Issue 35 ∙ December 2015
This has been a half term packed full of opportunities for the girls to learn more, develop their skills, make new friends
and have fun whilst at school. In this newsletter you will read about how girls have developed their confidence by
entering competitions, taking part in debates and giving presentations. Girls learn a great deal in every lesson they attend
and there have been many opportunities this half term to further their understanding of different topics by attending guest
speaker events which have taken place at lunch time, most notably listening to a Syrian refugee recount his experience of
coming to the UK and learning more about the agenda of the recently set up Women’s Equality Party. The students
continue to enjoy their termly visits to the theatre. If you are a lover of music then there is no need to travel up to
London, instead save the dates to come to the many Nonsuch musical concerts on offer next term. Additionally
remember the school production on February 10th and 11th, the Little Shop of Horrors is guaranteed to entertain.
The girls know the benefits of taking full advantage of the opportunities offered to them and so it is very pleasing to
report that they have also used the privilege they have to help those less fortunate. We have raised funds for our sister
school in Kipkelion in Kenya and a big thank you to those who contributed items for our Epsom and Ewell foodbank
appeal.
The Government is very keen to monitor and report on the academic achievement of the students in Britain. Recently
they published their annual RAISEonline document for Nonsuch and I am delighted to inform you that the performance
of students at GCSE places us in the top 1% of schools nationally. Additionally we are in the top 1% for Maths and
Science , top 2% for Modern Languages and top 6% for English. This is truly an outstanding performance!
The school will be full of Christmas spirit and good cheer this week. The PTA have given us a
beautifully decorated Christmas tree which graces the main entrance hall. The
Christmas fair on
Monday was a great success as will be the student Christmas lunches. The Christmas Carole service
at St Andrew’s church is an enchanting evening and I hope you will join us for this special occasion. On Friday we will have Form group parties and the whole school assembly will have contributions by Soul Revolution. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Miss Hartley Acting Headteacher
Higher Education
We are delighted that 34 students have been invited for interview at Oxford or Cambridge. These interviews will take place over the next couple of weeks and we would like to wish all of the students the
best of luck in this process. The students have worked incredibly hard to reach this stage and should
be proud of their achievements.
Careers Fair – Speaker Request.
Our annual careers fair is on the evening of Tuesday 23 rd February
2016. We are looking for inspirational speakers to help open students'
eyes to the wide range of career opportunities available to them. The
evening is part of our ‘Be Inspired’ Programme of events and will run
between 7pm & 9pm. Speakers will be 'set up' around the school in
various classrooms, giving up to four repeat 30 minute presentations to
groups of students in years 9 to 12. If you are free on the evening of
23rd February and would like to help us to inspire our students then
please do let me know by emailing me on [email protected].
If you are a parent of a student in Years 9 – 12 you may wish to
save the date.
Mrs Tingley, Coordinator of Careers Education.
www.nonsuchhigh.com
Nonsuch High School For Girls
Newsletter
Issue 35∙ December 2015
Geography
In October, the Geography department took Year 8 on the long-running field trip to the Royal Botanic Gardens at
Kew. The field trip ties into the ecosystems and tropical rainforest topics being taught this term, giving students a
real sense of what different biomes of the world look, feel and smell like.
Students visited the Princess of Wales conservatory, a highly technical greenhouse commissioned by Miss Bell’s
grandfather, which contains multiple environments from the desert to the tropical. Their focus here was on plant
adaptations – sketching plants, hunting for information to a series of questions and marveling at the different
displays. This year there was a very interesting display on chilli plants that explained the Scoville scale, which
ranks the plants on a scale of heat, with the ‘Carolina Reaper’ striking fear into the hearts of every Nonsuch girl.
In the famous Palm House, celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, we learnt how the plants of the tropical
rainforest are exploited for our use and the costs this has on the environment. Students, supported by experts
from Kew, prepared and delivered mini-presentations answering questions they were given such as “why are
orangutans and lipstick linked?”
The third main attraction was the treetop walkway – a rare opportunity to walk amongst the woodland canopy with
fantastic views across the gardens and beyond. It was a great opportunity to explore cross-curricular links with a
quick talk on plant structures including the role of phloem and xylem tissues. Mr Bingham’s highlight, one of
Europe’s largest compost heaps visible from the walkway, was somewhat underwhelming for the girls.
The Geography department would like to take this opportunity to thank the students for their enthusiasm (most
evident in the gift shop) and excellent behaviour, which was noted by members of the public and Kew staff. A
thank you also to those girls who submitted their favourite photo from the day for the competition we ran.
Congratulations to Deeksha in year 8, who won a map activity book and 5 house credits for her winning
photograph of the lily pond.
The Geography Department
Nonsuch High School For Girls
Newsletter
Issue 35∙ December 2015
Geography
Syrian Refugee Visit to the Geography Department
Over recent months, the on-going civil conflict in Syria and the migration crisis in and around the European Union
have been ever-present in the news. The Geography department has been keen to educate and raise awareness
amongst students on these important global issues, particularly focusing on the plight of refugees from war-torn
countries and their migration across Europe.
Linking up with Sutton-based charity ‘Breaking Barriers’, a charity that seeks to help refugees find employment in
the UK, the department invited Eiad, a Syrian refugee who had recently benefitted from the work of the charity to
talk to our Year 10 Geography students about his own personal story of fleeing Syria and travelling across the
Mediterranean to make his way to the UK, in search of a better life.
