Leweston Life Summer 2012

Sum

mer

201

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Heads’ Welcome 3

Academic Awards and Successes 4

Science News 6

Creative Pursuits 7

Senior School Production Sweet Charity 8

Summer Art and Design Exhibition 10

Senior Sporting Success 12

New Head at Leweston Prep 16

Prep ISI Report 18

Prep News 19

Prep Sporting Success 22

Prep Summer Production Olivia 24

Facilities: Making a Splash 26

Jubilee Celebrations 27

Boarding Skills Award 28

Duke of Edinburgh 30

Trips and Visits 32

Leiths and Lord Knight 34

A Final Word from the Head Girl and OA News 35

Dates for your Diary 36

Contents

www.leweston.co.uk

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2012 has seen much to celebrate at

Leweston and the achievements across all

areas of school life have been both

numerous and impressive.

Highlights of these two busy terms include

the excellent feedback we received from

our integrated ISI inspection at the Prep

School (page 18) and our successful Senior

School boarding inspection. We are also

delighted to be in the top 10% of

independent schools in the UK for ‘Value

Added’ as judged by Durham University

CEM (page 5) and there has been

much individual academic success at

Leweston which you will read about in

the following pages.

On the sporting front Leweston has

continued its impressive record. So far this

year we have seen three of our senior girls

represent England in biathle, football and

riding (pages 12-15) and we also have a

World Championship silver medallist at the

Prep. Over all we have had 14 county

representatives and 5 regional

representatives across hockey, cross-

country, netball, football and athletics.

We are also delighted that our sports

provision has been further improved by

the opening of our newly enclosed

swimming pool and the traditionally

delightful summer weather has meant that

we have already seen the benefits of this

(page 26).

In the creative life of the school we saw

two of our best musical productions for

years, Sweet Charity at the Senior School

and Olivia at the Prep (pages 8 and 24).

The summer Art and Design exhibition was

once again of an exceptional standard

(page 10) and we have also had

considerable success in both the singing

and acting categories at the Bath Festival.

Schola has continued to amaze and

impress with some wonderful school and

public performances.

We could continue to write about all that

has happened at Leweston this spring and

summer, but the word limit does not allow

it. You will see in the following pages of

this magazine that Leweston really does

offer its pupils all the benefits of a small

school community alongside the

opportunities of a larger one.

We say goodbye to our 2012 leavers safe in

the knowledge that they have been well

prepared for the next stage of their lives

and we are sure that they will continue to

‘Rejoice and Do Well’ in the years ahead.

Welcome from the Heads

James Savile

Head of Leweston Prep

Adrian Aylward

Headmaster

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Leweston Tops School League TablesThis year’s outstanding public examination results achieved by Leweston’s GCSE and Sixth Form pupils have

been recognised in the school league tables published by the Department of Families and Education in

January.

The league tables place Leweston as one of the top two schools in Dorset and Somerset for both its GCSE

and AS/A Level performance. Leweston’s Sixth Formers produced an average UCAS point score of 914.4 per

student, the equivalent of well over three A grades per pupil and 90% of all GCSE examinations were passed

at grades A* – B. Both the 2011 GCSE and A Level results were a record for Leweston.

To see the published league tables please visit www.bbc.co.uk or www.education.gov.uk

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Academic Awards and Successes

Top 10% for Value Added

The MidYIS Value Added

feedback produced by

Durham University has once

again placed Leweston in

the top 10% of schools

nationally.

Value added is a measure of

the progress pupils make

between different stages of

education; if girls perform

beyond expectations this

will be reflected in a high

‘value added’ score. This

high ranking demonstrates

Leweston’s ability to add

value to each girl’s education

and encourage them to

perform above original

expectations. The MidYIS

system measures

performance to GCSE and is

used by almost all

independent schools.

Oxbridge Offers 2012

We are delighted to

congratulate Hebe Stanton

(Year 13) and Isabelle Barber

(who left Leweston in 2011)

who have both received

offers to read English

Literature at Oxford and

Cambridge respectively.

These offers in English

complement our recent

excellent record in places

awarded at the more

selective universities in

Maths and Science related

disciplines. We wish both

girls continued success in

their studies.

Leweston Girl is one of the Country’s Top Young MathematiciansCongratulations to Leweston pupil, Monika Dec (Year 12), who came

22nd overall in Round 1 of the 2012 British Maths Olympiad and was

awarded a silver medal. This paper is sat by the top 1300 maths

students nationally and Monica was selected following her

outstanding performance in the Senior Maths Challenge where she

scored an impressive 120/125 and was awarded a Gold certificate.

Monika’s performance at the BMO means that she is one of the top 5

female mathematicians in her age group in the UK. Monika is

studying for A Levels in Maths, Further Maths and Additional Further

Maths as well as Chemistry, German and Physics and is planning to

study Mathematics at Cambridge on completing her Year 13 studies.

This is a truly exceptional achievement that demonstrates theskill, talent and potential that Monika has in Mathematics. I have no doubt she will continue to excel in this subject bothat Leweston and beyond.

Martin Crozier, Head of Mathematics

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PUPILS IN YEARS 5 AND 6 FROM SEVERAL LOCAL SCHOOLS ENJOYED A DAY OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY

AT LEWESTON IN THE SPRING.

Pupils enjoyed participating in

several workshops in Leweston’s

purpose built science centre

which were followed by a

demonstration lecture entitled ‘A

Pollutant’s Tale’ given by Dr Tim

Harrison of Bristol University and

his team. The lecture used

exciting and engaging chemistry

demonstrations involving liquid

nitrogen, oxygen foam, dry ice

and a few explosions to explain

topics such as the composition of

the Earth’s atmosphere, the

chemistry and properties of

nitrogen and oxygen, the

tropospheric pollutants and

climate change.

