JUNIOR ALLEYNIAN
Head’s Highlights (Speech Day 2024)
In line with the College’s focus, we have developed free learning weeks across the year, including International Women’s Day, Mental Health Week, and Pride and Neurodiversity Weeks. Each year group has focussed on serving our community in different ways, and the afternoon’s fair for AFRiL is a particularly good example. In Sport, we have been inspired to see all the pupils enjoying all the matches and different sports they have tried and excelled at. The pupils have achieved significant victories and success in cricket, hockey, swimming, and all the other sports. In Dance and Drama (and we should always use those words together these days as they are so integrated), all the pupils have had their opportunities to sing, perform, move and dance at the front of many stages across the year, whether those are in significant productions or class assemblies. Our House competitions are a very significant part of our lives and the year. There are new and exciting competitions, and this year saw us introduce House Geography (‘Your favourite place on Earth’), House Art (a portrait of your mum for International Women’s Day) and, of course, Super-Sized House singing, amongst others. We have had trips across the country, with all of Year 4, 5 and 6 travelling to the revamped Field Centre and Year 3 enjoying camping overnight in Sussex. I was lucky enough to attend that trip, but I must remember to pack a full adult sleeping bag next year—I was a bit cold! Before we celebrate Year 6, I do want to mention that we have all missed one of our pupils this term, Jayden T, Year 6, who has been seriously ill (in and out of hospital). We wish him and his family the best of luck and a quick recovery. Finally, I would love to take this opportunity to recognise and thank the staff for all they have done this year. I always say to prospective parents how they have often chosen the school on the basis of the reputation, the buildings, the websites and the tours, but they find it very difficult to get to know the staff. However, it is the staff who make the College and the Junior School so successful. Personally, I would like to thank the SMT team and those in the Office who personally support me so much. Next year, we will reshuffle the teaching groups, and we know that will continue to evolve the school and make it even better. Sadly, we must say goodbye to a staff member after 25 years of dedicated service to the College and the Junior School. Richard Oubridge has had multiple roles as a form teacher in Years 4 to 6, as a hockey coach, maths, history and geography teacher, organised the timetable and the cover lessons and the trips coordinator. He has been selfless, dedicated and passionate about supporting all the pupils in his care. We wish him a relaxed and enjoyable retirement, though a little bird tells me we may see him back next year doing the odd bit of hockey and sports coaching. I leave my final words to the pupils. One of the pupil year group entries sums up so much of our year and what we all love about the Junior School. ‘It is a diverse and kind-hearted school. They encourage their students to be better than they already are, and they give us a sensational education’.
n Today, we come to the Great Hall to look back on our year in the Junior School and, in particular, to recognise and celebrate all that the Year 6s have achieved and become over their time before they move into the Lower School in September. They have recently received their Year Book, to which they have all contributed. Huge thanks to all the parent team (and staff) who have helped put that together. It has been lovely to read their reflections on their time. We have learned some fascinating facts from their entries. One of them was born on a sofa. One got stuck in a toilet, not realising they should pull the door when they thought it was push. In 20 years’ time, one of the pupils thought he would be … ‘taller’! Meanwhile, another boy, beautifully, hoped he would be travelling with a nice girlfriend around the world. Ahh. Looking at the year, we can see that, academically, we have had another bumper crop of 11+ scholarships, super results in the maths challenges (UKMT and PMC) and have really developed our focus on reading. Our Book Week and author visits across the year have been so impressive that they have included Eoin Colfer and AF Steadman – some of the leading children’s authors of the moment. Our Symposium on the theme of Connections and Communication was as deep and inspiring as ever, whilst the Great Exhibition brought out some stunning presentations and research as diverse as ‘The future of North Korea’, ‘Is technology affecting our Mental Health’ and ‘What is inflation and why does it matter?’ One of the huge successes this year has been implementing our co- education collaboration programme with Sydenham High and JAGS. We have ensured that each year group has had an event in each of the terms to promote diverse activities and bring the children together. Year 3 had collaborative art, team building and engineering. Year 4 were able to do a Forest School session, Philosophy and French. Year 5 worked together on an economics task, a puppetry activity and a multisports session. Finally, in Year 6, a modern tech workshop (including flying drones), Forest School and a Top of the Form quiz event. We have received some super feedback from all the children about the benefits these sessions have given them, and we will continue to build on those next year. Though, I have to say, some of the spellings of some French delicacies need to be improved (‘panachocala’, was my favourite). Pastorally, as I have just hinted at, we have increasingly brought in the power of ‘pupil voice’, where we ask the pupils for their input and opinions. We now have multiple committees for the pupils to provide leadership to their peers across the school. The School Council, the EDI committee, International Ambassadors and Eco Committees (along with the Prefects, Librarians and House Officers) have given us a rich input to evolve our community. One huge area of success this year has been Junior School music and, I would particularly like to highlight the effort of Ms Wilcox in developing this. All aspects of music engagement and participation have been at their highest ever in terms of the numbers in the orchestra, choirs, ensembles, quartets and amount of pupils taking individual lessons, along with the variety of concerts and participants in those concerts. Finally, the number of music scholarships to the Lower School have been at their highest levels. A couple of particular highlights should be the Wombat Stew performance by the Year 3 strings, and the breakfast beat percussion and drums concert, the Foundation Schools concert with JAGS and Alleyn’s in the Great Hall in addition to the Magic Flute Opera workshop with Dulwich Wood Primary. It was all spectacular and memorable.
