Our Summer magazine takes a look back on the first half of the Summer term here at Waldegrave, covering all aspects of Waldegrave life from around the school to trips and visits and our community fundraisers.
SUMMER TERM MAGAZINE
WELCOME
03
A warm welcome message from our Headteacher Ms Tongue.
COMMUNITY We hear from our PTA and welcome the Minister of Pensions whilst Year 7 are busy raising funds for Lepra.
04
HIGHLIGHTS Goodbye and good luck to our leavers, congratulations Brilliant Club graduates.
08
EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS
14
A reflection on our students’ successes outside of their curriculum this term.
AROUND SCHOOL KS3 students have been busy in Science lessons whilst Year 9 prepare for DofE.
17
PERFORMING ARTS
28
An overview of what our Music and Drama department have been up to so far this term.
SPORTS
33
There has been great success for our Rounders, Cricket and Basketball teams.
TRIPS AND VISITS
36
Students have attended a variety of trips including an overseas visit to Germany!
Welcome to our first summer edition of the school magazine. This edition begins with an update from our PTA. The PTA at Waldegrave has always made a really vital contribution to school life, connecting the parent and school community and raising vital funds for the school. It has been wonderful to see how the PTA has grown again in the last year following the disruption of lockdown, however we continue to need your support. Please read more about how you can get involved over the page.
As ever I hope you enjoy reading more about all the fantastic things our students have been involved with over the last half term. I am sure you will be impressed by our students’ achievements, whether it be the fantastic water propelled rockets created by our Year 8 students or the assignments that our Year 9 Brilliant scholars completed in collaboration with Royal Holloway University. There have also been some amazing individual achievements of students outside of school. Please don’t forget to share these with us so we can celebrate even more in our next edition of the magazine. The summer term also marks the end of key stages of education for our students in Years 11 and 13. In May we celebrated our Year 11 students with a very emotional journey through their time at Waldegrave and we look forward to celebrating with our Year 13 students later this term. It has been wonderful to see the return of overseas trips for our students. We know that many of our school memories are from activities that take place in addition to the usual school timetable. ~ Ms Tongue
WE NEED YOU!
New Leadership Committee: Can you help build a community amongst the parents of Waldegrave and help raise funds to enrich your child’s eduction? If so we’d love to hear from you as we recruit a new PTA committee. The Waldegrave PTA has historically been a cornerstone of the school and has helped raise funds for things the school and students need. But that state funding simply doesn’t cover. In truth, the engaged amount of parents in the Waldegrave PTA has diminished through Covid. With rising running costs the need for PTA support has increased so we’re looking to create a new, stronger PTA community. We meet monthly and support a small number of events throughout the year and each one is designed to bring our parent community together, support the school and raise funds. We plan to create a committee led PTA team to divide responsibilities and ensure it’s an enjoyable and manageable way of using your time. We also want your ideas to help create the most engaging events that raise the most funds!
New ovens! The PTA recently funded a suite of new ovens for the Food Technology room. We received a lovely email from the students: “On behalf of all the Food Tech students, we would like to thank you for the new ovens! These new ovens are greatly appreciated.” We are delighted that our fundraising efforts can make such a difference and thank you to everyone who supported the PTA this year.
If you’re interested please email info@waldegravesch.org by 30 June.
We’d love to hear from you!
THE PTA COMMITTEE Edel Hindley - Chair: “I joined the PTA to get to meet parents and help raise funds in these difficult times.” Merceds Bianchin - Vice-Chair: “Having seen how much a PTA can achieve for a school community, I wanted to do the same for Waldegrave.” Patrick Calvert - Treasurer: “My daughter is having a blast at Waldegrave and I’m glad I can play a part.”
BAND NIGHT
The PTA Band Night took place recently when once again “The Jam Factory” took to the stage. Playing rock, pop and blues classics, the crowd was dancing and singing along. It was a fantastic set!
Thank you to the volunteers and especially the band and their fans!