This is not the first time Leweston

has worked with the staff from

Bristol University. Leweston was

also chosen by The Royal Society

to receive a partnership grant

that has enabled pupils to work

with Professor Dudley Shallcross

and his team at Bristol on a

pioneering project, titled ‘Every

Breath You Take: Mining

Atmospheric Chemistry Data’. The

selected pupils aged 15-18 have

been working on the project for

the last year and their findings

have been published in Science in

School magazine in a recent issue

under the title ‘Smoke is in the air:

how fireworks affect air quality’

and can be found at

www.scienceinschool.org. The

group are working on a full paper

due to be published in academic

journals in the near future.

WOW…National Recognition for Leweston’s Scientists

Leweston has had a bumper year of awards at the 2012 Biology and Chemistry Olympiads and the 2012

Physics Challenge, all national competitions reserved for the nation’s most talented post 16 scientists.

Well done to Year 12 pupil Monika Dec, who won a silver award at this year’s AS Physics Challenge.

Congratulations also to Marta Tondera (Year 13) who was awarded a gold certificate at this year’s Chemistry

Olympiad and to Bonnie Chau and Jennie Chow (Year 13) who were awarded bronze certificates. This places

them in the top 50 competitors and Marta in the top 8% nationally. Marta was also awarded a bronze medal

at this year’s Biology Olympiad which placed her in the top 15% nationally.

Leweston’s Science Conference Goes With a Bang!

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Creative Pursuits

Schola Perform as part of Sherborne Abbey FestivalLeweston’s Schola Cantorum gave a magnificent recital as part of the

four day Sherborne Abbey Festival in May. Their programme was

entitled ‘Songs of the Sea’ on the anniversary of the sinking of the

Titanic and included music by Eric Whittacre, Michael Head, Holst, Elgar

and British folksongs. The performance was extremely well received by

the festival audience and a wonderful opportunity for the girls to

showcase their talents to the wider public.

LAMDA Gold!

Year 10 pupil Molly Foster has passed her

gold medal LAMDA (the London Academy

of Music and Dramatic Art) exam in

speaking verse and prose. The gold award

is equivalent to NQF level three or an

A Level and means that Molly is now

qualified to teach LAMDA and has letters after her name. This is an

exceptional achievement at such a young age – well done.

Leweston collectsprizes at the MidSomerset Festival ofSpeech and Drama

It was another successful

year for Leweston at the

2012 Bath Festival of Speech

and Drama. Congratulations

to Abi Hardy and Sarah

Newton (Year 9) who won

the U14 duo acting class and

to Connie Froy and Sophie

Hawkins (Year 12) won the

U21 duo acting class in what

was a large field.

Several other high placings

were awarded to Leweston

girls in other categories

including Alice Liddle and

Isabella Carpendale (Year 7)

in the U13 duo acting class,

Jessica Dixon and Flo Kosky

(Year 11) and Hannah

Boyden and JoJo Hawkins

(Year 10) in the U17 duo

acting class, Connie de Pelet

and Jasmina Tims (Year 8) in

the U14 duo acting class and

Rose Sullivan (Year 10) in the

U15 solo acting class.

Drama Students visit the West EndThe GCSE and A Level Drama students visited the West

End in March to see the spine tingling The Woman in

Black at the Fortune Theatre. Although there were

almost always only two actors on stage, this infamous

production riveted the audience and provoked several

high decibel screams! The girls left the theatre with

plenty of inspiration for their written live theatre

responses as part of their course work.

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Sweet CharitySweet Charity, this year’s Senior

School musical production and the

culmination of months of rehearsal,

took place in the School Theatre at

the end of February.

The extensive rehearsals, dance

sessions with the choreographer,

Karen Pankhurst and singing

rehearsals with Director of Music,

Claire Hawkes, paid huge dividends

as the cast took the audience by

storm on both nights.

The story of Charity Hope Valentine,

played brilliantly by Year 12 pupil

Esmee Roach, trying to find true love

moved some to tears and others to

exhilaration. The band was fantastic

and the Year 7 and 8 technical team

dealt skilfully, under the stewardship

of Kathryn Adams, with the major

demands of both the lighting

and sound.

It had been a long journey that had

started in the summer of 2011 but

it was well worth it with the show

coming together on the performance

nights with awesome dynamism!

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Jessica Straughan, Year 13 Lucinda Marsh, Year 13

Louisa Lau, Year 12

Octavia Rome, Year 13 Lucy Robinson, Year 13 Rachel Mayo, Year 13

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GCSE & A Level Art & Design ExhibitionInvited guests and parents once again enjoyed Leweston’s much anticipated GCSE and A Level Art

and Design exhibition held in June. The standard, as always, was exceptionally high and the work

encompassed fine art, textiles, graphic design and sculpture. Erica Williams, Head of Art and Design at

Leweston commented: “I am delighted with this year’s show.The exceptional quality of finish that the girlshave achieved this year pays testament to their hard work. I have no doubt that they will be rewarded withexcellent grades at GCSE, AS and A Level”.

Jessica Straughan, Year 13

Ivy Ng, Year 13

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Mud, Sweat and Tears . . . Leweston has gathered another impressive haul of trophies and titles over this cross-country season. The

Senior team has managed top three finishes in the Marden Trophy at Kings Bruton, the Sherborne Trophy, the

Kingswood Races and in the Canford and Clayesmore Relays. The school won both races at the Studland

Stampede with Georgie Waite (Year 9) comfortably winning the U14 race and Georgia Buckland (Year 10)

winning the U16 Race. At the Clayesmore Relays the U16 team was victorious and the U14 team finished 3rd

of 30 teams at the Ken Baily Races.

