Newsletter
April 2016
Mind Your Language!
Inspired by the work of Dr
Carol Dweck, at GCS we aim
to instil in every student the
belief that the brain becomes
more intelligent when
mistakes are made and then
corrected through feedback.
Moreover, it is the belief that
intelligence, and abilities, can
be developed through
practice; how an individual
turns out is not predetermined – there is limitless
potential.
Research shows that the
most successful people, in
any industry, share a similar
‘growth mindset’. This stems
from the belief that
intelligence is not a fixed trait
that one is born with. It is
developed throughout life by
consistent application of
effort. People that plateau
early, and don’t achieve their
potential, often have a ‘fixed
mind set’; they see effort as
pointless as they believe they
cannot change their
intelligence or ability level.
One of the most important
roles that adults can play in
fostering a growth mind set is
to ensure that the right
language is used when
success, or failure is
evaluated. Through her
research, Dweck showed that
the type of praise given when
a child is successful can have
Developing a Growth Mindset
a significant impact on the
type of mind set they
develop. Dweck (2007) tested
the use of praise on 400
students in a study in North
America. Half were told their
success was due to hard
work and the other half told
they succeeded because they
were more intelligent. The
results showed that the first
group took on more difficult
challenges and persevered
for longer and, ultimately,
achieved higher levels of
success than the second.
Telling your child that they
are naturally clever may
make them feel good but
actually encourages a fixed
mind set. They will start to
believe that they have to look
good in every situation and
therefore avoid a
challenging question for fear
of failure. They have to
believe that mistakes are
good. Dweck says that a
better phrasing would be to
say that the young person
was successful due to their
hard work, effort and
resilience. “You kept going at
that task even when it got
really tough – fantastic effort!”
These words are simple yet
very effective.
Dweck summed up the
benefits of a growth mindset
like this:
“The growth mindset does
allow people to love what
they’re doing ...and continue
to love it in the face of
difficulties. The growth
mindset allows people to
value what they’re doing
regardless of the outcome.”
Learning your way into a
growth mindset is like
learning anything else. The
growth mindset thrives on
challenge and sees failure as
an opportunity for growth. It
creates a passion for learning
instead of a hunger for
approval. Remember that
there are some very smart
people who struggle as you
do and if they’re winning their
way to intellectual freedom,
why can’t you?
Some interesting reading:
Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your
Potential
Carol Dweck (2012)
Growth Mindset Pocket Book
Barry Hymer and Mike Gerson (2014)
Why You Need to Fail – TED
presentation on The Power of Belief
Mindset and Success
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HhxcFGuKOys
Antonella Bosco-Reid
Assistant Head, Director of MFL
Welcome
to our New Senior Team
Hola Everyone!
I'm Lucas, and I'm looking
forward to this year, as I will be
your Head Boy for 2016-17.
This AS year I am taking Maths,
Further Maths, Chemistry,
Spanish and French (yes, I
know it's a lot :/). After County, I
want to study Chemical Engineering at university,
as it's a mix of most of my favourite subjects.
If anybody is looking for me after school, odds are
I'll be taking part in some musical activity as I play
trombone and piano; I also enjoy climbing and
gymnastics outside of school.
If there is anything I can help with or if you just
need someone to talk to, I'll always be around.
Lucas Joel
Hello! I'm Izzy and I am your
Head Girl for the 2016/2017
season - to say I am excited
about this is an understatement!
For A-Level I am taking English
Literature, History, Philosophy &
Ethics and Psychology, so if you
need me, I'll probably be
scribbling away about poems, Cardinal Wolsey or
questioning the meaning of life. I'm also very
involved both in music and drama. Although I don't
know what I want to do in the future, I'd love to take
Philosophy on to university. I'm always open to
hearing your views and ideas on how to improve
the school, so don't hesitate to come and find me. I
can’t wait to be part of the Senior Team this year - I
hope that we leave our mark and demonstrate just
how amazing being part of County is!
Izzy Flynn
‘It
is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who
have never sought it - those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up
the mantle because they must, and, find to their surprise, that they wear it well’ Albus Dumbledore
You may know me from my ‘Gold
Digger’ rendition in House Music,
playing the Angry Bird in House Drama,
or indeed you may not yet know me at
all. I’m currently studying Economics,
History, Government & Politics and
English Literature, all of which I
thoroughly enjoy. I am also taking part in
the very slow process of learning to
drive. I look to use my life experiences
to make school a more enjoyable place to be. For example,
my trip to Kenya with the school in 2015 can hopefully help
create some excitement and fuel interest in reuniting the bond
with our partner school, Mukono.
