NewsletterSummer 2019

New Student Union Voted In

The election process was a lively affair and demonstrated the enthusiasm and involvement of our student community. Students in the running put together impressive campaigns with colourful portal banners and PowerPoint slides expressing why they should be considered, including some witty slogans. Students applying for the role of President also filmed speeches, which were shown alongside the campaign slides for all other roles in tutorial sessions. Voting took place on 7 May.

Congratulations go to Florence Kilby, elected as President, and Harry Hayley, elected as Vice. Florence, a 6.1 French, Politics and Economics student, said, “Hopefully over the next year we can bring about a positive impact not just for the College but for future students too.”

Florence and Harry will be supported by Kinga Kowalkowska (Eco Executive), Amira Chaoui (Equality and Diversity Executive), Kai Allen and Alexandra Pitt (Charities and Events Executives), Sam Lefebvre (Finance Executive), Sophia Pascoe (Marketing Executive) and Madeleine Pattison (Health and

Wellbeing Executive). Alexandra and Kai have already got their work cut out as they prepare for their first event, the Summer Festival held on the College playing fields in July. While Amira says, “My plans as Equality and Diversity Exec include working to promote more activities, clubs and tutor sessions around “protected characteristics” in tandem with the Feminist Society, Christian Union, GSA and Islamic Society to promote their work and encourage new members to join.”

The goals of the Student Union include raising funds for the Esher College Africa Trust (ECAT), which helps AIDS orphans and encouraging awareness about green issues around College life.

Overall the election process has been very positive. As we say goodbye to our previous Student Union, we would like to thank all who applied and congratulate our newest members. We look forward to the year ahead.

Natasha Mirghani - Student Union Co-ordinator

& much more!

Letter from Dan Dean 2

Higher Education Day 3

A Blast from the Past! 4

Meet the Nurse 5

Mental Health Week Round Up 6

Don’t Mention the B Word 7

Open Mic Session 8

Celebrating the Life of Alan Bolt 9

Physics Round Up 10

Author Visit Michael Donkor 11

History Trip 12

Fashion and Textiles Trip 12

New York, New York 13

Fashion Photography In Vogue 14

ECAT 15

Adult Education Evening Courses 15

Dates for your Diary 16

Introducing the nine new members of our Student Union team for 2019/20 after a very successful and tightly run election.

Esher College celebrated Green Week in March with lots of events happening around College.

The aim of Green Week is to raise awareness of environmental issues, including single use plastic, a Say No To Plastic Straws campaign and reducing the amount of plastic used on a daily basis.

The Music Department performed an un-plugged gig, the Fashion and Textiles Department displayed a recycled /reuse fashion project and the Student Union raised awareness with daily Tweets #greenweek19 and a flyer. The second year tutor groups took part in an awareness competition with some interesting and original ideas. The winning team was Becky Voller’s tutor group, who

saved all their plastic bottles for one week and created a dandelion, named Fake Plastic Tree after the Radiohead song.

Becky, Divisional Director of Creative Arts, said, “It was amazing just how much waste is produced by a few students in just one week. This plastic will never go away. It will outlast everyone’s time in College and for endless years to come. Everybody needs to reduce the amount of plastic we use.”

Second place went to Sally Langmead’s tutor group, who created an eye-catching poster.

A truly thought-provoking week, which we hope will lead many more of us to be environmentally aware. Every little change

will help our future.

Sheila MacDonald - Head of Fashion and Environmental Champion

Lanzarote (PE and Sport) as well as the Volunteering Abroad experience in Nepal. These visits aim to enhance their experiences and develop skills in teamwork, independence and communication.

Finally, I would like to remind first year students and their parents/carers that the start of the new 6.2 Year is Monday 2nd September. For new students joining us, enrolment starts on Tuesday 27th August. While applications for 2020 entry, open on Tuesday 2nd July.

Wishing you all an enjoyable summer.

Dan Dean Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends

When you receive this summer term newsletter, our students will be in the middle of examinations. First year A Level students will have sat Progression Exams, formal internal exams which act as an important marker of progress at the end of year one and help determine predicted grades. Second years will, of course, be in the middle of the real thing. This year, A Level examinations have started earlier than ever (partly a consequence of A Level reform). This is a source of some frustration as it further reduces the time to deliver a more challenging curriculum. For students on BTEC courses assessment is obviously ongoing. We wish all our students the very best with their exams and we hope that August brings the results that our second years deserve.