The season was also littered with impressive individual achievement. Victoria Halford, Year 10, won the

Sherborne Trophy and was 2nd at Kingswood and Milton Abbey. In addition she has been awarded the

trophy for Dorset Independent Schools U16 cross-country runner of the year. Victoria was also selected,

along with Siobhan Stewart, Year 12 and Chloe Taylor, Year 13, to run for Dorset at the South West

Championships, with Year 7 pupil Eve Southcombe selected as reserve. Siobhan and Victoria then went on to

compete at the English Schools Cross-country Championships. This was the 5th consecutive year that

Siobhan had gained Dorset selection, an exceptional achievement.

Senior Sport

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Leweston’s Second International Footballer . . . Year 12 pupil Siobhan Stewart is the second

Leweston girl in 2 years to be selected for the

Independent Schools Football Association National

U18 squad. Siobhan was selected for the 25

woman squad after representing the South West

Region alongside Year 13 colleague Rachel Mayo

in the inter-regional tournament held last March.

Siobhan will be the third International sports

woman at Leweston this academic year.

In 2010, Sixth Former Maria Barlow was also

selected for the U18 team for its international

fixture against Australia and last season the

Leweston U15 football team was semi-finalists

in the national 6-a-side tournament held at

Bradfield College.

This is not the first sporting success for

Siobhan, who formed part of the Leweston U15

cross-country team who were the 2009 National

Champions. She has also been awarded the Dorset

Independent Schools Athlete of the Year for three

consecutive years from 2009 to 2011 inclusive and

is currently one of the three Leweston girls who

have been selected for the Exeter Junior Regional

Performance Centre Squad in hockey.

Riders Qualify for the National Finals Excellent performances from Leweston’s show

jumping teams at the NSEA show jumping qualifier

held in June have meant that the teams from

Classes 3 and 4 have qualified for the National

Finals in October 2012. A challenging course

caused trouble for many; however the

Leweston teams managed to achieve placings in all

four classes. In Class 1 the Junior team finished in

5th position, with Charlotte Radford (Year 6)

picking up 6th place individually. In Class 2 the

team finished 4th and in Class 3 the team finished

2nd with Georgia Buckland (Year 10) doing

exceptionally well to finish 2nd individually. In

Class 4 the Leweston team finished in first position

over what was a very challenging course. Lydia

Hannam (Year 8) rode a very impressive round to

finish 3rd individually. We wish you luck for the

finals in October.

Netball A number of Leweston teams played in

tournaments at the Hampshire Collegiate School in

the spring. Congratulations to the U15 team who

just missed out on 2nd place on goal difference

after some exceptional play. The U14s went one

better and finished as tournament runners up,

missing out on the top spot by just one point –

well done all! Congratulations also to the U13

netball team who won this year’s North Dorset

netball tournament. Siobhan Stewart, Year 12

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Victoria Selected for the Pentathlon GB England Talent Pool ProgrammeInternational biathle competitor and Year 10 pupil Victoria Halford has been selected for a place on the

Pentathlon GB England Talent Pool Programme. This is the first formal stage of the talent development

pathway for athletes in the sport of modern pentathlon, which has the ultimate aim of developing

athletes to progress through to the World Class Pathway.

Victoria has been selected following her performances in running, swimming and biathle/biathlon

competitions in the South West regional events and the international events she has competed in (she

forms part of the current U16 GB world champion biathle team). She has been identified as having

potential to go further in modern pentathlon. The programme starts towards the end of July and will

develop her skills in each of the 5 pentathlon disciplines. This is the latest in a string of outstanding

sporting successes for Victoria and we wish her all the best with her pentathlon training.

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Record Results for Leweston at the English Schools Track and Field Cup Leweston was one of only 24 of 90 schools to qualify for the regional

rounds of the English Schools Track and Field Cup. With points being

awarded for times and distances in the various events, both the Junior

(Years 7 and 8) and Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) school teams

achieved the highest aggregate scores ever by Leweston in this

competition. The highest scoring Junior athlete was Bella Shuldham

(Year 8) who scored 35 points from the high jump and 1500 metres,

with Florence Perkins (Year 10) being the highest scoring Intermediate

athlete gaining 34 points for her two events, the 80 metre hurdles and

high jump. Well done all! You can find the full results on the English

School Athletics Association website: www.esaa.net

Pupils at Leweston Senior and Prep Schools raised a record amount for

Sport Relief this year. Pupils walked, hopped, jumped and even ‘wheel

barrowed’ a mile for charity in May and their efforts did not go

unrewarded with a total of £1,450 being raised for this worthwhile

cause. Well done all!

Hockey Highs!

Congratulations to the three

Leweston girls, Siobhan

Stewart (Year 12), Flo Perkins

(Year 10) and Freya Logan

(Year 9) who, as a result of

excellent performances

in various regional

tournaments last term, have

been selected to attend the

Junior Regional Performance

Centre squads in Exeter.

These girls, alongside Sophie

Hawkins (Year 12) and Lizzie

Davis (Year 8) have also all

been selected for the county

team. Well done also to the

U13 X1 who are 2012 county

champions and to the U13

7s who are 2012 Dorset

runners up.

Awesome Athletics . . .

Sophie Hawkins (Year 12),

Flo Perkins (Year 10) and

Olivia Henry-Thrussell (Year

7) are all 2012 county

champions following their

performances at the Dorset

Schools’ Athletics

Championships in June.

Leweston’s athletics success

does not end there… Lizzie

Davies, Bella Shuldham and

Minna Wollocombe in Year 8

and Olivia Henry-Thrussell

have all been selected to

represent the Wessex area in

various disciplines at the

National IAPS finals at

Alexandra Stadium this

summer following excellent

displays at the IAPS

Senior Wessex athletics finals

at Kings Park in May. Well

done all.

