THIS WEEK AT FRENSHAM
Friday 7th October, 2022
A MESSAGE FROM RICK
Dear Parents
​
I know that you may be used to the pattern of alternating written and video updates from me, but this week I am breaking with this to write an update. I am writing to you from Edinburgh, where Nick OT and I are attending the national conference for our member organisations, HMC (The Heads’ Conference) and IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools). With over 400 HMC schools and 600 IAPS schools, it is wonderful to have a gathering of over 1000 Heads from the UK (and around the world) in one place to discuss education and be inspired. We have heard from some amazing speakers, notably Nicola Benedetti who spoke about the power of music and creativity to inspire young people, Marc Randolph, one of the co-founders of Netflix who spoke about the importance of learning from failure and the need to innovate and adapt, and from Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who spoke movingly about her achievements in paralympic sport and the need to give all children a chance to be themselves, whatever their talents. As you can hear, these are all messages that have resonated with the work Nick and I are doing at Frensham with your amazing children.
I can’t quite believe that we are a week away from half term, and I am sure you are surprised too at how fast it has gone. Do look out for further info from Friends of Frensham about the wonderful Bonfire Night coming up after half term. This annual event promises to be as good as ever, and we look forward to gathering as a community. And talking about community, I wanted to say how lovely it has been to see many parents in the Aldrige Theatre foyer enjoying the wonderful hot drinks from Stable and Ground this week. Do pop in after drop off for a drink and a catch up with others.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Best wishes
Rick
SCHOOL NOTICES
WHOLE SCHOOL CHARITY WALK
We end this half term with our Whole School Charity Walk on Friday 14th October.
Nursery to Year 2 are doing a local walk in the morning
Yrs 3 to 6 are being taken on the longer walk (approx. 8km) out in the countryside in the morning and having a picnic lunch along the way.
Yrs 7 – 13 are going on the 8km route starting after an early lunch and returning by the end of the school day.
We have numerous teachers and support staff involved to marshal the route as well as leading each year group along the route and hope for fair weather so that everyone has a lovely Autumnal countryside experience together.
On return to school, we will relax together and there will be candy floss and ice creams being sold(again for charity) for £2 each.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT – Good footwear and full water bottles for every student
Whilst we encourage fancy dress, charity hoodies and being as expressive as everyone chooses to be, it is important that we are appropriately dressed for being outside among the public and safe.
A MESSAGE FROM THE MUSIC SCHOOL
We hope everyone is settling back into the routine with their Individual Music Lessons, and just wanted to let you know that the timetables to the end of this Half Term are now available on the Parent Portal under your child’s Real Time Timetable, and for students in Years 7 and above on Teams, so please do check the days and times carefully. It’s great to see all your children back in the Music Department enjoying making music again!
As ever, should your child wish to have lessons with us, then please do complete our application form using the following link: https://www.frensham.org/music
​
Also, a couple of our peripatetic music teachers are offering free 20 minute taster lessons to potential new instrumentalists. These include:
Clarinet, Saxophone, Violin, Flute, Trumpet and Trombone. If you are interested then please contact Sallyvivian@frensham.org
LYALL INVITES STUDENTS TO “TEA AND BISCUITS WITH…”
Last week I announced the first three guest speakers coming to discuss their careers with students interested in that industry. The first one is on Tuesday (11th October) from 4.15pm to 4.45pm with a talk on acting and the varied roles in the filming industry. Free tea and biscuits provided. There’s around ten spaces left – so make sure you sign up via the link on Teams (or ask Lyall for more information). Future talks in the series include an engineering director and cyber security expert.​
TOURS OF ROBERTS HOUSE
As part of our Year 11 Next Steps afternoon on Thursday 13th October, Year 11 parents and students are very welcome to sign up for tours of Roberts House, our Sixth Form hub, at the end of the afternoon (from 4:20pm). Contact Hannah Manton to book in.
BOARDING INSTAGRAM
Please follow our new boarding focused Instagram account to see what goes on at Frensham outside the school day. Click here to follow.
