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Music to their ears

2012-05-15T00:00:00

SPRING TERM 2012 MUSIC EXAM SUCCESS

We were delighted to enter 60 children for music exams at the end of the Spring Term. All the candidates were delighted with their results. As a Department, we were thrilled to receive such an impressive set of marks with 25 Merits and 11 Distinctions!

Particular congratulations to Felicity P who took three exams with a ‘full house’ of scores (Pass, Merit and Distinction), Olivia B for her excellent Distinction in Grade 6 Flute and Maria B-K who was awarded an outstanding Distinction in Grade 7 Violin.

Satips Art Exhibition

2012-05-06T00:00:00

Cheam is one of over 50 schools represented at the Satips Art exhibition. The exhibition is being held at The Downs School, Malvern from 5^th -12^th May. There is an amazing breadth of work on show including paintings, sculptures and textile work.

Congratulations to the following pupils whose work is on display:

Millie K	Pandora C	William A

Wilf E	Cali E-F & Freya A	Alice F & Freya G

Golden girl Ellie

2012-05-05T00:00:00

On Sunday April 1^st, 1000 members of the public had the chance to experience the excitement of being able to run on the 100m track inside the Olympic Stadium before the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, courtesy of Gold Challenge, the UK’s only Olympic & Paralympic based charity challenge.

One of our Year 7 pupils, Ellie S, was awarded a place for this opportunity of a lifetime. Ellie S won a gold medal, coming first in a race run against seven people, three of whom were experienced runners from a club.

The Headmaster, Mark Johnson, says, “I am delighted that Cheam School’s support has resulted in this unique opportunity for one of our pupils. Ellie is an outstanding athlete and she is a wonderful ambassador for the charity and for our school.”

Pre-Prep International Week

2012-04-30T00:00:00

It is important that children raised in the leafy lanes of rural Hampshire nevertheless grow up with an understanding that they are citizens of a very culturally diverse world. For this reason each year Cheam Pre-Prep go ‘off curriculum’ for a week to celebrate a different world culture. This year we were lucky enough to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours of China.

On Friday the children arrived in school to find their classrooms in chaos. Desks were overturned, mud and grass was strewn around and in the middle of the debris was a large golden egg accompanied by a singed note from Snogard the dragon who had lost her baby! Many clues appeared during the week, involving the children in frantic investigation and activity. Fortunately the baby was found in Reception where she had been well looked after.

During the week every child made a terracotta warrior and contributed a brick to our ‘Great Wall of Friendship’. Chinese food was enjoyed, both real takeaway and imaginary in the Chinese Restaurant. Year 2 made Willow Pattern plates and grew mung beans while other year groups enjoyed making dragons out of a variety of materials and investigated Chinese myths and traditions.

We are grateful to the students of Chinese at Downe House and their teachers for spending a morning with us teaching the children some songs in Chinese and to Laura Murray for talking to the Nursery about her adventures in China.

The climax of the week was an impressive display of singing, lion dancing and ribbon dancing by every member of the Pre-Prep who had learned these skills during a two day visit by specialist Drama Teacher Don Rae. This was thoroughly enjoyed by parents.

The children enjoyed the week immensely and I am sure they will never forget what they learned in such a lively and informative week.

Please visit our Photo Gallery for lots more photos.

Review of Little Shop of Horrors

2012-04-29T00:00:00

Our recent production of Little Shop of Horrors was incredible for a Prep School. Led by the talented directors Tim Bennett and Justin Pugsley, a group of 11 and 12 year old children were taken on an incredible journey. Rehearsals commenced in September 2011 and the cast have worked on it since then, combining this with their academic studies, Scholarship Exams, Mock Exams, Sports Fixtures and some a Choir Tour to Luxembourg in half term!

Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 American musical comedy about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises a vicious plant that feeds on human blood.

It was a lavish and technically advanced production, with a fabulous set. The main prop, a singing plant which grows throughout the show, tried very hard to take centre stage. The light and sound increased the audio visual side of the production, a lot of it done by a Year 8 boy Ben P.

The performers showed an unbelievable depth of maturity and the quality of the singing and acting was astounding. The two main characters Audrey (Lucy H) and Seymour (Luke P-B) delivered very mature performances and they both have stunning singing voices.

Two further characters who stole the show were Artie D as the Dentist, who was both menacing and funny when needed and Benjy B as the voice of the plant, who was incredible for a boy in Year 6.

Overall a wonderful production and a fitting end to another busy term at Cheam.

Please visit our Photo Gallery for lots more photos.

What the Romans did for Year 7

2012-04-28T00:00:00

Report by Jessica D - 7NK

Year 7 recently had the pleasure of visiting the Welwyn Roman Baths and Verulamium. Firstly, we went to the Welwyn Roman Baths. The Welwyn Roman Baths were a small part of Dicket Mead villa, and were discovered in 1960 by an archaeologist called Tony Rook. The baths were gradually uncovered over the next ten years. The full extent of the Dicket Mead villa has never been fully excavated, but the baths were one of four buildings in total, probably part of a farm. The A1 motorway is situated above the baths and they remain nine metres below junction six. Only about half of the original site is still on display. Some of the visible parts remaining are the hypocaust, the under floor heating system, the caldarium, hot room, the tepidarium, warm room, and the fridgidarium, cold room. The floors and the cold baths were constructed from opus signinum which was a building material occasionally used in Ancient Rome.

When we got into the building, our lovely guide talked to us about the baths for about twenty-five minutes or so. He informed us that everyone would go to the public baths and that it would be a perfect time to socialise, since it was very busy and very popular. However, these were private baths for the inhabitants of the villa. To get the baths warm the hypocaust system would be used. The heat would rise up through pipes in the floor into the water or rooms.

It was a splendid visit and we all got a lot out of it. We had a quick half an hour bus journey and then we had arrived at our next exciting destination, the Verulamium museum.

On arrival, we split up into two groups. The first group started with a short video explaining a little about the museum and its background. Then we got started on a fun questionnaire, the answers to which were all around the museum. We learnt many interesting facts. I had thought that the skeleton of the child had a coin in its mouth to show it was wealthy, but no, it was to pay Charron the ferryman on the journey through to the underworld. Also, I was very intrigued to learn that the reason the skeleton’s teeth were stained green was because of the copper from the coin in its mouth. I also learnt that the best paid job was being a goldsmith where you would earn 2,400 pounds a week! I was also very impressed by the detailed mosaics shown around the museum. One of the questions that I found very interesting but quite difficult was that there was a mannequin of a woman knitting and a boy standing watching her, in their house, and we had to decide whether it was a rich person’s or a poor person’s house. I found it slightly challenging because although the walls were elaborately decorated, the two were wearing rather simple clothes, but I ended up settling with rich, because of the colourful, detailed walls and floor. After time was up, and everyone had finished their questionnaire, we swapped with group 2, who had been in another section of the museum, enjoying themselves in a handling session. We sat down at the tables, examining the objects before us curiously. We had a minute to discuss with the rest of our group, and then we would volunteer to speak in front of the rest of the group about how the object we had chosen differs to what we have now. I chose a strigilis, a metal scraping tool. It was used to scrape off the oil that they would put on their bodies, and that would be the method of cleaning themselves. Overall, it was a very enjoyable couple of hours.

Next, we headed off in the direction of the theatre across the road. It was quite spacious and where we were standing there would have been rows and rows of seats above and below us. The theatre would usually be used for plays such as tragedies, pantomimes and comedies, but very occasionally it would be used for bullfighting and other gory things. Soon after, we visited what was once a house, with a large mosaic as the floor. I thought the hypocaust system was rather clever because the floor would be horribly cold without it. After an absolutely amazing day, we all headed back to the coach, talking excitedly about the day’s happenings. I absolutely loved having that very special experience and I’m sure all my friends did too.

