Newsletter

Glyn School, The Kingsway, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 1NB T: 020 8716 4949 F: 020 8716 4999 E: glynmail@glynschool.org W: www.glynschool.org

Learn • Achieve • Enjoy • Succeed

This Week in Pictures… Year 10 Catering students produced afternoon tea for their practical examination.

Dates for

Your Diary

Monday 14 March - Head Boy and Head Girl Interview Process and Senior Prefect Selection Monday 14 March - Enrichment Lecture - Maths in the Real World - 3.30pm to 4.30pm Tuesday 15 March - Year 12 UCAS and Higher Education Evening - 7.00pm in The Proctor Hall Thursday 17 March - Year 9 Parents’ and Carers’ Evening in the Sports Hall - 3.30pm to 8.00pm Friday 18 March - Mufti Day (as below) Thursday 24 March - School finishes at 12.20pm for end of Spring Term - Easter break Monday 11 April - Return to school - Week 2

Mufti Day – Friday 18 March 2016 Glyn School will be holding a Mufti Day on Friday 18 March 2016 in aid of Glyn School PSA. Students may wear their own clothes in return for a donation of £2.00 at the school gates. Normal school rules will still apply with regards to jewellery and hairstyles. Thank you. Mrs Jones, Assistant Headteacher

Stop Press – Change of time. CCF Prospective Cadets Information Evening will be held on Wednesday 16 March at

6.00pm, not 7.00pm as previously advised, at City of London Freemen’s School. Thank you. Mrs Pearson

Thank You to the Glyn PSA The weekly Glyn Newsletters afford us the opportunity to showcase the many amazing events which take place at school each week. Our students and staff do so much and it is excellent to share their successes with the wider Glyn community. As well as the students and staff, we have another team which helps support the school on a weekly basis and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their hard work. The Glyn PSA has raised a huge amount of money for the school over the past few years and their support of us is exceptional. This week we had the pleasure of meeting with the Glyn PSA to discuss how best we would spend the £28,500 they have raised over this year. This additional funding is invaluable and contributes to the success of the school. In the coming weeks we will see extra equipment in DT, Food Technology, Science and Music, and the new junior playground will soon have additional equipment and markings for the students to use during morning break and lunchtimes. As well as funding these resources, the PSA continues to fund one of our three minibuses. We would like to formally thank them for all that they do to support the school. If you would like further information about the Glyn PSA, or if you would like to join them, please contact them by email to: GlynPSA@outlook.com or you can keep up to date with them on Facebook via this link: [https://%20/www.facebook.com/groups/GlynSchoolPSA]https://www.faceboo[https://%20/www.facebook.com/groups/GlynSchoolPSA]k.com/groups/GlynSchoolPSA.

I hope that you all have a good weekend.

Mrs Jones, Assistant Headteacher

One space has become available on the popular Canada Rugby Tour from 16 - 26 July 2016 for a Year 11 student The cost of this once in a lifetime trip is £1970 which includes flights, accommodation, food, insurance, Wonderland Park trip, CN Tower tour, baseball game, Maid of the Mist trip (Niagara Falls), whirlpool jet boat ride, as well as many other activities and, of course, playing rugby!

If your son is in Year 11, enjoys playing rugby and would like to be added to this trip, please contact the Finance Office by email to finance@glynschool.org. Reminder - If you have not already done so, students who are going on the rugby tour to Canada should bring a photocopy of their passport to the Finance Office as soon as possible, please. Thank you. Finance Office finance@glynschool.org

Year 7 Castle Building Competition The whole school was invited to a very impressive display yesterday, Thursday 10 March, as the former Fitness Suite was filled with models of medieval castles. Forming part of their ILT (Independent Learning Task), Year 7 History students were tasked with building a model medieval castle. Judging by the very impressive structures on display, students had clearly understood the key elements of the subject and had thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Staff and students throughout the school were invited to view the models at lunchtime and to vote for their favourite castle, which was an incredibly difficult decision, given the calibre of the entries. Congratulations to the following students for their winning entries: Best Motte and Bailey: Reece Teuten 7D Best Wild Card: Leonard Lai 7T Best Stone Keep: Connor Taylor 7SB Best Palace: Adam Whitehouse 7M and Joao Teles 7M Miss Cortizo, Head of History

