Welcome to LWC News
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the first LWC News for the new academic year!
There are 1200 acres of stories at Lord Wandsworth College and every week, you will find a selection of them here.
Alongside these, are the links to our school calendar, LWC sports calendar and our weekly sports schedule.
If you have anything that you would like to see featured here, contributions are very welcome via stories@lordwandsworth.org
We can’t wait to see you at The Beckwith!
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
The Beckwith
Our annual 5k/10k challenge marking the start of the school year gets underway tomorrow (Saturday 7th September) at 10am!
Despite the recent rainfall, we’re ready to welcome you from 8.30am and ask that you arrive via the main College entrance (The Blomfield Gates). Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our marshals, who will direct you to parking via our one-way system. Please allow plenty of time to park.
For those of you who have yet to experience one, The Beckwith brings together students, staff, parents and Sternians for an exciting morning which offers everyone the opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of our College campus.
Not only will you be able to wind through some of the most picturesque parts of the estate, but you’ll be making a huge difference to our transformative Foundation programme. All profits from your registration fee will go towards helping to change the lives of the children we support.
There will be refreshments available to purchase before and after the event and dogs are more than welcome to take part!
If you have yet to sign up, you can do so at our registration tent tomorrow. Please bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. See you there!
Who was Alfred Beckwith?
When Alfred Beckwith walked through the famous Acorn Gates of Lord Wandsworth College on November 20th, 1922, he couldn’t have imagined the future that lay before his new school.
Alfred was LWC’s first pupil. He was given the life-changing opportunity to study here thanks to the Foundation, which, (as it does today) supported children who had lost one or both parents.
We know little about Alfred’s background, aside from the fact that he must have lost his father. However, thanks to LWC archives, we can chart his progress during his time at the College. In July 1923, Colonel Julyan (Lord Wandsworth’s first Warden, now Headmaster) wrote that Alfred was, “A strong, well-built lad, healthy. Had been away from school discipline for a time on coming here and was somewhat indolent. Has made satisfactory progress and has greatly improved in manners and general bearing.” By Christmas of 1923, another Warden’s report revealed that he was greatly improved and, “He is now taking interest in his work and has become quite useful.”
Alfred Beckwith left Lord Wandsworth College in July 1924 to pursue an engineering apprenticeship at Thorneycrofts in Basingstoke. A report written by the Secretary at LWC in October of the same year revealed that the Works Manager at Thorneycrofts believed Alfred was an, “intelligent youth and if he continues in this way, everything will be well.”
Alfred Beckwith’s experience has since been repeated thousands of times through the work of our transformative Foundation. The Beckwith symbolises the enduring spirit of our community and the legacy of learning started back in 1922.
You can find more details on how you can continue to support the work of the Foundation HERE
“Ok fellas, this is our moment… Keep a cool head and those fingers pumpin”
This year’s LWC musical is the brilliant Bugsy Malone.
The gangster comedy tells the story of the rise of Bugsy and the battle for power on the streets of New York.
Auditions for those who have submitted an audition form will take place on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next week in the Nadine Uppal Theatre. Head of Performing Arts at LWC, Gemma Reeks believes that taking part in high-quality productions like Bugsy can widen worlds and tap into some previously undiscovered passions. She says, “Students involved in the musical have a wonderful opportunity to perform at The Haymarket in Basingstoke. They can grow in confidence and develop their skills in musical theatre.”
For those hoping to impress next week, she recommends, “learning your lines to offer a confident performance audition.”
Lord Wandsworth has an excellent reputation for its performing arts. Mrs Reeks is particularly proud of last January’s production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! She added, “It was a real benchmark for the success of a musical theatre production at LWC and has taken our main school production to another level.”
Good luck to everyone auditioning next week!
Need some zen in your life?
Yoga classes are back on for parents and staff every Tuesday and Thursday evening during term time. They take place between 7.30-8.30 in the Nadine Uppal Theatre, beginning this Tuesday (10th).
The classes are suitable for all levels (even those who haven’t dusted off their mats in a while). Class packs are £49 for six sessions, which can be used flexibly across the term. All you need to do is sign up and bring your mat. If you’re not sure, a £12 trial lesson is available for beginners.
For more information, please contact Gemma Reeks at reeksg@lordwandsworth.org
“I share a house with 110 children”
We warmly welcome students and families joining us for 1st Form this year. Your LWC story is just beginning!
Luckily, Junior Houseparent Pete Maidment knows a thing or two about settling everyone in. “Routine is massively important”, he says. “I spend a lot of time with the children, doing things together. Both day pupils and boarders are inducted at the same time, so even if they are day pupils, we’ll still tell them how the house works for boarders because that’s part of having empathy.”
Mr Maidment is no stranger to LWC life, having been a student here and returning in the role of chaplain more than nine years ago. He’s passionate about the role that Junior House plays in the wider LWC community; “The lessons are a small part of what we teach. We’re teaching life skills. Our three words in Junior House are ‘Appropriate, Respectful and Empathetic’. Those are the three things that we believe in and we teach them in everything that we do. We’re helping them to learn so much more than maths and English.”
You can read more about Mr Maidment and the wonderful world of Junior House (including Crocs, dancing through dorms and wild camping) HERE
Live in Virginia Water?
The LWC Transport Team is considering the introduction of a new bus stop in Virginia Water.
To help gauge demand, please complete the survey HERE by Monday 23rd September.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at contact@vectare.co.uk
ISI Report
The Independent Schools Inspectorate has updated the name of the school trustees on our recent ISI report. A link to the amended version can be found HERE
Key Dates
Exeat Weekend
4pm Friday, 27 September
Junior Sports Festival (Girls Hockey U13 and Boys Rugby U13)
9am Saturday, 5 October
Parental Engagement Programme Webinar with Olympic Performance Psychologist, Charlie Unwin
7pm Monday, 14 October
Whole School, Prefects, Leavers and House Photos
Thursday, 10 October
End of Half Term
4pm Friday, 18 October