Top 10% Nationally - Bishop Thomas Grant School

Dear Parents and StudentsYou are no doubt aware that theschool was inspected by Ofsted inFebruary 2012 under its new verychallenging framework and also by theArchdiocese of Southwark in March2012. Brief extracts from them appearin this issue of Nuntius. All currentparents have been sent thefull versions.The excellent reports give us furtherconfirmation of the fact that this school is aplace for outstanding successes. Some of thesefeature in these pages.We remain a hugely oversubscribed school forplaces in Year 7 and the Sixth Form. In view ofthis a new 1.4 million pound Sixth Form buildinghas been built and will open ready for use thisSeptember. It will contain 3 classrooms, 3 ICTrooms each containing 25 desk top computers,an additional common room, a very extensivesixth form private study area containing 50At university, her MA topic was on Harry Potterand its relationship with the Classics, andshe is a research assistant to classicist andtelevision presenter Bettany Hughes.She is also connected with Team London anda scheme to popularize Latin in schools.desktop computers, toilets, offices andadditional social spaces outside the building.There are a number of changes to the schoolcurriculum for the next academic year in allkey stages. In every year group, curriculumpathways have been developed which caterfor the individual strengths and weaknesses ofthe students instead of ‘one size fits all’ whichis prevalent in most schools. For example, thehighest achieving students joining in Year 7 asfrom this September will be following a verychallenging grammar school curriculum.They will study Mathematics, English, Physics,Chemistry, Biology, Latin, French, History,Geography, Computer Science, DT, Art, Musicand Drama and a range of sports. They will take5 GCSEs a year early and will start 2 A Levels ayear early. They will also be expected to followa very extensive extracurricular programme.I am particularly pleased to see that the studyof Latin and the culture of the Ancient RomansShe visited fellow enthusiasts in this schoolin February.Invited by Dr Sini-Spencer, she gave two talks– one to Year 7 students who learn Latin andanother to the Classical Civilisations Club, whichis for Years 9 to 11. The title was The UnderworldAdventure of Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid.She pointed out the remarkable resemblancesbetween the underworld of Homer’s Odysseyand that of the Aeneid, and also severalimportant differences.“Aeneas’s trip to the underworld is alsoVirgil’s opportunity to indulge in an extensiveaccount of Rome’s future glory, particularlyin his glorification of the Caesars…is becoming firmly established in the school,thanks to the efforts of Dr Sini-Spencer andher links with Cambridge University. I am surethat her pioneering efforts will continue to besuccessful and that the efforts of those studentswho have become deeply engaged with thesubject will continue. A Classics trip to Romeand Pompeii is being arranged for next April.At the end of the Summer Term, my warmestbest wishes go to the students and staff whoare moving on, especially to members ofYear 13 who have been excellent role modelsfor younger students.My sincerest thanks go to all those people whothrough their constant hard work and devotionhave ensured that this school has maintainedsuch an enviable reputation.Louis Desa HeadmasterOur love for LatinLucy Felmingham has been an enthusiast for Latin and the Classics from an early age, and she is convinced that thelanguage and the stories from the ancient world are relevant today.Statue of a gladiator found at PompeiiVirgil depicts Augustus, his own ruler andbenefactor, as the promised ruler who presidesover a Golden Age. This is not just propaganda,because Virgil had good reason to believe thathe was living at a high point in history, becauseRome ruled most of the known world.In this context, Augustus was seen as thenatural counterpart of Aeneas, bringing toperfect fruition the city whose history theTrojan hero initiated.”Sean Cobb and Christopher Luu (pictured),both in Year 7, are both in love with Latin.Sean has even produced his own newspaper– Roman Rumours – which contains items like‘How to cook a peacock’ and ‘New fashion tipson tunics’.“It’s great to explore the Roman era and tolearn the language. I have become particularlyinterested in the architecture.” – Sean“I made a Roman amphitheatre out ofcardboard, with sand in the arena. I amfascinated by the gladiators – the retiarii, themurmillones and the bestiarii.” - ChristopherIn the first century BC, a Roman namedVirgil wrote the Aeneid, an epic poemdivided into twelve books. It tells thestory of Aeneas, who leads a fleet ofTrojans to Italy, where the gods toldhim he was to bring up noble people.WHAT THE INSPECTORSSAID ABOUT USHere is a selection of their statements:Ofsted Report (February 2012)• Attainment in the school is above average. Inparticular attainment and progress in English andMathematics are outstanding and significantly abovethe national average.