A very big thank you to Mrs J for organising this fantastic trip and to all the wonderful staff who helped out.
Thank you!

A sunny delight!

2012-04-27T00:00:00

Despite an extremely wet week with gales and torrential rain, Year 6 were lucky to have a day on the Isle of Purbeck with no showers and plenty of sunshine. They started at Lulworth Cove and ended on Studland. The trip also involved walks to Durdle Door and Old Harry Rocks. It was a very successful day, enjoyed by all and gave each child extra information linked with their coastal work that they are studying in Geography at the moment.

National Champions

2012-03-16T00:00:00

Some 860 runners aged 9-13 braved the mud and the rain to compete in the 20th National Preparatory Schools' Cross Country Championships at Malvern College on Sunday 4th March. Drawn from as far away as Kent, Cumbria, Lincolnshire and Dorset the runners battled out over a series of courses, ranging from 1.7km to 3.2km.

Cheam sent 4 teams to the event and all runners are to be congratulated on their magnificent performances. Pride of place though went to the Junior girls team who managed to win the event from 45 competing schools. Although no individual managed a top 10 position the team grouping was so good it led to a wide margin team victory.

The Junior boys also ran well to finish 5th overall from 44 schools. Altogether it has been another fantastic season of cross country running at Cheam. The senior boys won the Ludgrove relay event, the junior boys have won at Pinewood, Chandlings and Brockhurst and the junior girls have won at The Manor Prep, Pinewood and Brockhurst. The senior girls have also run well in all their meetings.

Well done to everyone who represented Cheam this year and a huge thanks to the parents for their magnificent support for all pupils in every cross country meeting.

Trip to Normandy

2012-03-05T00:00:00

7DP and 7HE have recently returned from a fabulous 8 day French trip to Normandy. It was a very successful visit and the pupils all seem to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Most of the activities were conducted in French with help from Mrs Deacon and Mr Haigh! They did amazingly well and were pleasantly surprised at just how much they knew. Each evening, the pupils wrote in their diary all that they had done during the day.

Activities included a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry and Bayeux Cathedral, the Pegasus Bridge D-Day Memorial Museum and a World War Two Cemetery, a goat farm and a cider farm, bread making, rock climbing and orienteering. They had to follow directions in French and find out lots of different facts as they negotiated their way around the local town of Avranches. They also learnt various circus skills including juggling and spinning plates.

They visited a local market where they had to find out information about what was on offer – names, prices etc of various fruit and vegetables. At the market they were in groups of four or five and having been given their budget, they had to go and buy what they needed for their picnic lunch that day. They walked across the beautiful bay of Mont Saint Michel and, with an expert guide, were allowed to discover first-hand the dangers of the quicksand there!!! After a picnic lunch sitting on the rocks around the foot of Mont Saint Michel, they then visited the village of Mont Saint Michel.. They also visited a hypermarket where they spent the last of their Euros! After a very smooth ferry crossing, we arrived back at Cheam ahead of schedule.

Overall it was a very successful trip; the kids were a real credit to themselves and the school, behaving superbly and always using their manners.

Please visit our Photo Gallery to see many more photos.

On course for Cornwall

2012-03-04T00:00:00

Towards the end of February 2012, Year 7 pupils were in Cornwall on a Geography and History fieldwork course. They were based at Boscastle, where in 2004 the village was severely damaged by floods. As well as looking at the flooding in the area, the children visited Exeter Cathedral, Castle Drogo, The Court House at Bodmin, Bodmin Jail, Tintagel Castle, Charlestown, Barrington Court and The Wheal Martyn Museum at Carthew.

Luxembourg Choir Trip

2012-03-04T00:00:00

In addition to this report there are lots more photos in the Photo Gallery and a video in the Video Gallery.

Day 1

An early start with the bus full of bleary eyed excited children and Staff. We were off on the Choir Tour adventure kindly organised by Musica Europa with 48 choristers from our Chapel Choir.

We made our crossing from Dover to Calais and slowly meandered down through France and Belgium to The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Our home for the next few days was the very impressive Youth Hostel nestled close to the old town in the centre of Luxembourg. It was a perfect base with modern comfortable facilities and a designated wing for the dream team from Cheam!

Day 2

After a hearty breakfast and dressed for the polar climates, we were treated to a fun, well organised Treasure Hunt trail on foot around the main sights of the City using GPS guidance. All very high tech, which the children mastered slightly quicker than some Staff! Safely and rather hungry, all the teams made their way to the Restaurant Bacchus for the most amazing and delicious pizza meal. One or two girls who insisted on wearing converse trainers for the morning stroll needed a little longer to thaw out!

We walked back to the Youth Hostel and then departed for our first choral excursion. It was quite an interesting challenge manoeuvring the bus up the from the Youth Hostel through various tight chicanes, but we were in such capable hands with the most professional bus driver.

We stopped first at the American Cemetery and Memorial. This was a very interesting visit. We learnt about the Battle of the Bulge and the enormous sacrifice made by soldiers on both sides of this tragic conflict. It was so special to look over the rows of beautiful white crosses caught in the sunlight against the snowy background.

We held a short Remembrance Service with a few prayers and a performance of Parry's 'Crossing the Bar' and the two Head Choristers laid a beautiful white wreath at the foot of the cross of the Unknown Soldier. The children were so mature in their response to this experience. Some even agreed not to complain about the cold again!

We travelled on to Moutfort for our first concert and rehearsed in the wonderful Centre Culturel. The village had set up an impressive stage and lighting for us to use.

After our rehearsal we were invited to have High Tea at the beautiful residence of HRH Princess Sibilla de Luxembourg. She had kindly helped organise the Choir Tour and enabled us to sing in some stunning venues and experience some wonderful treats along the way. It was a joy to share this meal and then perform for her at Moutfort that evening.

Day 3

This was to be our big singing day! After a suitable lie-in, to give all the choristers the chance to recover following the late night concert, we breakfasted at the Youth Hostel. The Cheam children certainly enjoy all their food and cherished the opportunity to 'help themselves' from the buffet. Vast quantities of chocolate spread and rolls were consumed with the odd few savouring the possibly more healthy options available. We were certainly not going to starve on this particular trip.

Our first appointment was at the Conservatoire of Music. We had been invited to a workshop with the Professor of Singing and his special Boys' Choir 'Pueris Cantores'. We rehearsed together sharing music and ideas. The Professor was such a jolly, gentle man and entertained us all with some fun warm ups and work on a piece he had specially written in Luxembourgian – all good fun, but quite a tricky language to get your tongue around.

We performed together in a large atrium with a supportive audience watching from the various levels. It was a great international partnership and we certainly did our best for the School and Country. I like to think we add a special dimension with our wonderful girl choristers and a real energy and vibrancy in our repertoire and performances!

The Conservatoire had kindly organised outside caterers to provide lunch for the two Choirs. Within minutes the Concert Hall had been transformed into a dining area whilst Mrs Deacon spontaneously taught us collectively a sung grace in 3 parts – what talent!

A spaghetti bolognaise treat for all was much enjoyed except possibly for the poor mums of the choristers in Pueris Cantrores' whose white shirts and bow ties came off worse!

I was conscious that the Cheam team had a big day ahead with an important evening concert so we had quietly organised a special treat en route. We returned to Luxembourg Old City to the amazing Chocolate House – a wonderful quirky restaurant opposite the Royal Palace. The whole choir enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate made by dipping a 'Choco Bloc' in warm milk – simply yummy …... Shopping for treats was a little more stressful, but we made it in the end. A good break in the day.

