Sixth Form
Thursday 1st July 2010
Graduation Ceremony And Dinner 2010
Posted by JMMReport coming!
Wednesday 30th June 2010
BBC And The Old Bailey
Posted by JMM
The Sixth Form's week of activities included glimpses of the great institution in action this week: they were lucky enough to attend a sitting at the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, where they observed a grim murder case, before moving on to White City, where some of our extroverts seized the chance to participate in the media world at the BBC. They sampled the challenges of being news readers and weather presenters, as well as doing a bit of celebrity spotting.
Friday 18th June 2010
Community Service
Posted by JMM
The Lower Sixth spent a day this week in the community helping a local Scout group by tackling some of the work that they needed doing on their scout hut: they painted the back of the club house a fresh green and the inside facilities a sea blue. They also worked outside collecting and stacking large logs around the site, then piling up smaller twigs and branches for the Scouts to have a good bonfire later!
Thursday 17th June 2010
Oxford
Posted by JMM
Tuesday 15 June was the perfect sunny day for the Sixth Form enrichment trip to Oxford, which started with our own guided tour of Christ Church College seeing areas not open to the public, then a picnic on Christ Church meadow. Our tour of the recently refurbished Ashmolean Museum let us marvel at eight objects of renown, after which we stretched our legs climbing Carfax tower and St Mary’s tower for spectacular views of Oxford.
We walked round outside of the world famous Bodleian library, the Sheldonian theatre and the Radcliffe Camera then enjoyed our own private visit to Lincoln College and a short talk by Dr Perry Gauci, Fellow of History at Lincoln College. Mr Hitchcock showed us round Brasenose College before we were all let loose on punts on the river Cherwell!
Thank you, Mrs Rider, Mr Longman and Mr Hitchcock for a full and stimulating day.
Monday 17th May 2010
Claremont School Election
Posted by S. Westlake
It was always planned that when Parliament was dissolved and the election declared, Claremont would hold an election.Three Sixth Form students took on the roles of candidates representing the three major parties.Tonia represented Labour, Matthew the Liberal Democrats and Lesterwas candidate for the Conservatives. All three entered the race with huge enthusiasm and presented articulate, intelligent and thoughtful speeches to the whole school at two assemblies. They also campaigned throughout the School, sending emails and pasting posters in prominent places. The results were announced in assembly on Friday morning and a fitting acceptance speech was made by the resounding winner, Lester Talbot for the Conservatives.
The results were as follows: Labour - 36 votes Liberal Democrats - 134 votes Conservatives 213 - votes
We had an 82% turnout which was well above the national average of 69%, which in itself was 4% higher than at the last election.
This proved to be a golden opportunity to raise the profile of politics within the School - and it certainly did that. Students were asking all sorts of questions and really thinking about who to vote for.
Sunday 9th May 2010
Chess Champion
Posted by JMMJasper Tambini, Year 12, is to be congratulated for his recent success in the competitive world of chess. Having travelled to Leicester for the English Chess Federation Under 18 International Selection Tournament, Jasper had a storming run, cutting a swathe through the ranks of his opponents from all over the country and losing only one match to the eventual overall winner.
His second place in the Tournament means that he has qualified for the England team that is going to the European Junior Chess Championship in Georgia and the World Junior Chess Championship in Greece later this year.
Having improved steadily over many years, during which time he has represented the School with distinction in many matches, Jasper is now playing chess of the highest standard and deserves the warmest congratulations for this outstanding achievement. We wish him all the best in these and future international competitions.
Sunday 9th May 2010
Tree Planting
Posted by JMM
On Sunday 25 April the Head Boy, Euan Philip, and Head Girl, Tamsyn Neligan, each planted an oak tree (Quercus robur) in the Valley Field to record their contribution to the School. The trees were planted under the auspices of The Claremont Tree Society in the presence of the Principal, the Head of the Senior School and members of both families. It was a very special occasion blessed once more with fine weather.
Monday 15th March 2010
Devon Leadership Course
Posted by JMM
Monday 15th March 2010
Dna Electrophoresis In Biology Al
Posted by Samantha Gabriel
Sixth formers Charlie and Sam are seen here attaching the carbon fibre diodes to the agarose gel to conduct DNA electrophoresis. DNA electrophoresis is an analytical technique used to separate fragments of DNA by size.A micro pipette was used to measure samples as small as 2 micro litres. With each of the DNA samples different enzymes were used to cut the DNA into different sized pieces. We used carbon fibre diodes and a buffer solution flooding the gel that then allows the DNA to move. Due to the charge on the DNA the molecules migrated towards the positive end of the agarose gel.
"We had to use very sensitive equipment that required us to use great control and discipline. I think it was a great opportunity to be able to do such an intricate experiment and I believe it gives me greater insight on what I will be doing in my degree at University." Max Murgatroyd.
Monday 14th December 2009
Future Proofing Yourself!
Posted by Jenny Mann
CRITICAL THINKINGThe Staff and Sixth Form were delighted to listen to Dr Graeme Codrington, an expert on the new world of work and multigenerational workplaces, who gave last Friday's Critical Thinking lecture. As a writer, speaker and strategy consultant, he gave us the benefit of his insight into how our young people would find the world of work with the new technological platforms and applications at their disposal.
