Senior School

Highlights2018-19

A level and GCSE pupils celebrate exam results

Daisy wins prestigious young fashion designer award

Pupils dazzle audiences with 2019 production of Sister Act Claremont Fan Court School Contents 3 Exam results 2019 4 Senior news 8 The arts 12 House competitions 14 2018-19 successes 16 Sport 18 Trips and visits 24 Event highlights 26 Future of Claremont

WELCOME | WILLIAM BRIERLY

It is my pleasure to introduce our first edition of ‘Highlights’. Claremont Fan Court School has a short and remarkable history - emerging as one of the country’s leading independent co-educational schools - with a reputation earned by demonstrating the value we place in treating everyone as individuals and in empowering and supporting success.

I hope this booklet pays justice to the positive, varied and exciting year Claremont has enjoyed during the 2018-19 academic year.

2 EXAM RESULTS 2019 Our GCSE pupils celebrated strong results once again. This year over 45% of GCSEs were graded 9, 8 or 7 (A* or A).

Our pupils have much to look forward to as they move to the sixth form at Claremont Fan Court. Not only has the new science and technology building opened, but they have also moved into a new, spacious and modern sixth form centre in the heart of the school.

“Our pupils deserve many congratulations for their hard work over the GCSE course and for their successes on results day. They have demonstrated how well equipped they are for stepping into A levels.” William Brierly

A levels Many congratulations to all our leavers on their fantastic exam successes. It has been a joy to see so many happy faces; a tribute to the hard work of our students and their teachers. We are delighted to see them moving on to such exciting university and career opportunities ranging from medicine to engineering, costume design to teaching.

34% achieved A*-A grades and 69% achieved A*-B grades.

3 SENIOR NEWS HEAD STUDENTS AND SCHOOL COUNCIL 2018-19 | ALL YEARS Our thanks to the 2018-19 head sixth form students who have represented the school admirably alongside prefects. They have been fantastic role models, mentors, fundraisers and public speakers. We also thank our school council who have worked together on a number of initiatives to improve fellow pupils’ experience in school.

REMEMBRANCE SERVICE | ALL YEARS Pupils and students gathered together on Friday 9 November for the World War I centenary remembrance service, joined by the Mayor of Elmbridge, her Consort and Chair of Governors, Mr Gordon Hunt. Vocal performances and poetry readings, together with orchestral pieces, made for a moving and poignant service. To commemorate the centenary, the textiles department embellished a trench coat on display with individually handmade poppies.

4 AUTHOR VISIT | YEAR 7 & 8 To celebrate World Book Day, Year 7 and 8 were visited by author, Jonathan Stroud, whose Lockwood & Co books follow the adventures of Anthony Lockwood and his intrepid team of ghost hunters. Pupils were introduced to the ghoulish apparitions encountered by the characters and a willing volunteer tested out some helpful ghost- busting equipment including a handy survival belt. Following plenty of questions, pupils had the opportunity to meet Jonathan for a book signing.

NATIONAL POETRY DAY | YEAR 8

Poet and rapper, Breis, visited Year 8 for a creative workshop in October. Using metaphors and similes combined with a rhythm, pupils created and performed their own raps around the theme of ‘change’. Breis inspired pupils by performing some of his own work, demonstrating the similarities between rap music and poetry.

5 DUKE OF EDINBURGH | YEARS 9-11 & SIXTH FORM It has been pleasing to see a record number of pupils take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award programme this year. Fifty seven Year 10 pupils embarked upon their bronze, fifteen Year 11 pupils began working towards their silver and five sixth form students undertook the challenge of completing their gold awards. This year also saw the popular launch of the bronze award in Year 9. Overall, pupils have enjoyed expeditions in locations such as the Surrey Hills, New Forest and the Brecon Beacons. These expeditions are a fantastic opportunity to develop many important life skills which will serve pupils well in the future and their enthusiasm for the programme has been very positive at all levels.

YOUNG ENTERPRISE | YEAR 10 Our Year 10 Young Enterprise team, Save Our Seas, have enjoyed much success this year. After winning the Surrey competition, the group attended the regional finals in June, showcasing their reusable sandwich wraps as a solution to reducing single use plastic. Pupils were interviewed at their trade stand by a panel of judges and presented confidently to an audience including the Mayor of Woking and senior business people. Sadly the team did not progress to the national final, but won the best video advert prize and received praise for innovation and use of digital media.A fantastic achievement considering the pupils were the youngest to reach this stage of the competition, facing teams from all over the South East.