It is good to see that education funding (or lack of it) has received some coverage in the media recently. For all of us, schools and colleges alike, much hangs on the outcome of the spending review scheduled for later this year. However, we are concerned that this may be delayed until Brexit is resolved (as I write these notes, we are no closer to a conclusion of this long-running saga). Uncertainty over funding is one reason why the College has decided to change its status to a 16-19 academy. The ability to reclaim VAT, as schools are able to, will provide some respite in what continues to be a challenging financial environment. As I mentioned in the last newsletter,

Letter from Dan Dean

the mission of the College remains unchanged. In fact, students and parents will not see any change in our approach, with one small exception. We have taken the opportunity to tweak our name to Esher Sixth Form College from 1st September to sharpen our identity and make our purpose clear.

I mentioned in the last newsletter that ALPS, an external and independent assessor of performance, had placed us in the top 10 per cent nationally for value-added performance in 2018. In a further development, last term we were awarded a Certificate of Outstanding Progress for value-added performance over the last three years – a real accolade for our students and their teachers.

For our first year students, we have been helping them plan their progression paths for life ‘After Esher’ with Higher Education Day and Employment Seekers Evening (see page opposite). With a growing range of options on offer for our students when they complete their studies, it is important to ensure that they consider all their options carefully. The next stage in the process is After Esher Day on Thursday 4th July where students will be able to choose a higher education or employment/apprenticeship pathway. Wider Skills Week promises, as always, to bring the year to a memorable close. First years will take part in a wide range of activities from kayaking and horse-riding to the more exotic highlights including curriculum-linked trips to Iceland (Geography), Berlin (Politics),

Green Week

More than 90 universities from Strathclyde to Southampton attended Esher College’s Higher Education Day in March.

Esher College students as well as pupils from Hinchley Wood School, were invited to take part in a full programme of seminars and talks, led by visiting academics. Some of the topics discussed included the new degree level apprenticeships from Kingston University and a talk from the University of Cumbria about the first ever Policing degree.

In the afternoon, students visited the convention to meet representatives from all 90 universities, collecting prospectuses and finding out more about student life and the courses they have to offer.

Nicola Wilberforce, Director of Progression Guidance at Esher College, said, “HE Day is unique to Esher College and we believe that no other school or college in the country offers such a programme, inhouse, to its students and the wider sixth form community. There was a lot of advice on hand for students to think about what higher education (university) can offer, the application process and how best to prepare for their next adventure.”

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Higher Education Day at Esher College

At Esher College, students progress beyond expectation with up to 90 per cent going on to higher education. Where do they go? Here’s our latest top 10 university destinations for Esher College students

1) University of Leeds2) Sussex University3) Bournemouth University4) University of Bristol5) Portsmouth University6) University for the Creative Arts7) University of Manchester8) Nottingham Trent University9) University of Nottingham10) Brighton University

A Blast from the Past!

Charlie Parker left Esher College in 2013 after studying Philosophy, English and History. He went on to study Politics & Philosophy at the London School of Economics and is now working as a journalist at The Times. He has since covered everything from viral cat videos to North Korean nuclear threats. But it is his love of Philosophy and learning to think critically and logically that has helped him the most. We caught up with him to find out more….

What was your experience at Esher like?

For me, Esher College was the perfect stepping-stone from secondary school to university. The close-quarter teaching environment allowed me to build good relationships with teachers and classmates, while the great College facilities meant the campus became a home away from home. Every teacher I encountered felt genuinely approachable and accommodating and they were always willing to help outside of hours with queries - big or small.

Beyond the classroom, there were always plenty of exciting opportunities to try new things: I was taken to TED talks in Westminster, sent on a residential writing course in Cambridge, and flown to Germany for history trips and exchange programmes.

How did you find the Philosophy course in particular?

Philosophy was hands down my favourite subject and choosing to study it at Esher College was easily one of the best academic decisions I ever made. I was hesitant about picking the subject at first, but ultimately gave in to curiosity. I quickly discovered how important it was as a discipline and how valuable philosophical thinking could be. Unlike other subjects that felt dry or straight out of a textbook, Philosophy classes were always interactive and engaging. From capitalism vs communism to torture and the meaning of life, the range of topics we covered was always exciting. We were taught to thoroughly dissect, debate and present new ideas and confront preconceptions we didn’t even know we held. The course was also structured to give students a complementary balance between in-depth political theory and mind-blowing metaphysics. And it was clear all my Philosophy teachers had a genuine passion for the subject and actively enjoyed grappling with complex concepts with their students.

In what ways has Philosophy helped you in your path after College?