His multimedia-driven presentation offered us an overview of cutting-edge research and provoking insights with humour and spirit. Through augmented reality, retinal information gathering, social networking, cloud computing and the wonders of science and technology: Graeme led us, marvelling, through a wonderfully inspiring talk.
Sunday 6th December 2009
Uk Maths Challenge
Posted by GE
UK Senior Team Maths Challenge Regional Final On Wednesday 18 November, the great hall of the University of Surrey in Guildford was the venue for the Surrey final of the UK Senior Team Maths Challenge. The Claremont team of Euan Philip (Y13), Dapeng Wang (Y13), Amn Khan (Y12), Jungwoo Rhee (Y10) found themselves pitted against teams from 18 other schools in a battle of minds to find who could solve the most and the hardest maths problems in three hours.
The lead changed hands several times over the course of the three rounds, with Claremont always in the leading pack and setting a blistering pace. Steadily they tackled problem after problem and built up an impressive score. However, despite finishing strongly with full marks and a bonus for their last question, the team lost ground in the relay round and did not quite manage to regain the lead before the end of the contest.
The final winners were the very powerful team from Royal Grammar School, Guildford, followed by Caterham College in second place, with Claremont close behind tying for third place with the team from City of London Freemen’s School (which included past Claremont pupil Cheol Hwi Kim).
Although they didn’t win the event, the Claremont team knew that they had done extremely well against formidable opposition. They had pushed themselves to their intellectual limit, solving a large number of very hard problems accurately in a very short time. They had all enjoyed themselves thoroughly and carried the Claremont torch with distinction.
Sunday 6th December 2009
Solar Car Challenge
Posted by Jenny Mann
During the summer holidays past Head Boy, Brian Kamusinga who is studying for his degree at Principia College in Illinois, USA, helped build a Solar Car. He and his team mates took the finished car to Australia and on 30 October, Principia College’s solar car, Ra7, finished seventh in the 2009 World Solar Challenge, a gruelling 3,000-kilometer race across the Outback from Darwin to Adelaide, Australia.An extract from the Principia website reads: “Many solar car team members spent part of their summer preparing Ra 7 to race across Australia next month in the World Solar Challenge. But Brian Kamusinga, a junior chemistry and engineering science major from Kenya, devoted his entire summer to the task. Principia College
Sunday 6th December 2009
Street Child Africa
Posted by Jenny Mann
This week, the Sixth Form was delighted to present a cheque to their chosen charity 'Street Child Africa'. After hearing about the plight of street children in Africa, Claremont students were challenged and motivated to help street children in Africa; children who are just like ours but with one difference - they don't have a trustworthy adult in their lives.Follow the link below and learn about what it is like to be a street child and how we can all work together to change the lives of these voiceless, vulnerable children. It can be done - just read the children's stories, they are inspiring. STREET CHILD AFRICA
Wednesday 25th November 2009
Amsterdam
Posted by David Ridings
Over the half-term holiday the Sixth Form spent four nights in Amsterdam on their annual cultural enrichment trip. Everyone learned a great deal visiting this amazing city.The 40 students enjoyed activities ranging from absorbing the art of Van Gogh and Rembrandt to the antics of the animals in Artis Zoo. On the final day students enjoyed the Nemo Science Museum which was voted one of the top museums in Europe. This is very much a hands-on museum and enabled students to explore the Sciences and Psychology. Students also visited the Diamond Factory and were given talks on polishing and deciding on cost.
We stayed in the Amsterdam Botel which was ideal for such a trip. Evening meals were eaten in restaurants ranging from typical Dutch to Indonesian. The School would like to thank Mr Ian Ford who organised all the logistics of the trip from flights to food, and all the other members of staff that made this trip safe, rewarding and fun. All students were impeccably behaved, kept to timings and used free time wisely. Mr D J Ridings, Head of Faculty
Wednesday 25th November 2009
A2 Music Promo Package
Posted by Jenny Mann
At A2 Media Studies, students may choose to make a video promo pack. Here, Michael has produced CD designs to accompany his cover of The White Lies 'From The Stars'.
Sunday 4th October 2009
Guernica
Posted by Jenny Mann
Pablo Picasso's extraordinary black and white painting, Guernica, was the subject of Anthony Slinn's Critical Thinking lecture last Friday. Painted in 1937 in response to the Nazi German Government's bombardment of the Basque town of that name during the Spanish Civil War, it now draws huge crowds of admirers at the Prado in Madrid.
The aerial bombing took place during one Monday afternoon market and was callously targeted at women and children; some 1500 dies and about 1000 were injured during the attack which was the first of its kind as a deliberate civilian massacre.
We would like to thank Anthony Slinn for his erudite and thought-provoking lecture.
Wednesday 23rd September 2009
Freshers' Activities
Posted by Jenny Mann
The whole of the sixth form have enjoyed a number of activities this term, such as an evening of bowling and pizza last week. Yesterday they donned their overalls and, armed with paint brushes, set to work on revamping the Sixth Form Centre with white and blue paint. By the end of the session, some unlikely people had smurfed their hair but great fun was had by all!
