ON ASHCOMBE I S S U E 2 8 • A U T U M N 2 0 1 1

A-LEVEL SUCCESS!

The Ashcombe School’s 2011 A-level results

have maintained the very high standards set

over the years. Headteacher, David Blow,

commented: “This is the second year of the

new A-level specifications and the new A*

grade, and we are delighted that there

continue to be extremely high results for a

wide range of students. The standard of

teaching here is outstanding, and the

students have responded with enormous

commitment and hard work, whilst engaging

in a wide range of extra-curricular and social

activities.” ➵

THE ASHCOMBE SCHOOL, DORKING

The average points score per student has consistently been

above 350 points and this year was no exception. The

average for 2011 was 362 per student, with 33% of grades

being an A* or A, and over 50% of grades were A*-B.

In fact, over the three year period (2008-10), The

Ashcombe School was placed in the top 30 comprehensives

in the country for the average number of points

per students, together with a very high ALPS (Advanced

Level Performance System) value-added i.e. progress from

GCSE to A-level. As a comprehensive school we pride

ourselves in offering opportunity as widely as possible by

keeping restrictions on entry to A-level courses to a

minimum. As a result, a number of students who in most

institutions would not have been allowed to begin A-level

courses have gained commendable grades, thereby giving

them access to university places.

The Ashcombe School saw many outstanding individual

results, including nine students who gained four or five A*

or A grades - Hugh Baker, Helen Charman, Michael Evans,

Jenny Lloyd, Kieran Mackrell, Nicola Marsden, Colette

Parker, Louise Shaw and Elliot Taylor. All have managed

to secure places at their university of choice. Colette and

Hugh are going to Oxford to study Mathematics and

Physics respectively, while Helen is off to Cambridge to read

English. Michael will be going to Kings College London to

read War Studies and History, Jenny to York to read French

and Linguistics, Kieran to Southampton to study

Mathematics, Louise to Sheffield to read History & Politics,

Nicola to Durham to read Natural Sciences, and Elliot to

Southampton to study Electronic Engineering.

Congratulations also to the students who gained three A*

or A grades: Katie Addison, Robert Baldwin, Luke Bangs,

Sarah Bridgman, Emily Caldwell, Adam Day, Eliza Grant,

Tom Grant, Kristian Hook, David Isles, Rory McDonald,

Rob Moorcroft, Eve Powell, Jonathan

Sourris and Marcus Wood.

Jamie May who gained five A* last year has been successful

in gaining a place to read History at Cambridge, where

Eve will also be studying PPS (Politics, Psychology &

Sociology).

The Lower Sixth’s AS results were also very pleasing, with

Dominic Pollard gaining five A grades, Olivia Bathe, Laura

Colmer, Laurence Crumbie, Stephanie Davison, Michael

Foskett, Bhavisha Patel and Bethany Rudd gaining four A

grades, and Grace Brewer, Maia Collins, Anya Wilson and

Will Taylor gaining three As.

VIEWPOINT Recent national Ofsted statistics showed that over

80% of parents agreed that their child was happy at

school and was making progress, a rather more positive

perspective than the sometimes negative picture

portrayed in the national media or by politicians.

The corresponding figures for this school are even

higher (above 90%), and this edition of Accent

vividly illustrates both the academic achievements in

public exams and the incredible range of extra-

curricular activities available to pupils.

Politicians having been talking about the need to “set

schools free” and “give them autonomy” whilst at

the same time telling them what they should do!

Amidst these contradictions and the rhetoric, we

remain firmly committed to working in partnership

with the other schools in Dorking, Surrey and more

widely, to create opportunities and to offer support

to children and their families.

The school remains highly sought-after, and yet also

determinedly comprehensive, welcoming pupils of all

abilities and backgrounds. Our parent support

evenings reflect our commitment to working with

parents, celebrating the good times and working our

way through the difficulties. The feedback from those

evenings confirms the appreciation from parents of

our positive and optimistic view, which is also

grounded in a very realistic perspective of the rewards

and challenges both of working with young people,

and of being the parents of teenagers.

