Lent Review

REVIEW

CLAREMONT SENIOR SCHOOL

End of Term Review | Lent 2018

Edition: 2

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2 | LENT REVIEW 2018 PRINCIPAL’S LETTER

Welcome entire school. In particular, work is well underway to
develop the School’s transport system, minibuses and
It has, quite literally, been an extraordinary term at catering. A thorough refurbishment of the boot/bag
Claremont. After 25 years, owner and talismanic leader store and changing room area at the Prep School are
of the school, Mark Beaumont, decided it was time to at planning stage. The long awaited redevelopment of
retire and a new era has unfolded. Mark acquired the the Octagon at the Senior School will begin in the first
School in 1993, with just 69 students on the school roll week of the Summer holidays and is due for completion
and handed over the reins to the International Schools in January 2019. This will include new classrooms, Art
Partnership on 31st January 2018, with a student count department, Science laboratory and junior workrooms/
of 710. Within that time, Mark ensured the survival library. Simultaneously, we are planning for the further
of the Prep School, turning it into the thriving and development of Performing Arts at the School. Dance
successful community it is today, whilst also having GCSE has been added to the curriculum for September
the vision and energy to develop the Senior School. 2018 and plans are in place to add a new Dance studio
Within the last three years, he opened two boarding and Music department to the back and side of the Space
houses, enabling Claremont to be accessible to the Theatre. We will, of course, keep you updated as these
international community. Claremont, at the beginning exciting new developments progress.
of the year, was one of only 53 proprietorial schools
left in the country, a dying breed one might say, as In general, it is a thrilling time to be at Claremont and
once-upon-a-time the United Kingdom was home to interest in places has never been so high, with record
hundreds and hundreds of family run single-ownership numbers joining Years 7 and 8 at the Prep School. I
schools, located throughout every county in the am, as ever, extremely grateful for the loyal support of
country. In an era of associations, groups and societies, parents, teachers and students in this period of change.
joining a family of schools was the next natural step for
Claremont and it has been a wonderful experience for Giles Perrin | Principal
us all.

The International Schools Partnership, directed by a
group of talented educationalists, places teaching,
learning and experience in the classroom at an absolute
premium. There is no sense that they wish to brand
or turn around the schools they acquire. Instead,
they look to invest in quality establishments, where
quality leadership and management teams are already
in place, supporting their vision wherever possible.
The search to find a suitable organisation took place
over a long period of time, with the need to maintain
Claremont’s distinctive ethos at the very heart. What
a fantastic opportunity we now have. We are part of a
wonderful family of schools and have support in every
direction and in every area of the institution. We have
guidance from a wide range of professionals and myriad
opportunities now exist as a result of becoming part of
a community of 28 schools and 22,500 students.

We now enter a very exciting stage in the School’s
development. We are working with ISP on immediate,
medium and long term development plans for the

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REVIEW LENT REVIEW 2018 | 3

Claremont Enters A New gratitude for your support and encouragement. This,
Era in turn gave me the confidence to invest in the School
year on year. The development and growth of the Senior
After 25 years at the helm, I am delighted to have been School has been truly outstanding and it has been a
able to organise the smooth transition of ownership pleasure to oversee. I also continue to have immense
of Claremont to the International Schools Partnership. admiration for all those who work in our Nursery
After three years of research, visiting many schools and School, which is the foundation of Claremont and has
institutions that were potential suitors for Claremont, been the first choice for so many local parents since it
ISP stood out as being an outstanding organisation that opened in 1994.
could continue the path of growth and development
that we have become used to, without fundamentally I will say a few more words on Speech Day, but for now
changing the character of the School. I was immensely it is time to focus on maintaining the environment
impressed with the ISP schools that I visited and the at Claremont that allows our students to continue to
wealth of educational experience both in the ISP flourish and succeed.
schools and at the Head Office in London. With so much
political and economic uncertainty ahead, Claremont is Mark Beaumont | Director
far safer and stronger, being a part of a diversified group
of schools, than as a stand-alone organisation, run by an
ageing Director!

I will remain closely associated with the School for some
time to come, as I carry out my duties as a consultant
to the wider group and I will, of course, always be
batting for Claremont. The association with ISP brings
an international dimension to the School, creating
opportunities for our students that, hitherto, we were
simply unable to offer. I firmly believe that students
who are willing to travel abroad, speak different
languages and mix with diverse nationalities and
cultures will ultimately create a safer and more peaceful
world.

ISP are committed to invest in the infrastructure of
the School and Claremont will also benefit from the
experience and good practice that has been developed
in many of their other establishments. As I work a
little less, I will be delighted to watch the School move
forward and progress, continuing to facilitate this
process as far as possible. Over recent years we have
retained, recruited and developed a most loyal and
hard-working group of staff who, I have no doubt, will
continue to be focussed on doing everything they can
for Claremont students to further their learning and
success.

To all those parents who know me, especially those
who have been associated with the School for many
years (some over two decades), I express my heartfelt

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4 | LENT REVIEW 2018 CO - CURRICULAR

Duke Of Edinburgh Bronze at least another six hours, both groups had planned
Award Practice Expedition an undulating route, taking them up and down over
the South Downs Way. With clear skies and the spring
Thankfully, the ‘Beast from the East’ had moved on and sun beating down on them, they followed their routes
the weather conditions for the DofE Bronze practice successfully, albeit at a slower pace than they had
weekend were favourable. The students arrived at managed on the Saturday. Navigationally, it was easier
school early on Saturday morning all looking suitably than the previous day’s route, but the biggest challenge
prepared, albeit not really knowing what the weekend to most of them was the hills.
held in store for them. Since September, they have been
preparing for this weekend, but I think the students Both groups arrived at Southease within a similar time
whose siblings had participated in DofE before had a frame to each other and in surprisingly good spirits. I
distinct advantage. They had an understanding of the was proud of how they behaved and applied themselves
physical challenge of walking for six hours each day and to the expedition, looking out for each other and
were perhaps, at least mentally, better prepared. showing great team work. The weekend was a great
success and I am happy for them to take part in their
After a short drive to Eastbourne and the eastern border assessed weekend in May. Well done.
of The South Downs, Mr Butcher and myself set them
off on their respective routes, which they had planned Mark Wood | Head of DofE
during our Wednesday preparation sessions. The final
destination for both groups on day one was Alfriston,
but, like life itself, the weekend is about the journey and
not the destination. One group headed south to Birling
Gap before heading north, avoiding the Seven Sisters,
to the southeast corner of Friston Forest. They made
their way through Friston Forest to the Cuckmere River
which they followed north to Alfriston. The other group
headed north from the start and crossed the A259.
They headed east to East Dean before walking north
to Jevington. From there, they headed east, following
a portion of the South Downs Way, past the Long Man
before heading down into Alfriston.

The groups persisted through intermittent rain on the
Saturday, but fortunately when they got to the campsite
it had eased off. This meant that they could erect their
tents and cook their food in a somewhat leisurely
manner. All were settled in their tents before 8pm!