The students were captivated by his story and amazed by the obstacles that Eiad had faced, not only in Syria but
along his journey through Europe as well as the hardships he faces now in the UK. Despite being a qualified dentist
and having a charismatic and confident personality, Eiad has struggled to find work in the UK.
The following is a reflection from Year 10 student Grace:
“Not many students knew what the situation was actually like in Syria. The media and news didn’t really talk about
it so it was really good to know about, especially from the viewpoint of a real refugee.
It was very interesting as well as shocking but it made me grateful for the peace in my country and I realised how
difficult it must be to leave everything you know.
The talk was engaging and opened my eyes to the problems around the world in real life and showed how a
refugee feels. It made me want to help them as I understand more.”
The Geography department would like to thank the charity ‘Breaking Barriers’ and Eiad for coming in and sharing
his experiences with our Year 10 students.
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Nonsuch High School For Girls
Newsletter
Issue 35∙ December 2015
Economics
Bank of England Competition – Target 2.0 2015/16
On Monday 16 November four year 13 Economics students, Kaitlin, Xue Xian, Eleanor and Mathura
took part in the regional heats of the Bank of England Target 2.0 Interest Rate Competition at the
Prudential Regulation Building in Moorgate, London. It was the sixteenth annual Target Two Point Zero
– Bank of England and The Times Interest Rate Challenge with over 300 teams across the United
Kingdom competing for the Challenge Trophy and a cash prize for their school or college.
During the 40 plus regional heats, teams of four students analyse UK and global economic data and their
possible impact on inflation and the economic outlook for the UK - just as the Bank of England Monetary
Policy Committee does each month. The team must then decide if current monetary policy is appropriate
or needs to be adjusted, to meet the 2.0 per cent inflation target set by the Government. In a presentation
to a panel of Bank of England judges, the team explains their decision then justifies it through their
answers to questions from the panel.
The girls recommended an interest rate of 0.5% and maintaining asset purchases
at £375 bn. Their presentation was thorough, well researched and delivered with
confidence and the girls received praise from the judging panel for their handling
of difficult questions and the breadth of their research. The girls are now through
to the Regional Finals of the competition in February.
Languages
In September of this year the MFL department was delighted to be awarded the role of Hub School for Languages
for the Sutton Schools Direct teacher training consortium, following a competitive application process across the
borough. This award serves to recognise the continued success of the MFL and Classics department in terms of
results (last year’s GCSE results place the department in the top 2% of schools nationally), the dedication, talent
and commitment of our staff and excellent student recruitment, with very healthy numbers of pupils opting to
continue their studies of languages to A level, very much bucking the national trend. MFL trainee teachers now
benefit from the considerable expertise contained within the department, observing lessons and being introduced
to the methodology behind MFL teaching by Mr Johnson (Head of Department) and Mrs Bond (Head of German).
In this way the school is able to support the development of the language teachers of tomorrow and to remain
abreast of the latest developments and new approaches in what is an ever-evolving subject area.
P Johnson
Head of Languages
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
Problem Solving Challenge
On Wednesday 10th November Year 9 gathered for the DT challenge that had House Credits and edible prizes up for
grabs. Year 9 were split into 2 groups, with one group in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Before we entered the Hall we did not know what to expect as the task had been kept a closely guarded secret. We had
to sit quietly in our groups as the teachers explained our challenge, which was:
To design and make a mechanism which is operated by a switch to hoist a flag as high as possible. Points were
awarded for:
•
the height of the flag pole that the flag could travel
•
the distance the flag actually travelled
•
using a switch
At first there was confusion, but once everyone had calmed down and thought through how they were going to go about
doing this, we were able to work through the problem.
We worked in teams of 6 with 2 students from each of the three forms. This challenge allowed us to become
acquainted with people from other forms and we learned to use team work, collaboration and applied past knowledge
as well as developing our designing and making skills, all of which we needed to finish the challenge in the 90 minute
time frame. Logical thinking was needed at first as no-one knew how to go about making a mechanism from the
materials we were given, but once we had discussed our ideas the making was soon underway.
There was the occasional peeking at other teams’ ideas and lots of fun! As the last few minutes of the timer counted
down there was a mad rush to make the flag pole as high as possible, so we could earn extra points. The finished ideas
were clever and brilliant as everyone in the group had contributed ideas, thinking outside of the box to make a successful
mechanism.
The winning team, ‘ Superheroes’ made up of team members: Andrea, Hana, Aarushi, Vithushi, Lauren and Maya, will
now represent the school in the Surrey Satro Problem Solving Challenge in January at St Philomena's, where they will
complete a similar style challenge against other schools in the borough. Good Luck!
Overall the challenge was a great way to make new friends, use our brains and common sense, whilst learning
something new through trial and error as well as having fun.
Year 9 would like to thank the Design and Technology teachers for designing and organising this event for us.
‘Thank you!’
Alex Year 9
Next Issue:
Find out how the ‘Superheroes’ get on at the Problem Solving Challenge heats
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
On Wednesday 2nd December 2015, the Year 10 Product
Design Students visited the Design Museum where we took
part in a workshop based on chair design.
‘How many
Nonsuch students
does it take to
assemble a chair?’
Initially, we discussed the main functions of a chair, with Roopanshi highlighting that it was for sitting on, but
as we thought about this in more detail we came up with more functions including: to hang clothes on, to
stand on, to decorate a room and to make a person sitting on the chair look good.
We were then each given a chair to unfold or assemble and then sit on. This was really fun because some of
the chairs were quite unusual. It also proved quite challenging for some of the designs, particularly when it
took 6 Nonsuch students several minutes to put one of the chairs together.