Over the last couple of months, Year 7 students have been running fundraising campaigns in and out of school to raise money for the Lepra Leprosy Charity. It has been lovely to see so many of the students coming together hosting cake sales and book sales as well as completing their own sponsored events. 7EMA and 7SSA set up stalls in the main hall and ran very successful cake sales, raising £176 for the Lepra charity and £44 for a Diabetes charity respectively. Three students in 7POR, Bea W, Violette M, Hannah A, also hosted a bake sale which raised £96! Annabel L and Daphne E (7EFR) raised over £60 washing cars whilst Olivia D (7EFR) and Eirynn S (7POR) raised over £130 between them! We would like to say a big thank you to all students and parents who have contributed to our Lepra fundraising programme. We are thrilled to have raised £100 on our JustGiving page. Through the students' enthusiasm to fundraise and the parents and carers' kindness to donate we are able to support helping to fight neglected diseases like leprosy and lymphatic filariasis and tackle the prejudice which surrounds these diseases. As a sign of gratitude for the Year 7s hard work and efforts, the Lepra charity will be hosting a zumba dance class for our students to participate in throughout June which we greatly look forward to!
Earlier this term, we had the privilege of welcoming Laura Trott MBE, Minister of Pensions, into Waldegrave. During her visit she spoke to students from Years 10 and 12 about their future plans and aspirations as well as the importance of pensions.
She also discussed her plans for reform, what it is like to be an MP and how getting into politics is a fantastic way to make a difference. The students were really engaged and asked some very insightful questions - we hope they use this experience to their advantage when we do our own mock Elections next year!
Year 11 students capped off a memorable year with the school's standout annual tradition, 'Dress Up Day' before they knuckled down to their GCSEs. Each year, Year 11 pupils set the bar high for the next with innovative outfits, many of which are hand constructed and decorated. This time round, the school's corridors were crowded with the cast of The Inbetweeners and the Toy Story gang, the fields flocked with fairies and Minions and the classrooms filled with Disney princesses and villains. View full photo gallery here . The celebrations culminated with an entertaining game of benchball, students vs teachers, before finishing in style with a costume parade.
“It has been a year filled with such joy, laughter, sadness (at times) and above all unwavering focus and determination.
Getting to know the bright, inquisitive and thoughtful young people that you are has been such a wonderful experience. You are all unique and individual, and yet when you come together as one you have such a powerful year group identity. I will never tire of hearing from staff in the school that you continue to rise above and go beyond what is expected of you - this is invaluable for life with all its challenges. As you begin your next chapter, I have no doubt that you will continue to grow and change. You may even lose your way at times but I am sure that with resilience and friendship you will find your way again. You will never stop learning - and you shouldn't! It is the single greatest thing we can continue to do as we grow. None of us have all the answers, and that is what makes life so amazing - we are constantly in flux and unfinished. Enjoy the ride.” ~ Mrs Mortimer, Head of Year 11
At the start of 2023 Mr Jones and Mrs Rook took a
contingent of Year 9 students to Oxford University for their introduction to the Brilliant Club Scholars
Programme. The purpose of the Brilliant Club is to provide students with support in developing the knowledge, skills and confidence it takes to secure a place at a competitive university.
On a cold morning in January they drove to Oxford University to be shown around one of the colleges. The group received a campus tour, getting an insight into the life of a University student, visiting lecture rooms and student accommodation. Come February the Brilliant Club members were introduced to Briony, a Lecturer from Royal Holloway, who the students worked closely with throughout this programme. The group met with Briony to discuss their programme content which was about 'Recycled Poetry: The Big Debate'. This resulted in seven tutorials over the next two months where our students learnt about many different types of poems and how to write their own assignment essay and poetry. To bring this scheme to an end, our cohort were invited down to Southampton University where they were met with rapturous applause and support (as well as ice cream) for their graduation ceremony. Congratulations to all of our Brilliant Club graduates: Anusha, Ava, Celeste, Dee Dee, Grace, Lilian and Riannon!
An amazing opportunity recently occurred as a number of students were invited to be filmed by the BBC as part of an interview with Will Harris, sailor and co-skipper of Team Malizia in The Ocean Race, whilst he was onboard.