Olympic TorchLeweston girls saw the Olympic Torch pass through Yeovil as part of

the Olympic Flame Relay in May.

Sport Relief 2012

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New Head at Leweston PrepWe were delighted to welcome James Savile

as the new Head of Leweston Preparatory

School at the start of the summer term.

James joined Leweston from

Gordonstoun Junior School, a leading

Prep School in Scotland, where he was

Deputy Head. He has extensive experience

of working in co-educational preparatory

schools and he will now look to develop

Leweston Prep School with energy and

purpose in the years ahead. James, who is

a Catholic, is married with two young children

who both attend Leweston Prep.

Prep

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James writes…

During the recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations I regularly cast my mind back to not the Golden Jubilee but to the SilverJubilee. I clearly remember the celebrations at the time in 1977 as I was in what is now known as Year 3. As the pupilsat Leweston were recently given commemorative mugs, we too were given one each and there were parties andcelebrations throughout the country. It was in this year that started my tremendous love of prep school life. In a ruralDerbyshire setting I learnt to participate in many activities and I acquired a lot of new skills, each of which brought somuch excitement.

My own son is now at the age that I was then and it has been fascinating to see both him and my daughter as well as allof the other pupils grow both as individuals and as members of the Leweston School community. They too have manyopportunities and each day I see the pupils in the Prep School seize these occasions with over-spilling enthusiasm.Whether it is learning a new sport, taking part in one of the many activities or rising to the challenge in class, they do soin such a positive manner. None of this would, however, be possible without the dedicated staff that we have and I amextremely grateful for all that they do.

While one could say superficially that the life of a prep school child has the same ingredients now compared with 1977, itwould be wrong to suggest that changes have not taken place and it is only right that they have. Gone are the days ofchildren sitting in rows, learning nothing but facts in a rigid environment.

In Dickens’ book ‘Hard Times’, the notorious Headmaster Mr Gradgrind said: ‘Now, what I want is facts. Teach theseboys and girls nothing but facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else and root out everything else.’ Timeshave certainly changed and children nowadays are offered a creative curriculum where they are fully involved in activeand passion-based learning with originality and individuality being encouraged at all times.

As the new Headmaster of Leweston Prep, I believe that the pupils are fires to light and not vessels to fill. I am trulyexcited about being given the chance to lead the school into its next phase and it is my sincere hope that all of the childrenwill look back on their Prep School days with tremendous satisfaction knowing that they have been on a personaljourney. This journey will have taken them to many wonderful experiences and, while the road may not always havebeen easy going, they will all have been watched over and encouraged by staff who genuinely care about them asindividuals and who delight in seeing their success.

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Leweston Prep School is delighted with the findings of its 2012 ISI inspection report which graded the

school excellent or good in all areas.

The inspectors commented that the ‘pupils at Leweston Prep achieve well, reaching high standards and

emerging as confident, articulate and independent learners extremely well prepared for the next steps of their

education’ and that the work in the classroom is backed up by ‘excellent extra-curricular provision’. They noted

the strong provision for games and Physical Education.

The report acknowledged the school’s particular success at meeting its aims of encouraging all pupils to

flourish as individuals and fully developing their strengths and talents. There was also praise for the excellent

relationship between the staff and pupils and amongst the pupils themselves.

James Savile, Head at Leweston Prep commented: “I am delighted with the findings of the report.The inspectors’ comment on the pupils’ awareness of others and their collaborative andsupportive approach to learning reflects what is special about Leweston Prep and theethos that underpins the school. It is gratifying that this report acknowledges that thechildren not only achieve well but that the less tangible indicators of success, such as thepupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, so fundamental towhat we offer at Leweston, are also excellent.”

A full copy of the report can be downloaded from our website: www.leweston.co.uk

Leweston Prep Celebrates Inspection Report

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Year 5 Spend a Day at the Senior SchoolThe Year 5 pupils at the Prep spent a day at the Senior School in

June, sampling lessons and generally experiencing life as a Senior

School pupil. The girls had fun making goo and explosions in

science, cooking up a storm in the design centre and creating and

performing both musical and dramatic pieces. A great time was

had by all – we look forward to seeing you all again at the Senior

School soon!

Pre-Prep Pupils Recreate the Olympic Torch!Pupils from Reception and Year 1 were fired with Olympic

enthusiasm when they took part in an unusual celebration in

advance of the 2012 games.

Leweston was invited to join Cerne Abbas First School in creating a

human Olympic flame on the Cerne Abbas giant. After a tough 45

minute walk to the top of the giant the pupils, wearing red and

yellow carefully positioned themselves to create the image of an

Olympic torch in the hand of the infamous giant.

London Trip 2012Years 5 and 6 of the Prep

School left the idyllic Dorset

countryside for the bright

lights of London in May.

During their two day visit

the pupils and staff were taken by coach on a sight-seeing tour of

London and dined at the Rainforest Café in the West End. The

evening involved a trip to the theatre to watch the performance

of Matilda which was fantastic! Another successful trip enjoyed

by all.

Local Schools AttendScientific TheatrePerformance at Leweston

Over 250 school children from

Leweston and 5 local primary

schools enjoyed a science based

theatre performance by the

well-known schools’ theatre

company Kinetic Theatre at

Leweston in the spring.

Kinetic’s performance of Robin

Hood and the Withering Wood

was an interactive and

engaging adaptation on the

well-known folklore and used

the story to explore the seven

conditions for life: chlorophyll,

action of UV light,

photosynthesis, plant

reproduction, food webs and

leaf design. The KS2 audience

members had to help Maid

Marian save Sherwood Forest

where the trees and plants were

dying. In the end the answer

was in the leaves...!

Some comments from thechildren who attended...