• The behaviour and safety of the students areoutstanding. Exceptional care, underpinned by strongvalues, results in the overwhelming majority ofstudents being happy to come to school.• The school provides outstanding opportunitiesfor students’ spiritual, moral, social andcultural development.• Parents and carers hold the school in very highregard and believe that their children are looked afterextremely well.• Good and outstanding progress was seen in the largemajority of lessons observed, characterised by a highlevel of engagement of students in their work and anenjoyment of learning.• The outstanding leadership of the headteacher andhis team has resulted in sustained improvement,based on high ambitions for the school and allits students.• Teachers use excellent subject knowledge to planstimulating lessons that engage and enthuse learners.• Students are set challenging targets, which arerigorously monitored to ensure that students do notfall behind.• Good relationships between students and adults,underpinned by the strong ethos of the school andthe students enthusiastic attitudes to learning, leadto a calm, orderly and purposeful atmosphere whichensure that lessons proceed without interruption.• Regular homework, including extended researchtasks, supports students’ learning well. The schoolhas a robust marking policy which contributes tostudents’ clear understanding of how to improve.• The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced andit is under constant review to ensure that it providesopportunities for memorable experiences and highquality learning. For example, pathways have beencreated for the most able learners to ensure they arechallenged to achieve the highest grades.Diocesan Report (March 2012)This inspection focuses on the quality of the Catholic life ofthe school.• Pupils enjoy being at the school and display a real loveof and pride in being part of this faith community.• The school benefits from the outstanding leadershipof the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team andthe Governing Body ably assisted by the Chaplain.Leadership at all levels is ambitious for excellence.The Headteacher and his leadership team is a sourceof inspiration for the whole community, who in turn,appreciate value and desire to emulate their example.• The Catholic life of the school is highly visible andGospel values permeate through its structures,strategies, policies and practices. The school’sleadership and management are deeply committed tothe Church’s mission of education. They are energisedby the task of living out their Mission Statement ineveryday life.• Parents felt that their children were being educated in alearning environment which prioritised safety, personalfulfilment and academic progress.• The quality of provision for private and collective actsof worship is excellent. Priests have a regular presencewithin the school and witness to the respect theyreceive from the children and the reverence they showduring acts of worship.• Within the school nothing is allowed to present itselfas a barrier – either to learning or to the building ofexcellent relationships. Instead Bishop Thomas GrantSchool adopts a “relational” approach to individualsand bodies, including external agencies. It reaches outto others – through works of charity, prayer, educationalprogrammes and social events irrespective of faith,ethnicity, academic and/or social background.The Gospel values which underpin these virtuesare strongly promoted within the ReligiousEducation programme with its emphasis on lovingone’s neighbour.2 3

“UNFORGETTABLE” CEREMONYVoting slips were distributed and votes counted.Those with the most votes were invited toreceive awards at a prestigious ceremony heldat Lambeth Town Hall in May. This is where thephotograph was taken.Ann Marie Debrah was unable to attend,although she received an award for having aStudentscome uptrumpsMr Parchot writes:In January students from Year 7 entereda national writing competition withthe theme ‘My Hero’, organised by TheLeukaemia Cancer Society, and cameup trumps.In April the Society hosted a wonderful finale to the competition heldat Enfield Town Hall and we are enormously proud of the fact that outof three hundred entrants, nine of our students received the accolade ofhaving their work published in a collection of short stories.positive effect on the school community throughher work on the school council along withcarrying out fund raising activities during Lent.Richard Paul raised the largest sum of moneyever for charity this year, and was involved inmany school community activities. He describedthe award ceremony as “unforgettable”.Furthermore, Rory Taylor won his category (boys aged 10-12) andwas overall winner, and the collection was named after his entry ‘MrMontgomery’, about a boy who runs away from home, but with the help ofa kindly teacher gets his life back on track. Here is an excerpt:Groggily I rose from my makeshift bed, a torn sleeping bag. My tummyrumbled; I couldn’t remember the last good meal I had eaten. Thehomeless shelter certainly wasn’t generous with food.Photo by : Antony Alexandrou, 3A photography, www.3Aphotography.comNominations wereinvited from staffand students forpeople who shouldreceive awards fromthe Jack PetcheyFoundation forraising money forcharity, improvingthe schoolcommunity andhelping in the localcommunity.Mr Myton was nominated by the schoolcommunity as a whole for a leadership award.In the picture, those standing are BrandonCharles, Micheal Fidalgo, Alex Pearce, ShannonDowsett, Richard Paul, Kate Hoey MP, and thosesitting are Katherine Texeira, Lydia Greentree,The Mayor of Lambeth (Cllr Clive Bennett),Isabella Perales and Mr Myton.The runner- up for the competition was Ethan Williams with his story‘Hugo’ with its focus on bullying and how ‘Heroes come in the strangestof places’. Other students whose work was published included RebeccaAh Soo Leen, Gus Gabriel, Morgan Stephenson, Mario Coker-Russo, DeanBurrows, Abigail Singh and Aidan Finnegan. Each of these students wasthe proud recipient of a certificate from The Leukaemia Cancer Society.Rory Taylor and Ethan Williams attended the award ceremony and weremet and congratulated by the inspirational children’s writer Joe Craig (allpictured)who wrote the Jimmy Coates series of books. Kyri Shiamtanis ofThe Leukaemia Cancer Society declared; “It was a very proud moment forthe boys and their families.” I too was so proud that the boys had won andthey came with their school uniforms proudly representing the school.Precious Ntumy-Kamara, Emily Watson and Renata Garcia Arposio listen to advice.Congratulations to Noah Benhur,Nicholas Sankey Aigbukor, LauraMarcinkiewicz and NatashaMahatantila for winning thehomework competitions for theiryear groups.Two students, Joel Dohm-Karatjasin Year 7 and Sophia West in Year 9,reported on their experiences:Bread is bestIn our Science lessons I dissecteda sheep’s heart. First I cut openit open with difficulty to see thefour chambers inside, which werepartially obscured by fat.Informed ChoicesMs Tesfageorgis writes:insight into alternative pathways: organisationssuch as Latitude Global Volunteering and RemitThe school hosted its first Higher Apprenticeships delivered presentations, andEducation and Careers convention for we were delighted to have Ernst & Young, oneYears 11 and 12 students on 2 July. of the largest professional service firms in theworld, with us to share their experience andknowledge on what is required to be a successin the financial sector.This was a great opportunity for students tohear from university lecturers and admissionsstaff, gaining information and guidance inpreparation for their UCAS applications.The convention had an extensive seminarprogramme with topics including ‘StudentFinance’, ‘The Admissions Process’ and ‘How towrite a Personal Statement’.Included amongst the visitors wererepresentatives from Oxford University,Imperial College and Kings College.As well as providing information on highereducation, the convention gave students anThe two receiving chambers arecalled the right and left atria. Theother two chambers are pumpingchambers called the right and leftventricles. We learned about howthe heart is affected by exercise.In Science Club we tested forprotein, fats, glucose and starch tofind which food was the best fordifferent Olympic athletes.We found out that bread is the mostuseful for the Olympic athletesbecause it releases energy slowly.For homework we had to createsomething to display about anOlympic sport or sportsperson.My brother and I made a videoabout Greco-Roman wrestling whichshowed the rules of the game andsome tactics. (Joel)Archie the squidDuring Science Week, we were luckyenough to be visited by MirandaLowe from the Natural HistoryMuseum in South Kensington.She gave a presentation on some ofits projects.We were given lots of interestingfacts about the different animalswhich are kept there, like their giantwww.btg.acWe appreciate that employer engagement inschool is extremely important because it canhelp bring the curriculum to life by showingstudents how subjects are applied and valuedin the working world.With all the possibilities out there, it is naturalfor students to become overwhelmed withdecision-making about the future – so it isessential that they make informed choices. Thisconvention provided an exciting start to theSixth-Form Taster Week which followed.SuccessfulScienceWeekMiss Walburn writes:National Science andEngineering Week, which washeld in the middle of March,was really successful, involvingthe whole of Key Stage 3. TheOlympics-themed week waspacked with fun activities,speakers and competitions.squid, crabs, woodlice, barnaclesand fossils.The Museum’s female giant squid iscalled Archie, and is approximatelythirty-three feet long to the end of itslongest tentacle.Many of the animals are stored ina special liquid that is like vinegarwhich, in a way, pickles them tostop them decomposing. (Sophia)Bishop Thomas Grantschool4 5Archdiocese of Southwarkwww.btg.ac