The Sunday brought yet more rain. This soon gave way
to clear skies and pleasant temperatures that they
would go on to enjoy for the rest of the day. I was very
impressed with both groups in the morning, as they
busied themselves with cooking breakfast, making hot
drinks and breaking camp. Both groups were walking by
9am - a very good effort.

Their final destination on the Sunday was Southease
train station, which, as the crow flies, is not all that
far from Alfriston. To make sure they were walking for

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CO - CURRICULAR LENT REVIEW 2018 | 5

Hartley House News Other activities have included flower-arranging,
colouring and cake decorating. Once the warmer
This term, residents at Hartley House have continued weather arrives, we look forward to assisting some of
to benefit from the weekly visits of our wonderful the residents in the garden, planting flowers and digging
students. Bringing freshness, joy and laughter into the out weeds.
home.
Sometimes our visits can be quite emotional and I am
Cathryn and Mary (both Y9) have shown true always extremely proud of our Claremont students, who
dedication, visiting every week since September and are courteous and kind at all times. Paula Stanford, the
often taking Itsy, the Burrows’ dog, along with them. It Wellbeing Co-ordinator at Hartley House said, ‘Thank
has been wonderful to watch how their relationships you for bringing some of your students to Hartley
with a number of the residents have developed and House. The residents really do enjoy the time spent
they clearly look forward to their company each week. with them; they are a credit to your school.’
We have also been joined by Arka and Hollie (both Y11),
who have become experts at jigsaw puzzles, chatting Wendy Barnett | Head of Pevensey
with people like Roy and Patsy, learning about their
pasts and helping them to remember times gone by.

The Pestalozzi addition to our group has added another
dimension to our visits. Mingyur has been teaching a
blind resident Tibetan. Bill has wowed the residents
and staff with his skilled piano playing and, perhaps
most impressive, was the group of six students that
thrilled the whole house with a recent song and dance
performance in their traditional national costumes.

Sports Leaders contested affair between a student team, led by Jessica
Hills, versus the teacher’s team.
As part of their Sports Leaders Level 3 qualification, Congratulations to the organisers of the event and also
three sixth formers: Summa, Emma and Seb, organised a to Jessica Hills’ team who were the eventual winners of
whole school Netball tournament. Ten teams competed, the tournament, nudging the teachers’ team out in the
made up of a range of students and even a few final.
teachers, keen to relive their athletic past!
The event had a great atmosphere and every team Pippa Blackman | Head of Girls’ Games
showed a true competitive spirit. The tournament ran
smoothly without any hiccups, allowing teams to have a
short rest in between games. It was lovely to see all the
students and teachers involved supporting each other,
the ethos and community spirit within Claremont shone
throughout.
The tournament took shape in a ‘round robin’ format,
across the three astro outdoor courts and one court in
the sports hall. The four highest scoring teams qualified
through to the knock-out stages. The final was a hotly

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6 | LENT REVIEW 2018 ACADEMIC

Sixth Former Junita Wins
Place at Prestigious US
University, Wellesley College

Y13 student Junita Sirait has won an unconditional sizes to its multicultural community, everyone can
offer to Wellesley College. It is a fantastic achievement always learn something new every day. I moved to the
and Junita, as a Pestalozzi scholarship student, has UK having a fairly high expectation of the school I was
overcome many odds and worked incredibly hard to be going to join and I haven’t been disappointed.
afforded this opportunity. Wellesley College is one of 7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years/ what are
the most prestigious and highly respected institutions of you ambitions for the future?
higher education in the world, it is widely acknowledged In terms of permanent job, I am not sure yet. However,
as the USA’s top university for women. Notable I would like to have a career somewhat Maths-related.
alumnae include Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton. The ultimate goal is to give back to my community. I
Congratulations Junita, a wonderful accomplishment. would like to do this by teaching young children from a
less fortunate background. If possible, providing them
We caught up with Junita for 10 questions: with further educational opportunities, similar to the
ones given to me.
1. Name - Junita Sirait 8. Who is your hero or inspiration?
2. Age/School Year - 17/Y13 My parents, for supporting me and letting me leave
3. What is your favourite thing about Claremont? my home country to chase my dreams, even if it
My favourite thing about Claremont School are the makes them worry sometimes. Also, the Pestalozzi
awesome teachers. They are really passionate about and Claremont staff for providing me with these
the subjects they teach and genuinely enjoy their role. opportunities.
They also help in every way possible to make sure that 9. What do you consider to be your greatest
we truly understand the lesson. Meeting them outside achievement?
the classroom to ask a question has never been a Getting accepted as a Pestalozzi student and being
problem. Mr Burrows even agreed to set aside some of able to do well in my studies despite the challenges and
his free time to help me prepare for the SAT Subject Test cultural differences that I face.
that I had to take for my university application. Not to 10. How has Claremont helped you to achieve your
mention their spectacular recommendation letters to goals?
go alongside my university applications. This support Claremont School has provided some of the best
can’t always be found in most of the schools in my home teachers that I have ever had. It also has a vibrant and
country. multicultural community where I have found myself
4. Which subjects do you enjoy the most and why? growing as a person. Everyone is so supportive and
Maths & Further Maths. I think it is because Maths was friendly, helping me to strive to be the best I can be.
introduced to me very early on by my mother, who is
also a Maths teacher. Mathematics has always made
sense to me ever since, knowing that there is always a
correct answer, unlike in some other subjects, where the
correct answer can be more subjective.
5. Do you take part in any extra-curricular activities?
Currently I am training for Hastings Half-Marathon and
also recently joined an introduction line dancing class.
However, in the past year I have also tried Chinese,
calligraphy and film-making.
6. What would you say to other students thinking of
joining Claremont?
Definitely do come and join us. From the small class

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ACADEMIC LENT REVIEW 2018 | 7

To Infinity & Beyond students were left wondering how Earth could possibly
be the only planet in the universe which contains life.
On 14 March, 66 Y10 students ventured onto a coach to Mission accomplished!
deliver them into the future. Destination, The Science Our final flourish was an interview with the BBC. On the
Museum, London. sad news that Stephen Hawking had died that day, four
Our students arrived in good spirits, ready to immerse students (Lea-Lyne, Emily, Ollie and Charlie) volunteered to
themselves in our target exhibits. The first, ‘Engineering share their knowledge on the famous Physicist and what
Your Future’, showed different aspects of engineering he meant to them. After our day at the Science museum,
disciplines and the impact their ideas have on our lives. we certainly understood some of his wise words:
The most popular activity was a roving robot race. “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try
Students designed their own robot to explore a planet to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what
surface to see how far it could get before it was destroyed. makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
On arrival, the record had been set at 318 metres. My wholehearted thanks go to Mr Burrows, Mrs Hemsley,
However, after many aborted attempts, Harrison cracked Mr Peters and Ms Komaier for making the trip possible,
the ideal design and his rover was still going strong over helping to give our students such an informative and fun
1000m, setting, probably, an unbeatable record for that day out.
day.
Lea Owen | Science Teacher
We then went on to ‘Superbugs’, an exhibition which
explored bacteria and their diseases. There were some
great videos showing how antibiotic resistance is spread
and the lengths scientists are going to find new antibiotics
in the Icelandic deep ocean. In a computer simulation,
students attempted to keep global antibiotic resistance
low. Much harder than they initally thought!