D.J. Blow

Headteacher

EXCELLENT GCSE RESULTS!

Well done to all those who took their GCSEs this summer

– the results were fantastic. Here are this year’s key figures,

which were even better than 2010s!

• 100% of pupils gained at least one A* to G grade and 98% achieved five GCSEs at this level. (100% and 96% in

2010 respectively)

• 69.2% of pupils achieved at least five A* to C grades

including GCSE English and Maths (68% in 2010)

• Over 93% of pupils gained at least one A* to C grade (90% last year)

We also saw some exceptional individual performances,

with a fifth of our pupils gaining two or more A* grades:

Ellen Luckins and Ben Rodgers (both 10½ A* grades);

Sarah Cockle-Hearne, Daniel Fox, Sebastian Fox and

Henry Warne (all 9 A*s); Edward Bodman and Rosie

Granville (both 8 A*s); Michael Cox, James Fox, Anna

Keay and Reece Lunstone (all 7 A*s); Anthony Avis,

Elizabeth Hearn, Lydia Hudson, Ollie Smith and Rebecca

Sutherland (all 6 A*s); Daniel Brett, Seth Clenaghan,

Maddie Giles, Harry Keay, Joshua Hook and Becky Wilson

(all 5 A*s); Eleanor Shimoyama, Sarah Watkins and Jack

Whetnall (all 4 A*s); Henry Hill (3½ A*s); Douglas

Baldwin, Thomas Bletso, Joshua Caldwell, Oliver Curtis,

Dominic Ferrett, Ellen King, Emily Luker, Thomas

Nicholson and Otto Young (all 3 A*s); Robert Day, George

Guven, Maxim Harper, Rebecca Hollands, Rosie Holmes,

Owen Lynch, Dom Nicholls, Abbie Papworth, Jonathan

Walton, Caitlin Warren, Samantha White and George

Wiltshire (all 2 A*s).

Headteacher David Blow commented: "These are

outstanding results which have been achieved by a

complete cross-section of young people. We believe that a

number of factors have contributed to this success, of

which the hard work of the pupils themselves, the support

of their parents, and the skill and dedication of our teachers

are the most significant. The Ashcombe School has

achieved a consistently high standard of examination

results for several years now, but it is not complacent, and

will seek to build on this achievement in years to come."

FAIRPLAY TO ASHCOMBE

The Ashcombe School has become one of the first

secondary schools in Surrey to incorporate Fairtrade

certified cotton into its school uniform, by selling ethical

cotton polo shirts this summer. The Fairtrade Certification

Mark is the independent guarantee that the cotton in a

product has been certified in accordance with

international Fairtrade standards.

The introduction of Fairtrade cotton in the school polo

shirts is a great initiative and has involved close liaison

between the school, the Parent Teachers Association (PTA)

and the suppliers ‘Koolschools’. We are hoping that the

possibility of becoming a Fairtrade School will be

considered by pupils at the next School Council meeting

and that other schools across the county will follow

Ashcombe's lead.

RANMORES@ASHCOMBE

The Upper School canteen now has its very own café

– Ranmores@Ashcombe! The name was chosen by

The School Council, who also had an input into the

café's design. We are lucky enough to be the first

school in the county to have this type of catering

facility, with Surrey Commercial Services providing the

funding. Both Upper and Lower School pupils can buy

food and drink from the café before school, as well as

at break and lunchtimes. The café is also open to staff

and Sixth Formers before school and from 10.30am –

1.50pm. Ranmores has now been open for two

months and is proving to be a very popular addition

to our catering provision.

THE DORKING DEBATE

In Citizenship lessons last term, Year 9 pupils

researched and discussed the proposals for a new

supermarket in Dorking. They worked in groups and

then staged a mock district council meeting to decide

which supermarket proposal should go ahead. Pupils

conducted independent research to pull together a

presentation and then demonstrated democracy in

action by voting on the winning supermarket!

