Accent
on Ashcombe
Best Feet Forward!
irtually the whole school took part in the Sponsored
Walk on the last Friday of September. Glorious weather
ensured that we had perfect walking conditions through
some of the most beautiful countryside in Surrey.
V
Marshals and staff led the way from 8am with the rest of
the school following at regular intervals after registration.
THE ASHCOMBE SCHOOL DORKING
Issue 24 • October 2009
After the exertions of the
day, students will be keen to
collect their money. A bike
from Head over the Hills
shop in Dorking awaits the
student who raises most
money.
Headteacher David Blow
expressed his delight at the
way the day had gone: “We
had a virtually trouble-free
day and are grateful to the
many people in the wider
school community who
cooperated with us and
supported us before and
during the event. James
Rosser, whose Memorial
Fund will benefit from the
sponsorship, and thereby
the school’s Covered Way
Project, would have thought
the day was awesome.”
See inside...
Page(s)
Exam Results - Delighted again!
Trips/Visits
Activities and Charities Week
Leavers’ Events
Sports Highlights
2-3
4-7
8-9
11
14
Accent October 2009 | 1
Exam Results 2009
Top Universities Welcome Ashcombe
Students
here were congratulations all round at school towards
the end of August when consecutive Thursday results
days brought great news to students and staff.
T
The Upper Sixth A2 results were tremendous with over half
of the subject grades being A or B. Alice Hearn, Laura
McDonald, Amy Black, Jessica Blincow, Ali Bush, Luke
Caldwell, Zara Colvile, Alex Crumbie, Zena Moore,
Anastasia Orme and Emily Watts gained 4 or 5 A grades
each.
Laura and Anastasia are going to Cambridge to study History
and Natural Sciences respectively, Amy to Exeter to study
Maths, Jess to Bristol to study Biology, Luke and Alice to Oxford
to study Physics and Geography respectively, Ali to King’s
London to study History, Zara to Durham to study Theology,
Alex to Sussex to study International Relations & Philosophy
and Zena to Edinburgh to study Architectural Design.
2 | Accent October 2009
Hannah Brewer, Tim Halford, Victoria Legg, Daisy
Maugouber, Verity Miles, David Millingen, Tim Thorp and
Charlie Ward each gained three grade As. David is going
to Oxford to study German & Italian.
The Lower Sixth’s AS results were also very pleasing with an
average pass rate of 90%. Emma Antonio, Louisa Barker,
Naomi Bryer, Rebecca Cannon, Phoebe Hill, Rachel Lawrence,
Jamie May, Emily Tolhurst, Mike Whetnall and James Yarde
each gained 5 grade As and Hannah Coughlin, Alex Eggs,
Martin Hands-Clarke, Catherine Jolly, Molly Nyman, Amita
Raval and Sarah Rose each gained four grade As.
Our carefully considered open entry policy onto A-level
courses has enabled many students to gain real success.
For example, we have 26 candidates whose average GCSE
grade was C or below and 19 of them gained an average
D grade or above. Amongst headteacher David Blow’s
comments quoted in the local press was the following:
“What is particularly pleasing is that achievement across
the spread of ability is outstandingly good.”
Exam Results 2009
GCSE Results
very pupil gained at least 1 A*-G and 98% gained at
least 5A*-G. This is particularly pleasing because we are
a comprehensive school taking the full range of ability with
no selection or filtering. Every pupil takes GCSEs and there
are no “equivalences” in our results. By that we mean the
results do not include other examinations which are given
value equivalent to that of GCSEs.
E
Thirty six pupils gained three or more A* grades. Particularly
outstanding results came from Hugh Baker with nine, Ruth
Luckins with eight and a half, Sarah Bridgman and Sophia
Lowes with eight and Nicola Marsden with seven.
The percentage of pupils gaining at least 5A*-C is 80% this
year, up on last year’s figure of 75% and that of pupils
gaining at least 5A*-C with English and Maths is 71%, two
per cent up on last year’s figure.
Accent October 2009 | 3
Trips/Visits
Year 10 Visit to Güglingen, Germany
owards the end of June, ten Year 10 pupils were invited to
attend the twinning celebrations of Dorking's twin town in
Güglingen, Germany. We thought this would be a fantastic
opportunity for pupils to practise their German speaking and
learn about the environment.
T
During the visit pupils spent time in a secondary school with
their partners from the Realschule. Activities were arranged
for the pupils to develop their geographical knowledge,
such as the ‘solar experience’ where the local
environmental group explained about the use of renewable
energy in Germany and provided a visit to Stuttgart to find
out about regeneration.
