Out of the BoxNewsletter For Old Boxhillians

Issue 04 | autumn 2017

Michael Klim, Swimmer, Edwin Low (1975 – 1977 Guardian) Photographic Artist

alaysian born Edwin is one half of the highly The pair are recognised for their studies of successful international fine art photography athletes and for projects about costume and M partnership of Anderson & Low, identity, which have been exhibited worldwide. collaborating with Jonathan Anderson since 1990. Their exhibitions include:- Road to 2012, as official They were the first photographic artists ever to artists for the London Olympic and Paralympic exhibit at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in Games, with a specially commissioned exhibition 2001 and were presented with an Honorary at the National Portrait Gallery, Athletes, Circus, Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2015. Gymnasts/NDGT, Athlete/Warrior, Endure - and they are the only artists ever to be given Their work includes portraiture, architectural unrestricted access to depict how the Chinese studies, abstract images, reportage, nudes, elite gymnasts train for the Olympics. and landscapes and is noted for its attention to concept, form, lighting and printing. Continued over page... What’s Inside

PROFILES events archive International Artist, Up and Guardians, Edwin Low and Round coming OB Reeves, Square representative, events Syndicates and Sandy Watt. and reunions. Plato. P2 and P6 P9 P10 and P11 02 Out of The Box | Issue 04 profile Edwin Low continued from the front page...

In 2015 Anderson & Low were Council. As my sisters were based invited to create a special art in London at the time, it made project around the creation of sense for me to be at school in the James Bond movie, Spectre. the vicinity. So I was 17 years Shot entirely at Pinewood studios, old when I made the journey UK, the project focused on from over to the UK the extraordinary, gargantuan and to Mickleham. Although I and detailed sets created for struggled emotionally with being the film. Their portrait of Bond away from home, it’s also true director Sam Mendes is now in that as the second youngest of Shooting Gallery, Old MI6 Building from On the Set of James Bond's Spectre the permanent collection of the a family of 13 children I revelled National Portrait Gallery. Later in the feeling of freedom. that year the pair were also commissioned to create images for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this commission resulting from their project Manga Dreams. “ Coming to a boarding Their works reside in some of school in a foreign the world’s most prestigious museums and art galleries and country was to teach in March of this year, their highly me how to stand on successful exhibition 'Voyages', my own two feet was premiered at the Science and to make my own Museum, London. To create decisions without my this project, Anderson & Low created painting-like images of older siblings telling the museum's historic collection me what to do. of model ships, making the I immediately fell in love with the models resemble real ships at architecture of Box Hill School sea. “Photographed through and the whole ‘Englishness’ of the their protective sheeting, the school although it was so alien Hannah Whelan, Beth Tweddle, Jenni Pinches & Rebecca models take on a Turner-esque to me. Cheese, for example, was Tunley, Gymnasts from The Road to 2012 narrative, evoking epic seascapes a food I have never encountered as the pictures play with scale before at home and, although and context” Evening Standard. I have grown to love it as an We were delighted that Edwin adult, it smelt like ‘smelly feet’ took time out of his busy schedule to me as a teenager. However to meet with us at his and being told that it would fill me Jonathan’s exhibition ‘Voyages’ up for the early morning runs at the Science Museum to talk encouraged me to eat it! about his Box Hill School days and his journey to becoming an Artistic life at Box internationally acclaimed artist. Hill School First impressions The art and drama that was available at Box Hill School soon of Box Hill School appealed to me, I had always My parents chose Box Hill School loved art and my parents were for me with the help of the British particularly supportive of my Aaron Jackson, Gymnast, USAFA from the project Athlete-Warrior Profile 03