It was through studying philosophy that I developed many of the core political beliefs that I hold today. I first learned about civil liberties and issues, such as freedom of speech, reading On Liberty, by English philosopher John Stuart Mill, as part of

a module. A couple of years later I found myself defending the principles he set out in the book on national TV after founding a free speech society at university. Philosophy was also an incredibly valuable introduction to critical thinking, which has proved useful across the academic spectrum and in my working life as a journalist. Structuring and producing philosophy essays also sparked my interest in writing. Being able to tackle tough arguments on paper is a skill I still value today. I have no doubt studying philosophy has been instrumental in shaping the way I try to understand the world. Achievements since College:

• Currently a journalist at The Times (graduate news reporter).• Youngest reporter to win Headline of the Month while at

The Sun.• 2018 Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, who

funded my research trip to Iceland and Estonia to learn about digital democracy.

• Contributor for Chatham House’s Committee on Democracy and Technology.

• Commissioned to write for Sky News about EU internet regulation.

• Appeared on BBC 2’s Victoria Derbyshire show as free speech advocate while studying at the London School of Economics.

• Political pundit on Sky News Press Preview.• Studied Politics and Philosophy at LSE, graduating with a 2:1 at

the end of 2017.• Founded the LSE Free Speech society, with campaigns opening

up the national debate on campus censorship. Follow Charlie @CharlieHParker on Twitter

Parent Trustee VacancyFrom November 2019, there will be a vacancy for a parent representative on the College Board of Trustees. Any parent of a current 6.1 student, or prospective student for September 2019, may offer themselves for election. Parents serve for a term of two years, irrespective of how long their daughter or son remains at the College. It is a great opportunity to become closely involved in the organisation of the College.

If you would like to informally discuss the duties and commitments of a Trustee, please contact Sharon Kelly (skelly@esher.ac.uk), the Deputy Clerk to the Board of Trustees, at the College. Sharon can send you a nomination form or put you in contact with an existing Trustee, so that you are able to gain an accurate picture of the commitment involved. We will require completed nomination forms to be returned to the College by Monday 16 September 2019.

Name: Lisa Herouvin Position: College Nurse From: 2007

At Esher College we have professional nurses on site every day to ensure students’ health needs are supported throughout their time at Esher. Students can drop in or have pre-booked appointments where they can speak to College nurses, Lisa Herouvin and Sara Doak, in confidence about any health concerns they may have. We caught up with Lisa – who set up the Nurse Service 12 years ago, to find out more:

What inspired you to go into nursing?

I always wanted to be a nurse, I was one of those children who dressed up as a nurse rather than a princess. Also, my Mum was a nurse and I loved looking after my dolls and Teddies.

Why have you chosen to work in a Sixth Form College?

I was looking for a new challenge in nursing before I came here. I have always been interested in working in the community and with young people. As this was a new role, I also thrived on the challenge of setting up a new service.

What does your role involve?

I support students on a drop-in or appointment basis for a wide variety of health issues including mental health, sexual health and long or short-term physical health conditions. I’m also part of the safeguarding and mental health teams here and liaise with external agencies that can offer specialist help.

What is the best thing about your job?

Each day is different so that gives huge scope to the job. I enjoy forming working relationships with students over their two

years here and watching them develop into young adults, able to move on from college in a positive way.

What are you most proud of?

The diversity of nursing jobs I have had. I have been a paediatric and adult nurse working in many different environments from paediatric surgery, intensive care, transporting sick children by road and air and paediatric rehabilitation, which is a step down service from hospital to home. I am proud that all my professional life, including my current job here, is with the NHS.

When you were younger, what teacher inspired you the most?

My PE teachers Mrs Telford and Miss Hinchley. I was good at most sports but they always encouraged me to give new things a go. That philosophy has remained with me and enabled me to embrace opportunities and challenges.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to your 16-year-old self?

Always believe in yourself and trust your instincts.

Meet the Nurse1

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Thank you to Dr Sally Broughton Micova from the University of East Anglia for an engaging talk about the political influence of the media.

More than 120, mostly Politics students, enjoyed a presentation and illustrations of themes such as fake news, how politicians try to manage the media, the power that media moguls have over politicians and the impact that the media has on our perceptions of society.

Meir Shabat - Head of Government and Politics

Fake News & The Political Influence of The Media

The big message of Esher College Mental Health Week was to encourage everyone to get involved, try something different and connect in new ways to aid student wellbeing and raise awareness of the importance of mental health.

Many thanks to Jude Smit, our Mental Health Advisor, and all the Mental Health team for a fantastic week of free events, including Walk and Talk events for students and staff, a Monday Mile run, art therapy sessions, yoga and mindfulness classes, open mic music sessions in the café and of course a visit from our therapeutic dogs – malamutes Fred and Kiki from Esher Dog Grooming Experience. Our four-legged guests were definitely one of the highlights of the week as students came to discover the mood-boosting power of pets. (And how difficult it is to get a selfie with a husky!)

