news house news christmas 2011 project india: during the year, twenty of our sixth form students had...

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Project India: During the year, twenty of our Sixth Form students had a fantastic opportunity to fundraise money in order to go in the summer to work with the Bishop of Tirunelveli in Southern India, working on community projects in remote villages.For three weeks, the girls were helping to build a new classroom for a small, rural community, working alongside the local builders, helping with a huge range of physically demanding tasks from laying bricks, mixing cement, clearing rubble and teaching the children English. They even managed to learn a bit of Tamil too! Some students were also given the opportunity to gain work experience in a hospital and school for the deaf.

On the days off, they were free to go out and explore the country: they stayed in a tiger reserve, trekked through tea plantations, visited Cape Cormorin (the most Southern tip of India where the three oceans meet), visited temples and villages and found plenty of time to go to the local markets and buy saris! They even found an Indian water-park to relax in!

They were the recipients of generous Indian hospitality; invited to attend many local community events (including playing in a cricket match!), taking part in a cultural exchange programme with a local school for the deaf, sharing different aspects of their respective cultures. The girls came home having made many new friends, gained a real sense of achievement and purpose, and a few mosquito bites!

Vnisha Vaghlea, deputy head girl, said “Having the opportunity to do something so different to anything that I had ever done before, and push myself both physically and mentally, was such an amazing experience. We had such fun and so much laughter working and playing with our hosts – my personal favourite was all the singing we did on the building site! It’s a trip I wish I could do again, and would definitely recommend!”

We wish you many blessings of

peace and joy for you and your families

now and in 2012.

Student Leaders’ Conference: Well done to Katie Boylan, Leah Fitzpatrick, Hilary Juma, Sarah Krajewski and Alice Smith, who on behalf of Gumley spent the day working with students from twenty other schools debating & contributing suggestions on a range of issues which included Life beyond school, Girls and their careers are there still stereotypes? Our Futures & Our Concerns, How do we take risks to benefit our education: several other topics too. To inspire the students the conference organised by The Association of Maintained Girls’ Schools, kicked off with talks from Katy Tuncer, owner of Ready Steady Mums, Sophia Ahmad Head of Finance at BSkyB, Lucinda Garrett, Nuclear Project Manager at Centrica and Sonal Thakrar Head of Communications at Cisco – all inspirational entrepreneurs and business leaders from the Women Ambassadors Programme. Feedback from the students was presented to the Headteachers Conference on the following Saturday.

Christmas Card CompetitionCongratulations to Julia Fernandez- Cuervo in 10F who won the Parents’ Association Christmas card competition.Julia’s design was professionally printed and sold at the Christmas Fest. May our hearts be filled with joy as we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth. May we welcome Him as He is born anew in our hearts each day. May this mystery of God made man be our greatest gift and most precious treasure.

“ India was a great experience I really loved it! The best part for me was the last day on the building site realising how much of a difference we had made “

Mindy Asamoah

Gumley Newsletter.indd 1 15/12/2011 12:41

On the 30th September some Gumley AS and A2 students headed off to Kintbury: St Cassian’s Centre for a weekend Philosophy and Ethics conference. There were fifteen of us and we were joined by pupils from Gunnersbury, Cardinal Wiseman and the Green School. On Friday we were welcomed, shown to our rooms and had our first session with Dr Michael Lacewing. The topic was “Free will, determinism and the attributes of God”. Dr Michael Lacewing is a senior lecturer in philosophy and director of research at Heythrop College, University of London. This was a fascinating session where we were sitting on bean-bags and encouraged to contribute and ask questions. After that we had night prayer which took place in the ‘Quiet Room, lit by numerous candles; the prefect setting for reflection.

Fr. Andrew Pinsent was another of our speakers who spoke to us about faith, science and human action on the Saturday morning. We were very lucky to have him talk to us as he is the research director of the Ian Ramsay Centre for Religion and Science at Oxford University and previously worked at CERN. This session was really challenging but very interesting. We had the opportunity to ask him questions after our coffee-break and learned through discussion in groups the implications of his presentation for Philosophy and Ethics.

On Saturday 1st October we were involved in a number of workshops These included Anne Coghlan (a former student of Gumley) speaking about Descartes, Peter Coghlan on Aquinas, Michael Murphy on the Problem of Evil and Judith Coghlan on Faith and Reason. Mrs Bethina St Valle spoke about prayer and spirituality.

On Saturday evening we had a practical session on ‘Essay Writing’ led by Mr Bull from GunnersburyKintbury is a beautiful place where we were able to enjoy ourselves as well as learn and meet

lots of new and interesting people. It was fantastic to meet other students studying Philosophy and Ethics and to listen to talks by experts we wouldn’t normally have access to. It was a great social occasion too (we even attended a Barn Dance on the Saturday evening!) and had some free time on Saturday afternoon to walk to the local village.

Thanks to the staff at Gumley; Mrs Fahy, Mrs Coghlan, Miss Browne & Miss Ryan who made this possible. By Esmeralda

It has been another busy term where we have had many students visit a range of tertiary institutions, in addition to visitors from these institutions to the school. Our Sixth Form students have been involved in Master Class opportunities at Imperial College London in subject areas such as Biology and Chemistry; participated in medical related lectures with Kings College London and Kingston; attending lectures regarding careers in Law offered by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple; and attended the Knowledge Plus workshop.

We had a visit from a representative from Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, with whom we continue to build a strong relationship, who spoke with our Year 12 students regarding the process of applying to University

and other educational pathways. Students were able to develop their awareness and understanding of the University application process, and the diversity and enjoyment of University Life.