Monday 21st September 2009
Alex Jensen
Posted by Jenny Mann
The regular weekly Critical Thinking lecture got off to a racing start on Friday 11th September with Alex Jensen, broadcaster and journalist, giving an insider's view of life at ESPN, the prestigious sports channel.
ESPN (originally an acronym for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day. Before this post, Alex worked for LBC with the phone-in show 'Summer Scores'.
Ours students wanted to know what advice he could give them, just in case they were ever in the lucky position of interviewing top sportsmen and women.
Get used to thinking on your feet, he said! Although it sounds glamorous to have interviewed Lewis Hamilton in the back of a Mercedes, you'll find that the reality involves getting up early, going to bed late and having to sacrifice your social life!
Tuesday 4th August 2009
Rotary Club Service Above Self Award
Posted by Jenny Mann
It was a pleasure to welcome the Chairman of the Esher Rotary Club, Geoff Morris, to the Senior School assembly last Friday morning. He has a long association with the School as both his daughter and her two children have been pupils. He gave an outline of some of the important work that the Rotary Club is involved in currently - particularly in relation to helping to provide a swift response to natural disasters.
He then presented UVI student, Alex Kay, with the prestigious Rotary Club Service Above Self Award. Alex has made an outstanding contribution to the life of the School in so many different ways since he arrived 18 months ago. This has included helping out regularly at Open Mornings and information evenings, taking assemblies at short notice, giving very generously of his time in Charity Week and at all kinds of other tasks that he has been too modest to mention.
Congratulations, Alex, so many people were genuinely pleased to hear that you had been chosen to receive this award which truly embodies the spirit of the School in action!
Tuesday 4th August 2009
Global Student Forum
Posted by L.Johnson
On Tuesday 30th June, the annual Global Student Forum was held at the Emanuel Centre in Westminster, London. Claremont was lucky enough to have nine Sixth Form students attend the gathering where the topic for the event was ‘IF I grow up…I want to be ALIVE’.
The whole purpose of the day was to raise awareness of the child mortality rate among our global communities due to preventable diseases, especially among our global communities in the third world, whether that be due to poor nutrition, poor post natal care, poor sanitation or lack of vaccinations or knowledge of HIV/AIDS.
Students were kept captivated by rappers and singers with a message, to heart wrenching real life stories from the Malawi and Nigeria. Students were given workshops on how to publicise the cause within their own community and even got to question the Minister for International Development, Mr Mike Foster MP. All in all, it was very worthwhile day that initiated a lot of questions about what they are prepared to do as the future of our world.
Tuesday 4th August 2009
Graduation Dinner 2009
Posted by Jenny Mann
The Sixth Form leavers assemble at their graduation
dinner on July 2nd: a
memorable evening on which to reflect on the
successes of our senior students as they
prepare for university and college life.
Tuesday 4th August 2009
Graduation Service 2009
Posted by Jenny Mann
St George's Church, Esher, provides the intimate and elegant venue for our traditional service of music and readings, during which the Sixth Form leavers, families and teachers gather to reflect on our shared past and to celebrate our achievements.
Sunday 5th July 2009
Cambridge University Physics Summer School
Posted by Jenny Mann
Dapeng Wang in LVI has been accepted on the fourth Cambridge University Senior Physics Challenge. He faced incredibly tough competition for the residential summer school which is designed for high achievers in the discipline.
During his time at the Cavendish Laboratory he will attend general physics lectures, research lectures and attend laboratory classes. The intensive tuition is designed to emphasise the development of problem-solving and experimental skills in physics. To be accepted on the challenge Dapeng had to demonstrate his aptitude for physical and mathematical thinking.
The ever growing Physics Department is delighted that Dapeng has been accepted and will look forward to him cascading his knowledge and experience when he returns.
Sunday 5th July 2009
Senior School Charity Week
Posted by Bob Longman
- Mad Hatters, an overnight sleep out in -3º, sponsored head shaves… Sixth Form lead the School in raising a new record of over £4,000 !
The annual Charity Week coordinates fund raising events in aid of two charities chosen by the Senior Prefects. The first is St Michael’s Fellowship (Charity no.1035820). The second is a donation to buy non-medical equipment for the school room used by the children and teenagers who are cared for by the Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton (Charity no.1095197).
There is a strong tradition of raising money for charity in this School. This year the students have really surpassed themselves. They have worked really hard. I am so proud of their efforts.
Very popular Easter Egg Hunts in the Walled Garden, welly throwing and massive sales of Krispy Kreme doughnuts all featured in the week’s programme and, as ever, pupils and staff enjoyed the non-uniform Mufti Day. Three members of staff, four Year 11 students and three Year 8 pupils also had sponsored, and very public, head shaves [No. 2] in the lunch hall. Mad Hatters Day was a new and very successful addition with many students and staff sporting mad hats all day on Wednesday. There was enthusiastic support too for a Senior and a Junior five-a-side football competition.