We all had our favourite chairs. Miss Hobart liked the Philippe Starck vase, as she said it would
look great in her kitchen and could be placed on a shelf as an ornament when not in use.
In the afternoon we visited the V&A Museum to look at the furniture on display in the
Dr Susan Webber Gallery, where we got to spend time sitting on even more chairs!
We also looked at the 20th Century Design exhibition. Many of the products were
familiar as we recognised them from our lessons on the History of Design. Juliette
said that in the future many of the products that we use today, like iPhones, would be
on display and people would be expressing their opinions about them, just like we
were today.
We also saw a 3D printed table that had been inspired by the shape of a tree and
had taken 7 days to print.
Next Issue:
Coca Cola Factory Visits
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
Year 9 students have been learning about electronics and
metals this term, where they have learnt a range of new
skills including: soldering, programming a circuit, cuttlefish
casting, beating and planishing.
Using their knowledge and skills they have made a cyber
character, pewter cast jewellery and a mythological mask.
S
C
H
A
O
S
KEY STAGE 3
PRODUCT DESIGN
Isabel
Elaine
Tara
Millie
Oksana
Ashrika
Elena
Jelena
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E
Shreya
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
Music
Junior Orchestra: Junior Orchestra played ‘Basse Danse’ from “The
Capriol Suite”’ by Warlock. It was great to see so many musicians
from the younger years participating, assisted by members of
Symphony Orchestra.
Nonsuch Concert Band: The Concert Band played ‘You’ve Got a
Friend In Me’ from Toy Story and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ The
timpani, anvil and whip were a particular success!
Year 7 Choir: It was wonderful to see a large group of Year 7s, led by
6th form student Catherine, performing ‘When I Grow Up’ from
Minchin’s musical Matilda. It was an enthusiastic and enjoyable
performance. Lucy was a fantastically inspiring accompanist.
Ukulele Group: A new club introduced this year by Miss Waller. It
proved to be very popular amongst students which resulted in an
energetic remix of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz featuring Mr Reeve on
the bass guitar.
School Choir: Consisting of pupils across all years, the whole school choir
sung a wonderful rendition of “The Song That Goes Like This” from Monty
Python’s “Spamalot”. Complete with corresponding actions, it is safe to say
that it was a most entertaining performance.
African Drumming Ensemble: Another newly introduced club from Miss
Waller, African Drumming Ensemble is made up of very inspired year 8’s that
were eager to expand their understanding of African music. They even
included some amazing singing in their performance.
Nonsuch Jazz: Nonsuch Jazz band played two pieces, ‘Elingtones Of Blue’
and ‘Halcyon Days’, both of which were composed by Dr Johnson. These
featured solos from Lorna on the piano, Gina on the saxophone, Martha on
the trumpet and Catherine who was singing.
Vox Celestes of Nonsuch: The Vox Celestes of Nonsuch performed ‘And So It Goes’ by Joel
and ‘Georgina On My Mind’ by Carmichael. Martha accompanied on the trumpet in the latter. It
was brilliant to see how these eight girls sang with so much energy.
The Double-Reed Ensemble: Vivaldi’s ‘Concerto Grosso No.3’ was performed by the Doublereed Ensemble and led by Ms Dennis. It was wonderful to see three oboes and a cor anglais
played by Michaela, plus the additional help of Mr French who stepped in last minute!
Nonsuch Chamber Brass: In Nonsuch Chamber Brass, it was lovely to see Phoebe and
Martha play ‘Red, White and Blues’ by Bernstein. It was arranged by brass tutor Mr Willey who
performed alongside his students.
Chamber Choir: Chamber Choir performed two songs, ‘Lift Thine Eyes’ and ‘The Lord Is My
Shepherd’. The performance featured two beautiful solos by Catherine and Elia, two of Mrs
French’s students.
Nonsuch
Symphony
Orchestra:
Nonsuch
Symphony
Orchestra,
conducted by Mr Lutton, performed two
pieces. The first ‘Oration for Trombone
and Orchestra’, was written by the
music departments’ Dr Johnson and
featured soloist Phoebe on trombone.
The second piece, and grand finale,
was ‘1st Movement; Symphony No.104
(The London)’ by Haydn. It was a
brilliant ending to an exciting evening of
performances.
By the AS Music Students
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
Music Tea: Thursday 22nd October 4:00-5:30
We had a great variety of music at the Nonsuch Music tea, with performances of Chopin and Bach to Eva Cassidy and
Scott Joplin. The PSFA kindly provided lots of delicious food including tea, scones and snacks which were very much
enjoyed by everyone. Some highlights included Erin singing ‘Autumn Leaves’ with her guitar, Martha’s performance of
‘Trumpet concerto 2nd Movement’ and Maddie’s ‘Dance of the Blessed Spirits’ on the flute. It was great to see some lower
grade pieces and even better to see some beginners having the courage to play, even though it was quite nerve racking
having to play in front of an audience. Everyone played to a really high standard and we all got a large round of
applause from all of our supportive parents, peers and teachers. The music tea was finished by Lorna playing
Rachmaninoff’s ‘Prelude In G# Minor’, which left the audience in awe. Overall, it was a brilliant afternoon and we hope
more people participate in the next music tea.
By Sabrina
Nonsuch’s Vox Celestes won their class
at the Sutton Music Festival this half
term. They achieved an ‘Oustanding’
grade and took home the Open Challenge Shield. Very well done to Catherine, Aditi, Elia, Sophie, Alice, Zohar,
Martha and Cecilia.