Outstanding contributionsHolocaust RemembranceStudents from this school represented Afghanistan, Haiti and Germany in the Lambeth Model United NationsConference, which took place in April at Elm Green School. They also made, in the words of the organizers, “outstandingcontributions in the debates that tackled some tough issues…”Most of the delegates were from Year 10, but twofrom Year 9 distinguished themselves: OliverPerales was awarded First Prize as delegate forHaiti, debating the resolution on natural hazards,and Constantino Christou was awarded SecondPrize, again as a delegate for Haiti, debating theresolution on humanitarian aid. Both of them(pictured) spoke to our reporter.OLIVER: The countries were chosen at randomby the organizers. We chose Haiti becauseBishop Thomas Grant School has alreadybeen involved in raising money to alleviate theconsequences of the terrible earthquake there.We felt we knew something about it.I had to read out a speech, then when all ofthe other speeches had been heard, we wentinto separate rooms to debate the issues. Icontributed to a discussion on natural disasters– the tsunami in Japan for example – and we alltried to find ways of solving difficult problems.CONSTANTINO: I chose Haiti as well, becauseI had data at my fingertips on what happenedthere in 2010. The main point I was trying tomake was that, unfortunately, not enough haschanged since the earthquake.The main organizer was in the ‘humanitarianaid room’ and this was to our advantage. Weall decided that Haiti needs better housing, thatmore advantage should be taken ofnatural resources, that the supply ofclean water should improve and thatmore workers should be sent who canteach necessary skills.OLIVER: The whole event was fun,and it gave me a good chance topractise public speaking skills. I am veryinterested in doing that.CONSTANTINO: The conference wasuseful because it opened my eyesto what might be out therefor me. It was verygood for buildingconfidence, mineand other people’s.You can watchpeople grow!“We should bevery proud ofour delegates’contribution,”added MsTurvey, whoorganized theevent for theschool.Agesaand NorahThe aims of the Commonwealth Countries League (CCL) are topromote the education and advancement of women throughoutthe Commonwealth as a contributory factor in the alleviation ofworld poverty.In April, the following email arrived about two girls in Kenya whose plight wasspotlighted at school earlier in the year:Dear Mr Desa,My team and I have no words to thank you and your wonderfulschool for the opportunity to speak at your assembly about ourwork and the difference their gift of education will make to Agesaand Norah… we were amazed and impressed by the conduct of yourstudents and it is a huge credit to you and your staff. Your dedicationand ‘hands on’ approach is something I will carry with me always…Thank you so much and God Bless You.Kind regards,Ladi DariyaMSc, ACMIFundraiserCCL Education FundAgesa Lyne: is an orphan who wasbrought up by her grandmotherafter both parents died. She gaineda place at secondary school but hasno-one to support her.Here is her appeal: “I will appreciateyour sponsorship to enable me toachieve a secondary education. Mygrandmother is unable to feed uslet alone educate me. My dream isto become an artist or a banker andmake a difference to my community.I promise to work hard to attainmy goal.”Norah Nanfuka: accrued so muchdebt in school fees, examinationsand other school expenses thatdespite being a star student, theschool board asked her to leave. Shehas missed one full year of school.She told the Education Fund: “Dueto poverty, my parents are unableto take care of us (five children)let alone pay for my schooling.The school listened to my parents’endless promises to pay my feeswhich they are unable to fulfil… Ipromise to prove to everyone herethat despite my poverty, I am apotential doctor.”Mr Parchot writes:It is a testimony toour school’s policy ofinclusion that eachyear we remember thecrimes against humanitycommitted by the Nazis inEurope during the SecondWorld War.Here at Bishop Thomas GrantSchool the headmaster isemphatic that discrimination ofany kind against others on thebasis of religion, race, cultureor sexual orientation will not betolerated; this helps to createa community base on love andtolerance in keeping with thecharitable injunctions of Christ -love thy neighbour.This year students from Year 7presented a moving performanceto remind us of the victims of theevil Nazi philosophy of so-called‘racial purity’ and its belief thatone ‘Master Race’ should dominateand enslave all other