Thank you, and well done for a fantastic year.
Dr Griffiths June 2024
Head’s Highlights CONTENTS
2 6
ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT AND FREE LEARNING
Symposium
Great Exhibition Forest School
10 12 14 16 18 22 24 25 26 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 52 54 55 56 58 60 62 63 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 82 83 84 85
Book Week and Author Visits Short Story Competition
Digital Learning
Art and DT
Clubs Chess LAMDA
PASTORAL AND WELLBEING LEARNING
Community Service and Charities
DC Pride
International Women’s Day Mental Health Awareness Week
Neurodiversity Week
Eco Week
Black History Month
Assemblies
LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP
School Council Digital Leaders
International Ambassadors
EDI forum
Year 3 Collaboration with Sydenham High School Year 4 Collaboration with Sydenham High School
Year 5 Collaboration with JAGS Year 6 Collaboration with JAGS
HOUSES
Cross Country Sports Day Teambuilding Photography Spelling Bee
Music
Geography
Art
MUSIC AND CREATIVE ARTS
Year 3 Production: Rock Pool
Year 4 Christmas Production: Straw and Order
Year 5 Play in Two Days
Year 6 Production: Finding Nemo Jr. Junior Foundation Schools Concert
Music Summary
Annual Strings Festival Brass and Wind Performance
SPORT
Introduction and cricket
Football Rugby Tennis
Swimming
Hockey
TRIPS, VISITS AND WORKSHOPS
Year 3 Residential Outdoor Centre: Year 4 Outdoor Centre: Year 5 Outdoor Centre: Year 6
Annual Ski Trip Year 3 Visits Year 4 Visits Year 5 Visits Year 6 Visits
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FOUNDER’S CONCERT
87
SPEECH DAY
88
FAREWELLS AND WELCOMES
Cover image courtesy of Sebby Z
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n The Junior School Symposium, now in its eighth year, has become a highlight in the Junior School calendar. The symposium is a whole day of Free Learning where the boys from Dulwich College Junior School team up with children from James Allen’s Girls’ School and Dulwich Wood Primary to explore a theme through different academic lenses. This year’s theme was ‘Connections and Communication’, providing a catalyst for many thought- provoking questions, challenging activities, and collaborative opportunities. We were extremely fortunate to have Ashley John-Baptiste, a broadcast journalist and ambassador for the Fostering Network, deliver the opening assembly for us. Ashley shared his experiences growing up in foster care and how, at the time, becoming a journalist felt like an unreachable goal. Through his inspiring story, Ashley shared his tips on being an authentic communicator and how stepping forward when things feel hard leads to great results. Years 3 and 5 were hosted by James Allen’s Girls’ School for their symposium. They had an opening assembly with Wendy Hurrell, a BBC journalist, and the soprano Kate Royal. Through their opening discourse, they shared their stories and discussed how communicating and connecting with audiences is key to being successful in their professions. JAGS also offered a wide variety of sessions, including Cartoon Communications, MFL sessions, partner drawing, and linking in looping. In addition to these, actor Matthew Whitchurch ran some drama sessions for the children. A fantastic day was had by all, and our great thanks go to the Dulwich College staff, James Allen’s Girls’ School staff, and our visiting speakers for making the Junior School Symposium a memorable day of Free Learning for the approximately 500 pupils who took part in London.
Cryptic Scavenger Hunt
SYMPOSIUM - CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNICATION Messages in Circuits
Sports Creator
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Asha Hylton – Communicating as a Deaf Professional
Squiggles or Digits – Cisterian Numbers
Art of Protest
3
Possible Present
Ashley John Baptiste Workshop
Bridge Building
4
Communication Through the Ages
Forest Treasure Maps
Djembe Drumming
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The Great Exhibition
n The Year 6 boys had a fabulous finale to Lent Term with their Great Exhibition. This was a culmination of their Humanities work throughout Lent Term, and focussed on all of the boys choosing a topic about which they were passionate, related to the UN Goals for Sustainable Development. A very special part of the Year 6 Projects is the ‘Action’ element, where the boys take action to raise awareness about their issues. Actions this year ranged from writing to MPs, volunteering at a food bank, taking part in a litter pick, writing to Buckingham Palace and more! We hope the boys found completing their Actions empowering. In terms of the presentations themselves, the Year 6 boys presented to the rest of the pupils in the school, and held the exciting ‘Great Exhibition’ in the evening, where they presented to parents and family. It was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to share their research and learning this term, and it was super to see them speaking so confidently and engagingly. We had a buzzing Junior School, full of parents, friends and visitors, and boys engaging with their learning. We were so pleased to see how proud the Year 6 boys were of their Projects, and how eager they were to share what they have done. The Year 6 Great Exhibition is a significant milestone in the boys’ learning at DCJS, and they should all feel very proud of themselves.
6
Farid E Poaching: what are the issues? Francisco GAR What are the effects of plastic filling up the sea? William H Is Lego good for the environment? Aadi J AI: friend or foe? Charlie J How is the issue of knife crime changing? Jack K How can solar panels be used effectively? Jonas L What is the current situation of AI? Anthony L Why does deforestation occur? Sam OL
Viyan A
What is poaching in the UK and how can it be stopped? Air pollution in London: history, causes and solutions. What is the impact of homelessness? What are the causes and consequences of crime in London? What is MedTech and its impact on our lives?
