Welcome to LWC News
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Exeat Weekend is upon us and this week’s LWC News reflects the hard work that’s been put in over the course of months and even years, let alone the last three weeks.
Below, you can see what happened when more than 70 talented cast and crew put on a show to remember at Basingstoke’s Haymarket Theatre.
There’s been recognition for those striving further in iGCSE English Language, sport and national academic competitions.
And you can read about the wider members of the LWC community, passing on the advice they have learned from decades of success in business.
Have a restful Exeat, you’ve earned it. We look forward to seeing you on the other side.
Contributions and comments to LWC News are always welcome. Please email 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 ScheduleHere’s a guide to required kit per sport:
LWC SPORTS KIT LIST
News
‘So…..this is show business…’
LWC brought Basingstoke’s Haymarket Theatre to gangster-filled, splurge gun-toting life this week with an exceptional production of Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone.
Hundreds of hours of planning, rehearsals, costume and set creation culminated in three magical performances on Wednesday and Thursday.
A team of LWC student reviewers have been giving us their take:
Upper Sixth Former, Max writes: “The closing song of Bugsy Malone is called ‘You Give a Little Love’ (and it all comes back to you)… the effort, energy and enthusiasm that the whole cast and crew put in, meant that it certainly came back to them. This production of Bugsy was laughs from start to finish, with a phenomenal soundtrack to go with it.”
3rd Former, Hari added, “Bugsy was excellently executed….It was a beautiful subversion of expectations. The play continued with bright and shiny songs like ‘Bad Guys’, whilst ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Down and Out’ illustrated the harsh reality of the streets. An excellent combination of mystery and dramatic irony.”
You can purchase photos from the show here.
LWC Celebrates iGCSE Success
Our fantastic 5th Form have earned LWC some of its best ever iGCSE English Language results.
132 students collected their marks yesterday, with 70 per cent achieving a grade 7-9, 55 per cent receiving an 8 or 9 and 30 per cent being awarded the highest grade of 9.
Head of English, Chris Radmann said, “We are thrilled with the many outstanding results achieved by our pupils! To witness the happy faces and high-fives as results envelopes were opened was a real tonic. For many, this will be the trigger to inspire further revision and academic focus in all subjects as we prepare for the big summer exam season.”
Sustainability Goals Receive High Praise
Ideas on limiting waste, reducing the plastic we use and making fashion more sustainable have earned Upper Sixth Former, Will a prestigious national commendation.
His was one of 14 entries that were highly commended in the School Essay Competition, run by the Royal Geographical Society and The Sunday Times.
The challenge was open to students aged 16-18 who study Geography and posed the question: Drawing on information from your daily life, what sustainability action points would you prioritise?
Will explained, “I decided to enter to add a unique selling point to my university personal statement, which helped me to achieve a full house of offers to study Geography. The news that I had won took me by surprise to be honest! I’d completed the essay four months before, during the summer holidays but I was very happy when I found out. It feels like a step in the right direction and I’ve definitely gained a lot of skills I can take with me into university life.”
The judges commented on the exceptionally high standard of entries.
Well done Will….What an achievement.
Going the Distance
Cross-country running in January isn’t for the faint hearted…
3rd Former, Pippa is now the proud owner of a Hampshire vest, having finished 12th at the Hampshire Schools Cross-County Championships in Aldershot last weekend.
LWC’s Head of Athletics, Ben Hazell added, “Pippa finished as the 2nd fastest athlete for the Aldershot District Under 15 Junior team. This means that she’ll now go on to represent Hampshire at the Inter-Counties in a couple of weeks.”
An amazing achievement for Pippa, alongside Roan, Pip and Ale who also competed.
Learning from a Master
He describes his piano performances as being a ‘little like meditating.’
Next Friday (31st January), internationally celebrated pianist, James Lisney will be at LWC to coach our student pianists, before performing an evening recital in the Nadine Uppal Theatre.