Students Shone at the Spring Concert The Glyn School Spring Concert took place on Wednesday 9 March in The Proctor Hall. As ever, the evening was packed from start to finish with a variety of performances, showcasing the ever-increasing breadth of musical talent in the school. The evening began with an enthusiastic rendition of the theme from ‘Hawaii Five-O’, played by the Djembe Drumming Group. Following this, a performance of the ‘Promenade’ from Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition by the Brass Group showed the growing number of talented brass players at Glyn, particularly in the current Year 7 cohort. The considerable musical potential amongst Glyn’s youngest students was further highlighted during an assured performance of ‘Frère Jacques’ by the

Year 7 Band, all of whom have only been playing their instruments since September. The String Orchestra followed on from this, playing the energetic ‘Jig’ from Holst’s St. Paul’s Suite, ably directed by Mrs Parsons. Prior to the interval, it was the Pop Choir’s turn to dazzle the audience with two pieces: James Bay’s recent hit, ‘Hold Back the River’, and Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ which featured a superb electric guitar solo played by Jamie Longcake. Having fortified themselves with refreshments kindly served by the Glyn PSA during the interval, students and audience members were ready for the second half of the concert. It certainly wasn’t a ‘Mission: Impossible’ for the Junior Band, who played the theme tune from the film with aplomb to kick things off, conducted expertly by Mr Gimson. A performance of Mumford & Sons’ ‘I Will Wait’ by the ever-popular Ukulele Band was followed by two numbers from the Sixth Form Vocal Group. The performance by this group signals another musical success story at Glyn; three years ago there was no choir specifically for Sixth Form students, and now there are over twenty five students from Years 12 and 13 who attend Tuesday rehearsals regularly to sing A Cappella music. Their off-by-heart renditions of four-part arrangements of ‘Happy Together’ and ‘Sway’ were simultaneously amusing and captivating. The penultimate item of the concert, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ was skilfully played by the talented Saxophone Quintet, before the Concert Band took to the stage to play a toe-tapping medley of Stevie Wonder hits to round off the evening. Once again, the huge array of musical talent at Glyn was clear to see and hear; the evening was enjoyed immensely by all who attended it. Students are already looking forward to performing again at the Creative Arts Evening and GLF Music

Festival in the summer term. Dr Couchman, Head of Music

Year 10 Catering Students Bake Up a Storm in Afternoon Tea Practical Exams Chef whites were donned and cake stands assembled in Food Technology this week as Year 10 Catering students tackled their first practical exam for their controlled assessment. Tasked with making and serving their own afternoon tea within a three hour time limit, students took to the kitchen and baked up a storm, each making four products, at least one of which had to be savoury. From scrumptious scones, swiss rolls and shortbread, to delectable macaroons, profiteroles and madeleines that would not have looked out of place in a French patisserie, all students stepped up to the plate and impressed with their cake baking, jam making, and pastry shaping skills. Each student presented their food on tables decorated with brightly coloured tablecloths, tea sets and flowers, and of course each afternoon tea was tasted and enjoyed very willingly by myself and Mrs Edwards. As their teacher, this week has left me feeling incredibly proud, and I would like to congratulate the boys for what they have achieved, with the successful outcomes testament to the hard work and time that has been invested. With countless hours of practising and trial runs at home, I would also like to thank parents and carers, whose support and interest has been a strong contributing factor in making these exams a success. I’m sure they’ll be relieved to know that students will be required to make a healthy two-course meal for the next practical exam! That’ll be dinner times sorted for a few months! You can view photographs of all students’ work on the Food Department’s Instagram and Twitter accounts, @GlynSchoolFood. Miss Owen, Head of Food Technology