Oli B
Max DG
James dM
What is discrimination in sport, and why is it such an issue?
Elliot PC Macsen P Edward R Nikolai S
Technology: the good, the bad or the ugly? How do we become a sustainable planet? What is animal trafficking, and why is it an issue?
Ian EV
Jamie F
What is the history of racism?
What are the wars that we ignore?
Tom H
What is homelessness and what is its impact? Why is racism a problem in football? What is ultra processed food? How do micro transactions in games affect people? Gangs, crime and London: a study. Pollution in the Wandle River: causes, impact and solutions. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: causes and solution.
Sebastian S
To what extent should cultural practices harming animals be banned?
Oliver S Paddy U
Homelessness in the UK: why is it an issue? What are the effects of election rigging today? How is technology affecting our mental health? How is climate change affecting the world?
DJ I
Milo W
Sheldon K
Melkam Z
Sebby Z Oliver Z
How can we save ancient woodlands? How can communities be equal?
Noah ME
Raymond Z
Could AI be dangerous?
Milo M
Louis MD
Adit A Billy A Miles B
What is inflation and how does it affect us?
How does Crime affect us? What is homelessness?
Felix P
Alistair B
What role do Corals play in biodiversity? What is the problem with crime in the UK?
Aryn C
Raif NL
How can diversity be improved and racism reduced in cricket?
Lochie C Austin G
Are electric cars going to be better for the environment?
Why do workers go on strike?
Alex G
Why is illegal drug abuse such a problem? What can we do to cut down on plastic pollution?
Joe OF
What is the impact of social media? What is air pollution and how is it affecting London? How does knife crime affect lives in London? How do food banks affect people in our local area? Why are different species endangered in the UK?
Charlie H Ryan K Jacob L
Reeyen P
How can we end hunger in the UK?
What is Cyberbullying?
Forest P
Seb M
How do drugs have a negative effect on us?
Thomas M
Why does crime impact us? Do we need ULEZ in London?
Felix M
Daniel N
Ryan P
What are the implications of street crime? Why is homelessness in London so bad? What are the problems with pollution in London?
Oli P
Stanley T
Vish R
Oscar W
What is the impact of smoking and vaping?
Alexandros S Why is wildlife decreasing in the UK? Arthur S Are workers getting a fair deal? Jayden T What is inflation? Archie V What is the future of N Korea?
Rori Y
What has happened in Ukraine since the start of the war?
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8
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n Michaelmas term had the Year 3s creating their very own Greenman sculptures, based on the poem by Charles Causley, using mud and forest floor debris. In the summer they expanded on their science topic by looking at pollination and plant dyes. The Year 4s learned how to do tie rigging, cast doubloon coins over an open fire and plot their own treasure maps to tie in with their pirate topic. The Year 4s also collaborated with Sydenham High, welcoming them to our Forest School. We introduced them to a range of outdoor activities, which also developed and relied on communication and teamwork. The sessions involved the boys and girls using their imagination and creativity to construct mystical forest creatures and dreamcatchers. They also implemented responsible behaviour and key listening skills with flint and steel fire lighting and whittling. The Year 5s learned how to safely set up a storm kettle, use the whittling knives to shape kebab sticks for cooking and build their own seed pods to understand the various forms of seed dispersal. Year 6 collaborated with JAGS pupils in the summer term for a Forest School Teambulidng day, where they built shelters, worked with flint and steel and whittled wood.
FOREST SCHOOL
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11
BOOK WEEK 2024: Brilliant Beasts and Clever Creatures
Thursday was dress up day and a variety of wonderful costumes appeared. All were appreciated and all cleverly thought out, and thanks to Mr Forbes for making me a (cardboard) door (at midnight) to go with my lion soft toy and witch’s hat (have you guessed my costume yet?) Dr Griffiths was keen to point out that he was not Willy Wonka but Phileas Fogg instead - and he looked wonderful. To end the week, we were visited by performance Poet, ADISA, who performed to our Year 5 and 6 boys and then did poetry workshops, inspiring and enthusing our boys to create poems. Fabulous. In between this we had our annual short story competition, and lunches with authors for the Year 6 librarians and EDI ambassadors.
n Wow! What a week! So many favourite moments, starting the week with three teachers reading at Assembly - thank you Mr Devitt, Mr Oubridge and Mr Goodrich for your spellbinding reading. Straight on to our wonderful storyteller with Lao Lao our dragon . Year 5 and 6 loved the author Margaret Bateson Hill talking about First Flight. Then Charlie P Brooks for Year 3 & 4 with his brand new book “Sammi and the Extra Hot Chilli powder”. On Wednesday, we welcomed A F Steadman - who I predict will be the next J K Rowling. She kindly dropped in to spend the afternoon with us, having signed a film deal on her books, before flying to the US for a 10- day publicity tour to launch the Skandar books there. Her workshop and naming of a new unicorn was wonderful and so inspiring. One to watch.