The pupils also had time to relax and enjoy themselves on
the Saturday with a visit to Tripsdrill, an adventure theme
park and a gala dinner where they enjoyed food from
Germany, France and the UK.
Year 8 Trip to Normandy
nclement weather and an early morning departure from
Dorking did not deter the excitement and enthusiasm for
142 Year 8 pupils, accompanied by 18 staff and parents, on
their visit to Normandy in June.
I
Particularly poignant this year was the presence of veterans
at Pegasus Bridge for the 65th anniversary of D-Day. This
brought history to life and many of the pupils were
honoured to be able to speak to them too. It is always a
pleasure to take an interested and well-behaved group on
this cultural, historical and linguistic experience. Visits were
made to the Bayeux Tapestry, Arromanches, a dairy and
cider farm, a “chocolaterie” and a “biscuiterie”. Not least,
everyone enjoyed planning their own picnic lunch and
visiting a local market to buy the best produce.
4 | Accent October 2009
Trips/Visits
History Department Trips
n February the History department took forty-nine Year 10 pupils to the
World War One Battlefields. In May we ran a one-day trip to the Somme
for a further seventy pupils.
I
At Easter, the History department took forty Lower Sixth students to
Washington and New York. The trip is designed to support the AS History
course in which the students complete a coursework unit on Martin Luther
King and black civil rights. The Upper Sixth politics students study US
politics so the visit to Washington proved invaluable. We took the decision
to open the trip to all Sixth Form students as it is such a good enrichment
experience. Every stage of the trip was planned with the students via the
creation of a trip blog. http://www.ashcombeusa.blogspot.com.
Highlights of the trip this year included seeing the New York Knicks at
Madison Square Garden.
Iceland
uring the Easter holidays the Geography department
took a number of students to Iceland. We went for five
days and visited many sites to help us understand about the
geothermal activities within Iceland.
D
We flew into Kefalvic and then travelled to the capital
Reykjavik. On the way we swam in the Blue Lagoon. This is
a heated outdoor swimming pool ‘spa’. However the water
is heated by geothermal energy (moving lava under the
surface of the earth’s crust). The water was cloudy blue
from the silica and other minerals in the rocks.
The next morning we visited a geothermal power station,
and we were given a tour and an explanation of how the
thermal energy underground is used to heat the water for
central heating and provide hot water for Icelandic people.
We also visited many spectacular waterfalls such as
Gullfoss and Seljalandsfoss. We then visited the Jokulsarlon
iceberg lagoon (where the James Bond film, ‘Die Another
Day’ was filmed).
We stayed in Reykjavik for two nights and then travelled to
Vik. Vik is on the south coast of Iceland and this allowed us
to visit the large glacier Solheimajokull. We were able to
walk on this glacier and then walk around the ice caves.
Our guide was called Bjornson and after a few hours was
nicknamed Beonce. Some of us tried to learn some
Icelandic too. I tried to teach everyone: ‘Svifnokkvinn minn
er fullur af alum’, which means ‘my hovercraft is full of
eels’. But our guide didn’t understand me either.
The trip to Iceland has been an excellent way to get firsthand experience for geological studies and will help our A2
course when we learn about plate tectonics. Not only has it
helped our education, but also many of us took amazing
photos and we achieved a wider knowledge of the Icelandic
culture.
Charlie Bruinvels – L6/SJM
Year 5 ICT Visits
very Summer Term
Year 5 pupils from the
local primary schools visit
The Priory and The
Ashcombe schools for a
morning of ICT and MFL.
They all have an
opportunity to use
language programmes to
learn or revise topics in
French and German.
E
Accent October 2009 | 5
Romania
Romania July 12 – 17 2009
he 3am alarm marked the start of our Romanian
adventure, with 14 Lower Sixth students meeting Miss
Cammack, Mr Montana and Mr Wakeford at Heathrow in the
rain. Our first day was dedicated to travelling, eating and
sleeping – though not necessarily in that order! We were
greeted at Iaşi Train Station by a very smart new minibus.
T
Our delight was short-lived as we soon discovered we would
then have to walk through a small town and what seemed
like a field that was a mile long. This walk became familiar
over the week. However, at 1am, after a day of rain, and
with one torch between 17 of us, it was quite a shock to the
system! Thankfully, the farm at which we were staying had
thoughtfully provided a horse and cart for our luggage!