We then travelled across to the eastern side of Duchy to Echternach, the capital of Luxembourg's little Switzerland and the Country's oldest town.

We were giving a Charity Concert at the Trifolion Concert Hall in aid of Bazar International. This organisation provides financial support to special charities located in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and worldwide.

The Trifolion was an amazing venue with simply stunning acoustics. The stage was set with subtle lighting to match the cassocks and the most beautiful piano offered for Mr Bishop to enjoy.

It proved to be an incredible concert. The children had worked so hard on the programme and gave every piece real shape, direction and colour. I was so impressed by their mature concentration and excellent performing skills. A career highlight for me certainly! I was just so proud of the whole team.

We sang for over an hour with our repertoire interspersed with some excellent solos. I am grateful to all the senior choristers who shared their talents and the lovely Mrs Deacon who sang an aria from the Messiah so beautifully.

A truly memorable occasion and a real highlight of the Tour - we were all buzzing on the coach back to the Youth Hostel.

Day 4

After our busy singing day, we were ready for some more relaxed sightseeing. We travelled north to Vianden to visit the castle perched on an imposing fortified hill overlooking the valley. It is a National Monument and a real treasure. The Castle dates back to Roman Times and we were able to see and understand its development until the present day.

The children enjoyed seeing all the displays in the various rooms and we even managed an 'impromptu sing' in the magnificent State Room with grand piano! We never miss a trick as we came prepared with a song in the Choir rucksack!!

Lunch at McDonalds in Diekirch was another treat for some and a good way to have a fast meal on a cold day before proceeding to the War Museum. This museum is dedicated to General George S. Patton Jr., Commander of the 3^rd U.S. Army, whose troops liberated the town of Ettelbruck for good on December 25, 1944.

More than 1000 photographs and documents witness about the German invasion in May 1940, the period of occupation of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, and the liberation of the country by American troops in September 1944.

The children were so humbled to walk through the fabulous exhibits and colourful dioramas with such helpful and knowledgeable guides. They were given a very balanced account of the conflict with simple comparisons between American and German resources.

It is so important to understand the complete picture of such events and this experience linked beautifully with our visit to the American Cemetery and gave the children the chance to really see the human effect of war.

We returned to Luxembourg for our final evening concert in Eglise Alphonese, a large Catholic Church in the Old Town. The Choir relished the lavish acoustic and enjoyed sharing a sacred programme with new repertoire and soloists. I even had the chance to sing myself!

A superb concert to unite the team one final time and to savour the opportunity by sharing Cheam music at its best.

Day 5

Time to sadly pack up for a slow and steady journey home. We managed to reach Calais in good time and jumped aboard an earlier ferry – our final piece of good fortune.

The end of an incredible Choir Tour crammed full of amazing choral highlights and many special treats. A fun and uplifting experience shared by all the wonderful Choristers and the amazing Staff.

My personal thanks to everyone involved - especially the parents who generously supported this venture and our Headmaster who kindly flew out to join us and offer as ever his encouragement to all.

We are indebted to the Cheam Activity Fund for their financial assistance and Musica Europa who worked tirelessly to make the Tour such a success.

Year 3 visit jungle!

2012-03-03T00:00:00

On February 21^st 2012, Year 3 visited the Living Rainforest. We saw many different animals including some toucans, tortoise, chameleons, tarantulas, butterflies, Goeldi monkeys, marmosets, piranhas, a sloth and a crocodile. Our guide gave us a talk about the amazing adaptations the animals and plants have made to survive in this environment.

Many of the plants had enormous leaves with waxy, shiny surfaces and drip tips to allow the water to run off. Some leaves had holes in them to let the sunlight shine onto the plants below. Epiphytic plants, like orchids, clung onto the branches of other plants while bromeliads like pineapples had sharp, spiky leaves. Creepers called lianas grew up many plants like ropes.

The atmosphere was hot and humid, just like the tropical rainforest climate. We realise how important it is to protect rainforests. These amazing areas of the world are the habitat of so many different species of plants, animals and insects.

Boarders' Fun Night

2012-03-02T00:00:00

The boarders had a fun filled evening at the first ever Casino night.

The boys and girls had the chance to play Roulette and Black Jack, trying not to lose the fake Cheam money that they had been given for the evening!

The dress-code was ‘black tie’ and it was great to see the children make so much effort to look as good as James Bond and his obligatory Bond Girl!

Rugby success

2012-03-01T00:00:00

Cheam enjoyed a successful afternoon at the Norman Court Sevens Tournament.

The Under 11s produced some stirring performances, coming second in their group of four, but then lost to a very strong Pilgrims side in the semi finals.

The Senior Seven also had a productive afternoon.

They played some commanding sevens to see off all the teams in their group, but then produced their best to first defeat Pilgrims in the semi final and then Clayesmore in the final.

All the squad members played their part in laying on some top class entertainment.

Year 4 Showcase

2012-02-27T00:00:00

Last Friday evening Year 4 greatly enjoyed transporting parents and grandparents back to an England dominated by WWII. Their theatre show, based around the experiences of evacuees, revealed a strong sense of teamwork as the three classes came together and their separate stories cleverly interlinked. There were rich possibilities for the development of a range of theatrical techniques, all newly learned in Drama class throughout the term and tailored to the talents of each class. The audience really appreciated these, as well as the closeness of the actors in the in-the-round set-up, who seemed to just enjoy being on stage. There was a huge variety of character to watch and soak up, and all in Year 4 showed great composure at such close quarters

The drama, together with the wonderful array of musical skills, both in individual instrumental performances and group song, made for a highly enjoyable hour showing just what these children can do, and with what verve and pleasure they can do it.

Please visit the Photo Gallery to see images of this event.

Poetry & Prose

2012-02-17T00:00:00

With the theme 'Beginnings', it was inevitable that there should be some weighty matters and the programme started with extracts from Creation myths. There were plenty of lighter moments too with poems by Ahlberg and Finney on the problems of being young. We had educational starts, social awareness, creative inspiration, journeys, choices and the beginnings of romance.

The performers were drawn from Years 6, 7 and 8 and they presented a range of group and solo pieces with considerable skill and infectious enthusiasm. The whole was greatly enhanced by organ music from Mr Bishop and harp interludes from Jemima S.

There were also two lovely solo songs: one from Holly W - 'New Year Carol' and one from Mr Bennett - 'The Three Kings'.

Mike Scott gave us wonderfully atmospheric lighting which enabled the pupils to see it as a real performance. Huge thanks go to Ms Debney, Mr Wintle, Mr Pugsley, Miss Pearmine and the ever-tolerant Mr Goodwin who, in addition to preparing his pupils, consented to play 'Desmond the school boy' once more.

Author visit - Ivan Brett

2012-02-07T00:00:00

Year 4 students were treated to a visit from the author Ivan Brett.

He spoke to them about the series of books he has written about Casper Candlewacks, who lives in a village of idiots. One of his main themes embraces acts of idiocy as something that we can all suffer from and that we should not be ashamed of. Many of the pupils shared those awkward times when you hug the wrong person's leg as a child or try to walk through a plane of glass because you didn't see it.

The children helped him to create a new character and they gave reasons for his unusual appearance and belongings. It was great fun and hopefully inspired some of the children to not only read these somewhat silly but intelligently written books but also to have a go at creating more of their own characters and stories as well.