Mrs Forbes
12
AF Steadman
Margaret Bateson-Hill
Joseph Elliott
Charlie Brooks
Adisa
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HOUSE SHORT STORY COMPETITION:
Brilliant Beasts
Dragons and Unicorns n Sam’s ragged breath pulsed agonisingly through his lungs as he ran. Round the first corner. Round the second corner. Up the unending garden path. And finally, home. As he turned his rusty key in the lock and closed the heavy door behind him, he slumped to the cold, hard floor and cried. They were tears of relief and tears of sadness. The bullies hadn’t caught him this time but they’d be back. He was still scarred by the visual memories of the week before: they rained blow after blow as he shielded his face and begged for mercy. The bruises still crisscrossed his back like spiderwebs. When the tears finally stopped, he pulled his weary body up the stairs, changed from his drab uniform and sat at his desk. Homework and dinner finished, he crept silently into bed. As he lay there, he waited for his dreams to transport him like they did every night. To take him to a safe world to meet a new friend: an amazing creature he would share his day with. The previous night, he’d travelled to meet the most majestic of dragons he could ever imagine. His scales were as red as the evening sun and his eyes burned with the fire of a thousand stars. He was crowned by two ashen sabre-like horns. His claws were as sharp as the finest serrated knives and his feathered wings hung gracefully at his sides like loyal servants. He sat regally in the corner of a shallow cave, listening intently to all Sam had to say. Sam shared all the pain he felt and when he had finished speaking he felt entirely unburdened and free. Fore the rest of his dream, Sam flew through the darkness of the evening on the dragon’s back guided only by the light of the moon. By the time they’d landed, Sam felt ready to face the world again and say goodbye. Beating his wings in a mournful farewell, the brilliant rose effortlessly into the inky darkness and vanished into the night. As much as Sam loved the dragon, his favourite dream was of the unicorn, an that night he longed to see him again. The unicorn was luminous white, almost translucent, shrouded by a tangible outer glow of warmth that radiated around him. His eyes were as blue as the depths of the sea and his horn was a golden torch. When Sam was with the unicorn, he felt nothing buy joy. His anger and loneliness melted away like ice-cream on a sunny day. Together, they frolicked in the clouds, turning loop the loops over spires and chimneys while others slept unknowing. But that night, Sam’s dreams took him to meet the wild pig. Though less glamorous than the dragon and the unicorn, as he lolled in the mud, he was equally joyful. His leathery skin was bald and wrinkled like a prune and he and Sam laughed, sang and talked for hours. Together they plotted Sam’s revenge on the dastardly bullies. Sam’s dreams were his support. He knew that using the strength of his imagination could get him through anything. As he rose to meet the day ahead, he realised that he always had friends to talk to (whether real or imagined) when he was feeling low. He got would become bold and ready…and those bullies wouldn’t know what was coming.
The Dragon’s Nest n One million years ago there was a sandstorm, all the different creatures were zooming around rapidly trying to find shelter. Apart from one. The Humog family were strange little things half human, half dog. The mum humog had just had babies so she had to stay rooted to the spot. Suddenly the sandstorm became too strong and tipped the mum over! The eggs went rolling in every direction. This is where the story starts, one of the eggs rolled into a dragon’s nest. When he hatched he saw he was the odd one out, but he tried his best at all of the usual dragon things, until, he came across flying. Of course, all the dragons were dying to try to fly, but the young humog called Barker did not have wings. Then when he saw all the dragons above him, he really wanted to fly so he tried making some wings. He tried to make wings so he dug down, eager to find some materials to make wings out of, he was elated to find some metal and wood. As quick as a flash he had made some metal wings, he quickly climbed up a tree and jumped off and plummeted down as quick as a rocket. He then used the wood, it took a bit longer to make the wings out of because he had fallen into a river. So, he leaped up the tree again and shot off the branch, he was FLYING, for a moment until he fell into the river again. It was shredding season for the dragons and there was a carpet of scales on the floor, and all the other dragons were shining like the sun. Barker thought he might give it one more chance. The little humog took as long as a snail to make some wings out of all the bountiful scales, so he leaped off the tree for final time and flew. Many years later the humog and the dragons now play together happily.
Oscar W (Year 6)
By Luke T (Year 3)
14
James and the Phoenix
and Clever Creatures
n Once there lived a boy called James. He lived with his dad in an isola hut in a forest where nobody dared go. His mother had died many years ago in a bad car accident, so they moved out of the city to somewhere that nobody knew about. But James’s life wasn’t all bad, he liked living in the hut with his dad and Ruby. After finishing home school (his dad home schooled him) he went out and explored the vast wilderness, filled to the brim with exotic plants and animals. However much he explored there was always more to go, but one day he stumbled across a mysterious object. It was round and looked like an elongated ostrich egg. Crack! James jumped, it sounded like something was trying to break out of the egg. Crack! There it was again. Crack! And again; until suddenly he saw a beak break out. It was too wide to be a robin’s, too narrow to be a sparrow’s and too long to be eagle’s; it was like nothing he had seen before. CRACK! The crack was so oud it shook the forest, then he saw it: a fiery bird broke out, it was the most beautiful thing he had every seen. It soared above the clouds, its wings gleamed and glistened in the sun. It raced across the sky fluttering its majestic wings, as it flew James followed. He sprinted as fast as he could, trying to keep up with it, until…
The Misunderstood Dragon
n Tom waited. Silence. He waited some more. He was sure someone would burst into his room at any moment shouting “Happy Birthday” but no one came because no one remembered. Tom’s heart was an endless pot of sadness as he lay in bed remembering all the stories his father had told him years past before he’d died. He remembered the story of a wild dragon that his father had met in the woods when he was a small boy. People had warned in of the dragon: a mythical creature with eyes that burnt red and wings stained with the blood of the children he had eaten. But that wasn’t true: the dragon was kind, wise and totally misunderstood. Tom never believed in the dragon but that morning alone in bed, he needed to know if the dragon existed. Tom threw his essentials, a pocket torch, a blunt penknife and a half-filled water bottle into a compact military backpack and set off. It was early and the sun had woken up, the path to the woods beckoned him in. Tom wandered through the army of towering trees as they stood to attention for what seemed like eternity. Darkness crawled behind him as the sky’s bruise spread. After walking for hours Tom began to get hungry and thirsty, he stumbled across the opening to a small cave and he entered cautiously and then slumped in a heap and almost instantly to sleep. He awoke an hour or so later with a coat of slippery warmth curled around his shoulders.