After what seemed no sleep at all, it was time for breakfast
and to discover our project for the week: a fence. Although
at first this sounded vaguely uninspiring to us, it became
clear it was vital to the farm, as EU regulations meant it was
necessary for safety or else the farm would have to close
down. Due to a thunderstorm in Iaşi everyone stayed at
the farm to work. We began by digging holes. Fortunately,
the previous day’s rain had made this easier for us, and we
made speedy progress despite having relatively little
equipment. To our relief, the traditional Romanian food
was delicious and plentiful, and had all been sourced
locally if it hadn’t been grown on the farm.
For the next few days we were in fluid groups of five and
nine, the bigger group staying on the farm with Mr Montana
and Mr Wakeford to work on the fence, and smaller one
going to a Nursery School in Iaşi. Work on the farm was
tough due to both the relentless heat - 35°C - and the
relentless workload, but was very rewarding nevertheless!
The farm is advised by ‘The Professor’, a lecturer in
agriculture at a local university; his help has been invaluable
to the farm. During the week at the farm we met some lovely
people including a social worker, Victor, who works with the
orphaned boys who live there, and Tinel, who runs the farm,
along with his two sons, André and Timothé. André was
particularly helpful with communication issues as he was
fluent in English, speaking in a somewhat surprising but
nevertheless flawless American accent!
6 | Accent October 2009
Visiting the nursery was a welcome break from the physical
work at the farm – or so we first thought!! Once the
children got used to the ‘strange’ people who had come to
visit them, pandemonium ensued and everyone was being
climbed over and chased around. Every time we visited we
took a different selection of toys with us: balloons and
bubbles were a particular hit! All the children are
sponsored by English families, and without this help they
would already be behind at school when they start, aged
seven. The nursery not only helps with reading and
counting, but also provides their only decent meal a day.
In the afternoon we went to some of the children’s homes to
give their families food parcels. This experience was
shocking after the happy, contented scenes of the morning;
we saw ‘houses’ with one room that served as a bedroom
and one kitchen per family of 10.
Evenings spent at the farm were filled with talking, ringing
friends and family at home, and playing copious amounts
of ‘spoons’, a normally non-violent card game, until the
early hours of the morning. To our dismay one evening,
some of the doors had been left open after nightfall and in
came the bugs; hence a regular pastime was herding
beetles out of sleeping bags! On some of the evenings we
took the half-hour bus ride into Iaşi for a meal (generally
in Pizza Hut, McDonald’s or an Italian-style restaurant) and
some light shopping and sight-seeing. Our spending
money was used on chocolate, biscuits and fizzy drinks,
giving the teachers 14 over-tired, hyperactive teenagers
with whom to deal!
Our last day at the farm was spent proudly showing off our
(nearly) completed fence (which was painted blue and
white) to the local people and playing lots of party games
with the children. As the last evening came to an end,
everyone took lots of photos, and had piggy-back races.
Once again the 3am alarm (Miss Cammack) woke us up
too early and we reluctantly got ready to walk, this time
with our suitcases, back to the end of the town. After a day
spent as tourists in Bucharest, including a night in a hotel, it
was time to fly back to England to be reunited with our
families.
Megan Price, Upper Sixth
The Tanzania Exchange
A report by Louisa Barker, now in the Upper Sixth, held over
from the last edition, pulls together the two legs of the
biennial exchange
eventeen Ashcombe students, accompanied by Mr
Smallridge, Mr Buckingham, Mrs Williams and Mr
Reeves, travelled to Tanzania on a student exchange. This
exchange programme has been running since 1997 and
five exchanges had occurred prior to our visit. Our
experience was another success, furthering the important
link between The Ashcombe School and the Tambaza High
School in Tanzania.
S
We began our three-week trip with a week in Dar-esSalaam, where we each stayed with a Tanzanian family. We
were warmly welcomed into the homes of our exchange
partners and really made to feel part of the family. We all
had very different experiences in the homes of our partners,
living in a wide range of houses, with families with different
routines, yet everyone enjoyed their own individual
experiences and have many stories to tell of their time
there. Mine included waking up to soldiers marching
outside my window, as my host’s father was the prison
commissioner and I was staying on the soldier-training
compound next to the prison! For many of us this change of
lifestyle was at times challenging, but the early starts in the
morning became easier as time went on, as did the bucket
of cold water for a shower in the morning!
families immediately equipped them with blankets and hot
water bottles! The Tanzanians enjoyed a variety of trips with
us, including a visit to The Houses of Parliament, Thomson
Reuters at Canary Wharf, Brighton and even a football
match at Craven Cottage. English students opened up their
homes and gatherings were organised in the evenings. The
Tanzanians also enjoyed just spending time at home and
relaxing; they fitted perfectly into the English families and
their company was most certainly missed when they had
gone.
