Welcome to LWC News
Dear Parents and Guardians,
This week’s LWC News will take you on a whistle-stop tour of the opportunities on-campus and beyond!
From the inspirational beat of West Africa to the sound of a torrential downpour under canvas in Sheephouse Copse….it’s all here.
You can also find all the usual links to our school calendar, LWC sports calendar and the weekly sports schedule.
Contributions and comments are always welcome via stories@lordwandsworth.org
Happy Exeat Weekend!
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
Lord Wandsworth World-Changers
This week is Forest Week; a global campaign aiming to inspire positive action for our environment. It’s something that we know LWC students care deeply about.
The College has a strong sustainability ethos running right through our 1200 acres. From community recycling initiatives and the creation of wildflower meadows to the desire to be off-grid in 12 years. Much of this has been driven by our students.
But where did this desire to drive change begin? The answer is almost certainly in our surroundings. Lord Wandsworth’s initial bequest to educate the children of agricultural workers, saw the development of a school with an arable farm at the heart of it.
Our woodland is arguably as important to the LWC estate as the farmland. From the recently planted Centenary Wood to the much-loved Sheephouse Copse.
It provides huge environmental benefits and limitless opportunities for outdoor learning. But our incredible green space is also part of the fabric and history of the school.
Within Sheephouse Copse, the infamous Quercus oak can be found. This marks the site where Sir Daniel Hall – one of the first and most significant Trustees – had his ashes interred. Generations of Sternians remember being sent to the Quercus tree as punishment and required to take a brass rubbing of the plaque there. The more mischievous and arguably entrepreneurial amongst them apparently made more than one rubbing at a time and then sold them on to those facing similar punishments.
LWC students continue to drive environmental change, influenced by our extraordinary and inspirational surroundings. Read on for an insight into our incredible world of outdoor learning!
A Different Beat….
The sound of West Africa emanated from the Nadine Uppal Theatre this week, when our enthusiastic 2nd Formers immersed themselves in a Djembe Drumming Workshop.
As part of their study of music from around the world, they were able to learn some of the traditional rhythms of Ghana under the supervision of celebrated Master Drummer, Abass Dodoo.
The workshops have been running annually at LWC for over a decade and Director of Music, Aaron Parker regards them as one of the highlights of the musical calendar. He said, “It was fantastic to witness all of the 2nd Formers engaging so brilliantly, smiling, learning Ghanaian song, dance and asking some excellent questions. It was a wonderful day led expertly by Abass and his fellow musician Adaman.”
Read more about our vibrant music offering on the curriculum at LWC here
On Top of the World
From West Africa to the West Country…
Our intrepid 1st Form have emerged from a three day stay in the Mendip Hills bursting with confidence and new friendships.
The residential saw our youngest students climbing, abseiling and caving during the day and camping under canvas by night in a beautiful setting near to Cheddar in Somerset.
“My favourite part was probably climbing,” admitted 1st Former Seb. “When I got to the top, just the realisation that I’d done it was really nice.” For many of the cohort, this was the first time they had tried activities like these. Robyn was a firm fan of the abseiling; “When I got to the bottom it was a relief, but then I thought, ‘wow I just did that. I just went down that cliff.’ That was pretty cool.”
But getting our adventurous Juniors to try their hands at some adrenaline-filled activities wasn’t the sole focus of the trip, which also developed team-building skills and some long-lasting friendships.
“I’ve got more confidence now,” explains Ollie. “I’ve learned to tell myself that I can do it. We were all mixed up in tents and I was with people I hadn’t really talked to that much. It was nice to get to know them.”
Robyn agreed that she’s learned more than survival skills on the trip; “I got to know people and found out they’re really funny. Now we’re good friends. I’ve learned to put myself out there and not hold myself back.”
World Vegetarian Day
Nearly 20 per cent of UK adults now follow a meat-free diet. In fact, in the last year, research suggests the number of vegans has nearly doubled to 2.5 million, with 3.1 million choosing to follow a vegetarian lifestyle.
World Vegetarian Day on Tuesday (1st October) highlights the variety of the vegetable-based diet. Julyans, LWC’s dining hall, works hard to provide 14 meat-free dishes a week at lunch and dinner to students and staff.
