NEWS
Hurlingham School's Class of 2011 OCR Latin Prize Giving
Wednesday 10 November 2011
Members of Hurlingham School’s Year Six “class of 2011” were reunited on Thursday 10 November at a special prize giving evening when they were presented with their OCR Latin examination certificates by the author Robin Price.
Earlier this year, every child in the year group was successful not only in formal written examinations that focused on Latin comprehension and vocabulary, but also in a piece of controlled assessment which required them to demonstrate their knowledge of Roman culture through writing a letter in the style of Pliny the Younger about the eruption of Vesuvius over the bay of Naples in 79CE.
Nothing unusual about that, you might think, until you realise that these boys and girls have achieved a formal qualification in Latin from the OCR examinations board at the tender age of just eleven: the children were five years younger than those at which the assessment is targeted.
Robin Price is probably best known for his Spartapuss series which is set in an Ancient Rome ruled by cats. Prior to presenting the awards, Robin had spent much of the day firing the imagination of pupils in Years 3 and 4 during some fabulous cross-curricular creative writing and reading workshops.
Since Jonathan Brough, Headmaster of Hurlingham School, joined in September 2010, the school has welcomed several prestigious children’s authors and illustrators including Ali Sparkes, Tim Bowler, Nick Butterworth and Leander Deeny to work with pupils throughout the School. These enormously popular workshops are invaluable in helping to ignite a love of books and reading in pupils of all ages as well as providing a wonderful stimulus for their own creative writing.
Hurlingham School Celebrates 64th Birthday
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Hurlingham School in Putney celebrated its sixty-fourth birthday just before the half-term holiday. After confirming they loved the school more than ever by singing a certain well known Beatles song at the start of assembly, all 320 children enjoyed a day full of surprises as the school broke away from its conventional timetable in favour of a selection of diverse, exciting and extremely unpredictable events.
These started with a demonstration of kung fu to the whole school by a group of Shaolin warrior monks and all year groups looked forward to follow-up workshops later in the day, during which some basic moves and techniques were taught and practised.
Additionally, a programme of Science shows was held in the Main Hall of the school: these included lots of exciting experiments including several dramatic chemical reactions, lots of stunning moments with liquid nitrogen and the creation of a real intergalatic light sabre, complete with “wookiee noises”! The climax of each show moved to the school playground- which, very fortunately, was due to have its astroturf refurbished during the following week- when the visiting Scientist exploded a water melon to the surprise, delight and shock of all the boys and girls.
Something sporty is always going on at Hurlingham, and Physical Education was not forgotten on its birthday! The school’s excellent sports team got out the parachutes to give the children a lot of fun and teach them new ways of working together in pursuit of a common goal.
A final visitor to the school taught the boys and girls about the art of balloon modelling and every pupil was able to take home a creation of their own design and manufacture.
Jonathan Brough, Headmaster of Hurlingham, said the day was a fitting celebration and culmination of the school’s recent expansion programme following its ten-year development into new, purpose-built accommodation on the Putney Bridge Road. The activities chosen for the day emphasised the breadth and excitement which are integral to meaningful learning in the true sense of the word- something which is just as true for the school today as it was in 1947 when the institution was founded in Fulham before moving south of the river. Hurlingham School: sixty-four years old and never been fitter!
QED - Hurlingham School's Eleven Year Olds Celebrate 100% Success in OCR Latin Exam
Thursday 25 August 2011
Members of Hurlingham School’s “class of 2011” are celebrating their 100% success in a public examination. Nothing unusual about that, you might think, until you realise that these boys and girls have achieved a formal qualification in Latin from the OCR examinations board at the tender age of just eleven.
Every child in the Year 6 cohort was successful not only in formal written examinations that focused on comprehension and vocabulary, but also in a piece of controlled assessment which required them to demonstrate their knowledge of Roman culture through writing a letter in the style of Pliny the Younger about the eruption of Vesuvius over the bay of Naples in 79CE.
Jonathan Brough, Headmaster of Hurlingham, explained that this subject was included within the school’s timetable for children aged between eight and eleven largely because a basic understanding of Latin grammar and spelling was extremely beneficial to the pupils’ work in English and modern foreign languages. Moreover, when the specification for the new OCR qualification was published last year, he realised that the children would find the assessments accessible and, combined with the flexibility of the options available to the school, it meant a course could be developed that met the needs of those girls and boys who would go on to study Latin at a higher level in secondary school as well as those who may not choose to do so. Success for everyone: a nationally-recognised qualification, something for future CVs and an enormously valuable confidence boost: the children have learned that public examinations are positive experiences and not things to be feared.
