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Autumn 2015

Please let me extend a very warm and festive welcome to the Hurlingham School newsletter for the Autumn term of 2015.

The four months between September and Christmas are always extremely busy in any school and I am sure that the pages to come will chronicle some of the Hurlingham pupils’ many and varied achievements in so many aspects of academic, social, sporting and dramatic life. For example, our term began in earnest with Teambuilding Day, when groups of children from the Middle and Upper Schools investigated practical environmental science either through bushcraft on Wimbledon Common, nature walks at Woodrow High House in Amersham or river trails in Docklands. Pupils in Forms I and II, meanwhile, welcomed the Bigfoot Theatre Company back to school and worked hard with them to create their own story together, using Drama, Dance, Art and Music. The resulting extravaganza, Spit Spooky and the Missing Artwork, was an enormous success!

Bigfoot were, of course, the first of many visitors to our school this term. They were quickly followed by the Young Shakespeare Company, who worked with Upper School on a bespoke production of Macbeth; Cyrille Divry of Le Chat Qui Rêve, who made our annual Modern Foreign Languages Day both memorable and hilarious; visiting authors Candy Gourlay and Ruth Eastham; former evacuees Lotte Moore, Mrs Watson and Mrs Hills who shared their experiences of life in World War Two with Form IV, thus bringing first-hand relevance and insight to studies into Britain during the 1940s; Mr Miranda who delivered a fascinating talk about his experiences in zones of conflict around the world, including the current situation in Syria, and Mr and Mrs O’Flaherty of Pip Organic, who judged our school-wide smoothie making competition and were very impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit evident within the children! Furthermore, parents were not forgotten when we organised our programme of speakers and I know the evening talks from senior leaders of Epsom College, Putney High School, Wimbledon High School and King’s College were all greatly appreciated.

Another group of visitors came to see us en masse just before half term, when we celebrated Hurlingham’s sixty-eighth birthday. Throughout the day, all the children participated in a range of different activities, including toy-making workshops, line dancing, magic shows, a storyteller and a science show about environmental protection. The event, as ever, was thoroughly enjoyed by all concerned, children and adults alike.

However, of course the range of enrichment activities which we undertake is not restricted to the school campus and a huge range of trips and visits have taken place this term. Venues have included the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, the Royal Courts of Justice, the Churchill War Rooms, the Natural History Museum, Hampton Court, Westminster Abbey, the Museum of Childhood, the Imperial War Museum, cinemas in Putney and Wandsworth (including attending the première of the BBC classical music extravaganza Ten Pieces II) and the Polka Theatre’s Christmas show, Beauty and the Beast.

Indeed, drama plays an enormous role in Hurlingham life and, following on from my comments in the Summer term newsletter, we have been somewhat of a trend-setter in the world of primary education this term as our programme of end-of-year revues in general, and last year’s Form I production of The Only Way is Windsor in particular, have been firmly in the spotlight through national coverage in the November 2015 edition of Teach Primary magazine, complete with the script (written by Miss Ward, Miss Page and Mrs Nicholls) available for other schools to download from the internet and use with their classes. Furthermore, all the children’s confidence at public speaking and

enthusiasm to demonstrate their creative talent were in full view towards the end of this term as every child had a part to play in one of our four Christmas shows: Reception delighted their audience with Born in a Barn, the show from Forms I and II was A Midwife Crisis, Middle School performed The Stars Come Out for Christmas and Upper School’s traditional festive celebration of readings and carols was a marvellous conclusion to term, putting all audience members most definitely in a festive spirit.

We have also enjoyed the first set of class assemblies of this academic year, when the children take charge on a Friday morning and share their recent learning with the whole school community. Topics this term have been particularly diverse and have included working together and setting goals, living together in a happy and diverse world, old and new toys, the Great Fire of London, the work of Roald Dahl, digestion, the Stone Age, food, farming and cookery!

With so many exciting events in their lives, few would doubt that the children who attend Hurlingham School are extremely fortunate in so many ways. However, it is certainly the case that they never forget those less lucky than themselves and our Charities Committee has been extremely active this term: amongst other endeavours, the children raised £575 for the national Jeans for Genes appeal and £226 for the Haig Fund on Remembrance Day. They also compiled over two hundred shoeboxes of Christmas presents for refugees, donated extremely generously to our Harvest Festival collection of resources to be given to the homeless through local charity Glass Door and were extremely enthusiastic to give up their time to entertain others through singing favourite Christmas songs, either at the Putney lights launch event or at Nazareth House, a nearby senior citizens’ home. It has also been particularly heartwarming to note that some children have organised major fundraising efforts completely independently of school, including a remarkably successful collection in aid of Save the Children following media coverage of Syrian refugees earlier in the term.

In these introductory letters to the newsletter, I tend to mention events that have involved large groups of children; rarely do I single out one individual. However, I think the remarkable achievements of Louis Bowen-Rayner this term merit a break from tradition. Louis, who has embraced all the challenges of our Form VI examination preparation course with characteristic level-headedness and determination to succeed, has also been leading somewhat of a (rather secret) double life as he has been heading to Covent Garden on a regular basis to take up his role as a torch bearer in Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Opera House! He has managed to meet all of his commitments with a diligence and professionalism that belie his young age- so, many congratulations to Louis!