The BBC News School Report Day! Once again, on Thursday 10 March, Glyn’s budding young reporters took part in the BBC’s national School Report initiative, which gives students the chance to create their own news reports for a real audience. This year we have been looking to raise the profile of BBC News School Report at Glyn through unique stories and innovative approaches to researching and publishing news. The group of raring student reporters, ranging from Years 7-11, began the day with an early (8am!) news meeting to discuss the main stories of the day. The eager reporters then got to work on their stories, whilst the technical team busied themselves setting up the live feed. During this time, some students attempted to contact companies to get some quotes to support their articles - with varying success! By lunchtime, our broadcasters were in full swing and were delighted when Mr Wheatley kindly accepted an interview invitation, sharing his thoughts on the migrant crisis and Apple’s decision not to provide customers’ details to the FBI. We covered a range of stories across the day, ranging from Major Tim Peake’s journey to space, to Project Blaid, a project for the visually impaired. You can see all our stories here on our website, courtesy of Lucas Johnston: http://glynschoolreport.ga Well done to everyone who took part and all those who helped to make the day a success. If you are interested in joining the School Report team, please contact Miss Keoshgerian (keoshgerianc@glynschool.org) or Miss Jeyarajah (jeyarajahm@glynschool.org). Ben Williams 9B and Ewan Doyle 9D

Some Great Deals from Kitbox! This message is coming to you from the Kitbox Student Business Managers at Glyn School. For those of you who don’t know about us, we are a group of students who manage the uniform supply for Glyn School. We just wanted to get in touch and say thank you for your support and to let you know that we'll be keeping you up to date with Kitbox news and amazing uniform offers. We've had some great updates to our web stores recently that will improve your shopping experience. A visual refresh of our website and our partnership with Trutex brings improved shipping, lower costs and an even better range as we strive to provide better uniforms. We would like to let you know about some great offers we have for you! We are well into the Spring term, but the weather is still rather cold. To help students beat the big chill, we have an amazing deal on Glyn tracksuits which can be purchased from the web store at half price for the next two weeks. The tracksuits are light and breathable, so they are great all year round. Just enter the discount code TRACKSUIT at checkout to redeem this offer. We also have a deal on uniforms, giving you £10 off when buying a long sleeved shirts twin pack, slim leg trouser and jumper together. Simply use offer code UNIFORM at checkout to grab them while stocks last. The team have been involved with a great project with an advertising company this month. It was an exciting opportunity for us and we hope we can show you some of the ideas coming to life soon. That's it for now! We hope you enjoyed our first message to you. We always value your feedback, so please keep in touch. Thank you. The Glyn Kitbox Team - Year 12 and 13 students: Andrea, Yaiza, Rory, Will, James, Ryan, Nadia, Sam, Lucinda, Morgan, Roshan, Jamie, Emma and Chan. The Kitbox shop is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 12.30pm to 1.00pm and again from 3.20pm to 4.20pm. (We are closed on Wednesdays). THE OFFERS CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://glynschool.kitbox.com/collections/spring-bundle.

The Student Support Centre Ltd Last week students brought home details of a home-based tuition programme provided by The Student Support Centre Ltd. We would be grateful if families could return the reply slip via Form Tutors by Monday 14 March, including replies expressing no interest in the programme. Thank you.

Please Help Us to Collect Sainsbury’s Active Kids Vouchers! Active Kids vouchers are back at Sainsbury’s until 3 May 2016. They are available from all tills. At the self-checkouts, simply select to collect the vouchers on the screen when you checkout. The vouchers do not seem to be as freely available as they once were, so please do ask the cashier for your vouchers if they forget to offer them to you. This year the vouchers are white and smaller than previously, so please look out for them when handed your receipt. We can redeem the vouchers to collect an array of sporting and cooking equipment for the benefit of our students. In previous years we have been able to equip the PE and Food Technology departments with a huge selection of resources (including a fridge!) and hope that you will be able to help us to do so again this year. Please ask friends and family to help us collect Sainsbury’s Active Kids Vouchers for Glyn School. Our collection box is at Student Reception. We are grateful to both Sainsbury’s for running this excellent scheme again this year and to all those who help us to collect as many vouchers as possible. Thank you. Marion Meadows, Publicity Officer

