Chemistry Design and Technology - SD Online Home

Chemistry
The Chemistry department is busy with activities. Every
student in the Lower and Senior school studies
Chemistry. Year 8 students have their first taste of
Chemistry being taught as a separate subject and by
specialist teachers. This is continued into Year 9. In Year
8 pupils are introduced to CASE activities for the first
time which should improve their thinking and investigative
skills. In Years 10 and 11 our most able scientist follow
a separate science scheme leading to GCSE examinations
in the three sciences. The remaining students
work towards the GCSE Double award in Science. The
increase number of students entered for the GCSE
Separate Science Chemistry for our most able students
showed more A and A* grades awarded this year.
In the 6th Form our chemistry students follow the
Nuffield course, which allows them to develop their
knowledge in the subject through the understanding from
practical activities. The past success of our GCSE separate
science programme has encouraged more students
to continue with chemistry in the 6th Form. The AS
results from our Year 12 students are most pleasing with
eleven of them would have attained a grade A or B and
four grade C if their results were to be certified at this
stage of the course. Of the three Year 13 AS students
two were awarded a grade A and one a Grade C. An
excellent set of results was attained from our Year 13 A2
group with all students attaining Grade C or better with
eight students achieving As and two gaining Bs. This is
without question the best result we have attained for
some time and the students must be congratulated.
The department has not only concentrated on achieving
academic excellence. It has contributed towards the
extra curricula programme. Under the supervision of Dr
Miller the Alchemy club continues to thrive. Pupils are
encouraged to participate in national competitions and
Summer Camps. This year a team from Year 8 enjoyed
some success in a competition organised by the Salter’s
Foundation. Adam Gray in Year 10 spent part of a week
at a Chemistry Camp at the University of Swansea.
During Activities Week our Year 10 students competed
against each other to produce a chemical timer using a
particular chemical reaction. They also experienced
modelling and simulation of a chemical process using a
computer program written by Dr Miller. Some of our 6th
Form students attended a Spectroscopy Course at
University College London. Pupils from our Junior
School and from Blackheath enjoyed a session in our
laboratories making a chemical indicator from red cabbage.
As from the account above the year has been hectic
but enjoyable. Enjoyable for both the staff and the pupils.
To many of them it has been rewarding and with well
deserved success. The success is attributed to the
teaching staff and our technician but more importantly
the enthusiasm shown by the pupils and the support of
parents and guardians. Ending on a happy note our congratulation
goes to one of my colleagues Mark Workman
and his partner for the birth of their second child Asha.
Chemistry Camp
For one week in July I went to the University of Swansea
to study Chemistry with other students of my age. I had
a really good time at the university and made lots of
good friends. We took part in a lot varied activities and
they were most interesting. There were also lectures
throughout the week and they were most enjoyable; in
particular the lecture on light. Everyone got on extremely
well and the laboratories were well equipped and
obviously better than those we have in schools. We used
5M Hydrochloric acid, which literally burned through
paper and used other highly toxic chemicals under the
supervision of trained staff. One acid smelt so much that
it had to be constantly in a fume cupboard with the fan
on full power, and any other mixtures close to it had to
have a stoppered on at all times. We made paints and
painted with them, and produced various things that
glowed. It wasn’t all work and chemistry. In the evenings
we had free time. We were taken bowling and had a trip
to the beach where we had a barbeque. Both were brilliant
fun. The only boring part of the week was the trip to
the steel plant. The food was excellent and the accommodation
most comfortable. I was able to experience
what it would be like at university and to study chemistry
at undergraduate level. I thoroughly recommend the trip
and so you Year 10 students see Dr Patel and get your
application in for next July’s chemistry camp.
Design and Technology
Adam Gray
It’s been a great year for Design and Technology. The
GCSE students achieved good results and each year
never ceases to amaze us with their imagination,
ingenuity and dedication to study. To highlight all of the
work would be an immense task and so we have selected
six of the students’ pieces to demonstrate the diversity
of the final examination projects.

Alex Bull
Alex designed and made a most interesting pool table.
As can be seen by the photograph it is pentagonal in
shape, which in itself opens up a whole new ball game
(no pun intended). It
is complex in design
and the accuracy of
the cuts to form the
corners demonstrates
a high level of skill.
