Leweston Life Winter 2014
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Transcript of Leweston Life Winter 2014
Winter 2014
Leweston Life
Head’s Welcome 3
New Head Announced 4
Results 5
Academic Awards and Successes 6
Creative Life 9
DofE Going for Gold 12
Senior Sport 14
Junior Department 18
Nursery 26
Junior Department Sport 28
Spiritual Life 29
Boarding 30
Dates for your Diary 32
Contents
www.leweston.co.ukCover image: Schola rehearsing for the 2014 Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey
Welcome from the HeadWith the end of another year upon us it seems
an appropriate time to reflect on the
accomplishments of 2014.
Academically Leweston has once again had an
excellent year. Indeed, we have just been notified
that Leweston has outranked all other English
schools in its category (for girls in all types of
independent schools) and has been awarded the
Good Schools Guide award for excellence in
English Literature at Pre-U. In addition we had
strong sets of GCSE and A Level results this
summer and another record breaking year of
AS results.
Leweston’s capability for enabling girls to perform
beyond expectations across the ability range is
reflected by the fact that we have once again been
ranked in the top 10% of schools nationally for
value added at GCSE. These results and the GSG
award reflect the dedication of both the girls and
the staff and I am justifiably proud of this
achievement which builds on our strong
reputation for academic excellence. You can read
more about this year’s academic performance on
page 5.
Investment in our School facilities continues and
this summer has seen the completion of new
accommodation to support the growing numbers
of boarders at Leweston, as well as a new cookery
suite, refurbished art block and an additional
science lab. This investment continues next term
with the expansion of our Nursery to cater for the
growing numbers at the bottom end of the School.
More about this and other developments in the
Nursery can be found on pages 26 and 27.
We ended this term with two of the highlights in
the Leweston calendar, the Junior Department and
Senior School Carol Services, which rounded off
another busy and successful term in the music
department (pages 9-10). It has been a busy term
in the sports department with much success
(pages 14-17 and 28) and we look forward to
building on these impressive achievements with
the appointment of Sara Guy as Director of Sport
from the summer term 2015. We were also
delighted for the five girls who passed their Duke
of Edinburgh Gold Award, following their
expedition in Peru in the summer. Details of their
adventures can be found on pages 12 and 13 and
we look forward to the new Duke of Edinburgh
season starting in full in the spring.
It was with great pleasure that we welcomed
Genevieve Cox as Leweston’s Chaplaincy
Coordinator at the start of the academic year.
Genevieve has had a busy first term, organising
5 year group retreats (page 29), as well as
overseeing the spiritual life of the school. The
retreat programme has been innovative, engaging
and thought provoking for all the girls involved.
Much more is planned for 2015, culminating in the
annual Sixth Form pilgrimage in the summer term.
Finally it is my great pleasure to announce that
Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed Head of
Leweston from September 2015, following my
decision to step down at the end of the academic
year. I have no doubt that Kate will continue to
build on Leweston’s success with commitment,
understanding and passion in the years ahead.
More information about Kate’s appointment can
be found on page 4.
This academic year has already seen much to
celebrate but as we reflect with pride on the many
achievements, we also look forward with
anticipation and confidence to all that 2015 has
in store.
3
Adrian Aylward
Headmaster
Leweston is delighted to announce that
Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed
as Head from September 2015.
Mrs Reynolds will take over from Adrian
Aylward, who steps down at the end
of the academic year after nine years
in post.
Mrs Reynolds was educated at St Mary’s
Ascot, Wellington College and at Bristol
University where she studied Law from
1986 to 1989. She passed her Law Society
Finals in 1990 and practised as a solicitor
until 1994. In 1994 she obtained a PGCE
from Bath Spa University in English and
subsequently worked at Gillingham
School, Sherborne School and, of course,
Leweston, where she is currently Head of
EAL. In 2012 she undertook a M.Ed. in
Educational Leadership from
Buckingham University.
Mrs Reynolds, aged 47, has four children
and her husband, Giles, is also a teacher.
“We are delighted that we have beenable to appoint Mrs Reynolds whohas the vision, skills and qualities totake Leweston forward in the yearsahead. Mrs Reynolds has known theLeweston community for some nineyears and has a commitment to,understanding of and passion for theexceptional education the Schoolprovides. She will also be carryingforward the core values of Leweston,both within the School and in thewider community, based on theCatholic ethos of the School. I lookforward to seeing Leweston continueto flourish under her leadership.”
Mary HeadChair of the Governors
“I am honoured to be taking on the headship at Leweston. The School is a very specialcommunity and I look forward to building on its reputation foreducational excellence.”
New Head Announced
5
WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT OUR
Sixth Form girls have once again
achieved a 100% pass rate at
A Level, with 78% of examinations
passed at grade A* to B or Pre-U
equivalent. 51% of exams were
passed at A* or A grades or Pre-U
equivalent and 14% passed at A*,
both figures being almost double
the national average. An
impressive 27% of students
achieved 3 or more straight A or
A* grades across a range of
subjects. Average UCAS points per
candidate were 387, the
equivalent of over three A grades
per candidate. These fantastic
results have enabled almost all
Leweston’s leavers to win places at
their chosen universities or
specialist colleges.
It was another RECORD
BREAKING year for Leweston at
AS Level with 73% of examinations
passed at grade A or B. Particular
areas of strength were maths,
chemistry, geography, German and
Spanish. In the latter case all girls
achieved an A Grade. One third of
the pupils achieved 3 or more A
grades.
At GCSE, Year 11 pupils produced
an excellent set of results across
the board, with 97% of pupils
achieving at least 5 A* - C passes
and 50% of all examinations
passed at A* or A.
