Welcome to LWC News
We’re now just days away from the end of a fantastic year at LWC – much of which will be celebrated at tomorrow’s Speech Day.
The last week or so has seen planning for end-of-year moments, tempered with announcements about what to look forward to from September (including the big reveal about the incoming College musical!)
You can find much of this reflected below.
We’ll look back on Speech Day in a final LWC News, published on Wednesday.
Have a wonderful weekend.
All comments and contributions to LWC News are always welcome via stories@lordwandsworth.org
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News
Speech Day Beckons….
It’s one of the biggest days of the LWC year.
Tomorrow will see the whole school come together for Speech Day.
Later in this edition of LWC News, you can read the thoughts of comedian, broadcaster and author, Andy Zaltzman who will be delivering the address.
For Headmaster, Adam Williams – this is a special time of year.
“I love Speech Day,” he admits. “I love the night before – standing alone in the great marquee at dusk, when the air has that first whisper of chill and there’s not a soul about. It’s just me, a microphone and the echo of lines to be spoken the following day.
“Most of all, I love hearing the pupils on the day – memories told, laughter shared, applause rippling across the grounds. Then there’s that final, fleeting moment – as the Upper Sixth step first from the tent to a standing ovation inside – and the school, for just one heartbeat, is wholly, quietly, magnificently theirs.”
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Upper Sixth Say Goodbye
Speaking of the Upper Sixth….
Hot on the heels of Speech Day and House Picnics tomorrow, will be their opportunity to sign off from LWC in style, with the Leavers’ Ball.
Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Paul Donald has been reflecting on the Upper Sixth Form’s resilience over the course of the last few weeks.
“The Sixth Form team have been hugely impressed with the application and calm confidence that has characterised the Upper Sixth during the examination season,” he explains. “The way they have used the fantastic study spaces in Zanetas has been a credit to them, as they have prepared for the exams that will be the launchpad into the world beyond LWC. We are looking forward to celebrating with them at the Leavers’ Ball and then on results day in August.”
In next week’s final LWC News of the academic year, we’ll hear from some of our fantastic Upper Sixth, as they look back on their time at the College.
Soulful Summer Sounds
Hundreds turned out to enjoy jazz, as the sun went down on a warm summer solstice last weekend.
The Summer Jazz Festival saw performances from talented LWC musicians, alongside the Paul Sykes Big Band and Salon Privé Jazz.
Street food from artisan suppliers and a selection of local beers, wines and spirits were also available, during a memorable evening in special surroundings.
Amazing Athletes
Six athletes from LWC put in incredible performances representing Hampshire in the Inter-County Championships last week.
2nd Former, Tolu ran a personal best time of 12.56 seconds in the 100m, finishing second. This takes her to tenth fastest in the UK as an U14 and 18th fastest as an U15.
3rd Former, Clare also completed a personal best, with a throw of 9.06m in the Shot Put, which claimed her third place.
Fellow 3rd Former, Will ran an amazing 12.03 seconds in the 80m Hurdles.
2nd Former, Tobi and 3rd Former, Joshua also put in stellar efforts, finishing 4th in the Discus and 3rd in the Javelin respectively.
Meanwhile, 3rd Former, George finished sixth, with a time of 25.52 in the 200m as part of his first county event.
LWC has also seen three students qualify for English Schools this year. Congratulations to Ellie, Will and Tobi on this fantastic achievement.
Fantastic Philanthropy
This week’s Outdoor Cinema event concluded a busy year for the LWC Charity Committee.
The screening in the Speech Day Marquee was accompanied by the sale of snacks to raise money for the charity Honeypot, which supports young carers.
Throughout the year, the committee has so far raised £5457.16 for their chosen charity. This has been achieved through activities including non-uniform days and tombolas. They’ve also amassed nearly £2000 more for Bullies Out and ECAT.
“Everyone at Honeypot is so grateful for the support of Lord Wandsworth College this year,” explained Honeypot’s Community Engagement Manager, Viv Carter.
“The experiences that young carers have at Honeypot – creating happy childhood memories – will stay with them for the rest of their lives and help them to build brighter futures. Thanks to every LWC pupil, staff and parent who has donated this year.”
Technicolour Madness!
From one event run by our Sixth Form Prefects, to another…
This afternoon sees our Pride Week Colour Run starting on Sutton Field, looping through the woods on a 3km route and finishing back where it began.
“The aim of the event is to bring pupils together in the last few days of term, whilst celebrating Pride Month,” explained Lower Sixth Former, Freddie who has been part of the team organising the run.
“We thought that a fun and memorable way to end the term would be to cover everyone in coloured powder! We know this has been a successful event in the past. We hope it will bring people together to celebrate Pride and the end of a great school year. We also hope that it’s something fun to look back on.”
The event starts at 4pm today (Friday, 27th June).
The Show Must Go On…..