The edges are cushioned
and provide the
table with excellent
bounce properties.
The table surface
itself is covered in felt
and it is good to see
textiles used as a
combination material
in this subject area.
To design, develop
and construct such a
piece is difficult
enough but Alex has
also incorporated an ingenious system that allows the
balls to return to a collection slot once pocketed. When
you consider that Alex not only manufactured an excellent
piece but also produced a full design portfolio you
begin to realise that the subject involves high multi-task
skills
Selina Bisnath
Selina designed and made a storage system that would
be ‘at home’ in any home. As can be seen she developed
her idea to include a multi-cultural theme. In this
approach, Selina has finished her work with Chinese lettering,
which highlight and accentuate the product. This
is a great East meets West piece with a traditional
Western design incorporating Eastern decoration. All of
the corners are constructed with
multiple finger joints that are
incredibly accurate. Selina
decided to develop her idea
through the inclusion of
metals. The door panel
is polished aluminium
and adds a mirrored
dimension to the
product, which is
most effective. She
produced an outstanding
design folder
that included both manual
and computer generated graphics.
Selina’s dedication was outstanding and she truly
deserved her examination result.
Nathan Giles
Nathan designed and made a particularly interesting
piece. Its function is to store components and equipment
used in the field of home brewed beer. Nathan informed
me that this was his father’s hobby but his father
seemed to think otherwise. This piece is quite fascinating
in its manufacture. The main body of the case is con-
structed from layers of 3mm plywood, which
are formed using a process called laminating.
Over the past few years, this has
become a particularly favoured
process in the department due to its
complexity and aesthetic quality.
Nathan formed the triangular
lamination around a jig
that he also had to manufacture
which
increased his workload
through making something
in order to make
something else. The
accuracy to which he
worked is outstanding
when you consider that
all of the laminates had to
meet up top to tail. Nathan
is now studying the subject at A level and we wish him
even more success.
Libby Rayss
In Design and Technology, big is not always beautiful.
Complexity and processes are as impressive as size.
Libby designed and made this very exciting storage box.
What particularly catches your eye is the stained glass
effect. When it catches the sunlight the piece positively
sings. This may of course sound a little over dramatic
but when a student such as Libby is brave enough to
produce a small, precise piece of work when all around
her others still hold the belief that big is best you have to
admire her bravery. The framework is constructed from
U profiled lead and is very accurately joined together via
soldering. Metalwork is not over employed in the depart-
ment as we do not possess a vast amount of equipment
required and so it is refreshing to see a product, which
has incorporated the facilities we do have. As I have previously
said, the stained glass effect is quite stunning
and is created through the use of specialised paints and
techniques which have been used in the Art Department.
All in all this is an excellent example of cross-curricular
links, which without doubt have affected the student.

James Russell
James designed and made this amazing audio storage
system. It’s purpose being to store the vast array of
sound recording
methods. This Art
Deco design can
hold CD’s, cassette
tapes, mini-disks and
inside good old 12
inch vinyl. The outside
décor gives the
appearance of an
old 50s radio which
provides a cunning
combination of contemporarytechnology
and traditional
style. As in Nathan’s
home brew storage
system, James has
also incorporated
laminating into his
product. All of the
arched faces are
manufactured using
this process and it
was touch and go as
to whether it would
be finished in time. It
was, thankfully, and
what a stunning effect it creates. Leather was also used
in the decoration process and helps develop the ‘aging’
effect. Like Nathan, James had to manufacture his own
jigs around which he formed the arches and his dedication
throughout the whole project was immense. James
also produced an excellent design portfolio, which
included excellent examples of computer aided design
and computer generated graphics.