talent in that area. I was not very good first collaboration with Jonathan in 1990 at sport and lacked confidence and that my work came to public recognition some would say skill in music! However, when we were the first photographers Mrs McComish encouraged me to take to be invited to exhibit at the prestigious music lessons which I thoroughly enjoyed 1991 “Royal Academy Summer Exhibition” and in drama Mrs Radford inspired with ‘Victorian Mannequins’ a work me to take part in the famous Box Hill using the gelatine silver process. School Drama productions including Our work was launched onto the directing me in the ‘King and I’. international art world when we were invited by the National Art Gallery of Malaysia to create a new project for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. We “ decided to create iconic images of sport, I will always cherish the Box primarily portraying Commonwealth Hill School mindset, and athletes, showing the very hard process of preparation, photographing them particularly the influence of in training halls, gymnasia, etc. Mrs Radford and Mr Reed, You need to remember that now ‘portraits’ instilling in me the idea of of athletes and sportsmen and women Shooting Gallery, Old MI6 Building from are commonplace but back in 1998 this On the Set of James Bond's Spectre having a liberal outlook in the sense that there are was ground-breaking work. I have always been very interested in human nature very few absolutes in life, and our intimate photographs of athletes that very little is "black or in training not only capture their journey white", and there may be and their story but mark how human great merit in many different limitations are tested and exceeded. approaches and ideas, We have been humbled by the access coupled with the self-belief that we have been given to our subjects training schedules. Trust between the that if you want something photographer and the subject has you go out and get it. always been very important to us and allows us to build strong relationships Teachers such as Mr Cameron who taught with our subjects. This was particularly me art, Mr Perfect for photography noted when we were given unrestricted and Mr Reed who was my housemaster access to the Chinese gymnastics in in Ralph gave me a lot of good advice their training run up to the 2008 Beijing when I was at school, advice that has Olympics - a privilege that had not been stayed with me into adulthood. granted to anyone before, not Chinese nationals nor foreigners. Since our work We produced our art work in a cold and in Malaysia we have been invited to miserable building at Box Hill School but America to photograph the USA Olympic Hannah Whelan, Beth Tweddle, Jenni Pinches & Rebecca it didn’t matter. We were encouraged athletes and were chosen as one of the Tunley, Gymnasts from The Road to 2012 to aspire and were given the freedom London 2012 Olympic official artists. All and, most importantly, the luxury of of these are huge honours and privileges, being able to discover things slowly. and we are very mindful of the trust At that time Box Hill School allowed me to bestowed on us in giving us this access. experiment with a lot of different artistic Following on from our work with media, photography and fine art. This iconic sports images we then became was and is so important. I hear a lot of interested in the idea of hero. What children today say they “cannot draw” but is the image of a hero and what is our encouragement and freedom is all that idea of a hero? This gave rise to our they need, confidence can then flow. project Athlete/Warrior as follows: During our exploration of this theme Life after Box Hill we were invited to photograph the US cadets from West Point Military Academy, School – icons & heroes Annapolis Naval Academy and The US Air Force Academy. We were fascinated by When I finished my Guardian year at Box how their character, identity and personae Hill School I moved to London, to join my changed depending on whether they were older sister, and went on to study Art and Aaron Jackson, Gymnast, USAFA from the project Athlete-Warrior Architecture. However, it was not until my Continued over page... 04 Out of The Box | Issue 04 Reunioprofile Palazzo, Rome from the set of James Bond's Spectre Edwin Low continued from page 3

wearing their military uniforms or their sporting uniforms. And one thing that, was particularly poignant about this work made in early 1991 is that these cadets were part of the last intake that thought they would never go to war, modern day heroes. Many of those subjects, our friends, served in war zones. Some never made it back from their deployment and we found ourselves writing many war letters. Film stars, dreams of the age have been replaced by the reality of a lighting rig and the future “ overhanging the fantasy table and More recently we have been marble colours below. Some of invited to work on film projects We were also given the prints were later auctioned at which has been both stimulating access to the latest Philips in London and the whole and interesting. The Star Wars James Bond film series is in a photographic book monograph of the project. team approached us to take Spectre and chose publicity photos for the film ‘The Force Awakens’ having seen our our subjects to be the The Future work with the Chinese gymnasts unsung heroes of the Having just finished our most and our project Manga Dreams – film; the set designers recent exhibition ‘Voyages’ at The the latter work that drew heavily the producers and we Science museum, I am planning on youth culture, cyber culture, to take some time off to relax and and costume. They wanted us to also created a special recharge, but there are exciting re-create our mythical and heroic art project about the projects and adventures in the look for them, and importantly sets themselves. future. My journey in the world of they could also see that we could art continues and I will always be be trusted with the secrecy On the set of James Bond’s grateful to the part that Box Hill that surrounds the Star Wars SPECTRE, the Production School played in that journey. brand, so I cannot speak any Designer of Spectre, Dennis more about that project, except Gassner, had approached the set to say it was very hard work, construction in a very classical All images © Anderson & Low. tremendous fun, and truly we are way, researching art and history All Rights Reserved. really proud of the results that and we wanted to pay homage we created for them, including to that with our photographs. the ones that were used on the We wanted to show the film poster. Of course, it’s still extraordinary scale, and the wonderful to see these images beautiful, obsessive level of detail on posters and merchandising that went into these sets. The everywhere we travel. results were a beautiful stunning TEDx Talks set of images which display the We have also worked with the Sharpening your senses | Anderson James Bond team and our clash between fantasy and reality and Low | TEDxLondon photograph of Director Sam – the reality of the production https://www.youtube.com/ Mendes, on the set of Skyfall, kit and rigs and the fantasy of watch?v=zSedYUcH6nA&t=68s was exhibited at the National the sets. This can be seen in the Portrait Gallery and is now in Roman Palazzo scene where the www.andersonandlow.com the permanent collection. traditional “trompe l’oeil” ceilings andersonandlow Reunions 05 Reunions Class of 1986 Class of 2012

