24 March 2023

24 March 2023

Dear Parents

It has been an incredible Spring term and as a school community, it has been wonderful watching the accomplishments of all our pupils in so many areas across the curriculum and also through their extra-curricular pursuits. We have also enjoyed welcoming parents into school this term, through various coffee mornings, parents’ evenings, sports events, musical and drama performances. We are looking forward to a wonderful final summer term of the academic year, complete with warmer weather and hopefully lots of sunshine!

Staff versus Senior Hockey
Last Friday evening, staff bravely pitched their hockey talents against the Senior Girls’ XI. Fuelled with great anticipation, there was lots of support on the side-lines as hot on the heels of a successful season, our Senior Girls showcased an abundance of talent. Resilient and determined in defence, the girls strung several potent attacks against the staff. The excitement from the supporters was incredible, as both teams played some quality hockey, ensuring a close finish in a highly charged game! All I can say is thank goodness it was played on a Friday evening and staff had the weekend to recover! Well done to everyone involved.

Creative and Performing Arts
We are always keen to promote achievements in Performing Arts and delighted to be in receipt of an Artsmark Gold Award, which celebrates the school’s achievements in the arts, culture and creativity. It is a mark of our broad and challenging Creative and Performing Arts curriculum. Following the superb efforts of the Year 3 and 4 play last week, this week has been no less busy for the Performing Arts team.

GCSE Drama Scripted Performance Examination
We were so proud of our Year 11 GCSE pupils, as on Wednesday we welcomed a visiting examiner to assess their final scripted performance. We have seen a range of incredible performances from these pupils this year including some outstanding devised pieces performed in January. Our GCSE pupils are very impressive performers who consistently create work that is imaginative and courageous; these scripted pieces were no exception. There was an atmosphere of focused excitement and anticipation in the Willow Theatre ahead of the performance, and the pieces themselves which included work by Dennis Kelly, Niklas Radstrom, Duncan Macmillan and Evan Placey, were a joy to witness. Well done to our GCSE performers and we look forward to seeing what you go on to achieve in the Performing Arts.

Music
During the spring term, 32 pupils from across the School were entered for ABRSM practical examinations. Working towards an ABRSM exam encourages learners to develop their musical skills, knowledge and understanding and we were delighted that so many pupils were keen to take an exam this term. Singing for musical theatre was particularly popular this season, with 9 pupils entered for grades ranging from 1-5. Maddie in year 11 took her grade 8 flute; this is a tremendous achievement and is testament to the dedication she has shown to her playing over the last few years. We wish all pupils a successful outcome.

We would also like to congratulate all pupils in Year 11 on completing their solo and ensemble performances for GCSE Music, which was recorded earlier this week. The level was phenomenal, and we cannot wait to see what they all do next!

Dance
We have enjoyed two Dance Showcases this week. On Wednesday, in a special treat, our Dance Captains’ Dance Club performed some exceptional group and solo pieces, to the delight of the audience. The Year 11 Dance Captains, Rose and Emilia, worked incredibly hard to deliver some fabulously choregraphed pieces. They were impressive in their commitment to running the dance club and coming up with some exciting, creative ideas. On Thursday, families and friends enjoyed a spectacular show from our Junior School Dance pupils. There were some brilliantly energetic pieces, made even more enjoyable for the audience by the radiant smiles on the faces of all the participants. Well done to everyone who took part in these shows.

Finally today, we wrapped up the end of term in a wonderful Whole School Assembly. Senior and Junior pupils also enjoyed lots of fun, with Juniors completing a range of Easter themed activities and Seniors showing strong competition in a Year Group tug of war, football and Easter quizzes, not to mention a special end of term Chef Paul BBQ for everyone!

Have a fabulous Easter break.

Dr James Raymond
Headmaster