“Once again Lewestonpupils have excelled acrossthe whole ability range,generating some trulyoutstanding results. I amdelighted that their hardwork and dedication haspaid off and would like tocongratulate them all ontheir incredibleachievements not onlyacademically but also inother fields such as sport,music and drama.Particular mention goes toour Oxbridge and MedicalSchool candidates who haveall been successful inmeeting their offers; as aschool we have a justifiablystrong reputation forpreparing girls for futuresuccess in these areas andthis year’s results only helpto cement this reputationfurther.”
GCSE, A LEVEL AND PRE-U RESULTS 2014
Adrian Aylward - Headmaster
IN BRIEF…
• 50%OF GCSE
EXAMINATIONS PASSED
AT A OR A*
• A RECORD BREAKING
YEAR OF AS RESULTS:
PASSED AT A OR B
• 78%OF A LEVELS
PASSED AT A* - B OR
PRE-U EQUIVALENT
73%
Year 13 pupils Ciara and Harriet both secured their offers to studyat Cambridge
6 6
Congratulations to the six
Leweston Sixth Formers (pictured)
who, after sitting a very stretching
and challenging paper, were
awarded certificates in this year’s
national Cambridge Chemistry
Challenge. A special mention
must go to Alina Pietruszewicz
who came in the top 7% of 6,687
entrants to obtain a GOLD award!
This was closely followed by
Cecilia Jennings and Jenny Lau
who were awarded SILVER and
were in the top 14% of entries.
Well done also to Daisy Lewis,
Rosie Frampton and Christy Ling
who achieved COPPER awards
and were placed in the top 35%
of entries.
Gold at this year’s CambridgeChemistry Challenge
OA awarded UCLScholarshipCongratulations to OA Justyna
Ekert (Class of 2014) who has
been awarded the Andrew
Szmidla Scholarship which
amounts to £10,000 per
annum towards her studies.
The aim of the scholarship is to
enable and encourage
academically able students to
pursue their undergraduate
studies at UCL. Justyna who
completed her A Level studies
in chemistry, biology, physics,
maths, and Polish at Leweston
School, will be studying
medicine at UCL.
Academic Awards and Successes
“This award reflects the dedication ofboth the girls and the staff. I amjustifiably proud of this achievementwhich builds on our strong reputation foracademic excellence, especially as this isin the context of a number of topacademic schools across the country. Theresponse to the Cambridge Pre-U fromparents and girls has been excellent and Iam delighted that our pupils have beenrewarded for their efforts.” G
ood Schools Guide
Award for Excellence Leweston has been awarded The Good Schools
Guide Award for Excellence in EnglishLiterature at Cambridge Pre-U. This meansthat Leweston has outranked all other English
schools in its category (in this case for girls in all types
of independent schools), for the subject and exam
concerned.
Adrian Aylward - Headmaster
7
Letter to anUnknown SoldierLeweston pupils have contributed
to a national project to mark the
centenary of the First World War
created by the organisation 14-18
NOW. The project, ‘Letter to an
Unknown Soldier’, was inspired by
the statue of an unknown soldier
that resides at Platform One of
Paddington Station in London. The
statue is reading a letter and so, on
the hundredth anniversary of the
declaration of war, in a year crowded
with official remembrance and
ceremony, 14-18 NOW invited
everyone to write their own version
of the letter he is reading. The
response was extraordinary, with
21,439 letters written.
Letters from the Leweston pupils to
the Unknown Soldier can be read at
www.1418now.org.uk
Leweston’s Latinists embrace the Lewestonmotto Gaudere et Bene Facere!
Leweston’s Latinists have
certainly embraced the
school’s moto of ‘Rejoice and
Do Well’ this term. Year 11 girls
enjoyed an informative lecture
on Pompeii, hosted by the
Sherborne Historical Society
and given by Dr. Paul Roberts
(the curator for the universally
acclaimed British Museum
exhibition in 2013) which
explored the uncovered world
of Roman daily life at Pompeii
and Herculaneum – a great
supplement to their study of
Pliny’s letters detailing the
eruption. The girls were lucky
enough to have the
opportunity to speak with
Dr Roberts to discuss their
studies, which proved both
informative and
inspirational. In addition, Sixth
Form classicists have
embraced every opportunity
to attend lectures given by
leading academics in the field,
both locally in Sherborne, and
in London and Cambridge
University too. These lectures
have enabled the girls to
broaden their appreciation of
classics and their set text
literature in particular.
At the lower end of the school
the Year 7 pupils have been
busy creating miniature
Roman houses as part of their
studies exploring life in
Pompeii. Their efforts proved
motivating to the Year 9
Latinists who were challenged
to create a 3-D model of
Fishbourne Palace and aim to
do so in the Spring term!
Congratulations to Year 8 pupils
Freya Jacques, Kate Bickerton and
Emily Davis who gave excellent
performances on the topic of ‘The
Rise and Fall of Reading’ at the local
round of the annual Youth Speaks
competition. Their competent and
passionate performance meant
they have qualified for the regional
rounds in January. Good luck girls!
INTERMEDIATE YOUTH SPEAKS 2014
Year 11 girls with Dr Roberts
Year 7 with their Roman models
8
AS Study Trip to AlmuñecarAt the start of the autumn term Leweston’s AS Spanish pupils
took part in a week long study tour to Almuñecar in Granada.
The girls attended daily lessons at academia CICA, stayed with
local families and, in the afternoons, enjoyed a combination of
activities and cultural visits. One of the most memorable
experiences was the visit to world famous Alhambra in Granada
where the girls saw the Moorish cultural and historical influence
in Andalucia. A successful and informative trip.
Good luck to the five Sixth
Formers who have entered this
year’s ‘Juvenes Translatores’
languages competition. This
annual competition is sponsored
by the European Union and was
started in 2007 to find the best
young translators in the Europe.
Leweston was one of a small
number of schools in the UK
selected to take part in this
year’s competition.
Congratulations to Charlotte
Edwards, Rosie Frampton, Cecilia
Jennings, Georgie Watson (Year
13) and Lily Glydon (Year 12) who
where chosen to participate. We
look forward to reporting the
results later this academic year.
