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Autumn 2019

Christmas is truly magical. That might seem an uncharacteristically clichéd opening to this term’s Hurlingham newsletter, but I have decided that it’s true. My incontestable evidence (alas not captured in any retrievable form, but being written up here nonetheless,) was plain for all to see at 9.40am on Monday 25 November 2019 as our Reception classes walked in to assembly. To begin with, everything happened in a manner identical to all previous Monday mornings: well-behaved young people, parading in to the Main Hall and then sitting down in their lines. Nothing remarkable was going on… at least until one child saw the Christmas tree that had appeared at the back of the hall (courtesy, of course, of the wonderful Mr Bouzid) over the weekend.

And then the magic happened, as contagious excitement transformed the children’s habitual contented smiles first into awestruck faces and then beaming grins of anticipation. The final third of the Autumn term had started, and Christmas was clearly on its way! Of course, during the four weeks since then, the festive spirit has burned with ever-increasing brightness throughout our school community, culminating in recent performances of Whoops-a-Daisy Angels from Reception; Lights, Camel, Action 2: The Sequin! by Forms I and II; Middle School’s Countdown to Christmas and Upper School’s traditional festive celebration of songs, readings and carols. Emily Jong’s Christmas star topped our tree, and the magic of the season combined with the psychological magic of confidence to produce exceptionally happy and bubbly children, all fully capitalising on every aspect of school life as the term drew to a close.

However, on writing this letter, it has struck me that it’s not just Christmas time that has been magical this year; rather, it has been the entire Christmas term. Perhaps this was most evident in the Nursery on the day after the half-term break, for clearly a fairy godmother or two had been waving their wands during the fortnight’s holiday and our youngest pupils returned to find their outdoor space completely transformed; the formerly-tarmacked playground had been replaced with vibrant (if, by necessity, artificial) grass and the play equipment had all been renewed. In fact, the godmother-in-chief sent me a picture of the nursery’s exterior early on the first day back. “Why have you sent me an image of a lovely garden?” I asked, before realising where it was. “Oh my goodness, that’s us!” I then exclaimed once the magic penny had finally dropped.

Furthermore, on reflection, the magic has been present throughout the term. Perhaps its first manifestation was during Teambuilding Day, when classes came together in pursuit of a common goal. Whether they were Reception groups staying in school and exploring the campus without the older children getting in the way, or Forms I and II in Legoland, or Middle School at the Wetlands Centre, or Upper School learning about Bushcraft on Wimbledon Common, everyone made new friendships and established good working patterns to be employed over the year ahead. These were quickly put into practice during our Kindness Week, in which we were successful in raising over £3600 for the Evelina Children’s Hospital’s book stock and bibliotherapy training. They then grew and developed in

an astonishing variety of different ways. Most noticeable, perhaps, were the class assemblies: pupils have encouraged peers’ (and parents’!) understanding of diverse topics such as Empathy, Genetic Research, Numbers, the Second World War, Harvest, Seasons, Remembrance, Florence Nightingale and the Stone Age this term.Our formal curriculum, though, has also been enhanced by more than a little sparkling magic. Within a fortnight of returning to school, several children in Forms V and VI became honorary members of The Young Shakespeare Company and joined them as actors in a production of Romeo and Juliet here in Hurlingham’s Main Hall. As the term flew by, a focus on playscripts turned to short stories and novels being emphasised as professional authors Ross Montgomery and Chris Bradford enchanted the pupils as they talked about their particular creative works, their specific approaches to the writing process (and, in the case of Mr Bradford, his proficiency with a Samurai sword!)

Magic is, of course, sometimes seen as the nemesis of Science, but anyone who was sufficiently lucky to witness our practical workshops about what happens to eggs as they cook would be sure to disagree. They would have learned to appreciate the common ground between the two! Courtesy of local butchers The Parson’s Nose, all children from Form II upwards attended a workshop about the science and folklore associated with eggs and- I hope- went home with their free half-dozen to produce some delicious breakfasts over the days ahead. Such a nutritious start to the day is always valuable to make the most of what ensues, but a hearty early meal is particularly important when children are about to embark upon a school trip. This term, year group excursions have embraced a huge range of different destinations including Buckingham Palace (Form IV clearly starting the term with ambitious expectations and setting a particularly high yardstick for others to match), the Museum of London, the Churchill War Rooms, Butser Ancient Farm, the Royal Courts of Justice, Epsom College, Bentley Priory Museum and Hampton Court.

Hurlingham magic has also been woven on the sports pitch this term, and all the children have been enjoying the football and netball season. There have been many opportunities to engage in friendly (if fierce!) competition against other schools and I am sure you will want to turn to the pages written by Mr Jarrett and his team towards the back of this newsletter to find out more.