FEE INVOICES
A quick reminder that Autumn term fees are due on or before the first day of term. If you’ve yet to settle this term’s bill, please could you make a bank transfer as soon as possible. Our bank details can be found on the invoice
We want to remind you that we will never change our bank account details without plenty of prior notification. If you are ever unsure of the school’s bank account details or would just like to confirm them before you make a payment, please don’t hesitate to call the Finance Department on 01252 792299. We would also like to let you know that paying your child’s school fees by direct debit remains one of the safest and easiest ways to pay as total fees (per your invoice) will be taken from your chosen bank account on the first day of every term. If you do not have a direct debit set up and would like to arrange this for the Spring term fees, please do get in touch.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING LABEL DESIGNS - DEADLINE WEDS 12TH OCTOBER
Friends of Frensham would like to ask Middle and Senior School students for their help in designing the labels for our charity Christmas puddings this year. They will be selling three types of pudding this year - traditional, sticky toffee and lemon. They have quite a tight timeline and have a closing date for all entries of October 12th. They understand that Yr11 and 13 students are very busy with their current coursework demands, but encourage all years to submit entries by 12th October if they can.
Here is the link for the template for students who would like to submit designs, and it gives the template and points to what standards of colours are required for a good print quality for the supplier.
FOF is looking forward to receiving your entries which can be left at main reception where there will be a folder to collate. Thank you for your support in our fundraising this year!
MALAWI 2023
Team meeting on Tuesday 11th October at 4.30 in the Ballroom.
​
FOODBANK DONATIONS
Thank you for what has been brought in but we would still appreciate some more tins of meat, tins of vegetables, custard, chocolates and Pringles.
Bring to Liv’s office or 4-6 Atrium – thank you.
ELEVATE EDUCATION PARENT SUPPORT WEBINARS
Elevate Education have a range of webinars coming up over the academic year to support families with children sitting exams. Find out more and register here.
PARENT VOICE ROLE CHANGES
Parent Voice welcomes new member Szilvia Varnai who is joining as Yr2 rep to replace Jo Bushill. Jo will be starting as Secretary after half term when we say goodbye to our current Secretary Isobel Hanmer. Carina Hamilton and Laura Demierre have also come on board this term as joint Yr11 reps. Plus Emma Webb is our new Sixth form rep. Thank you all!
​
PARENT VOICE UPDATE
We met with Rick and the leadership team recently for our regular catch up and it was great to hear about some of the initiatives the school is working on in response to parent feedback such as Daybook, revised ATLs and the Junior School town hall. We picked up on some themes we were looking at last year such as behaviour in the school, embedding values and the balance of rewards and sanctions.
Rick has now committed to budget for improved signage in the car park and there is also a meeting being organised with our PV comms team to further progress the way the school communicates with parents.
Parent Voice also hosted a focus group to discuss "Gender in Sport" with key members of the SMT and parents. This was a productive meeting and exciting to hear about how the school is making headway in this area. More info and updates to follow as the school outlines their policy.
The PV members were also out in force at the Open day last Saturday and it was great to meet some lovely prospective families and support the school.
If there are any other general topics you think might benefit from wider discussion, let your PV rep know.
​
PARENT VOICE MEMBER NEEDED
Parent Voice is seeking a new rep to join their volunteer team to cover Boarding starting straight away.
Joining Parent Voice is a positive way to get involved at Frensham.
Parent Voice is made up of volunteers whose role is to provide a point of contact for feedback, to represent wider parent views fairly and without bias, provide help on general issues and develop opportunities to collaborate with parents and staff to support the joint interests of the school community. https://www.frensham.org/parent-voice
For more information and to put yourself forward, please contact:
FARNBOROUGH CONCERT BAND OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Two of our teachers, Esme and Tamzyn, are part of the Farnborough Concert Band of the Royal British Legion. They are a concert band of approximately 35 amateur musicians who play for pleasure. They are joining up with a local charity choir to raise money for The Topic of Cancer charity to put on a concert on Saturday 29th October. They would love as many people as possible from the Frensham Family to come along. Please click here for more information.
ABF - THE SOLDIERS CHARITY (SURREY BRANCH) - ANNUAL SPEAKER'S DINNER
Friday 28th October 2022, 6:45 - 10:00 pm At Frensham Heights School
Before Dinner, Major General Mungo Melvin CB OBE will talk about The War in Ukraine: Causes and Consequences Click here for more information.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Got something amazing to shout about? Click the logo to use our Parent Voice Frensham Heights positive feedback link.