The trees divided as he ran until there were none left and what he saw was…
He saw endless clouds of black, long crushing smoke. He saw gigantic lakes of oil filled with dead fish. He saw thousands of tree stumps. The horror that he saw went on forever. He couldn’t believe his eyes, it was horrific! He thought to himself “why would a place like this exist?” He carried on following the phoenix until he found the source of the problem. Towers taller than mountains, lights brighter than the blue sun. A world filled with tech, there is a no space for animals. A world full of tech is not the best world.
He was surrounded by the largest most magnificent winged creature he’d ever seen. He was covered in scales as
By Oscar B (Year 5)
Zach W (Year 4)
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Digital Learning
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n iPads. Programming. AI. Digital Learning at DCJS takes many different forms and we are fortunate to have lots of opportunities for the boys to develop their IT skills. iPads are very much part of day to day life at the JS and these are regularly used in lessons to support and enhance learning. Particular favourite apps such as Learning by Questions, featured regularly towards the latter part of the year, allowing extra practice and stretch and challenge. Digital Learning has also been part of our club provision, this year saw M-Tech being a popular choice for the boys. This club introducef the creative world of music making to the boys and they have enjoyed mixing two well-loved subjects of Music and IT! AI continues to be a hot topic in education and across many industries and sectors. The boys have started to understand, in an age-appropriate way, what AI is, why it is useful and some of the potential shortcomings and dangers of using AI. As we look forward to next academic year, there will be a new JS IT lab, situated in the new Lower School building. Surrounded by trees on three sides and in a light, airy and modern space, this new home for JS IT will be a wonderful place to learn for many years to come.
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Year 3 Art Hot and cold colour
Year 4 DT Cam toys
ART AND DT
Year 3 art Egyptian self portrait
Year 3 Art pointillism painting
Year DT Marble maze
Year 3 Art Egyptian Canopic jar clay and modroc
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Year 4 Art Mixed media seascape
Year 4 Art Wet felting seascape
Year 4 DT portable lights
Year 4 DT Cam toys
Year 4 Art Seascape weaving
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Year 5 DT Elastic band car project
Year 5 Art Henry Moore wax resist mixed media Painting
Year 5 Art Natural forms prints
Year 5 Art Georgia O Keeffe
Year 5 Art H Moore sculpture green screen
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Year 6 Art Cubist guitar in paste
Year 6 Art DT Clocks
Year 6 Art Abstract guitar Clay tile
Year 6 Art Jim Dine inspired mono printing
Year 6 Art DT Acrylic Key fob
Year 6 Art DT Clocks
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n Junior School pupils enjoyed an enormous variety of clubs and ensembles this year, with options spanning creative, sporting, cerebral, and musical. Junior School pupils experienced an extraordinary range of clubs and ensembles this year, encompassing creative, sporting, intellectual, and musical activities. These clubs offer boys the opportunity to enjoy their existing passions and hobbies while discovering new ones, making them a highlight of the school day for many. This year’s programme introduced exciting new clubs like Skateboarding and Dice Games, alongside the return of much-loved favourites such as Historical Battles, Quidditch, Knitting, Lego, and Hockey. It has been fantastic to see Junior School pupils participate in Senior School societies and welcome older pupils into our clubs for support and inspiration. Many pupils have achieved remarkable success through their club activities. Highlights include the Junior School Orchestra’s performance at the Foundation Concert, the Percussion Club forming the Founder’s Day Samba Band, and the Hockey Club excelling in tournaments and fixtures. The Velodrome Club competed as the youngest team at the Inter-School Cycling Championships at Herne Hill Velodrome, and many pupils learnt some impressive new language skills in Latin, German and Chinese Clubs. Here are a few highlights in the boys’ own words: “I was really proud to receive my yellow Taekwondo belt this year,” Ethan. CLUBS
Space Club
Skateboarding
“It was so exciting to compete in the IAPS finals at the Olympic pool,” Marcus. “Gaelic Football was so much fun! I didn’t know about this sport before and it’s so interesting to learn about,” Kyden. “I love Chess Club. It’s been a great way to meet new people at school and the tournament we took part in was so fun,” Tian. “Water Polo is awesome. We’ve had matches and tournaments this year which have been so exciting,” Ciaran and Gil.
