Lent 2010 - Alleyn`s School

Newsletter Lent Term 2010
Alleyn’s School
Back in the eighteenth century,
Field Day was a military term
meaning ‘a day spent in field
manoeuvres’. Then, during the
nineteenth century the term
was broadened to include
What is ‘Field Day’?
brilliant or exciting events,
and in the twentieth century
the term was extended further
to include opportunity as
well as enjoyment.
So for Alleyn’s the term
is apt: ‘activity’ in fields
(CCF and Duke of Edinburgh)
and a day of excitement or
opportunity for pupils and
staff.
Alleyn’s has two
whole-school Field Days
each year, one in October
and one in March. Our
commitment to co-curricular
activities and the range of
opportunities available to
our pupils are central to an
Alleyn’s education, and this
Mrs Mathieson and James Savage (9PC) at Borough Market (top) and
Nadine Dow (9GR) and Rosie Cope (9SC) with Miss Gore at the BAPS
commitment is never more
Shri Swaninarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in Neasden (above)
evident than on Field Day.
Timetabled lessons give way to learning outside the classroom and over 950 pupils and
staff spend the day focused on other opportunities and enjoyable events. Nearly 600 pupils
and over 65 staff leave the school site and take part in trips and activities. The rest of the
staff, and most other pupils, are involved in activities back at base.
continued on page 4
The Oxford English Dictionary definition of Field Day:
1. a. Mil. A day on which troops are drawn up for exercise in field evolutions; a military review.
1747 Scheme Equip. Men of War 32 These periodical Intervals of eating and drinking... are to the Citizens as
it were Field Days, for improving... their Valour. 1832 Regul. Instr. Cavalry III. 62 Almost every movement at
a Field Day should be followed by an Advance in Line.
b. transf. and fig. A day occupied with brilliant or exciting events; a time of great opportunity or success.
1857 HUGHES Tom Brown II. viii, This terrible field-day passed over without any severe visitations in the shape
of punishments.
2. A day spent in the field.
Co-educational
Excellence
a. Hunting. A day on which the hunt meets.
b. ‘A day when explorations, scientific investigations, etc., as of a society, are carried on in the field’ (Cent. Dict.).
a1878 G. G. SCOTT Recoll. (1879) viii. 354 We had a delightful field-day in the abbey.
House News & Charity Events
Inter-House Fashion Show
Two years ago, I was a ‘dresser’ at the charity Fashion Show and really enjoyed the atmosphere backstage. When I heard that it was going
to go ahead this year, I decided to keep up the tradition but with a twist: this time it would be competitive. The competition was between
the eight School Houses, with three rounds (Evening Wear, 60s and Vintage) and an additional round, where
each House was given fabric in their House colour (and other items) to construct an
outfit. This meant that members of the House could model, as
well as be designers too. The final round
was entitled
Monochrome,
where anyone from any House and any
part of the School (including staff), could make a black and white
outfit and have it shown and modelled. This round was not a ‘judged’ round, but simply
allowed designers to show off their ideas and skills to their families and friends. The Show included a debut
performance by the Upper School band ‘Timmy and the Treble Makers’, with a raffle and trophy presentation to the winning House at
the end and I very much hope that this will become an annual competition. Ellie Wells, 13DH
Rebecca Moore, Megan Hewlett and
Erin from Starlight charity
Brown’s House help to give
final wishes to terminally ill
children
It was a pleasure for members of
Brown’s House to present a
cheque for £1,840 to their chosen
charity Starlight. Starlight Children’s
Foundation brightens the lives of
seriously and terminally ill children
by granting their wishes and
providing hospital entertainment to
help take their minds off the pain,
fear and isolation of their illness.
When Starlight began in 1987, it
helped just four children; this year,
Haiti: Red Cross Appeal
Following the tragic events of
the Haitian Earthquake, the
Charity Committee at once
decided to support the Red Cross
Appeal throughout the term. We
2
got off to a good start with a
symbolic donation from Joseph
Dillon (8CC) of his penny jar
collection. In addition to this the
mobile telephone collection box
and donations tin in Reception
were really successful, reflecting
the generous attitude of the
School. The ever-popular Charity
Day Cake Sale was also
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
it will help over 500,000 children all
over the UK. Where possible,
mums, dads, brothers and sisters
are involved to strengthen family
bonds at what is often a time of
great stress and give everyone
happy memories to share, no
matter what the future may hold.
It was great to see where our
money is being spent and we also
heard some touching stories about
some of the many wishes which
have been granted. Starlight is also
working closely with Brown’s
House to sponsor our own wish
with the money we raised. Well
done and thank you to all the
members of the House for all the
fundraising, whether it be cycling
around Dulwich park, selling cakes
at break time or manning the stalls
on Founder’s Day. Especial thanks
to Megan Hewlett for her link with
the charity and all her hard work.
Many thanks also to Erin from
Starlight who came in to School to
receive the cheque. It really is a
fantastic charity; please do look
on their website to find out more
information www.starlight.org.uk.
dedicated to the cause and this
was helped along by an
impressive Year 8 stall in the
Lower School. Finally the Spelling
Bee took place in the Great Hall,
generating some laughs at the
atrocious spelling of the teachers
and creating an all-round lovely
atmosphere. The Dance Show
at the end of term was also
dedicated to helping the Relief
Fund. Thank you to everyone
who got involved! So far the total
is £2120. Camilla Coburn Davis
13AS
Asha and Faith’s Dance Show
This term we have taken on the
task of putting together and
performing a dance show in aid
of the Haiti Relief Appeal. It has
been a hectic journey but we are
immensely proud of what we
have achieved.
From the Headmaster
Headmaster’s Book for outstanding achievement
As in all previous years, the timing of Easter means that this is
always a short term and after a long Advent term stretching
from late August to Christmas it feels much shorter than it is!
However, we still pack in a full term’s events and fixtures so it
is a huge credit to your sons and daughters and to all the
teachers and support staff that we have enjoyed such a wide
range of activities in addition to mock and public exams and
numerous admissions exams and interviews at 11+, 13+ and
16+. I hope that you enjoy looking through this brief snapshot
of life at Alleyn’s this Lent term.
We are delighted to have had record numbers of applicants
taking the entrance examinations at all levels of entry, for what
seems to be a variety of reasons, and it has been humbling
to see candidates turning down scholarship offers at other
schools in preference for an ‘ordinary’ place at Alleyn’s.
I would like to thank our excellent Registrar, Mrs Aldwinckle
and Assistant Registrar, Mrs Allen, who work closely with
Assistant Heads Mr Smith and Mr Morton, who oversee the
11+ and 13+ admissions respectively. We also thank the Sixth
Form Administrator, Mrs Rachel Lumsden, for managing so
brilliantly our large number of 16+ applications working closely
with Assistant Head (Head of Upper School), Mr Skinnard.
There were study trips at half-term to Paris and Stuttgart
and this Easter there is the CCF Camp, Duke of Edinburgh
Expeditions, a Classics trip to Greece, a Religious Studies trip
to India and an Economics and Business Studies trip to
Prague. We are extremely lucky at Alleyn’s to have so many
trips on offer and indeed the number is increasing each year;
as ever, my warmest thanks to all the teachers and support
staff involved. Please remember that we have funds available
to support all pupils in need to attend trips. If in doubt please
either write directly to me, to the Bursar, the teacher organising
the trip or simply speak to anyone in the School letting them
know you would like some help.
My warmest thanks, as ever, to the Alleyn’s Association
for its much-valued support. In addition to this term’s
hugely successful supper quiz we have enjoyed my final
‘Headmaster’s Lunch’, at which I was pleased to introduce my
successor, Dr Gary Savage. I have been working very closely
with Dr Savage in preparing for a smooth handover. For
example, he has been involved alongside me in making senior
appointments to the following posts from September: Assistant
Head (Director of Studies) (Miss Hunnaball has
been appointed Deputy Head (Academic) at King’s College
School, Wimbledon); Head of Geography (Mr Jones is retiring),
We first had the idea to do a
dance show last year; we wanted
to do something that involved
bringing people together to
share in the enjoyment of dance.
It was also an excuse to continue
dancing regularly together.
We wanted the show to
include as many aspects of
dance as possible, so we enlisted
the help of others; a few ballet
dancers to choreograph, a couple
of composers and also
Mr Zivanic to help choreograph
the ballroom dancing. We also
persuaded a few surprise guest
teachers to perform in the show,
whose identities could not be
revealed until the night!
