Welcome to LWC News
With temperatures hitting 30 degrees, the 1200 has looked stunning, bathed in sunshine this week.
For our hard-working 5th Form and Upper Sixth, the opportunity to truly enjoy the weather has finally arrived, with the end of public exams today.
There is now just over a week to go until the end of term and still so much to look forward to – as you’ll see below….
All 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 ScheduleHere’s a guide to required kit per sport:
LWC SPORTS KIT LIST
News
Exams are Over!
It’s been 39 days since it first began…
But exam season is officially over at LWC, with the final test having taken place this morning.
In total, 259 candidates have been responsible for 1430 qualification entries, across 56 different qualifications.
They’ve produced 3022 exam papers in 226 hours.
We think that calls for a well-earned rest for all involved.
On a Personal Note…
Head of 5th Form, Nicole Jinadasa has a few words of praise for her year group, now they’ve come to the end of their GCSEs.
“I’m immensely proud of the way you’ve conducted yourselves during this intense period. Your professionalism, calm and determination have been exemplary.
“I was especially pleased to see so many of you attending clinics and lessons once you were on study leave. After half-term, it’s all too easy to ease off – but not you. You continued to push yourselves, demonstrating real commitment and maturity.
“It has been my great pleasure to work with each of you this year. I have watched you grow, blossom and become the very best versions of yourselves.
“Your hard work, positivity and determination have inspired me every single day.”
The Heart of the House
To mark the Boarding Schools’ Association’s National Boarding Week, we’ve been shining the light on the work of LWC’s team of extraordinary Matrons.
Our Houseparents have been reflecting on the pivotal role they play across each of the College’s eight Houses.
“Matrons handle a huge amount behind the scenes, whilst also being some of the most emotionally intelligent people in the House,” revealed Sutton Houseparent, Louis Yates. “Quite simply, they help me do my job better and the House is a better place because they’re in it.”
“Matrons are the lungs of a boarding house,” agrees Park Houseparent, Holly Hunter-Wright. “They breathe life into the space and create a home within the school setting, which we all look forward to stepping into every day.”
You can read more about the crucial role of our Matrons here.
Rewarding Resilience
The Devizes to Westminster is the world’s longest non-stop canoe race.
Last weekend, more than 150 guests descended on the 1200 to see the trophies and awards handed out for this national endurance event.
LWC was strongly represented, having finished second out of all schools competing, with a host of individual crew awards in the junior race.
Paddle UK’s Alan Laws MBE and GB paracanoeist, Jack Eyres were guest speakers at the prize-giving. “Being on the water has always made me tick,” reflected Eyres. “I tried sports like wheelchair basketball, but the pull of the outdoors and the elements was too strong.”
LWC’s Graham Mobbs admitted, “Once again, LWC played a pivotal role in supporting the race. The DW continues to be a major focus for many of our young athletes and this year we were as competitive as ever. As we look ahead to the next chapter, we’re excited to welcome the new cohort of paddlers this September. They will embrace the dedication it demands – long, wet and windy training sessions two to three times a week, early morning gym sessions and the unwavering commitment that only this unique journey can inspire.”
Juniors Rock LWC
The talented musicians of Junior House blew their audience away last week, with the Junior Concert.
A programme of solo and chamber performances showcased the variety of music-making at LWC.
“There was a huge range of performances,” explained LWC’s Musician-in-Residence, Max Rhodes. “With solos on all instruments of the orchestra, as well as more contemporary pieces on guitar, piano and vocals. Genres ranged from classical to TV themes and pop to musical theatre.
“This was an amazing opportunity for the Juniors. Being able to perform alongside your peers is an excellent way to learn and grow as a musician. It’s also great for morale and motivation amongst our youngest years.”
Summer Jazz Incoming
Fancy making the most of this weekend’s glorious weather?
There’s still time to book tickets for tomorrow night’s Summer Jazz Festival here.
Enjoy performances from Salon Privé Jazz and the Paul Sykes Big Band, alongside some of our very own, extraordinary student musicians.
There’ll be street food available to purchase from artisan vendors and a selection of beers, wines and spirits from local suppliers.
Tickets are priced at £20. Doors open at 6pm, with music starting at 7.
You can learn more about those performing below.
Super Strokes
We have a new swimming medallist in our ranks.
LWC’s Head of Psychology, Lottie Howes swapped the classroom for the pool last weekend, to take part in the British Long Course Masters Championships at the London Aquatics Centre (which hosted the Olympic and Paralympic swimming events in 2012).
Lottie won silver as part of the 4x50m women’s medley relay team, along with two individual medals; silver in the 200m Breaststroke and bronze in the 100m Breaststroke (achieving personal bests in both to boot!).
An incredible achievement.
Top Track Performances
In Athletics, there was success for LWC in the Hampshire Schools’ Athletics Association County Championships last weekend.
Competing for the District, our combination of 2nd and 3rd Formers put in an excellent performance.
Tobi won the Discus event with a personal best throw. Tolu finished 2nd in the 100m Final, with George also coming 2nd in the 200m Final.
Clare placed 2nd in the Shot Put and Will finished 3rd in the 80m Hurdles Final.