As I begin to draw this letter to a close, I am starting to realise that two of the most magical days of the term may risk being omitted: what an oversight that would be! First, of course, we held our seventy-second birthday celebration on the last full day before the half-term break. As tradition dictates, all of our guests were a surprise (to pupils and teachers alike; it is only ever the Senior Leadership Team who know exactly what is going to happen!) This year, our visitors informed, educated and entertained us in the delights of stunt cycling, line dancing, zoology, magic (yes! really!) and writing. So whether it was a champion cyclist bouncing his wheels off staging half the height of the hall, a movement routine developed and perfected by everyone, a passing parrot, meerkat, tarantula and python, hilarious magician Richard Pinner or Lou Kuenzler, the

Page 2 Headmaster’s Letter Autumn 2019

Dear Parents

award-winning author of texts as varied as My Digger is Bigger! and The Return of the Railway Children, an excellent day was enjoyed by everyone. Hopefully the wonderment also continued at home, and the children’s magic tricks, picture frames, puppets and zoetropes made the journey between campus and house safely, allowing the magic to permeate throughout the half-term break. Additionally, I am certain that many of you will have heard about a final guest who was a particularly distinctive addition to School Birthday this year. He came in clutching his suitcase (which, reliable reports suggest, contained nothing but a banana) and probably holds the record for the individual who has insisted on his photograph being retaken by our security system with the greatest frequency. Known by the rather distinctive moniker of “Mr Monkey”- and mysteriously connected to our own Mr Bates by a seemingly indissoluble tie - he had everyone who was sufficiently lucky to encounter him in absolute stitches throughout their meeting.And the final special day? Bringing me full circle to the magic of Christmas, it was - of course - the brilliant PTA Christmas Fair three weeks ago. Sparkling with particular effervescence in all of its forms, manifestations and activities, the event has rightly become a highlight in Putney’s annual calendar and this year was even more enjoyable than ever before. Huge thanks to the fantastic PTA team for all of their hard work!

As school breaks up for the Christmas holidays, I wish you a relaxing, refreshing and downright magical festive season; I hope you can find some quiet time during the holidays to look through the pages of this newsletter and I am sure it will bring back memories of the magic that you, and your children, have experienced at Hurlingham since September.Have a wonderful break- see you in 2020! With best wishes

Jonathan Brough Headmaster

Page 3House Quiz/MFLAutumn 2019

MFL Day We had another enjoyable MFL day this year. Once again we were delighted to see so many children accessorising their uniform in the colours of a national flag - wearing hats, hairbands, socks, scarves, belts etc. We have some very imaginative parents out there!

We were very lucky to be entertained during assembly by Juani Garcia. She taught us a number of different Spanish dances and showed us how to clap and stamp in time to the music. At one point, she invited Señor Espinoza to join her on stage to dance the Sevillana - we were all so impressed with Señor Espinoza’s skill – bravo to him.

After the assembly, each year group took part in a workshop in which they were taught different specialist dances like the Bulerias and the Fandango.

As in previous years, we all enjoyed a French snack of pain au chocolat during break and later for lunch we all tucked into ‘fajitas’, which were ‘deliciosas’.

Throughout the day many bilingual children were given the opportunity to entertain their classmates with poems, stories, songs and jokes. Well done to them.

All in all, it was a great day and we look forward to celebrating our rich language culture again next September.

Mme Gwyther

Term DatesSpring Term 2020Begins Tuesday 7 January

Half Term Monday 17 February - Friday 21 February

Ends Friday 27 March

Summer Term 2020Begins Tuesday 21 April Half Term Monday 25 May - Friday 29 May

Ends Fri 3 July

Autumn Term 2020Begins Wednesday 2 September

Half Term Monday 19 October -Friday 30 October

Ends Friday 11 December

Spring Term 2021Begins Wednesday 6 January Half Term Monday 15 February -Friday 19 February

Ends Friday 26 March

Summer Term 2021Begins Tuesday 14 April Half Term Monday 31 May -Friday 4 June

Ends Friday 2 July

Page 4 Nursery Autumn 2019

Nursery News

We have had such a busy Autumn term and it is always a pleasure when reading the newsletter to reflect on the great things that have taken place. Our first event was our Harvest Festival. This year we collected for Glassdoor, a homeless charity in London. Reverend Geoffrey visited us and talked to us about Christian Harvest Festivals. The children loved exploring all the fruit and vegetables in the harvest display. On the day before the half-term holiday, the Nursery celebrated Hurlingham’s birthday for the first time ever! The children loved making cards and decorations and playing with balloons. In November, the children took part in scooter training. They learned about road safety and how to steer their scooters, to be aware of others and stop safely using their brakes. Once December arrived, the Christmas celebrations really took over. It was lovely to see some of you at the Nursery Christmas Drinks event, which was held at the main site. Volunteer performers from Forms II and IV really got us in the festive spirit. Our wonderful Christmas show Robin’s so Excited was a brilliant start to the final week. The children performed so confidently and it is hard to believe that they are mostly 2 and 3 years of age! The Pre-School visited the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith to see the show Father Christmas which they thought was very funny and we all enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas break and a happy New Year.Mrs Appleby

It is difficult to believe that our Autumn term for the Green Group has already finished, but what an exciting start to the school year it has been. Every single child has made wonderful progress; they have produced an enormous amount of amazing work and built their first friendships. The first term has been extremely busy and our favourite times have been spent playing with our friends, exploring our new classroom, building dens, making salt dough models, looking after our plants and preparing our snacks (even cutting and peeling with real tools!).