Sixth Form & Access to HE

Seven students in Year 11 were able to visit Cambridge University in October to attend a workshop designed to give advice to students on choosing their A level subjects to aid progression to University and careers. It was highly informative, with a large portion of time given to question & answer with current students and admission tutors.

KS4 & Access to HE

Sixth Form & 6th Form

Step Up to 6th Form:To help our Year 12 students to achieve a more productive & manageable

transition into 6th form, all of the students participated in a new development programme created by Future Foundations as part of the October curriculum extension days. The key aims were to specifically help students to gain skills that would improve their goal setting, study plans, organisation & team building skills.

In evaluating the impact, the students stated this was a positive experience and clearly identified the areas in which it helped them, the most frequent comments were:

• Inspirational to get me to finally set some goals • I leant to memorise lists • It will help me with my future plans • Interesting, fun and motivating • It helped my confidence • It encouraged me to organise myself and think about the future • It gave me skills for life • It helped to motivate me

Gifted and Talented:Sixth Form – Extended Project QualificationFive Year 13 students submitted outstanding 5000 word research reports to complete their Extended Project Qualification. As part of the assessment requirements, each student presented their research to an audience comprised of parents, staff, teachers, and students. It was a great celebration of their accomplishments and achievement. Well done!Students have also been engaged in challenging projects and activities within their lessons over the last term. Students have participated in external competitions, including the Bailie Gifford Personal Finance Competition & the Mock Trial, and have been encouraged to participate in a wide range of enriching activities during their own time such as visiting museums, listening to podcasts, TED talks, and undertaking wider reading

AS/A2 Philosophy and Ethics Conference

“Being at Kintbury has given me a sense of

inner peace.”

Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, with whom we continue to build a strong relationship, who spoke with our Year 12 students regarding the process of applying to University

and other educational pathways.

To help our Year 12 students to achieve a more productive & manageable transition into 6th form, all of the students participated in a new development

extension days. The key aims were to specifically help students to gain skills that would improve their goal setting, study plans, organisation & team building skills.

positive experience and clearly identified the areas in which it helped them, the most frequent comments were:


Exploring the world of PsychologyStudents were given an opportunity to hear from Catherine Gilvarry PhD, Senior Lecturer, Programme Convenor Psychology and Health, Department of Psychology University of Roehampton. Catherine addressed psychology related career issues so that students could learn more about the diversity of job roles within the field from forensic through to occupational psychology. She also discussed her own background covering her university choices to her current position as well as giving students time to investigate further with their questions.

Eton Summer School: Eton Summer School: Eton’s purpose is to bring highly-motivated and academically ambitious boys and girls from the maintained sector together to benefit from the academic tuition and facilities which characterize Eton.

Each year we nominate students to attend this ten day course & in the summer three Year 12 students Helen Scott, Alicia Recuerda & Katrina Doyle were offered this amazing experience. Helen Scott says: “The teaching was fantastic and it was really interesting to cover topics that were beyond the scope of our A level specifications. We were encouraged to be active learners by asking questions and challenging preconceptions. It was nice that everyone in my class was incredibly hard-working and dedicated. We also received advice on our personal statements and participated in a mock interview, which was definitely the most useful aspect of the course. The lectures and tutorials were also very interesting and provide lots of scope for discussion.

With regards to the social aspects of the course, everybody who I met was lovely and there was scope to participate in a wide range of activities. Events such as the disco and day trips provided invaluable opportunities for bonding and getting to meet new people”.

Saint Andrew’s Junior College Singapore return to GumleyFor the second year we were again delighted to host two more groups of students and teaching staff from Saint Andrew’s Junior College, Singapore ,one of our international partner schools. Twenty five

6th form literature students spent a day with their Gumley counterparts in a wide range of curriculum subjects and classes including English, Languages, History, Drama, Sociology, Maths, Geography & Music. The following week, another twenty five Science and Humanities 6th form students with three of their teach-ers joined us for three days attending lessons in the Sixth Form with our A level students. The Singaporeans tell us that they really appreciate the very interactive way that subjects are taught here in Gumley. A specially arranged cultural exchange programme comprising drama, poetry, music, literature from both countries enabled all the students to learn more about some of the similarities and differences in our cultures.

Coming Up: Step Up To Careers: January 2012: The first ever careers workshop designed for students to gain a comprehensive insight into a range of careers, the day will be supported by representatives from disciplines that include Medical, Law, the Police & P.R. through to companies that include Accenture & Mediacom.Octink offers work experience & on-going support to one of our Year 13 students: Savannah Correia gained a 3 day work experience placement with Octink last summer, following an industry induction day that the Brentford design company offered to a number of our 6th form students earlier in the year. Not only was Savannah’s time expanded to an additional week but she has been incredibly fortunate to receive on-going support from both the Managing Director, Mike Freely & H.R. Manager Mary Samarawickrama.Savannah says: “I have completed so much work that I can use for university for my portfolio and it’s been a great success to have gained this placement here and I hope that I have made a positive impression”.

The first ever careers workshop designed for students to gain a comprehensive insight into a range of careers, the day will be supported by representatives from disciplines that include Medical, Law, the Police & P.R. through to companies that include Accenture & Mediacom.Octink offers work experience & on-going support to one of our Year 13 students: Savannah Correia gained a 3 day work experience placement with Octink last summer, following an industry induction day that the Brentford design company offered to a number of our 6th form students earlier in the year. Not only was Savannah’s time expanded to an additional week but she has been incredibly fortunate to receive on-going support from both the Managing Director, Mike Freely & H.R. Manager Mary Samarawickrama.Savannah says: “I have completed so much work that I can use for university for my portfolio and it’s been a great success to have gained this placement here and I hope that I have made a positive impression”.