The evening before the Tanzanians left, a meal was
organised for the students, families and staff at The
Ashcombe Ranmore canteen, which was enjoyed by all
involved. The Tanzanians performed a variety of traditional
dances and thank-yous and goodbyes were said.
Both the English and Tanzanian students had an absolutely
amazing time on the exchange and the students formed
real bonds with their partners. I definitely learnt a lot about
myself, as well as learning about a completely different
culture. I also have a better appreciation of all the
opportunities open to us here in the UK. Many partners
have kept in touch via regular emails and have high hopes
of returning to Tanzania, a country with which many of us
now feel we have a very strong link.
During the first week, we spent time at the Tambaza High
School, attended classes and found the bare shelves of the
bookcases a stark contrast to the wide range of resources
available to us in the UK that we take for granted. We also
worked with our partners on a project, looking at the effect
of globalisation; this project allowed the Tanzanian and
English students to learn from one another by sharing and
discussing our outlooks and opinions.
One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the offshore
island of Zanzibar with our partners, where we first visited
Stone Town and then a vibrant fish market in the evening.
Next we travelled to Jambiani, a stunning white sand
beach, fringed with palm trees and a turquoise sea. Here
we lay on the beach, swam with dolphins, went sailing in a
dhow, snorkelled and then spent the evening singing on the
beach, accompanied by a ukulele.
Next was safari: we went to the Serengeti, Lake Manyara
and the Ngorongoro crater, discovering Africa’s dramatic
scenery and wildlife - lions, zebras, giraffes and flamingos,
often only metres from our safari trucks. The landscape was
striking, as were the beautiful sunrises we saw each
morning from our tents.
We then had to say our goodbyes, with the exciting
prospect of seeing our partners again in six months time.
Students returned home to the UK, with lasting impressions
of the heat and colours of Tanzania, as well as the laidback African lifestyle.
The Tanzanians came to England in February this year and
were faced with a particularly damp and cold Dorking. The
students were quick to borrow hats and ski jackets and
Accent October 2009 | 7
Activities Week & International Business Week
he now customary
variety of art, drama,
music, international cuisine,
sport, business, languages,
visits and craft were on the
agenda for the penultimate
week of term in July. The
photographs reflect the
range of activities in which
the pupils became very
involved
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8 | Accent October 2009
Charities Week
he annual fund-raising for our
charities [the Royal Marsden and
Romania] and for the Tanzanian
link provided opportunities for staff
and students to perform on stage.
Lunch-time concerts and shows
played to a packed hall each day of
the week, and themed MUFTI days
for the Sixth Form and one for the
whole school saw us raise almost
£4000. The Sixth Form team
pictured at the top of the page (staff
are in some form of disguise) take
immense credit for their efforts and
organisational skills.
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Accent October 2009 | 9
Music
Big Sing 2009
Festival
his year the annual Big Sing event had an ‘eco’ theme to
celebrate our year of environmental awareness. Every
primary school taking part made a real effort to find a song
linked to the environment (in French, German, Italian and
Chinese) and many put together presentations of all the
work they have been doing to make their school more
sustainable. The Weald even wrote their own song entitled
‘NON, à la pollution!'
T
T
he Summer Music Festival
included over a hundred
participants in the Interhouse
Music Festival in which the
winning house was Stuart.
Performances of particular
credit were acknowledged by
being included in the Lower
School recital and the
Summer Soiree, which also
hosted the lively Brazilian
Funk Band and other school
ensembles; our Chinese
partners gave performances of song, dance and
instrumental work to begin this concert.
Continuing with the international themes, an African
drumming day gave a wide range of students the
opportunity to learn some features of djembe playing.
Reception and Year 1 children made tiger masks for their Chinese song.
Other events included a piano concert and masterclass
from Richard Meyrick, a choir lunchtime concert at
Denbies and the festival culminated in a fantastic Band
Night with an excellent standard of performance from
Year 9 and 10 rock bands.
A Free Minibus!
Head Boy/ Head Girl
s a result of interviews with Mr Robinson and Mr
Thompson the following students were selected as
Head Boy/ Head Girl.