“Dear Leweston, thank you forinviting us to your play, it wascool. I enjoyed the part whenthe badger was doing the wormdance. It was funny when welearned about the food chain andthe refreshments were lovely!”

“Thank you for inviting me tosee Robin Hood and theWithering Wood. I loved lotsabout the play and we learntabout invertebrates andvertebrate animals. Thank you for the refreshments theywere very yummy! I thoughtyour school was cool!”

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First Holy CommunionsAt the Mass on Corpus Christi Sunday, four young

people from Leweston Prep and Sunday

congregation made their First Holy Communion.

The School Chapel was filled to the brim for this

important moment in their lives and those of their

families. For the last year they had been prepared

by a catechist from our own Prep School staff,

Ms April Walker-Bambury.

Leweston’s visiting Chaplain, Fr Peter, was the

celebrant and Leweston’s nuns from Sherborne

Parish joined us for this special occasion.

Refreshments were served in the school’s Eleanor

Library following the Mass, which the children had

helped to write. A truly beautiful cake was made

for the celebrants and their families by the Senior

School sugar craft club members. The families

also brought and shared a delicious picnic, and

a wonderful time was had by all.

Congratulations to all the communicants:

Sophie Worrall (Year 3), Grace Pilkington

(Year 3), Harry Savile (Year 3) and Sebastian

Strachwitz-Hamilton.

Youth Makes Music!The very smartly dressed Prep School Choir represented

the School at the Rotary Club charity concert in the

Digby Hall, Sherborne. Several school groups took part

in the concert and many people commented on the

choir’s vibrant performance of three contrasting songs,

their appearance and their behaviour. Their

performance of Hats was a real treat –

well done everyone!

Over The Wall!The pupils at Leweston Prep have been raising money for

Over the Wall, a charity that runs residential activity camps

for children with serious illness (www.otw.org.uk). The

pupils in the Prep collected donations, ran an inter-house

quiz and completed an assault course in the sports hall to

help raise £100 for the charity.

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Pupils and staff at Leweston enjoyed dressing up as their favourite literary characters to raise money for

charity on World Book Day in March. Over £250 was raised for the local charity Julia’s House Hospice, who

provides an incredible service for children with life-limiting conditions (www.juliashouse.org). Leweston

organised a successful book exchange and book sale in the school library and also hosted the Julia’s House

mobile sweet shop which raised an additional £100 for the charity.

World Book Day 2012 – Read all About it!

Braeside 2012Years 5 and 6 spent an action

packed 3 days at the Braeside

residential centre in Devizes at the

end of May. They participated

enthusiastically in activities ranging

from team building and problem

solving activities to habitat surveys

and mini beast hunts. Through

these activities that enriched the

Science and Geography curriculum,

they developed leadership

qualities as well as improving

their investigative skills and had

heaps of fun!

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IAPS National Sailing Regatta 2012Leweston Prep competed at the third IAPS National Sailing Regatta at Weymouth and Portland

National Sailing Academy in May. . .

This year’s event grew again with

168 sailors representing 48 prep

schools from across the country

with Leweston Prep once again

being named as the regatta’s

official host school. During both

days the racing was highly

competitive yet the invaluable

experience of sailing on the

Olympic waters was one of the

greatest prizes for the young

sailors who entered.

Our U11 Leweston Prep sailing

team consisted of Year 6 pupils

Poppy Boyden and Portia Manson

making up one crew and

Charlotte Radford and Ana

Downing making another. The

pairing of Poppy and Portia

performed brilliantly in the

morning’s full fleet races to

improve on Leweston’s final

standings of last year and

managing to achieve a place in

the coveted Gold fleet. Charlotte

and Ana were equally high flying

lying fifth overall in the Silver

fleet by the start of afternoon

racing. For them the opportunity

to gain a medal place was a

distinct possibility and the girls

went into the afternoon races

buoyed up with the aim of

making up two places to secure

the bronze medal or higher.

Sadly, the wind speed continued

to rise in the afternoon so,

following an aborted attempt to

start the first of the U11 Gold and

Silver fleet races, the decision was

made to abandon racing for the

day. This meant that the girls did

not have the chance to improve

on their morning successes

although everyone agreed that

they still took home special

memories of their National

Regatta racing experiences in

Portland Harbour.

Leweston Prep’s profile as a

leading school in the national

school sailing scene continues

to grow with an even bigger

scale regatta being planned for

next year.

Mark McCloskey Sailing Co-ordinator

Ana Downing and Charlotte Radford (Year 6)

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Poppy Wins Gold!

Congratulations to Year 6

pupil, Poppy Boyden, who

won gold at this year’s

Dorset Schools’ Orienteering

Competition at Moors Valley

Country Park. Poppy was

crowned champion with 220

points gained following a

fantastic and tactical run.

Portia Manson (Year 6) came

a creditable 3rd with Kiara

Monachello (Year 6) in 4th.

Year 5 pupil Alice Leach

finished in 5th place overall.

Well done all – a fantastic

result for Leweston!

Outstanding Athlete

Congratulations to Year 6

pupil Ana Downing

who won the Clayesmore

Athletics 800m title when

she competed in April. Ana

also came 5th out of 23

competitors in the 800m at

the highly competitive

Senior Wessex Competition

in May, just missing out on a

place in the IAPs finals in

Birmingham.

Hole in One (or nearly!)

Budding golfer Charlie Miles

(Year 2), has won the

beginner category and

nearest the pin at the CCGA

Golf Tournament in May.

Charlie was competing

against other beginners who

were representing several

other local schools. Well

done also to Year 2 pupil

Angus Evans who was

victorious at a local inter-

school golf competition in

June where he beat some

tough opposition to clinch

first place!

