Winter 2014

Leweston Life

Head’s Welcome 3

New Head Announced 4

Results 5

Academic Awards and Successes 6

Creative Life 9

DofE Going for Gold 12

Senior Sport 14

Junior Department 18

Nursery 26

Junior Department Sport 28

Spiritual Life 29

Boarding 30

Dates for your Diary 32

Contents

www.leweston.co.ukCover image: Schola rehearsing for the 2014 Carol Service in Sherborne Abbey

Welcome from the HeadWith the end of another year upon us it seems

an appropriate time to reflect on the

accomplishments of 2014.

Academically Leweston has once again had an

excellent year. Indeed, we have just been notified

that Leweston has outranked all other English

schools in its category (for girls in all types of

independent schools) and has been awarded the

Good Schools Guide award for excellence in

English Literature at Pre-U. In addition we had

strong sets of GCSE and A Level results this

summer and another record breaking year of

AS results.

Leweston’s capability for enabling girls to perform

beyond expectations across the ability range is

reflected by the fact that we have once again been

ranked in the top 10% of schools nationally for

value added at GCSE. These results and the GSG

award reflect the dedication of both the girls and

the staff and I am justifiably proud of this

achievement which builds on our strong

reputation for academic excellence. You can read

more about this year’s academic performance on

page 5.

Investment in our School facilities continues and

this summer has seen the completion of new

accommodation to support the growing numbers

of boarders at Leweston, as well as a new cookery

suite, refurbished art block and an additional

science lab. This investment continues next term

with the expansion of our Nursery to cater for the

growing numbers at the bottom end of the School.

More about this and other developments in the

Nursery can be found on pages 26 and 27.

We ended this term with two of the highlights in

the Leweston calendar, the Junior Department and

Senior School Carol Services, which rounded off

another busy and successful term in the music

department (pages 9-10). It has been a busy term

in the sports department with much success

(pages 14-17 and 28) and we look forward to

building on these impressive achievements with

the appointment of Sara Guy as Director of Sport

from the summer term 2015. We were also

delighted for the five girls who passed their Duke

of Edinburgh Gold Award, following their

expedition in Peru in the summer. Details of their

adventures can be found on pages 12 and 13 and

we look forward to the new Duke of Edinburgh

season starting in full in the spring.

It was with great pleasure that we welcomed

Genevieve Cox as Leweston’s Chaplaincy

Coordinator at the start of the academic year.

Genevieve has had a busy first term, organising

5 year group retreats (page 29), as well as

overseeing the spiritual life of the school. The

retreat programme has been innovative, engaging

and thought provoking for all the girls involved.

Much more is planned for 2015, culminating in the

annual Sixth Form pilgrimage in the summer term.

Finally it is my great pleasure to announce that

Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed Head of

Leweston from September 2015, following my

decision to step down at the end of the academic

year. I have no doubt that Kate will continue to

build on Leweston’s success with commitment,

understanding and passion in the years ahead.

More information about Kate’s appointment can

be found on page 4.

This academic year has already seen much to

celebrate but as we reflect with pride on the many

achievements, we also look forward with

anticipation and confidence to all that 2015 has

in store.

3

Adrian Aylward

Headmaster

Leweston is delighted to announce that

Mrs Kate Reynolds has been appointed

as Head from September 2015.

Mrs Reynolds will take over from Adrian

Aylward, who steps down at the end

of the academic year after nine years

in post.

Mrs Reynolds was educated at St Mary’s

Ascot, Wellington College and at Bristol

University where she studied Law from

1986 to 1989. She passed her Law Society

Finals in 1990 and practised as a solicitor

until 1994. In 1994 she obtained a PGCE

from Bath Spa University in English and

subsequently worked at Gillingham

School, Sherborne School and, of course,

Leweston, where she is currently Head of

EAL. In 2012 she undertook a M.Ed. in

Educational Leadership from

Buckingham University.

Mrs Reynolds, aged 47, has four children

and her husband, Giles, is also a teacher.

“We are delighted that we have beenable to appoint Mrs Reynolds whohas the vision, skills and qualities totake Leweston forward in the yearsahead. Mrs Reynolds has known theLeweston community for some nineyears and has a commitment to,understanding of and passion for theexceptional education the Schoolprovides. She will also be carryingforward the core values of Leweston,both within the School and in thewider community, based on theCatholic ethos of the School. I lookforward to seeing Leweston continueto flourish under her leadership.”

Mary HeadChair of the Governors

“I am honoured to be taking on the headship at Leweston. The School is a very specialcommunity and I look forward to building on its reputation foreducational excellence.”

New Head Announced

5

WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT OUR

Sixth Form girls have once again

achieved a 100% pass rate at

A Level, with 78% of examinations

passed at grade A* to B or Pre-U

equivalent. 51% of exams were

passed at A* or A grades or Pre-U

equivalent and 14% passed at A*,

both figures being almost double

the national average. An

impressive 27% of students

achieved 3 or more straight A or

A* grades across a range of

subjects. Average UCAS points per

candidate were 387, the

equivalent of over three A grades

per candidate. These fantastic

results have enabled almost all

Leweston’s leavers to win places at

their chosen universities or

specialist colleges.

It was another RECORD

BREAKING year for Leweston at

AS Level with 73% of examinations

passed at grade A or B. Particular

areas of strength were maths,

chemistry, geography, German and

Spanish. In the latter case all girls

achieved an A Grade. One third of

the pupils achieved 3 or more A

grades.

At GCSE, Year 11 pupils produced

an excellent set of results across

the board, with 97% of pupils

achieving at least 5 A* - C passes

and 50% of all examinations

passed at A* or A.

“Once again Lewestonpupils have excelled acrossthe whole ability range,generating some trulyoutstanding results. I amdelighted that their hardwork and dedication haspaid off and would like tocongratulate them all ontheir incredibleachievements not onlyacademically but also inother fields such as sport,music and drama.Particular mention goes toour Oxbridge and MedicalSchool candidates who haveall been successful inmeeting their offers; as aschool we have a justifiablystrong reputation forpreparing girls for futuresuccess in these areas andthis year’s results only helpto cement this reputationfurther.”