6TH FORM INDUCTION DAY

The 6th Form Induction Day took place on 24th June,

with over 150 students coming in for talks given by

subject staff. Students were able to hear more about

what they had chosen to study at AS-level and ask staff

questions about the 6th Form in general. In the evening,

there was a 'Wild West' themed social which over 200

existing and prospective students attended. It was a

really positive start to their 6th Form careers.

THE WATER ROCKET CHALLENGE

In June 2011, six Year 7 pupils from Ashcombe's Science Club were

chosen to represent the school at the annual 'Water Rocket Challenge' at

the National Physics Laboratory.

The task was to design a water rocket with the aim of it reaching a

specified target area. Our rockets comfortably cleared 30 metres but

unfortunately, the scoring zone only started at 60 metres so we were not

eligible for a prize. However, the pupils were not disheartened – they

were just happy that their rocket flew and that it had remained intact!

The pupils were also lucky enough to be shown how a helicopter works

by the Army and to try out a flight simulator.

All in all a great day was had, learning and experimenting with man-made

machines which defy gravity (well, for a bit anyway!)

YEAR 10 BOAT TRIP

After a miserable, wet afternoon at school, 140 Year 10

pupils arrived for the buses for an evening boat trip on the

Thames, dressed to impress with the sun shining upon

them. The students ate a traditional fish & chip dinner

aboard the New Southern Belle, and then danced the night

away.

The pupils had been required to meet specific criteria in

order to be considered for the trip: 94% and above for

attendance and punctuality, and no outstanding detentions.

This had acted as an important incentive, and also gave

them a taste of what they will need to do in Year 11 in order

to gain study leave in the winter, and to be able to attend

the Leavers' Ball in May. Thanks to fantastic organisation

by Miss Davidson, the trip was a great success, and has

made pupils all the more excited about Year 11 and what

it will entail.

STUDY CENTRE ACTIVITIES

The Study Centre once more held a Book Fair in the

Summer Term and managed to raise a whopping £425

– its fourth highest total ever! 57 pupils voted for their

favourite book from the fair, and the most popular ones

were purchased.

Just as in previous years, the Study Centre held a

Summer Holiday competition for the new Year 7s,

which involved sending in a book review on a postcard.

These postcards were then put on display for all to see.

AN ALTERNATIVE SPORTS DAY HIGH ASHURST

After performing really well in Athletics Day, Year 7

pupils also thoroughly enjoyed an after-school event,

dubbed “silly” or “classic” sports day. Unfortunately,

their outdoor plans were scuppered by some classic

British weather but thanks to Miss Parish, they were able

to run the event in the Sports Hall instead. Bean bag

races, egg & spoon races and obstacle courses were just

a few of the fun events the Year 7s participated in, and

everyone had a great time.

LANGUAGE TRANSITION PROJECTS

In the Summer Term, a number of Year 9 pupils and Lower

Sixth students visited local primary schools as part of the

Language Transition Project. The aim of the project is to

promote languages and to bridge the gap between primary

and secondary school. Lower Sixth students created short

drama presentations in French, German and Spanish and

performed them to Key Stage 1 children, while Year 9

pupils played vocabulary games with Year 6 children and

answered questions on life at The Ashcombe.

10 Year 8 pupils were fortunate enough to have the

opportunity to attend the outdoor learning centre 'High

Ashurst' for three evening sessions in April, May and

June. The pupils were able to boost their confidence and

self-esteem by completing a challenge course as a team,

climbing up and abseiling down high walls, and tackling

the high ropes which included the ‘Leap of Faith’. All

the pupils achieved more than they thought they would

and worked really well to support and encourage each

other during every activity. Well done!

GOODBYE TO YEAR 11

The Year 11 Leavers' events began with a hard fought

football game between staff and Year 11 pupils on

Wednesday 11th May. Exceptional goal keeping from Mr

Ravenhill, fine leadership from Miss Parish and individual

skill from Mr Mackrell wasn't enough to defeat the Year

11 team, however.