“This is a wonderful conclusion to an excellent 2010-2011 academic year at Hurlingham,” said Mr Brough. “Alongside our various other achievements, including a published book that contains a piece of writing from every child in the school, the world premiere of a full scale musical and a myriad of sporting successes, we are so proud that the children achieved such a magnificent set of examination results. This is further proof that the ethos of our proudly co-educational, mixed ability preparatory school- which emphasises happiness and nurturing care within a well-planned academic framework- is succeeding in bringing the very best out of every child and ensuring they are well-prepared for their future educational careers as confident, social young people who love learning.”
The children are now all looking forward to the evening of Thursday 10 November, when their certificates will be presented by author Robin Price during a special “reunion” event.
Update 5 September 2011: This story has been covered in the Wandsworth Guardian
Hurlingham School Shows and Tells it so well
Every so often in a school’s life, a truly magic moment comes along... and the evening premiere of Show & Tell at Hurlingham School in Putney on Monday 23rd May was definitely one of the most magical of all.
Written especially for the Form VI children by Flora Leo, the school’s Director of Music, action in the ninety-minute show transports the audience to a traditional English boarding school whilst the musical score has a definite contemporary West End feel and beat.
When Mary Delucci arrives at Harley School, she doesn’t really know what to expect. This story is about the people she meets, and the relationships between them all. Can Mary find a place amongst all the other colourful characters at Harley?
In the title, Show & Tell, the show is the school play of Cinderz and the Prince which, along with the auditioning process, is a major feature of the production. There is also a lot of gossip and misunderstanding which accounts for the tell, as well as the characters telling secrets and frequently sharing their thoughts and feelings. Will their arguments be resolved, or will the show end in disaster?
So many professional touches set the show apart from the routine school play. Every child in the year-group had a valuable part to play, and clearly loved every moment of playing it. It might, therefore, be churlish to identify particular participants- but the stunning solo performances from Phoebe Layton, Maddie Roberts and Georgie Sykes, playing Mary Delucci, Rachel Pepper and Georgiana Pilkington-Smythe definitely deserve a mention. So, too, do Rosie Maclean Bather’s irrepresible Drama teacher, Mrs Pitt, Jenna Parkinson’s masterful portrayal of Tarquin St John- so mortified when he learns he’s got to play the fairy godmother, yet so good at it- and Jamie Roxburgh’s mustachioed headmaster of the old school, “Beefy” Briskett.
Having been both shown and told in a most entertaining evening, the audience all left humming tunes, tapping feet and overflowing with pride in the achievements of their children. They also were unanimous in the opinion that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Show & Tell. Today Hurlingham School, tomorrow...?
Hurlingham is Toto-lly barking!
Friday 11 March
The children of Hurlingham School in Putney had great fun celebrating World Book Day, Thursday March 3rd. Everyone came into school dressed as a character from their favourite book and made a donation to the school’s charity, Mary’s Meals. Various book-themed events took place throughout the day including a costume parade and a book fair. The highlight for many of the boys and girls, however, was the staff’s performance of The Wizard of Oz during assembly. Sheri Patterson, Head of Early Years, was a magnificent Dorothy, loyally accompanied by Jonathan Brough, Headmaster, as Toto. Katy Pickford and Catherine Radford, The Heads of Key Stages One and Two, made a superb partnership as Dorothy’s Aunt and Uncle, whilst Jane Mamelok, Head of English, teamed up with Reception teacher Kea Ward and Games teacher Amelia Hopkins as the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man. Once our valiant heroes had passed by the Good Witch of the North, benevolent Form II teacher Claire Miller, and destroyed the Wicked Witch of the West, masterfully portrayed by Deputy Head Lisa Costa, they persuaded Director of Music Flora Leo’s eccentric Gatekeeper to let them talk to Head of PE Scott Stanley’s mysterious Wizard. Thank goodness for Form IV teacher Tash Rosin, whose Good Witch of the South told Dorothy the secret to get her home... just in time for a quick singalong with a troop of flying monkeys and a tribe of Munchkins, not to mention a school of three hundred children!
Hurlingham Swans raise thousands for deaf children
Tuesday 8 March 2011
The pupils of Hurlingham School in Putney enjoyed a special assembly from Emma Watson of the National Deaf Children’s Society on Monday 7th March. Emma came to school to say (and sign) a big “Thank You” to Swan House, who had raised a remarkable £2848 through their “Swanathon”, a sponsored run on the school playground. Even though the weather was rainy on the day of the event, all members of the House participated with courage, stamina and determination to do their very best for the house charity.
