Chris Lambert

Clayesmore Newsletter Autumn 2016 edition

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Academic Endeavours 2-3

Musical Notes 4

Sporting Round-up 6-7

@Clayesmore on Twitter and Instagram www.facebook.com/clayesmoreschool

Celebration

First Class Late summer brought news of university success for Old Clayesmorians and a good selection of First Class degrees to boast about!

Charlie Bridgeman Sutton (2011 - 2013) got his First in Economics & Business from Cardiff; Jonathan Brownrigg (2004 – 2009) in Physics from Leeds; James Somper (2008 – 2013) in Modern History & Politics from Royal Holloway; Rosa Scott (2004 – 2013) and Harriet Wordsworth (2004 – 2013) both got Firsts in Culinary Arts Management from the University of West London and finally, Cherry Baker (2002 – 2012) got hers in Business Management from Cardiff. Pictured above.

From the Head“It’s been a busy but fantastic start to the new academic year. Spirits have been high and much has been achieved in the classroom, on the sports field and in the boarding houses. I have really enjoyed being on the touch lines of some nail-biting games of hockey and rugby, and we have been lucky to hear wonderful music played by both our junior and senior musicians. This newsletter provides a snapshot of our commitment to an inclusive and holistic approach to education. Clayesmore is a family school where all our children are known and where opportunities for learning are wide and varied; a place where we fully understand that whilst excellent academic results must always be a priority they are only a part of the wider educational story.”

Clayesmore: it’s in the blood! A little girl called Maddy has just started in Reception and her joining us here at Clayesmore is worthy of special mention: she is the fourth generation of her family to come to the school.

Way back in 1932, her great-grandfather, Stenner Fangen, came to Clayesmore, a year before it had even moved to Iwerne. Later, in 1957, his son, David, joined the Prep and stayed right through until 1966.

David’s daughter, Olivia, then became a pupil in the 1990s and now Maddy, her daughter, has arrived. If she stays until she is 18, the Fangens will have had a Clayesmore connection for a whopping 98 years…

Welcome, Maddy!

DT extension – smarter by designPupils and staff alike are delighting in the facilities provided by the new Design & Technology extension which was completed last term. The extra space provides a modern and exciting engineering workshop, an extension to existing workshop facilities and two light, airy and superbly equipped design studios, plus display space for finished work. Along with IT and additional machinery, two new laser cutters have been a very popular addition. We’re looking forward to seeing the work produced by students in the future. Check out examples of their work throughout this publication.

We were delighted to receive a copy of Tatler’s definitive guide to schools, and to read the fantastic write up they gave us. “This is a school with a lovely family feel, where children of all abilities thrive: ‘Everyone is

known and everyone is noticed,’ we’re told. ‘A bright child will fly here, and a less able one flourish.’’’ Read the full review online at www.tatler.com/guides/schools-guide/2017.

“A very happy place”: Tatler’s review is out!

There was much cause for celebration when this year’s examination results were published in August. For our most recent leavers, the school’s largest Upper Sixth cohort to date was understandably proud of its achievements at A-Level and BTEC. Head of Sixth Form, Mrs SarahJane Newland, praised the entire year group for their dedication to their studies: “We must particularly congratulate Pat Green (2 starred As and 2As) who is going to Exeter to study English, Maddie Noll with (2As and a B), going to Bristol to study Zoology, and Imogen Marshall, who achieved 2 starred As, 2As and a B and is now planning to study in Australia.” In all, 30% of candidates achieved grades of at least AAB or equivalent.

Some 80% of candidates have gained places to study at their first choice universities,

almost a third of which are Russell Group institutions. Courses include

Accountancy at Southampton, Business Management at

Liverpool, Reading and Warwick, Economics at Exeter and Newcastle, History and Politics at UCL and Zoology at Bristol and Southampton.

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A stellar crop of examination results

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The Business of CareersWhen it comes to helping students forge a way ahead in the world of work, Clayesmore really ensures they’re well informed and taught by the best in the business.