races.The purpose of the assemblywas to draw attention to theNo revenge,just peaceplight of the Jews as well asother groups of people identifiedfor extermination, such as thedisabled and mentally ill, politicalopposition, Roma gypsies, blackpeople, gay people and so on.At the start of the assembly, actorsrepresenting people from all walksof life arrived at the front of thestage in an attitude of prayer,clasping objects dear to themand looking up at images of theDuring the 100 day period, Margaret Mizen and GraceIdowu, who both lost their sons to violent crime in 2008,will be addressing audiences of young people all overLondon, the aim being to increase awareness of thepotential outcomes of actions to help make the city safer.Margaret Mizen will visit BTG in September.Six Year 10 students from this school attended the launch– Arun Butler, Jordan Desa, Ellen Hickey, Mary Kelegher,Kadejah Richardson and Stefano Trombetta. Kadejah(in the picture) spoke about our involvement:“We listened to the two mothers at a conference at CityHall in the spring, and they told us what had happened,saying that they were Christians and that they did notwant revenge, just peace.They explained about how one moment of anger canaffect so many people’s lives, and that there is just toomuch violence. They want us to grow up in a stableenvironment.The project is connected with Kids Taskforce, which is aboutchildren knowing how to keep themselves safe and beingaware of people in the community who could help them.We have been thinking about what we can do at school,and so far we have come up with the idea of a peacechain around the school made up of special notices, andabout writing a play.We would like to hear as many ideas as possible.”concentration camps projectedonto a screen. Ascending thestage, they placed their objectsin a pile, recalling the mountainsof suitcases, glasses, shoes,children’s toys and so-forth leftbehind by the victims of the deathcamps. The actors sounded outthe names of the camps likea prayer or mantra as an actof remembrance: “Auschwitz,Dachau, Treblinka, Belsen… “A project called 100 Days of PeacefulEvents was launched in June at CityHall, part of a larger initiative calledRelease the Peace organized by theJimmy Mizen Foundation in partnershipwith Youth United, London Citizens andKids Company.Of course the main purpose ofHolocaust Memorial Day is toprevent such a tragedy beingerased from collective memory andwe consciously tried to establishlinks with other genocides:Cambodia in the 1970s, Rwandain 1994 and Bosnia in the 1990s,lending added poignancy to theslogan ‘Never again, never again’.Students also mimed theexpression ‘Hear no evil, see noevil, speak no evil’ to the lyricsof a song from the musical SouthPacific, “You’ve got to be taughtto fear and hate / Before you aresix or seven or eight / To hate allthe people your relatives hate, /You’ve got to be carefully taught”.Only when we understand thatsuch terrible evil is not an accidentbut wrought by mankind can wehope to prevent such tragediesin the future. As William Blakewrote, ‘Mankind makes thechains/ Mankind can break thechains’ - but only with God’s helpof course.MathematicsChampionsMs John writes:Eight of the topMathematicians fromYear 10 took part in theannual mathematicschallenge held on 20 Juneat St Francis Xavier SixthForm College.The teams went head tohead against each other, andin the final round we facedour archnemesis Dunraven.After twenty questions, thescores were tied, and ourgallant maths wizards foundthemselves in a tie break.Arun and Kamil stepped up tosave the day and, unlike AshleyCole and Ashley Young, wereable to snatch victory from thejaws of defeat.Our team was Arun Butler,Kamil Dreczkowski, JordanDesa, Natalie Flores, NathanDos Santos Marquez, StefanoTrombetta, Mamus Otuguor andJohn-Paul Ennis.6 7

Online SpanishBlogging is very useful forteachers and learners, and it isthe ultimate aim of the ModernForeign Languages departmentto provide a network of blogscovering all languages taught inthe school.Our tester blog is the one created bySpanish teacher Sr. Ordóñez. EntitledAula de Español, it can be found atwww.btgele.blogspot.co.uk/Year 10 students Jordan Desa andJoseph Alford (pictured) areregular users.