Congratulations to Year 4 pupil

Anya Evans who has won a

silver medal at the School

World Biathlon Championship.

Anya competed in a county

biathlon competition in

October and her time was

entered alongside times from

other competitors at biathlon

events all over the world. Anya’s

exceptional performance

means that she was the second

fasted biathlete in her age category in the world in 2011. Three Year 6

pupils also achieved world rankings – well done to Poppy Boyden,

Ana Downing and Portia Manson. What an achievement!

Dorset Biathlon Champs for the Third Year RunningCongratulations to the Year 4

biathlon team of Perdi Digby,

Isabelle Bridge and Anya Evans who

took gold at the Dorset Schools’

Biathlon Relays held at Portland

in June. The mixed Year 4 team of Angharad Jones, Jamie Baker and

Grace Milbank, and the Year 6 team of Alice Southcombe, Poppy

Boyden and Charlotte Sewed, also enjoyed great success finishing

in silver medal position.

Howzat!Cricket has been very

popular this term with

opportunities for boys

to play in extra-

curricular clubs and

numerous fixtures.

There will be further

opportunity for the

boys in Years 1, 2 and 3

to play over the forthcoming year with winter cricket commencing in

January. The cricket provision at the Prep will be enhanced by the new

cricket ground which will be ready for fixtures next season. The ground

also has two additional rugby/football pitches which will be ready

from September. Leweston Prep has been running summer rugby

sessions with the pupils in the Prep in preparation of the season ahead

and look out for visiting specialist coaches in hockey, rugby and cricket

from next September…

School World Champion Biathlon Silver Medallist!

Members of the U8 cricket team

Poppy Boyden (Year 6)

Anya Evans (Year 4)

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OliviaThe Prep School has once

again put on another

spellbinding summer term

production. This year’s show

was entitled Olivia, a witty take

on the well-known and much

loved musical Oliver! This

brilliant and innovative show,

set in Victorian times, traced

the steps of Olivia from

downtrodden orphan to star

of the stage. Exceptional and

engaging performances were

given by Year 6 pupils Charlie

Sewed (Olivia), Scarlett Cole

(Eliza Doolittle) and Honor

West and Poppy Boyden who

played well known criminal

duo Fagin and Dodger. They

were well supported by an

excellent cast, chorus and

backstage, technical and

production crew who worked

tirelessly to create another

outstanding show!

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26

Although Speech Day was the

official opening, pupils have

been swimming in the new pool

since May. This facility will

enable year round swimming for

all pupils and it will also enhance

what Leweston can provide for

the wider school community and

parent body. This improved

swimming provision will not only

support the pupils in the Senior

School but also our younger

pupils in the Prep and early

years, equipping them with a

valuable life skill and an

excellent grounding.

The new roof is comprised of

green powder-coated aluminium

arches with Perspex glazing. The

heated facilities include indoor

girls’ and boys’ changing rooms,

showers, separate toilets and a

staff office. The design maintains

the ‘lido’ feel in summer with the

lawn end gable opening

completely and the panels on

the outdoor changing room side

rising to give direct access and

an open-air feel. The UV

protective roof provides valuable

shade for swimmers.

We are delighted with this

development and what it will

mean for the sports provision

Leweston.

Leweston was delighted to officially open its newly enclosed swimming pool as part of the Senior

School Speech Day at the end of term. World champion swimmer and BBC commentator Karen

Pickering MBE opened the pool and presented the prizes at the swimming gala that followed.

Making a Splash!

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27

The grey weather did not dampen the

mood of the Leweston pupils and their

families who lined the streets to see the

Queen and Duke of Edinburgh when

they visited Sherborne as part of the

Queen’s 2012 Jubilee tour.

Four Leweston pupils were chosen,

alongside pupils from other local

schools, to take part in an art activity in

the Abbey which was admired by the

Queen and Prince Philip. Other Leweston

pupils lined the streets and waved their

flags as the Queen and the Duke of

Edinburgh travelled through Sherborne

to the Abbey!

The Queen’s visit was followed by the

school’s official celebrations which took

place on the 1st of June. The pupils in

both the Prep and Senior school dressed

in red, white and blue and hosted an ‘al

fresco’ Jubilee concert for parents and

friends of Leweston in the afternoon.

Leweston was delighted to welcome the

Mayor of Sherborne, Peter Rhodes, to

the concert which featured Schola

Cantorum, the Senior and Prep School

choirs and various musical ensembles.

The concert culminated in a wonderful

performance of the National Anthem.

Jubilee TreeIn addition to the celebrations listed

above Leweston paid a more permanent

tribute to Queen’s Diamond Jubilee by

planting an oak tree in the grounds of

the school. Head of Leweston Prep,

James Savile, planted the tree with the

help of boys and girls at the Prep School.

The oak tree will undoubtedly be

enjoyed by the staff and pupils at

Leweston for years to come.

Jubilee Celebrations

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Boarding Skills Award at LewestonThe boarders at Leweston have been selected, alongside pupils from 10 other schools nationally, to trial the

new BSA Boarding Skills Award. The scheme, endorsed by economist and government advisor Will Hutton,

has been devised to evidence the soft skills learnt by boarders in boarding communities that employers will

use as a currency for employability alongside academic results, in an ever more competitive market. The

awards have been produced with ASDAN to create a flexible and attainable award to reflect the skills and

experiences generated from being a boarder in a British Boarding School.

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Race For Life 2012

After the resounding

success of Leweston’s debut

entry to the Sherborne

Castle Race for Life in 2011,

over 50 boarders and staff

took part in the 2012 event

raising nearly £1,000 for

Cancer Research!

Never a Dull Moment!