Jude says, “Although Mental Health is a year-round concern and I believe that Esher College is proactive in its approach, we wanted to raise awareness of this huge issue in April before exam time. Anxiety and exam stress can be particularly acute at this time of year and it is so important to stay connected and not to isolate. Hopefully the week has shown our students that we care about their wellbeing and that it is always good to talk about our mental health. Each day had a different focus – to Be Active, to Connect, to Be Mindful, to Keep Learning and finally on Friday to promote acts of kindness. Even if you do one act of kindness it will matter and make a difference.”

One in four people will experience mental health issues, so we raised awareness with a Wall of Self-care where students could post their feelings. We also had a Celebrities Wall – explaining how mental health can affect anyone. Even celebs.

Esher College has a team of staff dedicated to promoting and supporting mental health. They meet regularly and arrange workshops and a range of services for students throughout the academic year.

BE MINDFUL: Mandala Colouring Session

Mandalas represent a balance for the mind and body. The activity of colouring is certainly not only for children. Every single student I asked said they enjoy colouring because it makes them calm and relaxed. One student said she feels proud when she finishes a picture. It gives her a sense of pride and accomplishment.

I will be offering colouring sessions twice a week until 6.1 leave and will continue to do so for next year too.

Mira Osserian - Teacher of English and Learning Support

Mental Health Week Round Up

Don’t mention the B-Word!2 MP visits and a talk from Lib Dems new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Monica Harding sparked interesting debates for the Politics Department on Climate Change, Tuition Fees and, of course, Brexit. Three students give their perspectives on the visits below.

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Ed Davey MP for Kingston and Surbiton (Liberal Democrats)

Ed Davey’s visit to Esher College generated great debate about his work in the EU, primarily surrounding promoting energy security and reducing climate change, as well as Brexit.

As a strong Remainer and advocate for The People’s Vote, Mr Davey voiced his argument about why being in the EU wouldn’t undermine the sovereignty of the country. A Lib Dem MP for more than 20 years, he said what voters knew back in 2016 lacks in comparison to now. The electorate, he suggested, are much better informed. Arguably, he’s not wrong - it doesn’t take much research to see how the Vote Leave campaign broke electoral law (Vote Leave was fined £61,000 by the Electoral Commission).

Principal Dan Dean’s question, “If there was a second referendum, would he support 16-year-olds being given the vote?” highlighted a common query. Davey said he encourages diversity in all aspects in regard to voting; not necessarily the answer we wanted to hear. When asked if he had voted for tuition fees, we collectively held our breaths – knowing that this was part of the reason why the Liberal Democrats, including Davey, were wiped out in the 2015 general election. He admitted that it was part of what had cost him his seat, but he also acknowledged that in a coalition, there had to be compromise.

However, it was Davey’s confidence in the EU that was most convincing - his years of experience and concrete arguments seemed to leave even the most ardent Leavers in the room feeling some doubt.

Alexandra Pitt - 6.1 Politics Student

Monica Harding PPC candidate for Esher and Walton (Liberal Democrats)

In all honesty, although incredibly excited, I wasn’t expecting the talk by Monica Harding, the new Lib Dem candidate, to go as well as it did!

Being a constituent in a very, VERY safe Conservative seat, I never expect much from hopefuls, but the current climate and circumstances make me ponder upon the probability of her election. After previously meeting Dominic Raab, the Conservative MP of our constituency, I was looking forward to hearing a different perspective from the Liberal Democrats’ new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. Ms Harding spoke about her reasons for becoming a politician

and the main issues that most teenagers are typically interested in such as the environment, university tuition fees and how fair the playing field is and, of course, Brexit. She was open to answering questions, even ones challenging her confidence about taking on Dominic Raab. Being able to compare both points of view I felt that the talk really added to my knowledge and understanding of many subjects, including specific areas of Brexit and government funding. It was also obvious in my peers’ lengthy and relevant questions that they didn’t just come for the food! Her honesty and well researched discussions were impressive and all in all I left knowing that it was worth attending.

Sophia Pascoe - 6.1 Politics Student

Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton (Conservatives)

We were excited to welcome our local MP, Dominic Raab, to Esher College in February after he had to cancel a previous visit, whilst a cabinet minister, to negotiate with the EU in Brussels!

The auditorium was bursting with students eager to question and challenge Mr Raab on his experience in Parliament, particularly as a cabinet minister and Brexit secretary. Topics ranged from consumerism, foodbanks, his attitude towards feminism, the lack of government action in the face of the Grenfell tragedy and, of course, issues relating to Brexit. Students spoke very passionately as did Mr Raab, especially about the topic of freedom of speech in relation to human rights, a topic on which he has published a book called, “The Assault on Liberty, What Went Wrong With Rights”. It certainly was very insightful to hear from a minister with such a large role in the current government. Whilst Mr Raab was very compelling and sincere in his beliefs, many students failed to be convinced. We look forward to welcoming him at his next visit.

