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Luckley LifeTHE NEWSLETTER FOR LUCKLEY HOUSE SCHOOL AUTUMN 2017 ISSUE 13

A CELEBRATION OF LANGUAGES ‘A Celebration of Languages’ was an afternoon of multilingual entertainment at The Whitty Theatre, hosted by Luckley’s MFL department. Pupils had been working on a range of challenges which they presented to the audience. This included a spelling bee, dialogue in their own made-up languages and a short film competition.

House DebateNovember saw the four Houses debate on two emotive topics: whether UK police officers should be armed and whether the UK’s main priority should be preventing climate change. Each team of 10 pupils had two hours to research their subject, either for or against each motion. The activity was very lively with each pupil playing an important role in preparing a strong argument for their three speakers to present, with evidence, statistics and public opinion taken into account. The whole school listened to the debates, asked challenging questions of the speakers and then voted on who had given the most convincing argument. Judges, Mr Bamber and Mrs Tudor had the difficult task of selecting an overall winner, praising the level of research and presentation from all teams. Well done to Randle House who won the competition.

The theme of this year’s National Poetry Day was ‘Freedom’. Following a themed assembly, pupils were given the choice of either creating some ‘black-out poetry’ or writing a poem to go inside a bird cage. Black-out poetry is when you take a page from an old book and ‘free the words’ to make a poem by blacking-out the words you don’t want to use. For the ‘bird cage poetry’ the pupils used Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings’ as inspiration.

Freedom in Poetry!

Introducing Our New Zip Wire!Thank you to Luckley House Friends for what promises to be a very popular addition to our facilities.

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Imogen, Head Student

We started off the term by welcoming all of the nervous but excited Year 7s to Luckley, as well as other new pupils throughout the school. We have had lots of House events this term, such as Intermediate House Hockey, Junior Football and Senior Netball. Well done to everyone who took part. The House Debating competition was very interesting as the themes were particularly topical. Everyone in the teams worked hard to gather facts about the relevant topics. All of the debates were very strong, but well done to the overall winners, Randle House. We had some very exciting news this term that there will be a drama production held for the whole school in the summer term, ‘The Sound of Music.’ Everyone was thrilled by this choice of musical and many enthusiastic pupils from all year groups auditioned for parts. The actors and teachers are already working hard to make it an outstanding performance. Our bonfire night was very successful. On a cold night, we had a huge turnout, and this year Mr Holland made a battle ship as the bonfire which was amazing, as always. We all enjoyed burgers and hot dogs and huddled around watching the remarkable fireworks. At the time of writing this article, we are all preparing for the Carol Service. This is a poignant occasion, steeped in tradition, with beautiful carols and readings. It is a fitting end to our term. The more light-hearted Christmas Cracker rehearsals are already in full swing to ensure that the school, as always, is wonderfully entertained. The school community is working very hard to deliver these spectacular events. I hope that everyone has a fun Christmas holiday and a happy new year!

HEAD STUDENT’S TERMLY REVIEW

Jane Tudor, Head

It is nearly Christmas again, and my guess is that many of you reading this have the familiar feeling that the season has crept up on us. As you can see, we have had a very busy term, with much to celebrate. As we read of the different activities, performances and achievements, I think it is important to reflect on what these all mean to the individual young people and to our whole school community. I think it is remarkable to see even our youngest pupils achieve a landmark in something like a music exam and perhaps perform on the stage or in the field. And for our older students to achieve their Duke of Edinburgh Award and celebrate university offers in the wake of their UCAS applications. These are just the things we see and are by no means the whole story. While they make it look so easy, behind each of these feats is a measure of personal growth, with some overcoming huge personal challenges. Therefore, as we enjoy remembering just a few of the highlights of the term let’s celebrate the triumphs, large and small, that they represent.And so to Christmas; it is good to remember “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)May I wish every member of our school family a peaceful and happy Christmas.

A WORD FROM THE HEAD

Follow our social media platforms to keep up to date with news and photos from school.

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www.youtube.com (search for Luckley)

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Year 8s’ 24 Hour ChallengeAt the beginning of term, Year 8 pupils embarked on a 24-hour challenge at Horseshoe Lake. Friday evening started with an inter-form game of Ultimate Frisbee, followed by a delicious Luckley House barbeque. The evening finished with hot chocolate and a talent show. An action packed day of activities on Saturday included raft building, archery, kayaking and paddle-boarding. Good fun was had by all!

Getting to Know Each OtherAt the start of term, Year 7 pupils took a day out of school to visit the Oakwood Activity Centre. This was an opportunity for them to get to know their new classmates and to develop friendships. There were five different activities: crate stacking, low ropes, ‘leap of faith’, ‘Jacob’s ladder’ and archery. The pupils had a wonderful day and were praised by the Oakwood staff for their hard work and excellent behaviour.