In ‘Tomorrow’s World’, new ideas were presented, such as
an automatic hand sanitising door handle, synthetic leaves
which manufactured antimalarial drugs and coughing
analysis to identify poorly pigs before they get ill.
We finished the day off with a 3D Film on the Hidden
Universe; a story of the biggest telescopes in the world
and the images they capture of galaxies at the very edge of
our Universe. The images were stunning and many

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8 | LENT REVIEW 2018 DRAMA

ALevel Drama Review It was fortunate that after this draining emotional
experience, the second half was more light-hearted.
On the evening of Thursday 22 March, I was privileged Reminiscent of the iconic Abigail’s Party, the short
to be in the audience of a first class piece of theatre. play was an adaptation of Absent Friends by Alan
Not on Broadway, or in the West End, but here in Ayckbourn. It is worth mentioning that the scripts have
Claremont. to be adapted in order to accommodate the number
of the actors involved. This play is actually written
As all good theatre should, the audience were exposed for six actors, but had to rewritten for five, without
to a range of powerful emotions, in which the acting losing any of the power of the Ayckbourn original, no
transcended make-believe to become reality. The easy task! Once again, there was no weak link. The
evening started with five powerful and emotional pieces worldly and cynical Evelyn (Cindy), the flighty Marge
and every performer shone underneath the stage lights. (Jade), the well-meaning but unfulfilled Diana (Ines),
the annoyingly cheery Colin (Tom) and the macho
First up, Ines, performing a scene from Shakespeare’s Paul (Frank) were very convincing as they replicated
Romeo & Juliet. I have seen many different real people in English suburbia. Hilarity ensued. I was
performances, in both theatre and film, of Juliet’s most impressed with how comfortably I slipped into
famous monologue after Romeo’s banishment from thinking I was watching mature, seasoned performers
Verona. None have convinced me as much as Ines’, - all five seemed to have gained at least ten years’ life
it was a powerful and emotive performance. I had experience. A truly enjoyable evening. Bravo.
barely recovered from this sensational start, to then be
mesmerised by Cindy’s extraordinary Yerma (Lorca). Just Anselm De Pleave
as Lorca has proven a man can write about a woman’s
feelings, so Cindy has proven that having Chinese as a
first language, is no barrier to acting a Spanish story
in English. Hotfoot, came Jade’s utterly powerful
extract from McPherson’s The Weir. Finally, to finish the
serious offerings, a treat from Thomas Haythorn and
Frank Chapman acting in a dystopian East End (Ridley’s
‘Mercury Fur).

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DRAMA LENT REVIEW 2018 | 9

GCSE Drama a real feast of theatre, containing 15 different scenes
from seven different plays, back to back. The range of
In the last week of term, 15 Y11 Drama students characters, emotions and stories was immense and each
performed for their GCSE performance exam. This is a was performed with considerable skill. The evening
very intense assessment as an external examiner sits was skilfully stage managed by Thomas, William and
within the audience at a lit desk, grading their efforts Sadie, helping to make the evening feel professional
throughout the course from a single performance, and slick. It is sometimes difficult as the performer’s
certainly nerve wracking for all involved! Our students teacher and director to sit back, relax and enjoy the
had worked with such commitment throughout the performances, but on this occasion I could do just that.
previous ten weeks, sacrificing their time on the It was a great night of theatre, with every single student
weekends in order to make sure their scenes were the exceeding expectations. The growth in confidence and
best they could be. It was fantastic to see how much the development of the performances from each of the
they valued each other and how much they were willing students involved has been so thrilling to watch, it has
to challenge themselves in order to improve. The been such a privilege to be part of the effort. Well done
passion that each of them displayed when approaching to you all.
the course was inspiring. The evening of the exam was
Sarah Cakebread | Head of Drama

Lamda Examination
Success

This February, a number of students took their LAMDA
examinations, with all achieving high Merits and
Distinctions. Notably, Marcus (Y11) and Lea-Lynn (Y10)
were delighted with their Distinction’s in the Bronze
Medal Acting Award. Lily (Y10) and Sophie (Y10)
both achieved a Distinction in their Acting Duologue
exam. All have worked extremely hard and the results
reflected their efforts, well done.

Claire Waller | Drama Teacher

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10 | LENT REVIEW 2018 ART & DESIGN

Year 10 Photographers Visit
Tate Modern

Y10 photography students enjoyed a trip to Tate Modern,
London. After the ‘Beast from the East’ had caused the
visit to be postponed the week prior, this turned out to
be quite fortuitous, as the day was sunny and spring-
like, perfect for the group to walk from Waterloo East,
along the river to Tate Modern, taking photos and finding
inspiration in the London skyline and architechure along
the way.

Maisy’s project this term is ‘Surreal - Alice in Wonderland.’
She took a cup and saucer prop and photographed this
throughout the day.
Other project titles are ‘Reflections’ and ‘Detail’. The
glass buildings and puddles were perfect for capturing
reflections, along with using magnification filters to
photograph surface details.

Inside Tate Modern, our group of students were
particularly drawn to Bruce Newman’s neon light
installations. They also visited the Media Networks & In
the Studio Exhibitions, viewing Martin Parr’s photographs
and viewing works by Karl Blossfeldt, very relevant, as
they have been studying and have been influenced by him
earlier in the year.

The exhibitions provided further research material for our
student’s projects, whilst also raising a broader awareness
of art, creative presentation and the variety of materials
that could be applied to projects.

The impressive Tate viewing tower was a perfect platform
for panoramic shots and linked to the their research
projects into David Hockney’s photomontages.
We all had an informative, inspiring and fun day, the
students enjoyed practicing use of the manual settings on
their cameras to capture London.

Georgia Scott | Art & Photography Teacher

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ART & DESIGN LENT REVIEW 2018 | 11

Highlights From The Art
Department

This term Y11 Fine Art student Lily Gamon has been
enjoying creative fun with resin. For her GCSE exam project,
Lily chose the title ‘Rings’. Instead of focusing on literal
jewellery rings or Olympic rings Lily has produced some
fantastic resin and ink abstract patterns in petri dishes. She
will draw and paint from these in her GCSE Fine Art exam.
Lily used a mixture of bright ink colours and some beads to
add additional texture. The results are fantastic, especially
when put on a light box to illuminate their colours! We look
forward to seeing the final exam pieces.

The brilliant art work of ex Claremont student Alivia Osborn
has been published in the Sprint edition of A+ Education. It
show cases her outstanding talent in painting. This follows
on from the edition prior, in which Fox Parker’s architectural
final piece was published using bright ink colours and
dramatic fine liner buildings.

Victoria Stewart | Head of Art

Claremont Creative Instagram

This term the School Arts Instagram account; Claremont
Creative, has been show casing a stream of exciting
developmental work by Y11 and Y13 Fine Art and Photography
students who are all preparing themselves for their upcoming
public examinations.
Both our students and parents have been liking and
commenting on the recent posts. It is a great way to keep up to
date with the exciting work created in the Art and Photography
department. If you don’t follow Claremont Creative already,
visit our page and click ‘follow’ to keep up to date with our
student’s progress.