After the sell-out success of LWC’s Bugsy Malone at The Haymarket in Basingtoke this year..
The next show to grace the stage has been announced by the LWC Performing Arts Department.
At a whole school assembly this morning, it was revealed that The Wizard of Oz is to be the College musical next year.
Head of Performing Arts, Gemma Reeks explained, “It’s a classic! Full of colour and wonderful characters, with some amazing songs that will stick in your head forever! Perfect for LWC.”
Auditions will take place in early September.
Coastal Adventures
The last week has seen LWC students scattered all over the place on trips designed to enrich their learning.
Lower Sixth Form Biologists found themselves in South Wales on a three-day trip, analysing features of the coastline and collecting data.
“We discussed sand dunes, looked at rare orchids that only grow there and learned how position on the shoreline affects the shape of limpets and the varieties of seaweed found,” revealed Head of Biology, Joanne Mackenzie.
“We had beautiful weather at Bracelet Bay and were able to do some amazing ecology. When it became too hot, we had ice creams and milkshakes overlooking the bay!”
Classicists Head North
At the opposite end of the UK, LWC’s 3rd and 4th Form Classicists were embarking on a different adventure.
They were experiencing the structure designed to guard the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire: Hadrian’s Wall.
The wall stretches 73 miles from coast to coast and our three-night visit saw students based at a brand new youth hostel in Northumberland.
Whilst there, they visited Roman forts and bath houses, as well as the Roman Army Museum.
They also walked part of the wall and discovered more about the famous Sycamore Gap.
French Inspiration
For 4th Form Design and Textiles students, it was a case of swapping a sunny 1200 for a Parisian heatwave.
Their four-day trip to the French capital gave them a creatively immersive experience and an opportunity to explore museums, fashion landmarks and cutting-edge design exhibitions.
The aim was to inspire students to come up with fresh ideas for portfolio work and exam preparation during the year ahead.
Geographers in the Field
It was the turn of LWC’s Lower Sixth Form Geographers to head to the Nettlecombe Field Studies Centre in Somerset this week.
Following the success of the 4th Form trip last month, our Sixth Formers were given the opportunity to study river channels and coastal management in this picturesque West Country setting.
The three day residential saw fieldwork run in collaboration with the Field Studies Council and aimed to support A-level studies by bringing the subject to life outside the classroom.
Creative Chemistry
LWC’s Lower Sixth Chemists swapped College classrooms for university labs, with a trip to the Chemistry Department at the University of Southampton.
LWC’s Head of Chemistry, Vince Murtagh revealed, “This trip offered a fantastic opportunity for our Lower Sixth students to broaden their learning outside of the classroom, to improve practical skills and experience life and studying at university. They were able to extract trimyristin from nutmeg; a rewarding experiment which involved using a range of practical and analytical techniques, in the setting of an undergraduate chemistry lab.”
Reaping the Rewards
They’ve worked hard all year…
Students from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Lower Sixth Form with the highest average AToLs and the highest rises between September and May were treated to a day at Thorpe Park last week.
“It was a warm day, but not unpleasantly so,” admitted Nicole Jinadasa, who led the trip.
“For some, it was their first experience of a roller coaster and they had a blast! We had 50 students from across all Houses. They were all proud of their achievements and thrilled to have been invited along.”
Sternian Saturday
It’s a chance to reunite in some gloriously familiar surroundings…
More than 180 Sternians and their families returned to LWC for last weekend’s Sternian Saturday; our flagship annual reunion.
The LWC Motoring Society was on hand, showcasing some prestigious vehicles as part of their popular Cars and Coffee Event.
There was the chance to rekindle memories of time spent in the 1200, with tours of the College, all rounded off with Charlotte’s somewhat legendary LWC Afternoon Tea.
LWC Alumni Manager, Clare Faherty added, “Some alumni returned to LWC for the first time in more than 50 years, whilst others had travelled from as far afield as New Zealand, Hong Kong and Thailand! No matter the distance or time passed, the warmth and camaraderie were unmistakable. It was as though some had never been apart.”
Every LWC student automatically becomes part of the Sternian community upon leaving school at 18. It’s a lifelong connection and offers invaluable opportunities for support beyond LWC.
Curtain Down
One Sternian has had quite the few weeks.
Max Lilley completes his run in the Royal Ballet’s adaptation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at The Royal Opera House tomorrow night.
“The shows have been amazing and it’s been great to watch it all come together,” he reveals.
“One of the highlights has been seeing and talking to the dancers that I’ve grown up watching. I get to dance with them on a daily basis and chat to them about how they got there.”
Max has been playing the role of a guard in Christopher Wheeldon’s take on the Lewis Carroll classic. He now plans to take a course with the English National Ballet to help enable the transition from education into professional dancing.
Soaring High
Whilst the 1200 was a hive of activity last Saturday, LWC’s CCF Air Cadets were literally rising above it.
