Welcome to LWC News
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Out of the anticyclonic gloom this week has emerged some welcome autumn sunshine.
It’s provided a glorious backdrop to another eclectic week at LWC.
Monday’s Remembrance Service saw the whole school come together in a poignant tribute. The strength of our community further being reinforced this week, by the publication of our Impact Report; demonstrating that the empathy on which the College was built is as strong now as it was over a hundred years ago. You can read about the difference our extraordinary Foundation has made to one family, below.
Fingers crossed for some more sunny days. Have a wonderful weekend!
In the meantime, your comments and contributions to LWC News are always welcome via stories@lordwandsworth.org
Calendar & Sports Schedule
The school calendar can be viewed using the link below:
LWC CalendarThe school sports calendar can be viewed using the link below:
LWC Sports CalendarPlease view the Sports Weekly Schedule here:
Sports Weekly ScheduleAs arrangements can sometimes change due to factors outside of our control, we recommend checking the calendar routinely.
News
Remembrance 2024 In Pictures
On Monday, nearly a thousand LWC students, staff and invited guests came together to pause and reflect.
We remembered all of those who died whilst serving their country, including the 25 Sternians listed on our War Memorial.
They will never be forgotten.
“The Two Minute Silence is Always Spine-Tingling”
Pete Maidment led the Remembrance Service and describes how it felt…
“It was another beautiful, clear day. The students arrived quietly and respectfully and engaged incredibly well with the whole service. It had a very powerful and sombre feel; amazing when you think that ten minutes later, they will be back to their normal day-to-day business.
The two-minute silence is always spine-tingling and each year, I encourage the students to take notice of what’s going on during that rare moment of silence; the wind blowing through the leaves and the sounds of birdsong.
It’s such a privilege to lead the Remembrance Service. For such a short period of time there are a million moving parts and everything has to be just right. In the 1000 or so people facing me, there will be a huge range of feelings and emotions. I have to do my best to represent all of them, as well as giving a voice to those who went before us.
This was the second time I have marked a major anniversary. This year it’s 80 years since D-Day and a decade ago, 70 years. That’s another decade of ‘forgetting’. For me, this is about marking the horror of war, mourning the tragic loss of life and trying to raise a generation of young people who will say ‘never again’.
The young people we have lost, were just like those who stood before me on Monday. There’s something very moving about the names on the War Memorial eating their meals in the same room that we do. There may be fresh paint on the walls and different furniture, but I sit where they sat. That’s incredibly powerful to me.”
Paying Tribute Over Tough Terrain
As the country came together for Remembrance Weekend, Lower Sixth Former, Phoebe was recording an impressive result in Saturday’s Race to Remember for the charity, Combat Stress.
The 36-kilometre event started in Petersfield and finished at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard; taking in some steep climbs along the way.
“I came joint 19th,” explained Phoebe. “There was a mix of road and trail terrain that really put my training to the test. What made it even more special was knowing that I was contributing to such an important cause.”
So far, more than £96,000 has been raised from the event. This will go towards supporting veterans through military trauma.
For Phoebe, still to come is Silverstone next weekend. “I’m participating in the Silverstone Run-Fest. This will be my first official half-marathon, as I’ll be celebrating my 17th birthday.”
Happy Birthday Phoebe.
Widening Worlds
Today is National Philanthropy Day and an opportunity to shine the light on the work of our amazing Foundation.
For more than a hundred years, the LWC Foundation has been supporting children who have lost the support of one or both parents. It continues the culture of giving, on which the College was built.
Our latest Impact Report is proof that together, we are widening worlds and continuing to make a difference to people like Sarah and her family…
“My darling husband, best friend and father to our three children died suddenly, tragically and horrifically in 2013. The children at the time were aged 9, 8 and 6….The impact of his death is indescribable and something I struggle to comprehend to this day.
His death led to my application for and subsequent awards of Foundation places for the children at Lord Wandsworth College…What impact has all this had for me?…My thoughts take me to the main Blomfield Gates. Each Sunday night for the last nine years, I’ve driven through those gates….Each time I see them, I have the same feelings of safety, security and gratitude. Knowing the children are safe and secure brings me peace, quiet and calmness of mind.”