‘Geek Girl’ Author Inspires at HenleyYear 8 pupils went to Henley Literary Festival to see the multi-award winning author of the Geek Girl series, Holly Smales, speaking about her writing career. Holly was a really inspirational speaker and, aside from the funny backstory to her books, pupils were particularly interested in her childhood and in hearing about the choices she made in her writing career. Holly explained that she was bullied as a teenager and was very unhappy. But the fact that she has turned these experiences into funny teenage fiction was really positive to hear and the pupils had a lot of questions to ask her.

Author Visit Supports Fire TragedyFollowing the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017, a group of authors set up a fundraising auction to contribute to the British Red Cross London Fire Relief Fund. Hundreds of authors and people working in the publishing industry donated items such as signed books, illustrators’ artwork, manuscript edits, meet the author sessions and school visits. Luckley’s Library was the highest bidder for a visit from author, Katherine Webber. Katherine visited this term and gave a presentation to Year 9 and 10 pupils about her debut novel, Wing Jones. The book focusses on a fifteen year old Chinese-Ghanaian high school student. Set in Atlanta in the run up to the 1996 Olympic Games, Wing finds herself in the midst of family tragedy with only one escape: running. It’s a powerful and charming book about family, love and finding inner strength and the courage to stand up to life’s challenges.

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D of E Bronze group

A Most Surprising TeenTech Day!Ten Year 8 pupils accompanied Head of ICT, Mrs Bennett for a fabulous TeenTech day working with industry experts to find out more about their companies and how important the STEM subjects are for them. TeenTech helps young people understand the opportunities in the science, technology and engineering industries.The pupils experimented on a model oil rig with Nexen and greatly enjoyed this hands on session. In addition, they had the opportunity to explore different scenarios working with McLaren. The pupils had to decide which tyres to use and how speed and the weight of the car varied the choice and outcome. A highlight of the day was the ‘team challenge’ where the pupils were given half an hour to come up with a concept and pitch their idea. Luckley won the category for the ‘Most Surprising Invention’!

MUSICAL INTERLUDE.........Chemistry Week (20-27 Nov) Chemistry Week is an annual celebration of the chemical sciences run by the Royal Society of Chemistry. To mark the occasion, Dr Ross gave a superb lunchtime demonstration and explanation of the science behind Crunchie bars, followed by tasting samples!

STOMP Year 8 pupils enjoyed a trip to see the musical ‘STOMP’. This high-energy show incorporates a complex choreographed rhythm base performance cleverly using all sorts of junk. The performers used everything from the kitchen sink to shopping trolleys! Now the pupils are really inspired and are enjoying working on composing their own performances.

Zimmer &. WilliamsMrs Ellwood took the GCSE and A level Music students to see a concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London as part of their study of film music. They enjoyed a fantastic evening of music by the composers Zimmer and Williams, performed by the London Concert Orchestra. Performances included well-known works like E.T, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars and The Gladiator.

Lunchtime ConcertThis term’s lunchtime concert saw a wide variety of performances given by talented students from Years 7 to 11, including vocal performances from musicals and opera, and flute and piano solos. The event was well-attended as performers were supported by their friends and peers.

GCSE and A Level Music Showcase EveningGCSE and A level Music students performed their solo and ensemble pieces in an evening showcase event. The students had worked hard preparing for this and for some it was their first solo performance in a school concert. The standard was excellent and a fantastic wide variety of musical genres was enjoyed by all.

Year 7 MusicThis term, Year 7 pupils have enjoyed an instrumental carousel. Each week they try out a different orchestral instrument in small groups as part of their normal class music lesson. Instruments include: double bass, cello, violin, trumpet, trombone, saxophone and flute.

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STAGE WHISPERfrom The Whitty Theatre

Find out What’s On at The Whitty Theatre at luckleyhouseschool.org/the-whitty-theatre/

whats-on/

Follow us on Twitter @WhittyTheatre and ‘like’ our Facebook page /thewhittytheatre

By Oliver Bamber, Theatre Manager

The delightful Mrs Esther Brown has joined the theatre team as Director of Drama, and has been settling in wonderfully. The theatre has never been so alive with drama: we now have a Senior Drama Club to match its Junior counterpart, the full school musical rehearsals are underway, the powerful autumn production of ‘After The Picnic’ was performed to mesmerised audiences, and exam performance preparation is in full swing.Encouragingly, analysis of internally-arranged event audience numbers shows a strongly-increasing trend-line, as the graph below confirms.

Demand to hire our lovely theatre also continues to rise within the community as the word gets round. We have received some brilliant feedback from local companies who have performed on our stage.