Every year, the Senior School works with Inside Knowledge which brings along a number of eminent business men and women to spend a day with Year 11 pupils and invites students from local schools to join them for a day of workshops covering numerous subjects, from Medicine, Law and Engineering to City Markets and Business Management.

Spearheaded by our intrepid Head of Careers, Miss Catherine Jacks, and held in the school’s state-of-the-art Business School, it proved, as always, a terrifically successful event with students ending the day with a clearer vision about career options and, crucially, what the day to day reality of work in a given field would entail.

ACADEMIC

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i + i2 = C3? – Mathematics Extension Groups

Clayesmore’s popular Maths Society, ‘i’, has branched out. Alongside its regular meetings, the Senior School Maths department has launched i2, a collaborative project with Prep School counterparts. Led by Maths teacher, Miss Sarah-Jane Rhead, the subject of the first gathering was ‘Networks and Nodes’. Pupils from Years 5 to 11 worked together in small groups to discover the rules about working with pathways, vertexes and graphs.

Alongside this, the first meeting of C3 (Clayesmore’s Code Crackers) was held recently in the Maths department, as the team got together to work on the National Cipher Challenge – Fighting Gravity. The challenge is a nationwide, online code-breaking competition run by the University of Southampton’s Mathematics Department, which ends in January. Our team is led by Year 12 pupil, Will, and features representatives from Years 9-12 and from all houses at the school. The first session saw them work together to crack the first two codes (a Caesar shift).

OC, Rowan Newland (2006 – 2011), has been awarded a prize by The Society for the Protection of Roman Studies, for best PGCE research paper at Cambridge University. Rowan, who received her BA from Durham, left Homerton College last term and has just started her career at Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh, where she teaches Latin and Classics. She won a cheque for £200 and a year’s free subscription to the Society. Never one to blow her own trumpet, she didn’t let us know but her proud mother (and our Head of Sixth Form), Mrs SarahJane Newland, did. A great start to what will surely prove a wonderful and fruitful career: well done, Rowan!

A stellar crop of examination results Continued from front page

These strong results were followed by further success at GCSE and IGCSE, with many outstanding individual performances. Particular congratulations go to Theo, who joined Clayesmore in the Nursery and gained a magnificent 11 starred A grades; Amelia, with 9 starred As and 2As; Jack with 9 starred As, 1 A and 1B and Ash with 9 starred As and 1A.

A majority of the cohort sat the more academically challenging International GCSE (IGCSE), a qualification which requires a more in-depth understanding of a subject, testing pupils in how they think and apply their learning, rather than just their knowledge of individual subjects. Parents of a pupil who received his results today were quick to thank the school for their part in their son’s success, adding: “we truly feel that he could not have done so well anywhere else.”

Rowan’s Roman Prize

Summer sojourn in BeijingHead Girl, Polina, tells us about her trip to Beijing:

“This summer, my trip to China with the Envision Global Young Leaders Conference program was a truly life changing experience for me. I landed in Beijing uncertain of what was awaiting me in the upcoming two weeks, and what challenges I would have to overcome, but when it was time to leave, I boarded the plane back to Moscow now having 72 new friends from all over the world and having had two of the most exciting weeks of my life.

This trip has had a lot of impact on me as a person: the issues that we addressed over the course of the program have made me rethink and reassess my goals for the future, meeting people from all over the planet has broadened my horizons and exploring China has shown me just how different Asian cultures are to ours. But maybe it is the reason I fell in love with it...”

It seems that our pupils are just as busy in their holidays as they are in term time

Summer? SPEND THEHOW DID YOU

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Colonising the fourth rock from the sunYear 12 chemistry students, Ash and Jago, gave a presentation on ‘Terraforming Mars’ at a symposium hosted at Sherborne Girls’ School. They discussed the methods which might be employed to make the planet hospitable for the human race and allow its colonisation.

Head of Chemistry, Dr Jonathan Gannon, reported: “They gave a fantastic talk and fielded questions with great knowledge and articulation accompanied and supported by Clayesmore’s Sixth Form chemists.”