Sixth Formers took the lead in some less conventional fundraising efforts! For one school day they volunteered to carry bags, assist with homework, and even drive off site to collect takeaways. Bidding was brisk under the skilful direction of master auctioneer, Sixth Form drama scholar Sam Hennig! Younger pupils bid for services provided by the Sixth Former of their choice in a genuine charity auction which has become a popular annual tradition at the School. 30 Sixth Form students and four staff also braved a -3º frost in a sponsored overnight ‘Sleep Out’ on cardboard and carry mats in front of the main assembly hall. Tents were definitely not allowed! And finally… a huge thank you to all our parents, staff and pupils for supporting these charities so generously this year!
Sunday 5th July 2009
Education For All
Posted by Ms Leah Johnson
Currently 75 million children in our world live without the opportunity of education. In 2000 the UK Government, along with many other countries, got together and developed the Millennium Development goals, a set of tasks they wanted to complete by 2015, reducing worldwide poverty. One of these goals included the education of all.
At the moment they are falling short of their targets. To help keep us on track, on 23 April many of the students at Claremont joined students from all over the world to decorate their own Number 10 paper doors and fill them with messages to Mr Gordon Brown and the UK government. This is all part of the 'Big Read'
For more information about the Send My Friend to School organisation.
Ms Leah Johnson, Sixth FormTutor
Send My Friend to SchoolSunday 5th July 2009
Careers Evening
Posted by Mrs P RiderDuring the evening of Tuesday 10 March the Mansion was buzzing with visitors to the Careers Evening. Wonderful parents and former pupils and friends sat behind desks to give first-hand information about their career paths.
Years 10, 11 and the Sixth Form spent an enjoyable evening asking them questions. We were fortunate as many of those being consulted had reached the top of their profession and had an abundance of 'pearls of wisdom' to share. There were representatives from top accountancy and law firms and from the Police as well as Army, RAF and Navy.
Art courses were covered as well as the media, fairtrade, marketing, animals, music, cookery, retail buying, drama, banking, nursing, teaching, and journalists representing the BBC in Radio 4 and the World Service - not forgetting physiotherapy, photography, and psychotherapy! The newly qualified doctor was very willing to share all he had learnt with his audience.
There were opportunities too to discover alternatives to university courses including going to film school or joining an apprentice or graduate scheme with Siemens. Raleigh International gave enthusiastic presentations of their expeditions at regular intervals. Parents could wander round too or sip coffee and chat in the Inner Hall.
It was lovely to see students and their parents enjoying the evening together and we are extremely grateful to the consultants who gave up their valuable time to help to guide our pupils.
Mrs P Rider, Careers Adviser
Friday 6th March 2009
Sixth Form Students Shine In Their Inter House Debating Final
Posted by B Longman
The Motion: “That the BBC should have fired Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross.”
A spirited examination of the conduct of the BBC and of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross in particular, entertained the Senior School on Friday 6th March. Members of Esher House Sam Hennig, Annie Kimber and Samantha Gabriel, proposed that “The BBC should have fired Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross”. The opposing team was Norwood represented by Oli Whitford-Knight, Alex Kay, and Natasha Perera.
Very well researched speeches focused on key issues such as moral standards, the freedom of the BBC to regulate itself whilst not necessarily bowing to every public outcry, the role of media hype in influencing or reflecting public opinion, and the changing trends of what is and is not acceptable entertainment today.
Special thanks go to the English Department staff Mrs Clarke, Miss Forest and Miss Abbott, for being judges on the day, and to Michael Speer for so ably chairing the debate.
Congratulations to Annie Kimber and Natasha Perera who picked up best speaker awards for Esher and Norwood respectively.
The final result was a narrow victory 197-190 for Norwood over Esher.
Wednesday 4th March 2009
Sixth Form Trip To Berlin
Posted by PJFrom 12th to the 17th February 42 members of Claremont Sixth form visited Berlin for a cross curricular cultural tour. This was the second annual sixth form trip - last year students visited Paris to attend a conference discussing the future of Europe. Visits undertaken in Berlin included the BMW motorcycle factory, the Olympic stadium, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, the Jewish Museum, the Pergammon classical museum, Chameleon theatre group, the Zoo, the Reichstag, Sans Souci palace in Potsdam, Checkpoint Charlie and the East Side Gallery (remains of the Berlin Wall). Students were able to undertake some of the visits independently using public transport, and the tour was further enlivened by the fact that the city was covered in snow for three days. The trip was a great success, and the students should take great credit for their consistent enthusiasm and energy which contributed enormously to the enjoyment of all participants. It was a truly memorable experience. Thanks are also extended to all staff who took part, and to parents for supporting the trip.
Monday 26th January 2009
Creative Claremont Media Awards
Posted by Jenny Mann
On the red carpet today for the annual awards for creativity in Media Studies were three students who have been working on promotional packages for music releases. We were proud to screen their music videos in the presence of our special guest, Mr Mark Piper from the British Board of Film Classification, who presented the awards.We welcomed his expertise and his words of praise and encouragement.Congratulations to
Olivia Karsenbarg, Alex Kay and Sam Hennig.
Sunday 25th January 2009
Sam As Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig
Posted by Jenny Mann
Several sixth formers, such as Sam, are contributing their talents to the forthcoming school production 'Oh! What a Lovely War' on Tuesday 3rd, Wednesday 4th, Friday 6 and Saturday 7th February at 7.30p.m. in the JG Hall. Full reviews follow!