Besides learning the dances
there was the organising side of
things; we never realised how
stressful planning a show could
be but luckily we haven’t had to
Justice Aina-Fayemi
Michael Baxter
Frances Beddow
Emily Boxell
Jamie Bragg
Shadi Brazell
Harold Bright
Charlotte Broadbent
Camille Brokenshire
Alfie Buck
Julia Butler
Georgia Butterworth
Jack Cawley
Ben Collier-Lawlor
Sophie Collis
Seamus Conlon
Aidan Daniels
Charlie Dummett
Hattie Dummett
Poppy Eastwood
Barney Eliot
Bethan Evans
Tom Eyres
Charlie Fairs
David Gleeson
Felix Godfree
Izzy Gregory
Haroun Hameed
Mary Hamilton
Octavia HendersonCleland
Megan Hewlett
Ella Hopkins
Harry Houseago
Elsie Hunter
Alex Ingarfield
Ed Jones
Lewis Keeble
Lanikai Krishnadasan
Torrens
Jessica Lawrence
Alexander Lee
Harry Lindley
Toby MacCarthy
Eloise MacDonald
Scarlett Marshall
Connie McKimm
Ethan Meade
Margarita Milne
Becca Moore
Emma Neville-Rolfe
Lizzie O’Connor
Emma Pak
Joe Parsons
Daniel Petrides
Jessica Polkey
Juliet Polkey
Beth Reilly
Constance Rock
Gabriella Russell
Niket Shah
Josephine SolowiejWedderburn
Robert Stutter
Ivan Taylor
Jessica Webster
Eleanor Wells
Anna Wilson
Hannah Yang
Head of Art (Mr Sutton is retiring) and Director of Drama
(in succession to Mr Stocker).
University applications are going extremely well. Last year
over 90% of leavers achieved their 1st choice of course and
university (95% got their 1st or 2nd choice) and this year should
be as good, which is particularly pleasing given the highly
prestigious places being applied for at top universities. Last
academic year 19 Alleyn’s students received offers from Oxford
and Cambridge. This year (2009 –10) we have secured 22
Oxbridge offers (out of year groups of approximately 150).
This is the second largest number of offers Alleyn’s has
received; two years ago 24 received offers meaning that these
past three years have been the highest on record. There is
equally pleasing success in securing places at medical schools
and ‘top’ universities including ‘my’ old university, Durham!
Finally, on behalf of everyone at Alleyn’s, thank you for your
support throughout this short but very busy term. My wife Sue
and I have enjoyed meeting many of you at a wide range of
activities and events and we wish you all a very Happy Easter.
do it alone. All the staff involved
have been supportive and helpful;
there is such a great feeling of
community and support in the
School.
We shall miss the good times
we have had along the way, but
on the other hand it will be so
nice to get back on track with
School and life in general. We
want to say a huge thankyou to
everybody who has been
involved, on stage or off. You
helped us achieve something that
only a year ago was just a crazy
idea! Faith Locken 12GJ and
Asha Verma 12PR
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010 3
Field Day this term
actually started the night before
with over 100 pupils leaving for
overnight excursions with the CCF.
The Royal Navy section headed
to Portsmouth where they spent
the night on HMS Bristol, the Army
travelled to Pippingford Park for
an overnight camping exercise
followed by army-based activities
on Friday. The RAF cadets set
off at 6.45 am to RAF Wyton in
Cambridgeshire for an airexperience flight in a GROB
Tutor aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Duke of
Edinburgh Bronze Award team
left School at 8.30 am to take
part in a navigation exercise on
Leith Hill. The Silver Award team
tackled Mountain First Aid and
remained at School for training
followed by a practical
demonstration of their skills outside
on the fields, responding to
hypothetical emergency situations
such as hypothermia, a head injury
and a broken lower leg.
Year 7 spent the day working
in teams on physical and mental
challenges. These Year 7 Olympics
cover such diverse ‘sports’ as the
Smell Test, Marble Dangling, Visual
Memory and Taxing Taxonomy.
Year 7 Olympics
‘... some of our favourite
activities were fishing, snooker
and tangrams. The tangrams
were really, really hard to do but
they were amazingly satisfying
once finished, even though we
dismantled them instantly to put
together the next one. We may
not have won but we got the
glory of being able to say we
tried our best... they say “time
flies when you’re having fun”
and it’s true. I hardly noticed
the day had gone.’ Penny Young
and Uche Edozie 7BA
The whole of Year 8 headed off
to Hampton Court with members
of the History Department. Year 9
had four London-based trips to
choose from: the Tate Modern, a
guided walk through the City of
4
Year 8 at Hampton Court
London, a trip to the Hindu Temple
in Neasden, and a visit to Borough
Market followed by a chance to
cook their locally sourced
ingredients in a MasterChef-style
competition.
‘... after a coach trip full of
squeals and giggles, we were
ready to discover all that the
Palace had to offer. Highlights
included the Great Hall, an
incredible room with a goldleafed ceiling and tapestries
on the walls, and about fifty
deer antlers on the walls in the
leaning room, where the
servants would be told which
tables they were to serve.
The Chapel was also
impressive, and we found out
that Jane Seymour's heart is
perhaps buried under the altar.
After having a walk through
the majestic courtyards, and
investigating the huge clock,
we went to the maze, completed
it with difficulty, and headed off
home after an enjoyable day!’
Lizzie O’Connor in 8OH
‘... the BAPS Shri
Swaninarayan Mandir Hindu
Temple in Neasden is a
masterpiece, constructed from
thousands of tonnes of Bulgarian
limestone and Italian marble,
each block individually hand
carved by craftsmen in India and
then shipped to London. It took
three years for all 26,300 carved
pieces to be fitted together, like
a giant jigsaw, by over 1000
volunteers. When we reached
the temple, we watched a short
video on the principles of
Hinduism and then entered the
main temple to watch the Arti
ceremony. This involved the
priest moving a lit candle in
circles in front of a statue of one
of the Hindu deities, with singing
and instrumental music playing
in the background. The statues
of the deities were beautiful and
painted with bright, vibrant
colours...’ Rosie Cope 9SC
Year 10 pursued their
Wednesday afternoon activities:
whether DoE, CCF or Volunteering.
Year 12 stayed at School and
worked with the Universities and
Careers Department, focusing their
minds on university applications
and interviews with expert input
from parents, alumni and one
grandparent. Lastly, and bearing in
mind the forthcoming exam season,
Years 11 and 13 had a Study Day.
Staff spend many days planning
Field Days: they compile risk
assessments, collate emergency
contact and medical details, work
out staff-to-student ratios, plan
transport, take pupils’ preferences
into account and work out the cost
(if any) to parents. Although the
media like to focus on the risks
associated with these types of
activities, staff at Alleyn’s believe
that with commitment, support,
preparation and planning things
can, and do, run smoothly.
So, Field Day is weeks of
planning, for one big day: the
chance for Duke of Edinburgh and
CCF to put into practice all the
theory learnt over the winter, but
above all it’s opportunity and
enjoyment for all... with or without
a ‘field’!
Year 12 focus on university applications
Year 9 Field Day trip to Borough Market and Junior MasterChef
Sixteen keen and eager Year 9 pupils planned a two-course meal before setting off to Borough Market
in teams, with £20 to spend on ingredients. They also had to complete a quiz about the market and
were encouraged to taste as many interesting foods as possible, accounting for the money spent and
even haggling with stallholders to make their money go further. They bought their lunch there and
Mrs Mathieson was very impressed with their choices, which included chicken curry, paella, and ostrich
and kangaroo burgers!
Returning to school, their one-and-a-half-hour preparation
and cooking skills would have impressed Greg Wallace and
John Torode! Then it was down to the judging team to make
the final decision. Mr Faccinello, Mr Morton, Ms Chandler and
Mrs Mathieson tasted all the dishes and after a very intense
discussion, they came to the final decision… Gabriella van der
Valk, Amy Boyen, Bethany Wood and Gulnar Mimaroglu, were
the winners with Dylan Jones, Alex Grover, Jamie Savage and
Freddy Witts coming a very close second.
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
Volunteering
Fun Fizzical
Fun Fizzical
Many Year 10 pupils choose Volunteering as their after-school
option on Thursdays. There are a wide range of possible
activities including visits to local residential and nursing
homes, working and playing with children and young adults
with various forms of special needs, or helping with sports,
IT activities or homework at a local primary school.
Junior Saints
I chose Volunteering to be my
number one option for Thursday
activities because I wanted to do
something that would actually
make a difference for good. In my
first term it was my group’s turn to
do Fun Fizzical and it exceeded all
my expectations. Every Thursday
we would collect our snack and
assemble at the minibus, which
would take us to a leisure centre
in Lower Sydenham called
‘The Bridge’. When we got there
we were a bit early and helped
set up the hall before the children
– who we would soon get to
know very well – arrived. When
they arrived we all lined up, with
the St Dunstan’s kids that had
also turned up, and were one-byone allocated someone to look
after in pairs for the next hour-anda-bit.