There are, of course, a great many other events, activities and pursuits that I have not managed to squeeze in to this introductory letter… so please take some time to read through the remainder of this magazine and enjoy reliving certain favourite memories from each year group. Have a wonderfully relaxing and invigorating festive season, and I look forward to seeing you all again at 8.15 on Wednesday 6 January, when school reconvenes (Monday 4 for Form VI, of course, when they have their examination practice day!)

With very best wishes

Jonathan BroughHeadmaster

Page 2 Headmaster’s Letter Autumn 2015

Dear Parents

Page 3General NewsAutumn 2015

Term Dates

Spring Term 2016

Begins Wednesday 6 January

Half Term Monday 15 - Friday 19 February

Ends Wednesday 23 March

Summer Term 2016

Begins Tuesday 19 April

Half Term Monday 30 May - Friday 3 June

Term Ends Thursday 7 July

Autumn Term 2016

Begins Monday 5 September

Half Term Monday 17 - Friday 28 October

Ends Wednesday 14 December

Spring Term 2017

Begins Monday 9 January

Half Term Monday 13 - Friday 17 February

Ends Wednesday 29 March

Summer Term 2017

Begins Wednesday 19 April

Half Term Monday 29 May - Friday 2 June

Term Ends Thursday 6 July

MFL Day

We had another enjoyable MFL day in Hurlingham this year. Our French guest, Cyrille, led an assembly in which he taught the children the French phonics ‘Haka’, going through the different tricky sounds in the French language with actions to accompany them. Later on he read the French version of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ to the Form III and IV children; the children had fun doing different sound effects and actions as the story progressed. Other children throughout the school entertained their friends with different activities in their own native languages; these included Polish, Japanese, Lebanese, Portuguese and Hebrew.

At lunchtime we enjoyed ‘hamburgers et frites’ followed by crêpes. C’était délicieux!

In the afternoon during Citizenship some children learned an Italian song, ‘Il Coccodrillo’ and others learned a Spanish song ‘¿Adónde vas?’

Later on a group of Form V children performed a café scene, with the help of Cyrille, to the other children. Phoebe Brett and Lottie Routledge tell us about it…

“We chose our characters. Lottie was the superman and Phoebe was the scary monster! It took a long time to get it perfect but eventually we got it! It was very exciting and very nerve-racking. We looked pretty silly in our costumes when we put them on.

The show was about a café and people coming in and really enjoying it, but one day a monster comes along and is very hungry. The show was fun and entertaining and everyone was smiling by the end of it. It was a fantastic experience for all the actors and I’m sure we will all remember this funny time. We hope the show inspired younger children, as French is such a fun language to learn and it’s such a magical thing to play around with.”

Page 4 Reception Autumn 2015

Autumn Term in ReceptionWe have come to the end of a very exciting and busy first term in Reception. Some of ‘Our Favourite Things’ have been going on an adventure to find our class toys, fireworks, making new friends, learning how to read and write, mathematics, learning new languages, Explore Time, our amazing Christmas play and not to mention the wonderful school birthday surprises! The teachers are so proud of the children and their achievements. We are particularly pleased with their independence and the way they have formed new friendships throughout the year group. It is wonderful to recognise how they’ve matured over the last few weeks and how far they have come with all their skills. We love watching the children’s enjoyment for learning. Reception is certainly a fantastic place to be.

Born in a BarnWe were so pleased with the fabulous Nativity play the children performed this year. They all worked so hard in rehearsals and every one of them learned their lines and actions beautifully. We are very proud of them all for their wonderful show and we hope their parents enjoyed watching it as much as the children enjoyed putting it on.

Mr Cabourn-Ford

SuperheroesReception have been very creative when writing about the special powers their superheroes have. These superpowers came in handy when defeating an evil villain who had captured the class toys!

Freya Hampson R A

Vivien Casagranda R A

Edward Hannah R AJasmine Shaw R M

Page 5ReceptionAutumn 2015

Reception looked at how trees change through the seasons and created these beautiful Autumnal trees using hand and finger prints.

The children have been thinking about similarities and differences between themselves and their classmates and using a range of materials to draw their fabulous self portraits.

Our Favourite ThingsThis term we have been talking about lots of our favourite things, from our families to superheroes.

Here are some of our favourite things about Reception at Hurlingham School:-• I love making circles in Ballet with Miss Snowball. Annabel Petyan R A• I like colouring pictures and making things. Ela Patton R A• I like learning new sounds every day. Alexander Bayley R A• I like all the toy dinosaurs. Matthias Nicholas R A• I love making shapes with the play dough. Melina Nilsson R A• I liked singing my solo in the Christmas Play. Freya Hampson R A• I like making new friends. Jasmine Shaw R M• I liked making a shape monster. Miles Fletcher R M

ElmerWe loved reading the story of Elmer. We all practised writing our names on our patchwork elephant. We learned that it is good to be different and that we are all special.