Bella Cross - 6.1. Politics Student

London Zoo is one of the main sources of hope for the protection of endangered species and the protection of wildlife.

Our visit began with a brilliant presentation about how the Zoo helps endangered species and conserve them to prevent the extinction of whole species. We learned about the different ways of conserving species, much of which we cover in our lessons as part of our Biology A Level course. We took part in activities based on how the Zoo decides which species to breed to maintain high genetic diversity and how its conservation programmes bring endangered species back from the brink. We then walked around the Zoo to see some of the conservation methods in action, including every animal typical of a zoo: from lions and tigers to giraffes and ferrets.

Saving animals from the brink of extinction

Open Mic Session In March, students were able to showcase their burgeoning talent at a lunchtime Open Mic session in the Music Department.

Many of the first year students had only been playing together for a few months – but even though many hadn’t been able to agree on a band name yet, they were still able to impress their peers with some stunning live performances, covering songs from Amy Winehouse to Queen and Nirvana.

Zayn Goetzee, Music tutor and technician, says the secret is in helping the students find the right song and style that suits their bands best. “All students are welcome, even if they’re not studying Music at A Level or BTEC. We offer extension studies in College Band and Music Theory, and you’ll find they are always in here at lunchtime, jamming and practising in one of our five practice rooms. We also have two studios and one live room, so they can always find somewhere to play and experiment with new sounds.”

Biology students learn about conservation on a field trip to London Zoo

Each enclosure had a sign with information about how the species is being conserved. They provided information to disprove claims that zoos keep animals purely for human entertainment.

By the end of the day, I had a completely different outlook on how zoos treat animals and their true purpose in keeping the various species.

Hania Butt - 6.1 Student

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Esher College’s First Director of Studies dies at 100

We celebrate the amazing life of Esher College teacher and rugby coach, Alan Bolt, who conducted an orchestra while a prisoner of war in WW2.

4 March 1919 – 23 March 2019

Alan Bolt was born on 4 March 1919 at his parents’ home in Clapham, South London. The family moved to Surbiton and Alan started at Surbiton County Grammar School (now the site of Esher College) when he was 10. By the time he left school he was Captain of the School (Head Boy) and also captained the school rugby team. During this time he also developed his musical abilities, playing percussion in his uncle’s light orchestra and stepping in occasionally for his uncle as conductor.

He went to King’s College, London, to read English in 1937, but two years into his course war was declared and Alan volunteered to join the Royal Marines. However, the Recruiting Officer told him to go back and finish his degree, which he did.

He enrolled in1940 and was sent to Cairo to become part of the British forces fighting in the North African desert. He was involved in some fairly hair-raising action, but eventually his unit found itself caught 30 miles into enemy lines and he was taken prisoner by the Germans and handed over to the Italians. After a spell inside a wire cage in the desert, Alan was then transported to Tripoli and then Naples before arriving at a POW camp in Mühlberg, a small town on the river Elbe in what later became East Germany. It was here that Alan formed a symphony orchestra from among the prisoners. It was truly international - his players came from Poland, Holland, South Africa, Canada, the USA and Britain. Some players had their own instruments with them, but other instruments were procured using Red Cross cigarettes as currency. Alan orchestrated music for the instruments that were available, either from memory or from piano scores, and they put on regular concerts to entertain both prisoners and guards. He said later that this was an opportunity and experience that he could never have had in the normal way, and he was grateful for it.

In April 1945 the camp was liberated by the Russians. When Alan returned home, he took a teaching diploma at London University. For teaching practice he was assigned to his old school, Surbiton County Grammar. A vacancy came up in the English Department and Alan remained here for the rest of his teaching career.

He rose to be Head of English (he was famous for providing sherry at departmental meetings). That decade the school was designated to become a sixth form college, aka Esher College. Alan was appointed Director of Studies. He was an innovative teacher, introducing the new idea of sixth form conferences and residential courses to the students, many of whom remember him with both affection and gratitude.

Former pupil Stuart Davies says, “Alan was an inspirational mentor to so many. There was always so much laughter coming from his form rooms. His pupils naturally warmed to him – you could do little else. Those who were taught English by him, became lovers of the subject whatever their academic level. So many of his pupils say it was Alan who got them through their O Level rather than their own scholarship.”

During these years Alan was also heavily involved with rugby. He coached school teams and played for the Braemar Club and Old Surbitonians Rugby Club team, which is now Cobham Rugby Club.

He also became an examiner of A Level English and wrote English O Level and A Level textbooks. As well as his teaching, he started up his own orchestra, The “Phoenix String Orchestra” and in 1962 became Musical Director of Claygate Choral Society, remaining so for the next 22 years.

