Our GCSE RS pupils recently enjoyed a Field Trip to Walsingham. They had a great time exploring one of England’s most prominent places of pilgrimage and quizzing a Bishop with a variety of ethical and philosophical questions.
The competition marked the 650th Anniversary of Julian of Norwich – believed to be the first woman to write a book in the English language. Gresham’s pupils won First, Second and Third prizes in the competition with some brilliant examples of creative writing. The prizes were presented by Fr Richard from St Julian’s Church, and representatives from the Friends of Julian of Norwich, on Wednesday in Chapel.
On Monday, Gresham’s A and B teams participated in the first online round of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition.
Our A team was Cerys D (Speaker), who spoke brilliantly on the theme of ‘Great Britain is still great’, Pablo B-G, who was a very effective Chair, and Pullo W, a highly forensic Questioner. This team progressed as one of the best three teams in the heat to the in-person second round which will be held early in 2024.
Our B team were all Year 9 pupils entering this competition for the first time: Olivia E was Speaker and addressed the topic ‘Confidentiality should always be observed’, Alex B made his debut as Chair, and Irene T impressed as Questioner. Thanks also to William M for serving as reserve for both teams.
It’s always so positive to welcome back Old Greshamians to talk about their career path to current pupils.
OG Calvin Chan ARAeS I-CEng F (2013 – 15) returned for Gresham’s STEAM week to give insight about his professional role with NATS – the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services. It was a superb opportunity to learn more about NATS, ask questions and find out about the variance of job roles and careers they offer
Furthermore, Year 13 pupils were treated to an insightful talk from OG Camilla Foster C&E (2000 – 10) on her pathway to becoming a qualified, practising dentist. The message along with her hard work and study was ‘you can achieve and reach your goal’.
On Thursday 16th November, 88 members of the Upper Sixth attended the Tallis Queens’ ‘Midnight in Paris’ Ball. This was a Black-Tie three-course sit down meal complete with games – guess the HSM from the baby photo competition – and some very questionable karaoke. The pupils were in great fettle and good time was hopefully had by all!
Sixth Form Inter-House Debating has concluded this term. Oakeley prevailed over Howson’s in one semi-final tie, and Woodlands saw off Edinburgh in the other.
The final was held in Big School with Oakeley – Kitty R, Mojuba A and Eva O’D – proposing and Woodlands – Guy P, Beowulf O’D and Nik P – opposing the motion ‘This House believes that the United Nations is no longer fit for purpose and should be scrapped and replaced.’
The debate contrasted the recent intervention failures of the UN and the veto dominance of the Permanent Members of the Security Council with the UN’s humanitarian and cultural successes. The debate hinged on whether replacement or reform was the best option for the UN’s future.
Both terms were strong, but the winners were declared to be Oakeley who were awarded the Marsham Trophy (presented in 1986) by Headmaster Douglas Robb.
For well over a century Western art has been influenced by the ancient Chinese art of calligraphy. This week, Year 9 Mandarin learners have been dipping their pens into this skill with amazing results. Pupils have practiced calligraphy with chosen poems written by Li Qingzhao (1084 – ca. 1155), one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. Pupils were engaged, competent and successful with this task.
Although this is many of the pupils’ first contact with Chinese calligraphy, they have quickly made an introduction to extremely advanced skills. This includes how to hold the brush correctly, applying their brush movement using the correct amount of ink and to beginning to express links between harmony of motion, semantic content and ‘artistic’ expression. When rendering strokes with one’s brush, one will experience the basic movements of Tai Chi and the delicate balance of Yin and Yang.
House Music was a celebration of all things musical. Judge Ash Soan was amazed by the variety of instrumentalists, the quality of singers, and the energy emanating from Unison. Particularly impressive were Arkell, making a bold statement at the start of Instrumental, signifying their arrival to the competition with a bold Samba number. Jazz, funk, soul and pop music entertained the packed sports hall, with Woodlands being victorious in the Instrumental section. Part Song invited the vocalists to sing in close harmony, with little or no accompaniment. A wonderful display of vocal expression, with Oakeley winning this category. Unison promotes the true house spirit, with mashups, TikTok dance moves and a united house, Queens’ were the winners with a fantastic performance from ‘Fame’. Queens’ were the overall competition winners, with all house making exceptional contributions to the spectacle of the annual House Music competition.
The cultural appreciation trips offered by the English department are back, and when the NT Live comes to town it can mean only one thing: a trip to McDonald’s and the cinema! Our pupils were lucky enough to experience the David Hare play “Skylight” which was being screened locally this week as part of the National Theatre Live series. This play had it all: the stunning acting skills of Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan, the direction of Stephen Daldry, a deep social commentary, and a lot of humour. It is fantastic to see our pupils taking such a keen interest in the world of theatre outside of the classroom. Our next trip is going to be the screening of “Dear England” in January and is open to all pupils in Year 11-13.
The U14 boys’ rugby team travelled to Samuel Whitbread Academy for Round 3 of the U14 National Cup. The boys were keen to maintain their unbeaten run but knew this would be the toughest test of the season so far. Gresham’s started the match slowly and conceded a try within the first two minutes. This disappointing start shocked the boys into action, and they went ahead quite soon afterwards with a try and conversion from Henry K. At half time, the match was evenly poised, with both teams playing some excellent rugby. Gresham’s started the second half in dominant fashion and extended their lead with another try from Henry K. Gresham’s showed patience in defence and plenty of flair in attack and with ten minutes to go, Henry K completed his hattrick and converted for a 19-5 lead. This is how the game finished and at the final whistle, the boys celebrated a hard-fought win and look forward to hearing about who they will face in the Fourth Round. There were some excellent performances across the team, Sam T was a nuisance at the breakdown, Ollie J carried strongly, Henry P was solid at full back, but Player of the Match was Charlie C for his exceptional work rate, breaking the gain line on multiple occasions and for his steal at the breakdown and incredible off-load for Henry’s second try. An impressive team performance, bring on Round 4.