The experience was thoroughly
enjoyable for us as well as for the
kids we played with. When a child
plays with you for that hour or
so, you can tell that even for
that short amount of time, you’re
making their day. You can see
the happiness in their eyes and it
is the most rewarding thing I’ve
ever done. To know that you’re
contributing to that child’s life
and making it that little bit better
is amazing. Keeping a child
entertained for any amount of time
is no easy business and kept us
on our toes, but I’m sure I can
speak on behalf of my co-helpers
in that we all fell in love multiple
times with the kids.
Wim Geberbauer 10MP
Junior Saints
Elm Talk
When we were told we would
be doing Junior Saints for our
Thursday after-school option, we
had no idea what to expect as
no one had done it before.
Therefore, it was with
apprehension and excitement
that we faced the daunting task
of walking into a room full of
curious 10-year-olds.
We were promptly told to each
sit at a table of kids and get to
know them, before we introduced
ourselves to the whole class.
We soon found the children to
be warm, friendly and receptive,
which put us at ease straight away.
Our first official task after
introductions was to create the
clubs we would be running for
the kids every Thursday. We asked
around the class and found a
group of keen girls (and one brave
boy) who were interested in an art
club. With the majority doing
drama, we thought an art club
would be a great activity for those
who were perhaps a bit quieter.
Our first project was doing
Manga, which the group turned
out to be very talented at; we
then moved on to more hands-on
and messier-themed projects,
like making and painting scary
papier-maché masks for
Halloween, and making our own
crackers before Christmas, filled
with confetti and Celebrations.
Throughout the weeks we
had a lot of fun playing and
teaching all the children, and
watching them discover that they
were really talented at something
felt like a real privilege. Another
pleasure was hearing the drama
group gradually singing their
songs louder as their confidence
grew immensely.
Overall, we had a fantastic
experience doing Junior Saints
and found it very rewarding making
new friends, and putting smiles
on new faces.
Alice Alphonse 10MP
and Anna Linwood 10MP
Elm Talk
Elm Talk is part of the Volunteering
option for Year 10s. It involves
walking to the Elm’s Centre on
Barry Road and spending an hour
having a chat with the elderly
residents.
You leave at 5 o’clock feeling
many emotions. The residents are
interesting, friendly and are often
very funny and you get the sense
that they really appreciate your
being there. This is a great, reallife option to choose if you want to
have fun and feel you have done
something good after it.
Finn Pattinson 10RO
and Louis Duncan 10RO
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010 5
School Trips
Design and
Technology visit
Stuttgart
It was a cold and early morning
when we stumbled on to the flight
to Stuttgart, and we had little idea
of what lay in store for us in
Germany.
The first visit was to the
Audi factory, where we spent a
while looking at the current-model
line-up, admiring the way that the
doors made a satisfying clunk
when closed, and the way none
of the trim squeaked. A tour
around the factory followed,
where we saw giant presses
which force huge sheets of metal
into body panels in a matter of
seconds, and watched robots
wielding large car parts in the
automated assembly halls, as if
from a futuristic age. After a look
at the ‘marriage’ station, where
body and engine become one,
and the ‘supermarket’ area where
employees pick out all the various
options that the user specifies
from large part bins, we were
invited back to Germany to collect
‘our Audi’ when we purchase one
ourselves – it could even be the
The Mercedes Museum
same model of A8 that Angela
Merkel, the Chancellor, drives but
not, unfortunately, the concept
car we saw with glass screens
around it.
Next, we moved on to see the
Mercedes museum and factory,
watching another state-of-the-art
assembly hall, this time for engine
production. There were a few
more workers in this factory, and
as we walked through, large
Sixth Form French students’ Paris trip
On the 14th February, the excited
Sixth Form French students of
Alleyn’s gathered at King’s Cross
to board Eurostar destined for
Paris. For some it was an
opportunity to immerse
themselves in Parisian culture; for
others it was the prospect of
meeting their host. No-one was
disappointed.
The days were structured with
three hours of intensive lessons in
the morning at a French language
school, followed by a day out
exploring Paris. On the first day
we visited the spectacular SacréCoeur, atop Montmartre; a hill that
required a base camp to climb.
Over the next few days, we took
6
in Galeries Lafayette, Place des
Vosges, Père Lachaise cemetery
(where Oscar Wilde, Frédéric
Chopin, Gertrude Stein, Jim
Morrison, Marcel Marceau, Edith
Piaf, just to name a few, are
buried) and of course the
stunning Louvre. We even
managed to take in the film
L’autre Dumas, which thrilled
everyone into falling asleep.
Having visited the Musée D’Orsay
and the Champs Elysées on the
final day, we boarded the Eurostar
exhausted but delighted, and
extremely grateful to Miss
Sixsmith, Miss Goff, Mr Zivanic
and Miss Nicoll for organising the
trip. Barney Fishwick 12MN
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
powered carts containing car
parts whizzed past us. After the
factory tour, we proceeded to the
museum, taking art-deco styled
lifts to the top of the modern
building, and observing that the
ceiling was shaped as a threepoint star. On the walk down we
were able to see many of the
technical advances that Mercedes
has made over the last century of
automotive innovation, and a
number of vehicles once used to
transport high-ranking members
of government staff, as well as
pretty much everything from the
tricycle built in the 1880s to the
latest McLaren F1.
Then, we visited the Kunst
Museum in the centre of the
city, spending an hour or two
observing modern and traditional
art. The museum is one of the
major cultural centres of
Germany. We then retired to the
hostel and had a DT quiz, with a
bit of general knowledge thrown
in for fun.
The last day was spent visiting
the Porsche museum, where we
realised that actually we had the
skills to build a Porsche using all
of the technology available to us
in our very own DT department,
albeit an early model. We were
also impressed by the race car
developed by Porsche, capable
of driving on the ceiling as it
produces so much ‘down force’.
A visit to another art museum
in Stuttgart followed, where we
were able to sit on Bauhaus
chairs and ponder fine works
by artists ranging from Roy
Lichtenstein to Rothko. After
that there was just time to whizz
back to the airport and catch the
flight home. Our thanks go to
Mr Macmillan and Mrs Smiddy for
such a fantastic experience.
Joe Stallard 12SM
Politics Trip to the
Supreme Court
On the first day back after halfterm, a crowd of politics students
led by Mr Cross and Mr Harley
set off to investigate the recentlyseparated judicial arm of our
political system.
Upon arrival we were given
a whirlwind tour of the new
Supreme Court building, a
collection of modern and
antiquated courtrooms trying
cases stretching across
the Commonwealth. After
investigating an interesting
exhibition, where some were
found to be budding lawyers in
the interactive game, we sat in
on a couple of cases. Whilst one
debated the ins and outs of
executing wills, another talked of
Bermudan male conscription and
discriminatory practices. With a
team of the most eminent judges
in the country and determined
barristers donning wigs and
robes, it was certainly a sight
to be seen.
After this, we then had a oneon-one session with the only
female Justice, Baroness Hale,
who specialises in women,
children and mental illness. Her
talk was not only informative and
interesting but quite amusing at
times. ‘She was inspiring’ said
Becca MacSwiney afterwards,
and with that, our trip was over.
Alleyn’s Politics students have
now successfully visited all three
branches of government, the
Legislative, the Executive and as
of the 22nd February, the
Judiciary. Liz Laurence 13AR
Cologne Christmas
Markets
pupils’ choices of in-coach
entertainment: Elf; The Holiday;
Stardust; Grease; and Blades of
Glory all making welcome
appearances. And it was exciting
to arrive at 2:30 a.m!
Cologne is home to a
collection of excellent Christmas
markets – 7 in all – at which we
were able to eat, shop, eat, and
eat until way past bedtime. And
when we had eaten our fill, there
was the Chocolate Museum, a
state-of-the-art museum and
factory dedicated to the art of
chocolate making and, of course,
eating. In short, we made the
very most of our time away.
And so it was with feet tired
from walking, ears glowing
red from the winter chill, and
stomachs gently, happily, and
quite audibly groaning that we
finally returned to London,
grateful to the teachers for their
enthusiastic efforts, and ready
to start the festive season in
earnest in our own homes.
>Bank of England
the museum’s exhibitions slowly
discovering the history of banks
and finance in the UK, we even
got a chance to pick up a gold
bar worth about £273,000 with
the official gold holding of Great
Britain amounting to nearly 310
tonnes, as of December 2009.