“Being at Kintbury has given me a sense of

inner peace.”


This network has been established at the request of London Headteachers who feel there is need to prioritise issues related to global education and international schools partnerships. The focus of the network meetings and planned events will always highlight sharing, inspiring, interesting, innovative and impacting practice.

Gumley’s languages team specifically supported our Beijing visitors, here as part of a U.K. -wide project to learn more about the teaching of modern foreign languages. They were invited to observe our French, Italian and Spanish lessons and our Mandarin teaching staff & some students too who are currently studying Mandarin. This ensured that conversation flowed with all of our guests thanks to their translation skills.

International Schools’ NetworkIn November 2011 our school was asked to host one of the International Schools’ Network Meetings. Attendees included teaching staff from London & South East schools as well as fourteen principal representatives from top Beijing Schools.

International

French Exchange An annual event which includes many of our students & here Matilda Travers Year 9 student talks about her experience: “This is, so far, one of the best experiences of my life! It is full of so many great opportunities. The weekend was the best part! I threw a party with 26 people, some French, some English, it was one of the most enjoyable and funniest parties I have ever had or attended! As well as being able to have a great time, the exchange was and is a good opportunity to improve my French and learn about French traditions, for example my exchange, Sophie, and her family eats oysters at Christmas instead of turkey. I also made SO MANY new friends both French and English and hopefully we

will all stay friends! (I know Sophie and I will).If I were to give you a tip for French exchange

it would be try and be confident and chatty, it will make it easier, more comfortable and more relaxed between you and your partner. Remember even if there are nerves when they arrive, there will be tears when they leave – I know there were with me! So make the most of it!

Go Global As part of the Curriculum Extension days, this October for the second consecutive year, all Year 9 students travelled through China, Italy, France & Spain without leaving the classroom....Students participated in a specially created programme combining language & enterprise skills.

The objective was to increase students’ awareness of how languages are used in the working environment. Teams of students travelled through China, Italy, Spain & France, responding to briefs written in the language, building the case which would to sell products from one country into another, addressing cultural issues & quickly transferring skills from one language to another. Plenty of props were supplied including scents to create a French perfume launch in China & Chinese Tea & packaging for a drinks company launch in Italy.

Go Global As part of the Curriculum Extension days, this October for the second consecutive year, all Year 9 students travelled through China, Italy, France & Spain without leaving the classroom....Students participated in a specially created programme combining language & enterprise skills.

The objective was to increase students’ awareness of how languages are used in the working environment. Teams of students travelled

will all stay friends! (I know Sophie and I will).

it would be try and be confident and chatty, it will make it easier, more comfortable and more relaxed between you and your partner. Remember even if there are nerves when they arrive, there will be tears when they leave – I know there were with me! So make the most of it!

another, addressing cultural issues & quickly

including scents to create a French perfume launch in China & Chinese Tea & packaging


Lourdes 2011 Eleven members of the sixth form joined Mr Whittle in Lourdes at the start of the summer holiday in order to act as Red Cap helpers: the people who care for the sick and elderly who take part in the Westminster diocesan pilgrimage. Our trip to Lourdes went really well. We did get very soggy – it poured down for almost the whole time we were there! The eleven girls from Gumley were excellent, and showed themselves to be very caring towards the sick and elderly that we were looking after. Our students were very involved in various pilgrimage activities which this year included helping out at the diocesan liturgies. We worked with two other schools (Nicholas Breakspear and St Gregory’s) as a combined team.

“I felt refreshed after going for a bath in the Lourdes water. I liked chatting with and helping the sick and elderly pilgrims. Going to Lourdes helped me to feel close to God.”Vanessa Rocha

“Going to Lourdes has helped me to meet many new people and make new friends”“It made me realise that many people are less fortunate than myself and I feel happy to help them.”Catherine Offley-Shore

Here are some of the things these students said about their experience in Lourdes:

“Going down to the Grotto was the best part of our

trip to Lourdes.In Lourdes I realised that mass doesn’t have to be boring. I enjoyed working with the sick and elderly

pilgrims because they were all so happy to be in Lourdes and they were really easy to talk to.

Going to Lourdes is a great experience that changes your outlook on life for the

better”Zosia Syposz

“The best part of Lourdes was taking a bath in the Lourdes water and the chance to meet new people. Lourdes has made me realise that there are many people who are less fortunate than me.I really enjoyed working with the sick and elderly because they were so nice and I got such a good feeling from doing it. Going to Lourdes was an amazing experience and I would encourage others

to go because they would enjoy it.Shannon Collis

“Helping the sick and elderly has to be the best part of Lourdes. I found that it was really rewarding helping other people. Going to Lourdes made me realise that giving up a week of my time to help others is worth while – it is something I will remember forever.”Amanda Paish

“The best part of Lourdes was meeting new people and taking with the sick and elderly pilgrims. Going to Lourdes made me realise that I have more in common with the sick and elderly pilgrims and that I was able to help them when they needed me. I would encourage others to go to Lourdes because it was a great experience and very rewarding.”Rebecca Reese

“This was my second time in Lourdes as Red Cap helper and I had another amazing week.”Carla Ecca

“For me the best parts of Lourdes was going for a bath in the Lourdes water and taking part in the Blessed Sacrament procession. Going to Lourdes made me realise that making people happy and cared for is extremely important. I enjoyed working with the sick and elderly pilgrims because they were all so lovely and really appreciated us being there. I found going to Lourdes very moving and I would say it was amazing and bunch of fun!”Anna Kenton