Throughout this term, we have loved our story time. We read many interesting books and our favourites were “The Three Little Pigs”, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See?” and “The Gruffalo”, which expanded the children’s vocabulary and imagination and helped us to role play different characters. We really enjoyed our music time too, where we learned new songs and explored playing different instruments! For the last few months, we have been encouraging the children to become more independent and confident. We have been supporting them in developing a positive sense of themselves and others, to form positive relationships and develop respect for peers and, as a result, their friendships have blossomed. We are proud to say that we are like a big family here at Hurlingham Nursery!

Page 5NurseryAutumn 2019

Orange and Yellow Groups have settled into their new life at Hurlingham Nursery. Moving downstairs has been a great opportunity for the two groups to come together and create new friendships. We have had lots of fun exploring our new setting and engaging in exciting activities. We all continue to adore messy play, art activities and role play with our friends.

We are loving playing outside in our newly refurbished playground: it has proven to be the backdrop for all sorts of creative adventures for us too. It has also been particularly good fun playing in the new messy kitchen and using the water butt.The hoops have proved to be a huge success for enhancing our ball skills too.

We have had a lot of fun singing and dancing with Miss Agnieszka, exploring Diwali, and all our favourite nursery rhymes. Miss Pippa has been inspiring us with our Drama games and we all enjoyed performing our Christmas show enormously. We have also been lucky enough to start learning some karate skills and have regular French and Spanish sessions playing games and singing songs.Our topics this term have included Autumn, Remembrance Day and Christmas. We are already looking forward to next term and we wish you all very happy holidays!

Page 6 Nursery Autumn 2019

Science Experiments

One of the highlights of the Autumn term in Pre-school was exploring different types of weather, which was a fantastic way to bring science to life. Weather is something that children relate to and can experience first hand, no matter where they are.Blue, Purple and Red groups loved discovering facts about rainbows, rain, wind, frost and ice. The children had loads of fun taking part in a ’travelling rainbow’ experiment, where they mixed red, blue and yellow food colouring with water and then immersed paper towels in the jars to watch rainbow colours travel upwards thanks to the wonders of science – what a mesmerising experience that was! There were chuckles and giggles to be heard when the children made rain clouds using shaving foam and then squirted ‘rain’ with pipettes and syringes all over their puffy clouds. Lastly, we all had lots of laughter producing ‘ice paintings’ – using frozen paint in the shape of ice lollies. What great fun!

All of these hands-on activities not only enabled the children to explore weather in different ways, but also to work on different skills that strengthened their fine motor muscles when squirting water with syringes and pipettes. They also developed communication and problem solving skills when they were saving dinosaurs trapped in the ice.

Phonics and Maths

The children have had a lot of fun with Phonics this term and have already learnt so much. We have been learning our sounds of the week and playing our Phonics games including ‘silly soup’ and ‘find the sound in the sand’ games. The children have been very busy writing their names on whiteboards, name mats and lots of artwork.

Pre-School have also enjoyed a range of fun and engaging maths activities. They have especially enjoyed ordering numbers on our maths washing line and making sums with our handmade ‘Maths Monster’. Through construction play and junk modelling, the children have had fun learning about 2D and 3D shapes too.

What a thrilling start to many more adventures to be had in our Pre-School environment!Miss Gemma, Miss Ilona, Mr Gavin and Miss Alina.

Autumn and Hibernation

The children have had an amazing time this term learning about Autumn and hibernation. We have been observing all the changes that have been happening this season. The children have spent a lot of time exploring outside making leaf piles and collecting autumnal items for indoor discovery.

We have painted Autumn trees in many different ways using leaves, tin foil balls and hands to make prints.

A highlight for this topic was producing salt dough hedgehogs and nests for them using leaves and shredded paper. We followed this by doing a hibernation experiment where the children filled a box with leaves and put a bear inside (complete with a hot water bottle for a tummy!). The bear’s best friend, however, had to stay outside the box. The children discovered that the bear who had lots of layers around him kept warm and the one without got cold.

Page 7NurseryAutumn 2019

Forest School

What a fantastic term we have all shared together in the forest. To see the children playing and exploring so confidently and freely is truly wonderful. The children have become great friends with the forest fairies and love to talk to them using our forest fairy cup, sharing stories and asking questions about the natural environment.

Robbie Robin has been a friend throughout our adventures and the children have formed a beautiful bond with him. They are amazing at spotting him, hearing his call and observing where he lives. Each week they make sure he has seed in the bird feeder we made together. The children have loved building dens using our tent and campfires by transporting logs, branches and leaves, working together as part of our Forest School family. As the weather changed and our stream began to fill, it gifted the children a space to explore and enjoy lots of messy muddy fun: this has been loved by all!

It has been so beautiful to observe the changing seasons together. We have shared lots of mindful moments, resting on the ground and watching the leaves fall from the trees.

It has been such a delight to spend time in the forest with the children this term. Thank you all so much for your passion and support for the children’s journey.Joyful wishes and festive blessings.Miss Penelope and Miss Zuzana

Outdoor Explorers

The children have enjoyed lots of messy fun in our Outdoor Explorers sessions this term. From mud kitchens to potion making, planting seeds to pumpkin carving the children have got stuck in and enjoyed themselves. Together we have taken a closer look around the garden, bug hunting, bird spotting and making natural bird feeders for our feathered friends. It has been wonderful to spend time outdoors with all our little explorers.Miss Penelope

Page 8 Reception Autumn 2019

Handwriting

The children have made truly amazing progress with learning to write pre-cursive letters – a feat that even some of their parents have admitted eludes them!