Harry Wilkinson
I am delighted to be given this opportunity
to be Deputy Head Girl.
Presently, I am studying Art, Geography,
Maths and Biology (an interesting mix, but
great fun), in the hope to study
Architecture at Uni. I am involved in many
areas of the school, taking part in music
ensembles, playing for the school netball
team and leading the Christian Union. I
would really encourage you all to take
every opportunity you have to get involved - that is what has
made my County journey so special!
Please feel free to come and speak to me at any time.
I am proud to say I have been invited to
be in the senior team this year as
Deputy Head Boy. I study English
Literature, Government and Politics,
Psychology and History and I hope to
move onto university after school,
although I am not exactly sure what I
would like to study yet! As far as
hobbies go, music is a big part of my life
and that transcends into my involvement
with various ensembles around the school. I’m a keen cook
too, though some would say I could do with a little improvement in that area….If you ever want to find me, don’t hesitate
to follow the sound of someone belting out an off key rendition
of a song you liked before you heard me sing it! David Pearson
I am Hannah and I am really looking
forward to being Deputy Head Girl this
year.
I am taking Geography, History, Maths
and Biology at AS level, with the hope of
doing a Geography degree in a couple of
years time.
I love, pretty much, every sport and am in
a few musical ensembles as well.
If you would like to ask me anything (however small!) I'm more
than happy to have a chat with you.
If you want to find me, I will probably be in the library, so do
come over and say hi!
Naomi Harrington
Hannah Coles
Page 2
New House Captains
Stuart
Hi! We are Kristin and Sam and we
have been in Stuart since Year 7.
We are really delighted to be
elected as your House Captains.
We have both participated in every
House event and are look forward
to doing them again, this time leading Stuart House! We are full of enthusiasm for the year ahead - especially with the upcoming House Music and House Summer Sports
competitions. Thank you - we hope for a very successful year!
Kristin Smith and Sam Stone
York
As York House Captains, we are
looking forward to leading students
of York into the upcoming events
such as House Music and House
Summer Sports.
The two of us promise nothing less
than full commitment and
enthusiasm regarding the following year ahead of us! We are
looking forward to getting to know all of you, encouraging and
supporting you as best as we can!
take up the gauntlet!
Tudor
Firstly we would both like to
thank those of you who voted for
us; we are extremely grateful for
your support. We are also very
excited for the year ahead looking forward to motivating you
all and ensuring that everyone
takes part in all House events. Hopefully his will be a great year for
Tudor with some important wins!
Dom Sturgis and Georgia Norris
Hanover
Hi guys! Nick and Harry here, and
we are really thankful to you for
voting us in as your new House
Captains. We are looking forward to
working with all of you in Hanover
House as a team, in order to get
everyone participating and winning
everything. I hope the other Houses are feeling lucky, because
against team Hanover, they are going to need it.
Nick Brown and Harry Barham
Adhi Sudheer and Kirk Gaitskell-Kendrick
Windsor
Hello Windsor House! We are
delighted to be your House
Captains this year and we look
forward to working hard, bringing
the House together. We hope that
we can get as many of you involved
with House activities as possible and win many competitions along
the way. We trust that we can inspire you to share our enthusiasm
and drive to do well this year. The other houses should watch this
space.
Ollie Michell and Harry Ogden
Lancaster
I am Rasmi and I joined County
School this year …. and I'm
Rachel and have been in
Lancaster since Yr7. I have been
involved with most House Events
(though maybe not sports!).
Throughout the last few years
Lancaster has been improving, even at times gaining some first
places! However, this year, through the team work and cooperation
of the leaders, we will destroy the opposition. Thank you TEAM
LANCASTER for voting for us.
Rasmi Merie and Rachel Dauncey
Page 3
Drawing Sensible Conclusions
Malaika Shouly (Defence Lawyer)
Lawrence Sutton (Defence Lawyer)
Hora Behenejad (Defendant)
Meg Ginsberg (Defence Witness)
Leah Elrick (Prosecution Lawyer)
Ella Darragh (Prosecution Witness)
Isabel Lockhart (Prosecution Witness)
Lucey Davey (Prosecution Lawyer)
Erik Persson (Magistrate)
Ellie Harvey-Williams (Magistrate)
Tom Triggs (Legal Adviser/Usher)
Dagmar Fredborg (Magistrate)
Maddy Thacker (Court Artist)
A team of Year 9s represented GCS at the Magistrates Court Mock Trial
Competition held at Guildford Magistrates Court on Saturday 19th March
2016. The team received excellent feedback on all their performances
and came runners up overall, out of 6 schools. The team retained the
Surrey Shield as the top school in the County and won a second place
prize of £150.00.