“Going to Lourdes has made me realise that life should not be wasted. I enjoyed working with the sick and the elderly because they reminded me of my gran and they were friendly and entertaining. I felt so appreciated by them. I think going to Lourdes is something everyone should do at least once in their life. It makes you see Catholicism and people in a different way.”Amy Fernandez

“I found helping the sick and elderly pilgrims the best part of Lourdes. Going to Lourdes made me realise that people regardless of their abilities need help sometime in their life for support and friendship. I really liked going to the anointing of the sick service. I enjoyed getting to know the sick and elderly – hearing their stories and the struggles that they face. I would encourage others to go to Lourdes because it is a really enjoyable experience and it is rewarding as it makes other people feel happy as well as practically supporting them.”Hannah John

“For me the best part of the trip was meeting new people and being able to help the sick and elderly

pilgrims.I enjoyed working with the sick and elderly because they really

appreciated our help.I would encourage other to go to

Lourdes because it is so good and I want to go back next year.”

Ciara O’Sullivan


Business & Enterprise

Y10 Enterprising Skills Master-class

Little LushBy popular request Little Lush returned at the Christmas Fest. With their amazing selling skills and bright ideas they managed to bring some brilliant new homemade products to the table and add a Christmas theme. Amongst their best sellers were Bath Fizzers, new flavours of Lip Scrubs such as Lime and Vanilla, Candles, Bath Salts, Shower Gels and Lavender Bags as well as much, much more.

At the end of the day they had raised a fantastic £352 and would like to thank Miss White and Mrs Russell for all their help and support in raising this huge amount – we couldn’t have done it without you!

A big thank you also goes to Wains of Tunbridge Wells and Measom Freer who between them donated all the bottle and containers for our products.

Finally, we would like to say thank you to everyone who bought something on the day – we hope you are enjoying using them. See you all again at the next Summer BBQ Bonanza ……!

Google comes to GumleyIn this autumn term 2011 students had the chance to meet and hear from Mark Hodgson who works in Google’s Enterprise business and is responsible for all channel sales across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Mark is also responsible for building Google’s ‘Apps’ presence in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. Mark made a presentation to our year 13 Economics class who are learning about “company strategies and international business”. Specifically they are assessing “internal and external influences on companies.” Additionally he supported our Year 12 ICT students who are currently studying “Life in the Information Age”, where they are evaluating consumer interaction with the

internet & online services, particularly Google. Mark Hodgson was able to give the ICT students some insight about Google’s trading, how it generates revenues as well as looking more broadly at its social impact. These students also learnt more about careers at Google, the different departments and the skills needed as well as Mark’s own career journey from university, information that is particularly relevant to these students as they consider their own interests and career paths.

As part of the curriculum extension days all Year 10 students participated in this Young Enterprise programme. This course teaches students the value of developing enterprising skills as well as demonstrating how these skills link to a variety of roles and industry sectors.

All Year 10 students were tasked with responding to a brief for a café launch in the 2012 Olympic village. Working in teams, they had to devise a comprehensive marketing strategy & a sound financial plan prior to presenting their concept. This course was supported by a number of external entrepreneurs and business leaders who also talked to the students about their career choices and the challenges they face too.

Languages & InternationalOn Saturday 10th December 90 year 7 pupils and 15 members of staff went for a day trip to the Christmas Market in Lille in the North of France. The girls had a great time browsing in the market, buying Christmas souvenirs and trying the various French delicacies on offer. The atmosphere was lively and there was a lovely Christmas spirit being celebrated.

After the market we moved on to the ‘Euralille’ shopping centre to have a final assault on the shops. On the way the girls were able to see some of the town including the Old Train Station, the 17th Century Stock Exchange and the beautiful Flemish architecture. The girls were able to practice their French for real and had a great time getting to grips with the language and the money! When we had finally tired of the shopping we travelled back to school by coach and ferry. The day was a great success and really got us in the mood for Christmas!

for all channel sales across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Mark is also


This 3 week course is created and implemented by Imperial College’s undergraduate students, members of SIFE Imperial volunteer organisation, with the aim of raising financial capability and enterprise skills. 20 Year 9 students participated then achieved a unique opportunity to attend Imperial College for their final presentation.

Students were given 2 weeks to prepare a presentation in response to a brief to Identify a product/service linked to the 2012 games that would be highly sought after, allow

the team to make a profit and improve the image of London, whilst ensuring they addressed each judging criteria from revenue projections to marketing plans.

Congratulations to all of the students as they worked incredibly hard, demonstrating their new found business & financial knowledge with high levels of creativity too and special congratulations to Infinite members Monika Lukomska; Olivia Cardosa; Clare Harrison; Emilia-Eloise Wojciechowska-Watson & Jacqueline Harrington voted the winning team by the judging panel which was made up of: Imperial College’s Mary Goudge Information Manager, Colin Love Principal Teaching Fellow of the Business School and external business advisers GazProm’s Ben Carney, Global Resourcing Partner & npower’s Edwina Vernon, Engineer.

Young Journalist of the YearThe local Guardian Newspaper’s Editor Andrew Parkes & Journalist Diana Jarvis attended a special presentation at the school this October to award certificates to a number of Year 13 students as well as Best Photo award to one of our Y11 students.Congratulations to: Christina Paish winner of one of the top 10 awards for “best photo” & Year 13 students: Emily May, Anna Kenton, Damilola Nezianya, Catherine Offley-Shore, Alicia Recuerda, Rebecca Reese, Helen Scott & Vnisha Vaghela – all were awarded certificates of recognition. Each student successfully completed 8 articles addressing a range of different community related issues which were then uploaded onto the paper’s website each month. Now in its 3rd Year The 2011-2012 scheme is well under way with more students developing their writing, research and creative skills.