GCSE, A LEVEL AND PRE-U RESULTS 2014

Adrian Aylward - Headmaster

IN BRIEF…

• 50%OF GCSE

EXAMINATIONS PASSED

AT A OR A*

• A RECORD BREAKING

YEAR OF AS RESULTS:

PASSED AT A OR B

• 78%OF A LEVELS

PASSED AT A* - B OR

PRE-U EQUIVALENT

73%

Year 13 pupils Ciara and Harriet both secured their offers to studyat Cambridge

6 6

Congratulations to the six

Leweston Sixth Formers (pictured)

who, after sitting a very stretching

and challenging paper, were

awarded certificates in this year’s

national Cambridge Chemistry

Challenge. A special mention

must go to Alina Pietruszewicz

who came in the top 7% of 6,687

entrants to obtain a GOLD award!

This was closely followed by

Cecilia Jennings and Jenny Lau

who were awarded SILVER and

were in the top 14% of entries.

Well done also to Daisy Lewis,

Rosie Frampton and Christy Ling

who achieved COPPER awards

and were placed in the top 35%

of entries.

Gold at this year’s CambridgeChemistry Challenge

OA awarded UCLScholarshipCongratulations to OA Justyna

Ekert (Class of 2014) who has

been awarded the Andrew

Szmidla Scholarship which

amounts to £10,000 per

annum towards her studies.

The aim of the scholarship is to

enable and encourage

academically able students to

pursue their undergraduate

studies at UCL. Justyna who

completed her A Level studies

in chemistry, biology, physics,

maths, and Polish at Leweston

School, will be studying

medicine at UCL.

Academic Awards and Successes

“This award reflects the dedication ofboth the girls and the staff. I amjustifiably proud of this achievementwhich builds on our strong reputation foracademic excellence, especially as this isin the context of a number of topacademic schools across the country. Theresponse to the Cambridge Pre-U fromparents and girls has been excellent and Iam delighted that our pupils have beenrewarded for their efforts.” G

ood Schools Guide

Award for Excellence Leweston has been awarded The Good Schools

Guide Award for Excellence in EnglishLiterature at Cambridge Pre-U. This meansthat Leweston has outranked all other English

schools in its category (in this case for girls in all types

of independent schools), for the subject and exam

concerned.

Adrian Aylward - Headmaster

7

Letter to anUnknown SoldierLeweston pupils have contributed

to a national project to mark the

centenary of the First World War

created by the organisation 14-18

NOW. The project, ‘Letter to an

Unknown Soldier’, was inspired by

the statue of an unknown soldier

that resides at Platform One of

Paddington Station in London. The

statue is reading a letter and so, on

the hundredth anniversary of the

declaration of war, in a year crowded

with official remembrance and

ceremony, 14-18 NOW invited

everyone to write their own version

of the letter he is reading. The

response was extraordinary, with

21,439 letters written.

Letters from the Leweston pupils to

the Unknown Soldier can be read at

www.1418now.org.uk

Leweston’s Latinists embrace the Lewestonmotto Gaudere et Bene Facere!

Leweston’s Latinists have

certainly embraced the

school’s moto of ‘Rejoice and

Do Well’ this term. Year 11 girls

enjoyed an informative lecture

on Pompeii, hosted by the

Sherborne Historical Society

and given by Dr. Paul Roberts

(the curator for the universally

acclaimed British Museum

exhibition in 2013) which

explored the uncovered world

of Roman daily life at Pompeii

and Herculaneum – a great

supplement to their study of

Pliny’s letters detailing the

eruption. The girls were lucky

enough to have the

opportunity to speak with

Dr Roberts to discuss their

studies, which proved both

informative and

inspirational. In addition, Sixth

Form classicists have

embraced every opportunity

to attend lectures given by

leading academics in the field,

both locally in Sherborne, and

in London and Cambridge

University too. These lectures

have enabled the girls to

broaden their appreciation of

classics and their set text

literature in particular.

At the lower end of the school

the Year 7 pupils have been

busy creating miniature

Roman houses as part of their

studies exploring life in

Pompeii. Their efforts proved

motivating to the Year 9

Latinists who were challenged

to create a 3-D model of

Fishbourne Palace and aim to

do so in the Spring term!

Congratulations to Year 8 pupils

Freya Jacques, Kate Bickerton and

Emily Davis who gave excellent

performances on the topic of ‘The

Rise and Fall of Reading’ at the local

round of the annual Youth Speaks

competition. Their competent and

passionate performance meant

they have qualified for the regional

rounds in January. Good luck girls!

INTERMEDIATE YOUTH SPEAKS 2014

Year 11 girls with Dr Roberts

Year 7 with their Roman models

8

AS Study Trip to AlmuñecarAt the start of the autumn term Leweston’s AS Spanish pupils

took part in a week long study tour to Almuñecar in Granada.

The girls attended daily lessons at academia CICA, stayed with

local families and, in the afternoons, enjoyed a combination of

activities and cultural visits. One of the most memorable

experiences was the visit to world famous Alhambra in Granada

where the girls saw the Moorish cultural and historical influence

in Andalucia. A successful and informative trip.

Good luck to the five Sixth

Formers who have entered this

year’s ‘Juvenes Translatores’

languages competition. This

annual competition is sponsored

by the European Union and was

started in 2007 to find the best

young translators in the Europe.

Leweston was one of a small

number of schools in the UK

selected to take part in this

year’s competition.

Congratulations to Charlotte

Edwards, Rosie Frampton, Cecilia

Jennings, Georgie Watson (Year

13) and Lily Glydon (Year 12) who

where chosen to participate. We

look forward to reporting the

results later this academic year.