Pupils take on the ‘JuvenesTranslatores’ Challenge
Children’s Novelist MeetsLeweston’s Literary FestivalPrize Winners
Sherborne Insight lecturesSixth Formers were delighted to attend a lecture on ‘Faith in Parliament’ given by Revd Preb Rose Hudson-
Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, as part of the Sherborne Abbey Insight
Programme in September. Pupils learned of the celebrations of Anglican services and Catholic Mass, prayer
breakfasts and other Christian prayer groups, which support the MPs in their important work and
discernment of ethical issues. This encouraged animated discussion of issues surrounding faith in
parliament. We look forward to our next joint chaplaincy and politics trip to hear Nick Spencer, Director of
Theos Think-Tank, speak on the topic of ‘Faith in the Public Square.’
Leweston was delighted to
welcome the award winning
children’s novelist Caroline Green
in October. As well as giving an
inspirational talk to girls from
Years 7-11, Caroline presented
prizes to two Year 11 girls who
were successful in the recent
Sherborne Literary Festival poetry
writing competition: Hollie
Clarkson (second place) and
Connie de Pelet (highly
commended). Well done also to
Maddie Austin (Year 8) who was
awarded a highly commended
certificate for her entry.
The 2014 Christmas Concert was held in
the Church of the Sacred Heart and St
Aldhelm, Sherborne on Saturday 6th
December. The thoroughly entertaining
concert featured superb performances
by Leweston’s Schola Cantorum,
ensembles, soloists and the Sixth Form
band. The concert raised over £500 for
the Church, the Kampala Music School
in Uganda and the 2016 Schola Tour to
Nepal. Congratulations to all the
performers involved!
The Christmas Concert was followed by
the end of term Carol Service in
Sherborne Abbey. This fitting end to the
term featured performances from
Leweston’s Schola Cantorum, soloists
and Junior Choir and was made all the
more special by the wonderful
surrounds of the Abbey.
Christmas Carols and Concerts
Creative Life
10
Jazz Workshop withAndy Williamson
Leweston was delighted to host a
jazz workshop with Andy
Williamson of the Big Buzzard Big
Band in October. Andy worked
with members of the Leweston
Jazz Band and the Leweston
Choral Society who gained a lot
from the workshop and his vast
experience. Andy has shared the
stage with Jamie Cullum, Stacey
Kent, MoBo Best Jazz Act 2012 Zoe
Rahman, Michael Parkinson
favourite Joanna Eden and Mama
Tokus. He also played with some
musical heroes: Al Casey, Tom
Robinson, Suggs and Martha
Reeves and the Vandellas.
Leweston Girls Singfor Their Supper
Leweston’s Schola Cantorum
and Sixth Form band raised
£66 for the 2016 Schola Tour
to Nepal performing outside
Sherborne Waitrose in
December. Staff and
customers at Waitrose were
so impressed by the talent
on display that the store
agreed to play and sell
Leweston’s Schola CD!
Twelve Leweston girls, selected
from the Sherborne schools’
competitive auditions this
September, performed with both
the Joint Schools’ Sinfonia and
Symphony Orchestra in
November. The standard was
extremely high and music
included Rimsky Korsakov’s
Capriccio Espagnol and Grieg’s Peer
Gynt Suite from Symphony
Orchestra, led by Year 13 music
scholar, Clara Hewitt. Sinfonia
performed Mambo and the Pink
Panther and included girls from
Years 8 and 9. Junior Choir (Years 7
and 8) gave their first performance
together this academic year, with a
beautiful rendition of O Waly Waly
by Alexander L’Estrange and I am a
Small Part of the World by Sally
Albrecht and Jay Althouse,
featuring soloists from both year
groups. They achieved an excellent
blend of sound and sang both
works from memory. A wonderful
concert enjoyed by all.
Pupils Impress at JointSchools’ Concert
Concert in a Day with Port RegisWe were delighted to
welcome pupils from Port
Regis School to Leweston for
a day of musical master
classes in October. Joining
Leweston’s Years 7 and 8, the
girls formed a choir, attended
a music composition class
and masterclass, joined the Leweston Junior Orchestra and took part in a
percussion workshop in preparation for their performance in a concert
later in the day. The day was a great success and the resulting concert well
attended by parents from both Port Regis and Leweston. We look forward
to welcoming Port Regis back to Leweston soon.
11
OUTSTANDING LAMDARESULTSCongratulations to the girls
who took their LAMDA
examinations this year
achieving an outstanding
33 distinctions and 17
merits!
TABLE NO. 2 CAPTIVATES AUDIENCESThe Senior School autumn term
production of Table No. 2was
performed over three nights to
great acclaim. The cast of girls
from Years 9-13 impressed
throughout, handling the
challenging script, idiosyncratic
characters and mature themes
with great skill. The production
was sleek and professional, the
costumes authentic and the set
design convincing, the latter
bringing the Beauregard Hotel
alive, propelling the action from
the drawing room on the stage,
to the restaurant on the
audience’s level. Seating the
audience members on their own
private tables, surrounded by
actresses cast as waitresses was
an ingenious touch which served
to envelop the onlookers right in
the thick of the action. The School
would like to congratulate the
entire cast and crew on a
fantastic production.
Mr Irvine - Head of Drama
“It was an enjoyable andinteresting interpretation of anambitious and challengingplay. The process of rehearsalwas truly collaborative andthe characterisations of thehotel residents that resultedwere extremely well-drawn.The tech team created awonderful ambience with theirlighting and sound. Thereactions of the audienceswere very positive indeed. If Imay quote the Chairman ofGovernors: ‘Who needs to goto the West End?!’”
12
A team of pupils from Leweston’s
Sixth Form travelled to Peru to
complete their Gold Duke of
Edinburgh Award over the
summer break. Accompanied by
two members of staff from the
School, the team spent three
weeks in the South American
country undertaking a project and
completing the expedition phase
of the award.