Mock Trial Competition 2016
Making Considered Decisions
Passing Mock Court Judgements
Democracy - a beautiful thing
‘When you leave here today,
I want you to find the time to study everything that you believe in,
Why you love what it is you love,
The heart of why it is you believe it.
Find out why, keep asking why,
Until the doubts can no longer trouble you.
Keep those beliefs strong.
Make them a part of you.
Say; “This is me, and this is why.”
Because whether it’s from abroad or home-grown,
The bane of any extremist movement
Is a convincing argument for a hopeful future.
And if we can have that, an electorate that knows what it believes in,
And can tell us clearly why,
Profound and concluding thoughts from
Senior House Public Speaking 2016
Then we shall have a Democracy that we can truly defend.’
Taken from speech given by Will Lawson Yr13
Page 4
Focussing on Stuart House - Aspiration
Year 12 Chemists Nick Brown and Rachel
Dauncey have done Guildford County
School Chemistry Department proud, by
achieving a Silver and Bronze Certificate
respectively in the 2015 Chemistry
OIympiad. The UK Chemistry Olympiad is
an extremely challenging competition. Six
Yr12 students competed in Round One,
which was a written test, with questions
based on real-world chemistry problems.
These questions stimulate much debate,
raising awareness of what chemistry is all
about, whilst also giving students an
opportunity to develop and showcase
some of the skills required for studying
Chemistry at university and beyond.
Mention also goes to Lucas Joel, Joe
Taylor and Owen Kennedy for
participating in the challenge.
Joyce Kahwa, Director of Science
UK Chemistry Olympiad 2015
As we fast approach the exam season, I’m
reminded of two television programmes which
caught my attention during the summer holidays
last year – Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese
School and School Swap. In Chinese School a
class of 30 students from a school in Hampshire
were taught the core subjects, for a period of 6
weeks, using traditional Chinese styles of
teaching,. Concurrently another set of 30 students
were taught the same core content, however using
what we would describe as ‘modern’ teaching
methods. At the end of the six-weeks, each set of
students was tested and the results compared.
In School Swap, four students, from a
high-achieving private school in Wiltshire, paired
up with four students from a state comprehensive
in the north of England. Each group, along with
their Head Teacher, spent a week in the others
school.
What struck me about both programmes was the
fierce competition that awaits our students when
they enter the global workplace. Our students will
compete for positions around the world against the
very highest achieving students.
In the past year I have also been inspired by the
educational research of John Hattie. Hattie carried
out a 15 year meta-analysis of over quarter of a
billion students worldwide; this enabled him to
identify what really aids student achievement in
schools. At the very top of his list is Student
Expectations. In essence, a student will
perform best when they have the confidence and
belief in themselves to do well.
Both programmes, along with Hattie’s research,
helped to inspire the Aspirational Target Setting
Programme, which students in Stuart House
have undertaken this academic year. In
September, each student in Stuart set a target for
the number of Outstanding Commitment Grades
they wished to achieve in their first Interim Report.
They were instructed that they had to be
aspirational, with a minimum target of five.
Following each Interim Report, students are
interviewed to discuss their progress and set a
new target for their next report. House Assemblies
are used to celebrate and reward outstanding
achievements, as well as to motivate the rest of
the House. Ultimately, the core aim of the
Aspirational Target Setting programme is to encourage students to have high aspirations, as it is
our role, as teachers, to ensure that students
leave County with a sense of self-belief that will
enable them to excel on the global stage!