The Class of 1986 got together on Saturday 24th June for a long lunch at The Runners and then spent a very happy two hours Maths teacher Jane Appleton noted “What touring the school, visiting Ralph a lovely evening at the King William with House, Burmester and other old the Class of 2012 - plus various people who haunts, reliving memories and had been in that class on the way up!” Two catching up with each other. are teaching Maths and both have taught their classes my 'mode song'. I feel very It was a truly international proud of them all and am quite emotional! gathering with the vast majority of the attendees travelling in from Well done to Mash Eagers (2012) and overseas for the reunion, Paris, Mel Thorn (2012) for organising Dubai, California and . the get together.

Class of 1995

Save the Date! Saturday 16th June 2018

Having a Reunion? Please do let us know if you are having a reunion and we can help in any way, for example if you would like to be given a tour around the school as part of your day we are always very happy to welcome Old Boxhillians at any time, or we can provide you with class lists and help you ‘find’ lost classmates. Please go to www.OldBoxhillians.com and our Facebook pages to see more photos and news of reunions. 06 Out of The Box | Issue 04 ROund square Sandy Watt Europe and the Mediterranean. Before she left us we took the reflects on her opportunity to talk to her about the Round Square expeditions, Round Square which play such an important role in our students' lives. expeditions Sandy began her association 23 years of school memories with Box Hill School when she was Head of her own school ‘New Lodge’ in Dorking. Many of our students spent their formative years under Sandy’s care. It was here that Sandy first became aware of Round Square as an organisation and her enthusiasm meant she ensured that all of her Year 6 students had the opportunity to go on an international trip in preparation for their entry to andy Watt has had a long a senior Round Square school association with Box Hill such as Box Hill School. S School as a parent, Founded in 1966 by the governor, donor, employee, feeder educationalist the school Head and most recently as 180 schools in the Round the Sixth Form careers adviser and Square network all subscribe Round Square representative. to the 6 pillars or IDEALS of Sandy left Box Hill School this Internationalism, Democracy, summer after 23 years association, Environment, Adventure, and having recently come back Leadership, and Service. These from a Round Square International IDEALS are weaved into the Service project in she is everyday life of member schools now taking up a position within the including Box Hill School. The Round Square organisation, as one aspect of Round Square Regional Support Manager for life that encompasses all of

As soon as I started at Box Hill School, at the open day in fact, I knew I wanted to go on all the amazing trips the school “ had to offer - especially anything involving Round Square. The Philippolis trips are probably my stand-out memories from my time at school. The reward I personally gained from my time there is priceless and shows how a little help can go a long way. I'm so grateful for having the opportunity to go once, let alone three times. Philippolis made me want to become a teacher and from that I'm studying primary education with a specialism in learning disciplines at university from September. Without the trips I would not be as grateful for everything life has to offer and to know when to seize an opportunity no matter how scary it looks (considering I had just turned 13 the first time I went) and to just go for it.” Jack Clarke (OB 2010- 2015) Round Square and News 07

