News

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The Politics of Rock and Roll

Sir Bob Geldof gave a very thought provoking talk to the Sixth Form on Tuesday. Fresh back from a fund raising visit to Hong Kong and China (where he had just raised £200 million for charitable work in Africa) he explained the importance of giving aid to other countries even though growth in the UK is in danger of stalling at this moment in time. Taking the long term view he explained that financial aid leads to development which leads to jobs - both in Africa and in the UK. He pointed out that of the 12 fastest growing economies in the World, 6 of those countries are in Africa. He therefore called for support for the bill, due to be debated in parliament, calling for Britain to commit 0.7% of GDP to aid from 2012 onwards.

As a preamble to his main message he explained how he became interested in politics in the first place - all starting with an interest in the lyrics of Bob Marley. He explained how his own career in rock and roll and the organisation of Live Aid has since given him unparalleled access to political leaders in the world today (David Cameron himself watched Live Aid as a pupil at Eton and told Sir Bob what a great effect this had on him).

It was a fascinating and inspiring talk. We are very grateful to Sir Bob Geldof for giving up his time to speak to us today.

From the Archives: Remembrance Day 2011 - SAG Harvey

The few remaining surviving soldiers of the Great War have now died, and for most of today's children their knowledge of this terrible conflict will come from history books, films and even computer games. However, those who died and survived can also be remembered by examining personal stories of soldiers who fought. Emanuel School had an exceptionally proud tradition in both wars, with many old boys joining up, and we have tried to record many of their stories in the school archive.

The pre-war Portcullis magazines provide fascinating reading, and occasionally the names of individual pupils jump out of the page at you. They may have been the sports heroes of their generation, popular school captains or drama stars. Stanley Alfred George Harvey is such an OE. "SAG", as he was affectionately known to his friends, attended Emanuel between 1906-1913 and was a very popular pupil. He was outgoing, friendly, a great dramatist and rugby player, as well as editor of the Portcullis.

SAG was one of several hundred old boys to lose his life in the Great War. All these deaths tell their own story; however, SAG's is particularly poignant as he wrote many letters to the Old Emanuel Association which were often published in The Portcullis "Letters from the Front" section. Current pupils were always keen to hear of the exploits of old boys who had joined the services. Snippets from these letters allow us to piece together a life which was cut tragically short by the war. Indeed, there are more mentions of SAG in the Portcullis war letters page than any other OE.

When the war started it was seen as a great adventure and many truly believed it would be over by Christmas. There was great optimism, war was compared to "a game of rugger" and "Jerry" was a pantomime villain. Indeed, many Old Boys genuinely rushed to join up, as they didn't want to miss the fun. When the name of fallen old boys were read out in school chapel the shine of the war was to dim a little, but the overall spirit from the many communications in The Portcullis was optimistic and hopeful.

This is a brief version of SAG's story as told via his Portcullis letters:

Spring 1916 - the Editor writes: "... SAG Harvey is in France, and I'm sure he'll forgive me if I say "at last". The poor chap was so worried lest the war would be over before he got there, that it was almost a relief to his friends to learn by means of cryptic post-cards that he was safely in the trenches..."

Spring 1916 - SAG writes: "...So from day to day one rubs along, making the best of one's surroundings, laughing when one may. But sometimes one thinks of home, and of Emanuel. Dear old Emanuel, what a treasure house of happy memories! There are no Sundays out here, but sometimes one suddenly realises that this 24 hours is Sunday and that Emanuel gathers together in her chapel....."

Christmas 1916 - the Editor writes: " SAG Harvey, who was wounded in August, has devoted such attention to the affairs of the OEA, and many of us have enjoyed recollections of the dramatic talent he displayed at one of the ‘socials' . SAG and CJ Chamberlain, - comrades in arms in slings - met at Southampton immediately upon their return from France, and would have proceeded to paint the town red had they been ‘in the pink'.

Summer 1917 - the Editor writes: "At the time of writing SAG Harvey is on the point of returning to France. We wish him all good fortune, and congratulate him on his engagement to Miss Norah Payne."

Spring 1918 - the Editor writes: "More of our Old Boys have paid the toll of the German offensive with their lives, and Emanuel wishes to express her sympathy with the relatives and friends of SAG Harvey who was killed in a trench battle."

Summer 1918 - a letter to the Editor of the Portcullis from the OEA: "I may, perhaps be forgiven if I place first in the term's Roll of Honour the name of one who has been my friend ever since we were together in Form 1, sixteen years ago. SAG Harvey is dead - dear old SAG, who was for all of us a pattern of upright manliness and true friendship. Prominent in the corporate life of Emanuel during his schooldays, he took a keen interest in the affairs after he left, and even when military matters claimed a large share of his attention, he would visit the old place on every opportunity, and was very popular with old boys and members of the present school....."

Most Old Emanuels who died in both World Wars were very young men who went to war, happily, to defend their country, and to play their part. That was important to SAG, even though it must have been hard to return to France after being wounded. However, return he did. SAG has no grave, and is remembered on the Pozieres Memorial. He is also remembered in the Emanuel School Archive, where his photograph is on our fallen wall. We have an extensive archive on old boys who fought in both wars, and current pupils are encouraged to explore the archive. TRJ

Eco Group

Eco Group is a sixth form committee that meet on a weekly basis to discuss some of the pressing environmental issues surrounding our school community. Formed just over a year ago, the committee has already initiated several changes around the school, from a trial of a meat free day each week, to new recycling bins around the school grounds. We are focusing this year on Energy, Waste and Recycling and are hoping to implement dramatic changes in some key areas within the community, raising awareness of our environmental responsibility and encouraging all members of the school to be responsible for their own green footprints. There is always work to do, and the meetings are always heated and highly enthusiastic. New members always welcome and parental support greatly appreciated! RCM

Y9 & 10 Scholars Master the New IR Spectrometer

On Tuesday 1st November the year 9 and 10 scholars went on a voyage of discovery about the nature of light and its place in the electromagnetic spectrum. We saw the uses of different frequencies of radiation and used the chemistry department's new, and highly impressive IR Spectrometer (Funded through the Annual Fund) to analyse some liquid samples. Impressively the students interpreted their own spectra to correctly identify an ester; a skill that the A level students usually work hard to master. My thanks go to CDC for writing this report and giving such an excellent talk to our scholars. SEM

Hans Woyda Mathematics

Emanuel recently played Kings College Wimbledon in the second round of the group stage of the Hans Woyda maths competition. Newcomers Jamie Rowson and Izzy McDougal struggled in the early stages but grew in confidence as the match progressed, and they both played key roles in the team round which Emanuel won! Vikesh Patel performed admirably despite being up against an extremely gifted opponent and, as ever, team captain Shintaro Miyazaki was outstanding. AJL

Vincent McKevitt, OE

Despite having been "asked to leave" Emanuel back in 1994, OE Vincent McKevitt showed there were no hard feelings as he came back to speak to current Y10 Business Studies students about the company that he founded "Tossed" that now turns over a very impressive £6m pa. His talk, entitled "From Expelled to Excelled" was a very entertaining and instructive experience for the students. It detailed how Vincent used the skills that he learned in his Business Studies degree to found the company in 2005 and grow it at a phenomenal pace. Today, Tossed has 8 outlets (sited throughout central London) and employs 150 staff, with a further 5-8 outlets planned for opening over the next 12 months. The students were given the opportunity to ask plenty of questions, which they took gratefully and the Q&A session was sadly interrupted by a scheduled fire drill. I hope that the students recognise the value of learning business skills at school and are inspired to become the entrepreneurs of the future! Thank you to Vincent for his time and to the mother of Miss Fitzgibbon who noticed Vincent had been at Emanuel after reading an article about him! RST

Bugsy Malone is a hit!