Imperial College “Insight Into Business” Course.

This 3 week course is created and implemented by Imperial

financial capability and enterprise skills. 20 Year 9 students participated then achieved a unique opportunity to attend

Students were given 2 weeks to prepare a presentation in response to a brief to Identify a product/service linked to the 2012 games that would be highly sought after, allow

the team to make a profit and improve the image of London, whilst ensuring they

Imperial College’s Mary Goudge Information Manager, Colin Love Principal Teaching Fellow of the Business School and external business advisers GazProm’s Ben Carney,

House News

This year’s fundraising started with a bang on the first charity day on November 11th.

The day started with all Year 7 pupils completing a sponsored Zumba fit event which was led by a Gumley parent. The girls generated a huge amount of energy and the atmosphere was electric!

The rest of the morning involved cake and food sales, photo-booths and poppy selling. The final event was the House staff quiz and “egg off” with the CFJ team taking the title of champions! Well done to all teachers and staff.

We raised a whopping £2717.99 for the poppy appeal.

During November, fifty Year 10 students participated in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge aimed at providing the training and skills needed for successful public speaking. Throughout the day, the girls were taught the necessary skills to help with giving speeches and were involved in a number of ‘mini’ speech competitions and discussions where they practised their new skills. Eight finalists were selected from this initial session including: Rachel Scott, Lydia Duncan, Lucy Antunes, Imogen Jennings, Laura Obradovic, Maria Bright, Zara Querino, Sholeh St John KieizerCongratulations to Zara Querino & Laura Obradovic who have been selected to progress to the regional finals.

Speak Out Challenge

This 3 week course is created and implemented by Imperial College’s undergraduate students, members of SIFE Imperial volunteer organisation, with the aim of raising financial capability and enterprise skills. 20 Year 9 students participated then achieved a unique opportunity to attend Imperial College for their final presentation.

in response to a brief to Identify a product/service linked to the 2012 games that would be highly sought after, allow

the team to make a profit and improve the image of London, whilst ensuring they

Nezianya, Catherine Offley-Shore, Alicia Recuerda, Rebecca Reese,


Geography

AS Level Geography Fieldtrip to Abergavenny, South WalesOur Year 12 Geography students spent four busy days in South Wales in early November collecting data for their Human and Physical Geography investigations. They studied the Sphere of Influence of Abergavenny, a busy market town and as a contrast, ventured deep into the Brecon Beacons to explore tiny remote rural settlements. They all enjoyed the ‘rivers’ day and the challenge of crossing the river with water pouring down their wellies. In the town of Brecon they were able to evaluate different flood management strategies at first hand.

Year 9 Geography Fieldtrip to SelseyYear 9 Geographers travelled to the coastal town of Selsey for fieldtrips during the Curriculum Extension Days in October. The purpose of this journey was to allow students to see coastal processes and coastal management strategies in action in real life. It also helped students build on the fieldwork techniques they used during their Year 8 river fieldwork. Working in small groups students spent the day collecting primary data. Staff were thoroughly impressed with the skills shown by students in a range of fieldwork techniques. Back in the classroom Year 9 spent the remainder of the Autumn Term collating and analys-ing their data during geography lessons.

Geography Fieldtrip to

Yr8 Geography – “Country in a Box”Yr8 have made a great start to their Geography studies this year. After studying the human and physical features of Europe in class, students then worked individually to research one particular European country. The information collected was presented in a box. As you can see from the photos the work was of a very high standard, well done Yr8!


The Challenge Network Summer 2011

In the summer of 2011, twenty seven Year 11 Gumley students volunteered to take part in this new community programme. The Challenge Network is the charity that designs and delivers ‘The Challenge’, inspiring young people from diverse backgrounds to come together after their GCSE exams and to make their mark in the community. Students develop a range of physical, social and civic skills through a combination of residential weeks on outbound courses in Wales and skills training at Brunel University plus daily and weekend commitments working on a focussed local community project. On completion of this project and in recognition of their work the students gained a certificate from The Challenge and a National Citizen Service certificate signed by the Prime Minister at a special graduation ceremony on 22nd October 2011.

The Challenge vs. London Riots 2011An extract from the article by student Izobel Ordona written for the local Guardian newspaper in October 2011Let’s just say we haven’t had the best summer this year. During the summer of 2011, riots have been breaking out all over the London area. Causing destruction and shop lifting from all the high streets and shops, teenagers have given themselves a bad press recently. This situation has put our generation in a mess, as I am sure that adults do not trust us at all anymore and believe that we are all dangerous and a threat to society.

However, the riots are not the only thing that has been going on during the summer – The Challenge.

I took part in The Challenge programme, and I found the experience of course, ‘challenging’. During the first three weeks of the challenge I got to know my strengths and weaknesses that I never noticed before, and The Challenge and all my team mates helped me to work and improve my weaknesses as the weeks went by. As well as that I developed my skills in the media as my team mates and I created an advert to promote an old peoples home, I found this experience very inspiring as we were told various stories about the lives of the elderly people and this made me realise how we have our lives handed to us on a plate with all these qualifications and opportunities available to us The Challenge can benefit these teenagers with their CV’s and personal statements too. The Challenge experience as “life changing” and “something different” – this really does show that there are decent teenagers in this society that are willing to commit and help the community around them. The Challenge – 1, London Riots - 0.

Year 10 GCSE GeographyYear 10 have started their GCSE studies with great

enthusiasm – as part of their ‘rivers’ theme, they have

investigated infiltration rates on different surfaces in the

Gumley grounds in order to discover the factors which

contribute to flooding.