Mathematics

Reception have enjoyed a wide variety of learning opportunities in Mathematics lessons this term, from recognising numbers and addition to measuring objects, pattern, positional language and 2D shape.

The children all impressed us with their knowledge of 2D shape names and created brilliant pictures to match.

We can follow positional language instructions, and we had great fun doing so!

Money, money, money! We have been learning to identify all the coins in our currency.

Blake Brotherhood R S

Mia Isiker R S

Meghan Parker R P

William Berkley R P

Max Dussuyer R F

Page 9ReceptionAutumn 2019

Whoops-A-Daisy Angels

Many reviewers are calling this year’s Reception Nativity play the best yet! Everything came together beautifully to make this into a very enjoyable, powerful and moving performance. Every child learned their lines to perfection, projected magnificently and gave of their best for their enchanted audience with one or two very important messages learned along the way. We are extremely proud of each and every one of them and look forward to seeing some of the cast treading the boards of London’s West End at some point in the future.

Ourselves and Others

The children have worked hard this term learning about themselves and others. They have enjoyed learning about the functions of different parts of the body. The children looked closely at their facial features and used paints and pastels to create some fabulous self-portraits. They have learnt that there are lots of different people who help us every day. There was much excitement when the children had the opportunity to take on the role of different professionals during Explore Time.

Maya Misztela R F

Ruby Pearson R S

Page 10 Form I Autumn 2019

Form I L’s Harvest Festival Assembly

The children in Form I L dressed up as their favourite fruit and vegetables to perform an informative and fun assembly about harvest festivals. They used large card letters and their excellent phonic skills to sound out the word Harvest and moved the letters around to sound out new words such as share, starve and eat and then explained what each word meant. They entertained everyone with lively songs and finished with the resounding Harvest Samba. The children were very proud of their performance.

I M Four Seasons Assembly

Form I M performed fantastically during their assembly about the four seasons. They sang lovely seasonal songs and shared what they had learned about Autumn, Winter, Summer and Spring. The children spoke with confidence and enthusiasm in the final performance and were rightly proud of what they achieved.

Emma Bonnard I M

Freya Roberton I L

Willa Seale I C

Page 11Form IAutumn 2019

Toy Workshop

On Thursday 14 November Form I had an exciting Toy workshop. We started the day with an entertaining and informative presentation showing a wide range of toys from different eras and countries. The children learned how different forces - pushes, pulls and gravity - can make toys move.

We split into two groups for our workshops: one group worked with Stephen and Lois to make their own wooden toy. They learnt how to smooth and then colour the wooden pieces before drilling and gluing them together. The second group had an amazing selection of old toys to examine and play with, including Jacob’s Ladder and a diablo. Then they made their own peg dolls and cup and ball toy.

In the afternoon, the groups swapped over so everyone had an opportunity to enjoy all the experiences and have time to play with the new toys they had made. A wonderful time was had by all.

Leo – “I liked helping the man hammer my toy.”Theo – “Using the drill was the best bit. I had to hold it very carefully.”Sebby – “I was given my favourite toy - I really wanted to make that one!”

Jake Cantle I M

Sophie Wood I L

William O’Flaherty I C

Madeleine Laverty I M

Henry Stephenson I L

Max Land I C

Page 12 Form II Autumn 2019

Guy Fawkes And His Friends Caught Trying To Blow Up The King!

Last night, one day before the Houses of Parliament was to open, there was a letter waiting outside the King’s door. Lord Monteagle opened the door to read what it was. When he read it, he was shocked! It said to avoid going to Parliament the next day because there was something terrible that was going to happen. Lord Monteagle sent it to the King who told his soldiers to search the palace. Eventually, they found Guy Fawkes but he was hard to find. He was found in the cellar behind thirty four barrels of gunpowder. They said, “Who are you? Who are you with?”

Guy Fawkes said “I was with no-one.” He was found with touch paper and matches to light the barrels of gunpowder! They took him to the King. They then sent him to the Tower of London to be questioned. Theo Flynn II V

Letter From Florence Nightingale

Scutari Hospital1854

Dear Mummy, Daddy and Caspar, I am here at Scutari Hospital. When we arrived the conditions were filthy and the soldiers were suffering and smelly. The doctors didn’t want us to be here but then they were pleased that we had come.We cleaned the floor and every single corner of each room. We got a new chef to come and cook food and the soldiers got better quickly. Some are now much better. I am going to stay until every single one is better. I miss you all a lot.Love from,Florence Klara Brey II B

Dear Parents and Parthenope,I am here at Scutari Hospital. The conditions are diabolical and there are cockroaches everywhere!We have had to make bandages from our petticoats because the poor soldiers hadn’t had clean bandages in weeks.At first the stubborn doctors wanted us to leave but now they want us to stay.I feel like I haven’t slept in years but luckily I haven’t caught the cholera or ‘flu.All my love,FlorenceChloe Pendlebury II G

An Alternative Ending To The Gunpowder Plot

Guy Fawkes was trembling as he hid in the cellar under The Houses of Parliament. He heard the guards coming. Then he saw a tunnel: “Yes!” he whispered. He escaped through the tunnel, jumped into a carriage and drove quickly to the dock. He hid inside a barrel and was loaded onto a ship.