Pupils take on the ‘JuvenesTranslatores’ Challenge

Children’s Novelist MeetsLeweston’s Literary FestivalPrize Winners

Sherborne Insight lecturesSixth Formers were delighted to attend a lecture on ‘Faith in Parliament’ given by Revd Preb Rose Hudson-

Wilkin, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, as part of the Sherborne Abbey Insight

Programme in September. Pupils learned of the celebrations of Anglican services and Catholic Mass, prayer

breakfasts and other Christian prayer groups, which support the MPs in their important work and

discernment of ethical issues. This encouraged animated discussion of issues surrounding faith in

parliament. We look forward to our next joint chaplaincy and politics trip to hear Nick Spencer, Director of

Theos Think-Tank, speak on the topic of ‘Faith in the Public Square.’

Leweston was delighted to

welcome the award winning

children’s novelist Caroline Green

in October. As well as giving an

inspirational talk to girls from

Years 7-11, Caroline presented

prizes to two Year 11 girls who

were successful in the recent

Sherborne Literary Festival poetry

writing competition: Hollie

Clarkson (second place) and

Connie de Pelet (highly

commended). Well done also to

Maddie Austin (Year 8) who was

awarded a highly commended

certificate for her entry.

The 2014 Christmas Concert was held in

the Church of the Sacred Heart and St

Aldhelm, Sherborne on Saturday 6th

December. The thoroughly entertaining

concert featured superb performances

by Leweston’s Schola Cantorum,

ensembles, soloists and the Sixth Form

band. The concert raised over £500 for

the Church, the Kampala Music School

in Uganda and the 2016 Schola Tour to

Nepal. Congratulations to all the

performers involved!

The Christmas Concert was followed by

the end of term Carol Service in

Sherborne Abbey. This fitting end to the

term featured performances from

Leweston’s Schola Cantorum, soloists

and Junior Choir and was made all the

more special by the wonderful

surrounds of the Abbey.

Christmas Carols and Concerts

Creative Life

10

Jazz Workshop withAndy Williamson

Leweston was delighted to host a

jazz workshop with Andy

Williamson of the Big Buzzard Big

Band in October. Andy worked

with members of the Leweston

Jazz Band and the Leweston

Choral Society who gained a lot

from the workshop and his vast

experience. Andy has shared the

stage with Jamie Cullum, Stacey

Kent, MoBo Best Jazz Act 2012 Zoe

Rahman, Michael Parkinson

favourite Joanna Eden and Mama

Tokus. He also played with some

musical heroes: Al Casey, Tom

Robinson, Suggs and Martha

Reeves and the Vandellas.

Leweston Girls Singfor Their Supper

Leweston’s Schola Cantorum

and Sixth Form band raised

£66 for the 2016 Schola Tour

to Nepal performing outside

Sherborne Waitrose in

December. Staff and

customers at Waitrose were

so impressed by the talent

on display that the store

agreed to play and sell

Leweston’s Schola CD!

Twelve Leweston girls, selected

from the Sherborne schools’

competitive auditions this

September, performed with both

the Joint Schools’ Sinfonia and

Symphony Orchestra in

November. The standard was

extremely high and music

included Rimsky Korsakov’s

Capriccio Espagnol and Grieg’s Peer

Gynt Suite from Symphony

Orchestra, led by Year 13 music

scholar, Clara Hewitt. Sinfonia

performed Mambo and the Pink

Panther and included girls from

Years 8 and 9. Junior Choir (Years 7

and 8) gave their first performance

together this academic year, with a

beautiful rendition of O Waly Waly

by Alexander L’Estrange and I am a

Small Part of the World by Sally

Albrecht and Jay Althouse,

featuring soloists from both year

groups. They achieved an excellent

blend of sound and sang both

works from memory. A wonderful

concert enjoyed by all.

Pupils Impress at JointSchools’ Concert

Concert in a Day with Port RegisWe were delighted to

welcome pupils from Port

Regis School to Leweston for

a day of musical master

classes in October. Joining

Leweston’s Years 7 and 8, the

girls formed a choir, attended

a music composition class

and masterclass, joined the Leweston Junior Orchestra and took part in a

percussion workshop in preparation for their performance in a concert

later in the day. The day was a great success and the resulting concert well

attended by parents from both Port Regis and Leweston. We look forward

to welcoming Port Regis back to Leweston soon.

11

OUTSTANDING LAMDARESULTSCongratulations to the girls

who took their LAMDA

examinations this year

achieving an outstanding

33 distinctions and 17

merits!

TABLE NO. 2 CAPTIVATES AUDIENCESThe Senior School autumn term

production of Table No. 2was

performed over three nights to

great acclaim. The cast of girls

from Years 9-13 impressed

throughout, handling the

challenging script, idiosyncratic

characters and mature themes

with great skill. The production

was sleek and professional, the

costumes authentic and the set

design convincing, the latter

bringing the Beauregard Hotel

alive, propelling the action from

the drawing room on the stage,

to the restaurant on the

audience’s level. Seating the

audience members on their own

private tables, surrounded by

actresses cast as waitresses was

an ingenious touch which served

to envelop the onlookers right in

the thick of the action. The School

would like to congratulate the

entire cast and crew on a

fantastic production.

Mr Irvine - Head of Drama

“It was an enjoyable andinteresting interpretation of anambitious and challengingplay. The process of rehearsalwas truly collaborative andthe characterisations of thehotel residents that resultedwere extremely well-drawn.The tech team created awonderful ambience with theirlighting and sound. Thereactions of the audienceswere very positive indeed. If Imay quote the Chairman ofGovernors: ‘Who needs to goto the West End?!’”

12

A team of pupils from Leweston’s

Sixth Form travelled to Peru to

complete their Gold Duke of

Edinburgh Award over the

summer break. Accompanied by

two members of staff from the

School, the team spent three

weeks in the South American

country undertaking a project and

completing the expedition phase

of the award.