EVENT
DATE & TIME
Music Tea
Tuesday 19th January 4:00-5:30
Musical
Wednesday 10th February and
(Little Shop of Horrors)
Thursday 11th February
Young Musician Competition
Thursday 3rd March 7:00-9:00
Spring Concert
Tuesday 22nd March 7:00-9:00
Jazz Night
Thursday 28th April 7:00-9:30
Music Tea
Tuesday 21st June 4:00-5:30
Recital Evening
Tuesday 5th July 7:00-9:00
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
P.E
Davis Cup - Tennis news
Stephen Farrow, the Tournament Director of the Aegon Tennis Championships and the famous Championships Trophy visited
Nonsuch in October. He is pictured with girls who are training to become ball girls at next year’s Tournament. Unusually this
year we re-visited Queen’s Club in July to ball girl the Davis Cup quarter finals, GB v France. As you will be aware GB
recently won the whole Tournament for the first time since 1936, so we were very proud to have been part of the event this
year.
Netball - U15 Greenacre Shield
The U15 netball squads are going from
strength to strength this year. The A, B and C
teams are yet to lose a game. This success
continued in the highly competitive Greenacre
Shield where after five matches against tough
opposition we were crowned champions! I was
very impressed by the level of netball the girls
produced and the never ending enthusiasm
and positivity.
We look forward to the second half of the
season and to the U15 Sutton Schools
tournament in March.
L Scovell
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
U14 London Hockey Trophy Tournament
On a rainy Monday morning, the year 9 hockey team
(accompanied by two year 8s) set off for the London
Hockey Trophy Tournament at Surbiton High School
Playing Fields.
The first match was against Croydon High School who
we had played in the past. After a tough match we ended up losing 1-0. Our next match was against Surbiton
High School and this game was very evenly matched
with both teams playing good attacking hockey. Unfortunately they managed to score a goal from a penalty corner which meant that again we lost 1-0. Our play
for the second game was much better than the first so
we went into our third and final game with our spirits
still high.
We played our final match against Rosebery School
which again was close but unfortunately we couldn’t
score and lost the game 1-0.
Thank you to Surbiton High School for hosting the
tournament and to Miss Whelehan and Mr Preece for
accompanying us there.
Well done to the team!
Erin and Emily – Year 9
U16 Surrey Hockey Tournament
The U16 hockey team travelled to Kingston Grammar School on the 30th
September for the county hockey competition. The team started brightly in a
tough game against Streatham and Clapham and after some strong defending
and clinical finishing ran out eventual winners (1-0).
The second game proved a tougher task; the girls continued to play some nice
attacking hockey but Surbiton High School were resilient in their defending.
Surbiton raised the tempo of the game and although Nonsuch applied 110%
effort they could not prevent the goals and Surbiton ended the game as winners
(2-0).
The final game of the day was another tough encounter although a great game to
watch. City of London Freemans won the game (3-0); however, the girls from
Nonsuch should take a lot of pride from their efforts as it was not a completely
one sided affair.
The members of the Nonsuch team
should be commended for their effort
and behaviour throughout the day and
for their excellent team spirit and
sportsmanship. There is a lot of
potential and some more positive results to come in the future!
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
Football News
Since our last report our footballers have been hard at work in their league and cup campaigns. The U13’s have racked up 3
wins, firstly to Wallington 2-0 and a quite emphatic 10-0 performance away at Overton. We were on a total high after that result!
The squad had to fight back from 3-1 down to attain a 3-3 draw with Carshalton Girls and lost one game 5-0 to Glenthorne.
Somtochi in year 7 scored a stunning hattrick in our final game before Christmas as we beat St Phils 3-0!
In the Surrey Cup our U14’s lost to Winston Churchill 5-0 against a side with a number of academy players. A much closer
match saw our U16’s lose to neighbours Greenshaw 2-1 also in the Surrey Cup.
The U15’s league campaign hasn’t entirely gone our way although the spirit within the team has been quite phenomenal with
every player giving their all no matter the circumstances! We have lost to some strong opponents; Overton 3-1 and Stanley Park
4-0 and attained a slightly frustrating draw 2-2 away at Glenthorne.
Football has grown fantastically well at Nonsuch over the past few years and we have been able to field a strong squad at senior
level for the past 2 years. Our U18’s played their Surrey Cup match versus Fullbrook demonstrating the teamwork and cohesion
they have built up after a number of seasons. Rachel scored an INCREDIBLE 30 yard free-kick but sadly this was not enough to
enable us to come away with the win and we narrowly lost 2-1.
As I depart briefly for my maternity leave I leave the football squad in the capable hands of coach Nathan from JD’s Football
School. Miss Richards will also be joining the PE department and taking on the squads in the New Year. Good luck girls!
Ms Traynor
Tag Rugby Interhouse
In celebration of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the Sports Team decided to run a Tag Rugby
Interhouse for girls in Years 8 and 9. Since it could only be scheduled during lunchtimes,
the prospect of any girls signing up was slim. However - in true Nonsuch spirit - six teams
signed up to compete for the new title of ‘Tag Rugby Interhouse Champions’! We were
pleasantly surprised with the enthusiasm that everybody showed and were happy to see
that friends came along to cheer and support.
There were two pools consisting of three teams who had to battle it out to come top in their
pool. The winners of each group would then go on to compete for first position overall.
After a tense few matches, Jupiter topped the table for group 1 with Mercury coming first
in their group, having won both of their matches.