Oh! What a Lovely War, film (1969)BFI website information on Attenborough's film
Vintage audio: sing along with the lyrics
Sunday 7th December 2008
Working For Bp
Posted by Nick Reilly
The Sixth Form Critical Thinking course welcomed Bill Brandt from BP to address the students on Friday 7 November.
Bill Brandt gave an excellent talk on the internal mechanics of the petrol industry, including a step-by-step guide through the oil industry, from obtaining crude oil, through to filling up our cars with petrol. This informative lecture gave insight on the biggest fuel source in the UK, and one of its biggest providers.
Students (and teachers) had a chance to launch questions directly at Mr. Bailey, and soon a heated debate began to form; ,including discussions of the economic crisis at hand, and the future of renewable energy sources; his quick wit and sharp sense of humour made this a memorable talk.
Friday 5th December 2008
Artificial Intelligence
Posted by Jenny Mann
Dr Jonathan Black of the Department of Computer Science at Queen Mary College, London, is delivering the lunch time talk to the Sixth Form Critical Thinking group on December 5th. A full report will follow.
Tuesday 25th November 2008
Sixth Form Devon Leadership Course 2008
Posted by Harry Insall-Reid and Tamsyn Neligan
Twenty-eight Lower Sixth students took part in a personal development and leadership course in Devon from the 12th-15th October. The bus trip from school took five and a half hours by the time we were eventually dropped off in the middle of rural Devon.
After we had lugged our bags down the road to the centre we were split into groups and then went out into the sloping field next to the centre – actually it was almost vertical and split up by a stream. We were told that there were three unconscious people somewhere in the area – a space over 1km square. We split up around the field finding the first person high up on the other side of the stream. After we carried the first man about 20m we decided that although we originally thought the task was a race it would be much more time efficient to work as a team to complete the task. The other two people proved harder to find. A woman was found half way down a ditch next to the stream along with another man. It was a very warm day and carrying the bodies up the hill on stretchers was extremely difficult. We had a break and dinner – the food was a very high standard all week. We did several activities in the evening around the centre which encouraged each person thinking individually to put forward ideas to the team to complete the tasks in the time period. The day ended there.
Day Two was orienteering based on Dartmoor. After an hour in the mini-bus we arrived in the drizzle. We set off in two groups for several destinations around the area which had been located on the map. We had several breaks during the day which involved a teambuilding task and a river we had to get our bags across. One of the highlights of the day – or at least most memorable (and dangerous) was done in pairs. The group were on top of one of the highest peaks in the area which was very rocky and thin. One person was blindfolded and the other had to guide their partner up the face which fortunately we did with complete success! We made our way back to the mini-bus, wet and cold but the day was certainly a great experience.
Day Three was based at the centre and on the coast. At the centre it was effectively an assault course. We started with Jacob’s ladder – logs at least 2m apart from each other which we had to climb up to reach the top which was over 10m. Everybody had a go and with the support of the whole group below, everyone did their best. We went onto crate stacking. Figuring out the best pattern to stack the crates so as to balance as many as possible, proved difficult although the highest tower was 20 crates high. We went into a circuit which involved balancing, crawling through tunnels, climbing over frames and getting wet and muddy. The second half of the day was spent on the coast. After a long walk down to the sea we waded out and swam out to some of the large cliffs. The instructors led us up some of the rocks and we jumped off into the sea. The drops started from about 2 or 3m but as we got more confident about them the jump increased. By the end of the session which was certainly one of the main highlights of the week, the tallest cliff we had jumped off was approximately 15m. Back at the centre, we took part in a night activity. This was much the same as the activity on day one except it was done in the pitch black. We were led ably by Michael Speer who then delegated down to four further separate groups. We had to drive to an unknown area of countryside in the minibus and locate those that were injured. This time they had been in the makeup department and were covered in ‘blood’ – and were yelling their head off. It proved a lot more difficult to get them on the stretcher and bring them back to base than on the first day. As a team we were much more efficient which was encouraging.
Finally on the last day we were in teams where we had to construct a machine that would fire a tennis ball. We had to work as a team both thinking and practically doing the task in front of us. Each team came up with a design but when it came to the competition, there was certainly a lot of dodgy cheating going on!
Overall, it was certainly an amazing trip – an experience which none of us will forget quickly. As a group we certainly grew and worked well as a team. A big thank you to Mr Longman, Mr Kimber and Miss Johnson who accompanied the group.
Tuesday 25th November 2008
Offshore Sailing Adventure - Five Days At Sea!
Posted by Katherine Coby and Bob Longman
Hamble – Yarmouth – Cherbourg – Cowes - Hamble
On Sunday the 19th October 13 students – including 11 Sixth Form - with staff members Mr. Longman, Miss Johnson and Mr. Boothe left the school to take part in an offshore sailing trip organized through the London Sailing Project. Late that afternoon we loaded our kit on ‘ Donald Searle’, a 75 ft Bermudan Ketch, one of four yachts owned and operated by the LSP. We were accompanied by a fully trained Afterguard consisting of a Skipper, a Mate, two Watch Officers. There were 20 of us on board altogether.
