Schools successes
We want to hear your schools successes! So if a pupil at your school, or even your son or daughter has enjoyed some success let us know, and they will appear on this page! We would like to know anything and everything, from students who have played for a national team, to pupils who have appeared on the television or in a West End musical!
Simply email james.rix@targetpublishing.com with an image and information about your success and you will be featured on this page!
Thames Pupils Learn How to be Leaders from Celebrity Line Up
Thames Pupils Learn How to be Leaders from Celebrity Line Up
Year 10 pupils at Thames Christian College recently took part in the “I Care Revolution - Emerging Leaders Day“ at the Indigo2, The O2. The event, organised by Hillsong, involved celebrity speakers who interacted with the students and gave inspirational talks on leadership as experienced role models.
The line up consisted of top leaders in business, sport, politics, community service, science and the arts including a whole range of celebrities such as musician and entrepreneur, Levi Roots (who also provides school dinners at Thames), singer, Sinitta and rap star, Emmanuel Jal amongst others.
The emerging leaders’ days are designed to be both inspirational and practical, bringing a message of hope to young people, encouraging them to make a difference in the world they live in and to reach their full potential. The day included live music, short films, question times and student interaction with the speakers to maximise their learning.
Brendon Berg, English Teacher at Thames, commented: “The students had a fantastic time and there was a great atmosphere at the event. We were delighted to be one of the schools to be invited. It was well organised and the pupils learned a lot about how to be good leaders and make a positive difference to the world they live in.
The celebrities were very open and honest which meant the students could identify with them as humans not celebrities. It was a lot of fun and very interactive. I think they have really benefited from the experience to become the next generation of young leaders.”
Jasmine Ellington, a Year 10 pupil who took part in the event said: “We learned a lot about leadership first hand from celebrities - you don’t get to do that every day! Levi Roots was really good and Emmanuel Jal’s speech was very moving. ”
Another Year 10 pupil, Elizabeth Wilson, added: “It was a great show, I really enjoyed it! I even got the opportunity to perform in a dance competition on stage. The speakers were good they seemed to really mean what they said and wanted to share their experiences with us.”
Kingham Hill School gains historic US endorsement
A pioneering programme that enables American pupils to study at a traditional British independent school whilst satisfying the demands of an American curriculum, has received resounding approval. Cotswold-based Kingham Hill School is waving both the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes as it celebrates making history as the first British school to receive coveted NEASC accreditation.
NEASC (The New England Association of Schools and Colleges) is the oldest of the six regional accrediting agencies in the United States. The list of institutions accredited by NEASC includes Harvard, Yale and other prestigious institutions, 2000 schools in the US and 175 American schools and colleges in 68 countries around the world. Kingham Hill is the first British day and boarding school to be accredited by NEASC.
Kingham Hill was approached by the US Department of State in the Autumn of 2006 with a request to help, following the shock announcement that an American school on the edge of London catering for the children of US families living abroad was too close. After careful thought and the appointment of several American educators, a number of American pupils joined the school in the September of the following year.
An American Studies Program was launched and has been modified and improved during the past three years. Its growing success springs from the smooth transition experienced by American pupils in and out of a British school. They can arrive from an American curriculum school, experience education at a traditional British school and then transfer to other American schools elsewhere in the world. All this happens without the pupils missing out or falling behind. In addition, they benefit from being immersed in British culture and experiencing British traditions. They also make friends with the majority British pupils and a smattering of other nationalities.
One exciting and significant spin-off is that non-Americans can access the American Studies Program. If carefully configured, courses offered through the program complement A-Level courses in such a way as to make an application by pupils of all nationalities to an American college as straightforward as an application to a British university. Kingham Hill has a dedicated ‘guidance counselor’ who can offer expert advice on American colleges and the application process.
Headmaster, Nick Seward (39), is delighted by the inspection report: “I was mightily impressed with the professionalism of the inspecting team. The process was very comprehensive, yet sensitively executed. The team quickly grasped the school’s unique qualities. It was also very pleasing that it warmly acknowledged the quality work by our faculty in making a success of our American Studies Program and embracing American pupils into our community.”