Ayako Miyajima R CF

Harry Adamson R CF

Oscar Aitken R CFMilla van der Veen R CF.

Page 6 Form I Autumn 2015

Autumn Term in Form I: Best Bits!Elizabeth Haggard I W: “I love using the laptops in Computing because we do lots of our favourite activities like Charlie Chimp.”

Nico Lagarejos I W: “I love to do lots of work in Form I because I like working hard!”

Alexander Morant I R: “I liked going on school trips, like to the Museum of Childhood, the theatre and the church, because we can explore!”

Edgar Heath I R: “I like reading stories because I feel excited when I hear them.”

Lorenzo Salon I R: “Sport is great because you get to run and do some fun games. I love them!”

William Wood I S: “I like doing maths in Form I and counting is my favourite.”

Sophie Keast I S: “I love Form I because we do Gym and Computing.”

Form I Assembly PerformancesWe have been lucky enough to witness two spectacular class assemblies from our year this term. First up, after just a week of preparation time, came I W. They presented a brilliant assembly all about Jeans for Genes Day and how it is important to respect each other as individuals. The singing was sensational and the jokes were delivered with perfect comic timing. Next up came I S who told us the beautiful story of ‘The Bear with the Blue Nose’. They taught us a lot about toys and shared some of their grandparents’ letters with us. Well done everyone, we simply cannot wait for I R’s turn next term!

Curriculum Week: SmoothiesEarlier this term, Form I enjoyed learning all about food during Curriculum Week. We entered the school smoothie competition with great enthusiasm. All three classes tasted and evaluated current smoothies that are already available on the market, and it was decided that we could most definitely do better! We designed our own smoothie recipes and put them to the test. Congratulations to I S who took the title of Form I Smoothie Champions 2015 for their delicious concoction!

Jan Hinrichs I R

Sophie Coward I RGeorgia Roberts I R

I R Shadows

I S: identifying light sources in science

I W Smoothies

Page 7Form IAutumn 2015

Trip to the V&A Museum of ChildhoodOn Wednesday 14th October, Form I ventured to East London to visit the Museum of Childhood as part of our topic on toys. The children had a fantastic time looking at the huge selection of old and traditional toys that we had been learning about in class. It was lovely to see the parents on the trip sharing memories of their favourite childhood toys which were on display too!

Olivia Jones I S

Evelyn Bartram I W

Thomas Anderson I W

Miller Fearn I S Coco Reading I S Anna Holt I W

Page 8 Form II Autumn 2015

Letters from Scutari Hospital

Dear Mother and Father,

I am writing this from a rat infested ward.

It is amazing how filthy and unhygienic the hospital is. I feel so sad for the sickly patients. The conditions are so unpleasant with rats running all over them.I have told my team of nurses to help clean up the hospital and I have given the soldiers hot food.

Love from,Florence

Kasper Thomsen II C

Scutari Hospital 1854

Dear Mother and Father,

I am pleased to tell you that I have arrived safely in the Crimea. Scutari Hospital is cramped and disgusting and has blood and rats everywhere. Soldiers are lying on the dirty floor. I have to wash the smelly sheets. I have to scrub the sickness off the floor. It is horrible now but it will be clean soon. It is hot.

Please don’t worry about me.

Love Florence.

Isaac Pakenham-Walsh II LP

Diary of Samuel Pepys2nd September 1666

Dear Diary,This morning I was woken up by a very hot crackling fire. I was very frightened. The town was filled with people screaming and shouting. In a flash of smoke I ran into Toby who had my diary papers. Then I dug a hole in the ground and put my smelly cheese and fine wine inside. I felt very glum because my head was melting and I was scared. I was scared because the huge fire was destroying everything. Then I went to a boat on the Thames and I stayed in the boat until the fire had finished.

Olivia Aitken II SP

Arthur Locke II LP

Anabelle Hanna Popper II SP

Lauren Hughes II C

Roxie Atkinson II LP

Margherita Post II LP

II SP Tudor Houses

II LP The Plague

Graham Mills II SP

Page 9Form IIAutumn 2015

Tower of London TripOn Tuesday 22nd September Form II went on a trip to the Tower of London. First we went in the mini bus to go to the train station. When we were at Waterloo we caught a boat to the Tower of London. At the Tower of London we saw the crown jewels. I found it very interesting looking at all the crowns and who the crowns belong to. After that we went to the White Tower and we saw lots of armour and horse armour. Next our group went up the stairs to see lots of cannons and sharp, shiny swords. Plus we saw the knighting sword! Then we went to a Tudor house and I played a game on the computer. Before we had lunch we went to Traitor’s Gate. Then we had a yummy lunch. Finally IISP had a workshop and I learnt a lot of facts about the Great Fire of London.