After flying into Lima, the girls
travelled for 22 hours up into the
Andes to Cusco. Already at
altitude, they stayed a couple of
nights to acclimatise before taking
a minibus further into the
mountains for the start of their
project. The project was to help
build a floor in the community hall
at Patacancha, a remote village
just out of the Sacred Valley. For
five days the team collected rocks,
mixed concrete and pushed
wheelbarrows. Playing with the
local children was also a popular
pastime and they managed a visit
to the local school to see the
younger children being taught.
The girls then embarked on the
expedition phase of their award: a
five day trek to the mountain town
of Lares. After 5 days of hard work
and ups and downs (literally!) the
girls arrived triumphant,
completing their Gold in style.
Their final destination was Machu
Picchu, the Inca City in the
mountains. Setting off at 4am the
group started the climb which
took a couple of hours. With a
guide they covered the main areas
of the city, a fitting culmination to
the trip. Well done to Victoria
Halford, Harriett Guy, Tatiana
Whyman, Molly Foster and Hatty
Trollope-Bellew (Year 13). The girls
were also joined by Rose Sullivan
who was not involved in the DofE
scheme.
Check out the video of the trip produced by the girls at www.leweston.co.uk or on our Vimeo Channel: vimeo.com/lewestonschool
Going for Gold:
Peru 2014
“I hope that the girls have gainedby this experience and that some ofthe memories stay with them. Itwas a unique opportunity whichthey grasped with both hands –well done to all of them.”
Keith Whitehead
Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator
The school has enjoyed a successful season across the ‘athlon’sports, with exceptional results at all levels of competition...
Congratulations to the six pupils
who represented Great Britain at
the Biathle World Tour in Germany
in the summer. The team of Daisy
Liddle (Year 12), Olivia Manson
(Year 11), Elizabeth Tolly, Portia
Manson, Poppy Boyden (Year 9)
and Elektra Covell (Year 7) travelled
to Erding to compete at this
illustrious international event.
The girls performed superbly on
the day, generating some fantastic
results and proving themselves
against the best biathletes from
across Europe. A special mention
must go to Elizabeth (Year 9) for
her outstanding win in the 14 and
under category and to Olivia who
won a silver medal in the 16 and
under girls division! Other
individual results were: Portia 5th
and Poppy 10th (14 and under);
Daisy 10th (16 and under) and
Elektra 10th (12 and under). These
results topped off a sensational
year of sporting achievements for
Leweston’s biathletes. Well done
Team GB!
A Fantastic Season
of ‘Athlon’ Sports at Leweston
14
SIX LEWESTON GIRLS
COMPETE FOR TEAM GB
AT THE WORLD
BIATHLE TOUR
Three Leweston Girls
Selected for Biathle World
Championships!
Due to outstanding
individual performances at
the National Biathle event at
Salford Quays, Lily Amor
(Year 5), Elizabeth Tolly (Year
9) and Olivia Manson (Year
11) were selected to
represent Great Britain at the
World Championships. Lily
was placed 6th, Elizabeth 4th
and Olivia 3rd in their
respective categories. An
impressive achievement.
Ten pupils from Leweston
travelled to Solihull for the
National Biathlon
Championships in November.
The girls recorded many
personal bests helping the
Dorset Pentathletes to the title
of top national club. As
individuals Leweston girls won
four team gold medals (Anya
Evans, Year 5, Portia Manson,
Year 9, Elizabeth Tolly, Year 9
and Aoife McCarthy, Year 12)
and three silvers (Lily Amor, Year
5, Olivia Manson, Year 11 and
Daisy Liddle, Year 12). On the
back of these great results it
is hoped that all ten girls,
along with some other
representatives from Leweston,
will be selected to compete at
the National Schools’ Finals at
the Olympic Park in March.
Success for Leweston
at National Biathlon
Championshps
Dorset SchoolsBiathlon 2014Over 135 athletes took part in the
Dorset Schools’ Biathlon which took
place at Leweston in September.
Congratulations to the competitors
from Leweston who all performed
superbly, amassing 4 team wins
(Girls U12, U13, U16 and U17) and
one individual win by Lily Amor
(Year 5) in the U11 category, as well
as a number of strong placings
across all the divisions entered. Well
done all.
National ModernPentathlonTwo girls from Leweston took part
in the national Modern Pentathlon
at Solihull. In the 12 and under
event Elektra Covell (Year 7)
competed in her first full pentathlon
and finished 5th, a fantastic
achievement as she was one of the
youngest competitors. In the 18 and
under competition Rebecca Bowles
(Year 13) was 11th and part of the
Dorset team that took team gold.
HockeyRound-Up
Netball Academy Selection
Well done to
Portia Manson
(Year 8) who has
been selected for
the Satellite
Netball
Academy. This is
the first level of
the England Excel
Netball Development Pathway
for netballers aged 11-14 years
old. We look forward to her
continued development.
Congratulations to Leweston’s
Under 16 Indoor Hockey Squad
who played some outstanding
matches to finish 5th at the West
of England finals at Cheltenham in
December. This term has also seen
some outstanding individual
success with Year 11 pupil, Lizzie
Davis, being selected to train with
the West of England JRPC and play
for the Exeter squad at the Tier 1
tournaments for the 2nd
consecutive year. In addition,
Leweston is delighted that the
following girls have been selected
for the 2015 County squads:
Poppy Boyden (U14s), Freya
Logan, Lizzie Davis, Beth McMillan,
Mollie Parsons, Elizabeth Hobbs
and Polly James (U17s).