“Our topic was our city. I told anyonewho might be reading the blog thatLondon is a very historical city whichwould be hosting the Olympics, andthat it would be an interesting place forvisitors from Spain or South America.I mentioned in particular the Housesof Parliament, the London Eye andTrafalgar Square.” (Jordan)“It is intended to help studentsstudying Spanish to GCSE and A levelstandard. We have included opinions,comparisons and questions in order tofulfil the criteria demanded by the examboard. It is very helpful to give onlineexamples of how we can improveour work.” (Joseph)THEY ADORED ITSophie Wojna in Year 8 writes:Our production of Rodger andHammerstein’s The Sound of Musicearlier this year was a huge success.The audience absolutely adored it.The Co-directors were Mr Brzezicki and MsTurvey, and Ms Love-Davies was Musical Director.A lot of the cast (from all years) were verypleased not only with the performance but withthe rehearsals. The younger students could talkto the older ones more freely at them.During the performances, the backstage staff wasvery helpful and sometimes great fun. “Duringsongs we would mime along with significant andfunny movements,” one of them told me.All the students were a little unsure when the firstrehearsal started because it was a new thing totheir schedules but they soon got used to it.Many people I have spoken to think that this was oneof the best performances BTG has ever produced.Two members of the cast made commentsto our reporter:It was a fun experience and the best part of itwas taking part in the Saturday rehearsals. I hadto learn some lines, of course, and one song –‘Sixteen Going On Seventeen’.It was my first experience of being in a musicalon stage. I took care to get myself properly intothe character of Rolf, who is a traitor – at first heis a gentleman and then he becomes aggressive.(Eric Foster Year 10)I played the Captain Von Trapp, and it reallypushed me as a performer. I conveyed alot more than I thought I could: I surprisedmyself, and now I am very interested in thewhole idea of acting.The character is the absolute opposite of the oneplayed by Eric. He’s a military man who is strictwith children and disapproving of what Mariadoes. He refuses to have anything to do with theNazis. (Joseph Alford, Year 10)Joseph Alfordand Eric fosterEager to learnChineseA major exhibitionMs Partleton writes:The first major exhibition of student work to be held in the Main Hall was organised recentlyby the Art department. A well-attended private view took place on 22 June.Work was included from the newBTEC Art and Design course, thenew Art Textiles GCSE course,Photography and Art and DesignA Levels and GCSE Art and Design.There was also a sample of ceramicwork created by Key Stage 3students, and plates previouslyIYou Hua has been teaching Mandarin Chineseat this school since November last year, mostlyto Year 8 students in lunchtimes and afterschool.She spoke to our reporter: “I come from the province ofAnhui in eastern China.I work for the Confucius Institute in this and in two otherschools. The students here are particularly eager to learn.They are really interested in the Chinese characters. Theypractise writing them – with a brush – on their own, sothat they improve. They practise speaking the phrases Ihave taught them on their own as well.We deal with Chinese culture in the lessons, and celebrate some of the festivals, for exampleat New Year, but my main focus is the language.This is becoming increasingly important. Some schools are introducing Chinese to very youngchildren, because they think it will provide good opportunities for the future.”exhibited at the Victoria and AlbertMuseum which had been createdby members of Year 7 as part ofa departmental visit. Sixth formstudents presided over a ceramicsworkshop for all ages in whichthey demonstrated pinch pot andcoiling techniques.The exhibition was used by theEnglish department as a stimulusfor creative writing, and provided anopportunity to see the results of theCeramics Room launch which tookplace last year, which was part of the‘Fired Up’ programme, a nation-wideproject by The Crafts Council to seeclay bought back to the classroom.Glyndebourne projectA cunning little vixenYasmin Riley in Year 13 writes:The project gave us all the chance to experience what it is like to be aprofessional composer. We were given a commission which was to composea vocal piece based on animals, in order to tie in with Glyndebourne’supcoming production of The Cunning Little Vixen by Leoš Janáček.Throughout the course of the year, the resident composer at Glyndebourne came to guide us inwriting our pieces. This help was really instrumental in creating the final outcome and it wasan honour to have had a professional composer helping me.In addition, members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra would play through what we hadwritten and give suggestions. This brought a reality to me as it really emphasised the fact that Iwas writing for musicians not just for my coursework. The project gave the whole compositionexperience a deeper meaning and allowed our music to come to life for the first time.In May, we went to Glyndebourne Opera House in East Sussex to reach the conclusion of theproject – the performances. Our compositions featured as a concert which was performed bysingers from Glyndebourne and musicians from London Philharmonic Orchestra.It was a big success and even the conductor of the LPO himself watched. The concert wasan incredible and surreal experience and it made all the hard work throughout the yearworthwhile. Yet there was still more to come as afterwards we watched a fantastic productionof Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, which is the only opera to be inspired by a newspapercartoon strip. It was such a fitting way to end an amazing project.8 9