A
Head Boy – Alex Eggs
Head Girl – Ros Cowls
Due to the demands of these posts and the quality of
skills demonstrated by the candidates we appointed a
Deputy Head Girl and Deputy Head Boy.
hanks to a lot of people, the school has just been
handed the keys to a brand new minibus. A Quorn*
promotion in the Canteen was promoted by manager, Kerry
Whitehead, staff ensured leaflets were made available to
students to enter a music competition and George Guven
of Year 10 entered…and won! George spent a day in a
recording studio and gained an iTouch for his efforts
T
*Quorn is the leading brand of protein-rich food product in the UK.
Deputy Head Boy – Mike Whetnall
Deputy Head Girl – Emma Antonio
The Senior Prefect team made a great start to their year
organising the biggest Sixth Form BBQ ever.
Emma Antonio
Amy Beadle
Georgia Dalton
Ros Cowls
Rossanna Watts
Susie Woods
Peter Delchar
Alex Eggs
Jamie May
Mike Whetnall
Simon Winter
Josh Evans
Sam Stajcic
ear 8 started the Summer Term with the sad news regarding Sam Stajcic,
who had joined the school in September. Tragically, he died of a brain
tumour just before the beginning of term. We celebrated Sam’s life by
holding a MUFTI day with the theme of movie characters as Sam was very
enthusiastic about films. Approximately £1000 was raised for the Royal
Marsden Hospital. A group of Year 8 girls also raised approximately £800
for the same hospital by walking 18 miles over Box Hill and Ranmore.
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10 | Accent October 2009
School Events
of the Year for life.
The atmosphere was
one of sheer
enjoyment and
camaraderie amongst
the students and the
celebration continued
at the after-party,
kindly hosted by Mr
and Mrs Cranfield,
until the early hours.
Year 11 Leavers’ Ball and Assembly
n Thursday 7th May, 2009 Ashcombe Year 11 cast off
the gloom of impending exams and enjoyed a final
celebration of the end of five years at school, not in the
familiar surroundings of their beloved Ashcombe, but
amidst the comparatively epicurean opulence of the ‘Surrey
Hills Hotel’.
O
The Ball had been the subject of much speculation and
planning for months and the ingenious methods of
transport that arrived on the night served as a fitting tribute
not only to the enthusiasm of the year but also to the fact
that certain members of Year 11 seem to have some odd
contacts: Tanks-for-Hire and Batmobiles-R-Us, presumably.
The outfits were of Hollywood quality and the amount of
hairspray used by both genders may be responsible for
another hole in the ozone layer appearing over Surrey in
the near future.
Once inside the hotel there were many delights to be
sampled, including the unexpected appearance of raw
broccoli on the canapé table and the unspeakable horror
of dancing teachers, scarring the more sensitive members
Upper Sixth Leavers’ Boat Trip
he Sixth Form boat trip provided the traditional end to the
students’ time at The Ashcombe. This year, as in the past,
the event was fantastic. Over 120 pupils and staff went to
Westminster Pier on a May evening and spent four hours
travelling up and down the river. The weather was generally
fine and the atmosphere was fantastic. The current Upper
Sixth have been a lovely year group and the way in which
they finished their Ashcombe career was a perfect reflection
of their time at the school. Thank you to the Senior Prefects
for organising the event, which also involved a disco, and for
their efforts throughout the year.
T
The next day after 240 tired and decidedly nauseous pupils
had arrived, some for the last time, the Leavers’ Assembly
was held in Ranmore Hall. The assembly managed to
induce both tears and laughter, with the primary school
photos unearthed by Mr Reeves a cause for much hilarity
and Mrs Winter’s inability to even speak without bursting
into tears setting half the hall off. The ball and the assembly
were a brilliant way to mark the end of our time at school;
the atmosphere was a tribute to the fact that we were
Ashcombe’s best (and definitely softest) Year 11.
Helen Charman, Y11
Magistrates' Trial Competition
he Mock Trial Competition is where year 9 students
take on various roles, including Lawyers, Magistrates,
Witnesses, Ushers and Legal Advisors, to replicate a
magistrate’s court and then compete against other
schools in the county. All the teams get given a case;
which this year was a case of disorderly behaviour. After
receiving the case, we had to learn our roles and court
proceedings – a visit to South East Surrey Magistrates
court really helped us with this. At least twice a week we
met to practise our roles and parts with a real
magistrate, Linda, who was a great help and offered
loads of practical advice. The competition proved difficult
and we were very glad of the 3 months practice we put
in. Ashcombe’s Team finished 3rd overall and won £100
for the school.