To quote a member of the audience, ‘Bugsy was a huge success and a truly memorable show.'

Looking back over the last few weeks it all becomes a blur of singing, dancing, acting, rehearsing, prop-sourcing, more singing and yet more dancing! The last 5 weeks have seen the Bugsy cast dedicate an enormous amount of their spare time to the show; attending Saturday rehearsals for the last 3 weeks as well as after school rehearsals on almost every day of the week. Their hard work, talent and sheer determination to succeed were finally rewarded by an array of outstanding and memorable performances at the end of last week. The cast were superb and really did embody the young mafia ‘hoods' they were supposed to be. The boys and their splurge guns added an extra dash of excitement to the show (especially for those audience members sat at the front!), whilst the girls brought the glamour to the show with their rendition of ‘Fat Sam's Grand Slam' and ‘My Name is Tallulah'. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with many members of the audience returning the next night to watch it all over again as well as asking for sing-along sheets for the next night! I would like to thank all of those who did manage to make it to one of the shows, especially to those of you who travelled from as far as Japan and America to see it.

There are too many cast members to mention the names of all the pupils involved but suffice to say that they did truly an amazing job and should be proud of everything they achieved. Congratulations to all involved.

Friday 14th October 2011

London Olympics 2012

Olympic Park Trip - This week the GCSE and A'level students visited the Olympic Park and gained an insight into the impact of the Olympics on the local area and debated about whether the Olympics was a sporting event or a commercial event. We then participated in a walking tour, looking at different venues that will house the vast array of Olympic events. It was exciting to see how the venues have been designed and what they will look like. The tour ended at the viewing gallery, which was housed on the top of a high raised building in Stratford. This allowed the students to gain a magnificent view of the Olympic Park.

Friday 14th October 2011

L6: Trip to Tamil Nadu, India

During the Summer a group of Lower sixth pupils and teachers landed at "Thiruvananthapuram" at three in the morning. Even then it was hot, swelteringly hot and as the sun rose above the horizon a few hours later we could fully realise to what we had signed up. The roads which were already chock-a-block with bikes, motorbikes, buses and rick-shaws at six in the morning would only get busier. The blistering heat would only get hotter and the experience would only increase in its intensity. We arrived at Sri Jayendra School in time to witness the military like parade of the thousands of pupils for their morning assembly. These would be the pupils we would teach; who we would befriend and with whom we would spend the next three weeks. Waking at eight every day, we taught up to five hours a day, and then played games with the locals. With temperatures often pushing 35 degrees, and only raining once whilst we were there, it was a constant struggle. But issues such as these were nothing in comparison to the joy of working with the pupils. Though intimidating to teach for the very first time, for us the unending dedication and devotion shown by the pupils was staggering. Behaviour that would seem alien in England was the norm here. They treasured their education beyond belief. If only the food situation had been as cheery; although we had left England with our suitcases packed with rations, gallons of sanitizer, dietary pills and bundles of toilet paper, none the less the three weeks of spicy vegetable curry for lunch and dinner for the whole three weeks would lead us to dream of steak and chips. Luckily however, on the various excursions at the weekends, we had access to some meat. The food at the school was (thankfully) safe but any meal outside was a risk. Suffice to say that the majority of us experienced that "very pleasant" part of the "Indian experience" sooner or later.

Travelling around in India was painful due to the lack of suspension in the vehicles and the heat. Even with all the windows open on our journeys it was unbearable. Yet all in all, it was undoubtedly worth it. In India, around every corner is a surprise, and our various trips from visiting Hill stations with unexpected Emu's, to giant 50 foot statues were surprising. So different was the culture, so interesting the multitude of temples, that it never switched into that horrible dragged-around-museums feel that plagues many a trip back at home.

After three weeks we sorely missed our life back in England but we never regretted coming to India. As we left the crashing sea at Kanykumara we came to the conclusion that, although there had been parts we didn't enjoy, such as the heat and the journeys, this paled in comparison to what we had experienced. We left India remembering all of those who we had taught: the people so kind and welcoming, the amazing school and their unending effort to make us integrate into their community. But above all we will remember the children. With our suitcases filled with the gifts from our pupils and our heads filled with happy memories and good times, we left India very much changed and deeply affected.

Friday 23rd September 2011

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Drama Scholars' workshop.

On Tuesday 13^th September, the Drama Scholars took part in a workshop led by Ben Miles and Harriet Hardie, Artistic Directors of Full House Theatre Company.

Full House have an excellent reputation for creating modern versions of Traditional Tales and Pantomimes, as well as their work creating devised theatre for family audiences. After a talk and demonstration by Ben Miles, the group were led through a series of practical exercises focusing on the use of body language to portray emotions. They were then introduced to some of Full House's trademark giant masks and given the opportunity to experiment with them.

Great fun was had by all, whilst also learning some key skills of posture and gestural expression which could be applied to any character in future performances.

Friday 23rd September 2011

Jeremy names his boat, OE 1960 - 68

Following the boatclub fundraising dinner last autumn, OE Jeremy Dale attended the boat naming ceremony last Friday. Jeremy said;

It is great honour to have a boat named after me thanks to the generosity of my brother, Nicholas. It reinforces a family connection with Emanuel School and the River Thames.

My parents were avid supporters of their two sons' exploits on the river. We lived in Battersea and by the time we had left school they moved to Marlow. My father died in 1994, and when my mother died two years ago we combined their ashes and sprinkled them in the river by the lock behind the Compleat Angler. So as their ashes slowly drift along the river bed, there will be a boat with my name on it floating on the surface and, hopefully, winning lots of races.

But more importantly I hope you get the pleasure and the satisfaction from the sport of rowing that I have.

I learnt to row here in an old clinker single scull 47 years ago. I was not very academic, a rather shy self-contained character and only took it up because I came 2^nd in History with Derek Drury as my teacher. Winning my first regatta in the 1^st eight and the season that followed was a life changing experience.

It is tougher now. There are many more external influences and academic pressures today, and I am speaking as someone who got into Oxford with 2 Es, though I did take my exams in a hotel room at Henley before I went out to race.

But in a world that seems to emphasise celebrity and instant gratification, the life skills you acquire and the real values you come to appreciate by rowing and training in a crew boat, I am sure, will shape your lives as they have mine. Having coached rowing in schools for all my teaching life I have seen this sport transform countless students.

And today I am still rowing and enjoying the buzz of what I perceive as a rowing in a fast eight with a bunch of people who are the best of life-long friends who still think the same way. That's enough from me. Train hard, be successful, have fun! Jeremy Dale, 9 September 2011

Friday 16th September

The Silence was Deafening!