Emma told all the Hurlingham children that the NDCS help deaf children and their families. She said that the money would be spent helping deaf children, such as helping boys and girls to have their first holiday away from home, staying with other deaf people and helping to build their confidence and independence. Emma taught us that deaf people can do anything other people can do if they have the right support. Emma also addressed many of the misconceptions of deafness and explained that deaf people can still communicate, enjoy music, drive cars and watch television, although not everyone can hear everything, even if they wear a hearing aid. Emma said that one of the most important things hearing people can do to help anyone they meet who is deaf is to make sure they face the deaf person when they’re talking, so that their mouth can be seen.
Amy Scamman, the member of staff at Hurlingham School who is the coordinator of Swan House, said she was thrilled that the children in the House (who range from four years of age up to eleven) all ran for between ten and twenty minutes, some of them in the pouring rain. She said the fundraising had gone extremely well and the children’s families had all been so generous for this excellent cause. A large cheque was presented to Emma by House Captains Rosie and Maddie, and all the children who brought in a contribution were thanked with a certificate. Jonathan Brough, Headmaster of Hurlingham, shared Miss Scamman’s delight as he said this magnificent effort is further testimony of the pupils’ willingness and enthusiasm to help everyone in the community. Two of the School’s other houses, Kingfisher and Heron, will be holding their charity events soon, and the Mallards have already raised funds for the RNIB’s Talking Books project. All of this happens alongside the Whole School Charity, which for this academic year is Mary’s Meals.
Karate’s a hit at Hurlingham!
Friday 28 January 2011
Hurlingham School in Putney is celebrating its success in recent national karate examinations. The School has known for a while that it has one of the largest in-school extra-curricular karate programmes in the country, but the 100% success rate from all 110 candidates (over a third of the entire school population) in this term’s gradings has surpassed all previous records. The assessors commented on “very high standards in a maturing club” and the award of a green-and-white belt to Danielle, one of Hurlingham’s Year Six pupils, heralds a lockstep forwards as she has gained the first of the kumite (or fighting) levels: at the age of eleven, she is now only four steps away from achieving the coveted 'Shodan' (black belt) and well on her way to mastering this ancient discipline.
Sensei Matt Jardine, the school’s karate instructor, expressed pride in all the children’s attainments, but was particularly impressed with several children who had made so much progress since September that they even succeeded in skipping a belt and gaining an award two steps higher than their current rating, as well as the large number of pupils gaining yellow and orange belts. These stages are notoriously difficult as “junctions” are assessed, which require high levels of coordination, mental dexterity and commitment. Whilst Sensei Matt acknowledges that many parents choose for their children to participate in Hurlingham’s optional karate programme as it will teach them self-defense skills, he comments that pupils gain far more benefit in his lessons from improvements in their self-respect, respect of others, discipline, confidence and mental, physical and emotional dexterity. He also knows that participation in karate has a positive impact on a child’s educational achievements across the curriculum.
Jonathan Brough, Headmaster of Hurlingham, was delighted with the pupils’ success as it is a key ingredient in the whole-school policy of celebrating children’s achievements wherever their interests and talents lie. Hurlingham plans to introduce its own annual championships from this summer term and, like all aspects of the school’s provision, this shows that the karate department is sure to progress from strength to strength.
Update 10 February 2011: This story has been covered in the Wandsworth Guardian today
| Ben Ashbee | I A | Red | Thomas Banks | III B | Purple |
| Louis Bowen-Rayner | I A | Red | Joe Walmsley | III B | Purple |
| Felix Fillingham | I A | Red | Charles Bowen-Rayner | III B | Yellow |
| Sophia Kevill | I A | Red | Cole Catterall | III B | Yellow |
| Toby Newsome | I A | Red | Toby Dunevein | III B | Orange |
| Oscar Phelps | I A | Red | Aidan Emmanuel | III B | Blue |
| Jack Almond | I H | Red | Billy Gilbey | III B | Purple |