Drop Everything And Read!Our Head of English, Mrs Harriet Perrett, tells us all about it...“DEAR” started two years ago and it really began as part of our literacy drive. We want to get pupils (and teachers!) to recognise that literacy isn’t just about what happens in the English department but across every subject. Some departments are great and really embrace it. The dream would be to generate snapshots of everyone getting involved: ground staff, the Head etc… with the idea of them all being caught reading. Special thanks to the PE department for sending this photo, too.

Art ‘n’ AboutThe artists and photographers have had a busy term, undertaking contextual research for their portfolios. Drawing workshops led by department staff at school have been coupled with trips to the coast to capture the ‘essence of place’, to renowned gallery Hauser & Wirth in Bruton, and to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. These visits will encourage students to develop their own creative path and explore composition, tone, texture, linear qualities and mark-making.

Elevating pupil performance Year 12 pupils have benefitted from a series of study skills workshops, provided by Elevate Education, a company which benchmarks the habits of the country’s top students and introduces them to others. Workshops covered time management including completing non-required tasks and using study groups and student elevation for motivation throughout the year. The over-riding message of the workshops that success in study isn’t about being bright, it’s about working on the right things in the right way and with the right mindset.

Ross Yates

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Words win prizes for creative writingCongratulations due to Findlay (Year 11) and Thomas, Jenny and James (Year 6)

who were all short-listed finalists in the Blandford Rotary Club Short

Story Competition. At a public meeting they all read

out their stories, and were much praised by members of the audience and Rotary staff. Findlay won the U18 section, while Thomas was a runner-up and Jenny and James

received certificates for reaching the final.

No “great stage of fools” at Royal Shakespeare Company workshopYear 13 English students have been treated to an exclusive King Lear workshop, based in the Clore Learning Centre. Run by associates of the RSC, pupils explored key scenes within the play, bringing them to life to cement their understanding of the text. They were able to unlock the language, characters, themes and key moments from the play and were enthusiastic about the whole experience which for some of them was very much out of their comfort zone.

Writing about the trip Head of English, Mrs Harriet Perrett, said, “We were so lucky to be surrounded by all this experience and they really made the students question different interpretations of the play.”

Lessons from AuschwitzHistory teacher, Miss Laura Thomas reports on the first meeting of the de Selincourt History Society of the year:“Over fifty students and staff packed into the United Nations Room on 23 September to listen to a very poignant talk by two of our Upper Sixth History students, Emilia and Georgie. They spoke about their experiences from their trip to Auschwitz, with an organisation known as HET (Holocaust Education Trust), which runs a program called ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ (LFA). The LFA project has been running since 1999 and has involved over 300,000 students and teachers in its ground-breaking mission to expose the lessons that can be taken from the Holocaust.

The de Selincourt Society meets twice a half-term and the dates of the event can be found in the school calendar. The society is lucky enough to enjoy a range of talks on numerous historical subjects by both students, members of staff and outside speakers. The society offers a forum to discuss history outside of the classroom environment.”

Year 13 student and school prefect, Georgina, has an important date in her diary for the early part of next year: she will be attending the inauguration of the next president of the USA. Georgina so impressed the Envision Company, who ran a 10 day Global Young Leaders Conference in Washington DC and New York over the summer which she attended, that they selected her to receive an invitation to attend the event.

Along with young people of over 60 different nationalities, Georgina spent time at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, and at the

State Department in Washington DC, preparing for the culmination of the

programme at the Global Summit. They also visited the Saudi Arabian Embassy

and attended speeches given by the Cross-Cultural Commissioners for Public Health in Africa.

Speaking of her experiences, Georgina said, “The whole trip was a real inspiration. I am looking forward to going back to the USA in January but meanwhile I have submitted my UCAS application to Manchester University where I hope to study Politics and International Relations.”