At www.caspercandlewacks.com you should be able to see a picture of Rotier Candy, the mad scientist who lives in a mushroom, and is carrying a new empty wallet that he bought with the last of his money after spending the rest on a pocketful of alien slime. At least he still has his fruit hat if he gets hungry!

Latest building photos

2012-02-06T00:00:00

The new building continues apace with the Pre-Prep hall on the ground floor ...

... and on the top floor, the Design Technology area ....

.... and the Art Room. Very happy with the work are the Project Manager (right) and his 2 new apprentices, Mrs Johnson the Headmaster's wife and the Bursar!

Year 6 Art Trip

2012-02-02T00:00:00

On January 31^stYear 6 went on an Art trip to the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford. This is a collection of ethnic artefacts from all over the world. There are thousands of amazing objects on display including a giant totem pole, weapons, ceremonial costumes, shrunken heads from Peru and even a witch in a bottle!

We sketched masks to inspire us with our own masks designs. We are making masks out of plaster this term which will be painted and decorated with all sorts of interesting materials.

La Journée Française

2012-01-31T00:00:00

With a break from usual proceedings, the great French Reading Competition and La Journée Française were both put into one day this year. This allowed the whole school to be treated to a full school day of French: quelle chance! This year, the theme was 'La Campagne'.

The day started with a continental breakfast for the boarders, but once the day children were at school, things really got going for the French assembly. Firstly the children of Years One and Two delighted us with songs of animals in the countryside (who will forget the Year One grenouilles!). Madame Fortier then lead us into the quiz and the winning Division was decided 'Ready, Steady, Cook' style with vrai / faux signs for every child and staff member. The Chapel was a sea of blue and red as each voted for the correct French animal names but Beck eventually came out as the winner of the much coveted 'Tour – T' (a flashing Eiffel Tower!). Our native French speakers, Charlotte, Léopold and Piers then told us the story of the 'Ugly Duckling' in French, with a little help from friends and assembly was rounded off by the Headmaster who managed to find 20 people who could count to ten each in a different language. A truly linguistic start to the day!

During the morning and afternoon, teachers across the curriculum brought a French flavour to many of their lessons and in return they were rewarded with some French flavours over morning break in the staff room. La Tarte au Citron did not last long!

Over lunch the kitchens excelled themselves with the French menu of Croque-Monsieur, Coq au vin and Tarte aux Pommes. The children were most impressed with French cuisine, perhaps Escargots and Cuisses de Grenouille next year?

Instead of prep, children from Years 4-8 competed within their year groups for the best French reading. The Year 4 children read 'Trois Escargots' by Maurice Carême and this was won by 4JP. The Year 5 children read 'La Poule et le mur' by Pierre Coran and this was won by Harry W. As last year, the competitors from Years 6-8 told the story of one of Le Petit Nicholas' adventures: this one was called 'Dimanche à la Campagne' and told the tale of Nicholas' visit to a friend's house in the countryside. Winners in these groups were: Rosie A. in Year 6, Tara P. in Year 7 and Lucy H. in Year 8. Congratulations to all who read, though, who greatly impressed this year's adjudicator: Nick Page, Head of Modern Languages at Harrow.

Quelle Journée Française! Merci à tous!!

Year 7 seek knowledge at the Natural History Museum

2012-01-27T00:00:00

On Tuesday morning the 24^th of January we departed from Cheam, buzzing with excitement. When we arrived we assembled in the main hall, admiring the incredible figure of the dinosaur standing before us.

We then made our way to the Attenborough studio where we watched the “Variety Show”. Here we learned more about Adaptations and Classifications of the Animal kingdom.

After a swift drink and a biscuit, we went to the Investigate Centre. Here we were allowed to study numerous specimens in detail.

We had lunch and then focused on the following three galleries: Ecology, Creepy Crawlies and Human Biology.

We all had a lovely and productive day, learning more about the amazing natural world around us.

Concerto Concert

2012-01-24T00:00:00

We are incredibly fortunate to celebrate the New Year at Cheam with our amazing Concerto Concert, in which our senior musicians have the opportunity to perform solos with an invited professional orchestra – the Cheam Camerata.

Fortunate to share the talents of some enthusiastic young musicians, who all enjoyed the experience and relished their moment on the night. Over the years the pieces have become more complex and the standards of performance beyond our expectations for children aged 11 and 12. We enjoyed a dynamic repertoire including movements from Finzi's Five Bagatelles for Clarinet, Haydn's Trumpet Concerto and Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate. The programme was varied and interesting with highlights from opera, musical theatre and a wealth of beautiful classical music. Something for everyone. Congratulations to all our up and coming stars – you were incredible!

Fortunate that we were able to première a new Guitar Concerto composed and performed by

Mr Vincent Lindsey-Clark, our Classical Guitar Teacher at Cheam. What a joy and inspiration for the audience and the younger performers – thank you Vincent, what a piece!

Fortunate to be in a position to offer this remarkable experience with the support of talented arrangers and an orchestra of remarkable musicians led by John Kane.

My personal thanks to all – what a night, simply the best way to start 2012.

Reading Entertainment

2012-01-23T00:00:00

On Monday morning, 8JL gave up their break and a little lesson time to take a short 'Reading Entertainment' to the Visually Impaired Reading Group at Newbury Library. Year 8 pupils from Cheam have paid an annual visit to this lovely welcoming group for several years now. Under the supervision of librarian Daphne Deacon, the V.I.P Readers meet every month to discuss a book. As they cannot see to read, they listen to it and then function exactly as any book group would. We were invited to their January meeting.

Having introduced themselves and explained a little about their first appearance in the world, the pupils read poems on the theme 'Beginnings', many of which will be performed again at the Poetry and Prose on Thursday.

The pieces ranged from Ted Hughes' The Warm and the Cold and Wes Magee's New Year to descriptions of feelings on a first day at school and an infants' assembly. Many elicited laughter and there was applause at the end. After this, 8JL moved in among the audience and chatted to them. As ever, they were wonderful ambassadors for the school and it was clear that the V.I.Ps greatly enjoyed their company.

We hope to continue what has become a tradition.

Pre-Prep Nativity

2012-01-02T00:00:00

Once again the Pre-Prep put on a dazzling show.

Current parents may view the gallery of photos by clicking here then logging in to flickr as cheampreprep@yahoo.co.uk with the CheamNet password.

Poop! Poop!

2011-12-09T00:00:00

It's Christmas! And the junior members of the school know it, because they have just been treated

to the Watermill Theatre's festive show, The Wind in the Willows. Years 3, 4, and 5 were variously impressed, lulled, and tickled as they were entertained by some of our favourite literary animal characters who managed, finally, to remember who they really were and save Toad Hall from the baddies (of course!).

Children always surprise me with the details they notice and the different memories they sparkle with as they leave the theatre. They were interested in how the characters were played, and how the set looked with the little boat and Toad’s grand house made from a cornflakes box, and of course, the river itself. But, the best bit is always just being in that darkened atmosphere, being taken away someplace else by the magic of theatre – and, yes, definitely the ice creams.

Year 7 Trips to Cornwall

2011-12-08T00:00:00

Two Year 7 groups recently went on Geography/History trips to Cornwall. They visited many different locations, including Boscastle and The Eden Project.

Year 6 Showcase

2011-12-06T00:00:00

If you think it’s borin’, the whole thing is borin’...

...you couldn't have been to see the Year 6 Showcase then. Parents, staff and friends were treated to a potpourri of dramatical and musical delight last Friday night when the younger members of the senior school demonstrated their considerable promise.

The Showcase comprised of three elements beginning with solo musical performances (many making their public debut), form dramas with a cunning continuity theme and finally the musical ensembles with everyone playing.