Assistant Head Academic and Director of American Studies, Kim Raccio, deserves much credit for developing the program and overseeing the preparation for the recent inspection. She has been at the sharp end of explaining the American Studies Program to American families arriving in the UK. “NEASC accreditation will really help families as they encounter what is a unique program. This project has now come of age and is a tremendously positive option for many American families posted to the UK. The access that this gives non-Americans to American universities is also really unique in British education.”
If American pupils complete their high school career at Kingham Hill they graduate with their American high school diploma. It has been pleasing to see a smattering of graduating American pupils resplendent in their academic gowns at a very traditional British independent school speech day. It is typical of the camaraderie and global outlook that characterises Kingham Hill School in 2010.
Tim Abbey wins prestigious Painter-Stainers award for art
Tim Abbey, a student in his final year at King’s School, Bruton, has won The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers’ School Prize in Art. Tim received his prize at the Company’s annual prize-giving in London on 23 April. His work, A Triptych of Rheanna, drew praise from many who attended the ceremony and accompanying exhibition, including the Company’s guest speaker, Iwona Blazwick, Director of The Whitechapel Gallery.
The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers makes awards to students at schools and art colleges across the country. King’s School, Bruton was the only senior school in the West Country to be recognised by the Company this year.
Bedford Modern School Table Tennis players to represent their country
Four Bedford Modern School students and talented Table Tennis stars have been selected by The English Schools’ Table Tennis Association (ESTTA) to represent their country at the International School Sport Federation (ISF) World Schools’ Table Tennis Championships to be held in the Czech Republic between 25th and 31st March.
Bedford Modern School’s Table Tennis Team includes Year 11 student Alex Farmer, Year 10 student Joshua Robinson, Year 9 student Nishanth Narayanan and Year 11 student Harpreet Rupal.
Paul Birch, Bedford Modern School Table Tennis Coach said: “This is only the second time in the School’s history that BMS has been invited to take part in the ISF World Schools’ Table Tennis Championships. The last time the School competed was in 1995 and to be picked again this year is absolutely fantastic.
“This generation of BMS table tennis players can now experience the honour of representing their country and Alex, Joshua, Nishanth and Harpreet have all worked very hard to get where they are today.”
The Bedford Modern School squad will compete in the initial stages of the Tournament by playing teams from Ireland, Poland, Malta and Slovakia. The BMS team will be led by No. 1 player Joshua Robinson.
Pictured above (left to right) are: Alex Farmer, Joshua Robinson, Nishanth Narayanan and Harpreet Rupal.
Dauntsey’s school trekking expedition to remote kingdom of Bhutan
In December 2009, 16 pupils (aged 15-18) and three members of staff from Dauntsey’s School in West Lavington, Wiltshire, had the great fortune to visit the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. They have gone down in history as the second ever UK school expedition to visit the Land of the Thunder Dragon – the first being another Dauntsey’s group which visited in 2005!
The first week was spent exploring the country’s cultural heritage and meeting local people. The group learned much about Buddhism, visited beautifully decorated and remotely located Dzongs (monasteries), attended religious ceremonies and received a warm welcome wherever they went. There were great opportunities for inter-cultural exchanges, especially at Gaselo School where the English pupils participated in an archery competition and national dances with their Bhutanese counterparts - as well as swopping advice and notes on GCSE revision!
Accompanied by three guides, five cooks, five pony handlers and 30 ponies, the second week was spent on a spectacular six-day trek in Jigme Dorji National Park, crossing hazardous terrain, reaching altitudes of nearly 4,500 metres and sleeping in temperatures which plummeted as low as -10°C. On reaching Jumolhrai base camp on the third day, they were rewarded with magnificent views of Jumolhari (7,590m) and its glaciers. On their way home, the expedition travelled via New Delhi in India where the group had the opportunity to do some sightseeing, including a memorable trip to see the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Independent travel to Bhutan is not permitted, and visitor numbers are strictly limited and indeed the group did not come across a single tourist or westerner during their entire visit. The 2005 Dauntsey’s trip was commemorated by the Bhutanese who produced a national postage stamp featuring a photograph of the pupils – as Dauntsey’s remains the only UK school to have visited Bhutan, who knows whether a second stamp will be designed to commemorate the 2009 visit?