6 STEM CLUB | YEAR 8 STEM club pupils have been studying a range of different topics this year. Highlights include food science, focusing on the chemistry behind producing sugary sweets such as sherbet, popping candy and crunchy honeycomb. Pupils also studied the world of forensics to become budding crime scene detectives, using a variety of scientific methods such as soil and fingerprint analysis to investigate a murder mystery.

TRAVEL SHOW | YEAR 7 Year 7 geography pupils transported us to all corners of the globe showcasing their knowledge of the cuisine, cultures and climates of a host of nations in the annual travel show. Staff, pupils and parents were treated to a snapshot of what the world has to offer in terms of holiday destinations and it was certainly a treat for the senses with vibrant Peruvian headdresses, delicious Swiss chocolate fondue, the aroma of Moroccan spices and the sound of the South African vuvuzela to name but a few. 7 THE ARTS SISTER ACT: THE MUSICAL | ALL YEARS Senior pupils and students took to the stage in February for a dazzling performance of ‘Sister Act: The Musical’. The fast paced, all singing all dancing show set in Philadelphia in the 1970’s was performed to packed audiences. Fabulous costumes and make-up, complete with flares and flowing wigs, cassocks and nuns outfits added to the glamour and glitz of another rip-roaring drama production enjoyed by all.

8 MUSICAL TEAS | ALL YEARS Throughout the year, our young musicians are given the opportunity to perform in front of a small, sympathetic audience. These informal musical teas are a fantastic way to boost confidence when performing and celebrate all levels of musical ability.

“Sister Act was a dazzling triumph. It was clear to see how hard the cast had worked to bring the musical to life.” William Brierly

9 STAR STRUCK CHORAL CONCERT | ALL YEARS A wealth of musical talent was on display during the Star Struck: Songs from Stage and Screen choral concert in the summer term. The evening explored a selection of choral music from a variety of musicals and pupils entertained an audience with well-known and well-loved songs by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Abba and from Les Miserables.

10 ART, PHOTOGRAPHY AND TEXTILES EXHIBITION | YEAR 11 & SIXTH FORM We were delighted to see so many pupils and students accompany their parents to the art, photography and textiles show in June. The standard of work on display was excellent and visitors commented on the breadth of ideas and materials used throughout. We are immensely proud of what our talented pupils have achieved this year.

11 HOUSE COMPETITIONS

New challenges were introduced to the house competition schedule this year with creative writing, a general knowledge kahoot, science challenge and ingredient of the month. The ever popular competitions like ‘short and tweet’ stories and chess also remained firm favourites. High standards were achieved in the very loud house singing and emotive debating competitions. A hugely popular and competitive engineering competition was again run by sixth formers and each end of term house day brought with it great sportsmanship and teamwork.

12 HOUSE DAY | ALL YEARS

There was a wonderful spirit amongst pupils at the highly anticipated summer house day at the end of term. Every pupil focused on doing their best and all year groups supported one another in mixed rounders, cricket, tug of war and track and field events. The day is a fantastic example of teamwork, inclusive of all abilities.

13 2018-19 SUCCESSES

England regional academy

Sports awards prize winners U13 & U15 ESFA semi finalists

U13 Surrey table tennis champion Wales lacrosse dragon academy

U12-U18 Heathfield lacrosse winners England U18 hockey Surrey hockey selection

U18 division 1 U18 Surrey county championships Real tennis LTA tennis league regional qualifiers lacrosse nationals with HRH semi finalists

Surrey storm netball U12-U15 Surrey festival U18 county schools’ ISFA Shrewsbury Gallini football world academy selection and county semi finalists club winners football festival cup winner

14 South East chess champions

Regional translation bee Thames youth orchestra final winner (German)

Media magazine film production competition shortlist

Top 25% in junior kangaroo Rose Theatre production UK young fashion designer maths challenge casting in Hansel and Gretal awards winner (GCSE category)

Yvette Baker shield national junior Young Enterprise Surrey final winners orienteering finalists

15 SPORT LACROSSE NATIONALS | YEAR 9, 10 & SIXTH FORM ETON NATIONAL TENNIS The National School’s Lacrosse Championships brought the finest CHAMPIONSHIPS | YEAR 7, 9 & lacrosse playing schools to the Aldershot sports complex. The event was SIXTH FORM a fantastic experience for our U18s, U15s and U14s who performed well As a whole, Claremont Fan Court School against tough opposition despite challenging weather conditions. Most enjoyed its most successful tennis notably, the U18s qualified for division 1. tournament in school history during the summer term. In the U19 category, the GYMNASTICS NETHERLANDS VISIT | YEAR 7 & 9 boys finished runners-up in the Clark trophy and the girls reached the semi finals of the Loveband plate. Our U15 girls finished in the final 16 and the boys reached the final 8. Congratulations to all involved; an excellent achievement at such a prestigious event.