She was satisfied that they were, and wasproved right three months later: “The place waswonderful, and we stayed at the Hotel Greiserhof,which is family-run, with a very caring andfriendly staff.They told us that the BTG group was the best theyhad ever experienced, because our behaviourwas excellent. We were asked to come back inthe future.We had top skiing conditions and we were veryclose to the ski runs, because it is more than twothousand metres above sea level. Most of thestudents were on red and blue runs, but some wenton black runs, which are for experienced skiers.Fiercely competitiveThe 2012 Lambeth LondonYouth Games Trampoliningsquad was made up ofstudents from BishopThomas Grant Schooland was managed byMiss Wells the Head ofGeography, who is atrampolining coach.Andrew Glazebrook in Year 12acted as the assistant coach andhelped the team manager inpreparing the team, which wasselected through trials open to allLambeth students.The instructors were very popular, and we wenton all sorts of expeditions, for example nighttimecross country skiing and snow-shoeing. Wevisited Innsbruck and had games and quizzes inthe evenings.Everything was geared to our needs.”Four students madecomments:“I have skied before in Poland, Slovakia, Austriaand Italy, since I was five years old, so I was in theadvanced group. I did fall over a couple of timesthough, and I got ‘frostnip’ in my knuckles. It wasgreat to make new friends.” (Ewa Kunysz, Year 9)Intensive training was needed forthe two prescribed routines, withfierce competition from nationaland international gymnasts whoattend the top trampolining clubsfrom across the London boroughs.Given the level of competition,team members were very pleasedto achieve eighteenth place outof the thirty-three boroughs, andthey are already aiming higher fornext year.Trampoliners Christina Lemince, PaulinaLisiecka, Sam Grover, Andrew Glazebrook,Nicole Gondek.Kühtai waswonderfulLast October, Ms Keane from the PE departmentvisited Kühtai, Austria’s highest ski resort,which is not far from Innsbruck.“I was just starting skiing, but I moved up andbecame the ‘most improved skier’. I lovedthe food at the hotel, especially the desserts.”(Michael Page, Year 9)“I was put into the beginners’ group and liked it.The hotel was warm and comfortable, and theymade us feel welcome. I enjoyed the disco wehad in the evening.” (Shannon Boyle, Year 8)“Thanks to Patrick, our instructor, I improvedquickly, but at first I tended to bump into people.On our way to the resort by coach, we saw anavalanche in the distance, but nowhere near us.”(Jordan Green, Year 10)SPORTS REPORTFootballIt was the ‘nearly season’ forfootball. We made fantasticprogress in the English Schoolscompetition where the Year 10team reached the last thirty-two,the first time we have achievedthis. We also made four cup finalsin the South London League andthe South London Cup, but luckwas not with us as we did notcome away with one trophy, eventhough the Year 11 team dominatedtheir final. However, in their debutseason the girls Key Stage 3 teamwon the South London League. Thegirls improved in every game andhopefully they can continue doingso next season, in the brand newkit we will be getting as part of theJack Petchey award for leadershipwithin the department.Congratulations and good luck toViv Soloman, who will be leavingus after his GCSEs to play forBirmingham City FC on a two yearscholarship.CricketAt the time of writing we have madeanother excellent start to the seasonwith the Under 15s winning all butone of our matches. Our only defeatcame at the hands of DulwichCollege. Our batting has muchimproved this year with Arun ButlerKowlessar and Luca Dos Santosboth making centuries. Should wecontinue with this excellent formwe are set to make the finals dayin at least two competitions wherewe will have to raise our game evenfurther to match the private schools.RugbyWe enjoyed another successfulseason in 2011/12 with both the Year7 and 8 teams performing strongly.Year 8 improved from last year andfinished top of the Surrey Leagueafter winning all of their games toadd to a friendly victory againstWhitgift and becoming the firstever BTG team to enter the RosslynPark National Schools SevensTournament. Adeyemi Animashaunand Bryce Botsoi led the try scoringstakes as usual but special mentionmust go to Carlos Rodriguez whosetackling often saved the day andalso to Ronan Joyce who captainedthe side admirably.Year 7, led by James Sheppard,proved to be an extremely keenyear group. Coached by the RFU’sGirls KS3 Footballers in alphabetical order: Chiara Alfonso, Sophia Antoniades, Saron Berhe, Shannon Boyle, Viktoria Bukaczewska,Amanda Burrows, Cristina Carnevale, Vanessa