Bilton Grange pupil beats hundreds of competitors to win a coveted place in the National Youth Choir
Celine Flowers, aged 12, a pupil at Bilton Grange Preparatory School has been awarded a place in the National Youth Choir (NYC), after a nerve-wracking audition in Birmingham at the end of last year. In a record year for applications to the Choir, over 600 children auditioned for a place at venues up and down the country and Celine was successful in her first ever audition for the Choir.
Celine, from Birdingbury near Rugby, is also Head Chorister at Bilton Grange and will be attending her first residential course as a member of the National Youth Choir during the Easter holidays. Her first concert with the NYC will be on 7th April at Coventry Cathedral.
Celine Flowers commented: “I was really happy to get into the National Youth Choir, especially on my first try. I’ve always really loved singing and I sing along to everything – especially when I’m listening to my iPod in the car. I’m looking forward to going on my first course at Easter and I’m sure that I’ll learn a lot and hopefully meet some interesting new people at the same time.”
Film Star Joins Dean Close School Cast:
HISTORY BOYS WORKSHOP WITH JAMIE PARKER
Drama pupils at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, who are putting on The History Boys by Alan Bennett this term, were thrilled to be given the opportunity of meeting and working with the actor Jamie Parker, who played the character of Scripps in the original National Theatre run of the play, as well as the film.
Jamie visited the School on a Sunday afternoon and gave the drama students an excellent and exciting workshop. Having worked closely with Alan Bennett, the author, and Sir Nicholas Hytner, the director, Jamie was able to communicate his ideas for performance and characterisation first-hand to our actors.
They looked at three key scenes in which eight bright and cynical would-be-Oxbridge boys - who think they probably know all there is to know - are suddenly challenged to think for themselves in new and unorthodox ways. The play's big themes are about the ways in which we teach, think and understand - not just about history, but about our contexts and friendships. The play will take us beyond our comfort zones in all sorts of ways - and as Jamie said, "if it does not disturb us, it is not doing its job."
Dean Close’s top actors received incalculable benefits from working with such a prestigious member of the original cast. Jamie is fast becoming a household name as a result of exciting performances in films such as Valkyrie (which also starred Tom Cruise and Kenneth Branagh) and theatre performances - most recently at The Globe Theatre as Oliver in As You Like It, and from the end of the month as Prince Hal in Shakespeare's Part 1 and Part 2 Henry IV plays. Dean Close students will be there to see him, and thank him warmly for coming and working with us.
The cast of the play at Dean Close is composed entirely of pupils who are holders of Scholarships in Drama: the School is well known for its impressive standards in drama. Every year, its semi-professional group Close Up Theatre receives large audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe, and 2009's performance of Amadeus was no exception. Last December audiences were wowed with an acclaimed Hamlet - one of six plays mounted that term.
All of the Senior Drama Scholars in The History Boys achieved the very highest marks in the country in their respective drama GCSE years.
Bedford Modern Junior School pupils raise funds for Haiti Earthquake Appeal
Bedford Modern Junior School pupils wanted to try and do something to help the people of Haiti after the recent earthquake that struck the country on 12th January 2010. The devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred approximately 16 miles from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti causing a humanitarian crisis. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and more than half of the country's 9.6 million people are under the age of 21.
Junior School pupils decided to spend the weekend of 16th and 17th January raising money for the Haiti Earthquake Appeal by offering to undertake a variety of jobs around the home.
Several Junior School pupils explained what it meant to them to be helping raise money for the people of Haiti. Year 3 pupil, Maisie McIntyre said, "I offered to wash up after dinner and did lots of housework. I raised £10.00 and it felt good to have helped."