Hamish Whelan II SP

Guy Fawkes - Alternative EndingsGuy Fawkes crouched silently behind thirty six barrels of gunpowder. As he crouched, a guard came in. “Nothing here!” called the guard. Guy Fawkes lit the gunpowder and waited. He leaped into the tunnel he had made. BOOM! went the gunpowder as it exploded. Meanwhile the king was blown to smithereens. Guy Fawkes dug and dug until he could dig no more. He rested for a few minutes. Then he dug a few more kilometres, then he rested again. He did that until he reached the sea. After that he swam and swam and never gave up. Finally he got to a desert island and he lived there happily ever after.

Albert Mitchell II LP

Guy Fawkes was crouched behind thirty six barrels of gunpowder. His hand was shaking as he dropped his lantern. He was excited as he was going to kill the king because King James I was going to get rid of all the Catholics as he didn’t think they were good.

Within moments he lit the fuse of the gunpowder barrel, he dashed to get on a boat but he tripped over the bridge and somersaulted on to the boat. In a flash he was sailing to Africa but as he sailed away he saw Parliament burning with red and yellow flames lighting the sky. He felt happy watching king James I being fired.

Within minutes he was nearly in France and slept there for a day. The next day he was back on his boat and sailing to Portugal, where he met his mother and cousins. He slept on land for five days. His mother gave him a beard, a long black cape, and a pistol that she found washed up in the sea. He put the disguise on so that the guards didn’t know who it was. But the disguise fell off in a windy storm, then within hours he saw the guards holding pistols at him as they found his boat. He shot them down with his pistol in one shot. Within seconds he was in Africa where he saw a baby meerkat, he looked up at all the things around him and was happy because the Catholics ruled the world.

Enzo Reed II C

Ellis Griffiths II C Poppies

Oscar Darbyshire II LP

Phillip Casagranda II C

Zara Hopwell II C

Raphael Shaw II SPJoshua Jawanda II C

Isobel Jacobse II SP

II LP Mondrian work

Page 10 Form III Autumn 2015

Science Museum and Natural History Museum TripOn our lovely school trip to South Kensington we went to the Science Museum first. We wandered inside and waited by the theatre door. After forty-five minutes we came out having watched a man show us how the digestive system worked. We got to see what it actually looked like inside (yuck!) He also explained what nutrients were and how they worked. After noon, we walked from the Science Museum to the Natural History Museum. We all loved it! We went into the ‘Investigation Centre’. Lavinia and I were pairs. I found some butterfly wings to observe, while Lavinia studied a horn. Sadly, we had to leave shortly after. We all had a great time!

Maya Leschziner III M

Tooth StructureAs part of the Form III Science topic this term, we learnt about the teeth of animals and humans. The children drew their own scientific diagrams of the tooth’s structure.

Jasmine Dent III B

Wilson Fearn III B

Lavinia Salon III M

Page 11Form IIIAutumn 2015

Food ChainsForm III have been learning about food chains. We have studied food chains in the Ocean, in Woodland, Arctic, Seashore and Savannah. We now know that all producers are plants, but consumers can be omnivores, herbivores or carnivores. The arrows in a food chains show the flow of energy.

These food chains are by Emma Borgeaud and Massimo Spada.

III B’s AssemblyThis term in Geography Form III have been learning all about ‘Food and Farming’. To mark the end of Curriculum Week, and to show how much we have learned about this topic, III B performed a food themed assembly. We had great fun following ‘Nigella’ as she attempted to source all her own food ‘fresh from the farm’ for a Thanksgiving supper.

Massimo Spada III M

Emma Borgeaud III G

Page 12 Form IV Autumn 2015

The Royal Courts of JusticeOn Tuesday 24th November, Form IV went on two fantastic school trips all in one day. When we jumped onto the coach, I had butterflies in my tummy, not because I was nervous, it was because I was extremely excited. When we arrived I waited patiently to get off the coach because it took a very long time to finally reach the pavement. As soon as I jumped off, Miss Humphreys exclaimed “Look who is here!” and before me stood my daddy. I was really pleased that I saw him and it was a perfect way to start the trip. When we wandered into the Royal Courts of Justice, we were straight away in a security check. After that, a barrister called Selena led us up a long flight of stairs.

Eventually, we all arrived at the top of the stairs, Selena showed us to a real court, and we sat down. Selena then told us all the different courts and which order they came in. This is what I learnt: first is the Magistrates Court and it deals with minor problems, next is the Crown Court , then the High Court, Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. After a quick quiz, we were given our roles – I was a defence barrister with Izzy A. We were dealing with a real case - the case of Carly Cooper, which happened a long time ago.

After everyone found their places, we got straight down to business. I think that as the trial went on we sounded quite professional. When the trial finished, the Jury made a decision – Carly Cooper was not guilty of stealing a mobile phone, but Selena told us that in the real case she was. I was really sad that our time in the courts was over, but the visit wasn’t over yet because we still had to go to the Churchill War Rooms…

Imi Whelan IV H

The Christmas FairThe Christmas fair is very exciting to go to because there are lots of things to do. There is a Secrets Room where no parents are allowed so you can buy a present for your parents for Christmas. There is also a raffle and they announce the winners on Monday when everybody is at school. You also get to chat with your friends!