Nezih Savaskan
Being a carpenter by trade and a musician by heart, I
have nothing but total admiration for the music stand
designed and made by Nezih. It is a truly magnificent
piece, which is not only functional but also elegant. The
main material is red beech, which gives the piece
warmth as well as structural integrity. When Nezih first
unveiled his plans for the stand I must confess that I was
a little apprehensive to say the least. Fortunately, he is a
good salesman and managed to convince me that not
only was it possible to manufacture it in our workshops
but that he could do it within the given time. Thankfully,
this was a reality and resulted in one of the finest pieces
of school manufactured work that I have seen at this
level. Both the base and the manuscript screen are constructed
in red beech and incorporate excellent jointing
systems. The main body is cunningly formed from MDF,
which has been veneered in red beech to maintain the
desired appearance. The height of the stand is adjusted
by means of a central screw which tightens against a
laminated beech rod. The calculations required to ensure
the rods rides true within the casing are mind boggling
and both Nezih and myself were eternally grateful that
the department had Computer Aided Design software at
its disposal. Nezih, like Nathan is also studying the subject
at A level and we wish him even more success in
the future.
Year 7
This is probably one of the most exciting year groups for
Design and Technology teachers. New pupils with fresh
ideas and open minds, which combined, make a great
recipe for success. Each pupil is involved in a mixture of
design and make projects, focused practical tasks and
theory and knowledge work. A particular favourite is the
mechanisms project. We learn together how power is
transferred through levers and linkages and how to cre-

ate the illusive
mechanical advantage
required from
machinery. This is
taught through a
variety of methods,
which includes the
use of Lego Technic.
As we can see in the
accompanying photographs,
the main
focus is on vehicle
construction. Here
the pupils learn

about a variety of power transfer methods including gear
systems and linkages. The tasks include constructing a
vehicle which can cover one metre in the longest time
and climb the steepest incline. Oliver and Alex managed
to create a vehicle which originally was thought to be a
non-starter. We set the clock though and discovered that
in fact, it did work and our calculations predicted that if
we could stay awake long enough it would have eventually
covered the distance in around a staggering nine
and a half hours. The boys didn’t have it all their own
way though as the girls showed them who was boss
when it came to the hill climbing vehicle. Impressive
vehicles were constructed by Harriet, Clodagh, Imogen
and Tutku.
All in all the pupils thoroughly enjoyed the project,
judging by the expressions on their faces, and it was a
delight to see young people actively working together as
a team to ensure mutual success.
Year 9
Activities Week
Take a pop bottle, water, compressed air and someone
daft enough to combine them together and what do you
have? The answer is a barrel load of fun.
In the summer, we were asked as a department to
contribute towards the Activities Week events. This is a
great time for us as teachers as it allows us the opportunity
to let our hair down and remember what it was like
to be a child. This year’s D&T theme was water rockets.
The usual method is to one third fill a bottle with water,
pump some air into it via a car tyre foot pump then watch
it soar away. However, being the sensation seekers that
we are we thought it far more exciting to use compressed
air! It’s far more powerful and the launches are
certainly more spectacular as you can probably tell by
the accompanying photographs.
The Year 9 forms were split into groups of three,
given a variety of materials to work with and a limited
amount of time to manufacture a bottle rocket launcher.
Teams could purchase extra materials but this did affect
their final points and so careful consideration was
required.
Once the structures were completed, we relocated to
the launch site where someone with limited personal
safety, namely me, injected the bottles on the launchers
with compressed air. This was great fun for all, watching
the success of their work combined with Dear Old Sir
getting a jolly good soaking.
Of course, the pupils didn’t have all the fun. Our
department technician Mr Cameron created the rocket to
end all rockets out of no less than three water dispenser
butts and yes, once a gain I got soaked through. He was
ably assisted by Marc ‘Master brain’ Holmes and Jack
‘The Lad’ Allery to whom we are all very grateful.
As with all fun activities great learning experiences are
subliminally created. Team work came to the front, new
friendships were forged and I feel certain that the pupils
enjoyed the scientific principals as well as the inevitable
teacher soaking. This was most certainly a great end to
a great year for all concerned.
The Future
So what of the future? What’s in store over the next
twelve months?
The Department has recently acquired the right to
use the new and exciting three dimensional modelling
software Prodesktop. Imagine the ability to design and
manipulate your ideas in a true three dimensional atmosphere
where you can rotate you drawings and view them
from any direction. Imagine true life rendering with the
ability to manipulate light sources, where with the touch
of a button you can create working drawings to accompany
your design ideas. Then, transfer them to a
machine which can, with pin point accuracy, create your
component.