On Thursday 8^th September Chemistry and DT L6th Students made their way to Battersea power station where the ecovelocity exhibition 2011 was held. We explored the various areas and learned a lot. My aim was simple; to immerse myself into as many intuitive energy/resource saving methods (when it comes to vehicles) as possible. Particularly the development of alternatives to finite resources such as coal, crude oil etc. With this clear objective in mind, I was overwhelmed with the amount of information available to me from every exhibitor. There was so much to see and do including taster driving lessons! This enabled me to not only meet my principal objectives but to also to learn more about the proportionality between the advances in motoring technology and the reduced effects on our environment as a whole. My visit to the ecovelocity exhibition was an extremely pleasurable and informative experience providing me with a wealth of knowledge and an enhanced insight into the increasing duality between modern vehicular technology and environmental science.

Friday 16th September

Fundraising Success

Well done to the South Africa Netball Squad who raised £1020.57 for the Langa Township in Cape Town on Sunday by packing shopping in Waitrose in Balham. The girls worked from 11am-5pm and should be very proud of themselves.

The girls will be visiting the Langa township this October half term during their netball tour and they are hoping to raise funds to contribute towards sports equipment for the children. Langa is one of the oldest and most deprived townships in Cape Town; but despite this the girls are hoping to experience the vibrancy and spirit of the South African people.

Hannah in Year 9 has also been busy with her own unique fundraising idea. Hannah has spent time in the holidays and at weekends stripping copper and collecting other scrap metal and selling it on to make money for the township. Well done to Hannah for working hard to help with the fundraising.

Friday 16th September

German Exchange

"Emanuel School gave us a very warm welcome again. Our pupils enjoyed their time in their host families, who went to great lengths to make their stay as pleasant as possible. We had a great time in London and are looking forward to the German leg of the exchange."

Friday 16th September

Y7 Expedition

Many congratulations to the 47 members of year 7 who began their experience of Emanuel expeditions with a year 7 overnight activity expedition on Friday 9^th and Saturday 10^th September. The weather was good and the singing around the camp fire was superb. It was a real pleasure to feel the buzz as new friendships were made and social skills developed. The performance of each team improved as they took on board the importance of enthusiasm and cooperation.

Friday 16th September

Freshers' Fayre

The annual Freshers' Fayre was held on Wednesday the 14^th of September. Staff set up stalls to inform the pupils about their respective clubs, and over three hundred pupils attended the event to find out more. The activities offered something for everybody and included Climbing, Film, Badminton, Basketball, Dr Who, Swimming, Beginners' Greek, Debating, Chess, Chemistry, Drama, Spanish and Art clubs. My thanks go to the staff who made this such a great spectacle and to the pupils whose enthusiasm was magnificent to see.

Friday 16th September

Open House:Celebrating the Capital's Architecture,Saturday, 17th September, 2- 4pm

For the past eight years Emanuel School has opened its doors under the Open House scheme and we have welcomed an increasing number of people to the school every year. There is the opportunity to inspect the archives and everyone in the local community is welcome to attend.

OPE's, parents, family and friends are welcome if you would like to hear more about the history of the school and its architecture. For more information about the whole programme of events visit www.londonopenhouse.org

Friday 9th September 2011

NF Simpson OE

We were sorry to learn, over the holidays, that one of our most distinguished OE playwrights died at the age of 92. NF Simpson continued to write plays to the end and had recently returned to the West End with a new play in 2010 "Was He Anyone". Some of his best known plays included "One Way Pendulum", The Hole" and "A Resounding Tinkle". As well as a novelist, he wrote TV scripts and was widely regarded as a major influence on Monty Python. He remained in contact with the school until shortly before his death and there is a lot of signed, and rare, material by him in the School Archives. He was a true master with the pen and will be sorely missed.

Friday 9th September 2011

Thursday 1st September 2011

Oliver Needs OE 1990 - 1995

Oliver, who after leaving Emanuel went on to study Fine Art BA at University of East London is showing his art works at Debut Contemporary Gallery, 82 Westbourne grove, W2 5RT from September until December in a Group Art Show. All are welcome!

Oliver says of his work "I have been painting from a young age. It is a way of expressing myself. I have over the years experimented with a variety of styles but more recently I have tried to use contrasting strong colours to add to the impact and energy of my painting.

I can draw and paint from life but do not always choose to. I try to look inside myself to express an experience or thoughts I have had. On top of the colours this often includes symbols, figures and words.

As an artist I have enjoyed looking at other artist's work. Particularly to name a few; Picasso, Rodin, Titian, B.Riley. Of course many many others too"

Thursday 28th July 2011

John Dewdney OE 1939 - 1946

It is with great regret to announce that John died on Tuesday 26^th July 2011 aged 83. His funeral service will be held on August 12^th 2011 at Taunton Crematorium at 12 noon.

Nick Marriott

Nick Marriott, who after Emanuel went to Oxford and rowed in the Isis crew, did well at Henley this year being the runner up in the Prince of Wales trophy, rowing for Tideway scullers.

Matthew Raymond-Barker wins the French X Factor

Congratulations to Matthew Raymond-Barker who won the French X Factor on Tuesday night. Matthew left Emanuel in 2007 and is currently studying Modern Languages at Bath University. As part of the course he has been studying in Toulouse. You can see clips of his performances in the competition on You Tube.Well done Matthew!

Lucas Von Hoff Memorial Service

There will be a service to celebrate Mr Von Hoff's life on Tuesday 5th July at 7pm in St Luke's Church, Ramsden Road (corner of Thurleigh Road, about 10 minutes' walk from Clapham South tube). I hope you will be able to join us. There will also be a reception in the Library at Emanuel after the service (from about 8pm to 9.30pm). All are welcome.

Nelson-Drake top on Sports Day

Sports Day was held on the main school playing fields. We were blessed with good weather and the grass track was in perfect condition thanks to the hard work of the grounds staff. All of the Houses were keen to either make up some ground or extend their lead in the overall House competition, so the rivalry throughout the year groups was fierce.

The morning's events consisted of the hurdles, 800m, 100m, 600m B event and the 400m boys' and 300m Y10 girls' races on the track. These were mostly dominated by Rodney-Wellington and Howe-Clyde. In the field, events were running all day in order to avoid clashes with the track events and remarkably mostly ran to time with some strong throws and jumps from all competitors spreading the points among the houses. At lunch however it was Nelson-Drake who had their noses in front of the closely chasing pack.

After the well-earned break the track events kicked off again with the 200m followed by the highly entertaining 8 x 100m relay B event. This consists of eight non A event runners from each house each running one 100m sprint on the 100m straight with a baton exchange at each end in front of a very partisan crowd. Normal proceedings then resumed with the 1500m and then the grand finale of the 4 x 100m relay round the track. By this stage the points were very close and were to come down to the wire. Much to Miss Fitzgibbon's dismay in her last year of being housemistress to Malborough-Lyons they finished in fourth place with 232 points, Howe and Clyde finished in third place with 247 points, Rodney Wellington just could not make up the gap opened up by Nelson -Drake during the mornings' track and field events, coming a respectable second with 256 points. However the overall winners of the Emanuel School House Sports Day 2011 were Nelson-Drake with 281 points winning by 25 points. An excellent team effort well done!