Clay Modelling
“Quidditch Club is so unique. It’s so fun when you get to be the Golden Snitch!” Alexey. “I love Book Club. It’s a great time to relax and listen to a story,” Josh. Thank you to all of our wonderful staff for providing such inspiring activities.
Jigsaws
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Knitting
Tae kwon do
Illustration
Card and Board Games
Lego
Karate
Quidditch
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n The Chess Club has had a fantastic year, with large numbers attending, showing their enthusiasm and skill. Several of our boys participated in the Kent Junior Chess Association (KJCA) tournaments, with some earning the honor of being selected for the Kent Team! A highlight of the year was the simultaneous match with Grandmaster and Old Alleynian Raymond Keene, who played against a mix of 20 Senior and Junior School boys. We wrapped up the year with the Kent Championship Tournament, featuring some of the best players from Kent and the UK. Our participation there has fueled our ambition to achieve even greater heights next year. CHESS
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n Over 80 boys are involved in LAMDA in Junior School.
Building skills in performance, expression and communication are at the heart of what we do in LAMDA classes. Nurturing the creativity of boys and their confidence to express themselves in front of a group is our focus. Boys work towards a graded exam set by the London Academy of Dramatic Art. Some have already started in DUCKS, some join in Junior School and often boys will stay involved until they take the highest level of exam – Gold in Year 12. Once they’ve become a “LAMDA Boy”, many stay with it for the
entirety of their school experience, earning skills that serve them well with university applications.
May 2024 saw our largest ever cohort of Junior School boys take LAMDA exams, with a pass rate of 100%. 77% of the cohort were awarded the highest grade, Distinction, with four boys being awarded full marks of 100%! Beyond exams, the classes give boys the chance to develop their creativity and confidence - skills which reach across the curriculum and beyond. Boys are encouraged to find their voices and develop resilience as performers. For some, speaking in front of an audience is a huge challenge – as it is for many adults. We work together to build robust skills that are used in all other areas of life.
We share the boys’ work in a variety of ways - open classes, performances on Founder’s Day and at Open Days to prospective parents. LAMDA
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YEAR 3 COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CHARITIES n GUIDE DOGS
n We were joined by Jayne, Irene & Pearl (the dog!) from Guide Dogs at the end of the Michaelmas term. Jayne and Irene gave a very informative presentation about the charity and how Pearl had been pivotal in giving Irene (who was visually impaired) independence. The boys had plenty of opportunities to ask them all about Pearl and the charity and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to stroke Pearl too! Our focus in Wellbeing for the remainder of the term was all about how Guide Dogs are critical to the visually impaired members of our community and this culminated in a charity Guide Dog day on Friday 8th December.
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YEAR 4 COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CHARITIES n CRISIS
n Year 4 students have shown compassion and generosity this year by supporting Crisis, a homeless charity, through their Christmas event, Crisis at Christmas. This initiative provides shelter, food, and amenities to homeless people across the UK during the festive season. Our students made Christmas boxes to donate to the event, which were most gratefully received. Additionally, on Service Day, the boys supported the Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers by purchasing Oyster Cards. They wrote heartfelt letters welcoming the asylum seekers and refugees to the country, sharing their favorite free activities to do in London and explaining how the Oyster Cards could help them travel to each destination. This gesture was both heartwarming and significant to the centre, making a positive impact on those in need.
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Community Action Tea Party
n A highlight of this week in Michaelmas term was the Year 5 Community Action Tea Party. The Year 5 boys proudly - and superbly - hosted elderly members of our local community and their grandparents for a Christmas tea party. We had 39 guests this year! The atmosphere was busy, filled with good conversation and lots of singing. We were thrilled to receive this kind letter of thanks:
Dear Ms Robinson,
Thank you so much for such an enjoyable afternoon yesterday at Year 5’ s Christmas Party and please pass on my thanks to the boys who really did themselves proud. Their determination to ensure that every aspect of the afternoon went according to plan was highly commendable. Their preparation enabled them to hold very interesting conversations and their attention to detail in distributing drinks and cakes was impressive. The musicians and singing were enthusiastically performed. It was a bonus to go home with a hand-made card, gift and bag of delicious cakes! Such events do not happen without a lot of work behind the scenes, so thank you to all involved in the planning and preparation. You produced a real highlight for my celebration of Christmas.
May you all now, Staff and students, enjoy a well- deserved holiday and very HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
What a lovely way to finish the term !
YEAR 5 COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CHARITIES
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YEAR 6 COMMUNITY SERVICE AND CHARITIES
AFRiL fundraising and Service Day
n As in previous years we have been supporting AFRiL (Action For Refugees in Lewisham). One of AFRiL’s initiatives is to run a supplementary school on Saturdays to help the children with their English skills so they can function better in their normal school during the week. This is called the Rainbow Club. This is where our involvement comes in. We took a group of seven pupils to the Rainbow Club to plan a sports day for their children in July. The boys worked with some of their older children to come up with a number of different activities to be run at the club’s sports day on 22ndJune. It was great to see the children chatting to each other and trying out ideas, before pooling them to come upwith a final list. Year 6, as a whole year group, went on to raise funds to support AFRiL by running stalls on the College Service Day on 28th June. The Year 6 stalls raised an impressive £1042.26 for the charity, AFRiL. This is a fantastic achievement and the money goes towards funding the Saturday School that provides fun, educational activities for refugee children in Lewisham.