This was followed by a short film
in the museum’s cinema room
where we watched how certain
economic variables such as
interest rates and inflation
may affect a business and its
performance under the strains
of a recession or rising inflation.
Alex Rowe 12SK
On Friday, 18th December, at the
beginning of the Christmas
holidays, a festively-minded
cohort of some fifty Year 7 pupils
set off for Cologne. The outward
journey was remarkably snowy,
constantly eventful, and
somewhat longer than expected!
Nonetheless, the lengthy process
of travel was alleviated by our
Economics and Business Studies Trips
>British Airways
In October students studying
Economics and Business Studies
made a trip to British Airways’
Headquarters, near Heathrow,
and their Community Learning
Centre. Knowing little about what
would be inside the deceptively
small building, I was surprised
to find a little, natural heaven.
There was information about the
surrounding wildlife as well as
information on trees and plants
and other traditional objects from
different locations to which BA
flies, and we were given a
presentation on various aspects
of the British Airways Company
and their trading conditions.
We learnt about different
operations that BA runs, were
taught about the importance of
airline slots and the large costs
incurred by a company trying to
establish itself in the industry. We
also heard about what British
Airways is doing to lessen its
environmental impact and we had
the opportunity to ask questions
about the new charges for
passengers booking seats and
bringing bigger luggage.
Groups of us were then
given the chance to propose a
business plan for a new airline
that would be running for a year
in a ‘Dragons’ Den’ activity and
a decision was then made about
which of our companies they
would invest in.
Sam Alexander 12M
There is approximately £40 billion
of currency in circulation in the
UK. That, along with many other
facts, was learnt by all Year 12
Economics and Business
Studies students as they visited
the Bank of England in February
with the help of Mr Milne and
Mrs O’Donnell. The Bank, located
in Threadneedle Street right in the
heart of the bustling City, prints
about 3 million bank notes every
day to keep the economy of the
UK thriving (or at least existing).
We started off with a look around
Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 9th February was Safer Internet Day, part of a Europe-wide
initiative that provides a focus on Internet safety issues. The theme for
Safer Internet Day 2010 was ‘Think before you post’. The day also saw
the launch of a public awareness campaign from the UK Council for
Child Internet Safety. The ‘Click Clever, Click Safe’ campaign highlights
a new online ‘green cross code’: ‘Zip it, Block it, Flag it’. Follow these
simple actions to stay safe online. For more tips and advice on Internet
safety go to: www.direct.gov.uk/clickcleverclicksafe
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010 7
Drama
Dickens’ Children
Over 350 people came to see
Dickens’ Children; here are
some of their comments:
‘I thought Dickens’ Children
was absolutely outstanding.
The whole experience was
one of a professional level
production with fantastic lighting
and atmosphere and the
performances by the children
were exceptional. This was my
first attendance at an Alleyn’s
play and I look forward to
many more!’
‘Just to say I thought last night’s
production was fantastic. The
acting was so impressive, the
idea of child-focused extracts
from Dickens was really clever
and the performers were all so
committed and engaged with the
production; I was blown away by
their maturity. I thought the
whole piece was really moving
and my nine-year-old daughter
was totally gripped. She felt
really sorry for all the children at
Dotheboys Hall and it inspired a
really good chat on the way
home about poverty and welfare
in Dickens’ time! Congratulations!
A great production, all involved
must be very proud.’
‘Dickens’ Children was simply
outstanding. I was deeply
impressed by both the individual
performances and the excellent
movement around the stage.
Thanks for a super evening’s
entertainment and congratulations
to all concerned. And I couldn’t
help but laugh in all the right
places – they delivered their
punch lines very well. I shall
remember the look of horror on
the young Kenwigs’ faces for
a long time!’
‘I loved the show. What a great
achievement! The quality of
the ensemble work was amazing
for the age group, and
everything about the design –
set, lighting, costume – was
stunning. I confess to viewing
the production with some
trepidation – the limit of my
Dickens’ reading never having
got beyond the Magwitch and
Pip graveyard scene – but I
8
need not have worried. The
players acted beautifully as an
ensemble and confidently as
individuals. The scene with the
little Kenwigs was hilarious, the
doleful “Barkis is willing” so
poignant, and Fanny Squeers a
tour de force! And I was amazed
by how versatile a small number
of wooden slatted boxes could
be! Congratulations all round!’
Dickens’ Children:
Design team
(led by Associate Designer,
Kerry Bradley) thoughts...
‘The Middle school play,
Dickens’ Children was about
the cruelty suffered by Victorian
children. As part of the set
design team, we helped to
design and make costumes, sets
and props. During the first three
weeks we looked at the theatre
and its facilities, how scenery
could be changed, and decided
what type of stage would suit the
play. We even went to the very
top and saw the lighting grid!
One of the most enjoyable
things for us was designing the
costumes and going into the
costume store. We gained an
understanding of Victorian life
and fashion. As it got closer to
the play, more people
participated in the painting of the
set. At one point we even went
out into the fields to paint the
giant letter used for the set. On
the evening technical rehearsals
and on the days of the show
we were in helping do the
performers’ hair and make-up.
We felt really proud seeing the
actors in costume because we
designed parts of their outfits.
We loved watching the play
develop and helping out during
the performance. We hope you
enjoyed watching it!’
Mary George 9JS and
Georgia Fouli 9SC
‘When we first started designing
the set and costumes for
Dickens’ Children, none of us
really knew what to expect.
But straight away, Kerry got us
stuck into researching Victorian
clothes and interiors and helping
design the small scale model of
the stage. As soon as we had a
clear idea of what we were going
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
to do, we got making.
Everything had to be very
detailed, from the ink smudges
on the giant letter covering the
stage to fraying and ripping of
costumes. Everything had to be
dirtied down, so as not to look
too new and for this the cheese
grater came in very handy. I
especially loved making the
crates which were the main
props and were a key feature of
the play. Finally, everything
began to come together and the
stage started to look like the
professional set that we had
hoped for. Thank you to Kerry –
I really enjoyed helping put this
play together.’
Anna Dighero 10MP
I started helping with Dickens’
Children later than most but
loved it from the first second.
I have learnt how to build boxes
and use a cheese grater in
many more ways than I knew
possible plus I made boxes and
a sheet of manuscript with an
extremely hard-to-use calligraphy
pen. Everything and anything
has been used to make everything
authentic and amazing! I have
loved every minute of helping!’
Amy Good 8GE
‘I enjoyed working in the model
box, organising how the set
would change for each scene.
The painting’s pretty good so far
too!’ Oscar Rainbird-Chill 10CW
Middle School cast of My
Phoebe, an Edwardian farce by
KB Tindal directed by Mary
Hamilton and Scarlett Marshall,
displaying considerable comic
talent. Next, A Separate Peace
by Tom Stoppard and directed
by Joseph Boylan thrilled the
audience with sharp, witty
dialogue, keeping them on
tenterhooks with its mysterious
menacing undercurrent. After a
quick-change interval when the
Old Gym was transformed from
an end-on to a traverse theatre
stage with screen we were
treated to a multi-media Eternal
Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
adapted and directed by Harry
Lindley. The cleverly-paced
interweaving of sound, film and
performance created a moody
meditation on love and loss.
The technical crew admirably
rose to the extraordinary
challenge of rigging,
programming and running
three very different dramas.
The audience were impressed
by the variety of the pieces,
how atmospheric each was
and how enjoyable the evening
was. A triumph on all fronts!
Congratulations to: Zoe
Macleod, Louis Gawin, Harry
Houseago, Lanikai Krishnadasan
Torrens, Leo Dutton (My
Phoebe) Fred Ward, Ellanah
Fawcett, Daniel Petrides, Thea
Hope, Alannah Hawkesford
(A Separate Peace) Hugo
Greenhalgh, Nancy Best, Luke
Baxter, Freya Dolby, Felix de
Grey, Dan Holder, Cal Robinson
(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind) Alfie Bright, Jacob Rowe,
Anthony Long, Grace Rahman
and Rebecca Hindmarsh
(technical crew)
If That’s All There Is
ambitious, daring drama
directed and produced by Sixth
Form Directors. Three short
plays in one night saw the
t
M he
C ich
Th ro a
ea ft el
tre
Bearpit
The Bearpit Committee relaunched Bearpit with flair in
December with evenings of
A year to the day of the Gala opening of the Edward Alleyn
Building, the Michael Croft Theatre hosted Inspector Sands’
critically acclaimed touring production fresh from its success at
the Edinburgh International Festival where it won the Fringe Prize
2009. The allusive title taken from Peggy Lee’s 60’s hit expresses
romantic disappointment and sanguine acceptance in equal
measure and the opening scene launched into the theme with
the familiar comic territory of the Groom’s speech recounting the
unedited exchanges of
contemporary courtship.