In addition, a group of Year 10 were able to take part in

the ‘Restless Earth’ conference run by the British Geological

Society. They were given the task to create a rapid response

map that would be used by emergency services and aid

providers following the earthquake in Japan earlier this year.

The task was made more challenging by the fact that many

of the resources were in Japanese!

Year 10 GCSE GeographyYear 10 have started their GCSE studies with great

enthusiasm – as part of their ‘rivers’ theme, they have

investigated infiltration rates on different surfaces in the

Gumley grounds in order to discover the factors which

contribute to flooding.

the ‘Restless Earth’ conference run by the British Geological

Society. They were given the task to create a rapid response

map that would be used by emergency services and aid

providers following the earthquake in Japan earlier this year.

The task was made more challenging by the fact that many

of the resources were in Japanese!

Field TripThe A2 biologists spent two days on a

field course in November this term at the

Field Studies Council Centre in Amersham,

Buckinghamshire. On the first day they

compared invertebrate diversity in an open

meadow pond to that in a beech wood pond.

The second day they looked at succession

in the open meadow and compared two

different types of woodland. They were taught

the practical skills and shown how to use

statistical tests to analyse their results.

I am Poetry,So envied by Prose.Verse is more cherished,As he very well knows.My candid mouth open,I have started already,Let’s start the routine,Make these hearts unsteady.I guess you can call me a candid beast,There’s no restriction on my mouth.I speak the mind which you can’t speak,As your pen drifts down south.I’m adorned with so many metaphors,No wonder fog settles in their minds.Topped off with satire or maybe pure wit,We aim to confuse your kind.A poignant communicator,A deep message from within,Perhaps that’s what I am,Swimming on paper so thin.I’m tied up with sentiment,In reality I’m clinical,A mere product of the poet,Aiming to reach the pinnacle.So what is poetry?How that question makes me weary,I think it’s obvious by now,This is poetry, see?by Amy Fernandez

I am Poetry,What is Poetry?


“There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of the day the

cast list goes up for the school play; everyone running to

the noticeboard to get a glance of your determined role.

Normally you go from a young Gumley Girl performing the

non-lead roles to the best of your ability and just aspiring

to one day being blessed with the centre stage like that

year 10 or 11 girl performing the lead…It is a fun, jam-

packed few months and I am definitely recommending it

to everybody. It has for sure changed my experience in

Gumley and I love it!”

Kitty Cockram, Grand High Witch in The Witches,

Gumley House School Production 2011

“I really enjoyed taking part in The

Witches last year and the Theatre

Olympics this year and last. I loved

watching others perform which helped me improve my

drama skills and I also like taking part in it. The Theatre

Olympics meant I had to think on my feet to decide what

I was going to do. This also let me get to know some

Fs I have never met before, older and younger. We had

to work together as a team to make the entrance good

and we also had to listen to each other’s ideas and

suggestions. Taking part in The Witches boosted my

confidence and helped me improve my facial expressions

as well as giving me experience of auditioning for a play.

I have now joined drama club as a result of taking part in

last year’s school production. Thank you very much for

the opportunities!” Katie Boylan 8F


Drama Voice

Music News

The Music department has had an exciting autumn term and it has been a real pleasure to join such a thriving and lively area of the school! Students returned from the summer holidays to find that twelve Mac computers had been installed in the Music Suite enabling them to use a new music programme ‘GarageBand’ for composition in lessons.

With gratitude to the Parents’ Association, the department was also able to re-stock with a range of percussion instruments. In addition, the practice rooms received a make-over which improved their appearance enormously and during the half term break a new floor was installed in the corridors of the Music block. To sum up: the Music Suite is now equipped to offer lessons with up-to-date technology and good instruments in a pleasant environment.

The musical activities began in September with a trip to the London Schools Symphony Orchestra’s 60th Anniversary concert at the Barbican with GCSE & A level students. We heard a youth orchestra perform an exciting programme of British music. This was inspirational and enjoyed by all.

The launch of Gumley Glee was hugely popular with the girls and they gave their debut performance at Gumley’s Open Evening singing Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ with a rock band as accompaniment.

The first half of term finished with an excellent Black History Celebration in which the Chamber Choir performed beautifully and there were also energetic musical contributions from Gumley’s Gospel Choir and from Year 9 girls who performed on African percussion and sang an African Call & Response song.

In early November the Music Department invited Hounslow Music Service to give a demonstration to Year 7 girls and the year group enjoyed hearing professional musicians perform and talk about their instruments. Girls have been asking for application forms ever since and the numbers taking instrumental lessons at Gumley are expected to increase in January.

We enjoyed our Cake Concert just after half term and were entertained by some very talented and promising musicians. The biscuits and cakes were also very much appreciated!

Gumley’s other regular ensembles: Gumley Concert Band, String Ensemble and Gumley Sinfonia were invited to perform at St. Faith’s Church in Brentford on 22nd November, acting as musical ambassadors for the school and performing in a venue outside school; a different and valuable experience. I look forward to their contribution at the Christmas Concert.

Future plans include a percussion group for KS3 students which it is hoped will start in January and a course of Dalcroze lessons which will be offered to selected Year 7 girls in the near future. The spring term sees the Music Festival, Cake Concert and Spring Concert followed by the School Musical in the summer term and the Music Department is also planning a foreign tour for its ensembles in 2012. Gumley has many talented and committed musicians and I look forward to seeing them progress this year!K Barker(Head of Music)

Arthur ChristmasIf you and your family decide to go to the cinema this Christmas to see ’Arthur Christmas’ you might like to know that it was written and directed by an ex- Gumley girl.Sarah Smith was at our school from 1977 to 1984. She appeared as Malvolio in our 1984 production of ‘Twelfth Night’ and went on to study English at Lincoln College, Oxford. She ran the Oxford Review with Armando Iannouchi and was one of the youngest producers the BBC ever employed. She produced and directed the first ‘League of Gentlemen’ series, then joined Ardman (Wallace and Grommett) about eight years ago.