Alan was married to Elsie Wildbore and they lived in a houseboat on the Thames before moving to West Horsley in Surrey. They had a daughter, Alyson, and Elsie continued teaching at the technical college in Guildford, with Alan commuting to Esher each day.

The family later moved to Albury, near Guildford, where both Alan and Alyson enjoyed their passion for horse riding with their dogs across Albury Heath. By the mid-70s his marriage broke down and he moved to Betchworth, near Dorking, with his soon-to-be second wife, Alison. His busy life continued, and he and Alison joined Esher Madrigal Group, a small group of singers specialising in unaccompanied mainly renaissance and Elizabethan music.

Alan retired in 1982. He continued working for his teacher association as a Field Officer, sorting out members’ problems in Surrey, and he also continued with his work for London University and on Surrey County Council. In 1984 they moved from Surrey to a small village in Cumbria.

Alan never lost his love for rugby union, and kept up a close association with the Surbiton Old Boys’ Rugby Association. When the club moved to a sports ground in Cobham he became a Trustee and, although he was by then living in Cumbria, he managed to visit the club for the official opening of their new pavilion and met up with a number of his ex-pupils, which gave him enormous pleasure.

Alan leaves behind his daughter Alyson and wife Alison, to whom we are very grateful for their help with this article.

2019 British Physics Olympiad AS Challenge Congratulations to our Physicists who entered this year’s British Physics Olympiad AS Challenge with all eight participants achieving medal certificates. We are delighted to announce that Katarina Cabral, Andre Dale, Brandon Dodsworth and Callum Walsh received bronze awards and Oskar Day, Alice Dubois-Veltman, Teodor Petrov and Daniel Venables placed within the top 12.4% nationally, gaining silver awards. We were impressed by the hard work and commitment shown by all the students who took part this year. Very well done!

Louise Perry - Teacher of Physics

Particle Physics Master Class On 3rd April, 12 first year students attended a particle physics masterclass at Royal Holloway University of London.

The day consisted of a series of lectures on particle physics, including interesting topics such as dark matter and particle accelerators, as well as several activities involving analysing data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

If you are feeling up for a challenge, you can download the software and analyse data for yourself here: https://atlas.physicsmasterclasses.org/en/index.htm

In the image (right), you can see the track left by a muon moving through the ATLAS detector.

Research in SchoolsEsher College has signed up to the Institute for Research In Schools (IRIS) which provides students with real data to use in their own research.

On 22nd March, the director of IRIS (Becky Parker) came in to give a talk to a room full of Esher students about how to get involved and students now meet once a week at lunchtime to discuss what they have found out and discuss new ways of analysing the data.

We also have one of their CERN@School detectors on loan. These are the same as the detectors they have on the International Space Station (ISS) and we can compare the data from our detector with the data from the ISS.

There are many different research projects you can get involved with in areas of physics, chemistry, biology and geography. Why not go to their website or YouTube channel to learn more? http://www.researchinschools.org/

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Author ‘Holds’ students’ interest

On a Monday lunchtime in March, author and ex-Esher College teacher, Michael Donkor, gave a talk to more than 30 students about his debut novel, Hold.

Through the eyes of Belinda, a housegirl from Ghana, Michael’s coming-of-age novel discusses themes of family, friendship, and forgiveness, and the complexities of the shift from Belinda’s native culture to her new home in London. His talk explored how his experiences and culture have shaped his writing.

As an English teacher who used to work at Esher College, Michael used his interactions with students to create his female protagonists; Belinda, polite and diligent and Amma, a wayward and rebellious teenager growing up in south London. He also took inspiration from his own experiences growing up in a Ghanaian-English family. In an extract he read aloud, I was amazed at the incredible detail and richness of Ghanaian culture in London. As a first year English Literature student, I found it particularly interesting, as it gave me a rare insight into the mind of a published author. It was a privilege to hear first-hand about how writers come up with ideas and then translate them into a novel. It was fascinating and will help greatly in studying the set texts.

Hope Green – 6.1 student

Research in Schools

Want to be a writer? Michael’s top 3 tips to aspiring Esher College students:

1) Try to find a group of trusted readers who will be compassionate towards your writing but who you can also trust to give honest feedback.

2) Enter loads of writing competitions.

3) Read Everything!!!

Students Eavesdrop on HistoryHampton Court Palace History Trip reveals secrets of King Henry VIII’s most famous court.

History students learning about Power and Belief went to Hampton Court Palace for a session on the rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey. A warm, sunny day awaited and an enthusiastic energy surrounded us. We met our tour guide, who took us to a room inside the Palace where there were lots of interactive opportunities to become King Henry VIII and his Chief Minister Cardinal Wolsey, as well as various dukes and duchesses – my favourite part, I might add!