I won lots of prizes by choosing a ticket and if it has a 0 or 5 in the number, you get to choose a prize. One of my prizes was a note pad with blank pages to draw in.

There are also things to do in the

playground like penalty shoot outs and ‘beat the Goalie’ with the teachers! You can also get cupcakes and hot dogs which are very delicious, and lots of other things.

My favourite is Santa’s Grotto where you tell Santa what you want for Christmas and he might get it for you and when it’s time to leave he gives you a small present.

When it is time to go you feel very happy because you’ve won lots of prizes.

When you come back to school on Monday you find out if your family have won anything.

Sara Gordon IV S

The Imperial War MuseumOn Tuesday 10th November Form IV went to The Imperial War Museum. When we arrived we placed our bags and coats in the schoolroom and then we got into our groups. First my group would explore and the other group would go to a workshop. We looked around the first floor where there were bombs, jeeps and tanks.

After that, we went up the stairs to the second floor and saw rifles, atom bombs and U-boats, mini models of tanks and long swords.

Then we went to the “Family at War” area. This part was my favourite because we got to go in an Anderson shelter and listen to old radios.

When we were on the third floor we had a look at lots of little videos, guns and tanks.

We then went to floor zero and there was a car crushed by a bomb and another atomic bomb. I liked the rocket bomb which was roughly as tall as a rocket.

Then we went to join the other group for lunch. After lunch our group went to the workshop. When we arrived we all sat on the floor looking at pictures of boys and girls being evacuated with their teachers. They were evacuated because of the bombing in London. There were ten tables and on every table there was an activity such as U-boat games, food rationing and clothes rationing. Finally, we picked up our bags and coats and left.

Henry Pollock IV S

Page 13Form IVAutumn 2015

Simile PoemsAutumn is:As fun as a birthday,As colourful as a painting,As warm as a crackling fire,As delicious as hot chocolate,As haunted as Halloween,As loud as fireworks,As crunchy as fallen leaves,As exciting as X-Factor,As groovy as Strictly,As yummy as a cake,As rough as rugby,As lovely as a fiery red sunset.

Angus Roberts IV D

The writer of this poem is:As crazy as a monkey,As cuddly as a teddy bear,As smelly as a pig!As fast as a cheetah,As big as a mini-giant,As wise as an owl,As special as a friend,As jolly as Christmas,As bouncy as a kangaroo,As light as a leaf,As fearsome as a lion,As noisy as a thunderstorm,As lucky as a four leaf clover,As pretty as a princess.

Ella Bailey IV D

Evacuee DayOn Wednesday 18th November we had our Evacuee Day. We remembered the children who had to be evacuated from London because German planes were bombing London. We dressed up as evacuees and we ate spam sandwiches to taste what the children and teachers would have had to eat.

I wore a jumper of my Dad’s that looks quite old and I had a shirt with a collar that matched the jumper. I carried a suitcase but some of the children also had teddies. (I didn’t have one.)I enjoyed the spam sandwiches and I was sad I had to change back into my sports kit after the photo!

Oscar Jooste IV S

I loved Evacuee Day because I really liked it when Ella’s grandma and grandpa came in, and spoke to use about their time during World War Two. I didn’t like the spam sandwich, but it think it was funny when some girls said it tasted like cat food! After that Mr Devitt put on some music from World War Two by Dame Vera Lynn and everyone jumped up and started dancing. I danced with Manoli. I also liked the fact that everyone got to dress up as an evacuee and I thought my hat looked funny.

Isabel Harris IV H

Smoothie Day!On Monday 16th November we had a smoothie competition. That morning we decided on our ingredients. They were:1 mango1 banana1 kiwi5 strawberries A squeeze of lemonFirst I thought lemon would make the drink sour but it did not. The next day Mrs Simpson ordered the ingredients from Ocado.The following day we had to decorate sheets of paper with our recipes. Mine was called “Spectacular Smoothie.”The next morning we made our smoothies. First we did one with no bananas and kiwi, then after that we did one with banana and kiwi. We chose the one with kiwi and banana. On Friday they announced the winner. It was not our class, which was sad. I hope that we will do it again.

Elizabeth Muir IV S

Descriptive WritingA many coloured array of bushy trees surrounded the calm, rippling water of the lake. The delicate leaves trembled in the gentle breeze. Below the surface of the water, the silver fish twisted and turned, darting between the rocks. The sun lit up the scene as if lighting a stage, reflecting and glittering beautifully on the water.

Maisie Locke IV D

The snow had piled up for hours on the brown, splintery tree, its branches gradually sloping down to the ground as the weight upon its arms increased. You could not see a single speck of green under the thick, cold, powdery layer of snow. In the distance, a blanket of white lay silently on the dark, grey mountains. The rocks were as hard as a brick. The sun was rising on the horizon, melting everything with a slow and steady purpose. But it will snow again and so the sun will have to start again, like an age old dance between night and day.