Year 3 pupil, Edward Forrester said, "I donated my £5.00 pocket money to the Haiti Appeal and my Mum matched this amount. I also earned £10.00 by doing some jobs at home over the weekend."
Claudia Johnson, a Year 6 pupil commented, "I helped by changing the beds at home and putting on new sheets. It was good to get some sponsorship money and put this in the envelope to send to someone who is struggling."
Year 6 pupil, Talis Harris added, "I did lots of jobs including cleaning my room, emptying the dishwasher and walking the dogs. I was very proud to be able to help people who are not so lucky."
Alice Inskip, Year 5 pupil, raised money for the Haiti Appeal by washing all seven of the family cats whilst Year 6 pupil, Rohan Kumar tidied his room and carried out some gardening tasks.
Bedford Modern Junior School are extremely proud of their pupils who managed to raise the sum of £1,014.42. The money raised will be distributed through the SOS Children in Haiti / Haiti Emergency Relief Appeal as they are a well established charity in Haiti.
Christian School Launches Organ Scholarship
The splendid organ in the Chapel at Kingham Hill School will soon reverberate to the efforts of the school’s first organ scholar.
A new scholarship has been established at the Cotswold school, inspired by Headmaster’s wife, Hannah Seward - a former organ scholar of Jesus College, Oxford. She and Director of Music, Gill Holliday, have constructed a programme that will offer one young musician each year a chance of a lifetime to explore their musical gift and open up exciting higher education and career opportunities. All this in a Christian community where the scholar’s faith will be nurtured and ministry opportunities encouraged.
Organ scholars will gain experience in choral accompanying and conducting, and in accompanying congregational singing. The Organ Scholar will have free music tuition - tailored to individual requirements, but it is expected that they will take singing lessons in addition to other lessons.
Candidates must be over 16 years old on 1 September of the year of entry and should demonstrate a love of and commitment to music, particularly the Anglican choral tradition. They will normally offer more than one instrument and have achieved Grade 6 level or higher. It is desirable for candidates to have some experience of accompanying.
The Scholarship offers thorough training to candidates who may wish to apply for Organ Scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Headmaster, Rev’d Nick Seward is delighted: “The Kingham Hill organ is a wonderful instrument, recently refurbished at great expense through the affection and generosity of former pupils. I would love to see it used to its full extent in the worship of our school, and in encouraging the English choral tradition here.”
Early interest should be directed at Kate Harvey, Registrar - 01608 658 999, admissions@kingham-hill.oxon.sch.uk
School’s charities week supports St Wilfrid’s
Kind hearted pupils and staff at Mount St Mary’s College have raised hundreds of pounds for a charity which supports homeless and vulnerable people in the city.
Teachers and students at the Derbyshire school collected £500 for the St Wilfrid’s Centre by organising a host of activities as part of its annual charities week.
Fundraising activities included an X-Box Challenge, the ever-popular karaoke, a staff and pupil rowing competition and a sixth-form cake bake.
Over the last few weeks pupils have also been collecting toiletries which they presented to the St Wilfred’s Centre, on Queens Road, in Sheffield.
St Wilfrid’s Centre supports the homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded in Sheffield by creating a caring community based on Christian values.
Mr Laurence McKell, head teacher at Mount St Mary’s College, at Spinkhill, said: “Our annual charities week provides pupils with lots of opportunities to show they are ‘men and women for others’, the Jesuit ethos we follow here at Mount St Mary’s.
“We are very proud of their fundraising achievements and delighted that the money will be going towards such a worthy local cause.”
Bedford Modern School raises £1,500 for Prostate Cancer Charity
Bedford Modern School staff and students sponsored BMS Staff Instructor (SSI) Captain Brian Simpson to grow a moustache, for “Movember”, in aid of Prostate Cancer, and have raised £1,500 for the charity. “Movember” is the annual, month-long celebration of the moustache or “mo”, highlighting men’s health issues, in particular prostate cancer.