The LRC Book of the Week - Light, by Michael Grant The barrier wall is now as clear as glass and life in the FAYZ is visible for the entire outside world to see. Life inside the dome remains a constant battle and the darkness is growing. The society that Sam and Astrid have struggled so hard to build is about to be shattered for good. It’s the end of the FAYZ and who will survive to see the light of day? “This is the final book in the Gone series. When you read these books you are hooked in and can’t tear yourself away! There is a lot of description so you can imagine everything. It all feels very real; the characters are realistic and not fake. I enjoyed reading all of them.” Joshua Martin-Johnson 9 St Benet

Available to borrow from the LRC

Competition! The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is a national poetry competition for poems written by any young poet aged 11-17. Since it began 15 years ago the award has kick-started the career of some of today’s most exciting new voices. It is the largest competition of its kind and is free to enter. Each year 100 winners (85 Commendations and 15 Overall Winners) are selected by a team of high profile judges. The winners receive their awards at an annual prize-giving event on National Poetry Day. Poems can be on any topic or theme you want; write about whatever inspires you! All you need to do is submit your poems and your details online. Follow the link for more information or to submit your entries: http://www.foyleyoungpoets.org/ Mr Bell, Head of English

Two Forthcoming Enrichment Lectures Our Enrichment Lecture series continues with: Monday 14 March - 3.30pm to 4.30pm in M4 ‘Maths in the real world: should men pay more for their car insurance than women, and how does it all work?’ Presented by Mr Murray Tuesday 15 March - 3.30pm to 4.30pm in RS1 ‘The meaning of meaning: how you differ from a parrot.’ Presented by Mr Cheal Students, staff, parents and carers are all welcome to attend. Mr Bell, Head of English

100 Revision Ideas! - Year 11 English Revision

In order to ‘celebrate’ 100 days until the first GCSE

examination, the English Department has devised 100

short (10-20 minute) revision activities to help students

develop their English skills. These are all focused on

improving exam technique, developing key skills and

revising core texts in preparation for the exams in the

summer. All of these activities can be easily completed

at home and we are actively encouraging parents and

carers to assist students in their revision (no prior

knowledge is required!). It would be great if you could

have a look at the list below and get involved by

working through some of the activities with your son at

home. In addition to this, a range of revision resources

can be found on the Glyn Learning Portal by clicking on

the English page and perusing the Year 11 folder.

100 Days, 100 English Revision Ideas – Week 56: Ideas 36-42:

36. What do you think about the death penalty? Identify three clear arguments for one side (for or against) and explain them.

37. Watch a Glyn School revision video and make notes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCid1woOT52U-JmE6D5b-6w

38. Try these BBC Bitesize Revision Games: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/games/rurevising/english.shtml

39. Read a news article and summarise what it’s about in 50 words.

40. Draw a caricature (exaggerated cartoon style image) of one of the characters from ‘Of Mice & Men’ and add three quotes

around him/her.

41. Watch a Mr Bruff revision video and make notes on his advice! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm6zHEsl2h0

42. Plan an essay question based on a key character from ‘Of Mice & Men’; include three parts to your answer:

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/english/gcse/english-literature-9715/past-papers-and-mark-schemes

(Modern Texts Papers)

The support provided at home is an invaluable part of ensuring that students achieve their best and, as always, we are

extremely grateful for your involvement. If you have any further questions regarding ways to support your son’s revision,

please do not hesitate to contact either myself (bellj@glynschool.org) or Miss Woolgar (woolgars@glynschool.org)