An invitation to the

inauguration

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endeavours

MUSICAL Jack’s “Walking in the Air” after successful “Snowman” auditionYear 8 pupil, Jack, is literally walking in the air after successfully auditioning to perform the iconic song with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in December. As part of their Rising Talent Programme, Jack was one of two individuals selected to perform at the Lighthouse in Poole from 120 who auditioned. Jack, who

receives lessons from our own Mrs Felicity Goodman, took up singing at the end of Year

5 and will take his Grade 4 singing exam later this term.

Further festivities in the field Clayesmore’s participation in the BBC Ten Pieces initiative was recognised in September when the story of the project was broadcast as part of the BBC Proms. Our piano teacher extraordinaire, Mrs Sian Highnam, who organised our part in the proceedings, the magical “Festival in the Field” in the summer term, featured in the slot, along with shots of our pupils (and the many visitors we had on the day) taking part. We were honoured to host the event and see our children, and those of local schools, playing together, interpreting the music and, along with members of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, performing some fabulous classical pieces.

Choir tour to BerlinSummer

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Described by many as ‘the best events of the school year’, the Senior and Prep House Music Competitions certainly lived up to their billing as an enraptured (and partisan) audiences were entertained by each of the five senior and four prep houses. Weeks of rehearsals culminated in some wonderful performances by our talented musicians from the Nursery to the Sixth Form.

Adjudicating the senior competition, Mr Rupert Drury, Director of Music at King Edward’s School, Bath, said that it had been a tough call to make the final decisions, before announcing Wolverton as the Senior School victors.

The Prep competition was judged by Lisa Martin, the UK’s number one Adele tribute act and star of the BBC’s “Adele at the BBC” programme. Lisa performed a number of Adele classics, including a magnificent finale of “Skyfall” with the whole Prep School, before announcing that the winners were Rosses house, for their rendition of “Set Fire to the Rain”. Lisa (@OfficiallyLisaM) tweeted afterwards “OMGOSH just experienced a career high. Such lovely kids, parents and staff. Thank you.”

House Music Competitions 2016“Hello” to some very special guest adjudicators

Director of Music, Mr Ralph Kerr, writes: “During the week after the end of term, the choir enjoyed a fabulous tour to Berlin, performing excellent choral concerts in the Dorfkirche Stahnsdorf and the Friedenskirche at the Palace of Sanssouci. The second of these concerts was performed alongside the German Youth Orchestra, CODA, which visited Clayesmore

on tour towards the end of the summer term 2015. The choir performed items taken from the English Choral repertoire which included outstanding solos sung by Phoebe and Georgia. Our pipers, Jack, Arthur and Harvey, also gave rousing performances on the bagpipes, accompanied by the

organ, and the barbershop group entertained our audiences with an exciting and tuneful selection of close harmony items.

Besides a busy performance and rehearsal schedule, the twenty one pupils enjoyed exploring the wonderful city of Berlin. The pupils expertly negotiated its outstanding public transport system to enjoy shopping trips and sightseeing excursions within the city as well as in Potsdam. These included trips to the Checkpoint Charlie museum, a tour of the Reichstag and visits to the Holocaust Memorial and the Russian War Memorial in the Tier Garten. The pupils also enjoyed a fascinating backstage tour of the Deutsche Opera, a visit to the Palace of Sanssouci and an afternoon visiting the theme park, Filmpark Babelsberg. In addition to this busy programme, members of the Sixth Form enjoyed a trip to the Opera to watch a production of Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio.”

2016 leaver Lauren travelled to China this summer with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain on a trip partly funded by the Spinney Memorial Trust (the Old Clayesmorian Charity).

“After spending the past six years as a member of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, I was privileged and excited to be invited to tour The People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong with the main choir this summer.

The first five days of the tour were spent in intensive rehearsals at Harrow International

School, perfecting repertoire and strengthening our vocal technique and, despite lingering symptoms of jet lag, we achieved everything we hoped we would. Our rehearsals and performances were both inspiring and rewarding for us, with a fabulous repertoire of a wide variety of music, ranging from traditional English choral music to Chinese folk songs!