The final kicked off soon after the pool stage. Both teams were fighting hard for the ball
and even though some people had never played tag rugby before, the level of skill on
display was high. After an exhausting 10 minutes Mercury were crowned as champions,
winning by 5 points to 3. Their prize was some very healthy chocolate! Also, since
Mercury claim they never win anything, a certificate will be coming their way, but maybe
not in A3 size (as was requested.)
Overall the results were: 1st Mercury (mixed years 8 and 9), 2nd 9 Jupiter, 3rd 9
Mars, 4th 8 Saturn, joint 5th 9 Saturn and 9 Pluto.
Well done to the Mercury girls for achieving the win: Nicole, Ellen, Eleanor ,
Elle , all year 9 and Nancy year 8!
Hannah (Sports Captain) – Year 13
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Sutton Schools Badminton Tournament
On Thursday 3rd December, the Key Stage 3 and 4 badminton teams took part in the annual Sutton Schools tournament. There
were two teams from Nonsuch in each key stage, competing against Wallington High School and St. Philomena’s. There was
some intense competition between the teams and the results came down to one or two crunch matches.
In Key Stage 3, the teams performed superbly well to come both first and second and the Key Stage 4 team were also runners
up in their age group. Well done to all the players. The winning KS3 team now goes through to the next round of the pathway
competition which will take place in March at Crystal Palace.
KS3 Team 1: Charlotte, Ellen, Ching and Jennifer
KS3 Team 2: Avanya, Chloe, Eleanor, Denise, Deeksha
KS4 Team 1: Gemma, Megan, Steph, Katharyn
KS4 Team 2: Scarlett, Roopa, Anci, Carrie
Sky Sports Living for Sport – Swim to Success
We have started a very exciting initiative this term which is being run in
conjunction with Sky Sports. Their ‘Living for Sport’ programme allows
schools to sign up to run a project of their choice within the school setting. We
have decided this year to run a project aimed at non-swimmers. As part of the
programme Sky Sports provide athlete mentors to support the project group.
The group received an initial visit from Team GB kayaker Jonathan Boyton in
October and he also spoke to Year 10 GCSE PE students about his training and
diet etc. The main part of the initiative is focusing on swimming lessons which
are being run in the school pool. Swimming is an essential life skill and the
girls on the programme are already making great progress. We are also looking
forward to a visit by Team GB long jumper JJ Jegede after Christmas.
Individual Achievement
Elsa - Year 10
Congratulations on becoming the U15 Modern Biathlon British Champion. An
amazing achievement! Elsa won the British Championships in Solihull on Sunday
29th November. Modern Biathlon is a combination of running and swimming.
Anna - Year 11
Well done to Anna as she was selected to be part of the U17 Surrey Hockey
squad. We look forward to hearing news of your upcoming matches.
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Sutton’s Big Consultation
All students have been asked to participate in the Youth Consultation Survey. Sutton has to make substantial cuts to its
budget and the Youth Services it offers are now threatened. The survey was available on the intranet and also via the Parent
Email. Focus groups also took place in school on Wednesday 2 December. Girls involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award
met Helen Denny to discuss the impact of the cuts. She also met girls who had not had any involvement in Youth Services to
gauge their opinion.
Nonsuch also participated in National Takeover Day. Three Year 11 students, Fizza, Ona and Saara visited the Youth
Services team for a day to see first-hand the work they do and were then able to express their opinion about the services on
offer.
Sutton’s Youth Consultation
On the 20th November, we took part in a takeover day where many young
people across the UK got the chance to take over the role of an adult in
various services, and this included Sutton Youth Service. We assisted in
making decisions about cuts of a range of services provided for
teenagers. By 2019, the council has to cut £31 million from its annual
budget and these cuts are bound to affect the teenagers living in the area.
The day started with us meeting and getting to know four other students
from Carshalton Boys’Sixth Form. We then listened to eight presentations by the different organisations that would be affected in ‘Option 5’
which was a plan made by the council to make savings. They would
continue with this plan unless persuaded otherwise.
At the end of the day, we got together with the other students to give a
presentation to the representatives of the services we had listened to. Our
presentation had to include the impact of the service cuts on society (e.g.
Duke of Edinburgh, Tots and Teens) and how to minimise these impacts finally. We told them what we learned that day.
Overall, we think it was a great success and even if there were only seven of us to help and we learned a great deal regarding
the number of youth services available to teenagers today. Participation People, the organisation who arranged for us to participate, have organised another day event similar to this on the 12 th of December which is open to everyone.
Fizza, Ona and Saara Year 11
Jack Petchey Award
We were pleased to hear that Nicole in Year 9 had been presented with a Jack Petchey Achievement Award by her gymnastics
club for her development and maturity as an Academy coach. Do let us know if your daughter has been recognised by her
club.
In school, the Jack Petchey Committee had to make some difficult decisions as to who to choose for an Award this term. The
winners were Elsa in Year 10 for her outstanding performance in the World Biathle Championships, winning World Silver
individually and Team GB Gold. She is now also National Under 15 Champion in the Modern Biathlon. Mathura in Year 13
won an Award for her contribution to First Aid Training in School, including tutoring other students and organising the First
Aid on Sports Day.
Mathura is going to purchase additional First Aid training materials with her Award. Our November winner was Narrmataa
who has been inspirational, coping with a medical condition but playing a full role in the life of the school. Narrmataa has
given her Award to the Photography Department to purchase additional equipment.
All the 2015 Nonsuch Award winners will be invited to an Award Ceremony at the Epsom
Playhouse on Monday 29 February to receive a medallion from the Jack Petchey Foundation.