SCHOOL EVENTS - see all upcoming events here
THIS WEEK AT FRENSHAM
YEAR 10 & 11 HORIZONS WELLBEING & MENTAL HEALTH MORNINGS
This week Year 10 and Year 11 had Monday and Thursday morning respectively off timetable to focus on the really important issue of mental health and wellbeing. Jez Belas, who longer standing members of the community might remember as a former PE teacher at Frensham, returned to the school to deliver a talk on the four pillars of Wellbeing: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep and Relaxation as well as on how focusing on our values can help us to manage difficulty when it comes. The students then had a series of lessons and workshops which hopefully helped them to think about how they can build their mental fitness. The Year 11s particularly enjoyed the boxing sessions with Jez, getting a rush of endorphins from the physical activity. They also learned about how to face difficulty when tasked to build a structure out of pieces of card to hold a heavy object. Well done to Emily and Claudia for their Courage to Try and for succeeding so well in this challenge.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH​
This week we have kicked off Black History Month by celebrating Black Heroes, both close to home in the UK & around the world. Students have celebrated a different individual or group each day, including Peace Proscovia, Paul Stephenson, Altheia Jones-LeCointe, the Maroons, & Matthew Henson. Morning Talk this week has also focused on Black History Month for Years 9-11, where they’ve been able to find out more about their inspirational stories. Next week, students can look forward to some fantastic African food from our catering department, and will also get a taste of the Caribbean after half term. They’ll be able to listen to music from across Africa & the Caribbean, and celebrate the contributions made to British & global cultures by Black people around the world.
​
As always, if you have any thoughts or ideas of how we can celebrate Black History Month in future then please do get in touch. We are also keen to utilise the knowledge, skill sets & experiences of our parent body & Frensham community: if there is something that you think you could offer our students to further develop their understanding of Black History then again, please do let me know!
We’ll continue to celebrate inspirational Black figures next week, so keep your eyes peeled…
We’re also recommending the following books for those who would like to find out more:
The Story of Afro Hair celebrates the fashion and styles of Afro hair over the last 5,000 years. From plaits to the Gibson Girl, cornrows to locks, the hi-top fade to funki dreds, The Story of Afro Hair is the ultimate book of Afro hairstories with vibrant full colour illustrations by Joelle Avelino.
Black British Lives Matter boasts contributions from Doreen Lawrence to David Olusoga. Henry and Ryder's wide-ranging and urgent anthology highlights the vital benefits that Black Britons bring to society and the crucial importance of eradicating systemic racism.
NETBALL TOUR
The students had a full and fun netball tour last weekend to Cardiff. The coaching involved three sessions by Lauda Rudland, who currently plays for the Celtic Dragons, and also their academy coaches. These sessions focused on their attacking movement and game play. The girls got so much out of these sessions and worked incredibly hard on court every time. They played a match against a local school after the first training session. The girls played three competetive fixtures, which resulted in two very close loses and a win for the U13's. I have never seen the girls with so much fight and determination on court - I hope they bring it back with them!
On the Saturday, we were lucky enough to have a Q and A with the Ugandan National Team who were playing a test series against Wales over the weekend. They kindly gave up 40 minutes of their time during their busy preparation to talk to the girls about how they got into netball and what netball has brought to their lives - 'netball teaches you not to be selfish, you can only do well when you help other people shine' (Ugandan coach). 'Netball gives a sense of belonging, often to people that do not feel like they belong to a group of people or a society. I think they can make anyone in the world feel good, feel happy' (Peace Proscovia - Surrey Storm and Uganda). In the evening we were then fortunate enough to catch the second game of the series in Wales v Uganda. It was an incredibly tense and physical game of netball to watch and resulted in a second win for Uganda (Frensham were cheering very loudly) and we celebrated with the team afterwards having become their groupies! Two amazing oportunites for the girls that could do nothing but inspire our future Roses. There was plenty of fun too as we managed to squeeze in bowling and a water park. A fantastic tour, the girls did Frensham proud and it was a pleasure to spend the weekend with them. So excited for the season ahead.
MOUNTAIN BIKING UK MAGAZINE
Felix in Year 9 who races regularly in mountain biking events, was asked by Mountain Biking UK Magazine to write about his experiences last season. We asked him if he was happy to share with the Frensham community as well:
​
Coming into the season, I was so excited to see the whole team again and get back into racing. Throughout the off-season, I was so focused on getting myself back on my downhill bike - the last time I rode it was when I broke both my wrists at Fort William in August 2021. The crash, and the surgery was definitely the lowest point I had ever been in. And coming forward into the winter, I knew it would be hard to get my strength and fitness up while recovering, but thanks to Alan Milway, I got into a good routine of physio and training. My biggest struggle was getting my confidence back, even to ride after 4 months off my bike. In the end, I came back feeling stronger and more determined to race again.