Perhaps most exciting aspect was joining forces with the Hong Kong Cantoria Choir to put on our final concert in China; the audience was hugely appreciative and we felt we sang better than ever. It was a very proud moment.

Our tour to China and Hong Kong was an unforgettable adventure, and I have benefitted so much from my experiences, both musically and as a result of opening my eyes to a completely different culture. It has fuelled me with confidence and inspired me to work hard studying music at university this coming year. Working with the National Youth Choir teaches me extraordinary life skills, such as professionalism, team work, and the importance of commitment, and I cannot thank the Spinney Trust enough for all their support that enabled me to make the most of this experience.”

Summer? SPEND THEHOW DID YOU

Hitting the high notes with the National Youth Choir of Great Britain

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notes

Ross Crabbe

Delightful debut for junior musicians

A packed de Selincourt Room enjoyed a terrifically tuneful evening of vocal and instrumental performances from members of years 9, 10 and 11 earlier in the term. A majority of them music scholars, and with pieces covering the gamut of composers from Debussy and Fiocco to Rogers & Hammerstein, the talented soloists played with style and character, many taking to the stage for the first time at Clayesmore. With such talent in evidence in these polished performances, we can look forward to some great musical delights in the months and years to come.

Bridget Riley-Moore

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West End Musical MagicOur Year 5 and 6 pupils enjoyed an energetic day working with performers Rachel Moran and Robbie Boyle, both of whom had just finished a run in a major West End musical. Rachel and Robbie worked on acting and dancing, culminating in a very enjoyable showcase in the Theatre. Writing of the event Head of Prep, Mr Will Dunlop, said: “The children grew visibly in confidence during the day, and I hope that this will encourage many of them to take other opportunities to perform. The event was generously funded by the Parents’ Association as part of the Inspire initiative, and we are very grateful for it.”

No Summer Holiday for someWhile pupils were enjoying the long summer break, there was no rest for our hardworking Buildings & Estate and Gardens & Grounds teams. While the latter was working tirelessly to try and mitigate the necessary scars caused by the biomass project, and preparing the pitches for the Autumn term, the former set to work on a number of projects around the site, refurbishing boarding accommodation in the Prep School, and in Devine and Manor Houses.

Following several months of extensive engineering which has reached all around the site, the school’s new biomass heating system is now up and running. Some 1.8km of pipework has been laid around the school grounds, linking buildings to the ‘Dorset Barn’ building adjacent to the astroturf, which houses two wood-chip fired boilers, each of which produces a massive 500kw of heat (a typical domestic boiler would produce on average 25-35kw). The installation of the system has allowed for the removal of 42 individual boilers and over 30 storage heaters and the system operates by pumping 50,000 litres of water heated to 80°C around the pipe circuit. This has been a mammoth task and the culmination of 18 months of planning and implementation and we are proud to have an efficient, green and future-proofed system which should meet our hot water and heating needs for many years to come.

We’re all fired up about greener energy supply

Andrew Keeps on CookingLast Autumn, Andrew, Year 12, won the Junior South West Chef of the Year competition. This year, he entered the Home Chef category, and made it through to the final in October.

Andrew also spent a week at Lucknam Park, the fabulous, five star hotel near Chippenham in Wiltshire with a Michelin-starred restaurant, being mentored by the chefs there. Amazing success for such a young man who still wants to be a pilot and not a chef! Our picture shows Andrew with Michael Caines MBE, two Michelin-starred chef at the final.

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SiteDEVELOPMENT

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Prep Houseparents Mr Dan and Mrs Isobel Browse with Boarders

An incredible hockey tour to BarcelonaIncredible! That was the pupil verdict on our half term girls’ hockey tour to Barcelona.

The squad included representatives from three year groups, who took on local teams in four matches, alongside some coaching sessions (and a little, well-deserved, r’n’r on the beach).