Overall it was a fantastic day with a friendly but competitive atmosphere. The students certainly enjoyed supporting their houses right to the end and those that competed gave their best. Thanks must go to all the staff who helped prepare for the event and make the day run so smoothly. It was also fantastic to see so many parents there and I hope more will attend next year as Malborough-Lyons try to recover from this set back and along with the other houses try to knock Nelson-Drake off the top spot.

Annual Fund 2010 - 2011

We are drawing to the end of our third Annual Fund appeal. The Annual Fund is an integral part of the school's long term development strategy. It aims to attract additional financial support from sources beyond the fee income in order to sustain and extend the excellence of the school. As a result we are able to enhance our facilities at a greater pace than we would otherwise have been able to do. We are most grateful for the generosity of our parents, OEs and friends of the school who collectively have donated over £50,000 so far this year which is a magnificent effort, but still a little short of our hoped-for target of £55,000. However, the outstanding gift aid due from HMRC means that we should just about make it! Thank you to our 197 benefactors who have supported us, including those that have set up regular standing orders.

Without your magnificent support the following would not have been possible:

IR Spectrometer for the chemistry department. As a result of the sterling fundraising effort and a generous £10,000 donation from the EPA, the Chemistry department is able to purchase an IR-Spectrometer. This is already making Emanuel the envy of other schools in the South East as it allows all our students, from the lower school to upper sixth, to study and analyse a huge range of molecules and the effects that are encountered. IR Spectroscopy is the cornerstone of most modern chemistry and being able to practise it at Emanuel places us in the vanguard of scientific educational development. Thank you C Carter, Head of Chemistry

Tympani and new harpsichord for the music department. We have been able to broaden the range of instruments available in school as a result of the Annual Fund. This enables us to expand our facilities so that more pupils are able to develop and enjoy their musical talent. Thank you J Holmes, Director of Music

New boat for the boat club. After a most successful ESBC fundraising dinner last October when over £10,000 was raised, the new girls' boat has arrived and has been in action this summer. Girls' rowing is increasingly popular in School and our competitive edge has been improving with the investment of this lighter girls' boat. The official naming ceremony will be at 6pm on Friday 9^th September at our boat house at Barnes when all are invited to attend to enjoy this special occasion. The parents' supporters club will be cooking a celebratory barbeque. Thank you for your support. J Layng, Director of Rowing.

Video Cameras for the MFL department. The purchase of the new video cameras to record pupils' role plays in French, Spanish and German has encouraged many pupils to improve their language development. This has been most beneficial. Thank you Mrs S Williams-Ryan, Head of Modern Foreign Languages

Sankarnagar School community project. Emanuel has been looking to develop community overseas links to widen the horizons of Emanuel pupils. In the next few weeks four members of staff and nine pupils will travel to Sankarnagar in Tamil Nadu India to teach English conversation and participate in school life. Thank you for the initial ‘seed- corn' support from the Annual Fund which has made the start-up of this project possible. Revd. P Hunt, School Chaplain.

The Annual Fund 2011 - 2012 projects will be announced next term

Emanuel School General Charitable Trust

This is the fund that supports the school's bursaries. This year we continue to have generous support from the Wates Family Enterprise Trust and the Whitehead Charitable trust together with OE Markus Jaigirder whose generous support is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your support. If you wish to know how you can support Emanuel's charitable aims please contact Sarah Fisher Development Director srf@emanuel.org.uk

Dacre Day and the Archives

The final instalment of tasters from the Archives in the lead up to our Dacre Day exhibition is a photograph of Mrs Thatcher giving Emanuel School Boy, Terry Stoppanni, a Bravery Award in 1988 for his part in helping at the Clapham Rail Disaster. Make sure to visit the Library on Dacre Day for more from the Archives.

L6 visit new art centre

On Friday 10 June L6th artists visited Roche Court, the New Art Centre outside Salisbury. The students were introduced to the ever changing collection by members of the education department. Roche Court is a commercial art dealers set in many acres of Wiltshire parkland. Students are able to view artworks in a different context in contrast to the traditional 'white cube'.

A Level Art Exhibition

The A level private view was very well attended on Tuesday 28 June - many students and their parents came to view the wonderful art work. The exhibition will be open on Dacre Day in the Hampden Hall.

Work Experience June 2011

Congratulations to all lower 6th students for completing a very successful week of work experience. The placements ranged from medical, law, business, finance, publishing, engineering, teaching and television production. The feedback from employers and visiting teachers has been very positive. I look forward to reading their work placement diaries over summer and hope that next year will be even better!

Bernard Howard

Following a memorial service this week where friends and colleagues remembered Bernard and his 30 years' service to the School, a tree was dedicated to his memory. We are grateful to have learned that Bernard has left a generous Legacy to the school which he loved.

Charity Fortnight 2011

Emanuel has a strong tradition of charity work, co-ordinated mainly by the sixth form. Pupils from all year groups took part in a series of charity events culminating in our annual charity fortnight. As a result of all their hard work, we have raised in total this year £4587.62. This will be donated to the British Red Cross (Japan disaster campaign); our linked school in India (The Sri Jayendra School in Tamil Nadu) Great Ormond Street, MacMillan Cancer Research, Trinity Hospice, and Samaritans Purse. A superb achievement, here's to raising even more money next year! Many thanks to all those involved.

OE success at the Theatre

If you fancy a trip to the theatre why not check out "The Fixer" at the Oval Theatre, which is currently receiving rave reviews. It was directed by Dan Barnard (OE1993-2000) and runs through the remainder of June and most of July. Dan is a director in a theatre company which travels around the capital and country trying to get young people involved in the theatre.

Year 10 Geography Field Trip

Our geography controlled assessment is on investigating two contrasting areas in a settlement. Our theory was that the quality of life in the suburbs is better than in the inner city. The aim was to collect data for the up and coming controlled assessment, and we learned to compare and contrast the areas - one being more affluent than the other. We concentrated our data collection in Latchmere ward in Wandsworth, and in Barnes ward in Richmond. To determine the quality of life in each ward, our groups measured noise levels, counted the amount of chewing gum on the pavement, judged the quality of the environment, surveyed houses and asked residents about social cohesion. As there was less noise, less chewing gum on the pavement, the houses and the environments were of a higher quality and the residents were more neighbourly to each other in Barnes than in Latchmere, we concluded that the quality of life was better in the suburbs (e.g. Barnes ward) than in the inner city (e.g. Latchmere ward). Everybody learnt a lot from the experience and we would like to thank our teachers for providing the opportunity.

OE Director recieves rave reviews

Matthew Raymond-Barker

On Tuesday night Matthew Raymond-Barker (OE) made it through to the final of the French X Factor 2011. Next Tuesday Matthew will be dueting with Beyoncé. His story is quite remarkable. He's conquered the nation's heart. Millions of teenage girls think he's more hip than Justin Bieber! Bravo Matthieu et bonne chance......

Year 7 French trip to Boulogne

On the 16^th of June, year seven made their way to Boulogne in France. Although it was a very early 4:00am start, it was definitely worth it. As people were boarding the coach in the dark, some were excited and others were very sleepy. When we set off to France the sun was beginning to rise and so were we (although it looked like the teachers were already up and running). A couple of hours into the journey we were on the shuttle travelling under the Channel. Breakfast had been eaten and before we knew it, we were in France.