I am pleased to report that the Jack Petchey Foundation awarded Mrs Traynor a small grant of £650
for a school project. This is in recognition of the Leader’s Award she was given. She chose to
support an initiative to improve the swimming ability of a number of students. 20 girls are now
receiving tuition from a swimming coach at David Lloyd and their confidence has already
improved. At the end of the project it is hoped the girls will be able to go on a kayaking day.
N Holmes
Jack Petchey Coordinator
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Duke of Edinburgh Award
217 new enrolments have taken place this term, 33 of them at Gold level.
Nonsuch began offering the Award in January 2013, and we are seeing more
students opting to take the Award through to Gold Level. Activ, who work with
Nonsuch to provide the expedition section, were in school on Monday 30
November to start this year’s expedition training. The feedback I have received
from the students indicates they had a great day and preferred the INSET day
training to several after school sessions. The next dates for the diary are the
Bronze Training Walk Day on Saturday 11 March and training for most students
at all levels on the next INSET day on Monday 11 April. Check the Duke of
Edinburgh page on the school website for further information about training
dates.
A number of students have completed all the necessary activities to complete
their Awards, but they still need to load their evidence onto Edofe. I hope all
students will take the opportunity to log onto their accounts and upload all
necessary information during the holiday season so we can present some more
certificates in the Spring Term.
N Holmes
Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator
Meeting the ponies on Silver expedition.
CCF
Recruits Camp 2015
On 21st November, the CCF recruits from both Nonsuch and
Sutton Grammar went to Folkestone, Kent for a fun weekend
of activities.
As we got off the coach, we realised what a cold weekend we
were in for. After arriving at our billets, we went for the first
2km march up the hill where we began our activities which,
on the first day, included basher building (building a shelter
out of logs, leaves, ponchos and bungee cords), ration packs
(learning how to cook food out in the field), camouflage and
team challenges. These were all great fun but it was so cold
and windy - we were all freezing!
Having eaten dinner and put on many more layers to deal
with the cold, we then trekked up the hill again to complete
the night exercise. In this, we had to collect letters whilst
hiding from the enemy. We got caught many times but we
still managed to collect most of the letters.
On Sunday morning, we were woken at 5:45 to get ready to
take part in various activities including a 4km run up and
down a hill, an obstacle course, orienteering, turnout (how to
wear your kit and tidy your room) and a trim trail. The
obstacle course was especially fun because we were
competing against the other teams so everyone had to try
their hardest as a team.
Overall, it was a great weekend which everyone enjoyed
thoroughly. However, we were all very tired by the end. It
was all worth it though!
By Alice , Ellie , Grace and Amelia
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Issue 35∙ December 2015
History and Politics
The Women’s Equality Party
On the 5th of November, a member of the newly set up
Women’s Equality Party came to talk to Nonsuch’s
Feminist Society about what the party was about and
why many women think that it will be a useful
addition to the current democratic offering. Kate
Massey-Chase was an engaging speaker, getting
students involved in the discussion process and getting
them to think about the issues that women face in
today’s society.
Mrs L Budden
Ms D’Souza’s talk on US foreign policy in the Middle East
On the 1st of December, Ms D’Souza spoke about the foreign policy of the USA in the Middle East after the Second World War in HP Society. Year 13 History students study this period for their coursework. It was a fascinating presentation which explored the complex issues of politics in the countries involved. Her conclusion was
based on M.E.Yapp’s view that the Cold War was possibly ‘not exported to the Near East but imported by the
states of the region to serve their own purposes’.
Year 7 Castle Competition
There was a very high standard this year
in the castle competition and there were
numerous entries. After a very difficult
judging session by the Year 13 History
students, the following students’ castles
were judged the winners on the basis of
their historical accuracy and presentation:
Motte & Bailey Castle
Athisda, Naomi and Jade
Stone Keep Castle
Cecilia, Soraya, Isadora and Ella
Super/Concentric Castle
Eunice and Helenor
Overall Winner
Manashiha and Roobhecah
The winners will receive 5 House Credits
each, with 7 for the overall winners.
Congratulations to the winners and all
those who entered.
Mrs L Budden
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Careers
Multi Mini Interview (MMI) Workshop
The MMI Mock interviews were a really good taster of future
interviews for those who want to apply for a medical degree.
It was a great preparation session, providing a range of
different tips on how to be a successful applicant, as well as
ensuring that we deliver our true selves when it comes to
interviews. I found the session a challenging, yet beneficial,
opportunity to experience how the Multi Mini interviews ran.
We were all thrown into the deep end and had to participate in
an actual mock run of the mini interviews, with our teachers
and some sixth formers being the interviewers! Most of us did
not prepare for it or expect the different scenarios we faced,
so it was a good indicator of what to expect, and enabled us to
make a judgement on the new interviewing style. Although
the "5 minutes to speak" rule may have been challenging, and
frightening to some - including me- , it seemed far less
daunting than the conventional style panel interviews. It was a
great and fun experience overall, and I’m sure we all
benefited from the different questions we were asked, which
will help improve and prepare us for the real thing next year!
Perside Year 12
Sixth Form residential weekend to Avon Tyrrell
During 16-18th October, a group of year 12 students went away for a
weekend residential to Avon Tyrrell, an outdoor activity centre in the
New Forest. The weekend’s aim was to help students to become more
independent and divergent in their thinking as well as create a bond
amongst all of the girls.
Throughout the weekend, we took part in several activities, we
constructed a catapult, solved a mystery and brainstormed product ideas
as though we were on ‘The Apprentice’. All of these activities
developed our intellectual ability and understanding; we all really
enjoyed it. All the skills that we learnt and developed on the trip are
transferrable to our A level studies as well as wider commitments.