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12 | LENT REVIEW 2018 MUSIC

GCSE Music Students Enjoy
Wicked The Musical

GCSE Music students enjoyed a trip up to London
to enjoy the music of Wicked, The Musical, in full
production. Y10 student, Harry, wrote us a review,
documenting his experience:

I really enjoyed our trip up to London this January, to see
Wicked at the Apollo Victoria theatre. The instrumentation
in Wicked is one of a wide variety and range. They had
screens in between a lot of the instruments, to stop the
musicians from hurting their ears during the process. Some
of the instruments used included electric guitar, drums,
strings and brass.
The range of voices and dynamics in the Wicked
production were incredible. Elphaba’s voice range was
unbelievable as it started very low and grew to reach some
incredibly high notes. Glinda provided the accompanying
soprano voice in the production and therefore started
slightly higher than Elphaba’s. The vocal range from both
actresses was phenomenal and a joy to experience in real
life.
I had many favourite parts in the production, such as when
Elphaba sang ‘Defying Gravity’ (a song from our GCSE
Music set works). I had goose bumps throughout because
it was sung with such passion and skill. I could go on and
on about my favourite parts of the performance as it was
all so brilliant from beginning to end.
The highlight of the trip was meeting the actress Sophie
Evans, who played Glinda, after the performance, having
the opportunity to ask some questions. It was interesting
to hear how she keeps her energy up during a week full
of shows. We enjoyed getting some selfies with her too!
Wicked was an amazing production and I would definitely
recommend seeing it if you get the chance, the whole
experience was so much fun and incredibly inspiring!

Harry | Y10

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MUSIC LENT REVIEW 2018 | 13

The First ‘Lite Lunch’
Concert, Leaves Audience
Hungry For More!

It has been preying on my mind that students at Words & Music
Claremont need a platform which will provide an
opportunity for them to ‘air their musical wares’ without On a drizzly evening in February, we hosted our second
the added pressure of a theatre full of people staring back ever ‘Words and Music Evening’. The concept is to
at them. The ‘Lite Lunch’ concert idea was conceived as a provide a platform for pupils who are taking LAMDA
bite sized, ‘easy to digest’ programme, allowing students speech and drama lessons and/or instrumental music
to experience their first performance in a more informal lessons. This provided us with a highly entertaining
setting. With GCSE Drama exams rendering the theatre evening of drama pieces interspersed with musical
out of action, we took the opportunity to turn the Music interludes. A delightful time was had by all, involving
classroom into a recital space. students from all years.

Rows of seating filled up with staff and students alike Musically, we had several pianists gracing the keys
as we were entertained by an eclectic mix of musical including Amelia, Bill and Kay (all Y11), with Kay
instruments and genres from performers from every year performing one of Amelia’s piano compositions,
group. Liza (Y13) opened the floor with a very enigmatic Russian Romance. Archie (Y9) gave us a rousing edition
version of Peggy Lee’s Fever, setting a toe-tapping mood. of Elmer Bernstein’s Magnificent Seven on the cornet
She was swiftly followed by Eleanor’s (Y10) mesmerising which provided a contrast to Tom’s (Y13) mock A
rendition of Burn from the new musical Hamilton. Level trumpet recital which included Haydn’s Trumpet
Orange (Y12) graced the piano keys with her traditional Concerto and John McCabe’s Jigaudon. Several singers
French piece, Dans la Foret Lointaine. Marcus (Y11) then joined the ranks, with Dan’s (Y11) rendition of Ed
entertained us with his jazzy rendition of the Chicago Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill and Emily’s (Y10) rousing
number Mr Cellophane followed by Maya’s (Y11) upbeat performance of All that Jazz from the musical, Chicago.
version of Dusty Springfield’s I only want to be with you! Jessica (Y11) gave a sterling performance of Adele’s
Bella (Y9) gave a sterling performance of Sam Smith’s Too Turning Tables which she successfully recorded for her
Good at Goodbyes, to which Mr de Pleave exclaimed, GCSE Music.
‘Bella’s much better than Sam Smith!’
On the drama side, several monologues impressed
Shirley (Y10) serenaded us with her violin Grade One the audience. Marcus (Y11), Lea- Lyne (Y10) and
piece Cha Cha Bowing whilst Joellyn (Y12) and Junita Naomi (Y10) performed superbly, with the content of
(Y13) gave us a duet of Paul McCartney’s Something, their performances ranging from Romeo and Juliet to
impressively self-accompanied on ukulele and piano. Our DNA (Dennis Kelly) to Gut Girls (Sarah Daniels) and
final act was Soraya (Y12) who performed a gorgeous Chatroom (Enda Walsh). These performances allowed
interpretation of On My Own from Les Miserables. This the students to practise their LAMDA exam extracts,
was great practice for Soraya’s forthcoming audition for two days before their actual exams. We also enjoyed
the National Youth Theatre. an early GCSE Drama practice of Maya (Y11) and
All acts were warmly received and left everyone hungry Jessica’s (Y11) duologue from Jim Cartwright’s Two.
for more. Keep an eye out for our next ‘Lite Lunch’ The evening was a perfect combination of music and
concert in May! drama and was enjoyed by all.