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DC PRIDE n Pride month has now come to an end at the Junior School and the boys have developed their understanding of empathy, celebrating individuality, and what Pride is all about. We have enjoyed assemblies, Humanities lessons and some of the boys have also deepened their understanding in a wellbeing lesson too. The boys enjoyed wearing some rainbow/ brightly coloured accessories with their uniforms on Wednesday in support of Pride month, which was a particular highlight this week.
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
to get there. Elena captured the boys’ interest in explaining her career in sustainable finance. Something both teachers and boys found particularly fascinating was learning about ‘Beeconomics’ and how essential bees are to our economy. It was also eye-opening to learn that although women make up almost 50% of the workforce in the US, only 6% of those in the top leadership positions are women. Thank you so much to all the mums who joined us this week. Every class enjoyed a thought-provoking Wellbeing lesson put together by Ms Robinson. This session provided a platform to hear from women in underrepresented professions. We heard from three women - a pilot, a surgeon, and a barrister - about their careers, which gave us a chance to discuss the possibilities and challenges faced by women in traditionally male-dominated industries. This also gave us more time to reflect on the ‘Inspire Inclusion’ theme and how everyone should be able to follow their dreams and aspirations, free from bias and stereotypes. Throughout the week, various lunchtime activities were given to the boys to allow them the chance to explore IWD even further. We had a Podcast Party featuring the inspiring tale of Yusra Mardini, mindfulness colouring, an exciting IWD- themed quiz with Dr Griffiths, and finally some creativity in the form of crafting IWD badges. Many year groups also set an IWD Home Learning task, and it was heart-warming to see so many pupils interviewing their mums, making gifts and cards, and creating quizzes and Kahoots for their friends to enjoy.
n During the Lent term we marked the whole College’s Free Learning event in celebration of International Women’s Day. Monday’s launch assembly set the tone for the week, where the boys found out about the history and purpose of International Women’s Day. IWD is a chance to celebrate the achievements of women and girls, as well as reflect on the inequalities that still exist, and consider actions we can all take to create a fairer, more equal world for everyone. The boys discovered some surprising statistics highlighting why we still need IWD today and learnt about this year’s theme, ‘Inspire Inclusion’. Throughout the week, each year group was very lucky to be visited by some of our inspirational parents. Year 3 had a wonderful talk from Yang-Yang about the experiences of young girls and women in rural Kenya and her work setting up a micro-finance organisation. The boys were very intrigued and asked some excellent questions. Years 4&5 were treated to a lesson in surgery from Dr Ali. She told the boys all about different types of surgeons, how she got into surgery, and some of the common complaints doctors have to diagnose. The boys were fascinated to learn that less than 15% of surgeons
are women and came up with some thoughtful suggestions for how more women could be encouraged to join the profession. Year 6 hugely enjoyed the talks from both Rida and Elena. Rida described her journey from Lahore to London. She told the boys about winning the Bill Gates Scholarship and studying at Cambridge for her PhD - the boys even got to see a bound copy of her thesis. She shared memories of her time at Cambridge and described what it was like to arrive in a completely new country and how hard she had to work
Miss Northcott
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n As part of the Mental Health Awareness Week, all Year 3 and Year 5 pupils took part in Yoga workshops. One of the most significant ways that yoga increases mobility is by stretching the muscles and joints, and in these sessions the pupils learnt about the importance of movement alongside various mindfulness techniques. Some pupils also had the opportunity of flying on a trapeze, which focussed on coordination and teamwork. In addition, 10 minutes each day was dedicated to every pupil and staff member stopping whatever they were doing and engaging in a period of relaxation – a breathing exercise, a mindfulness technique or a relaxing art task. Wellbeing lessons placed a focus on the theme of ‘movement’ and there were assemblies based on this theme throughout the week.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL
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Neurodiversity Week n Ms Olusanya and Nick Black (the
School Vice Captain from Year 12) kicked off the week with a brilliant assembly, which repeated a great talk that Nick had given during Neurodiversity Week about his ADHD. He delightfully talked about his journey, from arriving in Year 10 as a boarder from Singapore and finding the transition and expectations difficult. These were related to his ADHD. But, over time, he has progressed from being in trouble and having low effort grades to getting superb GCSEs and being elected to be a School Vice Captain (as well as playing lots of football). He was a real inspiration for the boys.
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ECO WEEK
open to all pupils. This exciting line-up includes a ‘Mindfulness in Nature’ session in our Forest School; an eco-art activity inspired by Nancy Azara’s leaf art; a nature walk around the campus; as well as some fun recycling relays, and a daily weather check. In Wellbeing lessons, all Junior School pupils will have the opportunity to contemplate why nature is so precious through reading stories from the book Slow Down by Rachel Williams and Freya Hartas. We will all take some time to go outside and explore what can be found when we take the time to slow down.
n Junior School pupils used Eco Week to connect with nature and think deeply about the environment around us. The Junior School Eco-Committee lead an assembly to launch Eco Week, explaining the aims of the week and sharing their personal reflections on why it is so important to look after our environment. Year 4 spent the morning at James Allen’s Girls’ School, working with the students there for a morning of collaborative workshops and activities, all with a focus on sustainability and the enviroment.