The ship sailed to an island and when they arrived the guards found him in the barrels but Guy Fawkes fought them off, ran to a house and locked himself in. The houses had bars on the windows. Inside the house he disguised himself with a different beard and outfit and a kind maid carrying a basket helped him to escape. He came back to England and blew up Parliament!Monty Williams II G

Martha Bartram II G

James Richards II B

Georgina Tegala II V

Page 13Form IIAutumn 2019

Diary Entries - The Great Fire Of London

London1666

Dear Diary,I got out of my bed and looked out of my window. I saw lots of wood on fire. I felt heat. Then I heard flickering flames everywhere! I saw lots of fire and I heard people screaming. I saw red sky! I was feeling scared. There were lots of people. Then I ran quickly to a boat and rowed to the countryside where I was safe. When it stopped nothing was left.

Louis Williams II B

Sunday 2nd September 1666Dear Diary, Today was one of the most terrifying days of my life. It was the middle of the night and I woke up with a fright! Then I ran to my parents and woke them up. I packed my favourite teddy and my favourite food. My body was shaking all over. I ran down the stairs almost choking the smoke was so thick! I ran my fastest down the stairs on to the crowded street. I almost got lost but my parents found me. I sprinted to the River Thames, got a boat and escaped. London was so hot. Luckily some people were trying to put it out! I tried to pull down houses on London Bridge but half of it was burnt. I pulled ten houses down. It was very tough with all that heat in my face. I got one burn and it was very big and very painful. Joe Nackmayr II V

Serafina Kwok II G

Gwen Bonnard II V

Arthur Danaux II B

Emily McGivering-Childs II B

Archie Kenwright II V

Alice McGivering-Childs II V

Sophia Dullage II G Arabella Shaw II B

Page 14 Middle School Autumn 2019

Butser Ancient FarmOn Thursday 10 October, Form III headed off to Butser Ancient Farm. While we were there we took part in four different activities that they would have done in the Stone Age.The first thing we did was wattling. There were four thick branches stuck in the ground and we had to weave long branches in and out to make a fence.The second thing we did was pottery. They gave us clay and we had to take all the bits out. Then we made it into a sphere. After that we made a hole in it with our thumb and made it wider. We decorated it by scratching designs with a feather or small stick.Then we did cordage. We had to do lots of twisting and knots. We had to put a bead in it.My favourite bit was archaeology because we could dig up bones. I dug up some jawbones, a cow bone and a shell. We had to wash them and work out, with pictures, who or what they belonged to.I really enjoyed it and I want to go there again!Oliver Root III H

Why Mole Lives UndergroundLong, long ago, there was a time when moles didn’t live underground. There was one particular mole who lived in the South of England. One day mole (who was called Molly) went off on a stroll, not particularly anywhere.After a bit, Molly came to the watering hole in which snobby Alligator was swimming. Molly and Alligator were not good friends at all. Alligator was feeling very mean that day. Just for fun, he filled a bucket full of the hottest water he could possibly find and threw it all over Molly!Sadly, Molly trudged to find a place that would not sting (for she hurt a lot because of the boiling hot water).After a while, Molly came to a hole in the ground. She thought, “How strange!” (as she was a very curious mole). She spoke to herself and said, “Why should I not go inside?”So when she went inside, to her delight she found that it led underground and it was all nice and damp! HOORAY! So Molly held a party and best of all, she decided that bugs, beetles and worms were delicious!Athina Rous III H

ScienceIn Science, we learned all about teeth. We found out all about the tooth structure and its different parts such as enamel, pulp and dentine. We also made teeth structures made out of plasticine which we really enjoyed!

Then we did an experiment with eggs. We put four eggs into four different liquids. The liquids we used were water, milk, cola and orange juice. After five days, we removed the eggs to discover what had happened. The egg that was in the water was a bit discoloured but undamaged; the egg that was in milk was brilliant white and undamaged; the egg that was in cola was discoloured and a bit damaged, and the egg that was in orange juice was discoloured and really damaged.

We learnt that we need to brush our teeth at least twice a day!Harry Harvey and Henry Coward III L

Digestive SystemThis term in Science, we have been learning about the human digestive system. In order to see the size of the digestive system, we got a colossal piece of paper and drew around Chloe. We used string to represent the small and the large intestine and placed this inside the body. We were amazed by how long the small intestine was. The small intestine was larger than the large intestine. To help us learn where each organ is placed, we built a 3D digestive system out of recyclable materials with our tables. We then did a totally gross experiment. This involved mushing up bananas, shreddies and water and pushing it through some tights in order to see how food was digested. It looked disgusting! We have enjoyed learning about the digestive system.Poppy Thain III P and Beatrice Wood III P

Geography - The Living PlanetThis term in Geography, we have been learning about The Living Planet. We have learnt that only 25% of Earth is covered by land. We have been learning about time zones and we know that if we lived in Australia and it was lunch time in England then it would be midnight in Australia. We also have been learning about climate zones. There are six different climate zones in the world. Also, we learnt that the ocean is spilt into three zones. The zones are the sunlight zone, the twilight zone and the midnight zone. The favourite thing we learnt was about the solar system as it was the first thing we learnt in Geography and we really enjoyed it. We particularly enjoyed discussing whether we’d like to live on Mars!Felix Roe III P and Ted Holt III P

Page 15Middle SchoolAutumn 2019

Landscape Drawing at Buckingham Palace

On Wednesday 25th September, all of Form IV went to Buckingham Palace. We got on the coach and walked a bit as well. Once we got there, my group went to do the landscape painting workshop. We were taken to a special room looking at the garden at the back of Buckingham Palace. We were given special pencils to use. The way they worked was that you would colour something in and then dip your finger in water, rub it on the paper and then get more colouring done. I think mine turned out really well and everyone else’s did too.