Facing tough opposition, the team notched up a notable 4-3 victory against Egara HC B team playing on a water-based pitch. The girls also experienced the new 4 x 15 minute format with a national Canadian umpire, 7/8 minute rotations and extra balls placed outside the pitch to speed up play.

Tour organiser and school hockey coach, Mr Steve Smith, said how proud he was of all the participants for their team effort and grit even when they were “super-tired” and “playing with determination in a series of very competitive and physical games”.

SPORTINGYear 7 pupil, Evie, enjoyed a fantastic sporting opportunity recently when she had a coaching session with members of the gold-medal-winning GB Women’s Hockey Team.

Evie plays in goal at school, and also for Blandford and Sturminster Hockey Club U12 team, so she’s not short of enthusiasm. She was invited along to a training session with Olympians Kirsty Mackay and Sophie Bray at the end of August.

“She had a fantastic time,” said her mother, Nadine. “It was such an amazing opportunity. Kirsty was great and really put them through their paces. Evie and 6 other goalies were coached for nearly 2 hours and she’s brought back some great drills to do before matches, to warm up, as well as invaluable lessons in saving the ball.”

Hockey with the Golden Girls of Great Britain

A sporting visit Thanks to the generosity of the Prep Parents’ Association, we were visited by two professional athletes, who spent a day with our pupils. Sprinter, Gareth Hopkins, and shot-putter, Adele Nicoll, talked to the school at a special assembly in the morning and then took to the playing fields with children of all ages to test their sporting skills.

The pupils were very excited and had a wonderful time with the athletes as they were tutored in running and throwing. The aim of the day was to inspire the children, encouraging them to improve their technique and appreciate the importance of mental focus. Also, to appreciate how stamina

and determination can be used in conjunction with skill to turn sport in to a way of life, if not a career.

Our thanks to Gareth and Adele: our young Clayesmorians had a superb time.

Cricketer Magazine Top 100 AwardWe are delighted to announce that, for the second year in a row, Clayesmore has been listed in the Top 100 cricketing schools in the country by the world’s number one cricket magazine: The Cricketer.

Over 250 entries were considered this year before being whittled down to the final list. The award recognises the schools that the editors believe deliver the best coaching, facilities, results, fixture lists and community engagement that sees them not only produce players for the England team but sustained and sustainable support for the wider game.

Cricket continues to progress at Clayesmore in all areas. Mr Conway (Head of Cricket – Yorkshire CCC, Herefordshire CCC) is determined to develop players at all levels through his coaching sessions at local club Shroton, Easter course opportunities and year-round one-to-one and group sessions for both Prep and Senior pupils. In addition, the 1st XI toured Sri Lanka in the summer and a shorter tour is planned in 2017 for our younger players.

We very much hope that our boys and girls will leave Clayesmore and continue to play cricket for enjoyment and camaraderie as a result of their experience with us. Meanwhile, we continue to enjoy the sporting development of a number of OCs in their representative and professional careers.

Summer on the Solent with Land Rover BARYear 13 pupil, Emilia, took advantage of the summer holidays to gain some work experience shadowing the press officer of the Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing Team. The team is the brainchild of four times Olympic gold medalist and 34th America’s Cup winner, Sir Ben Ainslie, with the aim of bringing the prestigious trophy back to British shores. Emilia’s work included press validation and the management of press conferences, as well as preparation for sponsors’ events and helping to host VIPs attending the races, including members of the royal family. She was also able to spend a day on a chase rib, one of the accompanying fleet to the racing catamaran (see photograph). Emilia is currently considering her options for the future and is considering applying for an internship with the Land Rover BAR team.

Summer? SPEND THEHOW DID YOU Pre-Prep – Grandparents’ Day – Back to SchoolEarlier in term we welcomed grandparents of our Pre-Prep pupils to join in with lessons for the morning. Our visitors were beautifully behaved and played very nicely together under the watchful eyes of their grandchildren. Thank you for coming and we hope you enjoyed it!