Amy Bartle | Head of Music

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14 | LENT REVIEW 2018 SPORT

Senior Netball Boys’ Hockey
The senior girls’ netball season has enjoyed fluctuating This is the first season that we have run a full boys’
highs and lows. Considering the majority of players in hockey programme and it has been a great success.
the squad had not played in a team together before The addition of the new Astro at the Senior School and
January, we all worked really hard and developed links with Marden Hockey Club have reduced travelling
hugely as a team. The season started with tough time to training and allowed more coaching time.
matches against Bede’s and Sutton Valance. Aware of This, combined with the natural progression from the
the strength of the opposition, the squad approached established hockey programme at the Prep School, has
both games with a positive and determined wielded real results. The junior squad has only lost one
attitude. The game against Sutton Valence identified game, with notable results including victories against
weaknesses in the fluidity of our movement, which we Battle Abbey and Kings Rochester. The boys narrowly
then worked on in our training sessions. The squad’s missed out on an undefeated season, losing a hard
hard work in training, combined with the experience 4-3 battle away at Eastbourne College. This successful
gained from the early losses, reaped its reward as the season was the result of a great team effort, attitude
team came away victorious at both Battle Abbey and and application of skills learned in training. We are
Eastbourne College. The development of the team’s already looking forward to and preparing for next
skills as a result of Miss Blackman’s coaching has vastly season, with a further developed hockey curriculum
improved our game and we have all had a hugely and a pre-season programme before the Christmas
enjoyable season, ending with great fun at the end of
season dinner. Well played everyone and good luck for Rbreak.
ak Patel | Director of Sport
Cthe future!
hiara Kirkwood | Year 13 | 1st VII Captain The success of the senior squad’s season cannot be
measured by the win-loss record, but in the improvement
Senior girl’s netball has seen fantastic uptake this of all of our players’ skills, the positive ethos within the
season, with enough girls playing netball to send three team and the progression of the squad as a whole.
senior teams out for fixtures. The 1st VII have been Unfortunately, we were on the losing side against two
extremely committed to training, attending after- strong sides at Bede’s and Kings Rochester. The team
school sessions every Tuesday since September. The battled hard in each of the games, but unfortunately the
girls have formed a strong and aspirational squad, experience of our competition prevailed.
giving teams from Benenden School and Sutton
Valance a real contest. Looking at our results, the girls I have been really impressed by our students’ attitude
have had mixed fortunes, culminating with victories towards hockey this term and how much it has
against Eastbourne College, Battle Abbey and Moira progressed in such a short period of time. There is a real
House. The 2nd VII has improved immeasurably and excitement and buzz within Claremont for hockey at the
they have set the foundations to become a strong 1st moment and I believe that this will only grow stronger
VII next year. This season we have had an exceptional as the hockey programme becomes more established. I
senior netball captain, Chiara, who has helped to would also like to thank Marden Hockey Club for allowing
manage the squad, shown real leadership on court and us to use their fantastic new facilities and we are looking
has been a great role model to all, supported in her forward to strengthening the links we have with them in
duties by vice-captain Issy. Unfortunately, we have the future. It is an exciting time to be a hockey player at
to say goodbye to all of our Y13 girls and they will
be missed. Good luck to Grace, Chiara, Izzy, Issy and TClaremont!
om Ireland | Head of Boys’ Games
PRachel. Well done to all!
ippa Blackman | Head of Girls’ Games

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SPORT LENT REVIEW 2018 | 15

Rugby Boys Selected Tetrathlon Talent
For Harlequins Performs At UK
& Saracens Academy Championships
Programmes
Y10 student Charlie competes and trains in tetrathlon
After a nomination from Head of Boys’ Rugby, Mr (ride/swim/shoot/run) at the East Sussex Pony Club.
Ireland, Jacob, currently in Y9 at Claremont, has been After competing regularly against other clubs in
selected to join the Development Player Programme Area 11/Southern England, he qualified for the UK
(DPP) at Harlequins Rugby Club. This is a programme Tetrathlon Championships after placing 2nd in the
which aims to provide a first opportunity to identify Area competition. Other notable successes this past
players with the greatest potential to enter the season include placing 15th individually at the UK Pony
pathway towards the professional game and England. Club Championship, held in Yorkshire and contributing
This is a great opportunity for Jacob and he has to a jubilant 2nd place finish in the team contest. As
displayed tremendous talent to have been identified at the season turned to winter triathlon (swim, shoot,
this stage. We look forward to hearing more about his run), Charlie asserted real dominance, coming 1st in
rugby journey and his academy experience soon. the Area and was also victorious in the League. This
After being identified at the Saracens Rugby Club qualified him to the UK Championship, which took
Development Player Programme (DPP), Thomas, place in March, where he placed 7th individually in the
Y9, has been selected for the next stage in their UK. A tremendous result Charlie, well done!
academy development process, the Elite Player
Development Group (EPDG). The EPDG is designed to
help identify and facilitate the development of players
aged 15 to 18, who have shown the behaviours and
characteristics to become future Saracens players.
Thomas now trains fortnightly at Saracens with other
talented rugby players from Kent, Hertfordshire and
Essex with the Saracens team of youth coaches. We
congratulate him on this fantastic achievement and
wish him the best of luck. Well done to both!

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16 | LENT REVIEW 2018 SPORT | FOOTBALL ACADEMY

Football Squad Highlights in the County Cup, the squad went out to Bede’s in the
quarter finals, after a heart-breaking last minute goal
The Easter Term has seen our football squads score 113 in extra time. This Bede’s team have had an unbeaten
goals and concede only 19 in a fantastic competitive season and the boys should be proud of how close
season. See below for the highlights from each squad: they came to victory against them. In the ESFA National
Trophy, CFA again drew Bede’s. A controversial game
YEAR 9 - Have only lost once, all season and were ensued, in which the referee awarded four penalties.
crowned champions of the SESSFA Pool A League before Tommy Maguire, CFA goalie, saved three in a fantastic
Christmas. They beat Eastbourne Academy to reach the show of mental steel. Unfortunately, the team missed
district finals, set to take place in May where they will their own penalty opportunity, losing the game 2-0
face Bexhill Academy. after eventually being worn down by Bede’s talented
forwards.
YEAR 10 - A season of ‘almost, but not quite’ for
our Y10 boys. Following a very good run in the ESFA Jim Colston | Football Academy Director
National Cup, making it into the last 32 in England,
they lost a hard-fought 1-0 to Causeway school. After
qualifying through to the quarter finals of the Sussex
Schools County Trophy, the squad lost a nail-biting
penalty shoot-out to Dorothy Stringer School in
Brighton. After finishing second in the SESSFA league,
they were unable to fulfil their next fixture due to
logistics, which saw them go out on a disappointing
technicality. A frustrating term for the boys, but
some promising performances to draw from and the
experience will stand them in good stead for next
season.

YEAR 11 - Our most successful squad this season. They
finished second in the SESSFA League, but again, like
the Y10s, they failed to meet strict fixture dates, so
were unable to progress to the playoffs. They made the
last 16 of the ESFA National Cup, before bowing out to
London based Archbishop Tenison School, following a
last minute goal. This heartbreak motivated and spurred
them on in the Sussex Schools County Cup. Following
fantastic victories against Longhill (4-1), Blachington
Mill (3-0), Midhurst (2-0) and Angmering (2-1), they
entered the semi-final against the giant Forest School (a
school with 1200 boys), winning 2-1 to reach CFA’s first
ever County Cup final. This will be played at the Sussex
FA ground in early May, against Hove Park School. Good
luck!

YEAR 12 - A good season for our U18 boys. Captained
by Emmanuel Paulker, they entered into the Sussex
Schools County Cup and the ESFA National Cup.
Following an impressive win against Buckswood School

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HOUSE NEWS LENT REVIEW 2018 | 17

Pevensey Millie (Y10); Robert (Y11) and Illia (Y12). George (Y10),
deserves special praise this term for being the highest
scoring Pevensey student. Fantastic work.