Florian Young IV D

Page 14 Form V Autumn 2015

Floella Benjamin“Flamboyant, fascinating, fearless” – all words that describe Floella Benjamin!

Floella Benjamin is a determined and driven woman and we were so lucky to encounter her on our school trip to the British Film Institute. Never have I experienced such an inspirational trip to an amazing place where the staff were such charming people.

The cinema was different to how I had imagined it would be. The red velvet seats cushioned me as I sat down and I relaxed back to watch the movie. I was fascinated by what I saw, which was an amazing introduction to Floella Benjamin and her life. As the movie went on, I got more and more impressed with how she coped with such challenging experiences.

After the film ended, Floella introduced herself to us. She had amazing stage presence, spoke beautifully and her words evoked vivid images of her childhood. She really engaged our interest and she made me feel that the impossible was possible and with hard work and determination, I could do anything that I put my mind to.

What I thought was outstanding about this particular school trip, is that having read her thought-provoking book, ‘Coming to England’ and heard about the struggles and challenges she had faced, we got to listen to her in person and had the opportunity to find out the answers to questions we had discussed in class.

She was exactly as I had imagined her from the descriptions in her book, flamboyant, fascinating and fearless!

Tabitha Evans V H

Hampton Court PalaceIn October, Form V visited Hampton Court Palace to find out about the lives of the rich and the poor in Tudor times. They wrote diaries marking a day in the life of a Tudor person.

Bella Reading V E

Page 15Form V/VIAutumn 2015

An Adventure To Remember…

On Friday, I woke up very excited…

Today was the day we were going on our first Form V trip to Wimbledon Common for a teambuilding day.

We walked from school to the common. It was a VERY long walk.

When we arrived, we had a drink and snack and then set off on our adventure. My group went into the woods first to make string out of stinging nettle stalks. Luckily, I didn’t get stung. Our string held a bottle of water. My favourite activity was the tower building competition. We split into two teams of three. One trio went to the top of the hill and they were the builders. The architects stayed at the bottom of the hill and had to radio the builders to tell them how to build the tower. We were competing against the Form VIs and in the end, we drew. Our tower was the same but a bit boring, the Form VIs tower was more interesting but not the same as the instructions they were given.

The other challenges included saving each other from sinking islands, fishing a whistle out a cup, hiding someone in the bushes and a final game we all played called Crystal Skulls which was a bit like Capture the Flag.

It was an exhausting day but definitely worth the walk. It was the BEST teambuilding day ever and I would love to do it again.

Cecily O’Regan V H

The Science of BreadThis term, Form VI baked bread in Science lessons to find out how it is made and to see how it related to Chemical Changes, our current topic.The ingredients were strong bread flour, salt, sugar, water and yeast. Yeast is important because it is a fungus that eats sugar and uses it to make carbon dioxide, which helps the bread to rise.

After we mixed the ingredients together, we began to knead the dough on a desk, copying Paul Hollywood whom we had watched on video the week before. We didn’t use flour on the desks; we used oil because it stops the dough getting dry. We kneaded for about ten minutes and then split it into four pieces so

each person could make their own bread roll – some of us were quite creative with different shapes.

We left the bread to prove for one hour while we went to lunch and it doubled in size. Then, Mrs Amoh let us put the rolls in the oven at 200°C for fifteen minutes. I really liked my finished roll. Some people said they were too salty but I don’t agree; I think it was just right.

When bread is made it is a chemical change, not a physical one. We know this because it changes colour and a new substance is made; it is an irreversible change.

This term we have done a lot of fun things in Science, including lots of experiments that showed us about chemical reactions, acids and alkalis, and also how to use Bunsen burners.

Smilla Oden VI M

Smoothie ChallengeEveryone was looking forward to Smoothie Day! Each class in Upper School was given the whole of Thursday 19th November to create a smoothie recipe and prepare a presentation to be made to the co-founders of Pip Organic, Mr & Mrs O’Flaherty.

Each class was given £10 to spend on ingredients which Mr Harris went to Sainsbury’s to buy! We started off planning what our smoothies would contain and how much each item would cost. After that we all made posters to advertise our smoothies.

Form VI F decided to put lime, yoghurt, passion fruit, mango and pineapple in their smoothie which they later named ‘TrooFroo’ which is a mixture of the ‘oo’ in smoothie and the ‘fr’ in fruit. Every child had the chance to help make the smoothie. Some were chopping pineapple, others were pouring in the yoghurt or squeezing the lime.

Soon enough the whole of Upper School was packed inside the Thinking Space along with our judges. Each class took it in turn to present their smoothie. There were lots of exciting presentations which included acting, dancing and singing. V M’s ‘Vegoothie’ smoothie and VI F’s ‘TrooFroo’ were the overall winners, although the judges said it was a difficult decision to make.

The winners of the Smoothie Challenge were awarded a ‘Pip’ badge and a smoothie container trophy for the class.