Captain Brian Simpson with Oncology Nurse Norma Smith, and BMS staff and students
Captain Simpson, who has six medals for Army and CCF services, as well as the Malaysian People’s Medal for distinguished chivalry, gallantry and sacrifice said, “Awareness is the big word as far as prostate cancer is concerned. Women are routinely screened for cancer whereas men are not and I believe all men over 60 should be screened for prostate cancer.
“Bedford Modern School always takes pride in supporting worthy causes and I would like to thank everyone who has helped raise money for this needy cause including Year 8 students, Charlotte Fox and Poppy Hawkins who raised over £40.00,” added Brian.
A cheque for £1,500 was presented to Norma Smith, an Oncology Nurse from the Primrose Unit at Bedford Hospital who specialises in prostate cancer in a presentation ceremony held at the School on Thursday 10th December.
“£1,500 is a considerable sum of money to raise and for Bedford Modern School students to think about others in this way, really makes a difference. So often in today’s society, young people get a bad press, but that certainly should not be said for all young people. It is not uncommon now for young couples getting married now, to forego a wedding gift list, and for them to donate their wedding fund money to the Primrose Appeal”, said Norma.
“The money raised by BMS will assist in trying to find new treatments for prostate cancer without so many side effects. Prostate cancer is hugely on the increase and can affect any man over the age of 45 years. I deal with patients from their first consultation through to the end of their treatment plan and affectionately call them “my boys” as I have known some of them for 10 years or so,” added Norma Smith.
Captain Brian Simpson added, “Treatment through the Primrose Unit is second to none and Norma is worth her weight in gold. Norma does a wonderful job and support is always there.”
School children raise money for charity
A morning of fun and fundraising has taken place at Castle Court Prep School to raise money for charity. Children from Years 1 to 4 at the school in Corfe Mullen have raised over £900 from a range of activities.
Years 1 and 2 did a sponsored walk with their mums, dads and family friends around Castle Court’s playing field. The aim was to see how many times they could walk round in half an hour. The record of nine laps from previous years still stands!
Years 3 and 4 made cakes at home and then brought them into school to sell later that day to the parents who took part in the walk as well as to children throughout the school.
The sponsored walk and cake bake were part of an annual programme of charity fundraising events at Castle Court Prep School. The walk and cake bake alone have raised over £900. The money will be split between the school’s nominated charity Julia’s House and this year’s special charity, Help for Heroes, chosen by Year 8 pupils at Castle Court.
Olympic visit to inspire sporting legacy at Derbyshire school
The head teacher of Mount St Mary’s College has been given a sneak preview of the Olympic Park on a special visit to the capital.
Mr Laurence McKell (pictured above, second from right, back row) joined head teachers from a number of other Catholic schools for a tour of the facilities which are being constructed for the 2012 London Games including the athletes’ village, aqua centre, press centre, athletics stadium and velodrome.
The visit was designed to show schools how they can participate and contribute to the 2012 Games and to ensure the Olympics leaves a legacy in schools through sport, health, wellbeing and inclusion.
In 2008, Mount St Mary’s was named in LOCOG’s (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) official Olympic and Paralympics training camp guide.
Mr McKell said: “Although the Olympic Park is still very much a work in progress, I was hugely impressed and inspired by the enormity and the sheer scale of the project. It is exciting to consider how sport transcends language, culture, disability and belief - it is something the whole community can be a part of.
“We were delighted to be invited on this visit. The Olympic ethos reflects perfectly our own Jesuit emphasis of developing the whole person by recognising the benefits that sport can bring to people's social, physical and moral development.”
Mount St Mary’s has a proud sporting reputation and regularly hosts high profile touring sides and events. Every student participates in the sporting programme, which offers a variety of activities and opportunities.
The Spinkhill College and the other schools who attended the visit are now planning a ‘marathon’ event around the country in 2010 that will promote and contribute to the Olympics 2012 legacy and coincide with the planned papal visit.
Mr McKell added: “The benefits that the Olympics will bring extend far beyond the capital. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop links with other Catholic schools that will help form a unique legacy of participation in sport.”