It has been another fantastic term in Pevensey House. On the charity front, the troops have worked tirelessly
It seems like light years ago that Pevensey braved the to raise over £100.00 by washing cars in the car park.
ice rink at Guildford last term, stunned by the speed They braved blizzards, snow and rain, all with smiles
of Mr Eckhoff, the skill and glamour of Mrs Herold and on their faces. Mr Rasalingham had trouble recognising
Mrs McNally, the blind courage of Mr de Pleave and the his vehicle after Illia and Danny completed such a
medical expertise of Mrs Wright. Pevensey students professional job and Mrs Bartle was so impressed that
shone as they skipped, slid and danced on ice: Matt she had her car cleaned three times! Emily whipped
defied gravity with his aerodynamic acrobatics before the Y11s into shape with her awesome organisational
finally crash-landing; Vicky professionally pirouetted skills and Sachin, Ross and Chiara led by example. So
across the ice and Cosmo was determinedly skating keen are these three fundraisers that they all entered
in his ‘Inspector Gadget’ raincoat. The entire House, the Hastings Half-Marathon on Sunday 18 March to
complete stars! raise money to purchase a defibrillator for the Bodiam
community. Any additional contributions would be
This term we have celebrated various sporting gratefully received!
achievements. Tom (Y9) was selected for the Saracens
Kent U14 PDG (Player Development Group). Mary (Y9) Pevensey students are recognised for being very helpful
gained a first in show-jumping, second in dressage and and reliable, so a special mention goes to Mary and
qualified for the SEEL final. Congratulations to both. Cathryn (both Y9) who have visited Hartley House every
The House competition proved highly enjoyable and week since September. Tom (Y13) has assisted me in our
entertaining, with particular success for our intrepid Pevensey House meetings, providing music to set the
English Games team, Elliot, Emily and Poppy, who tone and Rachael (Y13) has entertained Y9 with weekly
smashed the opposition! Our international students, quizzes every Wednesday. Many thanks.
Shirley, Orange and Marion also performed brilliantly,
winning the EAL quiz, with our keen Fifa gamers, Henry, All in all, it has been a fantastic term.
Matt and Anthony, narrowly pipped to the post. Robert
Yu was the ultimate Pevensey hero, participating in Wendy Barnett | Head of Pevensey House
every single race in the swimming gala!

Academically, we have been busy too and we are
extremely proud of our Sixth Formers who have
received university offers: Sachin is hoping to go to
Loughborough; Yodhin and Justin have offers from
Cardiff Met; Chiara will study PE at Brighton and Ross
has a place at Bournemouth. Harrison is spoilt for
choice but is hoping to study International Relations
at de Montfort; Carol has an offer from Goldsmiths to
study Fashion photography; Tom has an unconditional
offer to read Creative Music Production at the
Academy of Contemporary Music in London; Rachael
has an unconditional offer to study Psychology at the
University of Winchester and Harrison has already
embarked on an Open University course. Good luck!

In other year groups, Pevensey students have been Pictured: Pevensey car wash fundraising
working hard academically, gaining significant numbers
of merits and house points: Max and Amelia (Y9);

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18 | LENT REVIEW 2018 HOUSE NEWS

Scotney Jess’ aim is to become an instructor over the next year.
Kieran has been refereeing U11 and U12 football, which
With senior Scotney students focusing on revision for has been complimenting both his CFA committments
the looming exam season, Scotney House has been and his PE GCSE. He plans on taking further refereeing
a little quieter from day to day. There have been qualifications, possibly in Spain. Finally, Tommy has
several highlights including the Y9 House Assembly on been creating a Pinterest board compiling profiles on
‘common sense’, reminding us of the importance of characters from mythology and folklore. So far he has
applying this daily to ensure we avoid embarrassing created over 3,000 entries, a remarkable feat in less
and potentially dangerous situations. Y10 followed this than a year.
with an assembly on ‘marine biology’- a scary snapshot To conclude, Scotney students have been pursuing their
of what our future oceans could look like if we don’t passions in a huge variety of areas, which is lovely to
take recycling more seriously. Y11 were inspired by see.
International Women’s Day and told us about the great
women that inspire them, including JK Rowling, Mary Lydia Green | Head of Scotney House
King and Katherine Johnson.
Bodiam
In Y12, huge congratulations must go to Summa and
Seb who have been completing their Sports Leaders The Lent term has whizzed past at a phenomenal speed,
Award. As part of this, they organised a mammoth exams are fast approaching and students in Bodiam
netball tournament with participating students from House have been extremely busy, achieving accolades in
Y11 to Y13, as well as the obligatory teachers’ team. and out of the classroom.
The event was a roaring success, very well done. Y13
have been focussing on their ambitions for after they In Mr Ireland’s Y9 form, congratulations are owed to a
leave Claremont and have had university offers flooding number of students: Tippi achieved second and third
in. Will has had three offers to study Music Production, place in the Hastings Music Festival for Cabaret and
including one from the Academy of Contemporary Vocal Music; Lucy starred in a contemporary dance
Music. Grace has had five offers for Psychology and show at the Stables Theatre in Hastings; Archie played
has been travelling the country to decide which one to the cornet at the Words and Music Concert held in
choose! Ben has had four offers to study Mechanical Claremont’s Space Theatre; on the sports field Killian’s
Engineering. Junita has accepted her offer to study Rugby team achieved promotion in the league, whist
Liberal Arts at Wellesley College in the USA. RenJie Bert, Henry and Jacob are members of the Claremont
is applying to study in Australia. Cindy has had three U14 football side that have reached the County Cup
offers to read Childhood Development Studies. Issy is final.
waiting to hear from Veterinary School, fingers crossed.
Ruramai is taking a gap year to get work experience At the start of term, Mrs Owen, a Science teacher,
in a hospital before applying for Medicine. Cameron joined Claremont and Bodiam House as our Y10 Tutor.
has four unconditional offers, Liza has four offers for She has already made a strong impression on the
International Relations and Maja has accepted a place House and luckily Mrs Owen says her favourite thing
to study Art and Design at ESAM, Paris. Well done, about Claremont is ‘her wonderful tutor group!’ Mrs
bright futures await you all! Owen’s form have also welcomed two new students,
Sergio from Croydon and Isabella from China. Did you
Outside school, Scotney students have been ensuring know that Sergio’s Grandad set up Costa Coffee? Sergio
a work-life balance is met. Issy (Y13) has been playing says he is very happy to supply free cups of coffee to
rugby for the Heathfield and Waldron Ladies team who his favourite teachers! Yes please! Isabella is enjoying
are currently top of their league. Jess (Y11) has been boarding in Pyke House and says her favourite thing
working towards gaining her Grade 5 Purple belt in about Claremont, so far, are the Mathematics lessons.
Wing Chun, a Chinese form of martial art focusing on
self defence. Having only started this activity a year ago

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HOUSE NEWS LENT REVIEW 2018 | 19