I really enjoyed taking part in The

“I think the Drama Olympics is a great

opportunity for people to gain confidence, and to work on their improvisation skills.

Personally, I found it very fun and exciting, (especially because my house won!) and it is always such a laugh. We always have a

great time interacting with the other years, houses, and teachers. I get so excited before it, and look forward to

it every year.”Juliet Stevenson, 9F – in the

winning team 2011



cast list goes up for the school play; everyone running to

the noticeboard to get a glance of your determined role.

Normally you go from a young Gumley Girl performing the

non-lead roles to the best of your ability and just aspiring

to one day being blessed with the centre stage like that

year 10 or 11 girl performing the lead…It is a fun, jam-

packed few months and I am definitely recommending it

to everybody. It has for sure changed my experience in

Gumley and I love it!”

Kitty Cockram, Grand High Witch in The Witches,


“I really enjoyed taking part in The

Witches last year and the Theatre

Olympics this year and last. I loved

watching others perform which helped me improve my

drama skills and I also like taking part in it. The Theatre

Olympics meant I had to think on my feet to decide what

I was going to do. This also let me get to know some

Fs I have never met before, older and younger. We had

to work together as a team to make the entrance good

and we also had to listen to each other’s ideas and

suggestions. Taking part in The Witches boosted my

confidence and helped me improve my facial expressions

as well as giving me experience of auditioning for a play.

I have now joined drama club as a result of taking part in

last year’s school production. Thank you very much for

the opportunities!” Katie Boylan 8F

‘The Witches’The summer term literally ended with a bang for Drama department as the last pyrotechnic flash went off at the end of our very successful production of Roald’s Dahl’s ‘The Witches’. This spectacular showcased the talents of many Gumley girls both on and off the stage as performers, puppeteers, technicians and stage crew. The puppetry used in the show was a very special element for all concerned. We all learnt new skills in the making, manipulating and mastering of this ancient theatrical art form.

Theatre OpportunitiesAutumn term took off in grand fashion with a theatre trip on 17th September to the Lyric Hammersmith to see Kneehigh Theatre Company’s latest production, ‘The Wild Bride’. And what a production it was! The mixed group of Year 9 to 13s was wowed by the inventiveness, musicality, fun and shocks the production provided. It was a great night out.

On October 3rd, Theatre Centre brought their latest play, ‘Under a Foreign Sky’, into school for our GCSE and A-Level Drama students. The audience was treated to a very affecting naturalistic piece about the plight in London of three young immigrants from Kosovo; exploring the challenges they face and the resilience they need to try to achieve their dreams. The play provided much food for thought and lots of good ideas for our students.

In November we took Year 13 Drama and Theatre Studies students out to Leatherhead on a Friday night for a rare opportunity to see ‘Oh What a Lovely War’. What a moving and inspiring production that was, with five highly talented actors playing a multitude of parts and instruments as they performed Joan Littlewood’s still scorching anti-war play.

Also in November, Year 13 students were taken to the famous Gate Theatre in Notting Hill Gate to see an excellent production of Lorca’s ‘Yerma’. This is the first of a joint Drama and Languages department theatre venture as sixth form Drama and Spanish students will also be going to see Lorca’s ‘House of Bernarda Alba’ in December. As our girls are studying ‘Blood Wedding’, this means they will have had direct experience of Lorca’s famous trilogy of Spanish tragedies.

We’re off to see the Wizard! Thirty year 9 girls who have never see a West End show have been given highly subsidised tickets to see ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at the London Palladium on 29th November. What an unforgettable first experience that will be! Thanks go to the Mousetrap Foundation’s Theatre Openers project that has made this opportunity possible.

Black History CelebrationOctober was of course Black History Month, and the Drama department joined forces with departments around the school to provide opportunities for all our girls to explore this year’s particular focus: “Making a Difference” – the enrichment of British society from Windrush to the present day. Through music, art, drama, dance and poetry, the month concluded with a joyful celebration evening. Of particular note were the comic sketches Senior Drama Club performed at different points through the evening, inspired by Black British award winning comic, Jocelyn Jee Esien, who had sent them a good luck message for the show.

Two days later, a group of us who had been involved in the Black History Celebration Evening then had the great pleasure of seeing Jocelyn Jee Esien on the stage in a touring production of a very funny American play, ‘One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show’ by Don Evans. We met Jocelyn after the show and she talked to the girls about her route into performance as a career.

The Isleworth Community PlayNovember saw the launch of a very exciting community project with its origins in Gumley. The musical, written by Head of Drama, Madeleine Casey, and previous Head of Music, Richard Lake, ‘Beautiful Dreamer’, is to be produced as a community play in the spring. This Isleworth story set in the 1930s about lifelong Isleworth resident, Eileen Woodbridge, evokes an era that has much in common with our own, as its many characters face the challenges of those austere times that were nonetheless remarkable for their technical innovations such as wireless radio and recorded sound. If you or any member of your family would like to get involved or find out more about the project, look it up at www.isleworthplay.tumblr.com.

Staff PantoAs I write, the fifth consecutive staff panto to end the autumn term has begun rehearsals. What it will be is a closely kept secret, but with thirty staff involved, much merriment and mayhem will undoubtedly be had by audience and cast alike.