Boarders have been kept

busy over the course of the

spring and summer terms

with trips to Kingston Lacey,

Cheddar Gorge, Moors

Valley Country Park,

Weymouth, Corfe Castle,

Stonehenge, Lulworth Cove,

and Brownsea Island. The

girls have also enjoyed

activities including

camping, ice skating, high

ropes, go karting, jewellery

making, pottery painting,

trail biking and chocolate

making (an obvious

favourite). There have also

been a total of 19 socials

with pupils from other

local schools. Never a

dull moment!

Lyndsay Fielding, Director of Boarding writes . . .

Vet, doctor, actress, snowboard instructor, teacher, artist, writer,marine biologist and sailing instructor - just some of the variedcareers that the Year 7 and 8 boarders at Leweston would like to do‘when they grow up’! How do I know this? Challenge 2 Module F ofthe Basic Boarding Skills Award of course!

Leweston’s young boarders trialled the award for the BSA, one of only ten schools in the country to do so, and enjoyed every minute.All the girls that began the award back on a dark and wet Octoberevening have now finished the course and hold their completedchallenges in what has become known as ‘our sacred file’!

After attending the initial meeting with the BSA in London in June2011, I was extremely enthused about what the award wouldencapsulate: a practical course allowing the Leweston girls toevidence already learnt skills and the opportunity for them to developnew skills too! They had nothing to lose but an awful lot to gain!

The importance of developing the whole person at Leweston wasparamount in my mind and this award allows this to happen in astructured and supported way. It’s a bit like the Duke of EdinburghAward without all the walking! Each girl received a work bookletand each would work on one, or on a good week two, challenges.The challenge the girls decided to do was up to them and this meantthey were engaged with their chosen challenge on a personal level.This engagement was key and has led to a successful completion ofthe award by all those girls taking part in the pilot. Trialling thisaward has had its moments; would the girls manage the work load?Would any extra support be needed for those girls for whom Englishis not their first language? What format would the evidence take?Would the colour printer hold out with the frantic and enthusiasticprinting of evidence pages? Could it be possible that each girl couldbake so much for Challenge 2, Module E? Do Year 7s really eat somuch fruit and vegetables each day (Challenge 2, Module B)?

The invaluable support of Lee Smith (award co-ordinater) and AlexThompson at the BSA has meant stepping into what was frankly‘the unknown’ was an easy and enjoyable ride. With the support ofthe parents at Leweston and also the staff, it has made the wholeprocess easy to do and one thing is for sure, Leweston will becontinuing to provide a vehicle for boarders to evidence their ‘life’skills for many years to come.

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Duke of Edinburgh

The summer has beenexceptionally busy for the 56girls involved in the Duke ofEdinburgh Award at Leweston.With groups at every level wehope each girl will be involved inat least 2 expeditions over the2012 season. Both the Bronzeand Silver groups have finishedtheir practice and by the end ofthe term they will have beenassessed. The Bronze group are

heading to Cranborne Chasewhere they will spend 2 daysconvincing the assessor thatthey have the right skills to pass,whilst the Silver teams will headback to Exmoor for another 3days, this time with the assessorwatching.

The Gold team are off toMorocco in July havingcompleted their final practice on

the hills of the Lake District.Their planning avoided anyreally difficult ascents in theLakes, but on the last dayHelvellyn would have been insight had the weather beenbetter. After a long wait and alot of work, the trip to Morocco isonly days away.

But Duke of Edinburgh activitydoes not stop over the summer

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and a second Silver group will beheading out on their practicebefore we return to school. Theyhope to have passed this sectionof the award by the end ofSeptember, clearing the way for the girls’ exams next year. Wewish them all luck in theirendeavours.

As well as giving the girlsadventures and memories that

they will have for life, the Dukeof Edinburgh Award challengesgirls and enables them todiscover talents they did notknow they had. Achieving theaward will give the girls skills,confidence and a view on lifethat everyone is looking for,including universities andemployers. The girls will also bemaking a difference to otherpeople’s lives, and to their local

communities. Of course, it is alsogreat fun, and the fact that somany girls are involved atLeweston pays testament to this.I look forward to continuing todevelop the Duke of EdinburghAward at Leweston.

Keith WhiteheadDuke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator

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32

Cordoba 2012For seven days over the February half term, a record number of

Spanish GCSE candidates from Leweston and Sherborne boys

immersed themselves fully in the life and language of Córdoba

in Spain. The students attended lessons in the morning at

Academia Hispanica and also had arranged language workshops

with two other Spanish schools in the area. The pupils stayed

with Spanish families and had the opportunity to sample the

local food and to enjoy a variety of excursions and visits

provided for them including a visit to the great Mezquita-

Catedral and the beautiful old city of Medinat Alzahara. Another

fun-filled and culturally enriching trip that benefited the pupils

who attended in many ways.

Trips and Visits

Year 9 Paris TripThe girls in Year 9

enjoyed a trip to Paris at

the end of the summer

term. The girls crammed

a lot onto their four day

visit, exploring the

beautiful sights of Paris

including the Eiffel

Tower, Notre Dame and

L’Arc de Triomphe. Year

9 also had the chance to

visit the Louvre, the

Pompidou Centre and

the Orangerie museums.

They greatly enjoyed

experiencing first hand

the Parisian culture

and a fabulous time was

had by all!

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33

Krakow and AuschwitzA group of Year 12 Philosophy and Ethics, History and Politics students took part in a study tour to

Krakow for four days at the end of the spring term. The girls travelled to Poland primarily to witness the

evidence of the wartime experience of Europe’s Jewish population in the ghettos and in particular the

death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenhau.