Mr Bell, Head of English

Notes from the Glyn PSA

Foreign Coins and Notes We have recently cashed in your donations of foreign coins and made £142.62 for Glyn! Thank you for your help with this simple fundraising scheme. We are now collecting towards our next 10kg of coins, please! You can help without really having to put your hand in your pocket by simply sorting out any old foreign notes and coins left over from holidays and business trips. Many people have some old foreign currency, either notes or coins and perhaps some old UK or Irish decimal coins. It sits in pots and drawers and is unlikely to be used again, especially if it is from countries where the currency has become the Euro. The PSA would like all worldwide current currency in notes or coins and any of the older currency such as the German Marks, Spanish Pesetas, old UK Shillings, old UK decimal coins including Ireland, Channel Islands, Scotland, Isle of Man and £5 or £2 coins. Old half or full crowns and silver or brass coloured three pence pieces can also be exchanged. You can even donate old farthings and pennies, 1d or 1/2d. The coins and small notes cannot be exchanged in the UK, and old Spanish Pesetas cannot be spent in Spain, so they are of little value to anyone. The PSA can turn your old money into a valuable donation. It is estimated that there is £100 million in old or foreign coins across the UK that could be used for good causes, so please dig out yours and get it to Glyn Student Reception today! If your business would be willing to have a collection box on our behalf, please get in touch with the PSA at GlynPSA@outlook.com for collection leaflets and posters. Off-Road Driver Training 16+ (Now on ParentPay) The PSA are very lucky to have been donated vouchers for RoadCraft Off-Road Driver Training held at Mole Business Park in Leatherhead on Sundays. This provides a course of junctions and road layout in a safe environment. These vouchers give 16 year olds the opportunity to start their driving practice before their 17th birthday. Training starts approximately a month before their 17th birthday. They don't even need to hold their provisional licence. The vouchers are only £60 and provide three hours off-road training. RoadCraft has been established for over 15 years, helping to qualify over 50 instructors and 1,000s of students with an ethos of teaching to a higher standard and safe driving for life, not just to pass the test. Their unique off-road course teaches students to handle the car confidently and to be prepared to start a safe and complete driving experience. Having the off-road course considerably reduces the number of hours needed for on-road lessons. Then if you choose to commit to a course of 10 lessons on road with Roadcraft, you will receive an additional hour off road with a free lesson of 45 minutes on-road. RoadCraft lessons are £210 for 10 lessons. They also have both male and female instructors. Other driving schools are charging £40 per hour for this off-road driving. These vouchers make ideal presents and they are now available to any friends or family, as well as Glyn students. Please email GlynPSA@outlook.com for more information. Secondhand Uniform, Books and Revision Guides We would like to thank everyone who has made donations of second hand uniform and GCSE A/AS Level revision books to the PSA. Our stock of secondhand blazers and PE kits is running low. If you would like to donate any items of uniform that your son or daughter no longer requires the PSA at Glyn School would be very grateful to receive them. Please hand your donations into Student Reception. If you are thinking of donating a number of items we will even collect, if that makes things easier for you. Any donated items will be made available for other families to buy and could make a real difference to other parents and carers. All monies raised through the sale of secondhand uniform will be used to provide funding for extra resources at Glyn School. Your support of the PSA is very much appreciated. If you require any secondhand uniform or have donations to be collected, please either email us at GlynPSA@outlook.com or message/post on our Facebook page, which also lists the current stock of secondhand uniform: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GlynSchoolPSA Glyn PSA GlynPSA@outlook.com

Unsolved Problems in Maths Lecture On Monday 8 March, Mr Roberts and Miss Stokes took a group of students from Years 12 and 13 Epsom College for a lecture on ‘The Great Unsolved Problems in Maths’, which looked at puzzles and present day maths problems. The lecture, taken by Katie Steckles, a mathematician who has previously presented at music festivals, BBC radio and the Numberphile YouTube channel, endowed the budding mathematicians and physicists with exhilarating extra knowledge and allowed them to look beyond the realms of maths and physics classrooms towards the more real world applications of the subject, including how maths can be applied to flipping pancakes! Ethan Clark 13D

