Two LAMDA Drama pupils achieved great results in their graded exams recently – Joseph G and Grace C took their Grade 6 (Bronze Medal) exams in Solo Acting and both gained Distinction (also earning than additional UCAS points). Both pupils had to postpone their exams at the end of last year – but it was clearly worth the wait! The LAMDA tutor, Eliza Miller, said “I’m extremely proud of both pupils for doing so well – they have worked very hard and it is has paid off – well done!”
On Tuesday 18th April, the French Department were delighted to welcome back Marie-Claude Hawkes talking about life in Occupied France during the Second World War. Marie-Claude talks very lucidly about her family’s experiences and memories in rural Normandy during the war and particularly in the weeks following the D Day landings. The insight she gives is profoundly personal and rooted in historical fact. This period in history is now one of the set themes of the A level French course and a literary period at IB HL French, and so first-hand recollections are immensely useful and insightful. It was a thought-provoking talk with ample opportunities to ask questions at any point and pupils gained a great deal from the experience. Many thanks to Marie-Claude. We look forward to seeing her again next year.
The pupils involved were Daisy W, Kitty R, Harrie W, Darcey L and Phoebe W.
This term there is the option for Year 11 pupils to take part in adventure/outdoor activities which will include surfing, mountain biking, paddle boarding and sea kayaking. In the first week, the group put their fire lighting skills to the test. Nothing more satisfying than foraging for, building and lighting a fire and keeping it lit to toast a marshmallow or two in the sunshine! There will be an opportunity for pupils to try the high ropes course later in the week.
They then tried out the high ropes, zip line and climbing wall. They also practiced tying knots and prepared a new rope for the climbing wall.
In the following weeks, the group had a go at mountain biking through the woods.
For the final enrichment talk of the academic year, we were delighted to welcome Jake Fiennes, Director of Conservation at Holkham Estate, to talk to Year 13 pupils about his book publication, ‘Land Healer – How Farming Can Save Britain’s Countryside’.
Jake gave an absorbing and enriching insight into Land Healer the story of Jake’s ambition to bring back flora and fauna – by reclaiming our traditions and trialling new experiments. Following the farming year and the natural cycle of the seasons, Land Healer chronicles a life of conservation and is a manifesto for rethinking our relationship with the natural world.
In the first week of the Easter Holidays, the Rifle Club enjoyed a very wet, and slightly cold, Easter Training week. In total, 15 members of the team, along with five members of staff, headed to Bisley for the week. Three pupils had already travelled to Bisley the previous day and were taking part in ‘Maple Taste’, a training / selection weekend for forthcoming GB cadet rifle team tours. Harry P and Jonny W were both training with the British Cadet Rifle Team ahead of their three-week tour to Canada in August and Georgie B was hoping for selection to the UK Cadet Rifle Team for the ten-day tour to the Channel Islands, also in August. By the end of the Rifle Clubs week at Bisley, the UKCRT team selection had been announced and Georgie B had been successful. Many congratulations to Georgie B on this thoroughly deserved achievement.
After their weekend with the GB cadet training, two of the three Gresham’s pupils (Jonny W headed off on DofE) then joined the rest of the Gresham’s team for the remainder of the week. Unfortunately, Georgie C had to leave the Camp after the weekend due to academic commitments.
The team had an excellent week of shooting but, other than on the first day, the weather was basically wet every day, all day. The training always starts at short range (300yds) and then over the course of the week we shoot over increasingly longer and longer distances. By the end of the week, the team were shooting over a distance of 1000yds. Shooting is not just about firing the perfect shot, although this is clearly important, there is also a lot of personal admin required and record keeping to be done. The evenings were spent learning the skills of plotting and coaching, which are both very important skills to have as the wind can have a massive effect on a bullet even at short range, let alone at 1000yds.
The new members of the Rifle Team did particularly well during the week and if they can shoot as well as they did, in the conditions we faced, then they can shoot well in almost any conditions. Very well done to them all.
These sorts of trips do not happen without the assistance of many people and thanks must go to Mrs Liberman, Capt. Scoles, Tony Clarke and Owen Liberman who all gave up their time to assist with the smooth running of the camp. It was a fantastically successful trip.
Pupils in Years 6 – 9 enjoyed a great week of skiing in Passo Tonale in Italy.
As well as 6 days on the slopes they enjoyed lots of great Italian food, swimming, shopping and karaoke!
The U15 Girls cricket team went to the Lady Taverner’s National Indoor Tournament Qualifying Round at UEA and won 4 out of 4 matches to top the group and qualify for the County Finals. They scored 567 runs and conceded only 194 in four good wins.
The U15 girls then returned to UEA for the County Finals of the National Indoor Tournament. With 5 wins out of 5, scoring 642 runs and conceding 439, they became County Champions and progress to the Regional Finals in Cambridge on 27th April.
After the Easter holiday, the School Shop will be operating from a new location upstairs in the Cairns Centre, which is accessed via the Sports Entrance at the Senior School, located on the left-hand side of the road. The new arrangement will allow the School Shop and FOGS Second Hand Uniform to be collocated in the same building, making access to either or both options much easier for parents.
The new shop floor should be more welcoming, comfortable and easier to navigate, which, combined with streamlining of stock management, should make the shopping experience far better for parents and pupils. A new online portal will be available at some point during the first half of the Summer Term, providing parents the option of buying online and collecting (or arranging for their children to collect) from the shop or House at school.
More details about this will be sent out next Term after the final checks have been carried out with the new system, but we hope this will be a welcome addition to uniform purchasing options. Arrangements for the traditionally busy ‘back-to-school’ period, late in the Summer Term and Summer Holiday period, will also be sent out during the Summer Term, but we certainly wish to encourage as many parents as possible to get ahead of the crowd, avoid the bottlenecks which occur at the end of the summer holiday, and try to complete these purchases for autumn early.
Miranda, Sarah and Tracy will be keen to see you in their new location, so do pop in when you can to meet them after the Easter break and let them guide you through any uniform or kit purchases you need to make or plan.
The company consisting of principals, ensemble, a corps du ballet, student orchestra and crew took triumphantly to the stage to bring the Lent term to a dramatic end with four performances of Phantom of the Opera. This melodramatic musical saw audiences taking to their feet to applaud the amazing talent, dedication and student professionalism that put Andrew Lloyd Webber’s extraordinary musical on the Auden stage. Dressed with a proscenium arch, gauzes and stage boxes the audience were taken from Holt to Paris for a spectacular night at the opera.
The 1st VII netball team challenged the 1st XV rugby team to what has become an annual netball match last week. The boys arrived full of bravado to impress the packed balcony in the sports hall but the girls have worked hard on their skills and technique this season. This paid off and the girls stole the game with a final score of 6-21. Well done to Players of the Match Mojuba and Trent.