They took to the skies in the RAF Air Cadets’ Viking Gliders.
Taking off from RAF Little Rissington, their trip formed part of the Longest Day gliding project. This saw the Gliding School trying to fly cadets from across the country, from first light to last light on the longest day.
CCF Contingent Commander, Alex Hamilton added, “We had an excellent experience and the cadets learned a lot about how the glider works before flying a circuit with the pilot.”
Page Turners
LWC 2nd Formers have been having their say on the shortlist for the Hampshire Book Awards.
A judging panel (fuelled by jam doughnuts and flapjack) met to discuss the six shortlisted titles last week, alongside Library Assistant, Helen Komrower.
“We discussed the themes, structures, styles and characters of each book,” Mrs Komrower explained. “Some books provoked very different opinions, but all agreed emphatically on the overall winner.”
The judges were asked to rate each book out of ten for enjoyment, enrichment and engagement.
The overall school winner was King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore. This decision is part of the process to determine an overall county winner.
There will be two copies of each of the shortlisted books available to borrow in the new look LWC Library, when it reopens in a new location in September.
Performance Poetry
LWC’s 1st Form have been battling it out with prose this week.
Each student was asked to select and perform a poem from the website of Poetry by Heart (a national poetry speaking competition). The best two were then selected by each class to compete against the rest of the Form.
Teacher of English, Thelma Naidoo explained, “Inspiring a love of literature is core to our beliefs. Our Poetry by Heart Competition encourages 1st and 2nd Form pupils to achieve this through the performance of a poem of their choice. By inhabiting the poem, pupils bring it to life: the rhythm, rhyme, humour and pathos shine through. It is demanding, but profoundly rewarding!”
Summer Stories
Once term ends at LWC next Wednesday, the summer beckons.
We would love to hear about the adventures of the LWC community, beyond the Acorn Gates.
If you have news and achievements to share over the next few months, please let us know via stories@lordwandsworth.org and we can share the highlights in September!
Don’t Forget
As you brace yourself to size up for the new school year, we’ll gratefully take any preloved uniform in good condition.
The LWC Second Hand Uniform Shop sells new-style uniform in aid of the LWC Foundation and we are always looking out for donations.
Please hand any uniform you no longer need, in clean condition, to Main Reception.
Thank you.
We’re Going on a Head Hunt
The LWC Admissions Team runs numerous events throughout the year, designed to get new students used to life in the 1200.
This week, we were joined by a cohort set to start at LWC in 2027 and we took them to the woods for a chance to get to know each other.
This picture was captured by our ever-adventurous Headmaster, as he joined them on their journey….
If you have a photo of the 1200 that you would be happy to share, please send it to stories@lordwandsworth.org
Andy Zaltzman Comes to LWC
Andy Zaltzman has few enduring memories of his own speech days.
“I remember them being quite dry affairs,” he reveals. “There were copies of leather-bound Dickens novels handed out, but I don’t ever remember there being guest speakers.”
Tomorrow, Andy (now a renowned stand-up comedian, broadcaster, author and cricket statistician) will address the LWC community at Speech Day 2025 and there won’t be a leather-bound Victorian novel in sight.
“I’m really looking forward to coming to LWC,” he admits.
Conscious of his audience, Andy ponders the advice that he would give himself, were he sitting in the Speech Day Marquee tomorrow, contemplating what lies ahead.
“If I could tell my 18-year-old self anything,” he muses, “it would be to find a working life that you’re passionate about. School is the place where you’re able to try a variety of different things and discover what it is that you most enjoy.”
Andy’s own working life is nothing but varied. As the chair of BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, host of satirical podcast, The Bugle, winner of Channel 4’s Taskmaster and having recently completed his biggest stand-up tour to date, he certainly knows how to keep things exciting.
You can read more about him, ahead of his visit to the 1200 here.
Summer Entertainment Required?
Next Level Camps are back at LWC over the summer.
Daily activities for 4-14year-olds will be offered from Monday, 21st July until Friday, 22nd August.
There are a range of childcare options available, with a 20 per cent discount offered for members of the LWC community who quote the code LWC15.
Bookings are being taken here.
Activate Camps
If the thought of spending time playing cricket, football or hockey appeals to your child, there are a number of summer camp options available from Activate.
Please head to their website for full details of the sessions being offered throughout August at LWC, for children up to the age of 16.
You can book as few or as many days as you want to.
Guidance on how to book can also be found there.
Action on Court
For tennis players, 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
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
The Beckwith
Saturday, 6th September
Esprimo Vocal Consort Evening Concert, Nadine Uppal Theatre
7pm, Friday, 12th September
Abbas One Drum High Life Band Performance, Nadine Uppal Theatre
7pm, Thursday 18th September
Non-Uniform Day
Friday, 26th September
Exeat Weekend
4pm, Friday 26th September