Mr Lisney explained, “I consider the workshop sessions to be a class for mastery, where ideas are challenged and enhanced. Everyone is involved, rather than just the person at the piano. I intend the sessions to be entertaining and full of music and stories.” The Piano Masterclass is open to all members of the LWC community and takes place between 4 and 6pm.
A few hours later from 7pm, James will perform a programme of Schubert, Beethoven and Chopin in the intimate setting of the NU Theatre.
“More and more, I see performing as a satisfying musical project,” he reveals. “Studying the history of the music and the period in which it was composed. I find memorising and refining my pianistic abilities completely fascinating, a little like meditating.”
Tickets for both the Piano Masterclass and the Evening Recital with James Lisney are available here.
Business Brains
Lower Sixth Form BTEC Enterprise and A-Level Business and Economics students were given a glimpse behind the curtain this week, by two high-profile members of the LWC community.
Co-Creator of what3words and former LWC parent, Richard Lewis gave pupils an insight into the real world of business; exploring pathways to success, identifying barriers and looking at the future impact and benefits of AI.
Meanwhile, Shelley Lawson, Sternian and Co-Founder of Frog Bikes spoke to BTEC Enterprise students about her own experience of entrepreneurship.
Head of Business, Economics and Enterprise at LWC, Anna Berney explained, “Having Shelley, a real-life entrepreneur sharing her journey with us, enabled pupils to develop a greater understanding of what it takes to set up and run an enterprise. Richard was able to bring the world of business to life and connect this to the theory that pupils have been learning in class. The conversations allowed students to reflect on their own opportunities and the skills they will need to be happy and successful in their lives.”
Art is Life and Life is Art
Life drawing has been a key component in the training of artists since the Renaissance period.
In fact, drawing the human form has long been considered one of the most difficult artistic challenges.
LWC’s Lower Sixth Form Fine Artists have been embracing the complexities this week, as part of a Life Drawing Workshop, delivered by Lifeline at Long Sutton Hall.
Head of Art, Graham Mobbs explained, “Drawing is more than a medium—it is an intimate dialogue between the self and the world. To be absorbed in the creative process is to embrace a space that is messy, tender, fun and sometimes vulnerable. Life drawing, like perception, evolves with experience, offering insight far beyond technique. It becomes a lens through which both the artist and the observer can see the world—and themselves.”
Making Waves
A night of competition in the pool last week, saw the School House boys win Interhouse Swimming, with Haygate emerging victorious for the girls.
Well done to all who took part.
Home Clothes Day
Thank you, once again, for your generosity on Home Clothes Day today.
All proceeds go to the young carers charity, Honeypot.
Honeypot provides support for children between the ages of 5 and 12 who care for a sick or disabled parent or sibling.
So far this academic year, LWC has helped to raise £4,265 for Honeypot. This money has helped to fund a respite break for six young carers and winter fun books for more than 160.
Viv Carter from Honeypot said, “12% of the young carers that Honeypot supports are 5, 6 or 7 years old. Really little ones helping to look after members of their family and missing out on their childhood. We’re so grateful to LWC for their enthusiasm and energy in supporting Honeypot. You really will help young carers to take a break from looking after someone they love, have fun with friends and create happy childhood memories.”
A Musical Interlude
From the Red Hot Chilli Peppers to Tchaikovsky….
Half an hour of musical nourishment was provided in the Nadine Uppal Theatre last week by our talented LWC musicians.
Rudi, Jack, Amber, Luca and Mariella performed as part of the latest Informal Music Concert.
A Special Relationship
He immersed himself in LWC’s 1200 acres for three weeks as our artist-in-residence last year…
Now celebrated landscape painter, Mark Spray has donated a collection of books to the LWC Library.
The set is a series of poetry anthologies by Longbarrow Press and contains poems by Mark Goodwin who worked with Mr Spray on his artistic collection, The Long Silences.
LWC Library Assistant, Helen Komrower explained, “The donated works explore themes traversing history, landscape and memory. They will now be added to our school collections and shared with our English Department to help challenge and inspire pupils in their own poetry reading and writing. Our thanks go to Mark Spray for these valuable and exciting new resources.”
