Welcome to LWC News
What a week at LWC!
We’ve seen the first snowfall of the school year, along with our Marathon Canoe and U14 Girls’ Hockey Teams returning to the 1200 as champions.
Oh, and a silent disco has been thrown in for 5th Form, who have shown incredible resilience throughout their mock exams.
That calls for a restful Exeat weekend.
Enjoy.
As ever, your contributions to LWC News are very 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
LWC Sweeps up at Kayak Championships
LWC emerged victorious from last weekend’s National Schools Kayak Championships at Hawley Lake.
Our Performance Paddlers raced over a series of distances ranging from 200m to 10k, in a biting wind.
The result? Our Marathon Canoe Teams brought home trophies for Novice Marathon, Best Overall Novice Team, Combined Novice Sprint and Ladies’ Team.
“More importantly, they showed tremendous team spirit, great good humour and admirable sportsmanship,” reflected LWC’s Head of Canoeing, Adam Reid. “Their success is a testament to the weeks of training and augurs very well indeed for the DW campaign.”
U14 Girls Win Hampshire Trophy
The push for silverware continued on Tuesday, when LWC’s U14A Girls’ Hockey Team won the Hampshire Trophy.
Congratulations to the girls (pictured) for a well-fought victory in the one-day tournament.
The Magnificent Seven
Meanwhile, on the rugby field… surely this is a record.
LWC’s First XV saw SEVEN brothers listed on the team sheet this week.
Previously we brought you the news of the three sets of twins turning out for the side.
Now 5th Former, Bartie has joined the ranks alongside his twin brothers Charlie and Harry.
The First XV also features William, Jack (twins) and Reuben and Eddie (also twins from the same family).
All put in a gritty performance against Reading Blue Coat School in the Daily Mail Trophy on Wednesday, in front of a vocal home crowd.
Men’s Mental Health Mile
LWC’s Sutton House spearheaded a push to get the College talking on International Men’s Day.
Sutton Houseparent, Louis Yates and his House set off for the Men’s Mental Health Mile on Wednesday lunchtime and invited all men and boys from the College community to join them.
The aim was to walk LWC’s 1.1-mile route to encourage conversation, at a time when men’s mental health is in the spotlight as part of Movember.
Louis Yates’ blog on the benefits of role-modelling healthy masculinity through openness is available to read on the LWC website.
LWC Music Department Shines
It’s home to a hotbed of talent…
Last week, LWC’s incredible Music Department took centre stage for the annual LWC Music Department in Concert.
Teachers and peripatetic staff performed alongside students in a varied programme of solos, duets and ensemble pieces.
Next up is next Friday’s ever-popular Autumn Term Music Concert from 7pm in Gavin Hall, which features a diverse array of musicians – from our Concert Band to the Choir.
It’s the largest music event of the term and tickets are available via the LWC Box Office.
LWC’s Artist-in-Residence Bids Farewell
It’s been an extraordinary few weeks for LWC’s Artist-in-Residence, Keziah Burt.
The figurative artist has been working with students across all year groups for the last three weeks, together with running a successful Masterclass last weekend for parents… and sculpting the head of our very own Head.
“The kids at LWC are amazing,” reflected Keziah. “They are some of the brightest, most inquisitive, bravest and insightful I’ve worked with.” (Which coming from someone who combines her art with a teaching career, is some compliment).
“I feel as though I’ve had a real impact on the approach of the students, who have hopefully caught some of my excitement and joy.”
Keziah plans to return to LWC for an exhibition of the work created by students during her time with us, after Christmas.
4th Form go Frantic
LWC’s 4th Form GCSE Drama students were treated to a workshop by Frantic Assembly last week– a theatre company known for its physical and collaborative approach.
Students were taught a range of devising exercises which specialised in movement work.
The workshop was also, crucially, a lot of fun.
U15s Have a Week to Remember
LWC’s U15A Boys’ Rugby Team have had quite the run recently.