The next day (Monday) we left for Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, sailing through some difficult conditions for beginners. We arrived there at 5 pm and tied up for the night on one of the buoys just outside the harbour. The following day,(Tuesday) we slipped Yarmouth at 3 pm with a favourable tide bound for Cherbourg, seeing The Needles as we left. We sailed during the night for the first time, arriving in Cherbourg at 3am (Wednesday). In France we all got several hours shore leave after a late breakfast and some boat cleaning. Later in the day we lowered the two dinghies over the side in the harbour and the Skipper and a Watch Officer taught us all how to row effectively within minutes. Some of us were also lucky enough to use the outboard motor with one of the dinghies.
Leaving at midnight we began our journey back, heading for Cowes. We arrived there at 11 am (Thursday), after sailing through our second Force 8 gale in four days! More shore leave and hot showers followed. The trip ended on Friday with a short sail across the Solent back into the Hamble River where we tied up at Universal Shipyard. Several groups of excited parents were waiting to greet us and came on board to be shown round the yacht.
Apart from the whole adventure of learning to sail in very demanding conditions, highlights of the trip included: learning how to solve a Rubix cube, buying lengths of rope to practise knots, everyone passing their RYA Competent Crew, playing Pass the Pigs, seeing shooting stars, discovering how awful Coca-Cola and coffee tastes; learning how to play King Mao; sing-a-longs with the Skipper on guitar and everyone finally getting their sea legs on the last day.
Sunday 23rd November 2008
Global Vision For Claremont Students
Posted by Jenny Mann
Chloe de la Harpe from Global Vision International delivered an inspiring talk to the Critical Thinking course on Friday 21 November. If ever there were an advertisement for how much energy and enthusiasm is derived from doing good to other people, Chloe is that ambassador! She provided us all with a range of fascinating projects around the world that could meet the needs of today's students as they use their gap year to find what they are good at and what the world is about.We wish Chloe, a former pupil here, all the best for her forthcoming trip to India. We would like to thank Mrs Bradley very much indeed for arranging this excellent talk.
Tuesday 18th November 2008
Young Designers
Posted by Jenny Mann
In AL Media Studies, students who select the print brief may design a new teenage magazine complete with cover, double-page spread, contents page and so on. Here, Holly Ellis and Alice Espedal present their excellent work: their creation, 'The NoteMag', is lively, sassy and vibrantly youthful.
Thursday 16th October 2008
A Level Devised Drama
Posted by Jenny Mann
For their A Level Drama, Sam and Alex devised an extraordinarily compelling original piece of modern drama that riveted the audience with its combination of angst and humour.The piece traced the friendship between two young people, from their uncomplicated childhood pleasures of shared enjoyments through to the darker uncertainties of the late teenage years. Part of the pleasure for the audience were the many witty acknowledgements of the writers' literary influences, from highly comic impersonations of Shakespeare and Pinter through to the moving mise-en-scene of Holden Caulfield's 'Catcher in the Rye', achieved through a backdrop of a rye field in close-up. This was an evening of constant delight, taking us from laughter to despair.
It was a privilege to share the creativity of such intelligent and thoughtful young people. We wish both Sixth Form students the success that they undoubtedly deserve.
Sunday 5th October 2008
Freshers' Activities
Posted by Jenny MannClaremont students get together each year in a number of fun activities that are aimed at integrating the newcomers into the lower sixth.
So far, students have been bowling and enjoyed a pizza together, as well as planned and carried out some imaginative changes in the Sixth Form Centre. You are very welcome to come and see!
Students will shortly be setting off to Devon on an exciting residential course which will develop their team-building and problem-solving skills.
Saturday 4th October 2008
Mark Piper Bbfc
Posted by Jenny Mann
The Critical Thinking course welcomed Mark Piper of The British Board of Film Classification to one of its regular Friday talks. The first challenge that Mark set us was to consider the difference between censorship and regulation. He explained the BBFC's important role in giving the public information, enabling us to make informed decisions, and in providing the film and video industry with trustworthy regulation. An experienced teacher with a vast knowledge of film, Mark led a fast-paced and very interactive session which was packed with thought-provoking questions. Why was the same film awarded different classifications in different local areas? Who regulated the BBC and television in general? Which decisions had he found hard? What did we think about violence in video games?
Mark used clips in his discussion to set us thinking for ourselves about how we would classify films and the complexities involved. He used practical topical examples to illustrate debates on contested areas such as audience theory. It was a brilliant session and we are very grateful to Mark for coming. British Board of Film Classification
Monday 15th September 2008
Salvador Dali Explained
Posted by Alex Kay
On Friday, September 12th the whole Sixth Form attended an insightful talk about one of the greatest artists in the history of art itself, not Leonardo Da Vinci, although he was mentioned... several times. Van Gogh was also mentioned a few times but it wasn’t him either; it was in fact Salvador Dali.. Art enthusiast Anthony Slinn lived up to his role as, with passion and good humour, he took us through not just a collection of Dali’s works but also the highlights of this remarkable artist’s life. For example: he told us of how Dali’s obsession with money lead to the breakdown of his marriage and how he and Walt Disney planned to make an animated film together.