| William Bartlett | I H | Red | Max Gumienny | III B | Purple |
| Benjamin Bridger | I H | Red | Joshua Lyons | III B | Purple |
| Alec Donald | I H | Red | Mohammed Ali | III B | Red |
| Alexander Ho | I H | Red | Nicholas Constantinou | III L | Purple |
| Kit Keey | I H | Red | Santiago Jacoulot | III L | Purple |
| Toby Kemp | I H | Red | Willoughby Norrie | III L | Purple |
| Kingsley Muir | I H | Red | Youri Stolper | III L | Purple |
| Finn Pfeifer | I H | Red | Louis Tu | III L | Orange |
| Alessandro Puglisi Cordoba | I H | Red | Charlie McNeil | III L | Orange |
| Andrew Derwin | I H | Red | Emily Newsome | III L | Purple |
| Thomas Faillenet | I H | Red | Calum Stevenson | III L | Purple |
| Max Constantinou | I M | Red | Isabella Ladimeji | III L | Purple/White |
| Charlie Crewe-Read | I M | Red | Thomas Bowser | III R | Yellow |
| Oliver Edmond | I M | Red | Nikitas Kitsantas | III R | Purple |
| Vilhelm Kjellberg | I M | Red | Daniel McMeekin | III R | Purple |
| Peter Lucas | I M | Red | Iori Sato | III R | Purple/White |
| Edward Newsome | I M | Red | Harry Chappell | III R | Purple |
| Nicholas Pleasance | I M | Red | Eve Faure | III R | Purple/White |
| George Potter | I M | Red | Vera Kjellberg | III R | Purple/White |
| Ollie Stanley | I M | Red | Luca Marks | III R | Purple |
| Matthew Way | I M | Red | Noah Wakely | III R | Purple |
| Freddie Howard | II M | Blue | Saskia Wraith | III R | Purple |
| Piper Macartney-Filgate | II M | Blue | Alfred Knight | III R | Red |
| Emily Palmer | II M | Red | Tristan Faillenet | III R | Red |
| Anouska Fairhurst | II M | Blue | Jemma Dunevein | IV G | Orange |
| Ruby Powell | II M | Blue | Jasmin Hughes | IV G | Red |
| Zoe Barrow | II M | Blue | Poppy Worlidge | IV N | Purple |
| Willow Gradidge | II M | Blue | Manaal Quazi | IV N | Purple |
| Oliver Lax | II M | Blue | Ruby Harrison | IV N | Purple/White |
| Pip Munden | II M | Blue | Isabelle Pleasance | IV R | Purple |
| Lucinda Slack | II M | Red | Felix Lamy | IV R | Orange |
| Lukas Wigart | II M | Blue | Max Stanley | IV R | Yellow |
| Jack Chad | II M | Red | Max Oden | IV R | Purple |
| Matthew Eastland | II M | Red | Christian Benn | V G | Orange |
| Hadi Checri | II P | Blue | Sophie Dudley | V G | Blue |
| Emily Fell | II P | Blue | Benedict Merriman | V S | Red |
| Jasper Harrison | II P | Blue | Thomas Bridger | V S | Blue |
| Sebastian Drew | II P | Blue | Harry Palmer | V S | Orange |
| Lila Howard | II P | Blue | Penelope Faure | VI C | Orange |
| Finn Walmsley | II P | Blue | Danielle Sutherland | VI C | Green/White |
| Rizqi Ardiasyah | II P | Blue | Theo Swinfen Green | VI C | Yellow |
| Julian Branch | II P | Blue | Caroline Croft | VI C | Orange |
| Maxim Borgeaud | II P | Red | Harry Knight | VI M | Purple/White |
| Poppy Branch | II W | Blue | Charlie Swinfen Green | VI M | Yellow |
| Caelen Brown | II W | Blue | |||
| Isaure Canoy | II W | Blue | |||
| Poppy Carlton-Smith | II W | Blue | |||
| Eve Emmanuel | II W | Blue | |||
| Jake Farrow | II W | Blue | |||
| James Don-Wauchope | II W | Blue | |||
| Mariela Brown | II W | Blue | |||
| Rory De Domenico | II W | Blue | |||
| Ethan McLernon | II W | Blue | |||
| Cian O'Regan | II W | Blue |
Pure genius!
Friday 1 October 2010
Children at a Putney school celebrate Jeans for Genes day by asking, “Just how similar are our teachers to a bunch of bananas?” Raising valuable funds for the Jeans for Genes campaign took on an additional dimension this Friday at Hurlingham School in Putney. Head of Key Stage Two, Catherine Radford, asked pupils during their morning assembly to compare Sheri Patterson, the school’s much-loved Early Years Coordinator, to a banana! The children were then astonished to discover that the differences were smaller than they first thought, as significant amounts of DNA are shared between humans and the popular fruit. For Year Six pupils, this was reinforced later in the day when newly-appointed Science coordinator Jan Collinson succeeded in teaching how to extract the DNA in a banana. All the children enjoyed carrying out the experiment themselves and some said they had been inspired to embark upon a career as genetic researchers! The school’s Headmaster, Jonathan Brough, said he was delighted not only because the school had succeeded in raising well over £350 for this most worthwhile charity, but also that all children in the school had understood the importance of genetics and chromosomes as the building blocks of life. Further information: Hurlingham School, 122 Putney Bridge Road, London SW15 2NQ. Telephone 020 8874 7186 |
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