The following evening, over 200 Year 11s gathered at the

Surrey Hills Hotel for the annual Leavers' Ball. Pupils

certainly made quite an entrance, arriving in vehicles

ranging from flashy little sports cars to army trucks and

diggers! One pupil even turned up on a unicycle! Everyone

looked lovely in their suits and prom dresses, and had a

really good night.

Friday 13th May marked the end of Year 11's Upper School

careers, with the Leavers' Assembly and the signing of

yearbooks. The assembly was series of photographic

presentations put together with humorous anecdotes

celebrating the Year 11's time at school. Pupils laughed at

the photos and also shed a few tears at the thought of

saying goodbye.

'BON VOYAGE' UPPER 6TH...

The Upper Sixth Leavers' Boat Trip took place along

The Thames in May and over 140 students attended.

Having already had their last day in school, the boat

trip was the final school event for the students, so it was

an emotional affair. Nevertheless, everyone really

enjoyed themselves and celebrated in style!

GREAT GOLFING

The Surrey Schools Golf team competed in the South of

England Championships hosted by Kent at Canterbury

Golf Club on 31st May. The team was made up of

youngsters from local schools and included Ashcombe's

very own Ben Stokoe. Not only were the Surrey squad

extremely successful winning the team trophy, but Ben

also managed to come third in the individual event. The

entire team qualified for the National Championships in

June and based on Ben's performance there, he has now

been selected to play for English Schools.

Congratulations Ben!

RESOUNDING ROUNDERS RESULT!

The Year 8 Rounders team had a successful campaign in

2011, not losing a game the entire season. The icing on

the cake was beating St Teresa’s, Manor House,

Greenacre, Rosebery and Howard to win the District

Tournament and being crowned Year 8 Girls District

Rounders Champions.

Congratulations to the team: Lydia Goodwin, Fran

Barclay, Caroline Watson, Hannah Ferret, Elly Thorn,

Rachel Higgins, Victoria May, Millie Cresswell, Hannah

Beresford and Ella Sheehan.

THE '40 CLUB COMPETITION'

This cricket tournament started with a match against St

Andrews, who had been beaten by the Ashcombe a few

weeks before. Ashcombe started off batting and got a total

of 212 runs. Mike Ellis played superbly and achieved the

first century of the tournament's history, with 110 runs not

out. Tom Ball also played brilliantly and secured 57 runs

for The Ashcombe School.

Max Ridler and Will Stone opened the bowling with

remarkable finesse, while Ashley Shenton played an

excellent game at wicket keeper. St Andrews were all

bowled out for under a third of the Ashcombe total, which

meant the Ashcombe were through to the final against the

Howard of Effingham School.

The match started with Ashcombe going into bat once

more, and a good opening partnership between Jack Wyllie

and Tom Ball saw off the opening bowlers. This led to

Harvey Mewis and Mike Ellis contributing towards the

final total of 105 off 16 overs.

Howard walked out confidently only to be discouraged by

the pacey Max Ridler and wicket keeper Josh Edwards,

who, on his debut for the school, took every ball cleanly.

Zac Smith became fielder of the tournament taking his 3rd

catch and getting a run out.

It was soon the last over. Howard were on 104 for 4 and

attempted to top The Ashcombe’s well earned 105 for 5.

Captain, Mike Ellis took on the challenge of either getting

a maiden or 2 or more wickets, with one run off the over.

The over started with a dot ball then a single, causing their

top scorer to get on strike.

The spectators thought it was all over for Ashcombe, but

the team had different ideas. Mike Ellis managed to get

their top scorer, but Ashcombe could not help thinking it

was too late. However, 2 wickets were taken off the last 2

balls, which ensured that no single was achieved.