It was clear as the enthused and intellectually stimulated sixth formers left the room, that Slinn’s excitable, energetic style of speaking had clearly made Dali’s art accessible for even the most hardcore of philistines. Overall, forty five minutes of one’s Friday afternoon well spent. Anthony Slinn definitely set the stage for even more exciting talks in the future, but as talks go, this one will be a tough act to follow.
Wednesday 3rd September 2008
First Aid Training
Posted by Jenny MannThe Autumn term started with an intensive session of training that left the entire Sixth Form prostrate on the floor: in the recovery position, after being taught by the St John's Ambulance trainers what to do in an emergency.
The course was designed to give the students the knowledge and confidence to cope with the sorts of accidents and emergencies that might confront them in their daily lives and covered basic topics such as resuscitation.
It was clear from the enjoyment of the students that receiving training in first aid was not just about learning a life-saving skill: it can also boost self-esteem, encourage teamwork and communication, and provide the confidence to take responsibility for swift action.
Wednesday 20th August 2008
Graduation Ceremony And Dinner 2008
Posted by Jenny MannThe evening of the Graduation Service and Dinner is always a magical moment, as parents, staff and students gather together in a final moment of reflection, celebration and friendship, in the intimate surroundings of St George's Church, Esher, for a service of readings and live music.
After some very affecting readings, which drove home comforting and reassuring messages about what we have all valued in our time together at Claremont, we emerged into the warm sunshine to make our way back to the Mansion, where parents and staff toasted the students with fruit cups and ate delicious canapes on the library terrace.
The students then waved goodbye to their parents and led the way to the Drawing Room which had been transformed into a swish dining room, serving impressive food. The evening came to a close all too soon, but the memory lingers of our students, smart in their dinner jackets and long evening gowns, looking poised and confident, and ready to take on the world.
Monday 18th August 2008
Sixth Form Induction Day
Posted by Jenny Mann
Summer time and sandwiches go hand-in-hand, so Claremont's challenge to the new Sixth Form on their Induction Day centred around the challenge of devising, producing and marketing a new sandwich product with its own brand identity and unique appeal.
This involved a series of team-building and problem solving exercises and the students had a lot of fun arguing, shopping, assembling their products and pitching their ideas to the assembled company. Mrs Knight was on hand to advise on matters nutritional and, in the IT rooms, Mrs Webb and Mrs Mann oversaw the advertising strategies.
The day reached its final stages with the judging of the products by our resident expert who evaluated the sandwiches for their quality, strength of brand and consumer appeal: thank you, Scott, for your expertise.
Mr Longman congratulated all the teams on their imagination and determination.
Thursday 15th May 2008
Chess Final
Posted by Jenny Mann
The Sixth Form's Geoff Smith battled it out with Jasper Tambini in the Chess Final recently, with victory going to Jasper after a very exciting match that was watched live by large numbers. We congratulate both the finalists and thank Mr Boothe who organized the smooth running of the event.
Sunday 16th March 2008
Your Future In Europe: Paris Convention
Posted by Alex Taylor
The Sixth Form recently attended a stimulating conference in at the Palais de Congres in Paris. Chaired by John Sargeant, former BBC chief political correspondent, it featured challenging keynote political speakers, including Lembit Opik (Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), Patricia Hewitt (former Secretary of State for Health), Michael Portillo (former Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer), Caroline Lucas (European Parliament Trade and Environment Committees).Also speaking were Dan Germain, Head of Creative at Innocent Drinks and Tim Holmes, chief leader writer for The Times.
The Focus on Business Conference took place at the same location at the same time, covering European marketing, business in France and operations management. The more interesting presentations included multimedia interactive displays. The main conference closed with a 'Question Time' session, allowing students from different schools to tackle speakers with questions ranging from the cheeky (on Lembit Opik's pesronal life) to the profound, such as the 'clash of civilizations debate' which ranged over the ways in which the Christian-Atheist Western ideology comes into conflict with Muslim and extremist traditions and standards.
What did I particularly value about the Paris trip? The fact that we were not ordered around by external agencies; we could - within limits- decide with the staff where we would like to go, and this made the trip not only more flexible but that much more interesting as well.
Sunday 9th March 2008
Higher Education Convention 2008 University Of Surrey
Posted by Jenny Mann
University and College Guidance will be available from the majority of Universities and Colleges in the UK for our students when they attend the Higher Education Convention at the University of Surrey, Guildford, on Wednesday 19 March. This is the opportunity to ask specific questions about courses and to obtain prospectuses. Mrs Rider and Mr Longman will be accompanying the students.
Thursday 6th March 2008
World Book Day: Extreme Reading
Posted by Jenny Mann
A Level Media students supported Claremont's World Book Day with some 'extreme reading' of their own. Jack Ross is ducking and weaving through texts on martial arts, such as 'Chasing Dragons', shown here. Other research pathways include textual analysis of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Ong Bak films and audience research. Jack is investigating the genre's codes and conventions through its representation of gang culture by contrast with that of Hollywood.
Sam and Liv used 'extremely new' technology to format their contribution: their thriller is being created in iMovie on Sam's laptop; the top shot is a screenshot of work in progress, which was bluetoothed to my MacBookPro. The lower photo was taken using a ,b.mobile phone camera (three megapixels) which we also bluetoothed to my laptop.
Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks (PANs). Bluetooth provides a way to connect and exchange information between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, personal computers, printers, digital cameras, and video game consoles over a secure, globally unlicensed short-range radio frequency.
Sam and Liv's work is inspired by Alex Garland's 'The Coma'. Shooting has involved an attack on a train which leaves the victim in a coma. Want to see more? You will...watch this space!
Thursday 6th March 2008
Debra Searle MBE: Choose Your Attitude
Posted by Jenny Mann
As part of their Critical Thinking course this year, the Sixth Form had the privilege of welcoming back a popular former member of the PE staff, Debra Searle, who gave an inpirational talk on her experiences. After her oarsman husband developed an uncontrollable fear of the ocean, Debra continued alone and rowed 3000 miles across the Atlantic. It should have taken them six weeks but, to achieve her goal, Debra ended up spending 3 1/2 months at sea alone, often battling against 30' waves and force 8 squalls in a 23' plywood boat.
Debra's overwhelming positivity and 'go for it' attitude were contagious. She shared her highs and lows, personal battles and victories, to help illustrate in a very human way what we are all capable off.
Her main themes were how to stay motivated, being adaptable to change, overcoming obstacles, how to improve your team-working through encouraging one another and how to choose the right attitude, however impossible the end goal may seem.
Friday 29th February 2008
Israel And The Arab World
Posted by Alex Kay
As part of our Critical Thinking course, the sixth form recently attended a facinating talk about Israel given by John Levy. The main focus of the talk was the infamous world conflicts that had taken place in Israel, but Levy also brought to life Israel’s history and people with their rich culture, including four faith communities. Israel is a land of contrasts in other ways too and John Levy described its dramatic geography, varied wildlife and beautiful flora. We were made aware of how the modern state of Israel had evolved into the dynamic, economic and scientific powerhouse it is today.
Saturday 12th January 2008
Safe Drive, Stay Alive
Posted by JM
Every year, Claremont sixth form students attend 'Safe Drive, Stay Alive'. In an effort to educate Surrey's young drivers about their actions and possible consequences whilst they are driving, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service and their community safety partners produce a hard-hitting event titled 'Safe Drive, Stay Alive'.
Each 'Safe Drive, Stay Alive' live show is based around a video reconstruction of a road traffic collision. This video is interspersed with on stage, real life testimonies by serving members of the emergency services. Also, and perhaps most poignantly, stories are told by the parent of a young person who lost their life in a road traffic collision and also from a person disabled by the actions of a young driver.
The video, filmed in Guildford and cast by real members of the emergency services and local actors from Woking's Youth Theatre, traces the events leading up to the collision and then follows the actions of the emergency services dealing with the incident. Surrey Fire and Rescue Service works with the following partners to produce 'Safe Drive, Stay Alive': Surrey County Council Road Safety, Surrey Police, South East Coast Ambulance Service, The Royal Surrey Hospital and RoadPeace.
On Surrey's roads alone, 4839 young drivers have been involved in injury collisions in the last three years – 19 have died and 12 of their passengers have been killed (Surrey County Council).
The shows have been designed to deliver hard-hitting messages to young drivers by making them aware of their responsibilities on the road and the potentially lethal results of failing to do so.
Staff and students return to lessons feeling shaken but determined to keep safe on the roads.
Safe Drive, Stay AliveWednesday 28th November 2007
Salad Days
Posted by A Kay
Salad Days
London 1954, well actually the JGC 2007. Rehearsals for Claremont’s latest dramatic masterpiece are by now in full swing. 1950s pianos are pushed on and off the stage as a cast of talented performers sing and dance a number of songs which tell you that this is anything other than an average school show.
Mister Kimber directs the whole play with such enthusiasm and pace that one has to wonder whether or not he thinks he is directing a West End spectacular. Similarly leading actors Sam Hennig and Sophia Guerriero are confident and encouraging leaders of an all-star multi-aged cast. Despite the pressurising time-limit of rehearsals and the fast approaching deadline there is a great rapport amongst the cast and even the youngest performers are given lots to do.
So what’s it all about? I hear you ask eagerly. Well the play is set in London during the year 1954 and two university graduates, Timothy (Hennig) and Jane (Guerriero) are at the mercy of their parents. Jane’s mother (Beth Christie) is arranging for her to marry all these upper class men and Timothy’s family (Charlotte Clark, Michael Guerriero and Rose Kallenberg-Pierce) want him to meet his uncles all of which have decent jobs, except the one they don’t mention! Then Timothy and Jane meet an enigmatic tramp (Michael Speer) in their local park who owns a magic piano called Minnie which can make people dance! The tramp gives the piano to Tim and Jane to look after and soon chaos ensues as all over London people fall under Minnie’s spell.
This adventure is madcap, farcical, ludicrous and above all enjoyable. Containing memorable songs such as “It’s Easy to Sing” and “Look at me I’m Dancing” it is a perfect Christmas present for the whole family. Tickets are on sale now and we look forward to seeing a full house each of the four nights the show is on.
Alex Kay