Some of the work we have accomplished so far
accompanies this section and we are certain that this is
only the tip of the iceberg. At present pupils in the Senior
School are acquiring these skills for the 21st century.
Design and Technology in the Junior School is also on
the verge of developing the use of the software as a
design aid.
We hope you have enjoyed a peek at just some of
the work from the D&T Department.
The future is bright, I’m glad it’s not just orange.
CMR

Economics /Business Studies
It was another successful year for the ever expanding
economics/business studies conglomerate. High academic
standards were maintained while the department
branched out into exciting new ventures.
The Upper Sixth trip to Prague will undoubtedly
remain in the memories of staff and students alike for
some time to come. Excursions to the university, Skoda
and a film studio gave everybody an insight into a country
still undergoing economic and political change, while
still leaving time to experience some of the city’s diverse
nightlife.
Earlier on in the year, a team of four went to the Bank
of England to present their views on monetary policy. Ali
Altinsoy, Polly Elgin, Mitan Patel and Ajit Singh gave a
unique interpretation of macroeconomic forecasting and
it was no disgrace to be eventually pipped by St Pauls.
Lower Sixth students had the opportunity to take part in
the Working in the City programme to experience a
flavour of corporate hospitality and life in the fast lane.
This year, the department is eagerly looking forward
to the refurbishment of its rooms, complete with I.T. facilities
to bring it into the 21st century.
English
The first half of the Autumn term was taken up with
preparations for the Northern Review Evening,
which took place on 11th October in the Little
Theatre. This consisted of sketches, dramatic scenes,
songs and poetry readings from the North of England,
and was performed by staff and pupils. Highlights
include Rania Jumailly in Alan Bennet’s Talking Heads,
Zach Cashin and Alex Thrift in Two
by Jim Cartwright, and Hanna
Retallack in A Taste of Honey as
well as some bizarre attempts at
accent by the staff in Monty
Python’s Four Yorkshiremen sketch!
Overall, the evening was a great
success, and we will be auditioning
early in Autumn 2002 for the a
London Review evening, just to
allay any fears that there is a
regional bias in the department!
There were two Sixth Form trips in the latter half of
that term. All three Lower Sixth English sets went into
London for a series of lectures on Othello, ranging from
‘Iago and Desdemona: Good and Evil’ to ‘Geography in
the Play’. There was also an Upper Sixth trip to Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof in the West End.
In the Spring term, Miss Oliver led a very interesting
Sixth Form trip to Canterbury help those students tackling
The Canterbury Tales as an AS level text. We also
welcomed Daniel Rosenthall, a film critic who has lectured
at RADA, to speak about Othello, using clips from
three different film versions of the play.
The Spring term also saw the Lecture competition in
full swing, which involved Years 7-10. The variety of subjects
was, as always, fascinating, with topics ranging
from The Simpsons to Taliban Women, from
Environmental Destruction in Latin America to Chitty-
Chitty Bang Bang! Congratulations to Rose Paine, who
won the Lower School Competition, and Sam Hindes,
who won in the Middle School. Both will be receiving
their awards on Prize Giving Day.
The Summer term began with the Literary Society
Dinner, the first of its kind, which proved to be a tremendously
enjoyable evening. We have Mrs Williams to
thank for the venue, the stunning Belair House in
Dulwich Village, the owners of which are friends of the
Williams family. Sixth-form and a select group of staff fitted
into the bar area, and ate, drank and were merry.
The Society President, Rebecca Dove, had declined an
invitation to speak, so it was left to myself to offer some
(in retrospect perhaps ill-advised!) comparisons between
life after school and Dante’s Inferno. More successful
was Mr John O’Brien, a stand-up comedian who had
studied English, who offered some more earthy insights
into the subject, and who bantered with the audience at
great length. Many thanks to Rebecca and Alex Thrift for
helping to organise the evening.
At the end of June we were very privileged to welcome
Andrew Motion, the Poet Laureate, to the College.
Mr Motion began by listening a selection of poetry written
and read by members of the Lower School, and
around the theme of family. He then presented signed
copies of his latest works to the winners from Year 7 and
8, Edwin Coomarasu and Babette Radclyffe-Thomas.