After flying into Lima, the girls

travelled for 22 hours up into the

Andes to Cusco. Already at

altitude, they stayed a couple of

nights to acclimatise before taking

a minibus further into the

mountains for the start of their

project. The project was to help

build a floor in the community hall

at Patacancha, a remote village

just out of the Sacred Valley. For

five days the team collected rocks,

mixed concrete and pushed

wheelbarrows. Playing with the

local children was also a popular

pastime and they managed a visit

to the local school to see the

younger children being taught.

The girls then embarked on the

expedition phase of their award: a

five day trek to the mountain town

of Lares. After 5 days of hard work

and ups and downs (literally!) the

girls arrived triumphant,

completing their Gold in style.

Their final destination was Machu

Picchu, the Inca City in the

mountains. Setting off at 4am the

group started the climb which

took a couple of hours. With a

guide they covered the main areas

of the city, a fitting culmination to

the trip. Well done to Victoria

Halford, Harriett Guy, Tatiana

Whyman, Molly Foster and Hatty

Trollope-Bellew (Year 13). The girls

were also joined by Rose Sullivan

who was not involved in the DofE

scheme.

Check out the video of the trip produced by the girls at www.leweston.co.uk or on our Vimeo Channel: vimeo.com/lewestonschool

Going for Gold:

Peru 2014

“I hope that the girls have gainedby this experience and that some ofthe memories stay with them. Itwas a unique opportunity whichthey grasped with both hands –well done to all of them.”

Keith Whitehead

Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

The school has enjoyed a successful season across the ‘athlon’sports, with exceptional results at all levels of competition...

Congratulations to the six pupils

who represented Great Britain at

the Biathle World Tour in Germany

in the summer. The team of Daisy

Liddle (Year 12), Olivia Manson

(Year 11), Elizabeth Tolly, Portia

Manson, Poppy Boyden (Year 9)

and Elektra Covell (Year 7) travelled

to Erding to compete at this

illustrious international event.

The girls performed superbly on

the day, generating some fantastic

results and proving themselves

against the best biathletes from

across Europe. A special mention

must go to Elizabeth (Year 9) for

her outstanding win in the 14 and

under category and to Olivia who

won a silver medal in the 16 and

under girls division! Other

individual results were: Portia 5th

and Poppy 10th (14 and under);

Daisy 10th (16 and under) and

Elektra 10th (12 and under). These

results topped off a sensational

year of sporting achievements for

Leweston’s biathletes. Well done

Team GB!

A Fantastic Season

of ‘Athlon’ Sports at Leweston

14

SIX LEWESTON GIRLS

COMPETE FOR TEAM GB

AT THE WORLD

BIATHLE TOUR

Three Leweston Girls

Selected for Biathle World

Championships!

Due to outstanding

individual performances at

the National Biathle event at

Salford Quays, Lily Amor

(Year 5), Elizabeth Tolly (Year

9) and Olivia Manson (Year

11) were selected to

represent Great Britain at the

World Championships. Lily

was placed 6th, Elizabeth 4th

and Olivia 3rd in their

respective categories. An

impressive achievement.

Ten pupils from Leweston

travelled to Solihull for the

National Biathlon

Championships in November.

The girls recorded many

personal bests helping the

Dorset Pentathletes to the title

of top national club. As

individuals Leweston girls won

four team gold medals (Anya

Evans, Year 5, Portia Manson,

Year 9, Elizabeth Tolly, Year 9

and Aoife McCarthy, Year 12)

and three silvers (Lily Amor, Year

5, Olivia Manson, Year 11 and

Daisy Liddle, Year 12). On the

back of these great results it

is hoped that all ten girls,

along with some other

representatives from Leweston,

will be selected to compete at

the National Schools’ Finals at

the Olympic Park in March.

Success for Leweston

at National Biathlon

Championshps

Dorset SchoolsBiathlon 2014Over 135 athletes took part in the

Dorset Schools’ Biathlon which took

place at Leweston in September.

Congratulations to the competitors

from Leweston who all performed

superbly, amassing 4 team wins

(Girls U12, U13, U16 and U17) and

one individual win by Lily Amor

(Year 5) in the U11 category, as well

as a number of strong placings

across all the divisions entered. Well

done all.

National ModernPentathlonTwo girls from Leweston took part

in the national Modern Pentathlon

at Solihull. In the 12 and under

event Elektra Covell (Year 7)

competed in her first full pentathlon

and finished 5th, a fantastic

achievement as she was one of the

youngest competitors. In the 18 and

under competition Rebecca Bowles

(Year 13) was 11th and part of the

Dorset team that took team gold.

HockeyRound-Up

Netball Academy Selection

Well done to

Portia Manson

(Year 8) who has

been selected for

the Satellite

Netball

Academy. This is

the first level of

the England Excel

Netball Development Pathway

for netballers aged 11-14 years

old. We look forward to her

continued development.

Congratulations to Leweston’s

Under 16 Indoor Hockey Squad

who played some outstanding

matches to finish 5th at the West

of England finals at Cheltenham in

December. This term has also seen

some outstanding individual

success with Year 11 pupil, Lizzie

Davis, being selected to train with

the West of England JRPC and play

for the Exeter squad at the Tier 1

tournaments for the 2nd

consecutive year. In addition,

Leweston is delighted that the

following girls have been selected

for the 2015 County squads:

Poppy Boyden (U14s), Freya

Logan, Lizzie Davis, Beth McMillan,

Mollie Parsons, Elizabeth Hobbs

and Polly James (U17s).

15

16

NSEA Championships at Addington ManorFollowing excellent performances at NSEA Show Jumping Qualifier at Bryanston School, Leweston sent two

teams to the hotly contested National Schools Equestrian Association’s National Championships at Addington

Manor in November. Excellent performances from both the Intermediate and Mini teams meant the girls were

placed 2nd in the NSEA Regional Points League for the South West. Congratulations to Ellie Guy (Year 11), Lydia

Hannam (Year 11), Georgia Buckland (Year 13), Kitty Godman-Dorrington (Year 10), Sacha Godman-Dorrington

(Year 8), Isabella Colwell (Year 6) and Alice Southcombe (Year 7) for being excellent competitors.