LWC relies upon the generosity of our community to be able to open our doors as wide as possible. We thank you for your ongoing support.
You can read more about the work of our transformative Foundation here.
Pitch Perfect
It’s the entry point to the Bath Rugby Academy and the beginning of a journey that can lead to a professional career in the sport.
Now seven of our talented U15 rugby players have progressed to the Bath U15 Player Development Group.
4th Formers Digby, Harry C, Oscar, Laurie, Ollie, Ted and Harry B will now benefit from regular coaching, conditioning and support from Bath Academy Staff.
LWC Head of Rugby, Lewis Starbuck added, “It’s a fantastic achievement for the boys to get into the Bath PDG. They have worked extremely hard this year out on the pitch and this is a testament to that. I look forward to watching them represent Bath here at LWC on Sunday 8th December.”
In Harmony…
The Nadine Uppal Theatre was filled with the sounds of a talented LWC Music Department in Concert last night.
The event showcased the skills of our peripatetic music staff, teachers and students in a night which brought together a range of genres from chamber music to contemporary pieces.
Next up in Performing Arts is our student-led Cabaret Evening next Thursday (21st November) in The Gavin Hall, featuring a variety of performances across Music, Drama and Dance.
Tickets are available here.
Sixth Form Shines
The LWC Sixth Form has a strong reputation for offering students the opportunity to shine…
Yesterday a delegation of Lower Sixth Formers were able to put their leadership skills into practice at a Young Pastoral Leaders Event, hosted by Seaford College.
Members of the Mental Health Committee presented on LWC leadership initiatives before taking part in networking tasks and scenario-based discussions to hone their leadership skills.
Director of Pupil Wellbeing and Head of PSHEE, Kirsty Jackman added, “The aim of the event was to enable our young leaders to share good practice and network with other Sixth Form leaders. It was a great opportunity to share the excellent leadership opportunities we have here. Our character education programme enables so many of our Sixth Formers to lead within our prefect teams and committees. Our Lower Sixth representatives are looking forward to sharing what they’ve learned.”
Festiv-ale
There’s now less than a month to go before our Carols and Christmas Market on Thursday 12th December. If you haven’t yet got tickets for this special night (which is pre-bookable only), you can find them here.
The carols will be accompanied by bowls of hot, steaming food and festive drinks. Then you can browse for some unique gifts at more than 40 artisan stalls in our Christmas Market.
Each week in the run-up to the event, we’ll focus on one of the local stallholders who’ll be with us on the night. This week, the spotlight is on Jenny and Rod Edbrooke from Basingstoke’s Longdog Brewery.
The couple took over the business in 2019 after a change of career from countryside management. Since then, they’ve won numerous awards for their ales. They cite their Golden Poacher as the bestseller, but also produce a strong, dark Ruby Mild for Christmas.
Jenny told us, “We’re looking forward to joining the LWC community to celebrate Christmas 2024 and will be offering our full range of ales in beautiful sets.”
For more information, visit longdogbrewery.co.uk
Varsity Weekend
Out of the anticyclonic mist of last weekend, there emerged a sporting spectacle in the form of LWC’s inaugural Varsity Weekend.
The College competed in a series of girls hockey and boys rugby fixtures against rivals, Pangbourne; including an atmospheric ‘Friday Night Lights’ match featuring the Girls 1st Xl U18 Hockey team.
LWC Director of Sport, Soma Singh reflected,“The quality of sport and the manner in which the games were played was really the highlight for me. Both schools were inventive, exciting and competitive on the pitch whilst maintaining a strong sense of sportsmanship. The crowd made the atmosphere electric and we look forward to this becoming a regular feature of the sporting calendar.”
Feeling Frantic…
Our 4th Form GCSE Drama students didn’t hold back for the visit of the Frantic Assembly Theatre Company this week.
The organisation has a reputation for making brave and bold theatre; for telling stories that we don’t always hear and finding talent in places we don’t always look.
4th Form were able to learn about the techniques used to devise work which has gone on to tour the UK and beyond.
Frantic uses movement and physical theatre and our students fantastically executed some tricky lifts and routines.