This was followed by Mr Motion talking about, and reading,
his own poetry, which proved moving and stimulating.
Afterwards, members of the audience, from Year 7
to Year 12, asked questions for a good fifteen minutes.
Such was the interest that we had to call a halt or buses
would have been missed!
August has brought with it another successful batch
of exam results. At A Level 56% of candidates achieved
and A or B grade, whilst at GCSE we were delighted to
see that 68% gained an A or an A* in English (a department
record by far), with a 97.8% A*-C rate in both
English and English Literature.
I am pleased to say that there are less staff changes
to announce than last year! However, I am not pleased
to say that we are losing Lisa Jackson, who is moving
back to Australia with her new husband. Lisa has been a
tremendous asset to the department, and to the College,
and we will miss her high standards, and her professionalism,
as well as her raucous laughter, very much.
In her place, we welcome Miss Rebecca Wildish to
the College. Miss Wildish recently graduated from Keble
College, Oxford, and will, I’m sure, prove a valuable
addition to the department.
Lastly, congratulations to the new Literary Society
President, Andrew Michael, and Treasurer, Hans
Thompson.
AJS

English Society Dinner
History
The most significant event for the department this
year was the departure of Gary Hunter after 13
years as a stalwart of the basement and latterly
the History corridor. Without repeating the substance of
his valete elsewhere, it would be inappropriate not to
record here our appreciation of the enormous hard work
and good humour he brought to his task whilst moving
from thrusting young innovator to senior manager. As I
write only a few days into the Michaelmas Term he is
already missed. We wish him well in his new post, and
trust we will see him here again on some auspicious
occasion.
The department’s involvement in the Year 7 and 8
Outdoor Pursuits has allowed more fieldwork to happen
than ever before. Although this year Rochester was
booked (for diocesan events) and so the trip to Ardres
began with Dover Castle, there were visits to the
Blockhaus and La Coupole as well as a view of the
Vauban fortifications at St Omer. Year 8 appreciated the
rich history of Bayeux and explored the Normandy landings
at Arromanches. Year 9’s day at the Imperial War
Museum seems tame by comparison, but it serves a vital
part of the syllabus. This year’s changes to the content
mean it will be even more relevant. They, along with
Years 10 and 12, are, however, able to join us on the
Trenches Trip. A full report of that splendid event is elsewhere.
The planned cycle of day trips has now returned
to the beginning, and we are anticipating the return visit
to Ypres with enthusiasm.
Over the last year classes have become used to the
data projector in room 222, which is proving a vital asset
in delivering fresh and more varied evidence to pupils –
although rumour has it that Mr Sharp’s habit of including
his own pre-recorded applause at the end of any
PowerPoint presentation is losing its impact! With television
and video being supplied through the same system
it has been possible to remove the TV trolley and dedicate
the space saved to other purposes. More and more
pupils are using ICT to improve their history, and there
appear to be fewer dreadful anachronisms committed by
people whose search for illustrative material from the
web results in a late twentieth century Soviet battle tank
being added as illustration to a piece on the Great War.
Nor – thank heavens – are there as many clipart images
on the extended exercises! Pupils at the College seem
to be much more discriminating than even a year or two
ago, and as long as they never lose sight of the primacy
of the written evidence they will continue to do well. In
the end, success comes down to how well students
explain and justify their ideas in writing, and on the
whole they do it most effectively.
Two visiting teachers from the Institute of Education
assisted the department over the year. Both Miss Shipley
and Miss Scudamore have gone on to exciting posts, but
pupils are more likely to encounter Miss Shipley as she
is only a few miles up the road at Eltham College, and is
sure to be involved with sports fixtures of some kind.
Their fresh input into history teaching at the College was
welcomed – Mr Harrild, Mr Glavin and I can always do
with a new idea or two, though not usually more than
one at a time, at least in my case! I do still need some
fresh ideas on OD casualties in the Great War, and so

Year 7 listen to
an explanation
of the V2 rocket
renew my appeal of two years ago for any information
about these and any other ODs who served in the war
as part of a project to create a full account of the OD
experience of the 1914-18 war. Please contact me at the
College if you have anything you think would help.