15
16
NSEA Championships at Addington ManorFollowing excellent performances at NSEA Show Jumping Qualifier at Bryanston School, Leweston sent two
teams to the hotly contested National Schools Equestrian Association’s National Championships at Addington
Manor in November. Excellent performances from both the Intermediate and Mini teams meant the girls were
placed 2nd in the NSEA Regional Points League for the South West. Congratulations to Ellie Guy (Year 11), Lydia
Hannam (Year 11), Georgia Buckland (Year 13), Kitty Godman-Dorrington (Year 10), Sacha Godman-Dorrington
(Year 8), Isabella Colwell (Year 6) and Alice Southcombe (Year 7) for being excellent competitors.
In other Riding News…
Success at Stonar
Congratulations to the Leweston Eventing Team of Kitty Godman-
Dorrington (Year 10), Ellie Guy (Year 11), Lydia Hannam (Year 11) and
Hattie Trollope-Bellew (Year 13) who were placed 2nd at the Stonar
Inter-Schools One Day Event in September.
The Leweston Equestrian Team of
Perdi Digby (Year 7), Kitty
Godman-Dorrington (Year 10), Ellie
Guy (Year 11) and Lydia Hannam
(Year 11) secured a fantastic win at
the Cattistock Pony Club One Day
Event held at Aldon in September
following strong dressage, show
jumping and cross country rounds.
An excellent result for Leweston –
well done girls.
Equestrian Team Success at Aldon
Pupils Excel at Triathlon
Three pupils from Leweston enjoyed a successful day at the Wyle
Valley Pony Club Triathlon in November. The school was well
represented in the 11 and under event, with Year 7 pupil Elektra Covell
and Isabella Colwell (Year 6) taking 1st and 3rd place respectively. A
great result for Leweston and the girls’ respective Pony Clubs. The 14
and under category saw Poppy Boyden (Year 9) come 3rd individually
at her very first Pony Club Triathlon. Well done all.
Leweston Inter-Schools Show
Jumping Event
Leweston welcomed over 100
riders, representing schools from
across the South West, to its Inter-
Schools Show Jumping event in
September. The home teams did
exceptionally well, coming 2nd
and 3rd in Class 3. A special
mention must go to sisters Perdi
(Year 7) and Mimi (Year 4) Digby
who were placed 1st and 2nd
individually in Class 3. A full
breakdown of the results can be
found atwww.leweston.co.uk.
17
Leweston Take Top Honours in theMendip Cross Country LeagueLeweston’s teams
performed superbly at
the final Mendip Cross
Country League fixture to
secure gold and silver
medals in the overall
league standings. Good
runs from Kate Bickerton
and Missy Brazier ensured
that the U13 team
finished 2nd out of 7
schools in the league. The
U14 team of Elizabeth
Tolly, Portia Manson, Sofia
Garcia-Sainz and Elsie
Gibbs performed
superbly to win the
league, with Elizabeth, Portia and Sofia being placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd
respectively in the final league standings (pictured). A fantastic
achievement.
Cross Country News
Over 350 competitors, representing schools from across
the South West, descended on campus for the Leweston
Cross Country Relays in November. Leweston had 56 girls
competing and secured a team win in the Minor Girls
division (Years 5 and 6) beating 24 other teams!
Congratulations to Lily Amor, Erin Cassingham, Izzy
Colwell and Anya Evans who was also awarded the
trophy for the fastest Minor runner. In addition Leweston
enjoyed a podium place in the Senior/Intermediate
competition (for girls in Years 9 and above) with the team
taking 3rd place. A full breakdown of results can be
downloaded atwww.leweston.co.uk
Victory at St Mary’s
The Leweston teams enjoyed much
success at this term’s St Mary’s
Shaftesbury Cross Country Relays.
Well done to the Senior Team
(pictured below) who were victorious
in the Year 9 and above category. A
special mention goes to Year 9 pupil
Elizabeth Tolly who completed the
fastest lap of the day and to Olivia
Manson (Year 11) who was hot on her
heals claiming the second fasted lap.
Well done also to the Year 7 and 8
team of Missy Brazier, Elektra Covell
and Isabelle Bridge who finished in a
very commendable 3rd place out of
15 teams.
Leweston Relays
Junior Department
Friday 26 September saw a
colourful start to the morning when
children arrived in a variety of
European costumes to mark the
‘European Languages Day’. There
followed a lively assembly where
everyone had the opportunity to
practise saying hello in many
different ways. The children also
learnt just how many languages are
spoken not just in London, but in
the entire world. A wonderful day
spent exploring the rich cultural
diversity of the continent.
European Languages Day
Outstanding LAMDAResults for JuniorDepartment PupilsCongratulations to all of the children who
took their LAMDA examinations this year.
Pupils from the Junior Department
achieved an exceptional 22 Distinctions.
You can’t get better than that!
Hampton Court Palace
In preparation for their historical study into life in Tudor England, the
children in Year 5 enjoyed a trip to Hampton Court Palace with the
girls in Year 11 at the
Senior School. Their tour
included a visit to the
magnificent Great Hall
with its spectacular
tapestries and they even
managed to meet Henry
VIII himself (or a very
convincing double
anyway!).
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The Harvest Mass of Thanksgiving
Thank you to all parents, pupils
and staff who brought in
donations for the Sherborne
Food Bank at the Harvest Mass
of Thanksgiving in October.
The Mass was orchestrated by
Year Five who confidently led
the bidding prayers, scripture
reading, altar serving and the
offertory procession. The
Chapel Choir and Schola
excelled themselves in singing
harvest anthems for the Mass.
Leweston Pupils Commemoratethe First World WarPupils from across Leweston Junior Department took part in exciting
and enriching workshops as part of their First World War topic.
Children from Reception to Year 6 enjoyed learning more about the
Great War from visiting historian Toby Stok of ‘Hands On History’, who
dressed appropriately in military uniform to help bring the era alive.
The children were able to investigate many different artefacts from
the period and they all enjoyed practising their marching drill outside
under the instruction of ‘Major Toby’.
“This day complemented many other activities beingundertaken in the Junior Department to mark the centenaryof the start of the First World War. Poems have been exploredand written, names on the Yetminster memorial cross havebeen researched, and the Reception and Year 1 children haveeven made ‘Trench Cakes’ in cookery.”