During October half term, the U13 and U15 gymnastics squads attended an invitational competition at the British School in the Netherlands. The girls performed well executed routines with superb artistry, composure and power. Congratulations to the U15 squad who won bronze overall and to the U13s who finished fourth, missing out on bronze by 0.5 points. “This was our first four-piece competition of the year and I am incredibly proud of the girls’ efforts and the preparations made in order to perform with such confidence.” Miss L Prentice, Head of Gymnastics

16 1st XV RUGBY REPORT | YEAR 11 & SIXTH FORM Claremont’s 1st XV captain and head boy, Nathan Hough, recalls his experiences on the rugby pitch this year:

Following on from the success of last year, the new 1st XV squad was ready to hit the ground running. The season progressed well with a win loss ratio of 5:1 after the first half of the season. This success was down to sheer hard work from all players in the squad during training and on match day. The barraging runs down the centre of the field from Will and constant threat of Finn in the backline always gave Claremont the go forward. The second half of the season brought different results with losses in tight games pushing the team to strive for better. With injuries partially hampering the squad, big thanks go to Charlie, Sam and Nadir who returned from retirement for a final year of senior rugby to boost the size of the forward pack. The final stretch saw the team get back to their winning ways, with notable wins against Charterhouse; a final 3 minute winner leaving the score 5-0 to Claremont, and a 27-7 win against ACS Cobham in the final game of the season. The 1st XV has been exceptional this year, particularly for those in Year 11 who have stepped up to senior level and the Year 13s whose last season it was playing ESFA NATIONAL FOOTBALL | YEAR 7 & 9 for the school. This year’s Claremont side equalled The U12A football team have been outstanding this the best ever winning record, winning 9 games in total year in the success of their ESFA National Cup run throughout the season. beating opposition including Millfield, Wetherby Prep and North Bridge House. With a large squad, players have had the opportunity to try a variety of positions, crucial to their team development.

The U14A side have shown great consistency in all matches this year, reaching the ESFA semi finals and only narrowly missing out. The team have an outstanding record, winning 12 games out of 14 and scoring a total of 60 goals. It has been encouraging to see them develop their understanding of attacking, 1st XV final rugby fixture of the autumn term defending and positional aspects of the game which has seen them beat teams with ease. 17 TRIPS AND VISITS FIELDTRIP TO THE RIVER TILLINGBOURNE | YEAR 10 Year 10 geography pupils donned their wellingtons and waterproofs for their physical geography field trip to the River Tillingbourne as part of their GCSE course. Pupils collected primary data on the changing characteristics of the river and used different equipment to measure these changes. The trip was an excellent opportunity for pupils to see the fluvial landforms and processes studied in the classroom in a real-life context.

18 YPRES, BELGIUM | YEAR 9 Pupils visited the WWI Battlefields in Ypres, Belgium in September. During this poignant one day trip, pupils visited the Menin Gate and the Flanders Fields museum before travelling on to the Langemark German cemetery and Tyne Cot cemetery, where pupils noted the differences between the two.

CERN VISIT | LOWER SIXTH During the summer term, ten Year 12 physics and chemistry A level students visited Geneva to see the large Hadron Collider at CERN. Following a lecture, the group visited the factory where CERN’s superconducting magnets are tested. To reach the superconducting state, the magnets are cooled to a temperature of -271°C, close to absolute zero. After the visit, students enjoyed a boat ride around Lake Geneva.

19 Pupils enjoyed a Spanish study visit to VALENCIA, SPAIN | YEAR 10 & 11 Valencia in October. The Euroace Spanish School encouraged pupils to learn and speak plenty of Spanish alongside other pupils from around the world. The trip also included a tour of the Mestalla football stadium, a paella cookery course, a visit to the old town and a boat tour to the Albufera National Park.