Rugby honour for Lord Wandsworth College pupil
Lord Wandsworth College pupil, George Sandford, has received the Robbie Keast Award for his outstanding contribution to the Hampshire Schools U16 Rugby team.
England British Lions winger Ugo Monye , a former pupil of the college, presented the trophy to George in front of an audience including Gary Keast, father of Robbie Keast, and Ian Kerr OBE, chairman of the Hampshire Schools RFU and History teacher at the College.
16 year old George who lives in Hook, was commended by the county coaches for his contribution on and off the pitch. He was described as one of the most encouraging captains the coaches had ever met.
'I am really proud to have won the award,' said George.' To have been chosen from a squad which had 15 players make divisional trial standard and better is a great honour.'
110th anniversary of school
This week Sherborne Girls celebrates its 110th Anniversary. The School was founded in 1899 by Charlotte Wingfield-Digby and classes were held at a house in Greenhill, Sherborne. In the beginning the School educated boys as well as girls and had 14 pupils which included 6 boys! Now the School stands on a much bigger site in the town and educates over 400 girls aged between 11 and 18. The anniversary is being marked within the school with displays of archive material and birthday cakes in houses. On Sunday 4 October a special service will be held in Sherborne Abbey at 11.30am for pupils, parents, Old Girls, governors and friends of the School. The service will be conducted by the new Bishop of Sherborne, Dr Graham Kings and is being followed by a drinks reception in the Schools’ Oxley Sports Centre.
Record–Breaking Year for Farnborough Hill Girls
Shrieks of delight were the order of the day at Farnborough Hill on GCSE results day. Students were jumping for joy when they opened their results to find strings of As and A*s. In a record year for Farnborough Hill a total of 29 girls (one third of the year group) gained straight A/A*s in all their subjects with 63% of all results being at these grades. Parents and staff alike were beaming with pride at the girls’ achievements. Particularly thrilled were Elizabeth Edwards, Veena Srirangam Nadhamuni and Hannah Thrower who all gained straight A*s. 100% of students gained 5 or more A*-C.
The 17 candidates in Year 10 sitting their English GCSE a year early as part of our extension programme for the gifted and talented achieved 100% A*/A grades.
Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Buckle, said ‘We are thrilled that a record number of girls have achieved straight A/A*s. All the girls have done extremely well and been justly rewarded for their hard work. I am so proud of the girls, as well as the wonderful teaching staff who are so dedicated. The girls can now look forward to their A level studies with great confidence.’
Mrs Caroline Appleton, mother of Annie, who scooped 3A*s, 6As and a B, says ‘the girls have been lucky enough to experience a wonderful, caring and fun environment at Farnborough Hill and Annie has flourished beyond our wildest expectations.’
98.3% of Haileybury pupils achieve five A* - C grades
GCSE pupils at Haileybury have again achieved outstanding results, with
98.3% achieving five or more A* - C grades and 60.5% achieving A or A* grades. 96.1% of all entries at GCSE were graded A* - C.
Natalie Peacock is the school's top achiever, with 10 A*s. Four pupils achieved nine A*s, with another four gaining eight A*s.
A further five pupils gained seven A*s, six achieved six A*s, three achieved five A*s and two achieved four A*s.
"Taking the iGCSE results into account, the percentage of pupils gaining five A* - C grades is excellent, while the number achieving A or A* grades has improved by 3% on last year. This is a wonderful achievement by anyone's standards and is proof of the hard work and dedication put in by both pupils and staff," says incoming Master of Haileybury, Joe Davies.
"This set of GCSE results confirms the significant leap forward in Haileybury's academic ability over the past three years and bodes well for the future."
Spelling is compelling
The Times Spelling Bee was a highly entertaining competition for Year 7 pupils which had about 800 schools around the United Kingdom taking part. I don’t think we realised at the outset how much momentum the event would gain, or appreciated the amount of work involved, including a mountain of paperwork, writes St Martin's School Head of English, Linda Crook.