Ashcombe emerged victorious and retained the title of '40

Cup Winners'. A special mention must go to the

Ashcombe's captain who was crowned Player of the

Tournament for the second year running.

DISTRICT ATHLETICS COMPETITION

The Ashcombe School took 60 pupils to the District

Athletics meet at Guildford Spectrum on 6th July, entering

an A & B team into the boys' competition and an A team

into the girls' competition.

The final standings saw the girls come a respectable 6th out

15 and the boys a fantastic 2nd – not far behind the winners

RGS, Guildford.

The Year 9 and 10 boys both won their competitions, with

Andre Spahn (Year 9) winning both the 100 & 200 metres.

Other winners included Tom Graham (Year 9 – High

Jump), Charlie Wyllie (Year 8 – 800 & 1500m), Rachel

Higgins (Year 8 – Shot), Ben Dyson (Year 7 – 1000m),

Daniel Mahony (Year 8 – 400m) and Lucy Brett (Year 7 –

600 & 1000m). Lucy also broke the 600m record with a

time of 1:48.50m/s.

ATHLETICS DAY

This was a lovely event, with support and sportsmanship

in abundance. Windsor were worthy champions, defending

the title they won in 2010. A special mention must go to

athletes who volunteered to take part in the less-favoured

events, such as the 1500 metres, as well as those who broke

school records. In total, 18 new records were set, with all

bar one of the Year 7 girls' track records being broken.

Credit must go to Helen Bridgman (Year 10) who is now

the holder of a total of 6 athletics day records.

CRICKET TRIP TO LORDS

Despite a night of torrential rain, 27 Ashcombe pupils

set off for Lords Cricket Ground early one June

morning for Day 4 of the second test between

England and Sri Lanka.

The poor weather saw a delayed start and enabled the

pupils to have a wander round the home of cricket,

with play eventually starting at 1pm. England bowled

well and ended up taking the remaining 7 Sri Lankan

wickets for 100 runs.

England’s second innings started badly but Cook and

Trott batted well until bad light forced the players off

about 5.30pm.

Despite it being cold, everyone enjoyed the day.

Thanks go to Mr Ketley for organising it and to Miss

Dye, Mrs Evans, Mr Rayne and Mr Blackband for

accompanying the pupils.

TENNIS FEVER

15 Ashcombe pupils attended the AEGON Champi-

onships on Tuesday 7th June, where they sat on Centre

Court. They watched some fantastic tennis matches,

including Andy Roddick versus Feliciano Lopez and

Jo-Wilfred Tsonga versus Michael Berrer.

The pupils also had the opportunity to watch Rafael

Nadal and Andy Murray warm up on the practice

courts, and Murray play a doubles match on Court 1.

They had a great day and a big thank you must go to

Miss Dobson for organising the trip.

THE ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET

The Btec Dance students were fortunate enough to

attend a workshop held at the English National Ballet

Studios in London. A professional Ballet dancer led the

students in a techniques session in the morning, which

they really enjoyed. The afternoon was spent

participating in movement and choreography sessions

based on the work of ‘Strictly Gershwin’ which was

showing at the Royal Albert Hall at the time. The girls

felt very privileged to be able to dance in a fully lit and

mirrored studio with a live piano accompaniment.

THE FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

The Annual Festival of Music took place in July and once

more highlighted the wealth of talent Ashcombe pupils have

to offer. The festival kicked off with the Inter House Music

Competition, where we witnessed a range of excellent solo

and group performances from the Lower and Upper

School. Winners included John Wilson (Lower School

Solo), Olwyn Brignall, Edie Adams and Emma Davies

(Lower School Group), David Taylor (Upper School Solo),

Heather Boagey, Beth Bridgeman, Ella Knowles and Alice

Goodwin (Upper School Group) and Jack Heaslewood,

Brett Scott-Barnes, Sam Williams and Dom Birkett (Band).

Everyone who entered earned points for their house, with

winners and runners up gaining bonus points. It was a

closely fought competition but York ended up victorious

with 74 points. Stuart came in 2nd with 72 points, Tudor

were 3rd with 62 and Windsor last with 61.