In the space of seven days, they’ve beaten some of the biggest names in schools’ rugby: Radley, Marlborough and Wellington.
They now look ahead to their Continental Tyres U15 Schools Cup Regional Final away to Bath’s Beechen Cliff School on Tuesday.
“We are all bursting with pride,” explained captain, Alex. “We haven’t let off the accelerator and we’re all really putting in the effort.
“Last year we were beaten 33-0 by Radley. This year, our response was nothing short of electric. We won that game 21-19.
“I can’t wait for what lies ahead.”
The U14As put in an incredible performance against Southampton’s King Edward VI School on Wednesday, to reach round 4 of the School Sport Magazine National Schools U14 Cup. We’ll bring you more on them in next week’s LWC News.
LWC Footballers Continue Cup Run
LWC’s U15A Girls’ Football Team secured another cup victory this week.
After last week’s win against Devon’s Mount Kelly in round 2 of the ISFA Cup, they convincingly beat St Joseph’s College on Wednesday in the first round of the ISFA Shield.
They next face Millfield at home on Tuesday, when they return to ISFA Cup action.
Oscar Makes ISFA Ranks
2nd Former, Oscar has been selected for the Independent Schools Football Association’s U13 Squad.
Oscar joins 4th Formers, Hollie and Amber, along with 3rd Former, Archie who retain their places in their respective age groups.
Louie Makes the Cut
Meanwhile, Lower Sixth Former, Louie has been included in the Hampshire U18 Golf Squad.
“They watched my scores during junior and men’s open competitions and assessed me based upon those,” Louie explains.
“I feel pleased with myself and feel as though it’s well-deserved. I’m most looking forward to travelling to Spain to compete.”
Christmas!
Feeling Christmassy?
You certainly will be in just under three weeks.
LWC’s ever-popular Carols and Christmas Market gets underway at 6pm on Thursday, 11th December.
Along with a complimentary mulled wine or hot chocolate, you can join us for our open-air carol service, spectacular fireworks display and Christmas Market featuring 50+ local stallholders.
Plot34Achillis is a North Hampshire-based business selling hot sauces in a variety of flavours.
Owner, Steve explains: “I used to receive a bottle from my brother every year and one year, didn’t get one. My brother told me to buy my own and I decided to make my own instead. Now I have 30+ flavours!”
Steve returns to LWC, having attended the Christmas Market last year. “I love meeting fellow chilli fans,” he admits. “And the Christmas carols are amazing.”
Register for your free tickets via the LWC Box Office.
Secure an LWC Education
There is just over a week to go until LWC’s registration deadline for Year 7, Year 9 and Sixth Form places.
Monday, 1st December is the date to share with those you think would thrive in our 1200 acres.
Click here to take the next steps.
History Comes Alive at Hampton Court
Our Upper Sixth A-level Historians took a trip back in time to Hampton Court last week.
“As well as touring this remarkable historic palace, the students took part in a session on the mid-Tudor crisis, delivered by the palace team,” explained Head of History, Jonathan Lilley.
“The newly restored painting of the Field of Cloth of Gold proved a highlight of the day.”
Science Live!
For 22 A-level Physicians, Birmingham was the destination on Tuesday, for Science Live!
The event, at the University of Birmingham, featured a series of lectures which focused on a range of subjects, including the history of nuclear physics, acoustics in architecture and quantum mechanics.
Students were also able to meet up with Sternian, Grace – in her final year of a degree in mechanical engineering – who provided them with a tour.
CCF on Nighttime Manoeuvres
LWC’s CCF cadets have been honing their skills in a bid to earn their next award.
Last weekend saw 1 and 2 Star cadets kitted out for some tasks under the cover of darkness, long after the other cadets had been dismissed.
LWC’s CCF School Staff Instructor, Ian Rockett explained, “Under the leadership of their non-commissioned officers, they carried out reconnaissance and ambush drills, ‘defeating’ an opposing force with small arms and pyrotechnics.”