Isabella Locke VI F

Page 16 School Birthday Autumn 2015

Hurlingham School BirthdayOn Friday 16 October we went to school having no idea of what was in store because it was the school’s birthday. There were lots of activities to encounter throughout the day. We started by having a whole school assembly which was led by a magician. Then we went back to our classrooms to make some pompom tigers. We then had our turn with the magician. After learning some magic tricks we put on our dancing boots and started line dancing. There was also a visit from a man who was a story teller and author. He was very funny and entertaining. To top it all off we finished the day with an informative performance of How to Save the World in 40 Minutes. Overall, it was another unforgettable school birthday.

Joy Harrison VI R, Arts Committee

I thought the line dancing was brilliant, I got to learn new moves for my next disco and I got to learn that I actually can do hip hop dance! I loved the story teller. He was amazing and everyone else thought the same as me. The magician was brilliant, especially Duncan the Dragon. Overall, I thought the school birthday was the best I had experienced and all the arts activities the teachers organised were amazing!

Louis Bowen-Rayner VI M, Arts Committee

On Friday 16 October it was the school’s birthday. On that day we did lots of fun stuff like hearing the story and seeing the magic show, but my favourite thing we did was making a pompom tiger, because I could make it. I also loved the magic workshop. The man showed us some magic tricks and taught us how to do it. I tried it, I practised it and when I got home I showed it to my mum, dad and sisters, and they were astonished! Overall, it was the best Hurlingham School birthday ever! Thank you Hurlingham!

Bea Carlton-Smith, V M Arts Committee

Page 17M.A.D.D.4!Autumn 2015

Chamber Choir, Putney Lights Lower School Art

Lower School Dance Rehearsal Lower School Recorder Lower School Ukulele

Middle School Art Middle School Dance Middle School Drama

Middle School Drama Middle School Ukulele Middle School Choir

Reception Singing Practice Upper School Choir Lower School Drama

Page 18 Sport Autumn 2015

Well, another autumn term has flown by and with so much sporting action over the past thirteen weeks it’s hard to know where to start! However, just like the Hurlingham pupils, I am going to give it my best shot! Here’s a summary of the action!

Yet again our very youngest enthusiasts have settled beautifully into their sporting endeavours at Hurlingham. The Reception classes just can’t wait to have a go! Whether it’s circuit training, gym and dance indoors or ball skills, agility training and movement games outdoors they simply burst out of the classroom to enjoy the fun!

Large ball skills and teamwork have been the autumn term focus in the Lower School. The children have thoroughly enjoyed practising their football, basketball, netball and rugby skills and have shown particular enthusiasm to test those skills against each other in small sided games. Both year groups are proving to be highly competitive and we are very excited about the years and teams to come!

Cross CountryFollowing another year of fiercely competitive school trials, teams of boys and girls from Forms III-VI were again selected to represent Hurlingham at the annual ‘Hall School Wimbledon’s Cross Country Championships’ in November. Yet again each race was action-packed, filled with drama and excitement! The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I am proud to say that our results improved upon last year.

Our combined girls’ teams finished in fifth position overall, with the standout performance of the day coming from the Form V team. Team members Grace Constable, Emily Gilbert, Freya Hughes, Evelina Kitsantas and Jemima Kwiecinski took the bronze medal in an exceptionally close finish for medal placings.

The boys were not to be outshone, also performing well across the board whilst achieving fourth place overall. The Form VI boys were desperately unlucky to be nudged just beyond the medals in fourth place, losing out in the final fifty metres. However the Form III boys were our 2015 star performers! Massimo Spada, Lasse Hinrichs, Lorenzo Lentini, Max Naumann and Freddie Carty romped home, almost half a lap ahead of the field, to take Hurlingham’s first ever gold medal. It was a truly remarkable performance!

NetballAll year groups have trained exceptionally hard this term, playing with enthusiasm and drive whilst enjoying numerous matches and tournaments across the borough!

The Form III girls have made a fabulous start to their first season of competitive matches, with some notable wins against Harrodian and Prospect House. The Form IV girls’ performance of the season was at the Small Schools’ Annual Tournament, finishing in a very creditable fourth place out of ten schools. In Form V, the girls again proved that they have great strength in depth! Having controlled possession in the majority of their matches, they were unlucky not to convert their dominance into more victories. In their final netball season, our Form VI teams competed extremely well. They battled hard in every fixture, showing great spirit and commitment until each final whistle!

Page 19SportAutumn 2015

FootballThis time last year I proudly announced our most successful season ever, collecting more tournament medals than ever before. However, it gives me great pleasure to say that the Middle and Upper school football teams have managed to outshine last year’s results! Incredibly, three of the four year groups achieved a medal placing at local tournaments throughout the season in both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ team categories. In total, five gold, two silver and a bronze medal were collected by our highly successful teams. Amazing!

Results during weekly fixtures have also been excellent. Throughout the year groups it is clearly evident that our teams are arriving at matches with great confidence that they will win. This self-assurance has translated into many fine performances over the course of the season and a high win percentage.