Throughout the week, there was range of lunchtime activities
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH
n The Free Learning Weeks on Windrush 75 at the Junior School got off to an awesome start! The boys dived headlong into enriching and diverse opportunities. Year 3 delved into a fascinating Nearpod lesson, Year 4 penned stirring poems inspired by “Windrush Child” by John Agard, Year 5 engaged in creative comprehension where they had to draw information from multiple sources and Year 6 discussed some of the more contemporary issues that the Windrush Generation are facing. Throughout the week, the boys were prompted with thought-provoking questions displayed alongside accompanying images at various installations around the school. As we moved into the second week, we continued to develop the learning taking place as year groups aimed to complete their individual projects on the topic, encouraging our young learners to engage even more deeply with this pivotal topic in British history.
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n Assemblies in the Junior School are centred around our Core Values and are used to promote Wellbeing topics, cultural and historical events of importance, community action projects, as well as key religious festivals. The weekly class assemblies, many of which are evidenced in the photos on these pages, give the pupils the opportunity to showcase their learning on specific topics and share this with parents and pupils alike. Visiting speakers form part of some of our assemblies, speaking about their area of passion or expertise, and our week is always wrapped up with our Celebration Assembly, where pupils’ efforts and hard work are rewarded, as well as their kindness through our kindness leaves.
4W’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH ASSEMBLY ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF HMS EMPIRE WINDRUSH.
5N PERFORMING CEILIDH AT THEIR BURN’S NIGHT ASSEMBLY
ASSEMBLIES 3R DELIVER A PARTICULARLY POIGNANT ASSEMBLY ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE D-DAY LANDINGS 4G SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LEAP YEAR, AS WELL AS CELEBRATING ST. DAVID’S DAY
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3L CELEBRATE LUNAR NEW YEAR AND THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON
3A EXPLAIN AND DEMONSTRATE SOME OF THE RATHER GRUESOME ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RITUALS
OSCAR WHIGHT (MUSIC TEACHER) LEADS AN ASSEMBLY ALL ABOUT THE TRUMPET
5R REFLECT ON THEIR COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS TEA PARTY FOR RESIDENTS OF LOCAL CARE HOMES
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NEURODIVERSITY WEEK ASSEMBLY LED BY SOME OF OUR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMBASSADORS
PUPILS RECEIVING THEIR LANDING CARDS AS PART OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH ASSEMBLY
PROFESSOR ROBERT BARKER (PARENT) PROVIDES HIS INSIGHTS ON BIODIVERSITY AND HOW IT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO ARCHITECTURE
4D SHARE THE RECENT HIGHLIGHTS IN THEIR CELEBRATION OF LEARNING ASSEMBLY
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A VIBRANT AND ENERGETIC SAMBA PERFORMANCE AS PART OF 4W’S BLACK HISTORY MONTH ASSEMBLY
5R SHARING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THEIR RECENT LEARNING
OUR DIGITAL LEADERS PERFORM AN ASSEMBLY ON SAFER INTERNET DAY AND THE THEME OF ‘TOGETHER FOR A BETTER INTERNET’
6R SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR LANGUAGES ON THE EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES
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SCHOOL COUNCIL
devised a set of guidelines to ensure fair play and maximum enjoyment for all.
n At the start of each academic year, pupils have the opportunity to be elected by their classmates to be part of the School Council. Those interested make a short speech to convince the class of why they would make a good representative which is followed by a vote. Once elected, the School Council provides a space for pupils to have their voices heard on various issues and aspects of school life, through regular meetings where they give feedback from discussions they have had with their forms.
School Council also recently attended a catering review meeting. Topics discussed included menu variety, portion sizes, and dietary options and the boys were able to give their feedback about the food in the College. Looking ahead to the future, the School Council has been actively involved in planning for some playground improvements, which are set to take place over the summer break. The boys compiled ideas from their peers and gave some brilliant suggestions for how they would like to use their play spaces.
This year, the School Council were instrumental in establishing a set of rules for our newly installed table tennis tables. The group
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DIGITAL LEADERS n This year the Digital Leaders have done a brilliant job of sharing their knowledge, supporting their peers and leading a brilliant whole school assembly on Safer Internet Day around the theme of ‘Inspiring Change, Making a Difference, Managing Influence and Navigating Change Online’.
Here’s what it meant to the boys to be a Digital Leader... • Henry (Y4) - I enjoyed being the person who looked after the tech in my class and reporting any problems I couldn’t fix.
And here’s a few fun facts from the Digital Leaders, did you know?
• If your phone overheats it will stop working (Nathan, Y3)
• AI is developing every day, at the 2024 Waymo Convention, AI allowed a car to parallel park by itself (Milo, Y6 & Reuben, Y5)
• Reuben (Y6) - I liked helping people with their technology... especially the teachers!
• Sheldon (Y6) - I remember helping Mr Daly to use his calculator correctly!
• 58% of grown ups think you should be over 16 to have a smart phone (Henry, Y4)
• Milo (Y6) - Being a digital leader is a great responsibility as it helps keep our school safe from cyberbullying and from the risks on the internet.
• Having a smart phone can shorten your attention span (Milo, Y3) • Social media stars may have ulterior motives when promoting companies, they may be getting paid by companies to promote their products so read the small print carefully!
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