Nala claimed 4th spot in the Javelin and Monty took 5th in the High Jump.
A Moment in Time
Last week we brought you news of how the History Department’s half-term trip to the WW1 battlefields of France and Belgium shed some light on a family story for one of our 3rd Formers.
Holly discovered a grave belonging to one of her relatives and the name of another family member on a memorial.
Now, that same trip has produced awards for those who were able to capture some spectacular images from it.
Congratulations to Mya, who won the Nature Category in the History Photography Competition and also to Leo for winning the Remembrance Category.
Both have received Amazon vouchers as prizes.
Albie Heads to Parliament
2nd Former, Albie has had a busy year…
Not content with having starred alongside Tom Hanks in the film, Here, he’s now made his way to Parliament.
Albie was invited to put the case forward for there to be more drama in UK schools, as part of his role as the youngest member of the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation Youth Board.
CSSF is a cultural education charity which aims to transform lives with the power of Shakespeare.
Scholars on the Small Screen
LWC’s Drama Scholars may have had plenty of practice on stage, but acting on screen is a very different proposition.
This week, actor, Ellen O’Grady led an Acting for TV Workshop for scholars, in the Nadine Uppal Theatre.
Ellen has appeared in Disney’s 2017 version of Beauty and the Beast, along with Doctors and Goodnight Sweetheart on the small screen.
Head of Performing Arts, Gemma Reeks explained, “The aim was to offer the scholars a glimpse into what ‘TV acting’ might look like in the wider world of work (including tips for audition). Ellen spoke about the difference between the performance skills needed for this and stage acting.”
A Different Kind of Streaming
LWC’s Environmental Scientists have been putting one of our local chalk streams to the test.
They’ve been examining a section of the River Whitewater in Hook for nitrate and phosphate concentrations, oxygen saturation, water hardness , pH, metal pollution and bacteria.
Teacher of Environmental Science, Jo MacKenzie explained, “There are around 260 chalk streams in the world, with the majority located in the UK (primarily in Southern and Eastern England.) These streams are globally rare, with many supporting endangered species; making them similar to tropical rainforests in terms of habitat value.”
Island Achievement
A second cohort of LWC 4th Form students aiming to complete their bronze DofE Award, have returned from their final qualifying expedition on the Isle of Wight.
More than 30 made their way to the Island as part of the award last weekend.
DofE lead, Richard Lovell explained, “This was the final test for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award students. The expedition needed the groups to use the skills that they had learned over the past few months.”
Great Chemistry
LWC’s Chemists have been put through their paces as part of the Schools’ Analyst Competition; a joint venture run by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Northumbria University.
Lower Sixth Form teams were invited to compete against each other in a series of analytical challenges.
The winning team consisted of Millie and Phoebe, who have now received certificates for their efforts.
A Glimpse of University Life
The entire Lower Sixth Form headed west last week, to experience the University of Bristol’s Open Day.
“The trip was part of our continued efforts to support students in making well-informed decisions about their future,” explained LWC’s Head of Futures, Nicola Hirst.
“Attending a university open day provides a valuable opportunity to explore a campus, attend subject talks, speak with current students and gain an insight into other learning environments.”
Sage Words from our Sternians
Meanwhile, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
One of the many advantages of being part of the LWC community, is being able to benefit from the experience of those who have gone before us.
This week, a panel of young Sternians came back to talk to our Lower Sixth about the lessons they’ve learned during the transition to a life beyond LWC.
They are all now at different stages of their university journeys and were able to offer insights into what they learned when considering progression options.
The visit concludes a six-week programme of events and talks exploring the UCAS process and next steps for students.
Junior Cricket Festival
Sparking a love of cricket is one of the aims of this weekend’s Junior Cricket Festival.
Tomorrow’s event for our female cricketers will see our U12 and U13s pitched against visitors from St John’s School in Leatherhead and Portsmouth Grammar School.
“We want to get lots of girls playing cricket, having fun and being enthused for the game,” explains LWC’s Head of Cricket, Greg Kennis.
“I believe it’s vitally important to get all age groups involved in events that are fun and inclusive. The younger we can get students involved, the earlier they can start developing what we hope will become a lifelong passion for the game.”
The festival gets underway at 9.30am tomorrow (Saturday, 21st June) at LWC.
A Glorious Summer’s Evening
LWC welcomed hundreds to this week’s sell-out Open Evening.
The opportunity to explore the 1200, meet students and staff, enjoy some exceptional performances and hear from keynote speakers was a huge success.
“We were delighted to welcome so many families, keen to explore the possibility of an LWC education,” explained LWC Admissions Manager, Tory Morris. “It was a wonderful evening, with students and staff warmly showcasing what we have to offer.”
There are opportunities for interested families to visit the College throughout the year. You can find our programme of Open Events here.
Out of the Comfort Zone
2nd Form head to the Lake District on Sunday for a unique few days…
LWC is the only school to partner with WAKTU for a camp of this kind; a company that works with elite athletes and sports teams to unlock potential and drive performance.
Students will camp near Ambleside – taking part in a series of activities including abseiling, river scrambling and mountain walking. There will also be inspirational lectures and team building activities.