Finally the Form VI ‘A’ team deserve a special mention this term. First, during normal fixtures they managed to complete the entire season unbeaten. In tournament play they have won two out of three tournaments, with their last win in the prestigious Football League Kids Cup. As borough champions, they will now progress to the regional final to battle for a place in the national finals, with the ‘Grand Final’ taking place at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people during the Championship play-off final. We wish them all the very best!

House MatchesHouse football and netball fixtures were extremely close again this term, and it was great to see how competitive the children are when representing their House. All matches were played in a fantastic spirit and our huge congratulations go to Heron who won both this term’s football and netball cups.

Rugby and hockey are up next term, so let us hope the mild weather continues and we look forward to seeing you on the touchlines cheering on our teams!

Have a wonderful, yet active, Christmas and New Year!

Mr Stanley and the sports coaching staff

Page 20 Badge Winners Autumn 2015

Hurlingham School122 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2NQ

www.hurlinghamschool.co.ukAutumn 2015

Form R AEdward Hannah ReadingLaurie Bardell SportMatthias Nicholas FrenchFreya Hampson MusicEla Patton ReadingAlexander Bayley ReadingTaran Patel Number WorkAlexandra Hayman Reading

Form R CFHarry Adamson, SportFreia Harper-Tee SpanishSimona Vatcheva MusicAyako Miyajima MusicAlexander Moran SportOscar Aitken SportFinn Grahame ReadingMilla van der Veen HandwritingEnoki Calvert-Ansari Sport

Form R MOliver Hull FrenchAarush Lala MusicIssam Abou Zaki MathsIsabella Dullage EnglishJasmine Shaw SportMiles Fletcher SportMay Henkes Reading

Form I RJohn Bowden ReadingGeorgia Roberts PSHEBenyamin Sadeghipour MusicOliver Phillips SportMyrtle Mitchell Good MannersImogen Colegate-Stone Art

Form I SLeander Young FrenchCoco Reading MusicGeorgina Naumann Consistent EffortMiller Fearn EnglishOlivia Jones ArtEliza Hettiaratchy Good Manners

Form I WBeck Wakeling-James MusicNico Lagarejos SpanishRuben Easter MathsSaskia McEwen DramaOtis Vowles SportMax Peppiatt Reading Form II CIsabel Giles MathsEmily Parker MusicEllis Griffiths ComputingEnzo Reed SportBertie Seale SportLauren Hughes Maths

Form II LPArthur Locke ArtFreddie Newhouse HandwritingLily Pfeifer MusicFae Inglott FrenchOscar Darbyshire SportMia Catchpole English

Form II SPRalph Adamson MathsBonnie Robinson FrenchOlivia Aitken EnglishThomas Billington SportIsabella Fanning ArtSanta Lewis Music

Form III BZara Ewing FrenchAnouk Brinkman Consistent EffortSophia Fergusson MusicMaximilian Ladimeji SportMonty Griffin ArtLeah Marks EnglishJasmine Dent Good Manners Form III GMaximilian Naumann MathsEmma Borgeaud DramaZara Quazi EnglishManas Ralli ScienceKatherine Shave MusicAlexander Annesanti Spanish

Form III MLorenzo Lentini MathsKaran Arya SportHonor Harrison SportMaya Leschziner Consistent EffortTabitha Booth ArtMabel White French

Form IV DElla Bailey SportSophie McLernon SportChloe Keast ArtMaisie Locke ArtAnabella Hibbert LatinFlorian Young LatinFilippo Russo MusicTallulah Tooth Buxton Music

Form IV HJoshua Pakenham-Walsh LatinRayyan Zawawi SportEnzo Moore HistoryTom Donald LatinDaniel Roberts Sport

Form IV SIris Mitchell MathsOscar Jooste MathsNiamh Newland LatinMaya Blackie FrenchNell Hornett Music

Form V EJody Bardell MusicMorris Griffin SportLottie Routledge LatinElizabeth Afrashteh MathsMaysie SpanishWillson-Pemberton

Form V HEva Atkinson EnglishGeorgina Turley EnglishKatherine ComputingDon-WauchopeCecily O’Regan LatinEmily Gilbert Maths Form V MArchie Hunt ComputingImogen Rodford ComputingBeatrice Carlton-Smith MusicJohan Thomsen SportUlyana Hopkinson DramaEvelina Kitsantas EnglishPhoebe Brett FrenchSaffron Douglas-Henry Maths

Form VI FPhoebe McCarroll SportBenjamin Bridger ArtFergus Leather Maths

Form VI MMegan Gill ComputingOlivia Hulton ArtTeva Hogarth MusicOlivia More SportIlia Sadeghipour DramaFreddie Pollock ScienceYasna Spada French

Form VI RAlexander Ho ComputingPeter Lucas ComputingElla Male Computing

House Points CupCongratulations to Heron House, who gained most points in the second half of term and to Mallard House who are the current leaders of the competition.

House Points First Half of Term

Points Second Half of Term

Total Points Since September

Heron 1502 2078 3580

Kingfisher 1208 1547 2755

Mallard 2078 1859 3937

Swan 1546 1682 3228

A total of 13500 points have been awarded this term. Well done!