Challenging Chemists
Nick Brown and Rachel Dauncey
collect silver & bronze certificates
Daryl Bond – Head of Stuart House
Page 5
Celebrate Cultural Diversity
St Guilhem le Désert
‘I was nervous about the food because I am really fussy, but I tried everything they gave me, and although there
were some things I really didn't like (scallops), other things I loved, like an amazing potato pancake which I could
have eaten every day. In Avignon I had some tart au citron ice cream which was delicious. The hardest thing was
the first night, being on my own without anyone to talk to in English, and not knowing the family at all - how they
did things, where I should go etc and not being confident enough yet to ask’ Mallie Waterfield Yr 9
‘I really enjoyed the whole experience of having to speak another language. I really liked the free time that we
had at the weekend with our families because we did a lot of fun activities’ Alex Smith Yr 8
Sur Le Pont D’Avignon
‘On the exchange I enjoyed spending time with the family and
getting a taste of French education. A challenging part was being
sick in a different country to my parents’ Juliette Reid Yr 8
‘I had an amazing time on the French exchange. Best bits: trying
lots of new food (some of it good, some of it not so good...!),
spending time with my French exchange, her family and dog and
going to Montpellier. The hardest bit: replying in French and
speaking with confidence’ Zoe Walker Yr 9
‘I enjoyed the day at Avignon because we had a very interesting
tour around the Pope’s palace and we learned why the Pope had
lived there. I practised lots of new French and became more
confident speaking it. However I found it difficult to speak in French
to the family the whole time.’ Jack Faulkner Yr 8
Foreign Film Society continues
Coming up next and last two of the season …
Xavier is a French university student who moves to Barcelona
to learn Spanish, in order to secure a desirable job. Residing in
a house with other young Europeans of varied nationalities,
Xavier has a life-altering experience living in such an
international environment.
L'Auberge Espagnole received its world premier at the 2002
Cannes Film Festival, and went on to earn prizes at the 2002
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the 2003 Lumière
Awards, and the 2003 César Awards.
Thursday May 12 @ 7:00pm in HRT
On a break before his last semester of medical school,
Ernesto "Che" Guevara travels with his friend, Alberto
Granado, from Brazil to Peru by motorcycle. The two men
soon witness the great disparities in South America,
encountering the poverty and observing the exploitation
of labor by wealthy industrialists. When they reach a leper
colony in Peru, Ernesto's values have changed so much
that he sides with the sufferers, forgetting his own
comfort.
Thursday June 9 @ 7:00pm in HRT
F
oreign Films evoke the inner child, educate
minds, burn smaller fires, house homelier heroes,
expose the exotic, blend poetry with philosophy, lessen
the predictable, open eyes wide, deal in the real,
languish in landscapes …Love
Develop a Growth Mindset
In March 17 students and 3 teachers flew to Montpellier in
the south of France for the return part of the French
exchange. All students spent a week with the family of the
French student they had hosted in December in Guildford.
They spent the weekend with their host family but during the
week there were visits to Avignon, St Guilhem Le Desert and
Montpellier, as well as a morning spent in school. Here are
some comments about the fun and challenging moments
from the trip.
‘I enjoyed the weekend with the family because I had to
practice my French (especially with Alexia's little sister). We
played games such as Trivial Pursuit. I also enjoyed the trip
to St Guilhem Le Désert because we were chatting in a
mixture of languages’ Charlie Longley Yr 10.
Foreign Films
Page 6
Women in Rugby..
On Saturday 16th April 28 girls from Guildford County went to Wembley
Stadium to watch Saracens play Harlequins. The game was exhilarating and
the girls were able to see top class rugby being played.
This was inspirational for the girls who have being playing rugby for the school team
this year and also for those who came along to see what rugby is all about - it was
the biggest event that most have been to, with 80,650 supporters attending the
match.
Girls’ rugby training has been running at GCS since the beginning of this academic
year and it is growing, not only in participation levels but also ability; over 20 girls
attend training on a weekly basis.
The girls are very lucky to have England Women’s International, Leanne Riley,
coaching at school for 6 weeks. This is a great opportunity for the girls to see what
hard work and determination can lead to. It opens up their minds to see that, whilst
being a professional sportswoman takes a lot of commitment, it is also achievable
and, if sport is their thing, they can turn it into a career.
It is really important that our girls have successful female role models to aspire to
and help encourage them to fulfil their dreams.
Girls’ rugby training takes place every Wednesday after school; all girls are
welcome.
Fiona Beaumont Physical Education Teacher and Girls Rugby Coach
Premiership Rugby Trip
Saracens v Harlequins at Wembley Stadium
Double Football Whammy!
GCS Girls’ Rugby
A stunning afternoon at Urnfield saw both our Yr9 and Yr11
football squads beat Rodborough School in the final of the
Guildford District League Cup. After solid performances in
their semi-finals, both teams went into the games confident of
performing well.
The Yr9 squad have had a great season, with an unbeaten record which they
should be extremely proud of. With their usual combination of flair,
determination and reliability, they played some great football. The width from
Mackenzie and Holden, combined with the combative midfield partnership of
Stephenson and Goulden, created an early 2-0 lead, from which they never
looked back. They lifted the Guildford League Cup for the first time! Goals
from McKenzie and Newman.