It was a magical evening and one enjoyed by all present. The Headmaster was effusive in his praise and indicated of much more to come from this talented bunch.

As one teacher said to the Head of Drama, “You do like your public transport skits...” After the Bus Stop scenes for the last Year 6 Showcase, the bus scene in Skellig, and now a bus trip for the children of the progress class in Our Day Out by Willy Russell, Cheam can expect to travel! There was overall, good entertainment with real quality acting from some as Year 6 threw themselves into the challenge. To see every child making an individual contribution but being an integral part of the whole was as heart warming as it was impressive. Imaginative and skilful choreography brought out the best in them and made the experience hugely enjoyable for both cast and audience.

It was a night when the Year 6 children grew up and became great little actors and actresses. A Grand Day Out with regional accents that weren't limited to Liverpool, or its outskirts... What larks! And the music was exceptional. Well done one and all, surpassing yourselves with both your music and your drama, and well done the team behind the whole masterminding of it all.

I absolutely loved it and it certainly was not "BORING" at all!

En garde!

2011-11-28T00:00:00

Cheam faced St Benedict’s School, Ealing in a close match that ended in a Cheam victory.

The A team, consisting of Clara W and Kitty and Flora L, fenced superbly but unfortunately were defeated by the very good St Benedicts’ team.

Leo M (Captain), Ed I and Jamie H did a brilliant job of representing the B team and won their match convincingly.

With one victory and one loss up our sleeves it all came down to the C team who were still fencing on after the other two matches had finished. The team of Bella M, Anna H and Leopold D N were not off to the best start being down ten points but kept their heads high and fought back to draw at 41 all. It was now all down to one point and Bella M. With ten seconds left to claim victory, she managed to get the final lunge on target.

Overall the fixture was a great success. Well done to all involved.

Visit to Highclere Castle

2011-11-12T00:00:00

When we went to Highclere Castle I really liked seeing all Tutankhamun's treasures. The little hieroglyph flaps that you could peep through were really good fun because it was just like looking into the tomb for the first time, just like Howard Carter did.

In the activity room we dressed up as Ancient Egyptians and also printed our names in hieroglyphs. I did some stencilling too.

I loved seeing Lord Carnarvon's little red go-cart. It must have been so cool driving it around. I wish I could have a go!

My favourite thing of all was Tutanhkamun's bow and arrow with the golden string. I wondered if he ever used it to hunt with. The silver trumpet was amazing as well and we even heard it being played.

The oldest thing we saw was a stone dish that was 5000 years old. It didn't look nearly that old. We also saw a mummy case with a picture of the mummy. It looked a bit scary and it had golden toes!

The Secret Garden was really great and I have seen the film. It was filmed at Highclere Castle. The castle was very big and I loved the tower and the red and blue flag.

I just love ancient Egypt so much I could do research every day.

I really liked our visit and I wish I could go again.

Poetry and Prose

2011-11-11T00:00:00

The presentation by Years 6-8 once again showed the pupils' enthusiasm for performance of both poetry and prose extracts. After a dramatic opening with R.S. Thomas' Night after Night, there were opportunities for old favourites such as de la Mare's The Listeners, Carroll's You are Old Father William and 'Tis the Voice of the Lobster and Hardy's haunting verse The Darkling Thrush. More recent examples included Benjamin Zephaniah's Dis Poetry and Wendy Cope's He Tells Her.

The title Voices made the inclusion of some famous speech extracts particularly appropriate and we had extracts from Shakespeare's Henry V as well as the historic words of Queen Elizabeth at Tilbury and Winston Churchill in WW2. There were also two solo 'Talking Heads': The Surfer and American Dream, each one written by a Year 8 pupil.

Class poems reflecting many interpretations of 'voice' were written by 8TH and 8JL and Year 7 gave us a bravura performance of The Ning Nang Nong. With 33 items on the programme it is impossible to mention them all but the staff contributions were an important part of this joint venture: the wonderful performance of Stevenson's The Vagabond by Mr Bennett and Mr Bishop was a highlight as was Ms Debney's faultless One Perfect Rose by Dorothy Parker. Mr Wintle and Mr Milbank gave us the funniest reading of R.S. Thomas's Cynddylan on a tractor that you are ever likely to experience.

There was shade as well as light: examples of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon's war poetry were read thoughtfully with quiet musical accompaniment from Mr Bishop. Towards the end of the programme, some of the less serious items included 8JL in bibs at a nightmare 'Children's Party' (Ogden Nash) some of 8PC as appalling children on Michael Rosen's Car Trip and 8RW in an Edwardian time-warp with The Young Visitors (Daisy Ashford) and Playing the Game at St Winifred's.

It took under an hour to perform but I hope that it both entertained the audience and enriched the curriculum for the children. "To write is to find your voice.''…"Poetry exists to express our vision, our way of imagining the world."

Building Update

2011-11-08T00:00:00

Work continues apace on the new Art & Design Centre and Pre-Prep facilities.

Things that go bump?

2011-11-02T00:00:00

A scary fun night was had by all at the Boarders' Halloween Party but even a vampire must do up his shoelaces!

Mud, mud, glorious mud!

2011-11-01T00:00:00

Just before half-term, all of Year 4 went to Butser Ancient Farm. Year 4 have been studying the Celts in their history lessons so it was a lovely opportunity to put what they have learnt into practice by visiting a real Celtic farm.

The day kicked off by entering a roundhouse where the children experienced the life of a Celt. Whilst sitting on rugs made of deer skin they were asked questions on the roundhouse which they eagerly and successfully answered. The children then split into two groups and participated in four activities - archaeology digging, jewellery making, mosaic making and clunching. Much fun was had by all with many getting quite dirty in the process!

The trip was a huge success and a fantastic day out and much of this is down to the children behaving well and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

To see more photos, please visit the Photo Gallery.

Great Expectations

2011-10-16T00:00:00

After a successful opening with Othello, the Cheam theatre season continued recently with two visits to Great Expectations at the Watermill Theatre. This Charles Dickens classic was treated to a theatrical overhaul by a company of just eight who produced the most wonderful display of ensemble acting. It was both an audio-visual treat and an incredible theatrical learning opportunity for the Year 6s and 7s, who have hit the Watermill in great numbers for the last two Mondays in a row.

The children were captivated by the speedy and brilliant changes of character, which occurred like the sleight of hand of a group of magicians. The total focus and discipline of the actors on stage and the mesmerising mixture of physical theatre and sound effects unfolded seamlessly before their eyes and ears. The acting was impressive: totally believable, emotive, energetic and full of commentary. It was wonderful to see a classic piece of literature so ably brought to life, and a perfect adjunct to both the Drama and English programmes at school.

Despite the huge cohort of schoolchildren that outnumbered the regular theatre-going punters (a potentially terrifying experience for most paying members of the public…) our Cheam children were impeccably behaved, and were seen to engage softly in conversation with patrons and be attentive throughout. I even had an email from the theatre saying as much! Thanks go to the children for representing us so well, and to those colleagues who accompanied the trip, without whom these fantastic theatrical treats would not be possible. This particular show has been widely acclaimed by reviewers and journalists, so we are tremendously fortunate to have been able to go!

New Challenge

2011-10-15T00:00:00

On Monday 3^rd October, we (Jemima S, Rosie A, Charlie DS and Eliot M) went to St Edward's, Oxford, for an Academic Challenge Day. After an introduction by the Warden and some delicious biscuits, we had four lessons we've never tried before.

