and then tasted sweets from the Bangladesh community followed by a three course curry at one of the award-winning restaurants with the curries getting hotter and hotter some of us didn’t get to the third level! The most famous bagel shop this side of the Atlantic gave them their renowned salt beef and pickles bagel; now they can understand why the shop is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with a queue round the block. The dessert that won the award for the best dessert served in London was a salted caramel tart and it definitely deserved this title. As they staggered back to Waterloo hardly able to walk they discussed the need for a green tea detox day the next day but it had been so worth it and a trip that will stay in the memory and on the taste buds for a long time. Success for GCSE and A Level Textiles Students in the Young Fashion Designer UK Competition. Jemima Hobbs and Jemima Selwood attended the Young Fashion Designer UK (South) Finals at Kent College, Pembury. They were among six finalists selected in each category (GCSE, AS, A2). The standard was extremely high with 160 entrants from schools in Kent, Berkshire, Dorset, Surrey, Suffolk and Norfolk. Each student creatively displayed their work showcasing their folios, sketchbooks, presentation boards and final designs. A panel of eight judges from education and industry interviewed the students and judged their work in terms of innovation, creativity and industrial knowledge. Jemima Selwood produced work of a very high standard, creating a highly experimental and innovative final outcome inspired by sea life and was among six finalists in the A2 category. She was awarded second prize. Jemima Hobbs presented an excellent display of her GCSE science fiction inspired project which demonstrated confident, original and creative designs. She received second prize in the GCSE category. During the day the students attended workshops in shirt manipulation and Jemima Selwood was awarded a prize for her final outcome. The students also attended a blogging workshop run by the fashion, styling and beauty blogger Nixalina. The students found the day to be an excellent experience, as it was both challenging and enjoyable. Jemima Selwood will continue to develop her textile and fashion skills further next year at Nottingham Trent University where she will be studying Fashion Marketing. Textiles Design Trip to Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibition In June the Year 10, 11 and A Level textile design pupils visited The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk at the Barbican. This is the first major exhibition devoted to the celebrated avant-garde French couturier. The exhibition included an extensive range of 165 fashion creations, cutting-edge designs and ready-to-wear garments including iconic costumes for film and performance from the early 1970s to the present day. The infamous corsets Madonna wore during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour were showcased alongside stage costumes designed for Kylie Minogue. The pupils took a variety of inspirational photographs to use in their forthcoming projects. They then continued across London to visit the Royal College of Art MA Textile Design show at Battersea. The show provided our pupils with the opportunity to experience the very best of emerging contemporary textile and design practice. The work exhibited was of an exceptional quality, imagination and technical skill. The pupils were able to identify individual designers they could research at a later stage for design inspiration. The trip provided a very worthwhile experience for the GCSE and A Level pupils. Mathematics At the beginning of May, fifty pupils in Years 6, 7 and 8 took part in the UKMT Junior Maths Challenge and achieved between them 13 bronze, 16 silver and 7 gold certificates. This is an excellent haul; congratulations to all participants, especially the Year 6 pupils who gained 4 silvers and 1 gold and to Ka Youn Kim in Year 8 who was awarded the Best in School certificate. As it bids farewell to Mrs Butler and to Mrs Engelhardt, who is retiring after 30 years of peerless teaching at Claremont Fan Court, the mathematics department celebrates its successes this year in three UKMT challenges, three team challenges, Royal Institution Masterclasses, the British Mathematical Olympiad, the European Intermediate and Senior Kangaroos and another hugely popular Year 5 Adventure Maths Day. After outstanding early maths GCSE results, we aim to match last summer’s 100% pass rate at both GCSE and A level. Year 5 Maths Adventure Day In June the Maths Faculty ran its annual Adventure Maths Day for Year 5 pupils from primary and prep schools. The popularity of this event is now such that despite accepting 25% more applications than in previous years, we still had a long waiting list of schools that could not be fitted in. The lucky ones who were accepted enjoyed an action-packed day of fun activities including Spooky Subtractions, Maths and Magic, Number Loops, One Sided Paper Strips and the Pringle Challenge. The beautiful sunny weather allowed them to enjoy outdoor activities in the School grounds including the challenging Arrow and Letter Mazes and the exciting Calculator Word Search which kept brains and bodies extremely busy. The general mood of the day was summed up by one pupil who, when told that it was time to stop, replied, 'This is so much fun I don’t want it to end!' Sports News Congratulations to the boys who have qualified for the National Prep Schools Championships at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. It was a long but brilliant day for the boys who left School at 7.00am and did not return until 8.00pm after a day of competing. The boys competed for West Surrey in the National Prep Schools championships. Max came 10th in the U13 Discus, Finn came 6th in the final of the U13 70 metres hurdles and Oliver made the podium coming 3rd in the U13 1500m, breaking the School record in a time of 4 min 46.40sec. James came 6th in his 100m heat. Congratulations to all the boys. Eton Tennis Tournament Claremont Fan Court once again entered the prestigious Independent Schools Tennis Association championships at Eton recently. Elliot and Lukas at under 15 played well although rain delayed play by a number of hours. They came from behind to beat Uppingham 6-5, lost to Eton 4-6 after being at 4-4. They beat Warwick 6-5 and then Cheltenham 6-0. This put them in the top two who progressed out of the robins into the main draw. In the main draw they were pitted against Bedford and were defeated 1-6, 4-6. This meant they were entered into the Springthorpe Cup. After a good win against Tonbridge 8-5, they met a very strong Whitgift team and lost 3-8. U13 Boys Pair 1, Rayhan and Elliott played really well and won four out of four matches and then played Yarm for a semi place, sadly losing this match. Pair 2, Billy and James improved through the day and won three of their five box matches in the plate. In fact that equalled the best results from any team in their box with four teams on three wins. Counting games though placed them third so they did not proceed to the next stage. Well done to all six boys who finished a good tennis season. It has been a busy but successful second half of the summer term for girls rounders and athletics. Our rounders teams have faced some strong opposition but have fought well and produced some great wins. The U12 A team show great promise. Outstanding play has come from Zoe Mellett in the field and Eniola Akin-Olugbemi with some cracking hits. The U14 A team were unbeaten right up until their last fixture where they narrowly lost against a strong Priors Field team. The U13 team and U15 team have won most of their games and have demonstrated great teamwork. In June Claremont Fan Court hosted the annual athletics invitation. The weather was kind to us and it was a great day. The standard of competition was extremely high with schools including Guildford High and Notre Dame competing. Lots of invitation records were beaten and it was great to see such close races. The U14 team was our strongest on the day finishing in second place overall. The U12 team came fifth, U13 team third and U15 team fourth. Winners in their events were: Hetty Taylor and Eniola Akin-Olugbemi for shot and discus; Holli Morrison and Ava Wolstenholme for shot; Florence Selwood, Amy Spalding and Elizabeth Lewin for hurdles and Ruby Wyborn for 800m. Well done to all the girls who participated.