We first went to the market in the old part of Boulogne, which was my favourite part of the trip. Some children bought berets, others freshly baked baguette, which was delicieuse! The sentence ‘c'est combien' was used a remarkable amount of times, although we didn't always understand the replies!

Next, we went to the sweet factory where we took part in making sweets. We then tested the sweets we had made after learning how much sugar was in them and of course they were delicious. At the sweet shop many bought lollipops and some hardboiled sweets.

After the sweet-making, everyone was beginning to flake, so we decided to head down to the beach for some lunch. A few people decided that they needed the toilet but after seeing the ‘hole in the ground' they thought that they could wait.

We were all desperate to see the snail farm and who or what was living there, so everybody rushed off the coach. We were first given a talk, and then we were allowed to hold the snails (although it was mostly the boys and a few brave girls). We then watched a presentation about the farm followed by a taster of snail. I can't say I will be rushing off to eat les escargots anytime soon, but it was an experience....

We ended our trip with ‘un peu du shopping' followed by a coach ride back to England. We left sunny France and arrived back in rainy England just as it was getting dark. My time in France was ‘formidable' and will definitely be returning. Au revoir et à bientôt!

Dacre Day and the Archives

Continuing this week with a taster of what you will see if you visit the archives on Dacre Day here is a photograph of Charles Cuddon - legendary English master who worked at Emanuel for 39 years. He also wrote pioneering travel guides and many novels. In his spare time he was a part-time model who advertised beer, and hence was known as "The Whitbread Man".

Classics Trip to National Theatre & British Museum

On Friday 17^th June, the year ten Classical Civilisation class, accompanied by Ms Easton, visited the National Theatre and the British Museum.

First stop was the South Bank for a backstage tour of the National Theatre. The class have been studying ancient Greek theatre for their GCSE module "The City of Athens" and the aim of the morning was to compare ancient with modern. Focusing not only on the physical structure of the buildings, the special effects and the types of plays produced, the students also were trying to think about the experience of watching a play in 5^th Century BC Athens. The Olivier Theatre at the National is built on the model of the theatre at Epidavros and has seen some exceptional performances over the years: "War Horse", "Oedipus" and "Wind in the Willows" to name but a few. The students were lucky enough to witness a "change over" between two plays in the theatre's "rep" system and to see normally off-limits areas. Later on in the day we crossed the Thames to visit the British Museum. The group analysed the outside of the building which is designed to look like a Greek Temple, and were introduced to Doric and Ionic styles of architecture, which are both on display in the lobby. Finally the students explored the Duveen Galleries, which house the Parthenon Frieze and pedimental sculptures. An incredibly worthwhile day out and much fun was had!

Duke of Edinburgh - Bronze Award

Many congratulations to the 73 members of year 9 who took part in the two overnight expeditions which took place on 18^th-19^th June. Despite some very heavy showers on Saturday, and some navigational errors, all the groups eventually managed to arrive at the campsites. We all enjoyed a fine evening and, joy of joys, dry tents on Sunday morning. The photographs are on Staff and pupils/ Duke of Edinburgh/ photos 2011. Kit return was on Wednesday, and as the Bronze participants were handing in their clean and dry equipment it was being issued to the more than 40 year 10s who are doing their practice expedition in the New Forest in June and their assessed expedition in the New Forest in July.

Well done to all concerned!

National 25mile Time Trial Championships

Devon is incredibly beautiful but not known for being flat. The course of the Road Time Trial Council National 25 TT, which was held on Sunday 5th June was described as "sporting" (read "hilly") and duly terrified some of my fellow competitors. Driving the course the night before gave me a good insight into what to expect and, in truth, I was looking forward to the race. The start was in the pretty town of Holsworthy and there were many of the local residents in position to cheer the competitors on. The outward leg was hard going, but as I approached the turn (13 miles down), I began to find my stride. I came 9th, and I was really pleased with this. Miss Easton

Ludolf Grolle (OE 1964 - 1972)

Raised in Europe and educated at Emanuel, Ludolf is an international artist who has been painting since the age of 3. Ludolf's art has been shown in various venues across Europe and the US, and his work may be found in private and corporate collections around the world. Ludolf moved to Canada in 2002, and has since made Winnipeg his home.

Ludolf's unique method of blending just three primary colours, using a variety of techniques is unequalled. Ludolf's works on paper are reminiscent of intricate print processes - even though each piece is hand painted. The development of brushed and rollered colour plains provide a fascinating palette of hues. Depth and texture is provided without the use of gypsum or gesso or other material and yet provides a texture and effect akin to encaustic.

Ludolf;has created a piece in Emanuel Colours which is for sale through Artplatform. The sale of the picture will generate charitable funds for Emanuel School.

Please see the link below to see the painting:

http://www.artplatform.org/artpiece-ludolf-r-grolle-negative-progression.aspx

Sebastian Wood

Congratulations to Sebastian Wood (OE1972-79), for recently being appointed British Ambassador to China. Sebastian has worked in Foreign Office related jobs since 1983, and has been fluent in Mandarin since 1991!

To read the official press release vist this link

Lucas Von Hoff

Lucas Von Hoff died in his sleep last Friday evening and we are all still struggling to cope with this tragic news.

Mr Von Hoff joined Emanuel in September 2010 as a mathematics teacher and as Head of Year 8. He came to us from Fettes College in Edinburgh where he had been teaching for 6 years. He was a keen sportsman and he coached and refereed netball here as well as helping with rugby (he was a first class Touch Rugby referee and was due to referee in the Touch Rugby World Cup in Edinburgh next week).

Mr Von Hoff was extremely popular in the Common Room as well as respected and loved by the pupils. As a teacher he was engaging, encouraging, creative, patient and calm. As a colleague he was a breath of fresh air, fun loving and entertaining and had an excellent sense of humour.

We will miss him greatly.

There will be a service to celebrate his life on Tuesday 5th July at 7pm in St Luke's Church, Ramsden Road (corner of Thurleigh Road, about 10 minutes' walk from Clapham South tube). I hope you will be able to join us. There will also be a reception in the Library at Emanuel after the service (from about 8pm to 9.30pm). All are welcome. MHB

Peter Thomson memorial service

Several colleagues and I attended the memorial service for Peter Thomson on Saturday. Peter was Headmaster of Emanuel from 1984 - 1994 and had remained closely in touch ever since. He was a staunch supporter of sports dinners, OEA dinners and was a frequent visitor to Dacre Day. It was tragic to lose Peter to cancer so soon after his 72nd birthday.

The service gave a real sense of the man. We were told that Peter was a staunch support of Fulham FC for over 60 years, travelling not only to Craven Cottage but all over England and the continent to support the team. Once, by shouting vociferously from the stands about an infringement by the opposition goal keeper outside the area, he claimed to have convinced the referee to award a free kick. When Fulham scored from the free kick he turned to the crowd and announced: "My goal". Having known Peter for many years, I am sure that this story is true.

Peter was mad keen on sport in general and devoted a lot of resources to sport during his time at Emanuel. Indeed the school was phenomenally successful at rowing, rugby and cricket during his time here and there were several legendary teams during his time which went on tour all over the globe.