First was Sports Science, where we discovered that Eliot's pulse went from 160 beats per minute to 32 bpm, after exercising for a minute, which confirmed our suspicions that he is an unusual boy. Or perhaps we got our calculations wrong? Charlie was pleased to beat Rosie in weightlifting by getting the 10kg weight above his head, but she enjoyed a little taste of Schadenfreude when he whacked his knee with a dumb-bell!

Next we did Politics, where we learned about American systems of government and a little more about the recent invasion of Libya. Mr Gray started off by giving us a visual demonstration of the power balance between teacher and pupils by jumping on a table, but sadly we weren't allowed to do the same.

After break (and more biscuits), we had our first ever Arabic lesson, where we learned how to say hello (it sounds like mahaba, but looks like a whole load of squiggles and dots) and various other useful words and phrases like “sandwich” (sandawíitsh), and some less useful ones such as “the pyramid” (al-ahráam). We had conversations in a taxi in Cairo and a café in Baghdad and we began to learn how to write Osama Bin Laden's name, although sadly only got as far as Bin, before we had to move on to the next session.

Economics was the last session before lunch, where we were given a budget of £600 billion to run the country for a year and discovered it was quite a lot more complicated than we might have thought.

We were taken to lunch by first and second year St Edward's Scholars, who then took us on a tour of the school. This was probably the best bit of the day and we were amazed by the Sports and Art facilities and intrigued by the solar generator panels in the science block.

After lunch was a very interesting talk on Philosophy, given by Roger Sutcliffe. From the Philosopher's Stone to the Pig of Happiness, we discovered that Philosophy has something for everyone and look forward to exploring this subject more in the future... not to mention Politics, Economics, Sports Science and Arabic.

Pre-Prep Harvest Service

2011-10-14T00:00:00

It is that time of year again and the whole of Pre-Prep gathered in the Chapel to celebrate our annual Harvest Festival.

Reception children brought in gifts of food for the display and Year 1 and 2 children performed by reciting seasonal poems and singing.

The parents who attended enjoyed the opportunity to share this moment with their children and to see them showcase some of their talents.

U11 6-a-side Tournament

2011-10-13T00:00:00

Eight eager Cheam footballers took a trip to Bradfield College to take part in their annual 6-a-side Under 11s Preparatory School Tournament.

The squad consisted of Colt 'A' regulars Ivo M, Orlando M, Nate O, Owen G, Joe G and Sam S. The breaking news was that the Under 10 'A' duo of Louis G-C and Rafa T were also included due to their previous superb match performances for the school.

Placed in a tough group the boys soon found their feet quickly and struck a last minute winner against St Andrews in the first match. They faced Papplewick next and came away winners from an exciting end to end match. High on confidence they then lined up against Forres Sandle, who had themselves won their previous two games. Both teams played great passing football, with each defence at the top of their game. A worthy draw for both teams seemed the fairest outcome in the end. For the last group game, and needing only a point to ensure qualification for the group, the Cheam boys faced Crosfield ‘B'. With the Crosfield's goalkeeper in superb form they found it very difficult to break the deadlock and claimed that precious point for the knock-out stage.

After a brief break for some well deserved rest, water and chocolate they were ready for the Quarter Finals. Facing undefeated and high scoring Yateley Manor the boys prepared for a tough game. Cheam applied plenty of pressure in the first half and were very unlucky not to score on a number of occasions. But as luck would have it Yateley Manor managed to score the winning goal on a fast paced counter attack.

It was a fantastic day for all that were involved, the boys had great fun and gained invaluable experience of tournament football. While the staff enjoyed seeing the team represent the school impeccably both on and off the pitch.

Farm visits

2011-10-12T00:00:00

The Year 5 children were lucky enough to enjoy two very successful farm visits in late September and early October. We were blessed with wonderful weather and the children really enjoyed the experience.

Wexcombe Manor Farm is run by Mrs B's father and brother, George, who have now looked after us for many years. George Hosier, who always shows us around, was at Cheam himself.

The children experience what life is like on a mixed farm and they learn the ups and downs of modern day farming. They learn about the crops that are grown, the animals that are reared and all the machinery and equipment that are used on a modern day farm.

The visit sets them up very well for the farming project that they do in class over the following few weeks.

A big thank you to the Hosier family for a wonderful visit and a very tasty tea!

It went with a bang!

2011-10-11T00:00:00

Having had the Wellington staff over to Cheam to put on a show two years ago, we jumped when offered the chance to take some of our Year 5 pupils over to their place for their Chemistry Spectacular. 5SS were the lucky class allowed to go.

We arrived there in good time and managed to get front row seats. After a brief preamble, the issuing of some safety goggles and various warnings of what to expect and what not to, the show kicked off. The first demonstration saw Poppy C invited up to burst a hydrogen-filled balloon – not just a pop but an explosion.

The show moved on with various bangs, colour changes, fizzes, sparks, and so on. Highlights, either from the wow factor or because things were unbelievable kept everyone thinking and wondering in amazement. Most surprising were the Boo Bubbles (made from dry ice and washing up liquid) and the ‘Banana-hammer’. Despite these 9/10 year-olds having only a brief taster of science, many of them could relate to the demonstrations and start trying to work out the whys, wheres and hows. All-in-all, this was an spectacular demonstration of Science and a real eye-opener to what is in store for them later on.

A few of the comments we have had back to us are:

‘I really liked it when the gunge came out of the tube!’

‘My favourite was when they used a single drop of water to make a firework – it exploded and sparks went flying!’

‘My favourite part was when they put a banana into liquid nitrogen and, when he used it as a hammer, it cracked!’

‘He trapped oxygen in a bottle and put in a highly flammable chemical. It made a huge, repeat huge, light and we were in a darkened room!’

The Girls are a hit!

2011-10-10T00:00:00

The U11 Girls recently came second in the Wellington College Hockey Tournament, losing out only on a goal difference of 2 goals.

Last week, however, the intrepid team went one step better by winning the Pinewood Tournament.

Twelve teams competed and Cheam beat St Hughs, Chandlings, Beaudesert, Swanbourne House and eventually The Elms to win the coveted trophy. Well done girls!

The Scottish Play

2011-10-09T00:00:00

The Young Shakespeare Company once again held more than fifty Year 7 pupils spellbound as they presented the chilling story of Macbeth. The workshop formula allows plenty of participation: the atmosphere of the 'blasted heath' was created by the children's sound effects and many of the smaller parts were played by them. The two assassins looked particularly grim: one showing such determination that it would have been unfortunate to encounter her on a dark night.

The whole show was very skilfully held together by the narrator who constantly asked for ideas about the plot and the possible outcomes. This is why it so important that we do not study it beforehand!

The actors are consummate professionals who give the children a close-up experience of suspending disbelief. However, they never forget their young audience and are always wonderfully positive about their response.

Balloon Debate: 'Pioneers'

2011-10-04T00:00:00

It was unfortunate that the Balloon should experience difficulty when passing over Cheam but we were very lucky to have such splendid 'Pioneers' on board.

The persuasiveness of their speeches their only resource, Neil Armstrong, Christopher Columbus, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Dr George West, George Cadbury and Laika, the Siberian husky battled to stay on board.

They were hampered by two extra-large passengers: apparently the founders of Google.

Mr Butler evaluated audience response, operating the 'Clap-o-meter' with his usual skill and Mrs Oliver-Freeman, Mr Haigh and Mr Lynam judged the written quality of the speeches. George Cadbury emerged triumphant in both categories. Congratulations to Honor - I do hope she had some chocolate left!

Whitehall -

2011-10-03T00:00:00

Year 3 recently visited Whitehall, Cheam.