After that, we had a tour of Buckingham Palace. All the rooms were so pretty and nice. My favourite room was the Ballroom because there was lovely music playing and the walls were covered with beautiful pictures.Jasmine Shaw IV J

Evacuee LetterDear Mum and Dad,My time in the country has not been amazing because every morning at half past four, I have to clean everything! That takes two hours! I only get breakfast after I have done the jobs.

During our train journey, sadly the back of the train was bombed. Luckily, I got moved to the front. We were delayed by 53 hours.

Mr Joe is very strict and says I can only write one letter to you each month. The good things are that I have made three new friends and my teacher is very patient.

Surprisingly, Mr Joe doesn’t have an Anderson shelter! He has a very big garden and grows crops such as carrots, cabbages and potatoes. The house is made of marble and I have a great view of a church.

Hope you are all well,From Thomas Thomas Bruton IV M

Dear Mum,Earlier this morning, everyone was mostly quiet on the train except for the trembling. I was nervous but also excited. Somewhere inside of me, I was definitely slightly frightened.In the dusty old church, I had been waiting for a very long time, roughly half an hour. Finally, a person called Mr Robby came and took me. I was really nervous, I could hardly breathe. When we finally reached the house in which I was staying, I realised there was a dog! I don’t usually like dogs but I felt sorry for the poor thing. I asked Mr Robby what the dog’s name was and he said it was a dog called Hashy.

Once, as I was going to the shops, I bought some food but I ate all the cheese on the way back. Mr Robby got really cross with me. The thing with Mr Robby is that he is really nice when you don’t eat all the cheese on the way back, but he gets really cross when you do exactly what I did.LoveBella xxx Isabella Dullage IV M

Jasmine Shaw IV J

Our Trip to the Churchill War RoomsWe arrived at Westminster Station, where we set off to the Churchill War Rooms. When we got there, we took a look around St James' Park before a man led us down two storeys below ground! He settled us down and showed us an introduction video. Then, we were given long black phone-shaped audio guides.

Behind a glass wall, there was a big office with two little lights and a brown desk. You could imagine Winston Churchill working there.We went around a corridor to see a cellar. It looked cold and damp, and there were tiny lockers that stretched the whole way down the cellar. I heard a lady from that time talking about how she felt when she was in there.

After that, we came into a big room, and we saw a little room off it that Winston described as his private lavatory but was actually where he phoned the President of the United States of America!

My group and I went to a dark room where we went off to find numbers for our audio guides, and we all found out very interesting facts including that Churchill was born in 1874 and he retired from being an MP in 1964.

We came out of that room, and came to Churchill's bedroom, but I wouldn't have thought the Prime Minister would sleep there!We saw all the rooms where his secretaries worked. I found it interesting seeing all the typing machines. We also saw his dining room and his kitchen.I loved visiting the Churchill War Rooms and I would love to go again. I would really recommend it!Chloe Dent IV S

Page 16 Upper School Autumn 2019

Discursive Writing Skills

Form V have been developing their discursive writing skills. Some children have written argument texts discussing whether dogs should be allowed to roam free in parks.

Is it acceptable to let dogs off their leads in parks?Animal lovers tend to favour the idea of dogs being able to roam free in parks, as that is how you find them in nature. Then there are people who fear for their safety and that of children when dogs are not kept on a lead.It is well known that it is very difficult to manage or restrain a dog if it is not on a lead. Dogs are much faster than humans, and if they chase after something, their owners might not be able to stop them. Furthermore, even if their owner shouts at them, the dog might not obey their owner’s command. Not having a dog on a lead can also lead to dogs getting lost.On the other hand, owners of well-disciplined dogs can control their pets. Studies have shown that dogs that are taken on regular visits to the park are more sociable animals and more inclined to obey their owners’ commands. These dogs also stay close to their owners and tend not to run away from them.In a city such as London, it is important that dog owners take their dogs for regular walks. This helps the dogs to socialise and be more comfortable in the city. That said, I believe that even the best trained dogs should be kept on a lead for the safety of people visiting the park. Lochlan de Lange V S

Is it acceptable to let dogs off their leads in parks?Many people believe that dogs should always be let off their leads in the park and run free. Other people believe that dogs should never be let off the lead and that they should be in their owners’ sight at all times.There are a number of reasons why some people think that dogs should never be allowed to run free. People keep their dogs on leads for other people’s safety and to stop the dogs from running away. Furthermore, it is known that some dogs are dangerous and to prevent accidents, they should always be on a lead.In contrast, many people believe that, in the park, dogs should always be let off their leads so they can play with their owner and with other dogs. In addition, dogs need exercise and to run around with other dogs. Finally, dogs need to have freedom like humans, and if they are on a lead in a park, this is practically captivity.In conclusion, although keeping dogs on a lead may be safer, all dogs deserve to play, run around and have freedom. Consequently, I believe that it is acceptable to let dogs off their leads in parks.Jasper Varley-Johnson V M

Postcards from the Palace

Form V visited Hampton Court Palace on Monday 18 November. They participated in two workshops, which enhanced their knowledge of Tudor exploration and Tudor food. On their return, they designed and wrote postcards describing their experiences.