Peter was also strongly academic. He gained a 1st from Trinity College, Cambridge in History and taught for many years at St Paul's Boys School where he rose to become Surmaster before coming to Emanuel as Head. He took a great pride in the many OEs who had gone on to top universities during our grammar school days and he worked hard with the brightest pupils during his time in charge to encourage them to do the same.

After leaving Emanuel Peter spent many years helping out at the Harrodian School on the admissions and marketing side of things.

Given his career in three local schools it was not surprising, therefore, to see the church packed to the rafters with people standing at the back and spilling out into the gardens outside. It was abundantly clear that Peter was both greatly respected and much loved by those present and by the many who came to know him during his time at these three schools.

Current students at Emanuel can see Peter Thomson's portrait in the South East corner of the Refectory. He was a great man and a strong Headmaster and those of us who knew him will miss him. MHB

Hever Castle Trip

Last Friday, virtually the whole of Year 8 went on a History trip to Hever Castle in Kent. The castle is most famous as the family home of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII , whose allure and stubbornness ultimately led to the break with the Roman Catholic Church and the creation of the Church of England. After a very informative tour of the castle, the pupils went off in groups to explore the extensive grounds of the castle. Particular highlights included the models of grand houses through the ages, the Tudor garden, beautiful views over a man-made lake and a ‘water maze' where one false move (or one deliberate leap or shove) would leave you soaked through. Many thanks must go to Mr Benn, Dr Bruce, Miss Butler and Mrs Lewis who accompanied the History Department, and to Mr Andrews and Mr Sloan for organising the trip. It will be perhaps of some small consolation to the friends and family of Mr Von Hoff that he enjoyed a wonderful, sunny day in a beautiful part of the world that Friday.

Dacre Day and the Archives

The theme of this year's archive display for Dacre Day is 'Iconic Images of Emanuel School'.

In the build up to Dacre Day this week's iconic photo is ‘Bomb Damage'. This 1941 hit was the only bomb to hit the school in the Second World War. It was probably aiming for Clapham Junction.

Remember to visit the library on Dacre Day for more iconic images

2011 London Schools Athletics Championship Results

Congratulations to all those Emanuel athletes who competed for Wandsworth in the London Schools Athletics Championship last Saturday at Battersea Park. Two pupils qualified for the England Schools at Gateshead on the 1^st and 2^nd of July by winning their event and achieving the England Schools qualifying standard.

Win for J14 Boys

On Saturday, the Year 9 Boys rowers achieved their first regatta win, beating Latymer in the final of the J14 octuples at Barnes & Mortlake. After being unceremoniously dumped out of the quads event in the morning by London Oratory, the boys (and their coach) were rather annoyed with themselves and were seeking revenge. Against a previously successful, but rather tired and complacent Latymer crew in the late afternoon final, the Emanuel squad raised their game and powered off the start with aggression and focus. The Latymer crew did not know what had hit them and soon found themselves half a length down. With new-found belief, Emanuel maintained their assault and stretched out to lead by clear water down the remainder of the course - much to the delight of the vociferous supporters on the bank! A great win and hopefully the first of many for this keen squad of boys.

Dacre Day and the Archives

The theme of this year's archive display for Dacre Day is 'Iconic Images of Emanuel School'.

We are doing something different for our archive display on Dacre Day this year. Instead of having 1000s of small photographs decked out across the rooms of the library we are having a more selective approach, and will be displaying photographs which we believe to be iconic in some way. Do pop in to have a look on the day.

Cambridge University - English Essay Competition Success

We were delighted to learn last week that Emily, one of our Lower Sixth English students, was awarded second prize in the prestigious ‘Thomas Campion English Prize Competition' run by Peterhouse College, Cambridge. As the Director of Studies, Dr Christopher Tilmouth says in his letter to her: this competition was entered by "some of the most talented English literature students from around the country," so this is an exceptional achievement.

The title of Emily's essay was ‘To have pain is to have certainty. To hear about pain is to have doubt' - Elaine Scarry. Consider the communication and/or understanding of pain and suffering in literature. In it she focuses on Disgrace, a novel by J.M. Coetzee which explores some of the traumas experienced in post-Apartheid South Africa.

The judges were particularly impressed by "the range and subtlety of her argument" and said that Emily's essay stood out for its "clear style, level of research and originality of thought". She has been invited to attend a lunch at Peterhouse to receive her prize, and has been encouraged to "give serious consideration to the idea of pursuing a degree at Cambridge in the future". Congratulations!

Duke of Edinburgh

The expedition season is approaching assessment stage for both the Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh participants. As we approach these qualifying expeditions we can expect a record number of achievements at both levels. Currently, nearly 70% of Bronze participants are progressing to complete their Bronze award over the next month or two. The Silver participants have been slightly slower off the mark but are now making steady progress to achieving the award later his year.

Completing the award is a process that can take many months, sometimes years. Emanuel School is now a leader in the field with the number of pupils achieving Bronze. Current achievement rate for the 2010 Bronze cohort stands at over 60%, with this figure growing every week as pupils complete volunteering and skill activities outside school.

House of Commons, Benefactors' reception

With the kind support of Jane Ellison MP, Emanuel School held its annual Benefactors' Reception at the House of Commons last Friday. This annual event brings together all those that have donated graciously to the school's charitable funds. Mark Hanley-Browne and the Chairman of Governors, Francis Abbott, both thanked the assembled company for their continuing support of Emanuel School's development programme, including the Annual Fund and the bursary fund.

200 guests, governors, parents, OEs, staff and prefects assembled in the Members Dining Room overlooking the Thames for a very enjoyable reception. Guests were invited to tour both chambers of the Houses of Parliament. Many enjoyed the opportunity to buy a portcullis inspired memento (Emanuel School is entitled to use the portcullis through our links with Westminister and the Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth 1st in 1601).

The Annual Fund 2010 - 2011 is within 10% of its target of £55,000, so gifts are still welcome to complete this year's appeal. Already with the funds raised we have commissioned a new boat for the boat club and tympani for the music department, as well as video cameras for the modern languages department. Seed money for the India school project has been assigned and we are hoping to purchase an IR spectrometer for the chemistry department if we reach this year's target. Thank you to all who support Emanuel's charitable aims. Sarah Fisher, Development Director

Emanuel Open Chess Championship

The group stages are under way in the official school chess championship. Glory and twenty pounds (sterling) await the winner, so competition is fierce. Who will win is anybody's guess at this stage. There are a number of year 10 pupils who despite their lack of experience may well cause a few upsets. However the bookmakers favourite so far is a year 8 student.

South Africa Netball Tour - Sponsored Walk

On Sunday 22nd May a group of 19 students, accompanied by Miss Fitzgibbon, Miss Jones and Mrs McCahon took on the challenge of walking around Richmond Park in under 2 hours to raise funds for the up and coming South Africa tour in October. The average time for this walk is between 2 1/2 and 4 hours. The girls had a great time and raised a large amount of money. Well done to all involved.

AUTHOR! AUTHOR! OMG: Emanuel playwright is authentic voice of the txt generation

Frances Bushe, OE who is currently assisting in our Drama Department, premiered her new play frances , The Site , at The Roundhouse last weekend. Winner of Hampstead Theatre's recent New Writing competition, her show was put on by theatre company Heat and Light to a rapturous reception.