The Yr11 squad have had an up and down season, performing superbly in
their debut season in the English Schools FA Cup, but they struggled in the
early rounds of the County Cup leading to an early exit. However, for this
team, vengeance was what they were after this year. Having lost on penalties
last year in the final to Rodborough, Year 11 started nervously, conceding to a
fine strike from 20 yards from an impressive midfielder. It then became a test
of character, and who wanted it more; just before half time, Lintott continued
his fine goal scoring form to equalize. An end to end game led to the final
whistle with a 1-1 draw....extra time and memories of the previous year started
to kick in. GCS continued to pepper the target, with good saves coming from
the Rodborough goalkeeper. Final whistle and penalties - never a nice
occasion, but this year GCS came out on top in sudden death. Up stepped
Lucas Flanders who tucked the penalty away to keepers left to secure the
League Cup for the first time! Jubilation and celebration followed for what has
been an incredible year for this year group—superb tribute to their
commitment and dedication throughout their time at County.
The PE department are extremely proud of our students - the
only school to win two football trophies in the District .... but
then we are not the type to brag!
Yr9 Champions!
Yr11 Champions and their supporters!
Fantastic
season for Yr7
Netball
team ,getting
through to the
County Netball
Final.
Well done girls!
Page 7
It was with deep sadness that
Guildford County School Community
learned of the tragic death of Grant
Broster, father to Max in Yr7.
Rachel and Max have sent the following message:
‘We would like to thank all of the
County School family for helping Max
through this difficult time and for the
many kind and comforting messages,
thoughts and prayers we have
received. It has made a huge
difference to be a part of this
supportive community. We are also
grateful to, and humbled by, all those
who have contributed, so generously,
to the JustGiving site through which
more than £8000 has been donated in
support of the voluntary search
organisation, Surrey Search and
Rescue. To help these dedicated
individuals in their future work, the
school will be arranging a mufti day
next half term, including an assembly
presentation by the inspiring
volunteers’
Focus
on Fundraising
Thank you
Surrey Search and Rescue (SSAR) is a
registered non-profit society devoted to the
recovery of missing persons. The team is made
up of volunteers and perform:
Ground search and rescue
Rope rescue
Mountain rescue
Swift water rescue
Inland water rescue
Evidence searches
Evacuation assistance
Spotting and tracking
These search and rescue volunteers provide
vital support to our community in times of
emergency.
Friends
of GCS
Friends - Looking for treasure(r)
The Friends of GCS is a friendly group of volunteers who work together to
support the activities of the school. We aim to provide a social link
between parents and the school and to raise funds that can be used to
buy items of real benefit to the school.
The Friends, run through a committee, warmly welcome new members even if you can only spare the time to enjoy one of our many events, we
would be delighted to see you at any of our meetings or activities.
We are currently looking for a new Treasurer of the Friends - all enquiries
welcome - no book-keeping or accounting background is required. If you
are numerate, well-organised and fine with Excel, this could be the role for
you! The Treasurer’s role is not too onerous - it only involves about 2-3
hours a month, plus around 8 hours for the Xmas fair. It’s a great way of
adding to your CV while contributing vital skills to benefit the school and
its students.
We would love to welcome a new Treasurer at our get-together in May, so
please get in touch with us at [email protected] if you
have any questions or would like to put yourself forward. Thank you.
What we have achieved - together
In 2015 alone, the Friends raised close to £10,000. With this, we made a
substantial contribution towards the new minibus and purchased DSLR
cameras and enlargers, table tennis tables, portable goalposts,
headphones and 3D printer software. In 2016, we’ve already purchased a
digital weather station, microscopes and vital equipment required for Food
Technology.
Be part of it in 2016/2017 – an exciting year for County
The next Friends AGM is taking place in the HRT Room on
Monday 19th September 2016 – all are welcome. In the
meantime, please feel free to get in touch anytime – you can
join us for any of our events or meetings – all listed on the
Friends section of the school website.
Thank you for your support! The Friends of GCS
Countdown to Funk Night
Only 8 sleeps ‘til Funk Night! It promises to
be a great night of delicious food, good
company and fantastic music, courtesy of our
very own Funk Band. The dress code is
‘uptown funky’. There will be a licensed bar
and ‘music-only’ tickets are still available,
right up to the night itself – just send your
cheque and form to the School Office by
Friday 7th May.
Dates for the Diary:
May 07 Funk Night
May 12 KS3 Concert
May 12 Foreign Film Society ‘L’Auberge Espagnol’
May 13 Yr11 Prom May 13 Yr11 and 12 Study Leave begins
May 27 Yr13 Study Leave begins
Page 8