Our recent truly diverse external schedule of events has included:• Two week-long drama summer schools by Steppin Out and Platform YP, giving many local children a fantastic opportunity to perform on a stage for the first time.• A spectacular flower-arranging demonstration by Sandhurst & Crowthorne Flower Club.• A thought-provoking art exhibition by Luckley parent Faraj Ali Al-jeeli, raising awareness of the vital work of Reading Refugee Society.• Wokingham Music Club gigs with Phil Beer and The Strawbs.• Wokingham’s premier brass band St Sebastian’s presenting a magnificent concert of iconic film scores.• The national tour of ‘A Monk’s Tale’: a new comedy celebrating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther.• An Evening of Entertainment featuring some amazing local talent which raised over £1,000 for Macmillan Cancer Care.• The theatre’s first ever magic show with our own spellbinding Deputy Head Ian Vallance and professional magician Richard Pinner, raising over £800 for WandAid (pictured).• Starmaker Theatre Company’s hilarious musical: ‘25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’.• Classic pantomime Jack & The Beanstalk by StageAbility• A beautifully creative dance adaptation of Beauty & The Beast by Strictly Street Academy.

Do keep a close eye on the What’s On page of our website and our social media to keep up to date with the packed programme for 2018. One of the highlights here will surely be the next of our professional touring shows, Teechers. This classic John Godber comedy will be performed by the highly-acclaimed Blackeyed Theatre on Monday 29 January, and is a must-see for all those studying and interested in drama. Tickets for this and all our other events can be booked online at:

www.ticketsource.co.uk/thewhittytheatre

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Jasmine (centre)

SIXTH FORM NEWSCombined Cadet Force

Safe Drive Stay AliveA group of Year 12 students attended the annual ‘Safe Drive Stay Alive’ at the Hexagon, Reading.The event is aimed at new or pre-drivers to educate them about the importance of being safe on the road. Speaking at this year’s event was a young woman who has been left with permanent scars and life changing injuries as the result of a collision. Thames Valley and Hampshire’s emergency services including the Police, Ambulance and Fire Service also spoke about what it’s like dealing with road incidents. The event proved to be highly informative and hard hitting, with students travelling back to school a little quieter than when we left. On our return we completed an evaluation lesson where we discussed the main points and reflected on what we can do to be safe on the roads. The students agreed that although quite emotional the event was highly informative and useful and may save someone’s life one day!

We welcomed eight new recruits to our CCF troupe at the start of term. On 9 November we travelled to Bramley Training Area to join Pangbourne CCF for our annual Field Day. Activities included clay pigeon shooting, escape and evasion, patrolling, climbing tower and archery. The cadets also had the opportunity to watch a RAF Puma Helicopter land and then have a look around the fuselage and chat to serving RAF pilots. All of the cadets were in one of the winning sections for the various activities. The following day the cadets were involved in helping to run the school Service of Remembrance.

Young Enterprise- S.O.SThis year’s Young Enterprise Company is called S.O.S. and comprises a team of eleven Year 12 students. We will be enthusiastically working together until June 2018. Our main products are stationery and survival kits. The kits aim to hold those essential items that we find ourselves needing in everyday life. They will also be specific to certain times of the year. We have starting raising capital by organising tuck and bake sales, which have proven to be very popular.Please follow and support us on Instagram at S.O.S_youngenterpriseIf you have any questions or requests, please contact us via email at: s.o.s.youngenterprise@gmail.com.Molly L, Managing Director and June L, Marketing Director, S.O.S

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

This year we have our largest Duke of Edinburgh contingent. We have two Silver groups who have successfully planned the route cards for their expeditions. The Bronze group enjoyed their practice walk earlier this term, navigating their way around the local area. They too have completed route cards ready for their Bronze expedition. They also had a chance to test their culinary skills in the wild, making themselves a round of hot chocolates on camping gas. Both groups have started various other sections for their Duke of Edinburgh Awards and are looking forward to getting out on the final expeditions next year.

Duke of Edinburgh

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SPORTS BOARD

Pierre, Sports CaptainVera, Senior Boarder

BOARDING NEWSWe are pleased to welcome so many new boarders into our community this term from all over the world as well as close to home with the introduction of our new London weekly boarding package! We are joined this year by Graduate Assistant, Miss Drury who specialises in maths and dance and is already a firm favourite amongst our boarding community. Visits have included a trip to HMS Belfast, London Dungeons, Oxford Street and Covent Garden. We have visited the new and improved Bracknell Lexicon, as well as showing our new boarders Reading and Wokingham shopping centres. The rugby match we attended proved so popular that we are returning next term! We had fun at the Bath Christmas Market and the final trip to Brighton to see The Sealife Centre completes our exploration of English culture.