LWC Meets WI
LWC nurses, Lindsey and Camilla taught basic life support to Long Sutton’s Women’s Institute last week, including CPR and how to use a defibrillator.
The WI are kindly making a donation to the Lord Wandsworth Foundation to say thank you.
Among the audience members was former school nurse, Mary Saunders who worked at LWC for 25 years until 2007.
LWC in The Observer
LWC Head, Adam Williams features in this weekend’s Observer.
Mr Williams (UK Senior Speedgolf Champion) was invited to play nine holes with the national newspaper’s Deputy Sports Editor, Andrew Butler.
The piece investigates the appeal of the fast-growing sport, in which LWC has produced a stream of titles.
You can read the full article online now, or in this Sunday’s newspaper.
LWC Life
LWC Life is our free benefits scheme for parents, staff and Sternians.
Among this week’s selection of curated money-off deals, you can find a new Christmas Silent Auctions category.
This features offerings such as a Barnsgrove Club membership, a Freddie’s Flowers annual subscription, a Molton Brown advent calendar, a Christmas turkey from Hartley Wintney Butchers and many more.
All proceeds go to the Lord Wandsworth Foundation.
To place your bid, head to the Contact Us tab on the LWC Life platform, include the item name, along with your bid amount and you’ll be entered.
You can also find a whole host of other festive deals there, from groceries to Christmas experiences.
3 Peaks Practice Gets Underway
It’s five months until the next LWC Challenge and preparations are in full swing.
The LWC Yorkshire 3 Peaks Fundraising Challenge takes place on 24th-27th April 2026, in aid of the Lord Wandsworth Foundation and involves an exhilarating trek across the rugged terrain of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Last weekend, a number of those who have signed up gathered at LWC for the first of their practice walks and to get to know their fellow trekkers.
LWC’s Fundraising Manager, Fran Reid revealed, “The group includes a mix of past and current LWC parents, Sternians and friends of the College, all of whom share a spirit of adventure and philanthropy.”
Want to be involved in this, our first UK-based Challenge? You can obtain one of the handful of places remaining, by emailing Fran directly.
Charity Begins at LWC
LWC’s student-led Charity Committee held a ‘Snack Shack’ last week to raise money for Bullies Out, as part of Anti-Bullying Week.
A wide range of sweets, chocolate and crisps were on offer at lunchtime in the Flowers Science Centre.
A grand total of £193.89 was raised by the team.
Proceeds from today’s non-uniform day will go to the committee’s chosen charities this year: World Child Cancer and The Helping Hand for the Ukraine.
A Lunchtime Sanctuary
LWC’s regular Informal Music Concerts provide an opportunity for students to practice performance skills in a relaxed setting…
And they provide a blissful musical pause to the day for the audience.
Monday’s lunchtime offering included piano, drum, electric guitar and singing performances from across our talented year groups.
Parents and staff are always welcome to attend in the Nadine Uppal Theatre. Check SOCS for the next scheduled event.
LWC Community Comes Together
Last week’s LWC Connect Networking Drinks provided a great opportunity to get together.
The event at The Lost Boy in Farnham on Thursday, saw LWC parents, Sternians, Sternian parents and Headmaster, Adam Williams mingle for an evening of drinks and chat.
Still not a member of LWC Connect, which is open to the entire LWC community? You can join here.
Co-Curricular Focus
LWC’s Saturday morning co-curricular offering is second to none.
In a College which offers more than a hundred different activities to get involved with, we thought we’d occasionally shine the light on some of those regular sessions aiming to give our students new experiences.
Last weekend, the Explore Engineering Programme took a closer look at car drag.
Students modified physics carts and investigated how they performed on an extra long track.
5th Former, Noah concluded, “I really enjoyed Saturday because we made our cars more aerodynamic. We used velcro and foam to shape the front of the car – which was easy to carve and shape, but didn’t hold up well in a crash.”