Ten Ten Theatre CompanyOn the morning of Monday 9th January, all of Year 7 will be watching a theatre production and participating in a workshop by the Ten Ten Theatre Company. This is an award-winning educational theatre charity working throughout the UK. At the core of its work is an underlying Christian ethos rooted in the Catholic tradition. They believe that young people should be given every opportunity to live life, life to the full. This of course fits well with the Gumley motto, VIVE UT VIVAS.

The play they will see is called TWO-FACED . It explores the impact of social media on the lives of young people and asks challenging questions about identity, body image, using others, the value of self and the gift of friendship.

Drama Round-up

Merry Christmas and, as always, thank you for your generous support of the arts at Gumley. They enrich us all.

‘Yermagoing to see Lorca’s ‘means they will have had direct experience of Lorca’s famous trilogy of Spanish tragedies.

We’re off to see the Wizard! Thirty year 9 girls who have never see a West End show have been given highly subsidised tickets to see ‘Wizard of OzThanks go to the Mousetrap Foundation’s Theatre Openers project that has made this

would like to get involved or find out more about the project, look it up at www.isleworthplay.tumblr.com.


GUMLEY HOUSE CONVENT SCHOOLST JOHN’S ROAD, ISLEWORTH. MIDDLESEX TW7 6XFTEL: 020 8568 8692 FAX: 020 8758 2674EMAIL: [email protected] WWW.GUMLEY.HOUNSLOW.SCH.UK

2012 Olympics: Look us up on the Get Set Network!An edited glimpse of some of the sporting & sporting related achievements in our school, incorporated in many subjects including: P.E., Drama, Business Studies, Maths, Design & Technology, PSHEE & Citizenship plus selected full day Young Enterprise programmes as part of the Curriculum Extension Days. • Olympic Canoeing Centre: 2 of our students

participated in lots of physical challenges + the white water rafting!

• Young Enterprise: For 3 years Year 10 students have worked on a brief to build a 2012 Olympic Village cafe, to attract athletes and members of the public.

• Cheerleading: Part of our aim in promoting different sports in community schools. We launched 2 cheerleaders clubs Gumley & St. Mary’s, a local primary school, with students reaching the national finals.

• The Coca Cola Challenge implemented in September 2011 for Year 10 students who developed a soft drink representing one of the 2012 countries.

& Coming Up..........

• BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE: Educational Legacy inspired by the London 2012 Olympics, the 21st Century Legacy, created by Olympic champion David Hemery, CBE. All Year 8 students over 25 lessons in PSHEE & Citizenship starting in January 2012 will benefit from this new initiative to help students raise their aspirations; generate self-awareness and self-responsibility - the qualities of Champions. Launched by Tim Prendergast, New Zealand’s most outstanding paralympian on 11 January 2012.

• Drama Festival Olympics continues: An annual event now in its 3rd year due to popular demand.

• A new Olympic Sport Badminton Club: Very popular & in its 2nd year for Years 7-9 Students supported by an external trained coach to hone skills who this year is working with KS4 students.

• Newsstand a day in the life of a Paralympic Athlete: Year 7 students research & then write an article as part of their Integrated Learning Module.

Year 9 Netball Rally The year 9 netball team were crowned Borough Champions on Friday 25th November. The girls played well during the first round losing only to Rivers Academy who they went on to play in the final. It was a tough game which was reflected in the final score 6- 4. Congratulations to Eleanor Duce, Niamh Broderick, Dana Bishop, Francesca Foley, Eleanor Newman, Emma Grant, Chloe Murphy, Claudia Rodrigues- Campo, Orla Batchelor, Lara Goodhand and Natasha Linton.

Netball results (so far) Played Won Drawn Lost

Year 7 5 5 0 0

Year 8 5 4 0 1

Year 9 3 1 0 2

Year 10 5 1 2 2

Seniors 4 1 1 2

The Yr9 Netball team kept their spirits high as they qualified for the semi finals of the Year 9 Hounslow Borough Netball rally. They met Heathland School and won 3-1. Their opposition in the final was ‘ RiversAcademy’ against whom they had lost previously in a league match and in the earlier rounds. However, this time their resilience, calm, tactical analysis and positive sport psychology overwhelmed their opponents. The girls were delighted with their 6-4 victory.Congratulations to the squad!Squad members – Eleanor Duce, Chloe Murphy, Emma Grant, Niamh Broderick, Eleanor Newman, Francesca Foley, Orla Batchelor, Dana Bishop, Natasha Linton.

Genazzano VisitAt the beginning of the term, a group of twenty eight pupils and five staff from Genazzano FCJ College in Melbourne arrived in Gumley as part of their European sporting tour. The pupils were hosted by Gumley girls and their families, who welcomed them fully and showed them the many delights West London had to offer! The sporting games were very closely contested, much more so than they had been in the past, with Gumley managing to remain the football champions and Genazzano, the netball champions!

Interhouse This term saw the Year 9 Interhouse Gymnastics competition. This was a closely contested competition with 9R taking first place, 9F 2nd place and 9J 3rd place. Congratulations to 9R- Alex Fraser, Georgia Thompson, Bethany Wigmore, Phoebe Comer and Claudia Rodrigues- Campo.

Year 8 Sports Leaders Congratulations to the Year 8 Sports Leaders group who helped organise and run the Primary Schools sports hall Athletics event which was held in Brentford Leisure Centre on November 22nd. (photo)

St Marys Step Into SportsA group of nine, Year 10 GCSE PE students are attending St Mary’s University, Twickenham regularly for lectures and seminars on sports as a career.


news house news christmas 2011 project india: during the year, twenty of our sixth form students had...

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