Langleynews
Edition Three
Welcome to the first academic newsletter of 2017! We are only a few weeks into term and already have so much to report.
Our congratulations must first of all go to our sixth form students receiving Oxbridge offers. Roslyn McRobert, who joined
the Langley nursery when the preparatory school was still at Beech Hill and has been with us ever since, has been offered a
place at Downing College, Cambridge for Human, Social and Political Sciences and Joe Barrett, who joined Langley in Year
9, has also been offered a place at Cambridge, having applied to study Theology at St John’s College. These pupils exemplify
the Langley way – not only are they excelling academically, but they are seizing every opportunity along the route, be it
involvement in public speaking, debating, sport, or a senior role in the CCF. Well done and good luck for the future!
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all parents who took part in the recent ISI (Independent Schools
Inspectorate) survey as part of the inspection in the second week of term. We have had two very positive inspections,
with ISI close on the heels of HMC, and are very much looking forward to publishing reports as soon as they are available.
Please remember, this is your newsletter and we welcome contributions from pupils, parents, governors and other
stakeholders alike. We hope you enjoy reading about a range of opportunities taken up by our pupils and the success
stories that have ensued. Frank Butt Senior Deputy Head (Academic)
not least, Janke Halse comes to the Art department, following a
career break to start a family. Again Janke is hugely experienced,
with 10 years of Art teaching. She is a ceramics specialist, but
is also experienced in a hugely eclectic range of other media
and techniques including print making, painting, batik, plaster
casting, textiles, sculpture, computer aided projects, photography
and drawing. Whilst her little ones keep her busy when at home,
she also enjoys knitting, quilting, sewing, gardening, walking and
swimming – and in her spare time she likes to read and go to hear
live music and visit exhibitions!
A Welcome to
the New Crowd
We would like to extend a huge welcome to four new academic
staff starting with us this January. Two are joining the
Mathematics department and, despite all the talk of shortages
in this subject, we are delighted to have had such a strong field
from which to select Sam Bunn and Vesna Demetriou. Sam
joins us from Thorpe St Andrew where he has been teaching
for seven years. He has been both KS3 and KS5 curriculum
leader of Mathematics. He enjoys picnics with his wife and two
young children, but also swims and plays football when time
permits. Vesna is an outstanding teacher of Mathematics. She
is Macedonian by birth, but has been teaching for 13 years in
Gorleston. She leads a healthy lifestyle, cycles frequently and
enjoys cooking with her Greek husband.
New to the Drama department is Adrian Watts. Ade is a
graduate of Homerton College, Cambridge, and has had fifteen
years’ experience of running a Drama department. He will
be supporting Kai Baron and the rest of the Arts team in our
drive towards the Arts Mark Platinum Award. An accomplished
pianist, Ade likes to write plays and compose music. He will
also be supporting Mr Kempton with public speaking, the
English Speaking Union being another passion of his. Last, but
Norfolk Scholars
The Sixth Form Team were delighted to welcome back
some of our 2016 Norfolk Scholars who joined us for the
Carol Concert and for refreshments afterwards to celebrate
their success. They were awarded with their certificates in
recognition of their academic achievement (a minimum of
ABB grades at A level) by the Headmaster, Mr Findlay. Our
warmest congratulations to them and the other scholars.
We wish them well..
Front Row (L - R): Jon Kempton, Alex Mitton (ABB)
Back Row (L - R): Rufus Wood, Max Selwyn (A*AB), Eleanor Knight
(A*A*A), Eleanor Payne (A*AA), Dominic Findlay, Amelia Long (A*AA)
and Leslie McRobert.
cont/
Year 8 History Heroes
Competition Final 2017
Langley School hosted the final of the fifth annual Year 8 History
Heroes competition on Friday 27th January; this was a gifted and
talented event encouraging and promoting the excellent standard
of historical knowledge across the county. Pupils from three
Norfolk schools competed in the final - Langley School, Beeston
Hall School and Norwich High School for Girls.
Each student had up to five minutes to give a short talk about
their chosen hero, after which they answered questions posed
by the audience. Prize winners received a trophy, book token and
chocolates in recognition of their achievements. The top three
were judged to be:
1st - Joe Wright from Langley School discussed
Alexander Fleming
2nd - Molly Truman from Norwich High School for Girls
discussed Boudicca
3rd - Henry Thoday from Beeston Hall discussed
William Wilberforce
We would like to thank the judges, Mr Oldroyd and Mr Wood.
University Student Visit
Elysia Lukoszevieze, an alumni of Langley, visited the Art
department to talk about her work at Leeds University where she
is a second year Fine Art student in the Sculpture department. Her
work is varied and at times challenging, reflecting her concerns
with the perception of women and ideals of perfection. The Year
12 and 13 artists were given the opportunity to see examples of
Elysia’s work as well as benefitting from her experiences of the
application procedures that she followed to gain access to the
course. She also shared experiences regarding being a student in a
creative environment. Elysia’s most recent piece, involving video, is
being exhibited in Leeds later this month.
As with our previous visitors, the programme of occasional visitors
is of great benefit in readying our pupils for making positive
choices regarding their future creative pathways.
Visited by the Law
Pupils Praised for
using Bard Language
Langley School Drama students and staff are celebrating after
winning the East of England Regional Final of a Shakespeare
performance competition. Year 9 student Kieran Dodding
impressed the judges from the English Speaking Union with an
expressive and assured monologue from A Midsummer Night’s
Dream. He now progresses to the National Grand Final. Lydia
Benjamin and Leo Jocelyn were both awarded the ‘Judges
Commendation Awards’.
The Performing Shakespeare Competition, now in its 5th year,
is designed to allow Key Stage 3 pupils the opportunity to
experience Shakespeare’s plays as they were intended, through
live performance and using theatre and performance skills to
engage with the texts.
The National Grand Final event will be held on Tuesday March
21st at The Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, in London’s
famous West End.
There is so much going on at Langley this term, we don’t
want you to miss anything, please visit our website for
latest news and results from around the school:
langleyschool.co.uk
Last Wednesday Jonathan Taylor, an online behaviour,
safety and social media expert, delivered an excellent,
age appropriate, online safety talk, to all our pupils. Jonathan’s
career as a Law Enforcement Practitioner and Covert Internet
Investigator allowed him to have unprecedented access to the
internet, which enabled him to determine how children use the
internet and where danger ‘lurks’. The key to staying safe in this
technology-driven world is education for children and adults.
National challenge quiz
Langley began its run in the National Challenge Quiz in November,
travelling to Suffolk for the opening rounds of the regional stage
of the competition. Following on from Langley A team’s success
in the previous stage of the competition, in the middle of January,
we hosted the three-way regional semi-final. Roslyn McRobert
captained Toby Emerson, Jabez Cooke and Charlie Peacock. We were
drawn to play the first match against Colchester Royal Grammar
School. Having trailed for the entire match, Langley stormed to
victory on the last question having recovered from a deficit of 200
points. The second match saw our visiting teams meet. Reepham
High School narrowly beat CRGS by 370 points to 360. In the final
match Reepham were worthy winners beating Langley 490 points to
340. Reepham meet Perse in the regional final.
Last year’s school quiz captain, Robert Laingchild, has been selected
for the quiz team for Sussex University.