The three-hand company’s
exploration of neurosis and
its treatment bounced
between the world of clerical
work, where stultifying routine
and anodyne communication
were symbolised in the
initiation rite that is the
photocopying demo, and
the domestic refuge of the
flat. The psychotherapist’s
palpable ennui intensified
the sense of life’s choices
narrowing down. The
cumulative anxieties were
extirpated once and for all in a final release as confetti spewed
and music soothed. A growing local audience for serious theatre
awaits the forthcoming production of Dario Fo’s Francis, the Holy
Jester with equal anticipation. Performed to great acclaim
by Mario Pirovano, Fo’s great friend and
collaborator, the play will be staged in the
Michael Croft Theatre on 15th September.
Look out for ticket details on the Alleyn’s
website www.alleyns.org.uk
or email boxoffice@alleyns.org.uk
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010 9
Music notes
Although the Lent term is
noticeably shorter than the
Advent term, it always seems
to be as full as ever with musical
feasts! The Malcolm Smith Brass
Prize gave our brass players
the opportunity to shine – and
many of them really did that.
John Elliot, who was once an
orchestral colleague of Malcolm
Smith and is now a very busy
freelance tuba player, had the
challenging job of adjudicating
the finals. Amongst many
fine performances, special
congratulations go to all those
placed in each section: Chris
Dunn (tuba) and Jacob Rowe
(french horn) shared joint
1st prize in the Advanced
class.
This was quickly followed
by the Year 7–9 Woodwind
Concert and then three weeks
of intense activity bringing to
fruition all the preparatory work
put in by our many chamber
groups and the exciting visit
by the Gould Piano Trio together
with the internationally
acclaimed clarinettist, Robert
Plane (see article on the Alleyn’s
International Concert Series).
The two Chamber Concerts
allowed us to enjoy some really
high-class performances of
intimate repertoire from over 30
string, piano and wind chamber
groups. These gave around
100 pupils (over 10% of the
school) the chance to play some
challenging and sophisticated
music, each player holding
an individual part. Special
congratulations should go to
the four groups who reached the
Regional Semi-Finals of the Pro
Corda National Chamber Music
Competition for Schools; we are
thrilled that one group were
invited to perform in the finalists’
concert at the Birmingham
Conservatoire of Music.
A little before the end of term
all five Year 7 classes took part
in one of the two Year 7
Concerts. Each class presented
songs and a class orchestra
they had developed in their
curricular music lessons
during the term. The level of
commitment, enthusiasm and
10
Above: Alice Neary from the
Gould Piano Trio coaching (l to r)
Hannah Yang, Eloise MacDonald,
Jess Lawrence, Seamus Conlon
and Ethan Meade.
Left: the Gould Piano Trio
with Robert Plane.
Below: Pupils performing
in the Year 7 concerts.
Photographs: Ned Bennett
detail in their preparation and
performance is always a real
delight, and reminds us that the
future of Alleyn’s music is in
secure hands. Another musical
revelation each year is the GCSE
Composition Concert in the final
week of term, in which the Year
11 GCSE musicians perform
some of their course-work
compositions. We are used to
hearing many of them perform
other composers’ pieces, but
there is always something very
special about hearing their own
creative ideas brought to life in
sound. The resulting pieces
should certainly please the
examiners’ ears.
Alongside all of this term’s
performances, many rehearsals
have taken place in preparation
for next term’s events – all
parents, pupils, staff, families
and friends are extremely
welcome at all of these events.
Take a note of the dates now
in the future dates section on
page 16 of this newsletter.
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
Gould Piano Trio with the
clarinettist Robert Plane
On Thursday 25th February,
Alleyn’s was lucky enough to
welcome the Gould Piano Trio
with clarinettist Robert Plane
for an afternoon of intensive
coaching, followed by an
evening concert, that was,
to say the least, astonishing.
The Music School was
buzzing as it played host to the
violinist of the trio Lucy Gould,
who coached three very
fortunate string quartets in the
small rehearsal room, whilst in
the large rehearsal room Robert
Plane coached a number of
wind-based ensembles.
These were not the only
coaching sessions to be taking
place however. In the Michael
Croft Theatre, Ben Frith, the
pianist of the trio, and Alice
Neary, the cellist, were also
coaching groups that included
piano. All of the sessions were
open to the public meaning that
all instrumentalists, and in fact
the whole School, had an
opportunity to benefit from this
comprehensive expertise.
The repertoire ranged
extensively from Haydn and
Mozart, through Dvorak and
Smetana, to more modernday composers such as Alan
Hacker. This, however, was
obviously not enough to faze
our guests, who switched
between coaching the groups
effortlessly and with hugely
refreshing and contrasting
points for each group.
This led into an evening
concert where the repertoire
was again wide-ranging,
with the composition of an
ex-Alleyn’s pupil (Benjamin
Wallfisch) prominently featuring,
as it was commissioned
specifically by these players.
The musicality and
communication between all of
the performers came naturally
and without flaw. The event
was one that was hugely
rewarding for all those playing
and listening, and will not be
forgotten by anyone.
Elaine Ambridge 13EM
Beyond the Classroom...
Enrichment with Andy
Kirkpatrick
On Tuesday 12th January, Year 12
were lucky enough to hear Andy
Kirkpatrick talk about the last 12
months of his life. It was a very
funny and hair-raising talk giving a
small insight into Andy’s crazy life.
Top British mountaineer, big-wall
climber and winter expedition
specialist, Andy has soloed the
most difficult routes in the world.
A leading expert on climbing gear,
Andy is also a published writer
and film-maker with a tremendous
ability to captivate any audience
with his unique brand of
motivational story-telling.
Andy Kirkpatrick, described by
Climbing magazine as having ‘a
strange penchant for the long, the
cold and the difficult’, specialises
in climbing big-walls usually in
winter. He has climbed Yosemite’s
El Capitan more than ten times
including a 12-day solo ascent of
the mighty Reticent Wall. He has
also made a 15-day winter ascent
of the Lafaille Route on the Petit
Dru, a 1000m pillar in the Alps,
considered to be one of the most
difficult climbs in Europe. His other
accomplishments include a first
winter ascent of the east face of
Mermoz in Patagonia, Argentina,
two record-breaking expeditions
with paraplegic adventurer, Karen
Darke (including a 29-day crossing
of the Greenland ice cap and a
successful ascent of El Capitan)
and most recently the first attempt
at a winter ascent of Torre Egger
in Patagonia.
Murder in the Library’
To celebrate World Book Day, the
library ran a ‘Murder in the Library’
quiz. Pupils had to complete a quiz
sheet to find the identity of the
murderer, the weapon used and
who solved the crime – using the
Dewey classification scheme and
the fiction shelves to find the clues.
The idea was to help the pupils
to familiarize themselves with the
library layout and have fun at the
same time!
The day before, with help
from Mr Allen and Mimi Harrild
(7VS), we sketched out a body,
surrounded it with police tape and
installed a flashing blue police
light. We had lots of pupils visiting
the library who were intrigued by
what was going on and we were
pleased that so many pupils,
including the Sixth Form, wanted
to join in.
Congratulations to the winners:
Joe Edwards (7JS), Izzy Dighero
(8RC) and Sophie De Salis (8CC).
Psychology Society
The first Psychology Society at
Alleyn’s so far has been a great
success. Three professional
psychologists have come to
Alleyn’s to share their unique
perspectives on specific areas
of the infinite subject that is
psychology. They have talked
about a range of specialisations:
counselling (Kevin Wright),
learning disabilities (Imogen
Howarth, Assistive Technology
Specialist, CENMAC), sports
psychology (Daniel Haljandreou,
Director of Momentum Ltd)
and occupational psychology
(Annabel Parsons, Korn/Ferry
Executive Recruitment). With the
great turnout we have had so
far, Psychology Society seems
set to become an integral part
of Alleyn’s co-curricular life.
Anna Wilson, 13ED
Alleyn’s students’ Confirmation
Sunday 16th May at 6:30 pm will
see several Alleyn’s students
confirmed at St Barnabas Church,
Dulwich. We wish them well.
We are always equally pleased
to hear of other students being
confirmed (or receiving any other
mark of faith membership) so
that appropriate encouragement
can be offered. Please contact
Revd Buckley on:
chaplain@alleyns.org.uk to keep
him informed as you wish.
Anthony Lawton 12PK
Pancakes move out
This year the Inter-House extreme
pancake-tossing competition
moved outside. Each House
provided a champion who had
up to six tosses. This year the
event was won by Adam Senn of
Roper's with a new School record
of 21 feet.