The season ended up being so good, having the year to focus and learn how to put a race run together, which resulted in me coming second overall in the National Series, second at National Champs and more. I was also lucky to get out to Bad Tabarz in Germany and win an IXS. I also got to go to the European Championship in Maribor, which didn’t end as well, but I still learnt so much from riding a world cup track. It ended up being such a fun year, and I’m already looking forward to what next year will bring. Thanks everyone who made it possible!
WAKEBOARDING CHAMPION
Linn Kathenes-McGuigan, our Head of Outdoor Education, became the UK National Veteran Womens Champion at the British Water Ski & Wakeboard UK Wakepark National Championships on Saturday 1st October. Many of our students are lucky enough to have Linn taking them to Thorpe Park on games afternoons to learn her skills in this dynamic sport.
FOREST SCHOOL THIS WEEK
This week Early Years and Year 1 took an interest in the variety of mushrooms cropping up within our forest school area. We used books to match which mushrooms were on offer, described their appearance, where they grow and how they form.
In Year 2, we built an epic ‘go ape’ course using our climbing ropes. This consisted of a tightrope, rope ladder, swing, and zip wire, designed and made by a handful of students. Very creative!
Wednesday was a blustery day, so Year 3 made kites. We experimented with different designs, shapes, constructions and materials.
To go alongside their topic lessons of medicines and potions, Year 4 made magical potions in their forest lesson. We scavenged for items on the forest floor and muddles them together to create some crazy concoctions.
ESPORTS REPORT
This week saw the our Esports teams compete in their second set of Rocket League matches. In a reverse of results from last week Frensham emerged victorious in two of our three matches defeating both Colchester Institute & Whitgift Independent School 3-0!
All three teams gave it their all and the Esports suite was alive with constant communication between team mates. It was clear to see the students were starting to gel with each other as tactics and strategies getting developed on the fly. Even in defeat Frensham students showed remarkable resilience and maintained their composure finishing the fixture with smiles all round!
YEAR 4 CREATIVE WRITING
Katie's class have worked so hard this week; Using the story Shen and the Magic Paintbrush as inspiration the class have been writing and editing their own stories, they have also learnt what a blurb is and have designed their own front cover for their story and written a blurb to entice their audience.
SPOTLIGHT CYBER SECURITY DAY
“Absolutely amazing! Brilliant! Very informative! This is just some of the feedback we got from the Careers in Spotlight Cybersecurity Day we ran last week for GCSE and A Level Computer Science students. Students rated the experience 4.9 out of 5 and most students found it extremely engaging and came out energised.
2 Frensham Heights parents, Paula and Tim Page along with Cybersecurity specialist, Mitch Hines kindly gave up their time to give students an insight into the Cybersecurity industry and different career options available to them. Students learned all about how quick it can be to get into someone else’s computer as well as taking part in activities that gave them an understanding about the Social Engineering side of Cybersecurity. We made sure they were fully aware of the risks and dangers of doing this unethically and getting on the wrong side of the law. By the end of the session, many of the students have shown a keen interest in finding out more and exploring the possibility of a career in Cybersecurity.
“The students were so engaged and an absolute pleasure to work with for the day. They seemed to get a real feel for the industry, and it’s been wonderful to speak to some of them in the days after about the passion they feel for the opportunity. If this is the future of our industry, I feel like it will be in great hands!” said Paula, Director of Cyber, CCL Solutions Group.
Following on from the session, several sixth form students are really keen on getting some work experience in this area so if you are a parent who can offer this opportunity to them, please get in touch with Sarah Cull.
BRICK LANE GEOGRAPHY FIELD TRIP
On Tuesday, 4th October, the Year 12 Geographers set out for a field trip to Brick Lane.
As part of the topic “Changing Places” A-Level students are required to complete detailed case studies of both their local place and a contrasting place, and there are few more contrasting places in easy reach of the school than Brick Lane in London.
Evolving from a unique blend of cultures, our pupils were able to immerse themselves in this richly diverse neighbourhood in the East End. Brick Lane has witnessed large swathes of migrants and refugees throughout the ages. From the Protestant Huguenots fleeing Catholic France in the 17th century and the Jewish arriving during the second World War, through to the Bangladeshi migrants of the 1950s and 60s, there is no better place to witness first-hand the influence of external forces on the character and development of a place in the UK.