Victoria Bridgeman-Sutton - Senior Teacher
JUNIOR DEPARTMENT BRING WW1TRENCHES TO LIFEThe Junior Department have marked the centenary of the outbreak of
WW1 by creating incredible replicas of the trenches used during the
conflict. The variety of materials used and the imagination required
surpassed all expectations and resulted in the children developing a
far greater understanding of the conditions suffered in the trenches.
“I am very grateful to allstudents and staff who workhard to rehearse these piecesand lead our worship insong. My thanks go to theMaintenance and Cateringteams for creating the visualspectacle of our HarvestMass and crowning ourcelebration with fruit,freshly baked breads,pumpkins, apples and otherfruits and seeds from theLeweston grounds. It wassuch a treat for me toexperience the LewestonHarvest Mass for the firsttime and to have theReception class for faithactivities during the firstpart of Mass.”
Dr Genevieve Cox Chaplaincy Coordinator
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Grandparents’ Celebration Morning
It is never too late to further your
education, as was evidenced by the
many Leweston grandparents who
eagerly joined the Junior Department for
the annual Grandparents’ Celebration
Morning in September. Grandparents of
pupils across the school attended their
grandchildren’s lessons and listened to
prayers specially written for them by the
children in the Chapel. The morning was
topped off with a delicious lunch. We
look forward to next year’s event.
Year 6 Explore the Lulworth Landscape
Leweston Year 6 pupils enjoyed an exciting and informative trip to
Lulworth Cove during the first half of term. They were given a fantastic
tour of the area by one of the Lulworth Rangers who clearly explained
the history of this part of the Dorset coastline, with specific reference
to the geology and human habitations of the area. The pupils were
fascinated to discover the Lulworth Crumple, Stair Hole and Durdle
Door. Bronze Age burial mounds were also explored and all the
children managed to complete the two mile round trip on this most
popular part of the South West Coast path, linking Lulworth to Durdle
Door. The warm September weather completed a wonderful day for
the Year 6 class who take back to school many first hand experiences
of coastline formations (and erosion) to study further during the year
ahead.
Junior DepartmentSupports MacmillanThe Junior Department was
delighted to present Chrissie, a
representative from Macmillan
Cancer Support, with a cheque
for £117.99 raised by the school’s
participation in ‘World’s Biggest
Coffee Morning’ held in
September. Thank you to all who
came along to support, drink
coffee and buy cakes for such a
good cause!
The pupils in Year 3 have had plenty of
opportunity to take their learning outside of
the classroom, participating in several field
trips this term. The first was a science visit to
Lyme Regis where they studied changes of
habitat over time. With the help of Old
Antonian, Kate Acheson, they compared
what the area was like two hundred million
years ago using the fossils they found as
evidence. They then searched in rock pools
to study the type of organism that can adapt
to many changes including temperature and
salinity. This was followed by a history visit to
Maiden Castle and the Dorset Museum in
Dorchester. The children were able to
experience how difficult it would be to
attack an Iron Age hill fort. They visualised
how different the area would have looked
two thousand years ago and then they went
to the Dorset Museum where they
investigated many artefacts dating as far
back as 50,000 BC!
Stepping Back in Time
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We were delighted to welcome
local residents Sue Drewett and
Daphne Barfoot to the Junior
Department on the morning of
Armistice Day. Sue and Daphne
joined the Year 5 pupils and took
part in the School’s Service of
Remembrance. Year 5 had been
researching the fate of some of
the servicemen who departed
from the village to fight in World
War I. The children had many
questions for Daphne whose
relatives, Thomas Bennett and
brothers Walter and Herbert
Gould, had been a part of their
research and they were interested
to see photos of all three and find
out a few new facts. A copy of
their finished research has been
presented to Sue Drewett,
secretary of the Yetminster
Historical Society and was
displayed at St Andrew’s Church in
Yetminster alongside a selection
of models of the trenches made
by some of the children before
being added to the archive.
Pupils Raise Funds forthe Poppy Appeal
Well done to the Year 6 pupils
who sold poppies for the Royal
British Legion’s Poppy Appeal
at Leweston in November. Year
6 Charities Captains, Grace
Pilkington and Eve Fidler,
organised the event, selling
over 35 poppies in just three
days and raising nearly £50 in
donations. A fabulous effort to
commemorate the great
contributions our servicemen
and women have made.
Remembrance PoetryIn the run up to Armistice Day, the
children in Year 3 wrote some very
effective and emotive World War One
poetry. Their poems were mounted
on poppies which are displayed in
the School. An example of one of the
poems can be seen below.
RemembranceThe sky is grey and the wind is howlingSoldiers march, mile after mileSome run away, some stay and fightThe injured bodies lie broken in fright.Some survived the dark scary noisesCollapsing in fear as the shells drop aroundThe thunder of guns seems never endingBut finally, suddenly, the nightmare stops.All is now quiet where once they attackedBut never forget, just never forgetSoldiers lived and soldiers diedA pointless war and wasted lives.
Loki Marsh, Year 3
The Junior DepartmentService of Remembrance
Leweston Shows Its
Stripes...Spots, Onesies
and Pyjamas for
Children in Need!
Leweston pupils donned their
favourite onesies in aid of
Children in Need in November
raising over £200. Thank you
to all who donated.
A Spectacular Bonfire Night
Pupils, parents and friends of Leweston
enjoyed a fantastic Bonfire Night on
Wednesday 5 November. The grounds
were bathed in the glow of the
magnificent bonfire whilst guests
tucked into a delicious hog roast and
watched the spectacular fireworks
explode across the night sky. A
wonderful evening enjoyed by all!
THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT AUTUMN CONCERT WAS HELD ON TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER. THE EVENT SHOWCASED
THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC TALENT IN THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT, WITH FANTASTIC
PERFORMANCES BY INSTRUMENTALISTS AND LAMDA GROUPS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE PERFORMERS
ON A WONDERFUL CONCERT!