Giving Day
In two months time, the LWC community will come together to help give our transformational Foundation a huge boost.
For the second time in its history, LWC will host a 36-hour Giving Day.
Fundraising Manager, Kate Boyd explains, “This event is all about raising vital funds to ensure the Foundation continues to thrive and grow. In 2023, the LWC community raised a jaw-dropping £93,436! With so many exciting activities and surprises lined up, this year’s Giving Day will be bigger and better than ever.”
More details will be coming soon on how to get involved.
Picture Perfect
The 1200 provides the perfect place to practice photography skills.
From the sunlight-dappled Sheephouse Copse to the open vista of the rugby pitches.
This week, we wanted to celebrate some of the stunning shots captured by 3rd Former, Izzy during the recent cold snap. They’re breathtakingly beautiful.
If you would like to share some of your favourite pictures of the 1200, we’d love to see them via stories@lordwandsworth.org
“Doing the Right Thing When No-Ones Watching”
LWC’s Head of Sixth Form, Tom Rimmer knows instinctively what he wants people to see when they enter Zanetas.
“Any visiting parent should see what they want their 16-year-old, their 13-year-old, their 11-year-old to become.”
Nearly two years since the Sixth Form Centre was completed as part of a 2.5 million pound project, LWC’s A-level results have become record-breaking. But it’s about so much more than grades, according to the man leading the eldest year groups at the College.
“The definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no-one’s watching,” Mr Rimmer reasons. “I wanted to create an environment where, when no-one was watching, Sixth Form would get out their laptops. I wanted a working environment that felt 21st century. It should feel like a university space and a café was central to that. It was important to have upholstered and not plastic chairs, tables that faced each other. I wanted them to feel comfortable. When visitors come in, they don’t see kids throwing rugby balls around or napping, they see kids either getting on with some work or having a coffee, sitting with each other.”
With nearly 20 per cent of UK Sixth Formers now attending an independent school for their final years of formal education, there’s also a growing need for education providers to take a more holistic approach to education. In short, grades are important but so is mental health.
“Lots of schools talk about shaping personalities,” Mr Rimmer continues. “They talk about realising potential. I think all of that is nonsense. I think the kids have it in them. Schools don’t shape it. I think we’ve just got to give them permission to be the adults they’re trying to become.”
He admits that the definition of success for many LWC Sixth Formers is grades-based, but he’s keen to develop more than a hunger for the top marks.
“It’s about exposing them to as many things as possible,” Mr Rimmer points out. “That means playing in a sports team, being part of a play, boarding occasionally, going to a law or medicine networking event when they don’t know what they want to do. The message the Sixth Formers get from me most often, is inspired by the Theodore Roosevelt quote about the man in the arena. It’s about daring greatly and striving valiantly. That speech is about never being one of the cold and timid souls who never know victory or defeat. You’ve got to be in the arena giving it a go and it’s better to fail than never to try.”
You can read more about Mr Rimmer and his passion for the LWC Sixth Form here.
Know someone interested in becoming part of Sixth Form life at LWC? There’s a Sixth Form Open Morning for those not currently part of the LWC family on Tuesday 4th February at 9.30am. Places can be reserved on our website.
LWC X Oddballs
Fancy standing out from the crowd and pledging your allegiance to LWC?
LWC Oddballs hats are available to purchase for £10, with proceeds going to Oddballs and the LWC Foundation.
You can order here and the cost will be added to your school bill.
Key Dates
Piano Masterclass with James Lisney
4-6pm, Friday 31st January
Piano Recital with James Lisney in the Nadine Uppal Theatre
7-9pm, Friday 31st January
Parental Engagement Programme Seminar: Online Safety and Managing Social Media, Gavin Hall
9.30-11am, Saturday 8th February
LWC Connect Networking Breakfast in Zanetas (Engineering)
7.30-9am, Thursday 13th February
End of Half-Term
4pm, Friday 14th February