Dominic Grieve visits the
Alleyn’s Law Society
Dominic Grieve, Shadow Minister
for Justice, QC and MP, recently
took time out to visit the growing
Alleyn’s Law Society. In the run-up
to the election Mr Grieve’s busy
schedule was evident as he
described Alleyn’s as simply one
stop on a day that seemed to take
him around the country. Lunch
provided a perfect opportunity to
ask about changing Conservative
fortunes in the opinion polls
and Mr Grieve answered with
frankness, but didn’t waver in his
fully-fledged confidence
in his party’s chances.
He also provided the budding
Law students with an interesting
insight into his choice to switch
from life as a successful barrister
to that of a successful politician.
In his talk in the Robert Laurie
Lecture Theatre, Mr Grieve
provided a fascinating insight into
his life as a member of the shadow
cabinet. He also focused on key
electoral issues like expenses and
the financial crisis, and about
justice and prisons, relating them
well to a room full of future voters.
His passion for his position was
clear and it’s safe to say, party
politics aside, we wish him the
best of luck for the election!
Liz Laurence 13AR
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010 11
Sport
Basketball
•The U19 team remain unbeaten
and have reached the last 32 in
the English Schools’ National
Competition after a 72–54 win
against Haberdashers’ Aske’s
Knights Academy. They will play the
next round at the end of this term.
•The U15 and U16 teams have
reached the final 64 of the National
Schools’ Competition and will play
Dulwich Millwall
Community Scheme
wins Crystal Palace
Tournament
Councillor Robin Crookshank
Hilton of Southwark has
contacted us to say a huge
thank you to everyone at Alleyn’s
who has supported the Dulwich
Millwall Friday Night Football
Team, saying ‘watching the lads
achieve something like this after
all the set-backs has made it all
worth it’!
The team won the Crystal
Palace Tournament on behalf
of Millwall (against Aston Villa’s
community team) at the end of
February.
the next round at the end of this
term.
•All teams have qualified for the
play-off stages of the London
Independent Schools’ competitions.
The finals will be played at the end
of this term.
Cross Country
•Congratulations and good luck
to the following who have been
selected to represent London at
the English Schools’ Cross-country
Championships in Manchester on
20th March.
Juniors: Joe Kelly
(reserves – Elena Rodham Cooke
and Abi Van Twisk).
Intermediates: Oli Beauchamp,
Claudia Beith, Clarissa Hjalmarsson
(reserves – Polly Keeling and
Jude Mack).
Seniors: Hannah Edwards
(reserves – Nina Anderson, Abi
Bainbridge and Georgia Tindley).
•At the London Championships
Alleyn’s teams won medals in
five out of the six age groups –
a fantastic achievement:
1st place – Junior Boys,
Intermediate Girls and Senior Girls
2nd place – Junior Girls
3rd place – Senior Boys
4th place - Intermediate Boys
•At the Junior London
Championships 12 girls and 7 boys
were members of the Southwark
teams who made a clean sweep of
the gold medals – winning all four
Year 7 and 8 boys’ and girls’
competitions.
•At the Southwark Championships
the Intermediate boys’ teams came
1st with Oli Beauchamp and Billy
Holmes gaining individual medals
for their 2nd and 3rd places
respectively. At the same
championships the Junior boys’,
Junior girls’ and Intermediate girls’
teams all came 2nd with Claudia
Beith (Intermediate Girls’) and Joe
Kelly (Junior Boys’) gaining
individual silver medals.
Success story
Congratulations to Frank Costello
11AB (above front row, right),
who led the England Juniors to
victory in the team event of the
European Pool Championships.
Frank was also runner-up in the
Junior singles. He is playing at
the National under 21’s singles
championship on Friday 5th
March in Great Yarmouth.
12
Fives
•The senior teams are practising
regularly in preparation for the
National Championships to be held
at St Paul’s School at the end of
term.
•The U15 team remain unbeaten
and have not lost a match in their
time at Alleyn’s. They had a notable
recent victory at Winchester College.
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
Indoor Hockey success
U18 Indoor Hockey team, Sheffield
Following our success in the Surrey tournament, the U18 Girls’
Indoor team had given themselves the opportunity to succeed at
Regional level. With only one loss and three victories (as well as 17
goals netted!), we were crowned runners-up and were delighted to
be told we would be going to the National Finals in Sheffield.
With a brand-spanking new set of sticks, hoodies and playing
shirts coupled with a dozen additional hours of training under our
belts we set off much further ‘up North’ than we were used to and
faced perhaps our toughest opposition on the first day against
Ipswich. Fate was not in our favour that morning and we ended the
match with a 3–4 loss. After a welcome break we faced Repton.
They had won the outdoor equivalent of this competition every year
for the past five years, but we dug deep, battled hard, and our
heads never dropped until the final whistle. This match was a credit
to every individual’s grit and determination. We have been taught to
give credit where it is due, and even managing to score against this
exceptional side gained us as much respect as we gave them.
On Sunday, victory was sweet as we beat Hymers College from
Yorkshire 4–3, and the well-respected, skilful Taunton 3–0.
Unfortunately, we missed out on the next stage through a goal’s
difference. I think I can speak for everybody when I say that I don’t
think I ever imagined we’d reach a national final. Although we may
have not had the most luck on our side, such is the nature of the
game and certainly the nature of a tournament of this calibre. I am
incredibly proud of our achievements and to have captained this
team across the three competitions. Undoubtedly we would not
have achieved so highly had we not been in the capable hands of
Miss Chandler and Miss Lane. I don’t think I will ever be lucky
enough to have better hockey coaches nor receive better advice or
encouragement. Together they gave up well over 30 hours of their
time, in addition to the time planning, managing and accompanying
us to Sheffield. They are as much a credit to us, as we are to them.
I’ll leave you with a thought, ‘A trophy carries dust, but memories
last forever’. Julia Butler 13GT
•At the U13 National
Championships, Ralph Thicknesse
was runner-up in the singles
competition and Sasha Thompson
reached the quarter-final. In the
doubles competition, Ralph and
Sasha reached the semi-final. In the
same competition Max Twyman and
Ed Hanton reached the quarter-final.
Hockey
•The boys’ 1st XI reached the final
of the Surrey Plate and were
runners-up to Trinity School,
narrowly losing, 3–2.
•The U12 boys’ team reached the
final of the Surrey Plate and lost
narrowly to Whitgift, 1–0.
•The U13 girls won their heat of the
Surrey Schools’ Championships
and have qualified for the finals at
Cranleigh.
•The U12 girls came 4th in the
Surrey Schools’ Hockey Tournament
on Field Day.
•By the end of this term we will
have played over 110 inter-school
boys’ hockey fixtures.
•We are regularly fielding eleven
teams on a Saturday, normally
involving over 150 boys.
•The use of Honor Oak Park as a
second home venue has greatly
helped and we have been able to
play more inter-school fixtures and
more boys have had the opportunity
to represent the School.
game which could have gone
either way. The U13s also played
brilliantly at their tournament and
only narrowly missed out on a
semi-final place.
Netball
We have had another successful
and busy term. With four teams
through to the Surrey School’s
Finals Tournament (U12, U13, U16
and U19) we had lots of extra
training sessions to fit in. The girls
were very committed, turning up to
early morning fitness sessions as
well as the odd training session at
the weekend. All this hard work
paid off, with the U16s getting
through to the semi-finals and only
narrowly losing to Sir William
Perkins, 10–9. This was a close
Water Polo – Boys
•The U14 team qualified for the
second round of the English
Schools’ Swimming Association
National Competition and are
awaiting the next tournament.
•The U15 team finished equal
6th out of 14 schools competing
in the Schools’ Water Polo League,
just missing out on the final-four
competition.
•The U16 team qualified for the
second round of the English
Schools’ Swimming Association
National Competition and are
Swimming
•Boys from Year 7 through to
Year 13 have competed at 11
galas so far this year.
•Year 7 girls’ were runners-up in
the London Schools’ Swimming
Championships with the best result
in any age-group for many years.
Well done to the team: Iris Best,
Amber Coulthard, Isabel Evans,
Ebrina Koster, Sophie Noton,
Toto Sawyer and Ruby Welton.
Left:
The U16
Netball team
with their
Coach Miss
Nicoll at the
Surrey Finals.
Below left:
1st XI Hockey,
Surrey Plate
Runners-up.
Below:
Under 12
Hockey, Surrey
Plate Runnersup.