Into Another Dimension
Picture the scenario: You need to come up with a detailed design for a space settlement and present it to a panel of judges from the space industry, academia and business.
At stake? Ultimately, a place in the International Space Settlement Design Competition at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre.
This weekend, a team of LWC students will head to Oxford to take part in the UK Space Design Competition. The challenge brings together science, engineering and business and is designed to simulate life within industry. The winning teams from the regional heats will participate in the national final at Imperial College London….before the prospect of crossing the Atlantic.
LWC’s Dr Esther Haydock said, “The competition is a great opportunity to work with students from other schools, extending their knowledge beyond the classroom and learning about possible careers in the space industry.”
Good luck LWC!
Gathering in Numbers
Work in Finance?
Then how about meeting up with others within the LWC community who also work in your industry?
LWC Connect is hosting a Finance Networking Breakfast in our Zanetas Sixth Form Centre on Thursday 5th December between 7.45 and 9am.
Also invited are our curious Sixth Formers who are interested in a career in finance. These events are always rewarding for everyone taking part.
The event is free but requires you to register.
As an LWC parent, you can join LWC Connect and sign-up for the event here.
Nurturing the 1200
It’s no mean feat keeping the 1200 looking as spectacular as it does all year round.
That’s why this week, we thought we’d turn the camera on our fantastic Grounds Team, who are out in all weathers making magic happen on campus.
If you have a great photo of the 1200, we’d love to see it via stories@lordwandsworth.org.
Navigating the Tricky Teenage Years
No-one quite prepares you for parenting a teenager.
Beyond the occasional door-slam and the inevitable bedroom health hazards, there can be a struggle to continue the connection with our adolescents.
In the next of our Parental Engagement Webinars, therapist and parenting coach, Alicia Drummond will work to rectify this.
“During adolescence, teenagers are programmed to spend more time with their peers and they’re programmed to start to separate from us,” she explains. That doesn’t mean they want to be disconnected. But they have to create a bit of space, otherwise they’re not going to be able to leave home when they’re older.” She goes on to reveal that it’s our response to this as parents, which often dictates what happens next.
“Some people can’t handle this change and end up clinging on too tightly. Really, you should aim to become a dolphin, swimming alongside your children, occasionally giving them a nudge in the right direction, but trying to get them to take more and more control.”
Sometimes, parents can try to take a different approach again, which can be equally as damaging. “The other mistake we make is trying to be their friend,” she says. “That’s not what teenagers need. Best friends tell you what you want to hear and that’s what peers are for. If you start doing that as a parent, you cross too many lines and you’ll struggle to have those boundaries.”
On Tuesday (19th November) Alicia will tackle the difficult issues of Parenting Teenagers; Relationships and Pornography; Including Consent. She’s a strong advocate for having healthy conversations with our children about relationships, sooner rather than later.
“If you’re not talking to your children about this, they’re going to be looking for information elsewhere and there are a lot of places we’d really rather they didn’t get the information from. Things have changed since we were young and they need our input,” she says.
LWC parents can learn how to make the most of these extraordinary relationships, by signing up for Alicia’s Parental Engagement Webinar on Tuesday, 19th November between 7-8.30pm here.
Love Your Netball?
Odiham Netball Club are looking for confident players to join them.
They train at LWC every Thursday night and currently have four teams competing in the Basingstoke Netball League.
They are holding trials on the 21st and 28th November.
For more information, email odihamnetballclub@hotmail.com
Key Dates
Mark Spray Exhibition – The Long Silences, Prideaux Gallery
Continues until Saturday, 23rd November
Parental Engagement Programme Webinar led by Alicia Drummond: Parenting Teenagers; Relationships, Consent and Porn
7-8.30pm, Tuesday 19th November
Student-Led Cabaret Evening, Gavin Hall
7-9pm, Thursday, 21st November
Exeat Weekend and Non-Uniform Day
Exeat begins from 4pm Friday, 22 November
LWC Connect Finance Networking Breakfast, Zanetas
7.45-9am, Thursday 5th December
Carols and Christmas Market
Thursday, 12th December
End of Autumn Term
Noon, Friday, 13th December