As well as enjoying the ambience and gaining a ‘sense of place’ for the area, the Year 12s had a selection of fieldwork tasks to complete. Environmental Quality and Clone Town Surveys, Character Trails and questionnaires were all completed with vigour, before a local lunch (Beigel cafes were the destinations of choice) and an afternoon left to explore the gentrified vintage shops and enjoy the diverse street art.
The return to the train was enhanced by a deviation via Spitalfields Market, but sullied by the cost of the bubble tea offering.
A very pleasant day was had by all!
THIS WEEK'S SPORTS REPORT
U9-11 Swimming v St Ives
On Monday of last week, we hosted our first junior swim gala of the year against St Ives School. It was great to see all the swimmers back in the pool and full of enthusiasm for an afternoon of races. We had a number of pupils representing the school from years 4 up to year 6. The program was packed full of races including backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, fly and medley and freestyle relays. On the day, we came up against strong opposition with a lot of club swimmers involved. However, we didn't let that phase us and everyone was determined to put full effort into their races. Frensham managed to achieve a couple of runners up positions and first place in the freestyle races but unfortunately on the day St Ives came out on top in terms of overall points. Well done to all involved, we look forward to the next gala when the weather gets a little warmer.
U15 & 14 Football v Ditcham
The U15 football team were all back together this week, following a break for study workshops, and they were looking to continue their positive start to the season following a convincing win against St Edmund's in their first game. Ditcham were the visitors this week and the game started with a high tempo and both teams seeing equal possession of the ball. Ditcham turned up the pressure and were looking more likely to score and they broke the deadlock soon after. A couple more goals followed, including a penalty, before we got one goal back through a nice pass slid into Arlo to finish past the goalkeeper and head in 3-1 at half-time. Frensham were the stronger side in the second half, however the opposition were much calmer in possession and made their passes count to score the next goal. Despite a penalty from Freddy the game finished 5-2. Well done to all involved, we look forward to our next game against More House on Tuesday afternoon.
U11/10 Football v St Eds/ Ripley Court
On Wednesday afternoon the U11 football team travelled to St Edmunds to take part in a triangular match with both St Edmunds and Ripley Court. The moment the team stepped off the bus the heavens opened, and the weather didn't let off for the entirety of the fixture. Despite this the team remained in high spirits and got stuck in straight away. The first game against St Ed's was a very even affair with both teams having possession and chances in equal measure. Both goals were scored by Otto backed up by some great support play in midfield from Jack and Lila and Kyle held the ball up well up front. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. In the second game, the opposition had some very skillful players, and it was backs against the wall, Finn and George putting their bodies on the line with some brilliant defending and Alexander in goal pulled off some miraculous saves, including a brilliant penalty save. The game finished in a 3-1 defeat, but the team should be proud of their efforts. Well done to all involved.
For the Under 10s the team we got off to a flying start and the team showed they are continuing to make steady progress as a team. In the first game we got off to a fantastic start when Rudy smashed the ball into the top corner from a long-distance free kick. There continued to be some great play between Amos, Ruby and Isla and the team found themselves a well deserved 2-0 at half time. St Ed’s got a goal back in the second half but some fantastic saves and brave defending secured a first ever victory for the under 10s. In the second game against Ripley the team continued with their hard work and commitment. Highlights include Lylee, Ruby and Isla working together to get a shot on target that was superbly saved but overall Ripley on this occasion were a strong outfit a won comfortably. Overall the afternoon was a huge success and another step in the right direction for the group of students.
U9 Football v St Eds
The U9 football team were back in action on Thursday afternoon and were looking to build on the brilliant progress they have made in football so far this year. St Edmunds were the opposition this time and provided really evenly matched competition. Both teams had good possession of the football and were looking to develop the idea of space on the pitch and using their passing skills to move the ball around the opposition. Chances came thick and fast, but the opposition broke the deadlock first and then scored again in quick succession. Frensham didn't let this deter them and continued to play with determination and huge effort. Remi scored a well taken goal and Ben poked the ball home from a corner in the first half. In the second half St Edmunds were dangerous in attack and took their chances well, despite some brilliant saves from Mack. Clark nearly got us back in the game with a thunderous effort which hit both posts and rolled across the goal line before their keeper dived on the ball agonisingly. Aubrey pulled a goal back towards the end from a good throw in from Crofton. Jack, Magnar and Oscar defended resolutely at the end but unfortunately St Ed's came out on top, winning 5-3. We look forward to the next fixture and to continue this brilliant progress the team is making.
U9 Netball v Boundary Oak