these six is the Round Square Sandy has been instrumental in International Service expedition these trips, recruiting students, or project, known as RSIS. planning the logistics and organising the fundraising before Sandy joined Box Hill School the pupils depart. Sandy is first as compliance officer and famous, of course, for running receptionist in 2010 and later as the Round Square Variety Show, PA to the then Head, Mr Mark held on MAD (Make A Difference) Eagers. She become involved Day every year to raise the money in all the Round Square aspects to buy the building materials of Box Hill School life and an needed to complete the various opportunity to go on a Round building projects in Philippolis. Square expedition came when The Variety Show encourages she went to Cambodia in 2013 the whole school to showcase for the 2 week adult training their talents and last year the course. An eye opener to the Head, Mr Lowde even treated us risk assessments and the skills to his Elvis Presley impression!! needed to run your own Round This is a student led event, which Square service project, it was enables Box Hill students to on this trip that Sandy worked develop their leadership skills with other trainee leaders to as well as some of those softer build the White Dove Weaving skills such as ‘patience and tact.’ Centre for the local women of Takao. Her first taste of what When we asked Sandy what a significant difference Round her particular memories of the Square service projects can make Round Square trips have been to a vulnerable part of our world. she mentioned “driving the truck, helping to corral a white Box Hill School, a founding rhino, walking with cheetahs and member of the Round Square visiting the Tiger Sanctuary” network, has historically sent pupils on Service Projects around the world including , and Uganda to name a few. Run “ by members of staff such as The best memory is Sandy, Donna Walton and Geoff the same on every Sequerah. More recently the school has developed a unique trip and that is seeing relationship with the village of every child travelling Philippolis in . on their own personal Round Square first visited this journey, physically yes, area in 2003 to help build a but also spiritually, nursery and digital learning becoming stronger centre in the township of and more confident Bergmanshoote, a project that young people. Sandy was involved with, and when the formal Round Square In most cases the experience has commitment to the area ended been ‘life changing’ for students in 2006, the team at Box Hill and adults alike. Sandy is proud School decided that their work to have been connected with this was not finished there. They very special town and charity, committed to taking a team of the ‘Good Work Foundation,’ students from Year 10 to Year 13 which has opened its arms to every year to support the local our many students over the community, and this trip has run every summer (bar 2) since 2006. Continued over page... 08 Out of The Box | Issue 04 ROund square

Sandy Watt reflects WANT TO KNOW MORE How can you get involved with RS now you have left Continued from page 7 school – register on the Round Square website and please get in contact with Sandy [email protected]

years, and which in turn has Round Square trips are life opened their eyes to the needs changing for our students. As of remote areas of South Africa. well as a bonding experience Over the years Box Hill School it allows them to develop their has helped to build a digital leadership skills and helps them learning centre, a storeroom, to understand the challenges of kitchen, counselling office, laid adulthood. These trips impact an underground water system the whole school community, and prepared a vegetable garden when the students return, their plot, and carried out a number of passion, their conversations refurbishments to village houses and their experiences filter and the local village church. Box through the whole community. Hill School through fundraising has also supported the Under We will miss Sandy hugely at 13 Netball Team in providing a Box Hill School, but in her new netball kit for the team, who then role as part of the Round Square went on to win the Orange Free World Management Team (WMT) State Regional Championship. she has assured us she will be Box Hill School also sponsors popping into school frequently, young runners from the village and wants to encourage all of to enter the 2 Oceans Race our Old Boxhillian community each year held in Cape Town. to sign up to the Round Square website so they can be contacted about up and coming expeditions and planned Round Square Alumni trips.

Leaving a Legacy Your gift to future generations

The generosity of parents, alumni, governors and friends, providing the opportunity to unlock potential.

Your Support You can make a gift to Box Hill School in your will. www.boxhillschool.com/ A-Gift-in-your-Will Painting of Roy McComish David by Poole, former Box Hill parent and President of the Royal Society of Painters. Reunions and Events 09 events

e are busy developing a series of Old Boxhillian events and reunions. We hope that you will be able to join us, as well as taking the opportunity to come and share school events. You are always W welcome to visit us at school, please just get in touch.