In other Riding News…

Success at Stonar

Congratulations to the Leweston Eventing Team of Kitty Godman-

Dorrington (Year 10), Ellie Guy (Year 11), Lydia Hannam (Year 11) and

Hattie Trollope-Bellew (Year 13) who were placed 2nd at the Stonar

Inter-Schools One Day Event in September.

The Leweston Equestrian Team of

Perdi Digby (Year 7), Kitty

Godman-Dorrington (Year 10), Ellie

Guy (Year 11) and Lydia Hannam

(Year 11) secured a fantastic win at

the Cattistock Pony Club One Day

Event held at Aldon in September

following strong dressage, show

jumping and cross country rounds.

An excellent result for Leweston –

well done girls.

Equestrian Team Success at Aldon

Pupils Excel at Triathlon

Three pupils from Leweston enjoyed a successful day at the Wyle

Valley Pony Club Triathlon in November. The school was well

represented in the 11 and under event, with Year 7 pupil Elektra Covell

and Isabella Colwell (Year 6) taking 1st and 3rd place respectively. A

great result for Leweston and the girls’ respective Pony Clubs. The 14

and under category saw Poppy Boyden (Year 9) come 3rd individually

at her very first Pony Club Triathlon. Well done all.

Leweston Inter-Schools Show

Jumping Event

Leweston welcomed over 100

riders, representing schools from

across the South West, to its Inter-

Schools Show Jumping event in

September. The home teams did

exceptionally well, coming 2nd

and 3rd in Class 3. A special

mention must go to sisters Perdi

(Year 7) and Mimi (Year 4) Digby

who were placed 1st and 2nd

individually in Class 3. A full

breakdown of the results can be

found atwww.leweston.co.uk.

17

Leweston Take Top Honours in theMendip Cross Country LeagueLeweston’s teams

performed superbly at

the final Mendip Cross

Country League fixture to

secure gold and silver

medals in the overall

league standings. Good

runs from Kate Bickerton

and Missy Brazier ensured

that the U13 team

finished 2nd out of 7

schools in the league. The

U14 team of Elizabeth

Tolly, Portia Manson, Sofia

Garcia-Sainz and Elsie

Gibbs performed

superbly to win the

league, with Elizabeth, Portia and Sofia being placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd

respectively in the final league standings (pictured). A fantastic

achievement.

Cross Country News

Over 350 competitors, representing schools from across

the South West, descended on campus for the Leweston

Cross Country Relays in November. Leweston had 56 girls

competing and secured a team win in the Minor Girls

division (Years 5 and 6) beating 24 other teams!

Congratulations to Lily Amor, Erin Cassingham, Izzy

Colwell and Anya Evans who was also awarded the

trophy for the fastest Minor runner. In addition Leweston

enjoyed a podium place in the Senior/Intermediate

competition (for girls in Years 9 and above) with the team

taking 3rd place. A full breakdown of results can be

downloaded atwww.leweston.co.uk

Victory at St Mary’s

The Leweston teams enjoyed much

success at this term’s St Mary’s

Shaftesbury Cross Country Relays.

Well done to the Senior Team

(pictured below) who were victorious

in the Year 9 and above category. A

special mention goes to Year 9 pupil

Elizabeth Tolly who completed the

fastest lap of the day and to Olivia

Manson (Year 11) who was hot on her

heals claiming the second fasted lap.

Well done also to the Year 7 and 8

team of Missy Brazier, Elektra Covell

and Isabelle Bridge who finished in a

very commendable 3rd place out of

15 teams.

Leweston Relays

Junior Department

Friday 26 September saw a

colourful start to the morning when

children arrived in a variety of

European costumes to mark the

‘European Languages Day’. There

followed a lively assembly where

everyone had the opportunity to

practise saying hello in many

different ways. The children also

learnt just how many languages are

spoken not just in London, but in

the entire world. A wonderful day

spent exploring the rich cultural

diversity of the continent.

European Languages Day

Outstanding LAMDAResults for JuniorDepartment PupilsCongratulations to all of the children who

took their LAMDA examinations this year.

Pupils from the Junior Department

achieved an exceptional 22 Distinctions.

You can’t get better than that!

Hampton Court Palace

In preparation for their historical study into life in Tudor England, the

children in Year 5 enjoyed a trip to Hampton Court Palace with the

girls in Year 11 at the

Senior School. Their tour

included a visit to the

magnificent Great Hall

with its spectacular

tapestries and they even

managed to meet Henry

VIII himself (or a very

convincing double

anyway!).

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The Harvest Mass of Thanksgiving

Thank you to all parents, pupils

and staff who brought in

donations for the Sherborne

Food Bank at the Harvest Mass

of Thanksgiving in October.

The Mass was orchestrated by

Year Five who confidently led

the bidding prayers, scripture

reading, altar serving and the

offertory procession. The

Chapel Choir and Schola

excelled themselves in singing

harvest anthems for the Mass.

Leweston Pupils Commemoratethe First World WarPupils from across Leweston Junior Department took part in exciting

and enriching workshops as part of their First World War topic.

Children from Reception to Year 6 enjoyed learning more about the

Great War from visiting historian Toby Stok of ‘Hands On History’, who

dressed appropriately in military uniform to help bring the era alive.

The children were able to investigate many different artefacts from

the period and they all enjoyed practising their marching drill outside

under the instruction of ‘Major Toby’.

“This day complemented many other activities beingundertaken in the Junior Department to mark the centenaryof the start of the First World War. Poems have been exploredand written, names on the Yetminster memorial cross havebeen researched, and the Reception and Year 1 children haveeven made ‘Trench Cakes’ in cookery.”