Junior Pupils Impress at Autumn Concert
The annual Leweston Christmas
Fair was held on Thursday 6
November in the Manor House.
The wonderfully festive event
welcomed visitors from across the
region to browse the extensive
selection of stalls and boutiques.
Thank you to all the stallholders
and to all those involved in the
Fair’s organisation for making it
such a fabulous day.
Christmas Fair raises over £2,000for Julia’s House
Christmas JumpersRaise Money for Save The ChildrenPupils and staff
enjoyed wearing
some very festive
attire on the
penultimate day
of term in aid of
Save the Children.
The variety and
vibrancy of Christmas
jumpers was spectacular and
some pupils even customised
their own jumpers, showing
great creative skill. Well
done all!
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On Tuesday 18 November
Leweston Junior Department
travelled to local garden centre
Bailey Ridge to donate over 50
shoeboxes packed full of useful
goodies to ‘Operation Christmas
Child’. The shoe boxes were
transported to underprivileged
children around the word by
none other than Father
Christmas and his reindeer who
were at Bailey Ridge to receive
the shoe boxes from
our pupils!
Every year the Junior
Department donates shoeboxes
to ‘Operation Christmas Child’,
the World’s largest children’s
Christmas project, run by the
Christian charity Samaritan’s
Purse. Leweston Junior
Department is incredibly grateful
for the welcome they received at
Bailey Ridge and the opportunity
to hand over their shoeboxes
in person.
“The children had taken reallove and care when filling theirshoeboxes for ‘OperationChristmas Child’. They areaware how much theythemselves have and how luckythey are. As a School we aredelighted to be supporting theproject and hope that ourdonations will help to bring joyinto the lives of disadvantagedchildren. Being able to handover the gifts to FatherChristmas and his reindeermade the whole occasionmagical.”
Mrs Bridgeman-Sutton Senior Teacher
Father Christmas and his Reindeer Collect Donations for Operation Christmas Child
HandmadeChristmas GiftsLeweston Junior
Department were delighted
to welcome local Jewellery
maker Shelley Mcloughlin
for a creative workshop at
the end of term. During the
session, pupils enjoyed
crafting clay beads and
using them to create
individual and personal
Christmas gifts for friends
and family. Some beautiful
gifts were created and will
undoubtedly be gratefully
received by their recipients!
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The autumn term was brought to a
close with the Junior Department
Carol Service in the School Chapel.
The children in Reception and Year
1 delighted the audience of family
and friends with their Nativity play
and the School Choir sang a
mixture of well-known and less
well-known carols. The service also
featured a beautifully performed
solo by Year 6 pupil Sophie Worrall.
A fitting end to another successful
term at Leweston Junior
Department.
Christmas at Leweston Junior Department
We are delighted to announce that
during the course of the spring
term, Leweston will be offering a
weekly specialist swim session to
all the children aged 3 and over in
our Nursery. These lessons will be
led by Ali Parnell, a qualified ASA
level 2 teacher and will focus on
improving water confidence and
swimming ability through play.
This specialist tuition comes at no
extra cost to parents and will take
place in Leweston’s School Pool.
We look forward to seeing the
children’s progress next term!
NurseryLEWESTON NURSERY IS EXPANDING! Due to the high level of demand for Nursery places across the age range, we are
delighted to be opening a new specially designated room for our rising three year
olds in the spring term. This space will join onto our baby and 2-3 year old rooms
which will remain in their existing location. We are delighted that so many families
are joining the Leweston community and that this new space means that even
more children will be able access the exceptional education offered at Leweston. }Stop
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Nursery Activity MorningsContinue to Delight!The Leweston Nursery Activity
Mornings continue to grow in
popularity with record numbers
of parents, grandparents and
toddlers attending the two
events this term. On Thursday
9 October we hosted the ‘Forest
Skills’ Activity Morning. The
inclement weather did not dampen any spirits with the
participating children spending a wonderful morning making
leaf pictures, clay hedgehogs and woodland crowns, as well as
playing with conkers and enjoying a sing-a-long.
At the end of term, parents and toddlers returned for another fun
filled morning of Christmassy craft. Children enjoyed making
snow biscuits, ‘Wise Man’ crowns and 3D Christmas trees. They
were also given the opportunity to dress up as a Shepherd or a
King and were able to enjoy fun with foam, ice and sparkly
playdough. A particular highlight was the singing session, where
everyone joined in with the well-known Christmas Jingles. A
wonderful morning full of festive fun and seasonal cheer!
Thank you to all who attended these events – more photos can
be seen on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Leweston.
You can find out more about future Nursery Activity Mornings on
our website www.leweston.co.uk
Nursery Children to Receive Specialist Sw
imming Tuition
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Leweston kicked off the Biathlon season in style securing some fantastic
results at the Dorset Schools’ Biathlon time trial held at Leweston on behalf of
Pentathlon GB in September. Congratulations to Year 5 pupil Lily Amor who
was crowned the Dorset U11 champion and to Year 6 pupil Sophie Lyons-
Montgomery who put in an exceptional performance to finish 10th in her first
competition of this nature. In the U12 girls event Year 6 pupil Anya Evans
finished 4th with Izzy Colwell (Year 6) finishing in a fantastic 7th place. Joined
by Year 7 pupil Elektra Covell in the U12 event, Anya and Izzy finished as gold
medal winners in the school teams competition. Anya and Lily’s performances
meant that they were selected for the National Finals which took place in
November.
National ModernBiathlon MedalWinners
Congratulations to Anya
Evans (Year 6) and Lily
Amor (Year 5) who were
awarded medals at the
National Biathlon
Championships at the
end of November. They
were selected to
represent the Dorset
Pentathletes following
excellent performances
at the Dorset Schools’
Biathlon event earlier in
the term. Anya won
GOLD in the U12 Team
competition and
finished in 17th place
individually. Lily won
Silver in the U11 Team
competition and
finished 11th
individually. We look
forward to the girls’
continued development
and to the 2015
Biathle season.