Head Chef, Roger Cole and Catering Manager, Iain Hedley have seen a big increase in the number of those seeking alternative options to meat. “Student voice is one of the key pillars of the school and so it’s important that we listen,” said Iain. “Once a term, myself and Roger will go out to each of the boarding houses and get a small number of pupils to tell us what they like and don’t like.”
Roger knows only too well, which of the vegetarian and vegan dishes will always fly off the hot plates. “It’s the homemade falafels. Closely followed by our homemade vegetable spring rolls. Almost all of our vegetarian dishes are also suitable for vegans.”
LWC hosted a Buddhist retreat in the summer, for a second year running and this was a useful learning experience for the catering team. Iain pointed out, “The entire menu is vegetarian and vegan. We also quickly discovered that a good number of the retreatants avoid eating gluten if possible, because they don’t want to experience discomfort during their meditation. During the first breakfast service last year, we had eight loaves of white bread for toast and two loaves of brown. The brown disappeared and I had to hot-foot it to Odiham to empty the shelves of more brown bread. The feedback from them is always incredible. They are delighted with the menu.”
You can read more about our commitment to healthy eating at Julyans on our website
3rd Form on Film….
What do New York and Phoenix, Arizona have in common? Yes, they’re both in the US but they’re also home to schools attended by two of the world’s most revered film directors; Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.
Maybe in years to come, Lord Wandsworth College, Long Sutton will be added to the list.
This week, 3rd Form were given a day off-timetable to take part in a One Day Film School, run by the Young Film Academy.
They were given a brief overview of film history, along with being instructed in the art of screenwriting, camerawork, editing and fight scene choreography. Then, they were let loose across the 1200 to shoot their own short films which were later showcased to a panel of judges.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with some of our budding Hitchcocks remarking that they particularly loved learning about different shots, editing techniques and watching their films back on the big screen in Gavin Hall.
Head of 3rd Form, Eloise Shrimpton added, “The students had a great day, working collaboratively, developing their creativity and indulging their imagination. It was also an excellent way of developing stronger relationships with their peers.”
A Weekend to Remember…
Navigating their way from a remote part of the North Hampshire countryside and back to LWC was just one of the tasks set for our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) last weekend.
Around 30 students from LWC and The Costello School in Basingstoke were required to use their best map-reading skills as part of their Adventure Training Weekend.
Once back on campus, they set up improvised shelters in the woods and cooked rations. But the weather added another dimension to the exercise: “At about 3.40am, the thunderstorm broke,” explained CCF Contingent Commander, Alex Hamilton. “We had the full works of thunder, lightning and rain. It was a true test of their shelter-building skills and also their resilience, character and sense of humour.”
Dawn brought calmer conditions and the cadets set off for watersports at Hawley Lake and mountain biking at Swinley Forest. Mr Hamilton added, “They performed extremely well in both activities; working together on the water and looking out for each other on the bikes. It’s one of the aims of this camp to bring out aspects of teamwork and self-reliance and allow the cadets to show what they really can do.”
You can find out more about our CCF here
Christmas Countdown…
It may feel as though you’ve only just packed away the sun cream, but preparations are in full-swing for our annual open-air Carols and Christmas Market.
The date you need for the diary is Thursday, 12th December when you can enjoy bowls of hot food, yuletide drinks and an opportunity to browse for some unique gifts.
This is the final call for local businesses interested in selling handmade or artisan products at the event. Please contact LWC Events Manager, Erika Dixon for more information.
Global Recognition…
Congratulations to Upper Sixth Former, Jonny who has been awarded a merit for his entry in the prestigious 2024 Global Essay Prize at the John Locke Institute.
Jonny’s essay suggested solutions to the on-going conflict between Israel and Palestine and was shortlisted from 35,000 entries.
Winners were announced at an awards dinner in London last Saturday night.
“A merit was the third highest I could get,” Jonny explained. “It felt good as I didn’t expect it.”
Well done Jonny – a massive achievement!
At the end of the Rainbow…
The unpredictable weather has been a feature of the week at LWC, but it did provide us with a stunning kaleidoscope of colour in the form of a double rainbow over campus!