Year 11 Leavers’ Package As part of celebrating your son’s achievements at Glyn over the past five years, we have put together a Year 11 Leavers’ package for the students, from the ‘Class of 2011’. Year 11 Prom – Friday 1 July 2016 The Year 11 Prom will take place on Friday 1 July from 7pm - 11pm at The Queen’s Stand, Epsom Downs Racecourse. The cost of the ticket is £42.00, which includes a hot buffet, disco and professional photographer. It will be a formal occasion to which students will be expected to dress appropriately. If your son is interested in attending this occasion, please log on to ParentPay and confirm the number of tickets you would like to purchase (maximum one guest per student). Please note that payment for tickets is non-refundable, including those students who may, at a later date, be prohibited from attending. Year 11 Yearbook A soft backed laminated yearbook is also available to purchase on ParentPay. The price of the yearbook is £12.50. Year 11 Leavers’ Hoodies There will also be the opportunity to purchase a leavers’ hooded sweatshirt, available to buy in your son’s house colour with students’ names printed on the back. The cost of the hoodie is £16.50. The link to purchase a hoodie is: http://glynschool.kitbox.com/products/leaver-hoodie-2016-year-11 The deadline for all payments is Friday 6 May 2016. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact me at middletonr@glynschool.org or Mrs Strachan

at Strachanl@glynschool.org. Thank you.

Miss Middleton, KS4 Coordinator for Mathematics and Assistant Head of Abbey House

Lunchtime Sports Equipment Loan Student Initiative A new student-led initiative was launched this week giving students ownership of their own sports equipment which they can use during lunch time. Each year group has been provided with a variety of new sports equipment on their respective playgrounds. Sports Captains from each House have direct access to this equipment and are responsible for distributing this to their peers and encouraging participation during lunchtime. It is anticipated that this new initiative will increase participation in physical activity and further develop cohesion across each year group.

Mr S Taylor, PE, ALP, Leadership Coordinator, Assistant Head of Merton House

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council have asked us to bring the following event to your attention. Whilst the event is not organised by the school, we feel it may be of interest to Glyn families.