Ed Bodman
T
Upper Sixth Leavers’ Assembly
e held the Leavers’ assembly in the Common Room.
It was an excellent afternoon in which the staff and
students reflected on their time at the school. The students
presented gifts to Mr Woollett and Mrs Burbidge,
recognising the great contribution both had made to their
time in the Sixth Form. The staff team received some lovely
comments about the way the assembly was conducted.
W
Accent October 2009 | 11
Links with China
Chinese Visitors
he photographs show exchange partners and
staff and involved in our Chinese exchange
programme last summer. Also shown separately
are the Chinese teachers with new Head Girl Ros
Cowls and Deputy Head Boy Mike Whetnall. A
report of the exchange will appear in the next
edition of "Accent."
T
February
ebruary, like all school months, is very busy. Charities
Week (see page 9), Tanzanian visitors, exchange visit to
Madrid...and snow!
F
12 | Accent October 2009
School Events
Art Exhibition
South East Sustainable Schools’ Conference
In March we were delighted to host a conference for over
a hundred delegates on behalf of the Government Office
for the South East. The day featured workshops and
presentations from schools, local authorities, charities and
environmental groups.
I
Mr Thompson led a workshop on the global dimension and
focused on how The Ashcombe has been able to establish
links with schools in other countries, how we incorporate
school links into curriculum work and how to involve learners
actively in maintaining mutually beneficial school links.
A number of our Year 10 pupils attended the conference as
delegates and helped ensure that the day ran smoothly.
They all gained much from the day as was reflected in their
evaluations of it.
Miss Eagles
Accent October 2009 | 13
Sports Highlights
Gym and Dance Evening
he evening held in March was a
resounding success, with over 100
students involved. Pupils, ranging from
Years 7 to 11, performed in a wide variety
of pieces. Performances included solo and
group gymnastic routines, solo and group
dances, Year 10 and 11 GCSE dance
pieces, group trampetting and a vaulting
piece. The evening opened with the boys
involved in trampetting and vaulting.
Other acts followed with snippets of
pupils’ performance pieces. The
accompaniment throughout the evening
was varied, from ‘Rhianna’ to the ‘The
Chemical Brothers’ and a finale to the
soundtrack of ‘Mamma Mia’!
T
It was an evening enjoyed by all and a
wonderful recognition for all of the boys’
and girls’ hard work. Well done!!!
Cross Country
ross Country grew even stronger
last year as more and more pupils
have become involved. Special praise
must go to Jack Wyllie, Hugh Baker
and Luke Caldwell. Hugh had a very
successful season qualifying for Surrey
Schools Cross Country, Jack came first
in the Surrey Relay and second in the
Surrey Championships as well as
competing at the National Inter-County
Championships in Nottingham.
C
Hockey
wo Year 7 teams entered the first
Surrey State School's Hockey
Tournament at Surbiton. The 'B' team lost
two matches and drew four, finishing fifth
in their pool whilst the 'A' team won two
matches, drew three and lost one,
finishing third in their pool and just
missing out on qualifying for the semifinals by one point.
T
The David Beckham
Academy
round 30 Year 7 and 8 pupils were
given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to attend The David Beckham Academy in
London. It was an early start for all involved
but our spirits were lifted when we first saw
the 02 Arena and then the academy. We
were greeted and split into two teams
(Holland and Brazil). Coaches then took
pupils through lots of different drills on the
3G astroturf. They then went off and learnt
how to be a scout, manager, fitness coach
A
14 | Accent October 2009
and nutritionist. Phew! At the end of the
day all pupils were given a match ball and
pen. Unfortunately, we didn’t see David but
everyone agreed that Mr Devenney was
much more handsome anyway!
Gemma Upfold British
Kickboxing Champion
ongratulations
to Gemma from
everyone in the PE
department on
becoming British
Kickboxing
Champion!!
C
Cricket
oth our Upper and Lower School
cricket teams reached the Dorking
Cup Finals Day on 23rd June.
B
The Lower School team won their final
against The Priory by 30 runs, thanks to a
fantastic half century from Brett ScottBarnes. The Upper School team beat
Howard of Effingham in the Plate final by
45 runs, captain Matt Clarke the pick of
the batsman with 55 runs.