Will is currently competing in The Ocean Race which is a round the world race in high performance sailing boats, with teams around the globe, against the top sailors. Will is the only British skipper and also the youngest to be sailing. Will Harris grew up just a few miles away from here and is friends with Mrs Rook, Head of Year 9 here at Waldegrave, so when we were asked to get involved we jumped at the chance. Leading up to the onboard interview students discussed the science behind the race and what it might be like to live on a racing machine speeding around the oceans. On the day of filming, they asked Will questions about the boat and life on board. He gave them a tour of the boat and gave a glimpse into where he eats, sleeps and works the boat to get it going as fast as possible!
Back in the Spring term, the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge took place which our Year 9 and 10 students participated in. Clemence P was awarded a Gold Certificate for her performance in this challenge and ranked the highest score in the School in this challenge. Her exceptionally high score meant that she qualified for the Cayley Olympiad in which she went on to achieve the Silver medal! Well done Clemence.
The UKMT Junior Maths Challenge took place at the end of April for our Year 7 and 8 Mathematicians. This Maths challenge is in the style of a multiple choice paper that encourages the students mathematical reasoning and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. The UKMT awards the top-scoring participants in the challenge Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates to recognise high achievement and hard work. We are proud to announce that out of our 69 participants in Year 7 and 8, 3 received Gold, 16 received Silver and 26 received Bronze!
Well done to all the students who completed this challenge, you all did superb and should be proud of your achievements!
Congratulations to Anya S in 9PCL for her amazing efforts at Basketball! Anya’s team, Richmond Knights U14’s won first place in the Nationals! Anya has also been selected for the England U14 squad that will play against Scotland and Wales in a tournament on 27 and 28 May in Dundee. Well done to Sophie D in 11PTR who participated in the Junior Final Fours Tournament with her team, Knights U16’s Basketball. Her team won second place!
Well done to Bella E in 9SHO who came 6th in the Swim England London Regional final for 200m Butterfly, shaving off 6 seconds from her previous time!
Congratulations also to Nahla G in 9FJA who came first at the NDP Acrobatic Finals competing as a Grade 4 Women’s Group. This year they have won three other gold medals at Tigers International Acro Cup, King Edmund Grades Competition and the Mike Walker Invitational Comp. Incredible achievement!
Well done to Victoria E.F in 8PFO who has passed her Grade 2 Trinity Singing exam with a Merit! Congratulations to Savannah in 8FBH for passing her Grade 1 Singing exam! Well done to Amy M in 9FHE who has passed her Grade 4 Trinity Singing exam with a Merit!
Well done to Ege K in 10SAS for achieving a High Merit in her LCM Grade 4 exam! Eleanor O in 9EFG has passed her Grade 3 LCM Musical Theatre Singing exam with a Distinction!
Well done to Annabelle P in 9EFG who received a Merit in her Grade 5 Piano exam in the last week of Spring term. Congratulations to Elodie S in 10SAS for achieving a Merit in her Grade 7 ABRSM Violin exam!
A big well done to Siqian in 10FBA for participating in numerous Music festivals within the last couple of months! Siqian participated in the Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival winning 1st place in both the Senior Recital class and the Duet class. She also participated in the Ealing Festival where she was commended in both the String Exhibition class and the Cello / Double Bass Concerto / Variations class!
Well done to Florence P in 7FCO who was one of 8 winners out of 900 entries for the book review competition at the Richmond Cover Story Award Ceremony!
Massive congratulations to Emily C in 9EAH who has been offered a role as one of the children in Opera Holland Park’s production of La Boheme this summer.
Clemence P in 9PBE has been selected to represent her home nation of France in two International Olympiads this summer: the EGOI 2023 (European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics) held in Sweden in July and the EJOI 2023 (European Junior Olympiad in Informatics) held in Georgia in September. Clemence had to sit several tests and attend a camp to be selected. We are so proud of her - it’s a great honour to represent France and we wish her the best of luck.
Lacey M in 9PBE received a commendation medal for representing the sea scouts marching in the coronation parade. She was also part of their world record breaking most people to be simultaneously piping all together.