(ADS@stdunstans.org.uk)
Finally a plea! Think critically at all times – and pay
attention to the world around you. Today’s news is
tomorrow’s history, and the problems we face are fundamentally
the problems people have always faced. Don’t
let the immediacy of now obscure the clear thinking you
can gain from studying then – and when you’ve made
the connections, explored the links and developed your
understanding, talk about them!
Blockhaus – side elevation
Mr Bodenham drops another bombshell
Anna McDowell writes her History notes

Mathematics
The year began, as ever, with the House Mathematics
Competition, which was held on three consecutive
Thursday lunchtimes. This year Forder swept the board
clean, winning all three of their matches, with only Stuart
putting up a bit of a fight (no bias there)! Well done to
everyone who took part, especially to the Forder team of
Paul Nicholas (U6), Chris Chen (L6), Vishal Patel (Y11)
and Sarah Bassey (Y9), who won.
Here is the table of results:
W L F A
Forder 3 0 67 24
Userwood 2 1 49 42
Stuart 1 2 30 47
Hecker 0 3 19 52
In September four members of Year 9 started attending
a series of Mathematics Masterclasses. Jermaine
Thompson writes:
On the 15th of September 2001, at Bromley High
School, Sara Bassey, Manvir Grewal, Sharla Singh
and myself, Jermaine Thompson attended the first of 8
Junior Maths Masterclasses. The classes started at
9.20am, with pupils from other schools, such as St.
Olaves, Ravensbourne, Alleyn’s, Bromley High and
Crofton, and they ended at 12 midday. In each lesson
we did sequences, 3-D nets symmetry, linkages,
mazes and network connections, codes, probability
(dice work) and finally graphic calculator work, which
proved to be very popular. All the St. Dunstan’s
College Mathematics teachers appeared at some
stage and the lessons were very enjoyable and fun,
even though it was a lot of hard work.
On Tuesday 6th November, the top two sets of the
Upper and Lower Sixth all piled into the cold refectory to
sit the annual Senior Mathematical Challenge, which
lasted for 90 minutes. The paper this year was apparently
easier than last years, and many of the students
gained awards. Surprisingly, the Lower Sixth did better
than the Upper Sixth.
Here are the results:
Gold: Paul Nicholas
Silver: Christopher Chen; Thomas Dare; Omar Moonan;
Stephen Etheridge and Gareth Rees
Bronze: Billy Owens; Sarah Bodenham; Jenny Greenshields;
Graham Condon and Jigna Patel
Congratulations to everyone who gained an award and
also to all the few who just missed out on getting one.
A special mention must go to Paul Nicholas, who
gained the highest mark in the school, 105, nearly making
the top 100 nationally. He progressed to the first
round of the British Mathematical Olympiad.
Hans Woyda
The Hans Woyda Maths team, consisting of Paul
Nicholas (U6), Sarah Bodenham (L6), Jamie Giles /
Vishal Patel (Y11) and Sharla Singh / Sara Bassey (Y9),
played matches during the first term.
In the first round they played against St. Joesph’s
College, narrowly losing by five points – the score was
30-35. In the second round they played against Alleyn’s,
and the score was 31-41 to Alleyn’s. In their third match,
against Trinity, in which, after a slow start the team fin -
ished by winning the game, with accurate answers – the
score being 42-35. Well done to all involved with a bit
more confidence we could have progressed to the next
stage.
On Thursday 7th February, the annual Intermediate
Mathematical Challenge took place, as ever, in the refectory.
The paper itself was 60 minutes long and many
members of years 9-11 attempted to answer the questions.