To Femke,Hampton Court Palace is so beautiful. In the Great Hall, there is a gargantuan fireplace in the middle of the room and at the far end there is a table with a white cloth on top of it. On it stand shining silver plates. There are two comfortable chairs: the one on the right is for the king and it is blue with a golden rim; and the one on the left is red and is for the king’s wife. They dined here. On the walls, there are tapestries of people working. In the kitchens, there is a lot of food. There is a fireplace where they cooked meat. They cooked using a spit. They drank ale, wine and beer and this was done using metal cups.From AgneseAgnese Viansson Ponte V S

Dear Mel,Today I had a marvellous day at Hampton Court Palace. When we arrived after a tiresome train journey, we took part in a really interesting workshop about Tudor exploration. We started off by the entrance to the grounds and we talked about how Tudors travelled and how explorers made profit and claimed land. Next, in the workshop, we went to have a look in the palace to see if Tudor monarchs liked things from foreign countries. The last part of our workshop was looking at a map from Tudor times. We discussed why their maps weren’t so accurate and how they discovered land. After our delicious lunch, we looked at items in King Henry’s kitchen. Finally, we completed a very enjoyable quiz. I would really recommend visiting Hampton Court Palace.From,AnnaAnna McLeod V R Alisa Shibiko V S

Madeleine Malmeus V R

Page 17Upper SchoolAutumn 2019

Junior Language Challenge

Once again this year, a group of Form V and VI children are taking part in the uTalk Junior Language Challenge, a UK-wide competition for primary school-age pupils aimed at showing children how easy and fun it can be to learn languages. Participants are given access to the uTalk language learning app which helps them develop speaking and listening skills in other languages.

This time, we were allowed to choose the first language to learn and we chose Latin. The children now have until 21 December to play the games and earn as many points as they can. At the end of the first round, all the scores will be taken and the highest scorers from each region will go through to the second round, for which they’ll be given a different language (French) to learn. There will be a regional final taking place in the summer in London.

We will keep you posted of the children’s progress!

Olivia Aitken VI FGraham Mills VI M

Page 18 Sport Autumn 2019

Another Autumn term has sped past, jam-packed with fixtures and tournaments. Everyone in the whole Games Department has been incredibly impressed with the hard work and focus of the children this term, which has been evidenced by the results in both netball and football.

Netball

Pupils across all year groups thoroughly embraced the netball season with drive and determination and their hard work certainly paid off!

Form III pupils have made a superb start to their first competitive season and had some phenomenal wins against Harrodian, Knightsbridge and Hornsby House. The latter was certainly their strongest performance of the term with a clean sweep of victories as their newly learnt skills gelled together! Form IV pupils continued to make good progress and put in some strong performances this term. Notable victories against Prospect House, Ursuline and Newton Prep displayed the continued improvements they have made and the hard work that they have put in.

Our Form V teams were determined not to be outshone this season! The pupils enjoyed a very successful season, delivering a string of results against the local opposition. Furthermore, in both the Epsom College and Prospect House tournaments, Hurlingham walked away with silver medals - a fantastic achievement.

The Form VI girls certainly knew it was their final season. They battled for every ball, in every minute of every game, certainly earning their rewards. Huge score lines versus Eaton House, Knightsbridge and Newton Prep were clear demonstrations of how strong this squad is at netball.

IAPS Hockey

This term, for the first time, Hurlingham entered the highly competitive world of IAPS hockey. Ten girls from across Upper School travelled up to St Edward’s School in Oxford for the qualifiers. The standard of hockey on display was truly remarkable, yet the girls were not deterred by this at all. Throughout the day, they played various matches against strong opposition, certainly not looking out of place, and leaving with their heads held high. It was a fantastic experience for all involved, relishing the opportunity to play against the best schools in the region.

Page 19Sport/House QuizAutumn 2019

Football

It has been a very successful football season, despite the challenges involved with coming up against strong local teams as well as the ever - challenging weather and conditions at Wandsworth Park.

Pupils in Form III have made a very impressive start to their competitive journey at Hurlingham. They have worked hard in training and their results certainly improved as the season progressed. Impressive victories against Eaton House and Harrodian were clear examples of the progress which players have made.

Form IV players also delivered some fine performances this term in what is proving to be a very strong year group throughout Wandsworth. They were often unlucky in matches, losing out by narrow margins. However, their finest display came in the thrashing of our local adversaries, The Roche.

The teams in Form V have certainly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, showing their talent on the field. A plethora of impressive victories, against schools such as Harrodian and Ibstock Place, along with a silver medal in the Knightsbridge tournament, are clear examples of the strength of this group of players - certainly ones to keep an eye on as they move into Form VI.