We ran our first ‘personalised room competition’ this term, which was won by Henar and Paloma who enjoyed their prize of a voucher for Costa. A big shout out to all our visiting flexi boarders this term - we have loved having you to stay and look forward to your return visits.Mrs Lara Price, Head of Boarding

HMS Belfast, London

Bath Christmas Market

This has been another extremely successful sporting term for Luckley.In netball, the U14 team has done exceptionally well, winning the Plate at the South-East Berks Netball tournament, as well as numerous fixtures against other schools. Special mentions must go to Maddie A, Lauren P-J and Sophie S for their amazing shooting skills. Henar G has been a welcome addition to the shooters with her accuracy and height.The U12s netball team has played their first friendly fixtures, with a mix of wins, losses and draws. Special mention must go to Lucy C for her shooting and her performance on court.The U15s have also had a mix of wins and defeats, but have made some real improvements in their play. There has been some brilliant defence from Grace B and some good work around the circle from Lauren H and Lauren R. Also a special mention to Poppy P who has not only represented the U15s, but has also played up in the U16s this term.A massive well done to the U12/13 girls’ team for winning the Plate at the ISA Girls’ National Football competition.The boys’ sports teams are also performing well. There have been 20 fixtures this term across football and rugby, against local independent and state schools. The boys have shown huge development in skill and character throughout the term and these have turned into positive results. Match highlights include the first win of the season against Eagle House and a win against Ranelagh school. We are especially proud of our first ever rugby team, who enjoyed an excellent win against Leighton Park School, with a score of 60-15.The ‘Luckley All Stars Team of the Term’ is a new initiative where a 7-a-side team is selected from all year groups, based on performances, development and attendance at training. This term’s team is: Ben H, Tom D, Isaac L, Max B, Caleb L, George O-T and James B. Next term we are looking forward to the ISA U12/13 & U14 National Rugby 7s at Queen Ethelburga’s College, East Berks Football League fixtures, basketball fixtures and much more!

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Luckley’s Birthday

Luckley House FriendsBonfire Night

This year’s Bonfire event was bigger and better than ever, with a spectacular firework display and amazing ‘battleship bonfire’ built by our very talented Groundsman, Steve Holland. A big thank you must go to our parent body, Luckley House Friends and to all the parents and staff involved with the organisation of the event.

In November, we celebrated Luckley’s 99th birthday with the traditional birthday assembly, complete with cakes for all pupils and staff. Mrs Tudor read extracts from old school magazines about the birthday celebrations. Pupils found one piece from 1936 particularly amusing: “The school’s birthday present took the form of an annual subscription for ‘Punch’ and a magnificent pair of soft fur gloves. The latter seems rather too personal, but I hope the school benefits by having a Headmistress with warm hands!”The Head Student and a Year 7 pupil then took flowers to Miss Drake’s grave at All Saints churchyard. Plans are now underway for our centenary celebrations in 2018/19.

AFTER THE PICNICA review by Gillian Tunley, Audience Member

This term, senior Drama students staged David Foxton’s chilling ‘After the Picnic’, a play about the pupils of Mrs Appleyard’s Academy for Young Ladies’ annual picnic at Hanging Rock. The play was superbly directed by Drama Teacher, Jane Harris, with stunning sound and lighting by Oliver Bamber.A narrator/pupil ensemble opened the play with the commanding Kayleigh W, Jemima L and Layla Bs’ intoned atmospheric verse.. suddenly broken by unearthly screams...Next scene; lighthearted love letter banter, yet an underlying feeling of menace in this enclosed atmosphere; Miranda (strongly and teasingly played by Alex T) and Marion (the mockingly insinuating Liz N), coerced by the remorseless Irma (a powerfully menacing performance by Millie P) taunt the hapless Edith (the touchingly vulnerable Abby Y) who is guilty of the cardinal sin of Envy.This mood of menace is mirrored in the shocking corporal punishment meted out by Mrs Appleyard (a chillingly sadistic performance by Poppy F) to an unfortunate errant pupil, Sara Waybourne (played with heart-wrenching defiance by Poppy P). Momentarily, the sombre mood lifts as the girls enjoy a carefree carriage ride, charmingly staged, to arrive at their destination; they picnic, play energetically, then plead with Mlle Poitier (sensitively portrayed by the balletic Isobel B) to let them explore the Hanging Rock area. She agrees...Suddenly, the sunlit scene darkens as Marion, Miriam and Irma (a terrifyingly hypnotic performance by Millie P) carry out their ritualistic ‘punishment’ on Edith. Trance-like, they are drawn inexorably upwards by some mysterious force, their hands stretching towards it. Edith somehow manages to escape and alerts Miss McGraw (played with Victorian cutting crispness by Lauren H) who rushes off to find the girls. Neither she nor they are ever seen again...all that is found is a scrap of her calico undergarment on the summit of the Rock..This was a compellingly played piece of theatre and 100 years on, this mystery remains tantalisingly unsolved...