National Schools’ Badminton Championships – South East Regional Round Thursday 3 March 2016 at Surrey Sports Park, Guildford Squad: Adam Shepherd 11C, Marcus Roberts (Capt) 10D, 3. Tomas Davey 10M, 4. Adem Bellagh 10SB, 5. Oscar Cook 11C, “Points make prizes”, a well-worn gameshow catchphrase from a bygone decade, was never more true than at this year’s Regional Round of the National Schools’ Badminton Championships, held in the magnificent surroundings of Surrey Sports Park, Guildford. Glyn were joined in group 1 of 2 for the first time by St. Leonards’ Academy (Sussex), Burford (Oxfordshire) and Yateley (Hampshire), the former team winning the corresponding KS3 event in 2015. Group 2 consisted of Simon Langton (Kent), Guernsey Grammar (Guernsey), Dr Challoners (Buckingham shire) and Reading Grammar (Berkshire). After a much delayed start, Glyn kicked-off their fifth consecutive quest for the Regional title with the standard best of five match scenario against Burford and soon rushed into a 2-0 lead, despite tricky opponents for Adam Shepherd, our seed 1 singles representative, and Adem and Tom in the doubles. An opening victory was assured with Marcus taking the third rubber 21-17. On any other day, the outcome of the final two ‘dead’ rubbers would have been of no real consequence as games won formed the initial basis when deciding on final pool positions; today was to prove very different. Both doubles pairings of Adam and Adem, followed by Marcus and Tom, lost the next two sets 21-20: for now, all was calm in the Glyn camp. At this stage, St Leonards’ appeared to pose the most immediate threat as they had already beaten Yateley 3-2 and so confidence was high when we took a 2-0 lead early on. The following three rubbers could arguably have proved our ultimate downfall as we lost them all to 13, 12 and 12 respectively, but not without some stunning rallies, particularly in Marcus and Adem’s game. With Burford beating Yateley, the group was now simmering nicely as three teams had all won one match. Yateley were now out of the equation. The Surrey quintet now simply had to defeat Yateley to stay in the mix and, in what seemed like a thrice, we were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline. The match, and possibly progression, now hinged on captain Marcus’ game. Without any audible score as a guide, the set appeared to be very close as both players appeared to exchange points regularly; it was only upon our captain winning the last rally that we discovered that he had actually won 21-10! The 11 Carew combination of Adam and Oscar now proceeded to demolish Yateley’s second best pair, and Marcus and Adem were then left the unenviable task of completing the greatest comeback since Mohammed Ali defeated George Foreman in the ‘rumble in the jungle’ in 1974. Just as Ali before them, the Glyn duo were on the ropes for a while but, with a late revival, took the game by the scruff of the neck and pulled away to take the match 21-12. We had just used our only ‘get out of jail free’ card! The group 1 standings were getting more convoluted by the minute and, as the result was out of Glyn’s hands, there were now three possible outcomes from the last match between Burford and St Leonard’s: a win for the latter would see us through to the semi-finals as runner-up to them; a 4-1 Burford victory would once again leave us in second place behind Burford, and a Burford 3-2 victory would lead to a 3-way tie, each school having won 2 and lost 1, all with 3-2 results. Burford now stepped up a gear and went into an unassailable 3-1 lead with one set to play and all eyes were now on this last, nerve-wracking rubber. The next 10 minutes passed incredibly slowly as nails were bitten feverishly from vantage points around courts 1 and 2. It was to be the third outcome that prevailed and yet another 3-2 score was therefore posted. This meant that the first three group placings had to be separated by points difference and, alas, it was Glyn who were to agonisingly miss out with ‘+6’ to Burford’s ‘+11’, St Leonard’s finishing top. Whilst all this was going on, time in the badminton arena had been marching on and as it was by now 4.40pm with a scheduled finish of 5.00pm, the semis were dropped and it was decreed that there would only be a final. This seemed a particularly unfair way to end the latter stages of Badminton England’s show-piece national schools’ event and both runners-up could be forgiven for feeling more than a little hard done by. The problem had been the late finish of the KS3 tournament earlier that morning. Reading Grammar eventually ran out 4-0 winners in a hastily played final, having only dropped one set all afternoon! All that said and done, the Glyn players put up a wonderful fight, both for each other and the school, and it was the minutest of margins that ultimately proved our undoing. These students should be heartily congratulated and three of them, Adem, Marcus and Tom, get to go through it all again next year! Thanks to parents, carers and grand-parents who came to support us. Well done, Glyn; I am very proud of you all. Mr Colombage, PE

A Former Glyn Student to Be Proud of! Rob Hill is Team GB Davis Cup physiotherapist and a former Glyn boy. He was a member of the Davis Cup winning 'team' last year and was courtside last weekend in GB's victory over Japan in this year's competition. Mr Kilpatrick remembers him as a reliable right back and a mercurial spinner of a cricket ball! Glyn’s Roving Reporter