Have you managed to capture a perfect shot of the 1200? Contributions always welcome via stories@lordwandsworth.org
The Great Outdoors
FSC Forest Week is currently shining the light on the need to protect our green spaces. Meanwhile, LWC’s Outdoor Learning Team is working hard to make the most of our 1200 acres of opportunity.
Richard Lovell, Head of Outdoor Learning and Lucy Wilson, Outdoor Learning Graduate are passionate about the ways in which our space can be used.
“What we have planned is so exciting,” explained Richard. “I want to leave a legacy here. We have an amazing opportunity.”
From proposals to build a wilderness campsite at Sheephouse Copse, to the desire to get a greater number of classes delivered outside, the team is in no doubt that the benefits can be huge. “With a creative, inspiring teacher, you can do anything outdoors,” Richard beams. “In my previous job, I worked with hard-to-reach learners. You put them in a classroom and it’s like being in a cage. Outdoors, it’s less defined and they can explore and develop.”
This theory stretches far beyond the Lord Wandsworth Campus. Richard and Lucy have just returned from the 1st Form residential trip to the Mendip Hills (see above). Both admit to experiencing the wider benefits of a programme which included abseiling, caving and climbing.
“We were trying to do activities that the children would probably feel nervous about,” Lucy admitted. “We had one who started to panic when she was going over the edge in abseiling, but we brought her back, chatted to her and she wanted to try again. She managed to get all the way down. It’s really positive for them.”
Richard goes on to explain that this is illustrative of one of the main aims of the Mendips trip; helping students to gain an understanding of interoception, or the way in which we sense how we feel through bodily signals. He elaborates: “Say we mention we are going caving and it makes you feel scared. We then explain that the definition of caving isn’t going through a tiny hole, but instead it’s coming into this room with the lights out. You need to trust the instructors and staff. Slowly, your heart rate slows and you calm down internally. You’re managing to self-regulate and there are so many opportunities to self-regulate outdoors. Once you can harness those feelings, you can do anything. There’s more in you than you know there is.”
The Outdoor Learning Team can be found in all kinds of settings. From leading groups across rugged Somerset terrain, to coaching LWC canoeists on the ice. But Richard and Lucy never take their home turf for granted. Richard wistfully reflects, “One of the best times we had in the Copse was when we could see the Northern Lights; it’s a very special place. There’s something about being there at 5.30 on a summer’s morning…just the greenery and the stillness. You can’t help but feel good.”
You can read much more about our Outdoor Learning team here.
Scholarships…..
Time is running out to apply for a Sport Scholarship at LWC.
If your child is currently in 2nd or 5th Form and is considering submitting an application, they have until this Monday, 30th September to do so. You can apply here
The application deadline for all other scholarships is Sunday, 1st December.
For more details, please see our Scholarship Guide
If you have any questions regarding scholarships please contact the Admissions Team.
Understanding the Sporting Calendar…
The sport offering at Lord Wandsworth College is vast. This is why Director of Sport, Mr Singh and Head of Girls’ Sport, Miss Lake have put together a useful visual guide on how to navigate the information you need for the sporting year ahead. Find out how to view fixtures and team sheets, along with guidance on squad selection and required kit here:
LWC Sport Guide for ParentsIntroduce Others to the LWC Life….
If you know someone contemplating a future for their child in our inspirational 1200 acres…
We’re running a series of open events for prospective parents. More information on dates and times can be found here.
Key Dates
Junior Sports Festival (Girls Hockey U13 and Boys Rugby U13)
Saturday, 5 October
Whole School. Prefects, Leavers and House Photos
Thursday, 10 October
Inter House Music Event
Friday, 11 October
Parental Engagement Programme Webinar with Olympic Performance Psychologist, Charlie Unwin
7pm Monday, 14 October
Half Term
4pm Friday, 18 October – Sunday, 3rd November
Remembrance Service
Monday, 11 November
Autumn Term Sports Photos
Wednesday, 13 November
Exeat Weekend and Non-Uniform Day
Exeat begins from 4pm Friday, 22 November
Carols and Christmas Market
Thursday, 12th December
End of Autumn Term
12pm Friday, 13th December