Victoria Bridgeman-Sutton - Senior Teacher

JUNIOR DEPARTMENT BRING WW1TRENCHES TO LIFEThe Junior Department have marked the centenary of the outbreak of

WW1 by creating incredible replicas of the trenches used during the

conflict. The variety of materials used and the imagination required

surpassed all expectations and resulted in the children developing a

far greater understanding of the conditions suffered in the trenches.

“I am very grateful to allstudents and staff who workhard to rehearse these piecesand lead our worship insong. My thanks go to theMaintenance and Cateringteams for creating the visualspectacle of our HarvestMass and crowning ourcelebration with fruit,freshly baked breads,pumpkins, apples and otherfruits and seeds from theLeweston grounds. It wassuch a treat for me toexperience the LewestonHarvest Mass for the firsttime and to have theReception class for faithactivities during the firstpart of Mass.”

Dr Genevieve Cox Chaplaincy Coordinator

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Grandparents’ Celebration Morning

It is never too late to further your

education, as was evidenced by the

many Leweston grandparents who

eagerly joined the Junior Department for

the annual Grandparents’ Celebration

Morning in September. Grandparents of

pupils across the school attended their

grandchildren’s lessons and listened to

prayers specially written for them by the

children in the Chapel. The morning was

topped off with a delicious lunch. We

look forward to next year’s event.

Year 6 Explore the Lulworth Landscape

Leweston Year 6 pupils enjoyed an exciting and informative trip to

Lulworth Cove during the first half of term. They were given a fantastic

tour of the area by one of the Lulworth Rangers who clearly explained

the history of this part of the Dorset coastline, with specific reference

to the geology and human habitations of the area. The pupils were

fascinated to discover the Lulworth Crumple, Stair Hole and Durdle

Door. Bronze Age burial mounds were also explored and all the

children managed to complete the two mile round trip on this most

popular part of the South West Coast path, linking Lulworth to Durdle

Door. The warm September weather completed a wonderful day for

the Year 6 class who take back to school many first hand experiences

of coastline formations (and erosion) to study further during the year

ahead.

Junior DepartmentSupports MacmillanThe Junior Department was

delighted to present Chrissie, a

representative from Macmillan

Cancer Support, with a cheque

for £117.99 raised by the school’s

participation in ‘World’s Biggest

Coffee Morning’ held in

September. Thank you to all who

came along to support, drink

coffee and buy cakes for such a

good cause!

The pupils in Year 3 have had plenty of

opportunity to take their learning outside of

the classroom, participating in several field

trips this term. The first was a science visit to

Lyme Regis where they studied changes of

habitat over time. With the help of Old

Antonian, Kate Acheson, they compared

what the area was like two hundred million

years ago using the fossils they found as

evidence. They then searched in rock pools

to study the type of organism that can adapt

to many changes including temperature and

salinity. This was followed by a history visit to

Maiden Castle and the Dorset Museum in

Dorchester. The children were able to

experience how difficult it would be to

attack an Iron Age hill fort. They visualised

how different the area would have looked

two thousand years ago and then they went

to the Dorset Museum where they

investigated many artefacts dating as far

back as 50,000 BC!

Stepping Back in Time

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22

We were delighted to welcome

local residents Sue Drewett and

Daphne Barfoot to the Junior

Department on the morning of

Armistice Day. Sue and Daphne

joined the Year 5 pupils and took

part in the School’s Service of

Remembrance. Year 5 had been

researching the fate of some of

the servicemen who departed

from the village to fight in World

War I. The children had many

questions for Daphne whose

relatives, Thomas Bennett and

brothers Walter and Herbert

Gould, had been a part of their

research and they were interested

to see photos of all three and find

out a few new facts. A copy of

their finished research has been

presented to Sue Drewett,

secretary of the Yetminster

Historical Society and was

displayed at St Andrew’s Church in

Yetminster alongside a selection

of models of the trenches made

by some of the children before

being added to the archive.

Pupils Raise Funds forthe Poppy Appeal

Well done to the Year 6 pupils

who sold poppies for the Royal

British Legion’s Poppy Appeal

at Leweston in November. Year

6 Charities Captains, Grace

Pilkington and Eve Fidler,

organised the event, selling

over 35 poppies in just three

days and raising nearly £50 in

donations. A fabulous effort to

commemorate the great

contributions our servicemen

and women have made.

Remembrance PoetryIn the run up to Armistice Day, the

children in Year 3 wrote some very

effective and emotive World War One

poetry. Their poems were mounted

on poppies which are displayed in

the School. An example of one of the

poems can be seen below.

RemembranceThe sky is grey and the wind is howlingSoldiers march, mile after mileSome run away, some stay and fightThe injured bodies lie broken in fright.Some survived the dark scary noisesCollapsing in fear as the shells drop aroundThe thunder of guns seems never endingBut finally, suddenly, the nightmare stops.All is now quiet where once they attackedBut never forget, just never forgetSoldiers lived and soldiers diedA pointless war and wasted lives.

Loki Marsh, Year 3

The Junior DepartmentService of Remembrance

Leweston Shows Its

Stripes...Spots, Onesies

and Pyjamas for

Children in Need!

Leweston pupils donned their

favourite onesies in aid of

Children in Need in November

raising over £200. Thank you

to all who donated.

A Spectacular Bonfire Night

Pupils, parents and friends of Leweston

enjoyed a fantastic Bonfire Night on

Wednesday 5 November. The grounds

were bathed in the glow of the

magnificent bonfire whilst guests

tucked into a delicious hog roast and

watched the spectacular fireworks

explode across the night sky. A

wonderful evening enjoyed by all!

THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT AUTUMN CONCERT WAS HELD ON TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER. THE EVENT SHOWCASED

THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC TALENT IN THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT, WITH FANTASTIC

PERFORMANCES BY INSTRUMENTALISTS AND LAMDA GROUPS. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE PERFORMERS

ON A WONDERFUL CONCERT!