11 Students from Pestalozzi ran the Hastings Half cards you can pick them up easily, finally, don’t show
Marathon on 18 March. Tough conditions were aplenty anyone a trick until you are truly ready! Over in the
as the race day caught the back end of the ‘Beast from equestrian world, Matty has been lighting up the show
the East’, complete with snow flurries flying in the air. jumping arena. After having started horse riding at
The inspirational KC came first amongst the Bodiam just 18 months old, Matty has since become a national
representatives, completing the race in an impressive 1 champion show jumper and hopes to compete at the
hour and 48 minutes. Following close behind him was Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), held in the Birmingham
Bodiam Year 11 Tutor Mr Wood, in 1 hour 57 minutes. A NEC. Performing well at HOYS is described as the
huge well done to you all - rather you than me! pinnacle of every junior equestrian’s career and we wish
him luck in this pursuit.
This term has also seen university offers flooding in for
our Y13 students. Bodiam House Captains, Anya and Several Y11 Camber students were successful in their
James, have chosen to study Zoology and International application for scholarships into Claremont Sixth Form.
relations respectively. This can only mean exams are The process requires each applicant to give a short
nearly upon us. I wish good luck to all those in Bodiam presentation to a panel of teachers, as well as having an
sitting their GCSEs and A levels. Apply yourselves interview with the Principal. Marcus, Hester and Charlie
correctly over the Easter break and I am sure all your kindly presented an overview of their scholarship talks
hard work will pay off. in a Camber assembly, so that Y9 and Y10 students
could get an idea of what the process involved. It is a
CRebecca Hurton | Head of Bodiam House busy time for Y11 as they start to ramp up their efforts
amber revising for their upcoming exams, but lots of them
are out and about looking at their future study options
Camber House has had an extremely successful term. for next year. We hope that they will all stay with us in
Our cohort of Sixth Formers have led by example the Sixth Form, but congratulations to those who have
both inside and outside the classroom. Jaz and Matt, successfully been awarded places at their chosen Sixth
two Claremont Football Academy students, are just Form establishments.
two matches away from winning the East Sussex U18
A League, playing for Sedlescombe Rangers. Oscar Overall, Camber had a fantastic showing in the House
can celebrate that alongside his university offers, he Competition. Yassin, CFA Captain, led the Camber House
holds unconditional offers from both Bournemouth football team to an honourable second place. Camber
and Brighton to read Computer Science. Frank is also also secured a fabulous win in the Science contest.
sitting pretty with five offers from top universities, Some of you may know that Mr Burrows delights in
including one unconditional from Westminster to setting seemingly simple tasks, which turn out to be
read International Relations. Congratulations are also much harder in reality. In addition to this, they are
in order for Issy, who has been offered a place to usually accompanied by a ludicrously complicated
read Medicine at Queen Mary University London, an scoring system! The task this time was to transfer
impressive achievement. water without physically touching the container it was
in. Charlie and his team achieved this by essentially
At the lower end of the school, our Y9 Camberians creating an electric chair, using it to burst water filled
are exploring an enormous range of interests and balloons. An impressive feat! Over in the ‘Pub Quiz’, a
passions. James and Harvey treated us to an impressive small team of Camberians, led by Hester and Coco were
presentation on magic card tricks. This is an interest also victorious, utilising their team’s range of different
they both pursued individually before teaming up at interests to pull together and produce a winning score.
the start of the year. Their tips for tricks include: If Well done team Camber!
at first you don’t succeed, try and try and try again;
always do tricks over a table or bed, so if you drop the Oliver Butcher | Head of Camber House

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20 | LENT REVIEW 2018 BLOG | A DAY IN THE LIFE

Blog: A Day In The Life need at least 11 more people for the first bus. He sighs
Of A Boarder once again, with disappointment this time, shouting
‘whoever comes to breakfast after 7.35am is gated for
Written by Coco, Y11 the entire week!’ (This turns out to be about 45% of the
entire boarding house!!!)
As always, I wake up at least fifteen minutes earlier
than my roommate, who is still quietly snoring at When we sign out from the boarding house and
seven o’clock. The loud rustling of Mrs Butlin’s keys carefully hook our room keys onto the pins in the office,
reverberate through the boarding house every morning our day officially starts. Everybody looks a bit drowsy,
around this time, waking everyone up. Followed by this, whilst staring at the wooden floor without any facial
she yells ‘Good morning girls! Time for breakfast!’ Five expressions. ‘The bus is here!’ Mrs Tayson yells, opening
minutes later comes ‘Gooood morning! Five past!’ Mr the door. Then comes ‘one, two, three…’ as she counts
Cooper is at least five times louder. our heads out the door.

The girls can hear him singing dreadfully from the other I usually sit in the front of the bus with my friend, but
side of the boarding house. This is intentional, forcing us not today. I have been pipped to the post by Sarina and
to open our eyes. Smart, but horrible. What about my Fatemeh, who got there faster. Never mind!
roommate? Incredibly, she is still asleep! After a 20 minute bus ride through the countryside,
We moved into a bedroom with our own bathroom travelling past fields full of sheep and horses, we arrive
attached to it about two months ago and one of the at the school campus around 8am. We head straight to
reasons why I get up earlier than my roommate is to use our form room, where we check in with our tutor every
the bathroom first! morning.
On this fine Monday morning, Jacqui, the boarding
house Chef, has made us some English muffins, along For lunch, there are options for both vegetarians and
with the regulars: sausages; eggs; hashbrowns; porridge non-vegetarians. Today, one option is pasta and the
and beans. other is pork belly and although I am not vegetarian,
Jacqui is very nice and caring to everyone in the house. I choose the first option because I have been craving
She frequently checks if I am ‘alright’ in the morning pasta. For pudding, there were many different types of
and afternoon, whenever she’s at Pyke. cake that I have never seen before. Emily and I decide
to give one a try together and it turns out to be very
delicious. I wonder what they’re called.

On the other hand, Mrs Butlin has to make sure that I get home to the boarding house around 6.30pm, as
everyone is up, has eaten breakfast and is ready to leave today I chose to travel on the later bus home. In other
by the time the bus arrives outside at 7.45am. However, words, it is supper time! Jacqui is here again, in the
this is a hard task for Mrs Butlin and usually it is just kitchen with a big smile on her face, spreading positivity
Dan, Sam and I waiting for the bus in the doorway by around the common room with her kind words and
our Housemaster’s office at 7.25am. We’ve already had delicious food. Tonight, we have meat lasagne, covered
our breakfast and have got dressed, packed our school in cream and cheese. I was too hungry at this point to
bags, brushed our teeth and checked the mirror twice! wait, forgetting to take a picture of the dinner for the
‘Well done you guys’ Mr Tayson comments with relief. blog. Sorry Madame Armstrong!
Only to look around the doorway and realise that we
At 7.30pm, prep time starts. Everybody’s stomach is
satisfied and their faces are turning bright once again.
We quietly seat ourselves in chairs and desks located
all around the common room and get on with our work
until 9pm sharp.

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BLOG LENT REVIEW 2018 | 21

After that, myself and the rest of Y11s have some free Blog: It’s All In The
time until 10pm. Y9 and Y10 students must go back Mind...
to their rooms by 9.45pm. Finally, the senior curfew
is 10.15pm. Seniors are even allowed to visit the local As a teacher, I am often struck by the extent to which
village shops after prep! However, there is plenty to do school and childhood experiences are stereotyped
in the boarding house in our free time. There is a pool within the media and general public. The independent
table, large garden, computers and a big flat-screen TV school experience is often depicted as a sort of
to share with everyone (usually occupied by students Hogwartsian, cricket playing, privileged and exclusive
playing FIFA). In my opinion, this is a great way to relax nirvana. Equally, the learning experience in state-
after a long day at school. funded schools has been depicted, by those who have
never accessed a state provision, as being dominated
Look at the time! It’s almost 10pm, time for me to get by huge class sizes, negative images of behaviour/
ready to sleep. I wish the staff ‘goodnight’ and head to classroom management and an environment where
bed. all co-curricular provision has been stripped bare.