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Amazing AmyClayesmore has its own Jessica Ennis-Hill in the making! Amy Year 10 has recently been competing in some combined athletics events, recently taking part in the Exeter Combined Events Championships. Despite being up against a competitive field of nineteen U15 girls, Amy achieved personal bests in long jump, high jump and the 75m hurdles… and she even won the 800m! This gave her a final total of 2411 points, which put her in an impressive 4th position (only 10 points short of 3rd place). This is an excellent result as Amy has only been competing in these types of events this year. She has even shown some talent in the pole vault, so who knows what more may follow. Well done, Amy!

SPORTING

Rosettes for the ridersClayesmore’s equestrian team has been experiencing team and individual success in recent competitions. Highlights include Year 9 pupil Jemima’s performance in the Prelim and Novice Classes at Moreton in September which qualified her for the NSEA Champsionships in October, and Year 10 pupil Jess’s victory at Bicton in August and at Dauntsey’s in September in the BE100 class. Added to this, Jess, together with her mother and Devine houseparent, Jo, competed together at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. Jo in the CIC3* for eight and nine year old horses (one of Britain’s most prestigious classes for young event horses) and Jess in the Voltaire Design 100cm Eventer Challenge Class.

“It was such a thrill for both of us to ride at Blenheim Palace – I first rode there in 1995 and have had such good times there,” said Jo, who runs a yard in Fontmell Parva in Dorset. “This was Jess’s first time at Blenheim Palace – she was so excited to get into this competitive class. It was great fun for her and fantastic experience to ride at such a big event.”

Gold for Prep BiathletesWe were delighted to have a large team of 35 children taking part in the South West Schools Biathlon Championship at Millfield School in October. For many of the children this was their first time swimming in a 50 metre pool and running on an all-weather track, and they rose to the challenge magnificently. They performed very well both as teams and individually, and several children have high hopes of qualifying for the National Schools Biathlon Championship in March. Their commitment to early morning and evening swimming and lunchtime cross-country training paid off. Special mentions must go to Edward in Year 7 who came first in the run section and to the U11 team of Year 6 boys, Fabian, Henry and Ben, who gained gold in their age group.

A number of spectators commented favourably on the high standard of teamwork displayed by our pupils, which is very pleasing but not at all surprising. Full results from the competition are available at www.pentathlongb.org/competitions/results.

Clayesmore’s Swim Team has been in action. At the regional ESSA National Swimming Championships, 12 school representatives lined up against 940 other contenders. School relay records were smashed, one of which was 15 years old, and Rebecca (Year 12) also broke two more school records in the 50m frontcrawl and 50m backstroke. The Year 12 Senior Girls team of Rebecca, Alex, Asia and Ellie have swum as a relay team since they were in Year 7 and were silver medallists at the IAPS National Finals when they were in Year 8. The boys made a strong showing, with brilliant split times. Unfortunately, the last three swimmers in

a relay cannot use their split times as official times. If you could, Xav (Year 13) would have broken another school record (for 50m Breaststroke). Hopefully next term when he is back in the pool (after his rugby

commitments this term), he will have the chance to officially get the record.

Getting in the swim

Mini-Stars of the silver screenThe learning patterns established in our Nursery and Pre-Prep are our ‘Habits of Mind’, the active thinking and leaning skills which are embedded in the teaching culture throughout the Prep school. These six essential mindsets form the basis for a short video, shot by staff member Mr Toby Yarwood and OC Guy Peterson over the course of the last academic year,

which can be seen at www.clayesmore.com/video. Do make sure to watch right to the end!

Harvest CelebrationThe whole of the Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School gathered together at the end of September for two Harvest Festival services in the school’s Chapel. These featured poetry, song, prayer, a year 7 rap about beans and even a ride on tractor. Pupils from every

year group played their part in what Head of Prep, Mr Will Dunlop, described as, “a fabulous and wide-ranging celebration”.

The generous bounty of donations from parents which formed displays at the service was given to Blandford Food Bank to support their fantastic and worthwhile work in the local community.