BAITUL FUTUH MOSQUE | YEAR 10 As an introduction to Islam, religious studies pupils visited the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden. Pupils were led on tours, visiting the prayer halls and viewed the clocks which indicated to worshippers when each of their five daily prayers should take place. The trip was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to ask plenty of questions.

BERLIN, GERMANY | YEARS 10 & 11 This four day history and German trip was an excellent experience for pupils learning about the history of Berlin during the 20th century. Pupils visited the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, Asisi Panorama and the Soviet War Memorial.

20 SERRE CHEVALIER, FRANCE | YEARS 8 - SIXTH FORM

The senior school travelled to the beautiful white mountains of Serre Chevalier for the annual ski trip during the February half term. With blue skies and crisp snowfall throughout, pupils quickly became adventurous skiers and snowboarders exploring every corner of the resort and improving each day. The superb conditions meant blue runs became red and red runs became black. It was a pleasure to see the pupils enjoying the slopes and bonding so well.

21 ENRICHMENT WEEK | YEARS 7-10 & LOWER SIXTH

Enrichment week is a wonderful opportunity for pupils to venture outside their comfort zones, build resilience, learn new skills and strengthen friendships. Years 7 to 9 enjoyed a wide variety of challenging and enriching trips in the UK or overseas, making fantastic memories along the way. Year 10 pupils took part in a combination of science, English and humanities activities, many of them also participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award expedition. Sixth form students also benefited from a week of work experience in a number of different industries.

22 TEXTILE VISITS | ALL YEARS Textile design pupils visited lots of exciting fashion exhibitions this year to inspire ideas, support classwork and individual research projects. Highlights include viewing unique creations at the Azzedine Alaïa couturier exhibition, understanding more about the relationship between fashion and nature through history at the V&A museum. Pupils also saw the Beazley designs of the year 2018 exhibition which showcased fashion concepts across the world.

THEATRE VISITS | ALL YEARS The drama department have enjoyed a fantastic range of exciting shows this year. Year 7 watched Craig Revel Horwood perform at a Cinderella panto in Woking whilst Year 8 and 9 pupils visited the bright lights of London’s West End to see Wicked and Les Misérables respectively. Year 10, 11 and sixth form students enjoyed Woman in Black and the Knee High Theatre Company’s Dead Dog in a Suitcase productions too. A tour of the National Theatre followed by two theatre shows, the highly acclaimed Jungle and revived smash hit Chicago, were highlights for our sixth form drama students.

23 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS “Someone has to be first, so why can’t it be you?” JB Gill

SUMMER MEETING | WHOLE SCHOOL We were delighted to be joined by guest speaker, JB Gill, His words resonated and inspired many of us to continue for this year’s summer meeting celebration. The former pursuing those things we enjoy most. Following the JLS band member, farmer and television presenter prize giving, the whole school was abuzz with activities addressed the whole school with a fantastic speech, showcasing pupils’ talents and achievements this encouraging pupils to grab hold of opportunities whilst academic year. applying a little bit of hard work and determination.

24 FUNDRAISING | SIXTH FORM Sixth formers have worked together to raise money for charity this year. Split between chosen charities, MS Society and Challengers, sixth formers organised creative and enjoyable fundraising events in order to reach a fantastic total.

The first of these events was The Big Breakfast where students braved an early start to prepare and cook a full English breakfast for over 150 hungry pupils in the dining hall. Next came the Claremont Talent Show organised by sixth form drama students, the first of its kind this year with plenty of talented acts performing on stage. The summer fair welcomed families from across the three schools to enjoy a day of outdoor games and musical performances. The walkorun was the highlight with pupils and parents competing in a 100m dash as well as 1k, 2k and 5k routes around the hilly school grounds.

25 FUTURE OF CLAREMONT

SIR SYDNEY CAMM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Teaching commenced here in September 2019, with pupils enjoying the benefits of thirteen teaching spaces, supporting biology, chemistry, design technology, food and nutrition, physics, psychology and textiles in an inspirational and spacious setting.

26 NEW SIXTH FORM CENTRE Our biggest sixth form ever moved into our magnificent new sixth form centre in September 2019. With spaces to work as well as places to relax, the centre offers a modern and flexible facility to be proud of in the heart of the school.

27 Claremont Fan Court School Claremont Drive, Esher, Surrey KT10 9LY www.claremontfancourt.co.uk

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