Year 12 students took part in the annual UCAS Discovery exhibition on Thursday 20 April. This event brought together the experts to help the students shortlist their options, all under one roof. During this event, the students met representatives from
over 100 Universities. They also had the chance to gather lots of information regarding alternative post-18 pathways such as apprenticeships. The students thoroughly enjoyed it and found the visit extremely valuable.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is always very popular at Waldegrave, seeing students through Years 9-11 participate in Bronze, Silver and Gold level expeditions. The Bronze expedition opened up to our Year 9 students and almost the entire year group signed up, with 175 students participating! Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award
To complete their Bronze DofE students have been working towards the three required sections, helping the community/environment, becoming fitter and developing a new skill, and preparing for the fourth and final section - planning, training for and completing an expedition. To help the students prepare for their upcoming practice and assessed expeditions we welcomed external instructors from Aim High who hosted training sessions for our DofE groups.
They spent the day learning new skills: how to read maps and planning their routes, followed by expert guidance on how to put up tents, cooking on trangia stoves, basic first aid, and advice on what to pack and eat. The instructors were very impressed with the students’ positive attitude and quality of route planning. We are looking forward to seeing the skills put into practice on their expeditions in June!
Year 12 students got a taste of uni life when they visited local university St Marys. They experienced lectures and were taken on a campus tour by student ambassadors. This opportunity has got them thinking about the exciting options open to them after their A Levels.
Our Politics students had the incredible opportunity to visit Guildhall and experience a thought-provoking talk by Rory Steward on the captivating topics of Poverty, Populism, and Hope in the 21st Century. They also crossed paths with none other than Professor David Olusoga! Our unexpected meeting brought together the brilliant minds of academia and the inspiring youth of Waldegrave's Year 12 students, creating an atmosphere of knowledge and inspiration. “It was a pleasure to have attended the Tacitus Lecture in Guildhall learning about Rory’s perspectives on global relations, and the country’s status in global trading. He particularly focused on the economic history of Britain’s international relations, and how certain global events such as wars in Afghanistan led to an economic recession, especially in America. He also mentioned the rise in populism in 2014, and how this affected American politics as well as the Trump election. In terms of steps forward towards the prevention of poverty, he suggested direct giving, mentioning how it is “better in cash than the brain”. Overall, the lecture in combination with the proceeding networking event and canapés provided a very informative and well rounded evening.” - Emily M
We had the privilege of hosting Professor Arnaud Chevalier from Royal Holloway. He enlightened our students about the captivating interdisciplinary nature of economics and its immense importance. Professor Chevalier's talk revealed fascinating connections between economics and diverse fields. From fantasy football league selections to societal decisions, economics offers valuable insights into our world. Our students were captivated, engaging with Professor Chevalier, asking thought-provoking questions, and reflecting on the implications of economic thinking. We're grateful for his expertise and inspiration to embrace economics' interdisciplinary nature. Introducing economics to our students at Waldegrave fosters new perspectives, critical thinking, and appreciation for connections across disciplines. We're committed to nurturing well-rounded individuals equipped with diverse skills.
It's a question that many of us have pondered, but have yet to come up with a concrete answer.
Luckily students of Waldegrave had the opportunity to gain insight from Professor Mark Blagrove at the University of Swansea on that very question. Mark delved into the intriguing realm of sleep and dreams and also shed light on the modules that will be available to students after they complete the sixth form.
As for the answer to the aforementioned question, we won't spoil it, but it's absolutely fascinating!
All of our Year 7 Science classes were set with a fun challenge that would enhance their STEM skills. They were tested with designing and crafting a ‘nest’ using only paper and tape that would protect their egg when dropped. The groups took it in turns to drop their nests from set heights, increasing each round, until only one remained. Some creations were able to withstand sudden impact with the ground from a staggering distance of 8m!