Talking of Rapture, it was the Saturday the world was supposed to end, and for some in this play the end was indeed very nigh. Stiletto sharp observations of their lusts and let downs had the audience doubled up with laughter, but it wasn't all fumbling sex and vodka-fuelled banter for the facebook generation. The script opened up a disturbing menu of teenage passions on (and off) line in social sites for flirting (smiley face / wink / smiley face), for bitching (‘He loves me not you, you anorexic emo') and for terminal despair . As in all great theatre there was pathos in the comedy and tenderness in the sadness and out of the characters' desperate compulsions emerged the timeless and redemptive qualities of love and humanity.

A fine cast, some brilliant direction and remarkable writing, The Site shows that Frances is destined for great things when, sadly, she leaves us this summer. Steve Halliwell

Senior Sports Dinner

The Sports Dinner took place on Thursday 12^th May with the year 11, lower and upper sixth boys and girls all looking lovely in their suits and dresses. The evening started with drinks in the library and then we had a meal cooked by the catering staff. It was delicious. Throughout the night there were speeches and a review of the season from the captains of each of the major sports. This involved the Captain of Rugby, Captain of Cricket, Captain of Netball and the Captains of Boats. The speeches highlighted the excellent achievements and performances of the teams over the year. The guest speaker for the evening was William Johnson, a Harvard and Oxford graduate, NFL player, national level wrestler and professional rugby player,, who gave an extremely interesting and inspirational speech. The evening culminated in the awarding of the senior sports prizes. This rewarded the most committed and talented sports people. Overall it was an excellent evening and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thanks must go to everyone involved in organising the event.

House Fashion Show

Clyde/Wellington - 1st, Lyons - 3rd, Drake - 4th

Last week the first charity house fashion show took place in the Hampden Hall and was a great success. The students had been working on their designs for over a week and the standard of the competition was high. Each year group had a theme where they had to design, make and model a female and male outfit. The year 7 theme was "animal", year 8 was "2012 Olympics", year 9 "recycling and go green" and year 10 "military". Many thanks to Sophie MacMillan, Head of Art, who stood in to judge the competition when the Top Shop buyer and Mulberry designer pulled out at short notice!

Life skills talk from Famous Environmentalist

Last Friday, Donnachadh McCarthy, an influential environmentalist, came to talk to the L6 during Lifeskills about the increasing effect of human activity and consumption on global warming. He explained the very simple ways in which everyone could easily reduce the effect that we are having on the environment as individuals. His tips were wide ranging, from turning the tap off when brushing teeth; having a shower rather than a bath; turning down the central heating by a few degrees to composting, recycling and reusing our rubbish and old clothes.

After the Lifeskills lecture, Donnachadh met with the Emanuel Eco Group to discuss some of the progress we have made so far, and to give advice for the future. He was impressed with the efforts made to date to try and implement new systems to decrease the carbon emissions the school is currently producing, and congratulated us on such policies as Meat Free Monday and new recycling bins around the school. He then gave positive suggestions for moving forward; simple strategies to enable the students to take control and responsibility for their actions as citizens of the world. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from such an inspired and active environmentalist.

Bedford Regatta

The year 10 girls took part in their third regatta of this term, racing at Bedford in an eight and a four. The girls have been training in both sweep and sculling this year and it was decided that, in preparation for the National Schools Regatta, the girls would race in sweep oar in the novice category. This category can be entered by any age group but all rowers must be novice status. In practice this meant that the girls ended up racing against club crews. In the eight they had a tough first round but coped well with the start and looked tidy. In the second race in the eight they were determined to do better and work on getting more power down, they did this but were beaten by a bigger more experienced crew. In the fours race they had a great first round racing against a ladies crew from Broxbourne Rowing Club. They started well and pushed ahead of the crew to win by one length and progress to the next round. In the second round they were knocked out by a Dame Alice Harpur sixth form crew. This was a tough regatta for the girls but they had a positive approach and learned a lot from the experience.

What Is Corporate Responsibility?

To tell us more about this subject Julia King, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at GlaxoSmithKline visited Emanuel on Thursday 5 May to talk to Scholars from Year 10 to 13, Senior Science Society and Business Studies students.

Julia has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 30 years in roles ranging from laboratory research, clinical research and business development to government affairs and public policy.

She began by asking students what they thought corporate responsibility was and discussed their responses from how GSK respond to their stakeholders to the importance of responsibility, trust and education. My thanks go to Julia King for an extremely interesting and current topic.

One to Watch

Our very own Lucas Von Hoff can be seen in umpiring action on Sky Sports 3 on Monday night at 6pm. Team Bath are playing Surrey Storm and it's the 3^rd v 4^th clash in the league. It promises to be a good game. If you're interested in netball, then it's worth watching!

Duke Of Edinburgh Bronze Practice Expedition

Many congratulations to the 68 members of year 9 who took part in two simultaneous overnight expeditions in the Surrey Hills last weekend. They learned a great deal about the importance of preparation and planning, precision in navigating (I was particularly struck by one group who were standing next to a two metre high sign at the entrance to a well- known school, clearly marked on the map, yet claiming not to know where they were ......), working together in teams, accepting personal responsibility, showing determination and maintaining a positive mental attitude. They also learnt about caterpillars dropping from trees (cue screams), the very loud dawn chorus, and the beauty of walking through lovely countryside, with masses of bluebells, in the spring sunshine.

Emanuel DOE managed to end the longest spring drought since 1935, delighting farmers and gardeners; although it only rained heavily after tents had been put up and meals cooked on Saturday evening. And it stopped raining early on Sunday morning - so a good test of just how well the tents had been put up the evening before ....

Senior Mathematics Society

The Senior Mathematics Society was treated to a presentation by James Studman and Marco Wan entitled ‘Mathematics in the City'. They began by demonstrating how differentiation can be used to optimise the efficiency of any given university. This was then followed by an explanation of the fascinating ‘water/diamond paradox' which serves to illustrate the fact that water is cheap yet extremely useful, indeed we would all die without it, whilst diamonds have very few uses and yet are extremely expensive. James successfully fielded a number of tricky questions from the audience while Marco performed a series of calculations which showed us all that, although water is relatively cheap in monetary terms, the quantitative value of its utility (satisfaction gained) is substantially higher than that of diamonds. How novel to think that money is not the only way to measure the value of the things we find in life!

Most of us have heard of compound interest, indeed the banks compound the interest on loans on a daily basis. In the third and final part of this lecture, James and Marco set about explaining how continuous compound interest could be evaluated, and why this is important for derivative traders in particular. This required the use of some university level mathematical techniques including L'Hopital's Rule which uses derivatives to evaluate limits involving indeterminate forms. It proved to be an impressive end to a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking thirty minutes. John C Hull don't rest on your laurels!

OE News

Professor David Marquand - Congratulations to OE Professor David Marquand on the publication of his new book "The End of the West: the Once and Future Europe". It is published by Princeton University Press, and there is a copy in the library for anyone who wishes to have a look. TRJ

X-Factor Success for OE - Matthew Raymond-Barker, who left us in 2007 with straight As in French and Spanish A Levels, is currently causing a stir on the French version of the X Factor, having been chosen as one of only three under-21 boys to take part in the live shows. After Emanuel Matthew went on to study languages at Bath University and took advantage of a year out in Toulouse to take part in the French X Factor auditions, as one of the 20,000 hopefuls. His great singing voice, cheerful disposition and charming English accent have endeared him to judges and public alike and, as I write, Matthew is still in the competition and is now in the final 8! We wish him the best of luck !