On Sunday morning, we both decided the teachers needed their energy
uplifted after Saturday’s activities. One by one as they woke up and
came down for breakfast, they were greeted by the two of us, like Ant
and Dec, dancing around them as a tribe (….No, of course we didn’t
plan and wait for half an hour for each teacher to wake up…)
The teachers gave us a lot of free time. Where Miss Hawkins was very
passionate about us watching the rugby, others went outside to enjoy the
scenery and the rest celebrated the two 17th birthdays that fell during
the weekend.
Unfortunately, every good thing must come to an end. Avon Tyrrell was
a splendid experience, which we all thoroughly enjoyed and gained
from. We’d like to thank all the teachers (Miss Johns, Miss Hawkins
Miss Lovatt, Miss Whelehan, Mrs Tingley, Mrs Whiteley and Miss
Wright) that accompanied us on the trip and helped to make it
memorable for everyone and to form new and stronger friendships.
Aditi and Maddy Year 12
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Pastoral Reports
Year 7 – Mrs Holmes
It was lovely to meet so many of you at the recent
Parents’ Evening and I was delighted to receive the
feedback in the Year 7 Survey that 98% of parents
surveyed agreed their daughter was coping well with
the transition to Nonsuch. I hope that all students
have now found an extra-curricular club they enjoy,
which makes a big difference to the school
experience and that they enjoyed the Christmas Fair.
Next term students will be undertaking some First Aid
training in PSHE and will begin a new programme
called Learning to Learn which will be taught across
the form groups enabling the girls to forge new
friendships.
Year 8 – Miss D’Souza
The Achievement Representatives have shared the many successes each tutor group have had this term. This
has ranged from achievements in music and language examinations, impressive times in swimming galas and
even a karate award! There have also been many performances, for example in Music and Drama, in which
students have showed both courage and skill to perform to a large audience. I look forward to hearing more
about their successes next term.
In PSHEE students have begun the Learning to Learn Programme. The aim of Learning to Learn is to develop
skills based on the Learner’s Toolkit (which can be found in the students’ planners). They have enjoyed working
with students in other year groups and on interesting topics, such as orienteering, space settlement, designing a
theme park and origami.
The Year 8 Form Buddies have been visiting their Year 7 tutor groups each week. In the last fortnight they have
accompanied Year 7 students to new clubs and societies. Thank you to the buddies for their support this term
with the Year 7 tutor groups.
As we come closer to the end of term I would like to wish Year 8 a wonderful Christmas break. They have worked
hard in the first term, and embraced many extra-curricular opportunities. I am certainly looking forward to seeing
this continue in 2016.
Year 9 – Miss Bell
Year 9 have had another busy half-term, having embarked upon the first of their ‘Learning to Learn’ projects. Girls
have involved themselves in a range of activities including orienteering in Nonsuch Park, creating board games
and upcycling furniture.
Many girls have been involved in School Active Citizenship, raising money for ‘Friends of Kipkelion’ through our
termly mufti day and through various cake sales and fundraising events. Thank you to all parents who kindly
purchased goods for our Epsom & Ewell foodbank appeal. The items have been gratefully received!
Next Tuesday, many Y9 students will embark upon a trip to the West End to see ‘Matilda the Musical.’ The
Christmas Fair is also quickly approaching and the Year 9 students are looking forward to running their Christmas
tombola and tutor group stalls. The girls will be introduced to the ‘Options Process’ during tutorial next Tuesday
and will gain further information upon return in January.
I hope that all students have a restful Christmas break!
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Pastoral Reports
Year 10 – Mr Coy
It has been full speed ahead for Year 10 this term! I always enjoy coming across students all over the school involved in so many different things, from dance sessions to ball-girling and music teas to netball matches. I have
also been delighted when teachers and heads of department tell me how well particular students or classes are
doing in their subjects. Just recently Miss Cowdery gave me some copies of some superb drawings made by her
Year 10 artists, which I am hoping to put on display in our newly refurbished Head of Year’s Office!
I have also enjoyed listening to the Year 10 Form Representatives this term, in preparation for the School Council meetings. They have been quick to inform me of all their concerns around the school, but have also come up
with some positive and helpful solutions which I have been able to pass on to improve our community. The year
group knows that I am very keen for them to be up to date with the latest news and current affairs, so it has also
been very encouraging to hear students debating topics passionately in their forms, such as how to deal with the
refugee crisis and the situation in Syria – I may yet have to pass on some of their advice to David Cameron!
On the subject of advice, 10.1 gave a thoughtful assembly on “How to survive as a teenager” with topics ranging
from crossing the road safely to e-safety issues. 10.2 meanwhile discussed the importance of making good
choices and living with the consequences.
May I wish all the Year 10 students and their parents a restful Christmas break and a very Happy New Year!
Year 11 – Mr Reeve
Life beyond Year 11 has been on the agenda this half-term, with students having opportunities to find out about
and discuss their options at the Nonsuch Sixth Form. Students attended the Opportunities in the Sixth Form
Evening, and the more informal Options Fair in which students were able to discuss subject choices with current
Sixth Form students. In addition students have been taking part in meetings with Ms Hartley, Miss Johns, and
the Student Leadership Team to talk about life in Year 11 and transition into the Nonsuch Sixth Form.
In PSHEE, Year 11 have continued their carousel of activities focusing on wellbeing and life issues, ranging from
financial planning skills to smoking and gambling addiction and body image. Students have had the opportunity
to work with a range of different tutors in this carousel, benefitting from a range of activities.