Today this building houses the local museum for the area but 366 years ago it was the home of the Revd. George Aldrich, founder of Cheam School. Today's museum houses a lot of information about the school, which for much of its history was nearby at Cheam Manor. The school moved to Beenham Court, Headley in 1934. The visit is one that happens annually by Year 3 and it gives them an insight into part of the school's history.

Afterwards they visited Nonsuch Park nearby.

Geography Fieldwork

2011-10-02T00:00:00

Two of the Year 8 forms recently carried out Geography fieldwork along the Hampshire coast between Barton-on-Sea and Hurst Spit. Erosion is bad along this part of the coast but the spit has grown where there were calmer waters around the estuary of Avon Water at Keyhaven. The purpose of the fieldwork was to work out whether the spit was natural or man-made.

One form, on the way back to Cheam, visited Boldre, a village in the New Forest, where they looked at the grave of William Gilpin, a Headmaster of Cheam School in the eighteenth century.

National Gallery trip

2011-09-29T00:00:00

On Monday 19^th September Year 7 went on an Art trip to the National Gallery and the NPG in London. The pupils have been looking at portraiture this term and this outing offered them a broad overview of the changes of style and media over the past few centuries.

Our National Gallery guides showed us masterpieces by Rembrandt, Gainsborough, Degas and Manet. We compared these with more contemporary portraits at the NPG such as Julian Opie's digital portraits and a sculpture by Mark Quinn.

We will be making portrait paintings and dry point prints inspired by our visit to the galleries.

A great start

2011-09-22T00:00:00

The girls of the 1st Hockey team have made an excellent start to the season. There have already been three matches and one tournament played since the start of term. All three matches have been won with some healthy scores seen.

The tournament was hosted by Prior Park, near Cirencester. The first match was against Prior Park which ended goalless. The next match against St Hughs, Oxford, was won 3-1 (Claudia R and Ottilie B scoring). The final pool game was against a strong team from The Downs, Bristol, which was lost 0-1. After a nail-biting wait the team was put through to the semi-final owing to a better goal difference. This was a lucky break and gave the girls a chance to prove their ability on the Astroturf.

The semi-final match was against Beaudesert, Stroud. After full time the score was 1-1 (Georgie N scoring). To find a finalist it was 'golden goal' time! It was very close but Ottilie B struck in the winning goal.

The final was against the team that had beaten the girls in the pool match, The Downs. After a thrilling match, with goals being scored at each end, the teams were level at 2-2 (Cosi S and Claudia R scoring). With one minute to play the ball was played quickly into the opposition's 'D' where Georgie N was on hand to crack the ball into the back of the net! The final whistle blew and Cheam were victorious 3-2.

All the girls played well and battled hard but special mention must be made to the goalkeeper Sophia H-R who played brilliantly over the afternoon, saving many shots at goal.

This win has really set the team up for the season and we wish them well.

Othello

2011-09-20T00:00:00

On the first Monday of term, Cheam hosted a brand new production of Othello (the HM's favourite play...and opera) brought to our own chapel by Southampton's Nuffield Theatre. To an audience of Years 7 and 8, just three actors playing only the lead characters Othello, Desdemona and Iago, brought a new adaptation by the professional Yellowtale Theatre Company. This production was set in the Bahamas and, cleverly, it was played with reverse race casting. Instead of the title 'Moor', as in the original, Othello was called Conchy Joe - a slang term for white Bahamians.

Before the show a group of 30 interested Drama students enjoyed an hour's workshop with the director, exploring the themes of jealousy, power, deceit and prejudice that weave through the play. Through a number of acting exercises, students realised how it must feel to have something very precious taken away from them, how a betrayed trust is difficult to reconcile and what it is like to be in a minority. They explored the plot too, and were well prepared after this in-depth experience for the show itself.

In Chapel the simple, small touring set took on the shape of a boat to represent the new ocean setting and with just four free-standing lights and a sound desk, our theatre was ably transformed.

Whilst this was a strong production, the full force of the racist connotations, highlighted by Othello's whiteness, did not make a huge impression as he was a minority amongst only two others. The adaptation, at just an hour and a quarter, was effective in telling the story and we witnessed some clear verse-speaking and alternately commanding and sensitive acting close-to. Death on stage can be either shocking or funny and these several deaths were eventually met by the audience with shock and apprehension.

Our Cheam boys and girls seemed rapt throughout, despite the obvious challenges of listening to Shakespeare's verse, and many understood the themes explored in the play (as we discovered in PSHE sessions next day). So a successful show was met by a huge, spontaneous cheer at the end and caused the director to applaud the audience in return, wishing they could accompany the rest of the tour.

This fantastic experience for our boys and girls was funded by the Drama Department and CAF, and we are very fortunate here to have theatre in education so well supported.

CSI: Headley

2011-09-19T00:00:00

On Thursday 15th September the year 7s had a full day Forensic Science Workshop. This workshop engaged students with the objective of giving them a brief understanding of Forensic Science and the applications, techniques and authentic processes used.

In the afternoon pupils had to wear “SOCO” suits and attended a mock crime scene scenario collecting evidence using the techniques studied during the morning sessions.

The pupils had a great opportunity to participate in practical “hands-on” activities using authentic equipment. This workshop broadened pupils’ enthusiasm for this subject, encouraging them to be active, curious learners and to be aware that science is all around us.

"Welcome" new pupils ....

2011-09-13T00:00:00

This term we welcome 62 new children and are pleased to be able to say that we now have more pupils than ever before.

During the holidays the old Sports Hall was demolished so that work on the exciting new development can begin.

Monday Night Fishing Club

2011-09-12T00:00:00

The start of a new fishing season brought great excitement to the pond! After five minutes of great tension, Wilf E landed Baby Jaws. With great care and skill Wilf hurled a secret bait (bread!) into the depth of the pond and waited. After a few anxious minutes the line went tight, the rod began to bend and Wilf screamed in delight. He realised he had hooked Baby Jaws. Using great strength and skill Wilf won the battle. Baby Jaws was landed and one proud fisherman had his prize. The carp, weighing about 8lbs, was released back into the water, never to be seen again .... until next Monday!

Brighton trip

2011-09-11T00:00:00

On the weekend before school started 25 Cheam children took a trip to Brighton to play some pre-season football matches. The two teams played local club sides resulting in four matches being played overall. Cheam won only one of the games but learnt a great deal about the sides we have and the way in which we can best tackle the forthcoming season.

On the social side of the tour the boys enjoyed a walk along the Beach and Brighton Pier, a session of volleyball, a thrilling Division 2 match between Crawley Town and Bristol and an evening of bowling. The children were exceptionally well behaved and acted as great ambassadors for the School which allowed the staff to enjoy themselves nearly as much as the kids. We can now look forward to an enjoyable and hopefully successful season of football at Cheam.

National Athletics Championships

2011-07-08T00:00:00

Cheam had 19 athletes representing the Mercia area at the annual National

Prep Schools Athletics Championships at the Alexander Stadium,

Birmingham. On a day of high quality competiton, Cheam took the following medals:

Gold medals in the Girls Under 12 Discus with Clara W and the Girls Under 13 70m

Hurdles with Hannah C.

Silver medals in the Boys Under 13 High Jump with Tom G and the Girls Under 12 70m Hurdles with Ellie S.

Bronze medal in the Girls 4 x 100m Relay with Jess D, Tara P, Kitty L and Ellie S.

Cheam also had a fourth place in the Girls Under 14 Discus with Molly A.

Well done!