school open days the great gatsby celebrate box hill day senior school production Please do pop in on our Thursday 22nd March, 2018 Wednesday 6th - 1.15pm Open Days and say hello! Dalewood Reception Friday 8th December, 2017 Join us for the annual school walk up open morning Box Hill School Box Hill, a coffee and a chat at the top. Saturday 3rd Join us for Box Hill School's February, 2018 performance of The Great Gatsby, the guardian and Deputy 10am – 12pm 1925 novel written by American author Guardians dinner F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast Friday 23rd March, 2018 of characters living in the fictional Open Evening 7:30pm to Midnight town of West Egg on prosperous Tuesday 12th The Oriental Club, London Long Island in the summer of 1922. June, 2018 Please join us for a night of memories, 6:15pm - 8:00pm celebrating the past and the present box hill school of Box Hill School. Guardians carol service school at work day and Deputy Guardians only. Sunday 10th December, 2017 3pm Wednesday 7th london drinks March, 2018 St Martin’s Church in Dorking Thursday 10th Come and help us celebrate this special Thursday 26th April, 2018 May, 2018 time of year and the end of term. 6pm - 8pm Venue TBC 10:45am - 12:00pm Please do drop in and let the Old mickleham drinks Boxhillians Office buy you a drink. Come and join OB friends for a catch Wednesday 13th December, 2017 up. Spread the word - we would love to 6pm - 8pm see as many OBs as possible. King William IV, Mickleham For details of these events and to join us please book Please do drop in and let the Old box hill school ball your place via the Boxhillians Office buy you a drink. Saturday 13th May, 2018 Old Boxhillians website – Come and join OB friends for a catch 7.30pm to Midnight www.oldboxhillians.com up - make new friends with OBs from Please join us for the annual School (events) or contact us other eras. Spread the word - we would Ball arranged by our Parents' [email protected] love to see as many OBs as possible. Association, in the beautiful Tithe Barn, Burford Bridge Hotel.

speech day Saturday 20th May, 2018 10.30am Personalised Bricks Please do let us know if you would like to join us for Speech Day this year. Gift a permanent reminder of your association with Box Hill reunion class of 1995 (1993 if you left in 5th year) School. Name a brick on our

dedication wall. Saturday 16th June, 2018 4.30pm Box Hill School

Heidi Isa and Chris Harwood are organising a reunion of their year group. Building Blocks The idea is to have a tour around the For Future Generations school and then head to ‘The Running Horses’ for dinner. Please do get in www.boxhillschool.com/ touch with them if you would like to join this reunion: [email protected]; Box-Hill-School-Bricks [email protected] they would be delighted to hear from you. 10 Out of The Box | Issue 04 archive The story of the Guardians the Reeves and the Syndicate With thanks to Jeremy Taylor – first Guardian (1964)

In many ways Roy i McComish, the founding Headmaster of Box Hill “ School was a remarkable man and inspirational leader. Early in the A Guardian is someone sizable area of the country. The first academic year of Box Hill who guards, a Syndicate was to be a supportive School (1959) three or four senior custodian, a person body to the Guardians and it pupils including Jeremy Taylor, who looks after is interesting to note that in Anthea Richards, Jonathan Abbot persons or property. the early days staff were also and Victor Gouriet were called into appointed as members of the 20 the Headmaster's study one A person entrusted by strong group. Membership was evening for a discussion on the law with the care of a confirmed through a democratic hierarchy of pupils and the person or persons. process. That process remains responsibilities needed to reflect the same today with Syndicate that hierarchy. Roy McComish was in particular ‘The Republic’. It was members nominating themselves noted as being surprisingly reading this work that inspired him and their positions confirmed democratic and consultative in to reuse the title Guardian, those through a voting system including many ways although it should be in society who were responsible noted, never indecisive. Roy the staff and other pupils. for the management of society. started the discussion by saying In the early days of the school that Box Hill School was different It seemed to fit the bill nicely there were monthly (confidential) and he wanted the titles of pupils and so it was unanimously meetings with the Headmaster, with responsibility to reflect that. agreed and adopted. which included the Guardians and So began a series of evening This title is, of course still in use the Syndicate. As Jeremy noted, meetings to discuss and agree the today, although the responsibilities these meetings gave the Head the titles that were finally chosen. and punishment authority given at opportunity to encourage, thank The title of Guardian was quickly the discretion of today’s Guardians and confide in the Guardians settled on for the Head Boy and has changed since the early days. and Syndicate and to share his Girl positions, partly because it We should note at this point that hopes and plans for the future was Kurt Hahn’s choice for ‘Head in those early days of Box Hill of the school. This was greatly Boy’ at . Kurt Hahn School there were relatively few was a great reader of Plato and staff so Guardian responsibilities were quite extensive. To help with the discussions about titles for the other positions of responsibility in the school, one of the teachers, Mr John Ver- Hodge, a historian was asked to produce a list of Old English titles for the group’s consideration. One of those titles was Syndic “An agent chosen or accredited to represent business for a university or corporation, an advocate” at the time Mr Ver- Hodge said it was the landed gentry with substantial means and authority, who were responsible for the smooth running of a 2017/18 Guardians Kayleigh and Ben Archive 11