Looking even further into the future, students have – in addition to the careers CV workshops and interview
workshops run as part of the PSHEE – had the opportunity to attend talks from our careers adviser Mrs O’Brien
on a range of careers including medicine, law, psychology, politics and alternatives to university. Through Year
11 and into the Sixth Form we will continue to equip students with the tools to help them make the right choices
for them about universities and careers.
Sixth Form: Miss Meade and Miss Hawkins
The Sixth Form continues to have a vibrant and energetic feel despite moving towards the end of a very tiring term.
During tutorial the students in Year 12 have been looking at the concepts of resilience and confidence, attributes
they will need as they move through a challenging year. Some Year 12 students have also had the opportunity to
participate in the Nonsuch MMI’s interviews which simulate the medical interview procedures.
Our Year 13 students have been focusing on their preparations for life after Nonsuch by completing their UCAS
applications and receiving offers from a variety of institutions. They have also had a tutorial from our very own Ms
Percy on, ‘How to feed yourself on a budget’. We like our students to have an understanding of the world around
them so they have also debated the pros and cons of the EU referendum.
Both year groups competed in the first ever Sixth Form Interhouse Bench Ball Tournament. It was a hive of competition and energy culminating in Jupiter and Neptune being crowned joint champions! We look forward to our next
Sixth Form interhouse which is a public speaking competition on the 26 January.
Congratulations to every student in our sixth form for all her hard work this term and we look forward to seeing you
all in January!
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Pastoral News Special Feature
Safer Routes to School
We have liaised with Sutton Police to improve the safety of students as they travel to and from school. The
Safer Routes to School poster shows some ‘safe havens’. These are shops or businesses who have
agreed with Sutton Police to act as places that students can go to if they feel unsafe on their journey home.
We are grateful to these organisations for supporting our students.
The routes marked in red are the suggested safer routes into Cheam. During the dark nights, we do not
recommend that girls who stay for after school clubs or twilight study leave by the Nonsuch Park exit,
particularly if they are alone.
Copies of this poster will be available in school, and we would be grateful if you could make sure your
daughter is aware of the ‘safe havens’.
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House News
The second half of the Autumn term started off in ghoulish fashion with
House Hallowe’en week.
The array of ghastly cakes and scary pumpkins on display in the main entrance gave all the staff and
pupils a shock greeting following the week off. The pumpkins gradually became even scarier as the
week wore on and the decay of flesh set it! The designs were as creative as ever this year with the cakes
ranging from a cauldron of witches’ fingers, to pumpkins, to vampire bats and ghosts with a splattering
of guts! We awarded 10 credits to all entries and 20 to the winning designs. House officials selected a
winner in each year group for cakes and pumpkins.
For cakes, the winners were: Naya and Jade in year 7
with their pumpkin and cauldron cakes;
Sisters Faye and Ava in years 8 and 9, respectively, with their fanged
bat;
And Rakshika in year 9 for her “Boo’tiful” haunted cake.
The winners of the pumpkin carving were Naya in year 7, Charlotte in year 8 (innovative use of the stalk
as a nose), Sravya in year 9 and Olivia in year 10.
As the week drew to a close, the House Officials had selected their favourite three entries for our scary
story writing competition, which had received a record 27 entries in total! The winners were Caitlyn in
year 8, Zara and Maheshini both in year 8– all receiving 20 house credits, other entrants all receiving
10 credits.
The October Instagram photography competition was won by Zahra in Mercury. November’s competition,
which had the theme of ‘weather’, was won by Lorna in Neptune
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House News
The Term was rounded off with our fabulous Talent Show on Wednesday 2nd December, having held the fiercely
contested auditions the week before. One act from each House was selected to take part in the final show with
one additional ‘wildcard’ act chosen.

We had Devikka from year 9 opening the show singing “Beautiful” (Christina Aquilera),

Tanushree from year 7 singing “Sing” (Gary Barlow and the Commonwealth Band) with the brightest smile
on her face,

Treasure from year 9 singing “Make you feel my love” (Adele) - mimicking Adele’s husky tones,

and Jade from year 7 singing “Writing’s on the wall” (Sam Smith) and playing acoustic guitar at the same
time!

Sophie, Keira, Salwah and Aisha performed a complex and well choreographed routine that they had to
adapt at the last minute when their friend Selina dropped out due to sickness.

Claire in Neptune (who was a winner two years ago) performed a beautiful song of her own creation –
playing the piano and singing to a very high standard to achieve 3 rd place.

Second place went to the very witty and excellent rendition of Roald Dahl’s “The 3 Little Pigs” by Anya from
year 8, which bristled with energy and fun.

Our overall winners were Safeera and Nicole from year 9, with Safeera playing the piano and singing with
skill and flair, whilst Nicole performed a choreographed dance routine using all her gymnastics ability to
wow the audience, especially the judges.
All performers on the day received 20 house credits and a box of chocolates with additional credits awarded to
their houses if awarded a top 3 place. All students who auditioned but didn’t make the final cut also received
credits. Well done to all!
Christmas Competition
At the time of going to press we are
awaiting the results of the House
Christmas form decorating competition.
Form rooms are being adorned with tinsel,
paper chains, trees and snowflakes. All
forms will receive 10 credits for entering but
the winning forms in each year group will
receive 20 credits, I will report the results in
the next newsletter.
Forthcoming
Events
Next term we will be running
the House Masterchef
competition in January and
the Inter-house Karaoke
Party in February, so the
girls need to get practising
over the Christmas holidays!
B Bingham,
house coordinator.
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