Over 2600 schools entered their students and in
our school the following 73 received certificates:
Year 11:
Gold: Richard Hall; Irene Athanas; Thy Hoang; Jamie Giles
and
Alex Bull
Silver: Michael Leal; Tom Neenan; Ben Miller; Natasha
Nanuck;
Can Urmen; Sarah Keltie and Scott McMillan
Bronze: Onome Igharoro; Vishal Patel; Robert Whitworth;
Charlie Fairless; Nicole Efthymiou; Dat-Fay Ip; Nicholas Askey;
Jon Yirrell; Hazen Ahmet; Gaby Heard; Erone Knight-Simpson;
Bhavin Patel; Stephen Hugkulstone; Ekta Patel and Mark
Waite
Year 10:
Gold: Adam Gray; Michael Illsley; Robert Condon; Natasha
Marshall; Callum Sida-Murray and Beth Tanner
Silver: Sarah Barnett; Ela Ceyhan; Robert Jackson; Matt
Kitchingman; Luke Hunter; Kelvin Pathmanathan; Sarah De
Zoysa;
Haydn Thompson; Thuji Muthkumarsivam and Venita
Akpofure
Bronze: Giles Wilmore; Ajit Kanagaratnam; James Murray;
Jack Retallack; Kaja Zuvac-Graves; Malcolm Fernandes; Kevin
Ilo; Shereena Nain; Victoria Keppe; Laura Crosbie; Carl Dennis
and
Nick Wilkie
Year 9:
Gold: Thomas Kemp and Jermaine Thompson
Silver: Sharla Singh; James Reed; Adai Monerville; Chantal
Persaud; Peter Whittaker; Manvir Grewal and Shameel Nanuck
Bronze: Lucy Hinton; Alex Taylor; James Spencer; Anna-Maria
Amato; George Davies; Anna Harborow; Holly Grima; Ben
Jacobs and
Siobhan Kelly
Congratulations to everyone and in particular to Adam
Gray, who received the best in school certificate.
Six Year 9 pupils can be especially pleased with themselves
as they gained a enough points to automatically
enter the European Kangaroo, an international competition,
that takes place on the Thursday of the last week of
term. They are: Thomas Kemp; Jermaine Thompson;
Sharla Singh; James Reed; Adai Monerville and Chantal
Persaud. Unfortunately on the day of the event three of
them were absent. Of those that did take part Thomas
Kemp and Jermaine Thompson won Certificates of
Participation and Sharla Singh a Certificate of Distinction
– the first pupil at SDC to achieve this.

During the Michaelmas term two pupils attended the
Royal Institutions lectures in New Cross. Efe Igharoro
writes:
Earlier this year, Antony Faithful and myself attended
a series of Mathematics Masterclasses, which took
place on consecutive Saturdays starting on the 19th of
January to the 23rd of March. The Masterclasses were
particularly challenging. Each week having a new topic
of discussion and investigation. Topics such as:
Mathematics and Magic; Dimension; Mathematics BC
and the cost of money. Every week there was a new
lecturer, so in a sense, a fresh start on a new topic. By
attending the classes not only did we learn new methods
of solving questions but we also enhanced our
knowledge in the understanding of mathematics.
There was only one bad thing about the classes and
that was waking up early on a Saturday morning, but it
was certainly worth it, because now we have a better
understanding of mathematical problems and calculations.
To be chosen to attend the Masterclasses is
something a pupil should consider a privilege.
However these classes deserve a lot of commitment
and hard work, but in the end it certainly pays off.
On 30th April, the St Dunstan’s Mathematical Challenge
took place, with pupils from the top 2 sets in Years 7 and
8 attempting to answer the questions in the hour that
they were given. Well done to everyone who took part
and congratulations to the following certificate winners:
Year 8:
Gold: Jack Daniels; Lawrence Vermeir and Elizabeth Skinner
Silver: Raphael Cahill; Vafa Pirjamali; Junior Anin; Joel
Herbert; Emily Hindle; Julius Ebie; Ardo Al-Jaf; Harry Warrener
and Jack Allery
Bronze: Michael Twerdochlib; Robin Lanes; Rose Paine; David
Gray; Thomas Bunzl; Liam Christie; Nadia Ismail; James
Spare;
Daniel Nightingale; Nicola Marshall; Hamesh Patel; Alex
Narramore; Richard Greenhill; Calum Sharma; David McNeil
and
George Woodhams
Year 7:
Gold: Joe Thomas-Bohl
Silver: James Howell; Alex Rush; Jamie Harding and Imogen
Large
Bronze: Clodagh McGuire; Oliver Kay; Nathaniel Campbell-
Brown; William Bott; Seamus Weech; Tim Crosbie; Joe Twinn;
Amy Burnell; Mark Watson; Lucian Howells; Alistair Walker and
Gabriel Adebiyi
Further congratulations go to Jack Daniels who achieved
the highest score in the school.