The rules of hockey –
the Alleyn’s involvement
If you are interested in hockey and
want to know more about the rules
– look on the England Hockey
website for the DVD of the Rules of
Hockey 2009–10. The programme
is hosted by Margaret Hunnaball
and the rules are demonstrated
in action by our students (and a
few guest members of staff).
2009 saw a significant change to the rules, with the introduction of the
self-pass. This enables players to pass to themselves and so get the ball
into play more quickly than with the traditional free hit.
Miss Hunnaball is a member of the FIH Rules’ Board, one of only
thirteen men and women from all around the world who write the
rules of the game. She said, ‘The self-pass has been a fantastic
development; it has made the game faster and means that the ball is in
play a lot more. These are exciting days for hockey at all levels’.
awaiting the next tournament.
•The U18 team qualified for the
second round of the English
Schools’ Swimming Association
National Competition and finished
4th out of 6 competing schools,
just missing out on the National
Finals.
•The U18 team qualified for
the final-six competition in the
Schools’ Water Polo League out
of 13 competing schools and
finished 4th.
•Boys’ teams have played 44
fixtures during the Lent term.
Tom Emrich-Mills saves a goal at the English
Schools’ National Water Polo Tournament.
Water Polo – Girls
•The U14 team are awaiting the
Southern Preliminary Tournament
for the English Schools’ Swimming
Association National Competition.
•The U16 team are awaiting the
Southern Preliminary Tournament
for the English Schools’ Swimming
Association National Competition.
•The U18 team has qualified for the
final-four of the English Schools’
Swimming Association National
Competition to be held at Walsall
Gala Baths on Sunday 9th May.
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010 13
CCF round-up
CCF Senior appointments
The CCF made a series of
promotions before the half-term
break witnessed by the whole CCF
contingent and a number of other
staff and pupils. The culmination
was the appointment of Warrant
Officer (RAF) Ivan Taylor to be
Head of the RAF Section; Warrant
Officers (RN) Emily Griffin and
Jessica Webster to be Joint Heads
of the RN Section; Warrant Officer
(Class 2) Lottie Sandberg to be the
number two in the Army Section;
Regimental Quartermaster
Edward Alleyn
Club
The Edward Alleyn Club is
the alumni association for the
School. The School is in touch
with over 5,000 former pupils
– the oldest of whom were
here in the 1930s! All pupils
become members automatically
on leaving Alleyn’s.
Sergeant and Warrant Officer
(Class 1) Fred Ward (pictured right)
to be the Regimental Sergeant
Major (RSM), Head of the Army
Section and Head of the CCF
Contingent.
Air squadron trophy
On Sunday 7th February, a
13-strong RAF Section team led
by Flt Sgt Ivan Taylor and made up
of students from Years 10 to 13
competed in the Regional Ground
Training Competition at RAF
Halton, Bucks. They competed in
a variety of discplines including
Drill, First Aid, RAF Knowledge,
Shooting, Command Tasks, Aircraft
School and the Edward Alleyn
Club.
Years 9 and 12 (age 14 and
17) pupils led our guests on a
tour of the school site, pointing
out new developments which
have been built since their time at
the School, such as the
swimming pool, the sports hall,
1930s Memories Day Reunion
On 2nd March, a beautiful Spring
day blessed with bright blue
skies, the School held a
Memories Day reunion for 19
AOBs (or as one witty guest
wrote, AVOBs=Alleyn Very Old
Boys) who were at Alleyn’s in the
1930s – the youngest of whom
was a mere 81 (the oldest was
94). This is the first event in an
oral history project which is
a collaboration between the
1930’s Memories Day Reunion
14
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
Recognition and Fitness. Out of
33 schools in the RAF’s South-East
CCF region, we achieved a
fantastic 3rd place for 2009 –10.
This is the best we have ever done
(having only competed in the
last four years). They showed
themselves to be a real credit to
the School and the team should be
very proud of their achievement.
and the Library. Teenagers and
octogenarians compared notes
about subjects, rooms, teachers
and (sotto voce) pranks.
One AVOB wrote ‘As well as
the shock and awe of meeting up
with those AVOBs (Alleyn Very
Old Boys) mostly for the first ever
time, the main impact, for me,
was the quite beautiful way we
were looked after by our pupilescorts. I cannot praise them too
highly, for their courtesy,
unfeigned interest and manifest
intelligence.’
(BUCS) Championships for the
second year.
A Fool in Love
Florence Rawlings (Spurgeon’s
2005–07) has just released her
début album, A Fool in Love.
The album was made Radio 2’s
‘Album of the Week’.
Alleyn and Honor Oak
Cricket Club
The Alleyn and Honor Oak cricket
section would welcome any
Alleyn’s pupils, parents and
relations (boys and girls) to play
the game in a happy, inclusive
environment. The Club runs four
Saturday teams playing league
matches in the Surrey
Championship.
Friendly matches are played
as the Alleyn Adhoc XI. There are
one or two games every Sunday
against local clubs and wandering
sides, and in 2010 we will tour
Kent for the third year running.
The emphasis in all friendlies is
on enjoyment rather than fierce
competition. The Club also caters
for Colts with a Development XI
and eight large squads at U15,
U14, U13, U12, U11, U10, U9 and
U8 level. Colts in the older age
groups are welcomed into all of
the Saturday and Sunday teams.
www.alleyn.co.uk or contact
James Bridgeman (Colts)
H: 0208 299 0698
M: 07710 326939 or
Dan Norcross (Adults)
M: 07914 485871.
Alumnus wins BUCS
Championship Fives Doubles
Congratulations go to Inigo
Ackland (Tyson’s, 2001–08) and
partner Alex Griffiths, both of
Durham University, who retained
their title of Doubles Fives
Champion at the 2009 British
Universities & Colleges Sport
For further information,
please contact:
Mrs Susannah Schofield,
Head of Alumni Relations
Tel: 020 8557 1466
(term-time only)
Email: alumni@alleyns.org.uk
www.edwardalleynclub.com
Welsh lacrosse team
Congratulations to Eliot Pugh
(Cribb’s, 1999–2006) who has
been selected to train with the
Welsh Development Lacrosse
team with the opportunity to play
in the forthcoming British National
Championships and the FIL
(Federation of International
Lacrosse) World Lacrosse
Championships, which are being
held in Manchester this July.
Dear Parents and Guardians
Another busy term is drawing to a close, and I can’t
believe how quickly the weeks have flown by. While
our sons and daughters have been kept busy with all
the exciting activities described in the rest of this
newsletter, the Alleyn’s Association has been
basking in the aftermath of our most successful Holly
Fair ever. Thanks to the hard work of all the stalwarts mentioned in the Advent
Newsletter, the Fair raised a record sum of around £7,700. We are already putting
plans in place for the next Fair, which will be held, as ever, on the first Saturday in
December. Maralee Vezie has volunteered to chair the committee, and we know
she will ensure that we build on our success.
៚ Meanwhile, the regular Lent Term fixture for the Alleyn’s Association, namely
Quiz Night, that took place on 5th February, was once again a roaring success, as
described on the right by the indefatigable organiser, Jill Haworth, to whom we
owe an enormous debt of gratitude. She is standing down after an amazing seven
years of running the event, but we are confident that her successor, Sharon
O’Connor, will not only draw on Jill’s extensive experience in organising such a
consistently popular evening, but will add her own flair and enthusiasm, ensuring
that it continues to draw the crowds.
៚ For those parents keen on acquiring life-saving skills, the popular Heartstart
training evenings have continued this term, run by Colonel Ellen and his CCF
team, and co-ordinated by Lindsey McCausland, so our thanks go to them for
their energy and enthusiasm.
T
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an opportunity for a small group of parents to
meet Dr Savage, who will be taking over as
Headmaster of Alleyn’s in September. The
informal setting of these lunches, initiated by
Dr Diggory on his arrival at Alleyn’s, has
contributed significantly towards building the
warm relationship that exists between staff
and parents at the School, and I know all
the parents who have attended them over
the years would join me in thanking
Dr Diggory for this innovation.
៚ The next Alleyn’s Association event to
note in your diaries is the Education
Evening, scheduled for 25th May, which
will be an opportunity for parents to
savour a taste of the Enrichment Programme the
School provides in the form of motivational talks for Sixth Form students, given by
outside speakers. We are delighted that James Taylor, whose moving and
inspirational talks have been acclaimed by pupils in Years 12 and 13, has agreed
to speak, and the evening will be introduced by Mr Skinnard, the Head of the
Sixth Form, and Miss Nicoll, Enrichment Co-ordinator.
QUIZ NIGHT 2010
Quiz Night was again an enormous success due to the
supportive team who helped to organise the evening.