Junior Pupils Impress at Autumn Concert

The annual Leweston Christmas

Fair was held on Thursday 6

November in the Manor House.

The wonderfully festive event

welcomed visitors from across the

region to browse the extensive

selection of stalls and boutiques.

Thank you to all the stallholders

and to all those involved in the

Fair’s organisation for making it

such a fabulous day.

Christmas Fair raises over £2,000for Julia’s House

Christmas JumpersRaise Money for Save The ChildrenPupils and staff

enjoyed wearing

some very festive

attire on the

penultimate day

of term in aid of

Save the Children.

The variety and

vibrancy of Christmas

jumpers was spectacular and

some pupils even customised

their own jumpers, showing

great creative skill. Well

done all!

23

24

On Tuesday 18 November

Leweston Junior Department

travelled to local garden centre

Bailey Ridge to donate over 50

shoeboxes packed full of useful

goodies to ‘Operation Christmas

Child’. The shoe boxes were

transported to underprivileged

children around the word by

none other than Father

Christmas and his reindeer who

were at Bailey Ridge to receive

the shoe boxes from

our pupils!

Every year the Junior

Department donates shoeboxes

to ‘Operation Christmas Child’,

the World’s largest children’s

Christmas project, run by the

Christian charity Samaritan’s

Purse. Leweston Junior

Department is incredibly grateful

for the welcome they received at

Bailey Ridge and the opportunity

to hand over their shoeboxes

in person.

“The children had taken reallove and care when filling theirshoeboxes for ‘OperationChristmas Child’. They areaware how much theythemselves have and how luckythey are. As a School we aredelighted to be supporting theproject and hope that ourdonations will help to bring joyinto the lives of disadvantagedchildren. Being able to handover the gifts to FatherChristmas and his reindeermade the whole occasionmagical.”

Mrs Bridgeman-Sutton Senior Teacher

Father Christmas and his Reindeer Collect Donations for Operation Christmas Child

HandmadeChristmas GiftsLeweston Junior

Department were delighted

to welcome local Jewellery

maker Shelley Mcloughlin

for a creative workshop at

the end of term. During the

session, pupils enjoyed

crafting clay beads and

using them to create

individual and personal

Christmas gifts for friends

and family. Some beautiful

gifts were created and will

undoubtedly be gratefully

received by their recipients!

25 25

The autumn term was brought to a

close with the Junior Department

Carol Service in the School Chapel.

The children in Reception and Year

1 delighted the audience of family

and friends with their Nativity play

and the School Choir sang a

mixture of well-known and less

well-known carols. The service also

featured a beautifully performed

solo by Year 6 pupil Sophie Worrall.

A fitting end to another successful

term at Leweston Junior

Department.

Christmas at Leweston Junior Department

We are delighted to announce that

during the course of the spring

term, Leweston will be offering a

weekly specialist swim session to

all the children aged 3 and over in

our Nursery. These lessons will be

led by Ali Parnell, a qualified ASA

level 2 teacher and will focus on

improving water confidence and

swimming ability through play.

This specialist tuition comes at no

extra cost to parents and will take

place in Leweston’s School Pool.

We look forward to seeing the

children’s progress next term!

NurseryLEWESTON NURSERY IS EXPANDING! Due to the high level of demand for Nursery places across the age range, we are

delighted to be opening a new specially designated room for our rising three year

olds in the spring term. This space will join onto our baby and 2-3 year old rooms

which will remain in their existing location. We are delighted that so many families

are joining the Leweston community and that this new space means that even

more children will be able access the exceptional education offered at Leweston. }Stop

Press

Nursery Activity MorningsContinue to Delight!The Leweston Nursery Activity

Mornings continue to grow in

popularity with record numbers

of parents, grandparents and

toddlers attending the two

events this term. On Thursday

9 October we hosted the ‘Forest

Skills’ Activity Morning. The

inclement weather did not dampen any spirits with the

participating children spending a wonderful morning making

leaf pictures, clay hedgehogs and woodland crowns, as well as

playing with conkers and enjoying a sing-a-long.

At the end of term, parents and toddlers returned for another fun

filled morning of Christmassy craft. Children enjoyed making

snow biscuits, ‘Wise Man’ crowns and 3D Christmas trees. They

were also given the opportunity to dress up as a Shepherd or a

King and were able to enjoy fun with foam, ice and sparkly

playdough. A particular highlight was the singing session, where

everyone joined in with the well-known Christmas Jingles. A

wonderful morning full of festive fun and seasonal cheer!

Thank you to all who attended these events – more photos can

be seen on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Leweston.

You can find out more about future Nursery Activity Mornings on

our website www.leweston.co.uk

Nursery Children to Receive Specialist Sw

imming Tuition

28

Leweston kicked off the Biathlon season in style securing some fantastic

results at the Dorset Schools’ Biathlon time trial held at Leweston on behalf of

Pentathlon GB in September. Congratulations to Year 5 pupil Lily Amor who

was crowned the Dorset U11 champion and to Year 6 pupil Sophie Lyons-

Montgomery who put in an exceptional performance to finish 10th in her first

competition of this nature. In the U12 girls event Year 6 pupil Anya Evans

finished 4th with Izzy Colwell (Year 6) finishing in a fantastic 7th place. Joined

by Year 7 pupil Elektra Covell in the U12 event, Anya and Izzy finished as gold

medal winners in the school teams competition. Anya and Lily’s performances

meant that they were selected for the National Finals which took place in

November.

National ModernBiathlon MedalWinners

Congratulations to Anya

Evans (Year 6) and Lily

Amor (Year 5) who were

awarded medals at the

National Biathlon

Championships at the

end of November. They

were selected to

represent the Dorset

Pentathletes following

excellent performances

at the Dorset Schools’

Biathlon event earlier in

the term. Anya won

GOLD in the U12 Team

competition and

finished in 17th place

individually. Lily won

Silver in the U11 Team

competition and

finished 11th

individually. We look

forward to the girls’

continued development

and to the 2015

Biathle season.