Year 7 Athletics
or the first year The Ashcombe hosted
the mid-Surrey Indoor Athletics
competition. Teams of Year 7 pupils from
six Surrey schools took part. The
competition was won by Ashcombe ‘A’
with their 'B' team finishing third.
F
Year 7 Netball
he Year 7 netball team had a very
successful season. They won friendly
matches against Manor House, The
Priory and Howard of Effingham. At the
Surrey District Tournament we did
extremely well coming third out of
seven schools (just missing out on a
medal!). Congratulations to the girls:
Rachel Farmer, Alice Goodwin, Eve
Bradley, Abbie Johnson, Jess King, Beth
Bridgman, Ellie Rowlands, Esme Bathe
and Fern Osborne.
T
Year 7 Football
he Year 7 football team had a good
year. A huge number of boys attended
trials in September and the standard was
very high making it very difficult for us to
choose the team! The team performed
very well against local schools, easily
beating Priory, Boxhill and St Andrew’s.
Unfortunately, they did not do so well in
T
the Cup competitions but we hope that
they will learn from these experiences and
perform as a stronger team this year.
Special mention must go to Tom Francis
(captain), Ali Masson, Sam Lloyd and Sam
Kandalaft for some excellent individual
performances during the season.
Year 8 Netball
aving won the ‘B’ team tournament
in the previous year, last year we
decided to enter the Year 8 team into the
Surrey District ‘A’ Netball tournament. The
girls performed really well competing
against fierce competition, beating
Rosebery, Blenheim and narrowing losing
to Greenacre. Well done both ‘A’ and ‘B’
teams on a successful season!
H
Year 8 Football
he Year 8 football team had
another sterling season by reaching
the semi finals of the Surrey FA county
championships. This magnificent run
included a 2-1 win over Whitgift (last
year’s holders). However, they were
pipped in the last minute and missed
out on the Final! On the way to the
semis they scored over 35 goals and
only conceded 6 – that has to be a
record! Congratulations must go to all
the boys for all their hard work and the
way they have represented the school
with great passion and enthusiasm.
Outstanding performances from Matt
Higgins, Mike Ellis, Oli Winter, George
Coffey, Harry Ramsay, Jack Wyllie,
Tom Ball, Josh Edwards, Eb Isiakapona
and Harry Kensett. We hope we can
go two steps better this year!
T
Year 9 Football
he Year 9 football team played
consistently well all season beating
local schools Howard of Effingham, Priory
and Boxhill convincingly. Some good
performances were seen in both Cup
competitions but disappointingly weren’t
good enough to see them through to the
later stages of the tournaments. An
increase in the number of players
attending training sessions was seen as
the season progressed, so with a larger
squad, we hope that more success will be
had in the Cup competitions this year.
Special mention must go to Frazer
Mosely, Isaac Philpot and Henry Warne
for some excellent individual
performances during the season.
T
School Events
Scenes from Summer Games
University Science
Day
group of Year 9 Science
pupils had a great day at
Surrey University early this term.
The pupils listened to a couple of
lectures about rocket science and
alternative energy resources.
They also had to undertake a 15 minute interview with
some women engineers and ask them questions about their
careers. Finally, they had some ‘hands-on’ activities, where
they built air ballon cars and watched some space
simulation!