On Friday the 21st of June three pupils were invited to
the Royal Institution itself. Jermaine Thompson enjoyed
the visit:
Sharla Singh, Manvir Grewal, Sara Bassey and myself
were invited to the Royal Institution with Mr
Kitchingman to listen to some lectures on Science and
Mathematics. First we listened to a lecture about
Nominal numbers and some founders of theories such
as Euler and Germain. Germain’s theory was that if P
was a prime number then 2P+1 must also be a prime
number. An example is if P=3 then 2P+1 is 7 which is
a prime like 3. After the lecture we broke up for lunch
where we had a small quiz with some very challenging
problems. If you got the highest score then you would
win a book called Mathematical Models. After lunch
we listened to another lecture about how the Royal
Institution started up and some famous scientists who
were members of it such as Michael Faraday who
invented the electric motor. By half past three it was
finished and we made our way back to school.
Finally, a previous author of this report, Paul Nicholas,
following his achievement of gaining three grade As in
Mathematics won his place at Christ’s College,
Cambridge. Also last summer in the A & AS-Level examinations
there were nineteen occasions when pupils produced
a maximum score in their units examinations,
including: Christopher Chen four times; Jigna Patel and
Paul Nicholas three times and Sarah Bodenham twice.
Jigna Patel and JPK

Modern Languages
Languages Day
Friday 8 March
The newly refurbished suite of rooms for the Modern
Languages Department, officially opened on Thursday 7
March, was the reason for Languages Day held throughout
the Preps and Senior School. French breakfast was
served to pupils in the Preps, while pupils in Years 7, 8,
9 & 10 were treated to a language or cultural element in
each subject of the day. Lessons in the Languages
Department consisted of sketches in the foreign language.
Pupils in Senior and Lower School Assemblies
were able to watch Rotkäppchen performed by Year 9
pupils and a Spanish dance by girls in Year 10. A mass
of international flags in the Lobby gave a special flavour
to the day, topped by a tasty lunch with a European
menu.
Religious Studies
The Religious Studies department has continued to
go from strength to strength this year. The examination
results were excellent once again and most
especially at A-level where almost all students achieved
A grades both at A-level and also at AS level. The subject
is now more popular than ever at all levels.
As usual all of Year 7 visited the world famous Hindu
temple in Neasdon in north London. The sixth form visited
Buddhist temples in Kennington and Wimbledon.
They also went to an A-level conference in Philosophy in
the autumn and attended a lecture I gave on ‘Philosophy
for All’ in March.
We are particularly pleased to have a new member of
the department joining us from October half term. Mrs
Geraldine Crouch will join the department. She is an
experienced Religious Studies teacher and an examiner
for the OCR examination board.
WJH
Physics
The year has been a period of initiation for the ‘new’
Physics department, with all four teachers being
effectively in new positions.
Several new initiatives have been launched this year
and are now beginning to come to fruition. This year we
have started the year teaching topics such as ‘Theme
Park Study,’ ‘Mobile Communications,’ and ‘Physics of
Film’ which have enthused the pupils and the staff.
The AS and A2 course is thriving and we have thirty
two students this year taking AS Physics and thoroughly
enjoying it. We have spent the first term looking at
Imaging (particularly medical and astronomical),
Designer Materials (What is that Formula One car made
of?) and Signalling (mobile phones and synthesised
music have been two highlights). Next term promises a
look at the mystical Quantum Theory.
The A2 students have been looking at Computer
Modelling and then heading Out Into Space looking at
gravitation and delving briefly into Einstein’s relativity.
The lessons seem to go very quickly, but I’m not sure
this is due to time dilation!
Our use of ICT continues to march forward. We are
now using our laboratory computers in about a quarter of
lessons and the investment in computer simulations has
further inspired and aided the pupils. PowerPoint presentations
are now commonplace from both the teacher
and pupils, and our pupils really feel they are in the 21st
Century.
RJA