Glyn U12B 12 Wimbledon College U12B 2 Despite the severity of the scoreline, the visiting side were not that bad a team! Unfortunately for them, they caught Glyn in irrepressible form and although the referee’s watch had barely reached the twelfth minute, the visitors found themselves 5-0 down! The quality, pace, guile and sheer brilliance of the opening advances left Wimbledon chasing shadows as Glyn surged forward with one and two touch football, intelligent passing and movement, and finishing of a remarkably deadly nature. From the first whistle, both Kian Kane and Ollie Gant, with Messi-esque mesmerisation, tore into a shell-shocked back line, each collecting an early brace apiece and with the energetic ‘pocket-rocket’, Harry Regan full of tricks and incisive runs, adding to this goal-rush, the result was already a foregone conclusion. With the micro-climate of Priest Hill in its true pomp: sunshine, snow, sleet and rain; all wrapped up in blanket of the perishing cold, spectators were truly warmed by the exhibition of football on show. The magisterial presence of play-maker, Luis Dyer repeatedly exposed the frailty of the visitor’s rather square defence and such was Glyn’s dominance, their back three, Toby Appleyard, Alfie Walters and Sam Ward also offered plenty of attacking options. In particular, Captain Ward revelled in the delightful triangles of passing and still managed to punctuate his gung-ho overlapping with timely defensive interceptions. The 8-1 half-time scoreboard reflected not only Glyn’s exquisite play, but (and there always has to be a ‘but’!), their frustrating ability to give away silly goals. Again, the lack of clear communication between players was the guilty cause. To the Wimbledon boys’ credit, Glyn keeper Ben Cunningham did need to be on his toes on several occasions to stop or block the three of four good chances they created and at no stage throughout the game did they ever give up. In the second half Glyn, hardly surprisingly, were not at their most ruthless and a combination of complacency, the weather and possible tiredness from the explosive exigencies of the first period, saw levels and quality of play falter slightly. However, although four more goals were added, a number of opportunities were wasted through a lack of concentration and at times, a little selfishness. Hopefully penitent, the ‘culprits‘ will learn from such wastefulness. Tom Williamson did manage, eventually, to get himself on the score sheet twice, both fine finishes but he, together with Kian Dennis and Harry Regan, would probably admit to not having their shooting boots on during the final 15 minutes or so! The final total of 12: Kian Kane 4, Ollie Gant 3, Harry Regan 3 & Tom Williamson 2 did reflect Glyn’s superiority, and although Wimbledon College had enjoyed a reasonably successful season prior to their visit, no-one could have prepared them for the footballing whirlwind of Glyn’s ‘B’ string. It was, for the most part, a masterclass in passing, movement and finishing and it sets them up well for the far more challenging task of facing All Hallows School, Farnborough in the semi-finals of the National Cup. Men of the Match: Luis Dyer and Sam Ward (the former, dominant and the latter, indomitably spirited) Glyn’s Roving Reporter

Netball - Watching the Experts! On Saturday 5 February Glyn's netball team set out on an exciting trip to the Copper Box, London, to watch Surrey Storm play netball. Once we had arrived and settled down, Surrey Storm junior team played a game against Hertfordshire Mavericks junior team. Both teams played well and we watched intently to gain some useful tips. Despite both teams playing excellently, Surrey Storms Youths triumphed, winning by an impressive 56-31. During the break we were all kept entertained with an enthusiastic cheerleading performance. Time flew by as the Surrey Storm's super league game approached; the stadium quickly filled up and the atmosphere lit up. The wait ended and the highly anticipated Surrey Storm vs Hertfordshire Mavericks game began. The game took off to a quick start with Maverick attacking very strongly, especially with such an outstanding GS. However, Storm’s defence were not going to make it easy. Their work paid off with the first quarter ending on 10 goals each. A well deserved break was taken where, for entertainment, three audience members were randomly selected to play a shooting game with the winner receiving a Surrey Storm signed netball. Into the second quarter and the teams were working hard, both with great attacking success and aggressive defence. The Mavericks took a lead with unquestionable shooting success. Half time and the Mavericks were up 27 to Storm 20. A short medal ceremony for a previous game was completed, followed by a brilliant gymnastics performance by some adorable young children in blue outfits. In the third quarter both teams were still fighting hard and performing amazingly, with Surrey Storm making an extreme effort to catch up. However, approaching the end of the 15 minutes the Mavericks really dominated with a score of 40 to Storm 34. Following a quick break, the fourth quarter begun. The atmosphere intensified, chants grew louder and every supporter locked into the game. Surrey Storm’s performance was astonishing! Mavericks were also still fighting hard to keep the goals coming, but Storm’s goals were consecutively flowing in. It was difficult to keep up at times with the countless interceptions and a tactile game play. It was an amazing end to the game and inspiring comeback from Surrey Storm, but the Mavericks ended up taking the win with the final score 50 to Storm and 55 to the Hertfordshire Mavericks. All of the Glyn girls thoroughly enjoyed the trip and it was an opportunity we’d love to have again. It was inspiring to watch such great netball and we hope our game will improve as a result of this trip. A massive thank you to Mrs Mabbott for giving up her Saturday to take us and to herself and Mr Wheatley for supporting and organising the whole trip. Charlotte Hope , 12 Merton2

Wishing you a restful weekend.