There, we received a great introduction to Hampton Court Palace and to some of the important events that took place there, learning how it developed to become the King’s favourite summer palace. We were led to the Palace Courtyard, where there is a fountain, which, at the time of Wolsey, would flow with wine instead of providing water. We then went through to see the magical Astronomical Clock. Absolutely magnificent! It was here, we were told, that all the women of the Court used to cry out with joy outside the palace in the hope that Henry was waving to them – only to be profoundly disappointed when the infamous Anne Boleyn was placed in the chambers opposite King Henry’s - where Henry would shamelessly wave to her!

Finally, we visited the Great Hall, where little heads decorate the eaves around the ceiling, King Henry’s way of warning his subjects at Court that they were constantly being watched and listened to in order to discover anything that could be considered treason. This is where the word “eavesdroppers” came from.

It was a fantastic trip, which provided us with lots of new knowledge and was also a great way to revise the things we had been taught and bring them to life with memorable details.

Hana Mulaku - 6.1 Student

Fashion & Textiles Trip6.2 Fashion students had a busy day in London visiting some of the industry’s biggest style icons.

The trip included a visit to Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution/Terence Conran and Mary Quant exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in Bermondsey.

Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution presents the fashion, design and art of the Chelsea Set; a group of radical young architects, designers, photographers and artists who were redefining the concept of youth and challenging the established order in 1950s London. At the forefront of this group of young revolutionaries were Mary Quant and Terence Conran.

We then followed with a visit to the V&A to see the breath-taking Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams Exhibition. Spanning 1947 to the present day, this exhibition traces the history and impact of one of the 20th century’s most influential couturiers, exploring the enduring influence of the fashion house and Dior’s relationship with Britain.

Not only did this inspire students for current coursework, it gave them a rare opportunity to see exquisite couture beautifully curated.

Nicola Walker - Teacher of Fashion

Trip to the Big Apple brings history and sociology to life for students.In February 60 students from the Sociology and History department were thrilled to be able to see some of their A Level topics come to life by flying to New York for an action-filled four days.

The trip started with an amazingly quiet British Airways flight where we were treated to spare seats and ice-creams. Upon arrival in a very cold New York, we went straight to our hotel in the centre of Times Square to unpack and get familiarised with the area.

We found Times Square to be a symbol of globalisation and popular culture. We have explored both these areas in our History and Sociology courses, learning about the increase in media and leisure culture from the 1920s and the globalisation of Americanisms such as McDonalds. Wherever we went in New York, it seemed we were never far from a golden arch!

Our first activity was a ferry ride to Ellis Island to explore the Immigration Museum. The experience really put our studies into perspective as we learnt about the process thousands of immigrants went through in order to experience the ‘American Dream’. In the afternoon we visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum which was an extremely powerful and eye-opening experience. This visit really helped cement our understanding of religious fundamentalism and terrorism which we have been looking at for our Crime and Deviance topic in Sociology.

On the second day we visited the Tenement Museum which allowed us to take a step back in history, immersing ourselves into the life of the early immigrants. We walked through tenement housing, learning the stories of the families who would have lived there and the hardships they went through. It was an eye-opening experience that put our studies of immigration into perspective. After this we explored Little Italy and China Town which personified the multiculturalism of New York and tied into our History studies.

Finally, we had a fascinating talk with civil rights veteran, Mark Levy, who gave us a first hand account of the Civil Rights Movement and the Mississippi ‘Freedom Summer’ of 1964.

“The experience really put our studies into perspective!”

Our final day was symbolised by a visit to the Empire State Building. This was definitely a highlight and a brilliant way to conclude our visit. Not only were the views amazing but we could also see what this iconic building represented – the optimism and globalisation of America in the 1920s that anything was possible.

With some free time to explore the city independently, we went to Wall Street, a place that is frequently covered in our history textbooks, particularly The Wall Street Crash. Seeing the area first hand made our studies more accessible, with the famous Wall Street Bull monument emphasising the competitive and ruthless nature of American economics.

New York is also one of the fashion capitals of the world, so we made the most of its thrift shops and found some bargains. We also went to other landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge, Radio City Music Hall and The Rockefeller Centre.

Daisy Whalley and Shanise Chabuka - 6.2 Students

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New York, New York

Esher College students work alongside fashion industry photographers for Vogue and Urban Outfitters. At the end of March, 30 Photography students and staff headed to Bristol for our annual three day Fashion and Documentary Photography residential.

The trip takes the format of a series of Fashion and Documentary Photography workshops with professional photographers and professional models. This provides the students with an amazing opportunity to learn from working photographers and then apply their newfound skills to shooting professional models.