Two Year 7 science sets (7SSA and 7EMA) were asked to make 3D models about the layers of the earth and to present it to their peers. There were some phenomenal displays showing much creativity that ranged from paper mache and pinatas to baked salt dough and delicious cakes! Mr Golbourne was entrusted with the challenging task of picking a winner from each class and he said he struggled because the displays were all so good and the competition so steep. However, he finally decided on these winners: 7SSA - Elsie, Daisy and Martha with their fabulous cake display 7EMA - Charlie, Olivia and Rose with their lovely plasticine model
WATER ROCKET LAUNCH CHALLENGE
As part of their Science lessons, Year 8 students were set a Summer rocket launch challenge where they had to construct and launch an air pressured rocket, using water as a propellant, with the goal of scoring the longest air time. Students got stuck into phase 1 of the challenge as they worked in groups to design their rockets in a way that would balance the centre of mass before deciding how much water they want to use. Once phase 1 was complete it was time to move into phase 2: launching the rockets. Students took it in turns to watch each group attempt to launch their rocket as they pumped the air into their bottles anxiously waiting for the pressure to build up and the rocket to release into the air.
Recently in Biology, Year 8 have been learning about the Human genome and its DNA structure. To illustrate their understanding, students were tasked with creating their own DNA model structures using any household items they wish. Some students crafted their models completely out of candy whilst others used buttons and sticks to make some very creative displays of the double helix.
LIGHTING WORKSHOP
Year 13 Theatre studies students went to Hampton boys school where the technician of the Hammond theatre, Matt, delivered an excellent workshop on how lights and sound were used. The workshop was interactive and students were able to ask him about how he would light the set texts they are using for their exam. Excellent revision for them before they go into their exam!
‘THE IT’ PERFORMANCE
Quirky Bird theatre company came to perform Year 9 and 10 ‘The IT’, a set text they are studying for GCSE Drama.
Students commented that they felt the play was important in raising awareness of mental health in young people as the play is about all the stresses on a teenagers life and how they can cause anxiety. The piece is very current and addresses issues facing society today such as racism and food banks. Some people commented that it was nice to see the play as it makes them feel less alone with their anxieties and traumas.
Ten members of the Waldegrave School Orchestra travelled via Eurostar to Paris and then onto Fontainebleau to join other students from Portugal, France, Italy, Romania and Germany to form a scratch orchestra. All the towns involved are twinned together and we represented Richmond with an amazing display of resilience, musicianship and collaboration as we tackled some very tricky pieces. Nabucco, Danse Macabre and the Habanera are just a few of the pieces they performed to a full theatre and standing ovation in Fontainebleau.
Since 2018 we have been delighted to welcome a choir from the Brunnsbo Music School in Gothenburg to Waldegrave each year. However, since the Covid pandemic we unfortunately haven’t been able to host them until now! Before the half term break, we had the privilege of welcoming the Swedish Choir back into Waldegrave to perform alongside our Chamber Choir. Our choir joined forces with theirs to deliver an astounding ensemble performance to Year 6 students from local school Archdeacon Cambridge’s CofE Primary. Our students spent the run up to this event learning Swedish to be able to perform one of their songs traditionally sung at the start of the Swedish summer in their native language!
It’s been a busy start to the Season for our Rounders players, hosting three games at Waldegrave as well as playing in three away games. Both our Year 7/8 and 9/10 teams have played fantastically well in all their matches, coming out on top with three wins so far and three losses. Keep up the excellent play!
Fixture
Score
Player Of Match
Year 7/8 vs Turing House Year 7/8 vs Richmond Upon Thames
Won 8 1/2 - 5
Alex
Won 9 1/2 - 4
Matilda
Year 7/8 vs Teddington
Lost 12 1/2 - 5
Kiera
Year 9/10 vs Hampton High
Lost 9 - 8 1/2
Anusha
Year 7/8 vs Twickenham
Won 5 1/2 - 3
Imogen
Congratulations to Nell H-G (Y7), Penelope S-B (Y7), Lacey M (Y9), Camilla C (Y9), Jemima R (Y9) and Emily H (Y9) who all represented Waldegrave and Team Richmond in the London Youth Games Para Games Gala on Wednesday. Team Richmond finished in 3rd place! All 6 students performed amazingly: Nell won a Silver medal in the 25m backstroke; Penelope won a Silver medal in the freestyle relay; Lacey won a Gold medal in the 25m freestyle and a Bronze medal in the backstroke relay; Camilla won a Silver medal in the freestyle relay and a Bronze medal in the backstroke relay; and Jemima and Emily both won Bronze medals in the 25m freestyle!