2011-07-06T00:00:00

These are as follows:

BRADFIELD (Music)

GODOLPHIN (Art)

MARLBOROUGH (Academic)

MARLBOROUGH (Music) - 3 pupils

PANGBOURNE (Drama)

PANGBOURNE (Music)

RADLEY (Academic)

ST. EDWARD’S, OXFORD (Drama)

ST. MARY’S, ASCOT (Academic)

ST. MARY’S, CALNE (Academic)

WELLINGTON (Academic)

Year 3 visit to the Hawk Conservancy

2011-06-22T00:00:00

Yesterday we went to the Hawk Conservancy. It was the best trip ever. I mostly enjoyed the eagles but it was really scary when they flew right over our heads. We were in six different groups, Falcons, Owls, Vultures, Ospreys, Hawks and Eagles. I was in the Hawks.

They had an Indian Runner Duck race and my duck came second. They put up a few flying displays. My favourite one was the eagles. There was a Secretary Bird called Madeleine. She’s really funny. She stamps snakes on the head. At eleven o’clock they set up the Vultures’ Restaurant. It was really funny when they were fighting. After they eat they have a bath. We saw the Peregrine Falcon which is the fastest bird in the world.

All of us had a stamp book. We had to collect all the stamps in the book but it was really hard to find all the stamps around the place. There were ten stamps to collect and they were in little boxes. We had to stamp them the right way up.

When we had to go home I wanted to stay at the Hawk Conservancy, it was so annoying!

En garde!

2011-06-21T00:00:00

Leo M captained the team, which consisted of Flora and Kitty L, Ed I and Clara W. Cheam took two medals away from the event, a silver and a gold. Ed fought himself through the opening rounds to be seeded third in the knockout stages and then overcame a boy who had previously beaten him, which put him through to the final where he was eventually beaten 10-3 by tough competition. Clara was seeded first after the preliminary rounds and got through to the final putting our own Kitty out in the process. In the final she fenced brilliantly winning 10-7 and showing the level of competition that she is capable of.

It was a successful day for Cheam fencing and we are very proud of our team.

Charitable Trip to Cambodia

2011-06-16T00:00:00

The children attended school classes getting involved in various activities from morning exercise to teaching the children how to brush their teeth.

Through the generous donations from Salesforce.com employees and Cheam Parents, they also distributed various items of clothing and toys plus toothbrushes and toothpaste. This was like all the local children’s wishes coming true on a single day. Some of the children wore all the clothes they were given, at the same time, just in case someone asked for them back !

Nathan and Louis also got involved with the volunteers building two new homes for the poorest members of the community. Both turned out to be very handy with shovels for digging the foundations.

When the local monks heard about this initiative within the community, they invited the group to the local pagoda, so that they could honour them with a water blessing. This effectively meant the group getting soaked by the monks who threw blessed water over the group. Something Nathan and Louis thought hysterical.

This was really life-changing work that Nathan and Louis got involved with, new homes and basic hygiene skills are fundamental to the future of this community.

Well done boys and thank you to all the children and parents that contributed!

More videos and photos are available on the Facebook page Querico Sfdc for all to view.

Epic acting!

2011-06-16T00:00:00

In a new and exciting development this year, they brought Epic Theatre to Cheam!

Over 50 children acted the classic play The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht. Using many of the techniques of Epic Theatre, including narration, satire, projected images, placards and direct audience involvement, they adeptly told the story of the chalk circle whilst raising awareness of the civil wars that are raging across many lands today.

There was some gorgeous acting, often from unexpected quarters, which animated the stage and beautifully told the story. It was a credit to the whole year group that as forms and as individuals they negotiated their own parts of the story and the staging both slickly and with confidence. I know that Mr Watts and the other Year 5 tutors were very proud of their performances.

Thanks must go to Gappy Phoebe who was brilliant in rehearsals, and to Mike Scott once again for his fantastic support on lights.

Personally, I was very happy that Year 5 could so effectively share so much of the wonderful work we do in the Studio in Drama lessons.

Suzanne Debney

Head of Drama

On the silver screen

2011-06-15T00:00:00

Maddy P (Year 3) and Isla W (Year 4) have recently played significant parts in two major television productions.

Isla played the young Sophie Rackham in BBC 2’s much acclaimed four part drama, The Crimson Petal and the White.

Maddy played a young Catherine Tate in SKY 1’s Little Crackers broadcast over Xmas, which was nominated for a BAFTA Award. The photo shows Maddy with Catherine Tate on the ‘Red Carpet’ last Sunday evening.

Both girls are a great credit to their families and school and were presented with a special achievement award by the Headmaster in Tuesday’s assembly.

Spectacular win

2011-06-14T00:00:00

Cheam had two teams competing at the Stonar Inter-Schools One Day Event Team Championships.

The Junior team made up of Molly A, Patrick A, Sam B and Tara P rode extremely well amidst tough competition and completed the day in the middle of the field. Molly A just missed out on an individual placing.

Cheam’s Mini team of Luke P-B, Minna E, Georgia B and Minnie B had an amazing victory at the Championships. Up against schools from all over the country they won by over 10 marks, beating Port Regis in second place, Leaden Hall in 3rd, Brockhurst and Marlston House in 4th and so on, and brought back to school a beautiful silver salver.

Individually, Georgia B was 1st, Minna E 3rd and Luke P-B 10th. Georgia was also awarded the prize for the best dressage test.

A special mention should go to Francesca H who was competing individually and just missed out on a placing.

This was a wonderful achievement for Cheam. In the world of inter-schools equestrianism, the Stonar One Day Event Championships are widely considered to be the ‘big one’ of the year and the competition which every school wants to win as it combines all three elements of dressage, show jumping and cross country riding in a single day.

Scholars' outing

2011-05-24T00:00:00

After an hour or so in the Pitt Rivers Museum checking out the shrunken heads and other gruesome displays, they moved through to the Oxford Natural History Museum. Following an excellent lunch in the covered market, the expedition moved on to the Kassam Stadium where the day concluded with a mix of sporting activity (bowling), cultural development (cinema) and culinary experience (Chinese!). A tired but happy team returned to Cheam in the evening and everyone slept well that night (especially an exhausted headmaster).

Cheam School | News Feed

Music to their ears

Satips Art Exhibition

Golden girl Ellie

Pre-Prep International Week

Review of Little Shop of Horrors

What the Romans did for Year 7

A sunny delight!

National Champions

Trip to Normandy

On course for Cornwall

Luxembourg Choir Trip

Year 3 visit jungle!

Boarders' Fun Night

Rugby success

Year 4 Showcase

Poetry & Prose

Author visit - Ivan Brett

Latest building photos

Year 6 Art Trip

La Journée Française

Year 7 seek knowledge at the Natural History Museum

Concerto Concert

Reading Entertainment

Pre-Prep Nativity

Poop! Poop!

Year 7 Trips to Cornwall

Year 6 Showcase

En garde!

Visit to Highclere Castle

Poetry and Prose

Building Update

Things that go bump?

Mud, mud, glorious mud!

Sponsored Walk

Great Expectations

New Challenge

Pre-Prep Harvest Service

U11 6-a-side Tournament

Farm visits

It went with a bang!

The Girls are a hit!

The Scottish Play

Balloon Debate: 'Pioneers'

Whitehall -

Geography Fieldwork

National Gallery trip

A great start

Othello

CSI: Headley

"Welcome" new pupils ....

Monday Night Fishing Club

Brighton trip

National Athletics Championships

Well done!

Year 3 visit to the Hawk Conservancy

En garde!

Charitable Trip to Cambodia

Epic acting!

On the silver screen

Spectacular win

Scholars' outing