This is always a hugely over-subscribed event, attended
by over 330 contestants who are keen to pit their wits
against each other for over three hours, during which
there are eight rounds of questions, ranging from the
intellectual to the trivial! There were few disputes this
year to the great relief of the adjudicators, David Haig
and Julia Grey, who proved to be calm and efficient
Masters of Ceremonies – my thanks to them are
immeasurable.
This event would not have been possible without the
support of those who worked hard before, during and
after the event and I would sincerely like to extend my
thanks to all who helped with the smooth running of the
evening including last year’s winners who provided the
questions – a very time-consuming job, the ticket sales,
hors d’oeuvres, the scorekeeper as well as those Year 12
pupils who helped in numerous ways. My thanks also go
to the kitchen staff from Alleyn’s who provided the chilli
supper, and to the team who organised the bar which did
not run dry this year but no doubt contributed to a very
convivial evening! Finally, the support and enthusiasm
from numerous people from within the School in the
weeks prior to the evening and on the day was fantastic.
Jill Haworth
៚ Finally, plans for the Alleyn’s Association Summer Party on 12th June are
moving apace. The enthusiastic Party Committee are preparing a Western-style
night to remember, which will be the parents’ opportunity to say thank you and
farewell to Dr Diggory, with barn dancing and a hog roast, so dust off those
cowboy boots, dig out the Levi 501s and get ready to hoe-down! Tickets are
selling fast, so don’t risk missing out on what promises to be a fabulous, fun
evening. Tickets can be purchased by downloading application forms from the
Alleyn’s Association link on the school website, or apply by email to
alleynsassociation@alleyns.org.uk.
With very best wishes for a happy Easter break.
Virginia Johnson, Chair, Alleyn’s Association
alleynsassociation@alleyns.org.uk 020 7274 3397
Membership of the Alleyn’s Association is open to all
parents or guardians of pupils or former pupils, and to
all others who subscribe to the aims of the Association,
namely encouraging communication and relationships,
through activities, both social and educational, and by
supporting the parents and the School, advance the
education of the pupils attending it.
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
15
Karen Ackerman, Richard Alldrick, Annabel Boltsa, Kerry Bradley, Tony Bruni, Ned Bennett, Anthony Buckley, Mike Bush, Sue Chandler, Paul Cochrane, Richard Cross, Keith Ellen, Antony Faccinello, Kate Goff, Stephanie Gore, Jill Haworth, Catherine Horan, Christina Hughes-Onslow, Margaret Hunnaball, Virginia Johnson,
Mick Keates, Stephen Kelly, Neil Kinnear, Tim Kermode, Angus Macmillan, Sue Mathieson, Susan Miles, Scott Milne, Mary Nicoll, Esther O’Donnell, Rob Ody, Kate Owens, Vivienne Penglase, Annie Reeve, Susie Schofield, Roger Skidmore, Brenda Slater, Andreas Tober, Marilyn Walker + Parish Print
Annual Chaplaincy Lecture
The School held its first Alleyn’s Chaplaincy Annual Lecture
on 28th January.
For the inaugural lecture, we were honoured to welcome
the Rt Revd Tom Butler, Bishop of Southwark to speak on
‘Science and Faith – Firm Friends or Uneasy Rivals?’ Bishop
Tom has a background in science, is a member of the House
of Lords, is a long-term friend of the School and is a regular
contributor to Radio 4’s ‘Thought for the Day’.
On the night, the Michael Croft Theatre was packed and
Bishop Tom brought a calm and measured voice to the debate
on the relationship between science and faith. Inspiring listeners
as someone who personifies the traditional truly liberal
commitment to learning, who appreciates the value of different
academic disciplines and who stands his ground with integrity
while carefully listening to the views of others, he touched on
a range of issues, including the nature of new physics,
emphasising that much of the language used echoed the
language of faith. Bishop Tom is a faithful servant of church
and nation and we are privileged that he was able to be with
us in the last weeks before his retirement.
Viva José!
Clubs – also see the
Clubs page on our website
Girls’ football at Alleyn’s is really
good fun, the coaching is great
and the team has played many
matches, most of which we have
won. Flo Armitage-Hookes 7GK
José Volga Cepeda
(our Language Technician) is
a freelance professional
pianoforte and keyboard player
who currently plays piano with
Roberto Pla and his Latin Jazz
Ensemble. Jose plays regularly
at the Barbican, Ronnie Scott’s
Jazz club and in many festivals
and also teaches children at
The Latin American School
community project. Jose and
Josep Viader (Spanish Language
Snowy Days
From mid-December 2009 to midJanuary 2010, South East London
suffered freezing temperatures
and significant snowfall, leading
the Met Office to declare it the
worst winter since 1963. Daytime
temperatures struggled to rise
above freezing but despite this
Alleyn’s remained open every
day (to the dismay of pupils and
the delight of parents). Staff and
students endured difficult and
lengthy journeys fraught with
delays and danger of incoming
snowballs and gathered wherever
there were hot drinks or warm
radiators to share accounts of
Shackleton-esque trudges across
the frozen plains of Dulwich. All
agreed it was lovely to look at, the
School did look beautiful, but were
rather glad when normal service
was resumed. Thanks to all those
in the Alleyn’s community who
kept the School going during such
difficult conditions.
Girls’ Football is a good chance
for girls who love to play football to
play it without the boys outranking
us. It’s great just to get out on a
Tuesday lunchtime and play the
sport we love. I vote Girls’ Football!!
Joanna Murray 7VS
Teamwork is the key to success!
Toto Sawyer 7GK
៑ DATES
FOR YOUR DIARY
SCHOOL DATES
៑ Term begins: Tuesday 20th April
៑ Half Term: 31st May – 4th June
៑ Term ends: Thursday 8th July
៑ Founder’s Day: Saturday 3rd July
(including Speech Day and Prizegiving
at St Barnabas Church)
៑ Year 7 Parents’ Evening:
Wednesday 5th May
៑ Oxbridge Information Evening:
Wednesday 12th May
៑ Sports Day (Years 7–10):
Monday 5th July
៑ Year 11 Work experience week:
28th June – 2nd July
៑ Year 11 Prom: Monday 5th July
៑ Exam Study Leave:
Year 11: last day in school 14th May
(return for Careers de-brief
Wednesday 7th July)
16
៑
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Year 12: last day in school 13th May –
return on 14th June
Year 13: last day in school 28th May
៑ Exam Results:
GCE (A and AS level):
Thursday 19th August
GCSE: Tuesday 24th August
ALLEYN’S ASSOCIATION
៑ Holly Fair meeting: Monday 24th May
7.30 pm SDR (anyone welcome)
៑ Education Evening: Enrichment
Programme with James Taylor: Tuesday
25th May 7.30 pm
៑ Second hand uniform sale and Peter
Jones’ selling visit: Saturday 12th June
៑ Parents’ Summer Party: Saturday 12th
June 7.30 pm
MUSIC
៑ St John’s Smith Square Concert
6.00 pm Sunday 9th May
Symphony & Chamber Orchestras,
Jazz Band and Chamber Choir
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER LENT TERM 2010
៑ DATES
FOR YOUR DIARY
Tickets available from the St John’s Box
Office 7222 1061 or www.sjss.org.uk
៑ Years 7–9 Brass Concert
4.00 pm Friday 21st May
assistant), performed as guests
at the recent Modern Languages
concert at the School.
៑
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
DRAMA
៑ Joe’s Kingdom
(Middle School production)
27th and 28th April
៑ Lower & Middle School Summer Concert ៑ Grimm’s Tales
7.30 pm Thursday 27th May
including Sinfonietta, The String Thing,
Concert Band, Chorale, Top Brass, Swing
Doctors, Clarinet Group and others
៑ Pupils’ Recital
7.00 pm Thursday 24th June
៑ Alleyn’s International Concert Series –
The Swingle Singers
7.30 pm Wednesday 30th June
The Michael Croft Theatre
៑ Leavers’ Concert
6.45 pm Wednesday 7th July
St Barnabas Church
CCF
៑ Summer Camp Army and RAF
(Years 10–13): 10th – 17th July
(Lower School production)
19th and 20th May
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
៑ Bronze Practice expedition North Downs:
Sunday 18th – Monday 19th April
៑ Bronze Qualifying expedition New
Forest: Thursday 20th May –
Saturday 22nd May
៑ Silver Qualifying Expedition Brecon
Beacons: Monday 12th July –
Friday 16th July
៑ Gold Qualifying Expedition Brecon
Beacons: Saturday 10th July –
Thursday 15th July
Information about ticketing for the concerts and plays
mentioned here will be placed on the website under
News and Events prior to each event.