One of the many great things about boarding at ‘The playing fields will definitely have been sold off to
Claremont is that everyone in the house is very an unscrupulous developer.’ The reality, of course, is
relaxed, apart from in the very early morning! When very different. Modern independent schools are just
students arrive at the boarding house, the staff always that – modern, forward looking and concerned with
say ‘this is your second home’ and they really mean delivering a progressive and outstanding education,
it. Yes, every once in a while, I miss my family and reflective of the 21st Century challenges that our
my own bed at home. However, at the end of the students will face. Equally, local state schools are filled
day, it is a really fun experience for boarders to live with outstanding practitioners and countless examples
with new friends away from home. Since September, of staff and students excelling in activities outside the
I have made many friends from Slovakia, France, classroom. In short, stereotypes are often off target
Spain, China, Canada, Barbados, Germany, Russia and when it comes to differentiating the school experience
England of course! between independent and state schools. You get good
schools and less good ones, but the challenges that we
After preparing my clothes and books ready for school all face across education tend to be similar.
tomorrow morning, I turn the light switch off and the
lights go out. ‘Sweet dreams.’ I whisper. ‘Goodnight.’ One of the challenges shared by schools of all shapes
my roommate replies. and sizes is the question of mental health. Scarcely a
week goes by without a painful story emerging in the
Thank you to Coco for her fun and honest blog of her life news concerning the difficulties faced by young people
boarding at Pyke House. Coco joined Y11 in September growing up in 2018. These problems affect students
2017 and was our very first Japanese student! irrespective of background, wealth or the school they
go to. The statistics paint a stark picture: Almost 1 in
Francoise Armstrong | Assistant Head International 4 children show some evidence of mental ill health;
more than a third (36%) of 16-25 year-olds in Britain
have self-harmed at some point in their lives; suicide
is the most common cause of death for boys aged
between 5-19 years, and the second most common for
girls of this age. These figures make grim reading and
reflect a situation that experts have referred to as an
epidemic.

Certainly there are pressures on young people now
that were scarcely imagined even a single generation
ago. The finger is normally pointed squarely at social
media. Continued overleaf.

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22 | LENT REVIEW 2018 BLOG | DEPUTY HEAD

Blog: It’s All In The relationships with external counsellors who provide an
Mind...continued invaluable service to a number of our students. Looking
forward, we are in the process of producing a new
The invention of the smart phone is seen as a trigger mental health strategy for the school, which will look at
for the rise in anxiety and issues with self-esteem the question in an even more comprehensive way.
within the youth of today. While there clearly could
be some truth in this, one could also point to a rise Yet, while I tap away at the latest policy, or sit talking to
in celebrity culture and the promotion of unrealistic another student struggling to cope with the pressures
body images. These were prevalent in pop culture long of social media, I increasingly fear that we run the
before Steve Jobs had even thought about the iPhone. risk of stereotyping mental health. Mental health
The deep cultural changes that the United Kingdom and wellbeing is something that is of importance for
has gone through in the past fifty years has unleashed all students, not just those who are in crisis. Schools
all sorts of forces, for both good and ill. One could should not wait to get involved only when a situation
absolutely see the problems evolving in children’s reaches a point that demands intervention. Other
mental health as one consequence of these turbulent progressive education systems have recognised this.
times. Finland, often used as a benchmark for good practice,
has integrated wellbeing and welfare teams into all
Experts will certainly be writing papers and conducting of their schools. There is a basic understanding that
research to identify who or what is to blame. For us, wellbeing is a fundamental indicator of academic
working within education, the big question is not success and the fulfilment of individual potential. In the
necessarily WHY this is happening, but HOW do we UK too, lessons in wellbeing are increasingly becoming
manage this malevolent phenomenon? More statistics more common place in many independent and state
illustrate the challenge we face: 3 in 4 children with schools, recognising that it is just as important to
a diagnosable mental health condition do not get talk about mental health as it is to teach students to
access to the support they need; the average maximum exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet and organise
waiting time for a first appointment with CAMHS themselves academically. While success and happiness
(Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service) is 6 may not all be in the mind, taking care of students’
months, lengthened to nearly 10 months if counting emotional wellbeing can go a long way in creating the
from start of treatment; CAMHS are forced to turn conditions for both academic and personal success.
away nearly a quarter (23%) of children referred to
them for treatment by concerned parents, GPs or Ed Dickie | Deputy Head
teachers. In response to this, the government have
published a new green paper - Transforming Children
and Young People’s Mental Health Provision. While
some have said it lacks ‘real purpose’, it is, at the very
least, a coherent response to the problem.

Here at Claremont, we have tackled many issues
surrounding mental health since opening nearly eight
years ago. As the Safeguarding Lead, I am handling
noticeably more issues surrounding mental health
than I was three or four years ago. We have responded
to this challenge in a number of different ways. The
development of our House system has been central to
this, ensuring early identification and intervention on
matters of mental health. Equally, regular conversations
initiated through our PSHE programme have started
to combat some of the stigma often associated with
speaking out about mental health. We have built strong

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LENT REVIEW 2018 | 23

Former Student Profile | Life After Claremont
One of Claremont Senior School’s first Art student
legends, Floss Atherton, got in contact with Miss Pictured: Screen grab from Floss’ moving image peice, a piece of her
Stewart this term to let her know how she is getting Claremont A level work using UV paint.
on in the first year of her Photography Degree at
Bournemouth University.
Floss sent in an interesting clip of her first term final
piece, which is a refreshing, moving image, involving
dramatically changing studio light colours.
We love hearing from our past students and Miss
Stewart, in particular, is interested in how their creative
journeys continue without her.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES

SUMMER TERM | Monday 16 April - Friday 6 July 2018
SUMMER HALF TERM | Monday 28 May - Friday 1 June 2018
SENIOR SCHOOL OPEN MORNING | Saturday 12 May | 9.30am - 1pm
PREPARATORY SCHOOL OPEN MORNINGS | Friday 11 & Saturday 12 May | 9.30am - 1pm

EXAMINATION SUCCESS 2017

87% GCSE GRADES A*- C | 33% A LEVEL GRADES A*/A

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS INCLUDE:

CAMBRIDGE | EXETER | NOTTINGHAM | EDINBURGH | FALMOUTH
SOUTHAMPTON | CARDIFF | LOUGHBOROUGH | MAASTRICHT |

TOP UNIVERSITY COURSES INCLUDE:

MATHEMATICS | MEDICINE | VETERINARY SCIENCE | GRAPHIC ARTS | LAW

www.claremontschool.co.uk | [email protected] | facebook.com/claremontschool

CLAREMONT PREPARATORY CLAREMONT SENIOR
SCHOOL & NURSERY SCHOOL & SIXTH FORM
St Leonards-on-Sea Bodiam
East Sussex East Sussex
TN37 7PW TN32 5UJ
01424 751555 01580 830396

www.claremontschool.co.uk | [email protected] | facebook.com/claremontschool