Some of the winners went onto perform at the Summer

Soirée, which was a delightful evening, showcasing The

Ashcombe's musicians as well as providing our Chinese

visitors with an opportunity to perform their very own

musical arrangements and dances.

The Festival did not merely stay within the school grounds.

Ashcombe's musicians also visited a number of other

establishments such as St Michael's School, Denbies and

The Children's Trust to perform and to pass on their

musical expertise to the younger children.

A TASTE OF SOUTH AMERICA

Following the success of the African music performances

last year, Ashcombe pupils were invited back in June to

support St Martin's School's South America week.

Our Samba group supported St Martin's teacher Mr

Memela in musical workshops with his pupils, ably acting

as models and leaders for various sections of this percussion

ensemble.

An afternoon concert was given, with tangos and rumbas

from saxophonists and brass players. The choir also

performed - singing “America” from West Side Story and

a lovely Chilean song, which St Martin's children joined in

with. The Samba band paraded in and out of the school

hall, marking the beginning and end of the concert. Pupils

and staff were delighted with our young people. Once again

Ashcombe Music performers did us proud!

THE LAUNCH OF M@SH ON FACEBOOK

A page has been set up on Facebook informing students of forthcoming events and rehearsals, and also

details a link to our audio library of compositions and performances on the education site numu -

www.numu.org.uk/stations.asp and search for m@sh (Music at Ashcombe!).

YEAR 7 EXPLORE GERMANY

Over 200 Year 7 pupils accompanied by Ashcombe staff

and parents left Dorking early one Monday morning in July

to travel to Germany. The trip provided pupils with an

opportunity to practise vocabulary and phrases learnt

throughout the year and enabled them to appreciate the

beauty of the Rhine and Moselle Valleys. Cultural trips

included an excursion to the medieval castle Burg Eltz,

voyages along the Rhine and Moselle rivers, and a visit to

Deutsches Eck in Koblenz, where these two rivers meet.

The Year 7s also braved the 1000 metre ascent on the

infamous Boppard Chairlift and witnessed views of the

'bendiest bend' and the four lakes.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

In the last week of term, Year 8 put on an impressive production of 'Joseph and the Technicolor

Dreamcoat'. Throughout the week they put a huge amount of effort into rehearsing for the Friday

night performances and also showed off their creative side, participating in make up sessions,

creating collages of the Joseph Story and producing displays based on Egypt and the Middle

East. The final performances bore witness to some fantastic individual voices, great acting skills

and lucid story telling through the chorus. A big well done to all Year 8 participants and a huge

thank you to staff for making it such a successful week.

THE ISLE OF WIGHT FOREIGN CUISINE WEEK

During Activities Week, 140 Year 9s headed off to the Isle

of Wight with 12 members of staff for a week of adventure

activities.

After short but windy sail across the Solent, the group

arrived at 'Little Canada' - home for the next five days.

Unfortunately, heavy rain showers persisted throughout the

week, but luckily this didn't dampen the pupils' sprits -

everyone was as keen as ever to participate in the array of

activities on offer. The sensory trail was one of the first

activities, which involved pupils navigating their way

around an obstacle course of mazes and tunnels filled with

water, mud and bugs. It was like a scene from 'I’m a

Celebrity Get me Out of Here'! Other activities included

kayaking, canoeing, quad biking and archery. The highlight

for many was seeing Mr Blackband and Mr Ravenhill on

the receiving end of a bucket of water while on their way

down from the 'big swing' - it was a sight not to be missed!