Ms Woollacott
A
Harry Potter Celebration
o celebrate the launch of the final book, the Study
Centre had an HP theme, with staff Annette Page and
Ysella Sims donning appropriate garb for the day
T
Accent October 2009 | 15
Calendar 2009/10
HALF TERM WEEK Saturday 13th - Sunday 21st
SEPTEMBER 2009
Tue
Wed
Thu
Mon
Tues
Fri
Mon
Tue
1
2
10
14
24
25
28
29
INSET Day - Staff only
AUTUMN TERM BEGINS
U6 Parents’ Evening
Y7 Reading/Spelling tests begin
Y11 Progress Reviews to Parents
Sponsored Walk
European Day of Languages
11X Parents’ Evening
OCTOBER 2009
Thu
Thu
Fri
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Tue
1
8
9
12
13
14
15
16
20
Games Day
11Y Parents’ Evening
PTA Quiz
Photo Day
U6 Geog: Slapton until 17th
Language College Presentation Day
INSET DAY - no pupils & Open Evening
INSET DAY - no pupils
6.30pm Into 6th Form, for Y11 Pupils
HALF TERM Saturday 24th - Sunday 1st November
NOVEMBER 2009
Tue
Thu
Fri
Mon
Tue
Wed
Fri
Tue
Tue
Wed
Thu
3
5
6
9
10
11
13
17
24
25
26
6pm Y7 Parent/Tutor + SEN + HoD talks
Senior Maths Challenge
12.30 Sixth Form ‘Safe Driving’ presentation
Y9 Assessments begin, Primary Performance
Performance
U6 Mock interviews, Performance
China Day
10X Parents’ Evening
6th Form Progress Reviews to Parents
German Exchange arrives
10Y Parents’ Evening
DECEMBER 2009
Tue
1
Wed
2
Thu
3
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
7
8
16
17
18
Christmas Bazaar (S + T)
L6 & Targeted U6 Parents’ Evening
Christmas Bazaar (W + Y)
German Exchange departs
6th Form Dinner Dance
Y11 exams: Study leave begins
Y7 assessments until 11th
Y10 Bazaar
6th Form Certificate & Awards Evening
Senior Citizens’ Party
1pm END OF TERM
JANUARY 2010
Mon
Wed
Fri
Tue
Thu
Mon
Tue
Thu
Fri
Mon
Tue
4
6
8
12
14
18
19
21
22
25
26
SPRING TERM BEGINS
Y8 assessments until 13th
Return 6th Form Preference Forms
Y9 reports to Parents
Spanish Exchange arrives
Y10 Progress Reviews to Parents
Y11 Certificate Evening
6.45 Upper School Introduction for Y9
Spanish Exchange departs
Y7 Progress Review to Parents
9V Parents’ Evening
Mon
Sat
22
27
MARCH 2010
Mon
Thu
Sun
Mon
Thu
1
4
14
15
18
Fri
Thu
Sun
Mon
19
25
28
29
1
2
3
4
Fri
Mon
5
8
Tue
Wed
Thu
9
10
11
Sixth Form assessments begin
D of E presentation evening
Spring Concert
9W Parents’ Evening
Spanish Exchange there until 12th
Y11 Reports to Parents
Y11 Work Experience Week
Language College Presentation Day
Y9 Options in
Y10 Battlefields trip (3 days)
Y8 Progress Reviews to Parents
16 | Accent October 2009
Y10 exams begin
World Book Day (Y7: visiting author)
D of E Bronze training day
Y7 Assessments begin
8X Parents’ Evening
French Exchange there until 26th March
6th Form Reports to Parents
8Y and targeted Sixth Form Parents’ Evening
D of E Bronze training day
A-Level Music Performance
APRIL 2010
Thu
1
Mon
Tue
19
20
Wed
Wed
Thu
21
28
29
Fri
30
D of E Silver final expedition starts
3.30 END OF TERM
SUMMER TERM BEGINS
A-Level Music Recital
7X Parents’ Evening
Y11 & Upper Sixth group photos
D of E Gold practice expedition
7Y Parents’ evening
Junior Maths Challenge
Y10 reports to parents
MAY 2010
Mon
Tue
Mon
Thu
Fri
3
4
10
13
14
Mon
17
Fri
Fri
21
28
Bank Holiday
Y8 Exams in class this week
Y9 Exams in class this week
Y11 Leavers’ Ball
Y11 Leavers’ Assembly
Study leave begins
D of E Bronze practice expedition
GCSE & AS Level exams begin
Y8/9 Exams in hall this week
Y10 Battlefields Trip
INSET Day - no pupils
HALF TERM WEEK Saturday 29th - Sunday 6th June
JUNE 2010
Mon
7
Thu
Fri
Sat
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Mon
Tue
Wed
10
11
12
22
23
24
25
28
29
30
Y7 Open Mornings this week
Y10 Geography Field Trips this week
Language College Presentation Day
Y7 Reports to parents
D of E Bronze final expedition
INSET day - no pupils
L6 return
L6 parents’ Higher Education evening
Sixth Form induction
New intake evening
New intake day
Y8 Reports to parents
JULY 2010
Mon
5
Mon
12
Sat
Mon
Tue
Wed
17
19
20
21
FEBRUARY 2010
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Charities Week begins until 27th
D of E Bronze training day
Festival of Music Week
Activities Week
Y7 Germany trip this week
Y8 Drama Week
Y9 Activities Week
Y10 International Business Week
L6 Work Experience Week
D of E Gold expedition
Romania trip departs
China trip departs
Tanzania trip departs
Summer Games Day
1pm END OF TERM
AUGUST 2010
Thu
Tue
19
24
A-Level results
GCSE results