U11 HOCKEY TEAM QUALIFIESFOR REGIONAL FINALS

GOLD FOR LEWESTON AT THE DORSET SCHOOLS’ BIATHLON

Congratulations to the U11 hockey

team who have qualified for the

regional finals in March 2015

following their excellent

performance at the In2hockey

schools tournament at Talbot

Heath this term. Good luck girls!

Leweston Relays 2014Over 350 competitors representing schools from

across the South West descended on campus for

the Leweston Cross Country Relays in November.

The Junior Department’s team of Lily Amor, Erin

Cassingham, Izzy Colwell and Anya Evans claimed first place in the Minor

Girls division beating 24 other teams! Congratulations to Anya Evans who

was also awarded the trophy for the fastest Minor runner. A full

breakdown of results can be downloaded atwww.leweston.co.uk

In other Cross-Country News…Congratulations to St Margaret House who were victorious at the Inter

House Cross Country competition in November. There were brilliant

performances across all years. Well done to the winners and to everyone

that took part.

Junior Department Sport

29

Spiritual Life

The girls in Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11

have all been involved with

Leweston’s retreat programme this

term. Year 7 were the first with

their action packed two day

retreat to St Gilda’s in Langport

focusing on the theme of

friendship, helping them build

those all important relationships

at the start of their time in the

Senior School. Next were the Year

11 girls who spent a day reflecting

on the theme of relationships,

followed by the Year 10s who

explored the concept of

‘Expressing Faith Through Music’

taking part in Taize and Choral

song workshops! Year 9 enjoyed a

wonderfully colourful and creative

retreat on the theme of

‘Expressing Faith Through Art’ and

finally the Year 8 girls enjoyed a

day at the Catholic parish in

Sherborne exploring the meaning

of Advent in December. We look

forward to the Sixth Form

Pilgrimage at the end of the

summer term.

“It has been a joy to holdretreats for Years 7, 8, 9,10 and 11 this term. Theretreat activities have varieda great deal to cater fordifferent interests and agegroups. I am pleased to saythat the aim of providingactive, thought provokingand prayerful days for eachyear group has been metwith wide success.”

Genevieve CoxChaplaincy Coordinator

Friendship, Music, Art and Advent: Leweston’s Retreat Programme Leweston Raises over

£3,000 for CharityLeweston girls have raised

over £3,000 for 7 different

charities this term. As well as

the annual CAFOD fast day,

Leweston pupils have donned

pink, spots and stripes and

Christmas jumpers to raise

money for Breast cancer,

Children in Need and Save the

Children, and have been

prolifically baking for cake

sales in aid of the Ebola crisis

and Sherborne Voluntary

Ambulance. The Leweston

Christmas Fair raised over

£2,000 for local charity Julia’s

House and the School’s

production of Table No.2

raised funds for the

Samaritans.

Year 10

Year 11

Year 8

Year 7

30

}Aspiring Boarders Enjoy‘Monkeying Around’ in Junior HouseAfter the success of previous years, this year’s Junior

House Boarding taster was met with eager

anticipation. The weekend did not disappoint and the

house was full to bursting with girls looking at joining

Leweston in September 2015 as well as some of our

own girls who were trying boarding for the first time.

The weekend’s theme was ‘On Safari’ and the House

was decorated to the extreme with the staff even

donning monkey outfits for the occasion!

After a busy evening exploring the Leweston grounds,

enjoying safari themed craft activities and a film night,

the girls spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at Monkey

World in Wareham. It was a fascinating trip during

which the girls learned about the work the Monkey

Sanctuary is doing to rescue and rehabilitate these

amazing animals before swinging through the trees

themselves at the Great Ape play area!

It was soon time for the happy explorers to be

collected – some wishing that their parents might just

forget them so they would be able to spend another

night ‘monkeying around’ in Junior House. We look

forward to welcoming you back in September 2015!

International Debate 2014Congratulations to the 10 Leweston girls who took

part in an international debate in December with

students from Sherborne Boys, Sherborne Girls and

Sherborne International College. The seasonal topic

for the debate was ‘This house believes Santa is an

unjustifiable deception.’ Leweston would like to

congratulate all of these pupils for their fantastic

efforts. They were truly a credit to the school:

animated, engaged and intellectual.

Boarding

31

Record Boarding Numbers!We are delighted that this term has seen a record

number of girls choosing to board at Leweston.

There are over 136 pupils full or weekly boarding

with more girls flexi boarding than ever before

as well.

LEWESTON SCHOOL, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 6EN01963 211010 ADMISSIONS@LEWESTON.DORSET.SCH.UK

WWW.LEWESTON.CO.UK

Monday 26th January - Tuesday 27th January

11+, 12+, 13+ Scholarship Days

(September 2015 entry)

Friday 30th - Saturday 31st January

Year 8 Boarding Taster

Saturday 7th February

Sixth Form Ball

Sunday 1st March

19.30 Choral Society Concert in Leweston Chapel

Monday 6th - Saturday 11th April

Biathle camp hosted at Leweston

Monday 30th March - Thursday 10th April

Easter Fun Club

Saturday 9th May

Gaudy Reunion for various leaver years

Weekly Events:

Parent and Toddler: Every Thursday from

09.00-11.45 at the Junior Department

Aquatots: Every Wednesday from 10.30 -11.30

in the School Pool

For more information about any of these events,

or to register your attendance, please call

01963 210783 or emailoffice@leweston.dorset.sch.uk

Dates for your Diary…

Friday 13th March 2015Nursery and Junior Department Open Morning 10.00 – 12.00

Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 2015Joint Schools Open Morning 09.45 – 13.00

Saturday 6th June 2015Nursery Open Morning 09.00 – 12.00

Open Mornings 2015

Leweston is a registered charity number 295175