U11 HOCKEY TEAM QUALIFIESFOR REGIONAL FINALS
GOLD FOR LEWESTON AT THE DORSET SCHOOLS’ BIATHLON
Congratulations to the U11 hockey
team who have qualified for the
regional finals in March 2015
following their excellent
performance at the In2hockey
schools tournament at Talbot
Heath this term. Good luck girls!
Leweston Relays 2014Over 350 competitors representing schools from
across the South West descended on campus for
the Leweston Cross Country Relays in November.
The Junior Department’s team of Lily Amor, Erin
Cassingham, Izzy Colwell and Anya Evans claimed first place in the Minor
Girls division beating 24 other teams! Congratulations to Anya Evans who
was also awarded the trophy for the fastest Minor runner. A full
breakdown of results can be downloaded atwww.leweston.co.uk
In other Cross-Country News…Congratulations to St Margaret House who were victorious at the Inter
House Cross Country competition in November. There were brilliant
performances across all years. Well done to the winners and to everyone
that took part.
Junior Department Sport
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Spiritual Life
The girls in Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11
have all been involved with
Leweston’s retreat programme this
term. Year 7 were the first with
their action packed two day
retreat to St Gilda’s in Langport
focusing on the theme of
friendship, helping them build
those all important relationships
at the start of their time in the
Senior School. Next were the Year
11 girls who spent a day reflecting
on the theme of relationships,
followed by the Year 10s who
explored the concept of
‘Expressing Faith Through Music’
taking part in Taize and Choral
song workshops! Year 9 enjoyed a
wonderfully colourful and creative
retreat on the theme of
‘Expressing Faith Through Art’ and
finally the Year 8 girls enjoyed a
day at the Catholic parish in
Sherborne exploring the meaning
of Advent in December. We look
forward to the Sixth Form
Pilgrimage at the end of the
summer term.
“It has been a joy to holdretreats for Years 7, 8, 9,10 and 11 this term. Theretreat activities have varieda great deal to cater fordifferent interests and agegroups. I am pleased to saythat the aim of providingactive, thought provokingand prayerful days for eachyear group has been metwith wide success.”
Genevieve CoxChaplaincy Coordinator
Friendship, Music, Art and Advent: Leweston’s Retreat Programme Leweston Raises over
£3,000 for CharityLeweston girls have raised
over £3,000 for 7 different
charities this term. As well as
the annual CAFOD fast day,
Leweston pupils have donned
pink, spots and stripes and
Christmas jumpers to raise
money for Breast cancer,
Children in Need and Save the
Children, and have been
prolifically baking for cake
sales in aid of the Ebola crisis
and Sherborne Voluntary
Ambulance. The Leweston
Christmas Fair raised over
£2,000 for local charity Julia’s
House and the School’s
production of Table No.2
raised funds for the
Samaritans.
Year 10
Year 11
Year 8
Year 7
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}Aspiring Boarders Enjoy‘Monkeying Around’ in Junior HouseAfter the success of previous years, this year’s Junior
House Boarding taster was met with eager
anticipation. The weekend did not disappoint and the
house was full to bursting with girls looking at joining
Leweston in September 2015 as well as some of our
own girls who were trying boarding for the first time.
The weekend’s theme was ‘On Safari’ and the House
was decorated to the extreme with the staff even
donning monkey outfits for the occasion!
After a busy evening exploring the Leweston grounds,
enjoying safari themed craft activities and a film night,
the girls spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at Monkey
World in Wareham. It was a fascinating trip during
which the girls learned about the work the Monkey
Sanctuary is doing to rescue and rehabilitate these
amazing animals before swinging through the trees
themselves at the Great Ape play area!
It was soon time for the happy explorers to be
collected – some wishing that their parents might just
forget them so they would be able to spend another
night ‘monkeying around’ in Junior House. We look
forward to welcoming you back in September 2015!
International Debate 2014Congratulations to the 10 Leweston girls who took
part in an international debate in December with
students from Sherborne Boys, Sherborne Girls and
Sherborne International College. The seasonal topic
for the debate was ‘This house believes Santa is an
unjustifiable deception.’ Leweston would like to
congratulate all of these pupils for their fantastic
efforts. They were truly a credit to the school:
animated, engaged and intellectual.
Boarding
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Record Boarding Numbers!We are delighted that this term has seen a record
number of girls choosing to board at Leweston.
There are over 136 pupils full or weekly boarding
with more girls flexi boarding than ever before
as well.
LEWESTON SCHOOL, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 6EN01963 211010 [email protected]
WWW.LEWESTON.CO.UK
Monday 26th January - Tuesday 27th January
11+, 12+, 13+ Scholarship Days
(September 2015 entry)
Friday 30th - Saturday 31st January
Year 8 Boarding Taster
Saturday 7th February
Sixth Form Ball
Sunday 1st March
19.30 Choral Society Concert in Leweston Chapel
Monday 6th - Saturday 11th April
Biathle camp hosted at Leweston
Monday 30th March - Thursday 10th April
Easter Fun Club
Saturday 9th May
Gaudy Reunion for various leaver years
Weekly Events:
Parent and Toddler: Every Thursday from
09.00-11.45 at the Junior Department
Aquatots: Every Wednesday from 10.30 -11.30
in the School Pool
For more information about any of these events,
or to register your attendance, please call
01963 210783 or [email protected]
Dates for your Diary…
Friday 13th March 2015Nursery and Junior Department Open Morning 10.00 – 12.00
Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2015Joint Schools Open Morning 09.45 – 13.00
Saturday 6th June 2015Nursery Open Morning 09.00 – 12.00
Open Mornings 2015
Leweston is a registered charity number 295175