Julio, Ana Mendes De Sousa, Megan Murphy, Chloe O’Doherty, Carina Rodregues,Monique Ryan-Long, Shannon Silva, Rachael Sobowale, Laura Texeira, Katherine Warchol.Paul Wilson, who has committedhimself to BTG rugby for anotheryear, the team managed a thirdplace finish in the league. MarioMeza, Nicholas Sankey and DaneDuffus all led from the front andtheir physicality earned them a trialwith the Harlequins RFC Academy.Harlequin Academy players Nick Sankey andMario MezaWith a new games afternoon nextyear, the commitment of variouscoaches and fixtures arranged withincreasingly more experiencedopposition, BTG rugby has theopportunity to become somethingreally special.Mr BlackburnAthleticsBTG have made a solid start to theathletics season with a numberof accolades won at local, regionaland national Level. The term startedoff well at the Lambeth G & T SuperEight mini Olympics at EGA. Anumber of our talented athletes gotthe chance to compete and displaytheir talents in front of none otherthan double gold winning OlympianDenise Lewis. A brilliant afternoonwas had by all students, with anumber of medals won.At the 9/10 Lambeth Championshipswe had a staggering twenty podiumfinishes with ten of them resultingin gold medals!Due to the senior team’s success thefollowing students were selectedto represent Lambeth at theLondon Games: Michella Obijaku,Giacomo Spagnoli, Jordan Green,Andre Bingham, Alex Denby, JamesOdeleye, Puis Gikunoo, De NeiroQueva. Well done to them all!A special mention must be reservedfor two of our potential superstars:Michella Obijaku and GiacomoSpagnoli have won a numberof regional and national titles inthe last two months. Michella iscurrently ranked second in the UKfor Under 15s Shot Put, recentlysetting a personal best of 12.47m.She also came second at theNational Aviva Championships inthe multi-event discipline. At theViv Solomon,who has beensigned forBirminghamCity FCItalian Youth Olympics Giacomohas won gold in the javelin, settinga new personal best of 35.09, andsilver in both discus and shot.Mr ShedwickKamil Dreczkowski, Karate British ChampionGold and Adult London ChampionThe PE Departmentwould like to thankand congratulate allthe students who haverepresented the school thisseason. It is our pleasureto take you to fixtures andallow you to develop andshowcase the talents givento you by God. We wouldalso like to thank all thestaff that have supportedthe department again thisyear, and the parents whohave come and supportedour teams so regularly. Wehope to announce news ofa new ceremony where youcan come and celebratethe sporting achievementof our students.10 11

“This is the first time I have helda newly-born creature, but in myprimary school, St James the Great,I once held a chicken. It felt a littlescary. – Elita Brunton, Year 7“It was fun to hold the chick, thefirst time I have done so. It allincreases my interest in Nature.” –Jemima Boka, Year 7“It felt so light and fluffy. It remindedme of when we looked after somechicks at home. I love animals!” –Diogo Camara, Year 7Welcome to the worldMiss Walburn writes:At the end of June the sciencedepartment was full of anticipation.We had eleven very ‘eggciting’visitors in school, in the form ofeleven fertilised eggs!They arrived on 18 June – a Monday - andstudents and teachers alike waited expectantly tosee which egg would hatch first.Headteacher: Mr L Desa BScBishop Thomas Grant School,Belltrees Grove, London, SW16 2HYWednesday was hatch day and over the courseof the day and evening we were able to welcomethe chicks into the world.The eggs could be seen wobbling, and sometimescheeping could be heard from inside the shell asthe chick pecked at it to get out. They needed toget dry in the incubator before they fluffed out.During the fortnight that the chicks were inschool, they were visited by groups fromTelephone 020 8769 3294 Fax 020 8769 4917website: www.btg.acEmail: headteacher@btg-secondary.lambeth.sch.ukmany classes, and students were involved inspecial lessons based on the science of chickdevelopment, physiology and behaviour.Year 7 Science Club carried out the veryimportant role of daily care of the chicks, feeding,watering and cleaning them. At the end of thetwo weeks the chicks went back to where theycame from, to fulfil a life of laying eggs and beingvisited by children on a free-range farm.Congratulations to Miss King,Head of Science, who wasawarded a Fellowship of TheCollege of Teachers.This was awarded in light of her achieving Chartered London Teacher (CLT)Status last year, which in turn was awarded to her for a continued commitmentto and excellence in teaching.CLT Status is for teachers who, on a day-to-day basis, play a key role intransforming education in London by working to raise the achievements of allstudents and by challenging educational underachievement and disadvantage.Edited and produced by Richard Wilcocks. Enquiries to Meerkat Publications and Design 0207 458442412