A week of Foreign Cuisine was another of the options on

offer to Year 9s as part of their Activities Week. Those who

chose this option enjoyed looking at, sampling and

creating foods from a variety of different countries,

including:

• Spain – churros and hot chocolate, followed by tortilla

• Greece – fried calamari, Greek salad and shish kebabs

• France – tarte tatin and gateaux

• Italy – pasta dishes and flans

• Australia – barbecue foods and pavlova

• Britain – English breakfast, Cornish pasties, and scones & cream

• America – pancakes, muffins and brownies

• Mexico - fajitas

There were many highlights throughout the week,

including a blind tasting session, an all-American picnic

on Box Hill and a fruit gateaux competition (won by

Adam Green) which Mr Blow jumped at the chance to

judge!

YEAR 10 'DO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS'

Year 10 took part in the school's Annual International

Business Week during the penultimate week of the summer

term. Whilst other year groups were enjoying the

spectacular scenery of Germany, taking part in Joseph,

abseiling down a 40ft wall in the Isle of Wight or cooking

a range of delicious global dishes, Year 10 dressed formally

for a week of business games and language activities.

The pupils were split into 30 business teams at the

beginning of the week, and spent the first two days learning

Italian and Chinese and conjuring up a business plan. On

the third day, they presented their plans using their newly-

learnt language skills and also took part in

interviews with local business people. The pupils had drawn

up CVs and letters of application in preparation for these

meetings during PSE lessons.

On the final two days, the youngsters played games based

around marketing and manufacturing (the 'NatWest' and

'Bradford' games).

The pupils greatly benefited from all these activities – both

personally and professionally, and the school would like to

thank the local businesses, parents and volunteers who

helped make the week such a fantastic success.

YEAR 8S LAND IN NORMANDY

Over 160 pupils in Year 8 went to Normandy in June as part

of a cross-curricular residential trip. They had a fantastic week

and all benefited from a busy week of activities. They enjoyed

trips to Pegasus Bridge, Arromanches and Bayeux, and loved

trying out their French at the local market. Everyone also learnt

how to bake biscuits and sourdough bread, as well as

witnessing the cider-making process. The highlight of the week

for many was visiting the goats' cheese farm, where pupils

tasted the local produce and milked the goats (if they dared!).

CHINESE EXCHANGE

Eight students and two staff from our partner school,

Changzheng Secondary School, came to visit in July this

year. They took part in a variety of activities and seemed

to relish every minute of their British experience.

In school, they participated in lessons and Year 10

Business Week, and treated us to a musical performance

at the Summer Soirée. Their 'paper, cutting and

knotting' song and 'Peacock Dance' were pieces not to

be missed and gave us a real taster of Chinese culture.

During their stay, the Chinese students were also able to

enjoy days out to Newlands Corner, China Town and

Greenwich, and even 'do-si-doed' at a Barn Dance in

South Holmwood!

UGANDA 2011

On Sunday 24th July, eleven Sixth Formers, accompanied

by Mrs Stanford, Mr Simmonds and Miss Okello landed

at Entebbe airport in Uganda ready to embark upon two

weeks of new experiences and challenges. We spent the first

week in a school in rural eastern Uganda (Kachumbala

Township Primary School) with Build Africa - a charity

which the Ashcombe School is supporting, and whose main

aim is to help young people escape poverty through

education and the construction of new classrooms.

We helped teach classes of up to 60 pupils and supported

more informal activities too. We formed such strong bonds

with the children and we were really sad to leave. The

farewell ceremony was amazing and very moving. We

witnessed traditional African singing and dancing and were

presented with 8 live chickens! In return, we presented the

Ugandan school with a plaque in memory of Mr Thompson

and Mr Rosser, which was to be displayed on the new block

of classrooms.

The second week of our trip was spent on safari in western

Uganda, where we visited the Queen Elizabeth and Mburu

National Parks and saw lions, elephants, topi, hippos,

warthogs and the Ugandan kob. We also travelled to

Bwindi National Park and trekked in the mountains to see

gorillas in their natural environments. We were amazed at

how human they were in their appearance and actions. The

whole experience was a huge learning curve and an

incredible opportunity for all involved – thank you to the

staff for making this trip possible.

By Emily Hinchliffe (U6 student)