Autumn Sports Photos
If you’d like to order one of our autumn sports photos, you have until tomorrow to take advantage of the exclusive prices offered by the School Photography Company.
Photos of our hockey, rugby and football teams were taken in last week’s shoot.
You can order here.
Oddballs Hats
This week’s wintry weather served as a reminder that LWC’s Oddballs hats are a great way to keep warm in the chilly months ahead!
The collaborative headgear (beautifully modelled by Mr Nash) is available to purchase here for £10.
All proceeds go to the Lord Wandsworth Foundation and Oddballs’ chosen charities.
Winter Wonderland
It may have been relatively brief, but Wednesday’s first snowfall of the season prompted a flurry of excitement across the 1200.
We received a whole host of snowy images, capturing the beauty of the 1200 (and a few Batman-inspired shots of our founder, Sydney Stern’s statue).
Thanks to Josie, Chris, Andy and Claudia for this wintry collection.
If you have a shot of the 1200 that you’d be happy to share, please send it to stories@lordwandsworth.org
Athletic Development Training This Christmas
Athlete Performance Lab returns during the Christmas break with a three-day Athletic Development Training camp.
The intensive training series is open to all 12-18-year-olds and takes place in our state-of-the-art strength and conditioning space – The Barn.
The sessions run from 10am to 1pm on Wednesday 17th– Friday, 19th December at a cost of £125 for all three days.
Slots can be secured by contacting Athlete Performance Lab.
A Fresh Perspective for LWC Scholars
On Monday evening, Tricia Riddell, Professor of Applied Neuroscience with Neuroscience for Education, will be the latest speaker to appear as part of our Listen, Wonder and Create Programme for Academic and All-Round Scholars.
Ahead of the talk, she’s been setting out how she aims to help build resilience in our young people, by applying years of her research to the real world.
“One of the first things I want to do is encourage people to look at what’s in the stress bucket when they’re feeling stressed,” she explains. “We know when the bucket’s filling up, but we often don’t actually look at what’s inside. There are lots of different ways to be stressed, but once we start making some distinctions, we can start doing something practical about it.”
Not only does Tricia advise us not to sweep negative emotions under the carpet, encouraging us to feel and then deal with them, but she also believes that we need to view behaviour in the context of brain development, which isn’t complete until the mid to late 20s.
“I can tell you that from my own perspective, knowing what might be happening for someone in terms of the way their brain is working and therefore, the behaviour that we’re seeing has given me compassion,” she reveals. “You realise that’s how you would behave if you were in their situation, with their level of development and with everything that’s happened.”
The teenagers listening to Tricia’s talk will be doing so as part of an LWC programme designed to enrich academic learning, encourage personal growth and illustrate the benefits of reflection. It’s also important to consider where they sit on the brain’s developmental journey. “They are at the point of beginning to learn how to regulate their emotions, but this isn’t fully developed yet,” Professor Riddell explains.
So how do you encourage regulation and resilience?
Read more from Professor Riddell on our website.
Key Dates
Autumn Term Music Concert, Gavin Hall
7pm, Friday, 28th November
LWC Connect Networking Breakfast (IT and Tech), Zanetas
7.45am, Thursday, 4th December
Student Christmas Lunch, Julyans
Wednesday, 10th December
Carols & Christmas Market
6pm, Thursday, 11th December
End of Autumn Term
Noon, Friday, 12th December
Beginning of Spring Term
Monday, 5th January
LWC Performs The Wizard of Oz, Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
Wednesday, 21st to Friday, 23rd January
Non-Uniform Day
Friday, 23rd January
Exeat Weekend
4pm, Friday 23rd January
Music Scholars’ Recital, Nadine Uppal Theatre
7pm, Monday, 2nd February
Drama Scholars’ Evening, Nadine Uppal Theatre
7pm, Thursday, 12th February
Half Term Begins
4pm, Friday 13th February