Like many English teachers we have tried to encourage pupils to appreciate the importance of accuracy to reinforce their creativity. Spelling is taught at St. Martin’s through a structured scheme and we try to add new elements to make it exciting, so we thought the Bee might be fun.
Our Regional Heat took place at the Uxbridge Odeon and it was fairly relaxed. We had a few supportive parents with us and Andrea our presenter was gentle. Although we had checked The Times website we weren’t totally sure what to expect.
The competition was divided into two sections. The three pupils in the team had to stand at a podium at the front of the auditorium whilst the reserve sat in the audience. The first section required each member of the team to spell fairly accessible words which gradually increased in difficulty. Although this was the elimination part of the competition all contestants were allowed to remain in for the first round to steady the nerves. The difficult skill was to visualise the spelling without losing focus or concentration. In the second part the team had two minutes to spell as many words correctly as possible from a choice of easy, hard or medium spellings, with points awarded according to difficulty.
I think we were all surprised to win the Regional Heat and even more so the semi-final at Norwich. When we reached the final stage of the competition which was held at the Odeon, Leicester Square our team was supported by a coach load of Year 7 pupils. By this stage even the teachers were spelling words in their sleep.
The Final was nerve wracking and closely fought with excellent teams from all ten schools. Even though the St. Martin’s boys challenged the lexicographers to keep up, we were still overwhelmed at winning. The whole school took pride in the team’s achievement and there was a celebratory mood at St. Martin’s.
Afterwards there was considerable publicity for the first winners of The Times Spelling Bee competition which included the front page and inside The Times. The team dealt with the interviews admirably including: London Tonight, Newsround, BBC Breakfast Television with Kate Silverton and Bill Turnbull, Five Live, Asian Network and the One Show.
The St. Martin’s team described it as the best couple of days of their lives, although by this point we had all had a surfeit of spellings. The boys were awarded the opportunity to edit The Young Times. Their other prize was a dictionary!
Little Seaton House saddles up for the Big Bike Ride
The younger members of Seaton House School recently took part in a sponsored bike ride to raise money in aid of the NSPCC and ChildlLine. The children in the Nursery and Reception classes at Seaton House donned their smart t.shirts and pedalled as many times as they could around a circuit of their Nursery garden.
All the money raised has been donated to the NSPCC’s Child’s Voice Appeal which will enable many more vulnerable children to access help via a telephone call, text or email.
The event was organised by Mrs Anita Warren a member of the Seaton House Nursery staff, who said “The children were all very excited about bringing their bikes and tricycles to School and put an enormous amount of pedal power in to complete as many circuits as they could, before stopping for a welcome break and an ice-lolly treat. We are delighted to be able to send over £500 to support the NSPCC.”
Mount St Mary’s choir wins national music award
A Derbyshire school choir is celebrating after winning a top national music award.
The talented Mount St Mary’s College Junior Choir (pictured above celebrating their win) was presented with the Voices Foundation Junior Choirs Award for Excellence at the National Festival of Music for Youth in Birmingham.
Mount St Mary’s was one of 22 choirs from across the country chosen to perform in the city’s Symphony Hall following a regional selection competition and one of just four choirs to receive a music award in recognition of choral excellence.
The choir, made up of 30 Mount St Mary’s pupils from years 7 and 8, performed three pieces – the traditional Ave Maria, the contemporary classic Adiemus and the up tempo Get on Board.
It caps off a highly successful school year for Mount St Mary’s. The Senior, Chamber and Junior choirs all won their categories at the Worksop Festival of Music, and the Senior Choir also received excellent feedback from the Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year competition.
Lucy Kitchener, director of music at Mount St Mary’s, which is based at Spinkhill, said: “It is fantastic for the Junior Choir to be recognised in the Music For Youth National Festival. We were absolutely thrilled to be presented with one of the four event awards.
“Our students are incredibly talented and they sang beautifully in Birmingham. The judges particularly liked the variety of our programme which demonstrated a range of skills, techniques and sounds. They felt that we had a fresh and vibrant sound and we look forward to developing this in the future.”