The group enjoyed visiting the beautiful St Mary’s Church in Rynek Glowny which also boasts the largest

medieval town square in Europe. The girls also had the opportunity to visit Wawel Castle and

Cathedral in a fortified position over the River Vistula, the former Jewish district of Kazimierz and the

very moving exhibition in Schindler’s Factory, established by the German industrialist Oskar Schindler

and made famous by the film Schindler’s List. In addition the girls also enjoyed a trip to the extremely

impressive salt mines at Wieliczka, a UNESCO world heritage site.

On the last day of the tour the group visited Auschwitz-Birkenhau, the largest concentration and death

camp in Europe. They had a superb guide and were incredibly moved by their experience. The weather

was cold and wet but this did not dampen the energy and enthusiasm of the girls who all greatly

enjoyed this moving but informative trip.

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Lord Knight Visits LewestonLord Knight of Weymouth, member of the House of

Lords and appointed spokesperson for Environment,

Food and Rural Affairs, visited Leweston to talk to girls

from Year 9 and above as part of the Peers into Schools

programme in the spring.

Lord Knight provided an eloquent speech on the role

of the House of Lords, the working of Parliament and

gave insightful knowledge on many subjects such as

the passing of bills and election of peers. The girls

were very engaged as was evidenced by the 45 minute

question and answer session at the end of his talk.

Lord Knight commented: “Despite the increased recentmedia coverage on the House of Lords, there is still a gooddeal of misunderstanding and stereotyping about what theHouse of Lords is and does. The Peers into Schools projectprovides us with a great opportunity to build a betterunderstanding of our second chamber and it was a pleasureto visit Leweston as part of the project today.”

The first group of Sixth Form girls

enrolled on the Leiths course at

Leweston have successfully

completed their basic certificate in

food and wine, a practical five term

cooking course.

The course is designed to run

alongside the school timetable and

it is a big undertaking for the girls

who take part. Afreba, Christina,

Lucinda, Octavia and Rachel had to

complete five terms of practical

lessons, the food hygiene

certificate, wine tasting and

appreciation and menu planning,

and a theory and a practical exam

at the end of the course.

The girls worked hard for two

hours in the final practical exam to

meet the required Leiths standards

and managed to prepare and cook

some exceptional food.

The girls have passed all elements

of the Leiths examination process

with flying colours, with two of the

girls managing to achieve a first

class pass. Well done all!

Leiths Girls Pass with Flying Colours

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Old Antonian NewsGaudy Day Saturday 12th May 2012Leweston was delighted to

welcome over 100 OAs back

to the School for their

annual Gaudy Reunion in

May. It was delightful to see

such a large gathering of Old

Antonians from various

leaver years back at school.

A huge thank you to those

OAs who were instrumental

in getting their year groups

together, it was a very

memorable day for all and

we look forward to

welcoming you back to

Leweston in the not too

distant future.

OA appointed as aResearch Fellow atCambridge UniversityOld Antonian Helen Roche

(year of 2004) has been

appointed as the Alice Tong

Sze Research Fellow at Lucy

Cavendish College,

Cambridge and will take up

her appointment in October.

Helen, who recently

completed her Classics Ph.D,

studied at Gonville and Caius

and we congratulate her on

her appointment.

Year 13 at the Sixth Form Ball in November 2011

The Best Things Said Come Last . . .

As she approaches the end ofher time at Leweston, Head Girl,Jade Letts (left) reflects on hertime at school . . .

Leaving Leweston to move on tonew things is one of the mostexciting prospects I have faced inmy lifetime but also one of thesaddest. Having finally finished myexams many people have askedme how it feels; the truth is I feelsomewhat lost as Leweston hasbeen my second home for the lastnine years.

Having arrived aged 9 with my kiltbrushing the floor, the years havepassed quickly. I progressed fromthe red uniform of the Prep Schoolto the blue uniform of the SeniorSchool and along the way spentincreasing time on the sport fieldsplaying every sport imaginableand generally benefiting from the

exceptional opportunities I foundat Leweston.

My talents have not onlydeveloped on the sports field, but also in the classroom with the help of the committed andapproachable teaching staff. Withtheir help I have been able to fulfilmy academic potential and realisemy ambition to study Radiology atExeter in September.

My time at Leweston could nothave been better spent, I havemade some of the best friends Icould ever have hoped for and Iknow that these friendships willlast into my adulthood. Lewestonhas given me the happiest andmost memorable times andprepared me for the future in everypossible way. Although tinged withsadness, I feel I leave well preparedfor whatever life throws at me!

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LEWESTON SCHOOL, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 6EN01963 211010 [email protected]

Saturday 29th September Leweston Inter-Schools Show Jumping Competition

Friday and Saturday 19th and 20th October Activity Day and Junior House Boarding Taster

Weekend (for prospective senior school pupils)

Monday 5th November 6.30pmBonfire Night and Hog Roast

Thursday 8th November 10am – 5.30pmLeweston Living and Christmas Fair

Friday 9th NovemberSixth Form Taster Experience (for girls in Year 11)

Monday and Tuesday 19th and 20th NovemberSixth Form Scholarships for 2013 entry

Deadline for applications Monday 12th November 2012

Monday 3rd DecemberPrep Scholarships for 2013 entry

Deadline for applications Monday 26th November 2012

Saturday 8th December Christmas Concert at Chideock Church

Thursday 13th December 4.00pmPrep and Senior School Carol Services

For more information about any of these events,

or to register your attendance, please call

01963 210783 or email

[email protected]

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Dates for your Diary…

Friday 5th October 2012Joint Schools Open Day 9.45am

Sixth Form Open Information Evening 6.00pm

Thursday 6th December 2012Nursery and Pre-Prep Open Activity Morning

10am - 12 noon

Friday 15th March 2013Nursery and Prep Open Morning

10am - 12 noon

Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2013Joint Schools Open Day 9.45am

Open Days 2012/13

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Leweston Life Summer 2012

Documents

Transcript of Leweston Life Summer 2012