The trip is part of LWC’s Character Education Programme and aims to build confidence in navigating uncertainty.
Definition of Character
We talk a lot about character at LWC…
Whilst leading a recent CCF exercise at Bramley Army Training Camp, Assistant Deputy Head of Character, Claire Liggins believes she stumbled across it in abundance.
You can read her blog here, on the LWC website.
Gargantuan Golfing Challenge
LWC parent, Tim Winkworth spent yesterday playing a lot of golf.
Not particularly newsworthy, until you learn that he was attempting to play the course at Alton Golf Club more than 11 times in one day.
Tim, together with two other members of the club, beat the previous record of 103 holes and finished on 104. They started at 3.30am with illuminated golf balls and finished at 9.30pm, with some strong support from Alton GC throughout.
The challenge saw them cover more than 29 miles in their bid to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.
“Each of us has lost male friends too early to prostate cancer,” explained Tim. “Men are poor at seeing doctors and now checks for prostate cancer are simple, but it’s an awareness thing.”
You can still donate to Big Golf Race fundraising page here.
News from our parent community is always welcome. If you have something to shout about, please get in touch via stories@lordwandsworth.org
Clearing Out?
It’s that time of year again….
If you’re looking to get rid of any preloved school uniform as you prepare to size-up for the next academic year, we would love to take it off your hands.
Donations for the LWC Second Hand Uniform Shop are accepted all year round.
Please hand any new-style, used uniform in good, clean condition to Main Reception.
Proceeds from the sale of the uniform will go directly to the LWC Foundation.
Tell us your Summer Stories!
Life at LWC doesn’t stop at the end of summer term.
We would love to hear about the adventures of the LWC community, away from the 1200.
If you have news and achievements to share over the summer months, please let us know via stories@lordwandsworth.org and we can share the highlights in September!
Summer Stripes
LWC’s manicured lawns have never looked sharper…
But have you ever wondered how the alternating light and dark stripes are achieved?
The effect is created by bending grass blades in opposite directions (with the help of a roller), causing them to reflect light differently and create the stripes.
If you have a photo of the 1200 that you’d like to share, we’d love to see it via stories@lordwandsworth.org
Sounds of the Summer Solstice
There are worse ways to watch the sun go down on the summer solstice, than surrounded by timeless jazz classics in LWC’s 1200 acres.
Tomorrow night, two bands at different points in their musical careers, take to the stage for our inaugural Summer Jazz Festival.
“We had a wonderful time performing at LWC’s National Garden Scheme Open Garden Event in April,” admits Dom Hall from London-based trio, Salon Privé Jazz. “It was a real pleasure to see the beautiful gardens of the school and we’re very much looking forward to coming back.”
Salon Privé are among the new wave of jazz aficionados; musicians keen to make their mark on the timeless jazz scene, with their fresh take on the genre.
“The three of us met whilst studying jazz in London,” continues Dom. “I was at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, whilst Toby (bass) and Immy (vocals) were at the Royal Academy of Music. We play the classic tunes from the Great American Songbook. Our sound is sophisticated, swinging and full of romance!”
Sharing the stage alongside Salon Privé, will be the experienced and revered, Paul Sykes Big Band. Paul combines his bandleader lifestyle with peripatetic music teaching at LWC. The opportunity to perform alongside some of the College’s talented student musicians at the festival is something that Paul is keen to do. “It will be a pleasure to feature alongside so many of the talented pupils here in such a lovely venue,” he admits.
Festivalgoers are invited to pull up a picnic rug and enjoy a night of chilled-out tunes, surrounded by the glorious LWC setting.
There will be artisan street food available to purchase from a variety of vendors and a selection of beers, wines and spirits from local suppliers.
Tickets are available via the LWC Box Office and you can read the stories of those performing here.
Summer Camps
If you’re looking for ways to keep children entertained over the summer, Next Level Camps may have the solution.
They return to LWC from Monday, 14th July until Friday, 22nd August, offering activities for 4 to 13-year-olds.
There are a range of childcare options available, with a 15 per cent discount for members of the LWC community quoting the code TME308.
Bookings are being taken here.
Calling Tennis Fans
If tennis is more your thing, William May-Miller Coaching is running a Tennis Camp for 4 to 10 and 10 to 16-year-olds at LWC in July and August.
The camps are running from 12-3pm on Monday, July 14th to Thursday, July 17th and Monday, August 11th until Friday, August 15th at the Bramley Tennis Courts, Sutton Hall.
All abilities are welcome.
You can find out more and book here.
Key Dates
Sternian Saturday, LWC
Saturday, 21st June
Summer Jazz Festival, LWC
6pm, Saturday, 21st June
Speech Day, LWC
10am, Saturday, 28th June
End of Summer Term
Noon, Wednesday, 2nd July
A-level Results Day
Thursday, 14th August
GCSE Results Day
Thursday, 21st August
Preseason Training
Friday, 29th August
Boarders/New Pupils Return
Wednesday, 3rd September
Pupil Welcome (All Year Groups)
Thursday, 4th September
Lessons Begin
Friday, 5th September