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round up

Mary clocks up 40 yearsThere were celebrations in early November as we marked a fantastic 40 years of service to the school by one of our members of staff. Mary Hall joined the Prep School Housekeeping Team in November 1976, and throughout her time with us has carried out her role with dedication and a good sense of humour. Thank you, Mary!

James Cathro

From field to fork – learning from the land at Gore Farm

Year 6 visited Gore Farm, part of the Ernest Cook Educational Trust, earlier this term. The farm is an outdoor learning charity which encourages children to learn from the land. The fun-filled day helped to bring their geography lessons to life. They returned full of fascinating farming facts, having learned about the cooperation between neighbouring arable and beef farms. After lunch they trod the turf – a huge 12 acre field of turf which needs mowing every day with a “massive mower”. The turf is cut and currently supplied to many of the new houses being built in Yeovil. A trailer ride ended the visit.

Clayesmore School, Iwerne Minster, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 8LL

www.clayesmore.com

Prep School – 01747 813203 Senior School – 01747 812122Clayesmore School (HMC, IAPS, ISBA) is a registered company in England & Wales

registered at Iwerne Minster, Blandford, Dorset, DT11 8LL. (Registered Company No: 359779 – Charity Registration No: 306214 – VAT no: 186864226)

Christmas Market Sunday 27 November 2016

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Tuesday 29 November – Friday 2 December 2016

Open Day Saturday 11 March 2017

EVENTSForthcoming

Bake off for MacmillanFollowing on from the success of last year’s event, Clayesmore’s Charity Committee once again took part in Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

event. Students, staff and parents created a fantastic spread of cookies and cakes in all sizes, shapes and flavours which were sold at break and lunch time.

Then it was time for the serious business of judging the showstopper entries. Enter Clayesmore’s very own Mary and Paul (aka the Head, Mrs Jo Thomson, and her husband Mr Frank Thomson) to inspect the impressive creations. Both agreed that the decision was not a piece of

cake (puns very much intended), before revealing the winner as Andrew Year 12 and Mrs Kathryn Gallagher, whose Macmillan-themed centrepiece (complete

with bunting) was a worthy winner.

Thanks to the charity committee for all their hard work on this event, the total raised currently stands at £700 and counting!

Congratulations to Daria in Year 13, who is this year’s first Centurion, completing 100 targets in her Clayesmore Century Club passport.

Launched in the Autumn of 2012 for pupils in years 10-13, the exciting scheme is designed to reward and develop students in the Senior School. The incentive consists of 120 targets of which 100 must be completed to gain access to the Clayesmore Century Club. The targets are split into 10 categories including Sport, Arts and Academia and each category has 3 levels of target: passive, active and leadership. Passive involvement being audience level participation (e.g. watching a school play), active meaning getting involved (e.g. acting in a play) and finally leadership (e.g. directing a school play). Leadership targets are the most testing but perhaps the most rewarding for the individual and the school.

The purpose behind this innovative idea, conceived by Director of Co-Curriculum, Mr Jamie Reach, is for pupils to gain skills and exposure to experiences that will greatly enhance their individual development. A prize of £250 is offered for each student who manages to complete the century and other prizes are awarded through the length of the challenge to inspire everyone to keep going. Daria will be awarded her cheque for £250 on Speech Day, next year.

Speaking of the award, Daria said, “For me, the the Century Club provided a unique opportunity to take part in so many areas of Clayesmore life. From reading in Chapel to setting up a new school society – the past three years have shaped me into a better Clayesmorian, student, and better leader. This experience really goes to show just how much we can achieve, if we take it one step (target) at a time.”

Daria’s 100 is up!

Bringing out the best in each other at Mill on the Brue “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” These words from Henry Ford perfectly encapsulated Year 9’s day at Mill on the Brue at the end of the first two weeks of term.

Designed to bring the year group together, and get them to work in teams, activities included raft-building, high ropes and an assault course. All of which required mental as well as physical tenacity and called on their communication skills, too, as each tutor group completed the various challenges together.

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AndFINALLY...