Toby used the Makerspace in the Dyson Building to 3D print some original alphabet dividers for the Auden Theatre’s play library.
The final of the Year 9 and 10 Poetry Recital Competition was held at the start of term, with five finalists impressing their audience through the mature and fluent delivery of their poems.
In Year 9, Scarlet H and Ilana B were awarded the Highly Commended category for their recital of Last Breath by Carly Dugmore and Dear Mum by Brian Patten respectively. Sam H was announced as the winner with his own poem Climate Change. In Year 10, Cerys D was Highly Commended for her recital of He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by W.B.Yeats and the winner was Klara B with Save Our Earth by Jessica Roberts.
The Sixth Form History and English pupils gathered again for the annual Burns Supper. Alongside some delicious haggis, beef stew and cranachan the guests were entertained with readings by Georgie C, Cameron H, Grace H, and Toby P-R. The evening ended with some spirited reeling and great fun was had by all!
Senior and Prep pupils got to experience Chapel in a very different way this week. The historic interior of the chapel was transformed with stunning immersive light and sound for ‘Soul Space’. Soul Space contained thirteen creative, tactile ‘stations’ which gave the students an opportunity to develop skills of personal reflection and spirituality in a fun, open, safe and inclusive way.
Georgia C has been leading the CCF RAF Section since May 2022 and, in recognition of her exemplary service, her appointment to the rank of Cadet Warrant Officer has been sanctioned by the Contingent Commander, Lt Col Gates.
Her role in the CCF involves liaising with CCF staff, organising weekly activities, leading cadets, teaching lessons and, most importantly, setting high standards and maintaining morale when Friday afternoons are cold and wet!
She joined the CCF RAF Section in Year 10, having already attended a week-long camp at RAF Henlow in the summer of Year 9. At the end of Year 10 she was promoted to NCO and, to quote the then Flight Lieutenant Lawes, “Never have I seen a Year 10 pupil come in and smash it quite like Georgia.” In Year 11 she successfully applied to the Air Cadet Leadership Course at RAF Cranwell. The course was sadly cancelled due to Covid but, not willing to sacrifice her cadet career to the pandemic, she completed the Leading Cadet syllabus online and returned (in person) in Year 12 to receive promotions to Corporal and then Sergeant. The highlight of Year 13 has been selecting, training and polishing a team of cadets to compete in the Royal Air Squadron Trophy competition, where the Gresham’s team were placed 4th overall (one place short of reaching the national competition).
By virtue of her involvement in the CCF RAF Section, Georgia has also been involved in the United Kingdom Cadet Rifle Team and has represented the British Cadets Rifle Team.
Georgia said of her achievement, “the CCF is a fabulous way to develop useful life skills and I can see now, as I think about life beyond Gresham’s, how valuable my many CCF experiences have been.”
A group of pupils from Years 5, 6 and 7 have joined with Dr Rose to create a Gresham’s Green Team. They are aiming to help make the school an eco-friendlier place and have pledged to encourage pupils to turn off lights and waste less food, plant new trees around the school, organise a litter pick and create birdhouses.
As part of Year 2’s topic, ‘Up in the Clouds’ they learned how to be a successful drone pilot.
A group of Army and RAF section cadets spent a day live firing the cadet rifle on the 25m range at Robertson Barracks, with some excellent marksmanship skills on display.
The Senior School gathered together in Chapel for a special service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. During the service, Year 11 pupil Alma delivered a deeply moving talk about her great-grandparents who had suffered persecution in occupied France during the Second World War and connected their story to her own sense of Jewish identity. The school ended the service with an impeccably kept period of silence to remember the six million people who were killed in ‘the shoah’.
The genesis of this large refurbishment project lies with the completion of the superb Dyson Building and the School having the opportunity to upgrade the former Science and IT classrooms. In September 2021, work started to scope and design a scheme to upgrade the East Wing of Big School (Phase 1) and the remainder of the Reith Building (Phase 2). The project’s aims include – to restore the 120 year old East Wing to provide modern and up to date classroom facilities on a par with the Dyson experience; to upgrade the >50 year old Reith building to also provide modern classroom facilities; to enhance energy performance of the buildings; to provide new office space and most importantly a new second floor in Big School that links with the Reith second floor to provide a new exam and study space for pupils.
With the School’s Estates Department acting as the ‘client’ and working closely with our architect, Hudson Architects, as well as a team of professional consultants, the design has concentrated on the detail as well as the required functions for the revised spaces to ensure that not only the historic elements of the buildings are retained but also to ensure that pupils will enjoy working in the new spaces.
After a full and in-depth tender process, Cocksedge Construction Limited was chosen as the main contractor for this project. Progress has been swift and to date a full rip out in Big School has been completed, the new Big School second floor installed, the original parquet flooring prepared in readiness for sanding and polishing and first fix fully under way. In the near future work will start on the Big School sash windows to fully upgrade them (not replace) and to replace the existing glass with slimline double glazing. Work will also commence soon to manufacture new doors to replace the existing doors on a like-for-like basis to conform with all new fire regulations. Work will soon be expanded to the roof to upgrade the current structure as required.
Work will continue through the year on Big School, culminating in June when Phase 2 in the Reith building is planned to commence. Phase 1, Big School East Wing will be readied over the summer so that pupils will be able to use the new facilities from the Michaelmas term and it is hoped that the Reith building will be ready for use by the pupils in Summer Term ’24.