appreciated by the Syndic body The Guardian, Syndicate and It was one of the first marks and created substantial ‘buy in’ to Reeves positions were held by of being trusted in the school the development and leadership the more senior members of the system and the diaries were of the school in their early days. school. Roy McComish noted presented in assembly to mark that there was need for the the fact. Misconduct would But what about the body of younger members of the school see the diary being taken away students to help the Guardians to have the opportunity to take from the individual holder and and Syndics? In the early days supervision of those actives would on responsibility and authority of the school there was a small be reinstated. As the document amongst their peers. So it was teaching staff which needed was private it was only the decided that the position of to cover numerous duties and Headmaster who could ask to see Training Diary Holder would be supervisions. So it was decided it and so the thinking was that created. The Training Diary was that there would be another tier any false diary entry would only a small exercise book in which be fooling the diary holder. As of responsibility added, that of the about 8 to 10 items of daily Jeremy noted “I don’t how well it Reeve, a derivative of Sheriff. The activity were listed down the edge worked, certainly it was a good importance of this position was of each page with vertical lines reminder to do the listed items that it was seen as an opportunity across the page in which to place each day before going to bed, for personal development of ticks when your daily tasks were when the diary had to be filled in!” leadership potential, and the completed. The activities that As our new 2017/2018 Guardians, chance to be promoted to were allocated included duties, Kayleigh and Ben take up their Syndic in the future. The position morning runs, cold showers, posts with the Syndicate to of Reeve was discontinued press ups etc. The holders of help them, they remember the after Roy’s retirement but the the diaries were expected to do historic origins of these titles and Reeves board still hangs in these things unsupervised and it the responsibility and honour Burmester as a reminder. represented status in the school. that comes with them.

Clockwise from top left: Syndicate group 1995, Syndicate group 2016 and Syndicate group 2000 12 Out of The Box | Issue 04 Obituaries Nick Wilson Mandy Bowles (1966 – 1970) (1982 – 1988)

The death occurred on June 1st 2017 of Nick Wilson It is with great sadness that the family of Mandy Bowles, who who was the first Housemaster of St Nicolas House left Box Hill in 1988, announce after it had been built in 1968. He and his wife June that she died suddenly in had been at BHS for two years but married in '71. early September 2017. June had a teaching job elsewhere but taught Art Mandy will no doubt at BHS in the days of Saturday morning classes. be remembered for her Nick taught English but will be remembered as kindness, her naughtiness an excellent lead in Gilbert & Sullivan productions and her many (prohibited) and as a speedy, no-messing, rugby player! layers of gold jewellery. She had been living in Cambridge since the early 1990s, and leaves Both came from Morpeth, Northumberland behind her parents, sister, and 21 year old son. and returned near there when Nick took up a If you wish to remember Mandy, you might like to post at Barnard Castle School. He had been make a donation to B-EAT, the UK’s leading charity living with the effects of Parkinson's Disease for supporting anyone affected by eating disorders. some years but died peacefully in his sleep www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

WANT TO KNOW MORE

For more news do go onto the alumni website www.oldboxhillians.com where you can book into events, find lost friends, update your details, take a trip down memory lane with the school archive and catch up on Old Boxhillian news.

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Please let us have your www.oldboxhillians.com Alison Vernon Development Director latest contact details via Old Boxhillians What’s Inside Sam Bushell [email protected] facebook.com/oldboxhillians Development & boxhillschool_visualarts Alumni Relations Manager

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Address: Box Hill School, Old London Road, Mickleham, Dorking, RH5 6EA 01372 384258 www.boxhillschool.com