Congratulations to the Year 9/10 Cricket team who won the U15 Chance To Compete London Cricket tournament at Barn Elms Sports Fields on Tuesday. In their first match they beat LEH. Waldegrave were 1st into bat scoring 60 runs off of 50 balls. They then managed to restrict LEH to a score of 47 runs to win this game. Their second opponents were Francis Holland School from Battersea. This time the team managed to score a very impressive 72 runs from 50 balls. Francis Holland rose to the challenge but Waldegrave were able to hold them to a score of 67 runs. This means the team have qualified for the regional finals after half term.
The U16 Basketball Squad played their league final against Grey Court. They faced very tough opposition as always when playing Grey Court and were under alot of pressure in defence. The team kept a postive approach and started to link passes and put shots up and score baskets. The final score was 44-18 to Grey Court and this result meant that Waldegrave finished runners up in the league. Well done to everyone who played: Mia BD, Aleena C, Lucy R, Anesu C, Claudia A, Roya LA, Sienna P. Congratulations goes to Roya who was voted as player of the match.
“It was the best bonding experience”
On Thursday 18 May at 4am, 31 Year 10 German students and four staff (Ms Robinson, Mr Isted, Ms Jackson & Mr Stavrou) boarded the coach destined for Boppard in Germany. They travelled through Dover, Calais, Brussels, Aachen and finally arrived at Boppard am Rhein in the late afternoon to be warmly welcomed by the hotel.
The group visited Köln on their first full day where the weather was kind to them and they basked in the sunshine in front of the impressive cathedral watching the street artists at work. A walking tour showed them the old part of the city and the oldest perfume shop in the world! A cruise on the Rhein followed, with many ice creams and chips ordered - in German, of course! Students had time to explore the plethora of shops - buying souvenirs to take home; Tour T-Shirts were a clear favourite! Then, onto the Lindt Chocolate Museum!
A beautifully themed Freizeitpark - home to the fastest rollercoaster in Germany.
A day enjoyed by the Students and Mr Isted and Ms Jackson!
The firm favourite was Fly; many happy smiles, brilliant photos and fun stories about soaking wet rides, the themed areas and the high level of German organisation and cleanliness.
On their last full day, they all enjoyed an evening of impromptu piano performance by two students - an added bonus, followed by the highly requested evening stroll along the river!
Before heading home the next day they made sure to squeeze the most out of the trip - they packed and then headed off to the chairlift which took them up into the vineyards of Boppard above the magnificent river Rhein. Ice creams were ordered, views savoured and more memories made.
A group of Year 10 students had the opportunity to attend the "World of Work" conference, organised by the Worshipful Company of World Traders. The main objective of the conference was to familiarise students with the importance of soft skills and how they can be beneficial in both personal and professional lives. “A highlight of the trip was being able to find out what skills you need to be able to move forward in life. I also enjoyed the panel talk and hearing all the unique stories of the panellists. It was comforting to find out they still didn't know exactly what they wanted to do and that so many of them have changed their career path a lot - proving that one job doesn't tie you down for life and that you can change at any given moment.” - Bea S “I found the conference empowering as I and many others did not know a lot of the things and tricks that they taught us. The communicating confidently talk was very helpful in making me feel powerful when sharing my ideas. It was also fascinating to learn about how we are all brought up to believe there is only one journey and no ups and downs, you just pick what you want to do and never change your mind, but many people found how sporadic the journey to your 'dream job' is and how many sideway paths there are during your journey.” - Ajax L-S
Our Year 8 students were lucky enough to visit the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon as part of their Religious Education lessons on worship. They were welcomed by a Buddhist monk from Thailand who spoke to the students about why their faith is important to them as well as explaining how they worship. They were also given the chance to explore the gardens and participate in a meditation as well as viewing the beautiful shrine and mural paintings in the main temple. We are very grateful for this opportunity to allow our students to explore the beautiful grounds of this Thai Temple and learn more about Buddhism.
ENJOY, ACHIEVE, EMPOWER.
Waldegrave School, Fifth Cross Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 5LS
020 8894 3244
www.waldegrave.richmond.sch.uk
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