Photographer Nick Treviss ran our documentary workshop, which encouraged our student photographers to step outside their comfort zone and use the surrounding streets and Harbourside to create images with a narrative content.

The next day we divided our students into two shooting groups; Urban Fashion and High-End Fashion. The groups swapped at lunch time, enabling all students to shoot the two photographic styles and work with both photographers and all the models.

The High End Fashion group spent the morning working with Vogue photographer, Katie Burdon. They based themselves in the futuristic surroundings of Millennium Square and the grandeur of the Lloyds Amphitheatre. Katie’s focus was: ‘How to direct your models and get them looking their best.’

The Street Fashion group worked with Urban Outfitters’ Photographer, Nick Treviss. This group used the towering cranes and dilapidated train carriages around Bristol’s old Industrial Museum as their grungy backdrop. Nick’s focus for the workshop was professional lighting in an urban environment, using only one camera flash.

The photographers, staff and the models were incredibly impressed by the professional attitude of the students and their stunning, editorial-standard images. This thrilled the students and boosted their confidence.

The trip was a great success as the students got to work with professional photographers and professional models, under industry-standard conditions.

We will certainly be running this trip again next year…

Stephen Andrews - Head of Photography

Fashion Photography In Vogue

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Jewellery Boost For ECAT Young Enterprise students formed a company called Esher Enterprise to sell fashion jewellery.

The students were all on the Young Enterprise Complementary Study course this year, working with external Business Advisor Julia Jones, Director of Iceland Traveller.

The students sold fashion jewellery online and at a trade fair in Kingston. An AGM was held recently when decisions were made on the winding up of the company. It was agreed that the profit in the business would be donated to charity. At the meeting the shareholders voted on a number of different charities and the majority decision went in favour of Esher College Africa Trust (ECAT). ECAT raises funds to support AIDS orphans by paying their school fees, exam fees and, where necessary, a mid-day meal, with the aim of helping them remain at school. ECAT supports up to 50 AIDS orphans every year through their education to secure their futures.

The students handed £155.62 to the Finance Office with the request that the money be donated to ECAT.

Esher Enterprise students:

Ammar MasoodLeo TaoEllen GuymerAnna YarwoodFrankie Eyles-OwenEuan NichollLottie FieldingFlores MuirBilly SteenAbigail Shackleton

Lewis McGuinness - Teacher of Business

Learning Effective Listening SkillsEsher College offers a diverse range of Adult Education Evening Courses. From brushing up on your Office Skills and learning Spanish to Life Drawing and Map Reading!

We also offer a range of Life Skills and Counselling courses, which have helped many people with an interest in improving their personal and working relationships. Our Level 2 Award in Effective Listening Skills requires no previous training or experience and is ideal for candidates who wish to develop their listening skills for use in a variety of personal and professional contexts.

One happy attendee told us, “I feel I have a much better understanding of the power of just listening and how it can help the talker.” Effective Listening Skills runs over two Saturdays starting in September. For more information on this, or any of our courses, pick up a leaflet at the College.

For more course details visit www.esher.ac.uk/adult-education, or call adult education on 020 8335 2544

Summer Term 2019

Friday 14th June INSET

Wednesday 3rd July Progression Exam Clinic

(by invitation only)

Thursday 4th July After Esher Day

Monday 8th to Friday 12th July Wider Skills Activities

Friday 12th July End of Term

Dates for Year 11 Prospective Students and Parents (September 2019 admissions)

Tuesday 25th June Introduction Evening (parents)

Thursday 27th and Friday 28th June Introduction Days (students)

Start of Year 2019/20

Tuesday 27th to Thursday 29th August Enrolment for new students

Monday 2nd September Start of 6.2 Day

Dates for Year 10 Prospective Students and Parents (September 2020 admissions)

Monday 1st July 2019 Open Evening

Tuesday 2nd July to Applications for 2020 Entry

Monday 30th September 2019

Dates for your Diary

To help us capture all the exciting events and activities taking place at Esher College, we are delighted to welcome Mia Siitonen as our new Student Photographer. Mia, who joined us from Lady Eleanor Holles School, is a 6.1 student here studying Photography, French and English Literature A Levels.

“I will be covering events such as College productions, charity fundraisers and anything else going on within the College for social media platforms,” says Mia. “I’m really excited about the role as it will be the first time that there has been a student photographer for the College.

I love photography and I’m keen to pursue journalism after leaving College, so this new role will also help me gain experience in a similar field.”

Remember to smile if you see Mia and her camera out and about on campus this year.

Introducing Our New Student Photographer

Social MediaFor more information on what’s happening at Esher College, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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