Finally, the Fom VI children have ended their footballing careers at Hurlingham in splendid fashion, proving to everyone what a driven and talented year group they are, winning all but one game in nineteen played - a staggering statistic! Huge victories against Oliver House and The Roche were excellent illustrations of the children’s capabilities in the sport.

House Quiz On Thursday 14 November, the whole school assembled to watch four brave teams battle it out for the honour of being House Quiz champions. On each team, there were the House Captains, an Upper School helper and a representative from each of Middle School, Lower School and Reception. The event was hosted by the wonderful Mr Thwaite, with questions written for each section of the school by the House Masters and Mistresses. There were questions about sport, general knowledge, maths, spelling and a picture round. These were displayed on the big screen with the slide show that Mr Fitzgerald created, so that the whole school could see what the teams were up against. The teams were well supported by the rest of their houses who were wearing their colourful house t-shirts. Questions were answered using voting pods, which allowed for a bonus point for the speediest answer.

The competition was tight and after the final question was answered, we were left with two teams, Swan and Heron, fighting for first place. They had to answer one final tie-breaker – ‘How much does 1 Heron, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Mallard and 1 Swan weigh?’ In the end, Heron triumphed but a great time was had by all.

Albert Mitchell VI F, Olivia Aitken VI F, Olivia Tyler VI M & Bertie Seale VI M

Page 20 Badge Winners Autumn 2019

Hurlingham School122 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2NQ

www.hurlinghamschool.co.ukAutumn 2019

Form R FHamish Watson SportMaya Misztela HandwritingJames Coretki FrenchMax Dussuyer Reading

Form R PEmilia Buckle SportWilliam Berkley FrenchAriadne Panayi FrenchLiam Bhattacherjee ReadingMonty Parmar EnglishElla Phillips English

Form R SDaniel Abou Zaki MathsBlake Brotherhood SportDimitrios Danilatos ReadingHazel Lee ReadingStella Lopez SpanishAria Morris ReadingElla Walters Spanish

Form I CDouglas Billington MathsAnne-Sophie Wibrew MusicWilliam O’Flaherty MusicHarry Reid SportHarvey Bouchier Sport

Form I LIris Rumfitt MathsAddison Steffan SpanishLucy Cahill SportSophie Wood Consistent EffortNina Palermo ReadingHenry Coates French

Form I MAllegra Rous FrenchLauren Williams ReadingJake Cantle SpanishFlynt Wakeling-James MathsLeo Brass MathsHarrison Bouchier Music

Form II BIonie Vowles ComputingArabella Shaw SpanishJosh Grahame ScienceIsabelle de Vree SpanishArthur Danaux ArtSamuel Bruton French

Form II GGinny Anderson SportIsaac Hampson HistoryLucy Lopez ReadingAlexander Hull DramaSerafina Kwok French

Jeffrey White Consistent EffortAlberto Mergoni GeographyRuben Rodriguez-Greco Sport

Form II VAgastya Jain SportTheo Flynn FrenchGwen Bonnard ArtValentina Salon ReadingElla Sokol MathsRosalind Parkinson Good Manners

Form III HOliver Root SportFlorence Laverty DramaValentin von Schweinitz SpanishRose Edmond ArtIsabella Vanden Baviere Spanish

Form III LThea Parmar MathsScarlett Easter Consistent EffortHarry Harvey Consistent EffortMaxi Kaye ArtFinn Edmonds French

Form III PPrithvi Chandrashekhar ReadingFrancesca Rumfitt HistoryFelix Roe SpanishRafferty Stace FrenchIsla Watson Creative WritingPoppy Thain Science

Form IV JHarry Adamson Good MannersAlexander Bayley GeographyEnoki Calvert-Ansari ArtFreia Harper-Tee LatinJasmine Shaw DramaSimona Vatcheva Reading

Form IV MOscar Aitken ReadingFinn Grahame LatinThomas Lawton SportAnnabel Petyan ScienceMatilda Roe EnglishLaurie Bardell History

Form IV SIssam Abou Zaki ScienceChloe Dent FrenchMay Henkes LatinArabella McArthur SportColin Mills ArtAnna Williams Consistent Effort

Form V MMyrtle Mitchell HistoryImogen Colegate-Stone MathsZachariah Majed MathsSophie Keast GeographyLeander Young ArtJasper Varley-Johnson Computing

Form V RJoaquin Amir Faisal MathsNico Lagarejos LatinOlivia Jones SportItsuki Shimada ComputingAnna McLeod Geography

Form V SKatie Dale GeographyLochlan de Lange ScienceFelix Fisher EnglishWilliam Wood LatinGeorgia Roberts ArtLorenzo Salon Maths

Form VI FOlivia Aitken GeographyAmy D’Arcy MathsSami Ghusayni HistoryIsabella Fanning ArtNina Perrott Science

Form VI JFinley Vowles ComputingEmily Jong ArtLauren Hughes ScienceIsobel Jacobse MathsJoshua Jawanda French

Form VI MRalph Adamson ComputingRoxana Atkinson MathsEthan Bryant MathsMia Catchpole GeographyKiran Martinelli-Mehta RE

House Points CupCongratulations to Mallard House, who gained most points this term and are the current leaders of the competition.

House Total Points Since September

Heron 3880

Kingfisher 3812

Mallard 3898

Swan 3559

A total of 15149 points have been awarded this term. Well done!