Boat Club Training Camp, Easter 2011

At the beginning of the Easter holidays the senior girls and boys of the Boat Club travelled to the Lac du Causse Corrézien near Brive-la-Gaillardee in central France for an intense week of training and sunshine. Each day consisted of 3 outings on the lake in many different combinations using a variety of different sized boats. Due to the lovely calm water single sculls were preferred by most. For obvious reasons I think everyone preferred the evening outings as we got to see the sun setting behind the beautiful scenery and we didn't have to get up at ridiculous times in the morning. I think the trip was a great success with huge improvements in everyone's rowing and a good time had by all. It was a great experience to row in a foreign country and I feel privileged to have had the chance to row in such a gorgeous place. Thanks to all the staff that looked after us!

Friday 6th May 2011

It is with great sadness that we announce Peter Thomson, former Headmaster of Emanuel 1984 - 1994, died on Thursday 5th May 2011 following a long illness.

A Memorial service is to be held at St Paul's Church, Hammersmith on 11th June at 2pm.

Art Malik visits Emanuel

The actor Art Malik visited the school on Tuesday to talk to the Drama Scholars and all other interested pupils and staff. He gave a fascinating talk about the acting profession. He spoke about his career and the variety of roles he has played from theatre to television and film. He has starred in many films, including "True Lies" and "The Living Daylights" and has just finished filming the drama series the Borgias. He starts filming Upstairs Downstairs in the autumn. He discussed the value of attending drama school, and how to succeed in the business when qualified. Watching Art Malik was like watching a master class - he engaged the audience with a variety of questions and comments with irrepressible enthusiasm and love for his profession. He clearly wants to encourage the next generation of actors. We were incredibly lucky to have such a high profile speaker to talk to our drama students.

The End of the Young Enterprise journey for Clarify

First of all we'd all like to say a few thanks; primarily to Mr Benn our Link Teacher. His mentoring and unending dedication to the company is testament to his huge kindness and unwavering faith in us. He kept us sane and on the straight and narrow, in particular when it came to the accounts and paying our taxes! Without Mr Benn the experience would have certainly been far less enjoyable and successful. We can only hope that we did enough to make him feel that all the hours he devoted to us were well spent; we certainly enjoyed the time he gave us.

Clarify won the "Best Report" award and the "Award for Excellence in Business Practice" in the regional final. We also came in second for the major prize to represent Wandsworth in the latter stages of the competition. Though we were disheartened not to win, we none the less felt proud that we blew everyone out of the water in terms of our profit! Our total revenue of around £1100 had approximately £700 lead over the next best company.

After losing around £300 to tax, the post-tax profit which Clarify earned was approximately £800, which we'd like to donate to several charities of the school. We're donating over 80% of the money to a mixture of charities and a sizeable portion towards fundraising for the Tanzania expedition, taking place at the end of the school year. Our main charity of choice is the Sri Jayendra charity which the Chaplain is strongly promoting. The charity is a school in India, where a mere £140 will allow a pupil to have an education (including their uniform!) for a whole year. We felt that this charity was an embodiment of what we were trying to achieve both with our educational range and our charitable goals. We hope that these children will have a far brighter future at this incredible school. We strongly urge any donations to the Tanzania charity (through Miss Musson) and the Sri Jayendra School (through Reverend Hunt).

Ultimately, we would like to promote participation in the Young Enterprise scheme, because despite the somewhat bumpy ride, it has been a hugely enjoyable and worthwhile experience for all of us in the company. Should you be lucky enough to have Mr Benn, we advise you to prepare yourself for his many unique insights and quotes; our favourite being "I told you it wasn't going to be easy!" Michael Hallifax and Emma Slade writing on behalf of the Clarify company.

John Brindley Author Visit

Years 6-8 heard a very entertaining and informative talk from the author John Brindley just before Easter. John is a veteran of around 14 children's novels, and has been writing professionally for over 10 years. He shared how his interest in science often finds its way into his novels; genetic engineering, evolution and medicine being three of the subjects he had explored in recent books. It was a very interactive session, and he encouraged the children to interrupt him whenever they wanted. This led to a very lively discussion, and the children appreciated his easy going and approachable manner. The following book sale in the library was also a hit, and many children returned to ask further questions or buy a book. I first read the, very funny, "Rhino Boy" over 10 years ago, and it was excellent to see it back in print after all these years! All of John's books are available in the library for anyone who wants to give him a try. The picture shows John with Uzair Nayab (7APF) who was the first person to buy a book from him.

Rowing News

Chiswick Regatta

The J16 boys had mixed fortune at the Bank Holiday weekend's regattas. At Chiswick Regatta the J16 coxed four enjoyed a convincing win over St George's College by 2½ lengths in the first round, and then by 3 lengths over St Paul's School in the final. In both races the Emanuel crew built on a strong start and moved steadily away from the opposition down the course. This crew came together at the Easter holiday training camp in France and the win was a just reward for the effort and progress they had made there. At the same regatta the J16 quad were forced to row in the J18 category and did not disgrace themselves in losing to the American School of London by just ½ length, though both crews were comfortably dispatched by a strong Tiffin School crew.

Inspired by the Royal Wedding the day before, the Y9 Boys had a great first attempt at regatta racing. The B crew after winning their first race by default following Westminster School's withdrawal, had a close race against Kingston RC for much of the course, but got dropped in the latter stages to lose by out by 2½ lengths. Meanwhile the A crew after a bye in the first round, went on to beat both Tideway Scullers RC in the quarter finals and Norwich School in the semi's.

In the final against St Paul's A, it was neck and neck until just after half way when a hand got caught in a t-shirt and knocked us instantly back a few lengths. The race was now effectively over, but to their credit the Emanuel crew pushed St Paul's all the way to the line. Well done - a really good start to the summer season!

Wallingford Regatta

On Sunday the winning coxed four was the nucleus of the J16 eight at Wallingford Regatta. A strong cross wind played a major part in the day's racing and the Emanuel crew were perhaps a little unfortunate to draw the short straw in the lane allocation. As a result the six boat race became for Emanuel a war of attrition against the crew next to them, Dulwich College, as the other crews moved away in calmer conditions. Although we got slightly ahead off the start it was not long before Dulwich nosed in front and were about a third of a length up at half way. At this point the prospect of losing had hardened into a refusal to be beaten, and the Emanuel boys demonstrated great character, fitness and determination in powering through Dulwich and giving chase to Eton. They may have finished 5^thoverall, but only Dulwich of the crews Emanuel raced here will be in their division at National Schools, and a two length margin over our south London rivals was an encouraging result from this perspective.

Rounders News

Triangle Tournament

On Wednesday 4^th May the U16 Rounders team played in a triangle tournament against Godolphin and Latymer School and Harrodian School. A close score of 4½ to 5½ rounders after the first innings against Harrodian motivated the girls to step up their game in the second innings. Consistent team work and accuracy allowed our team to take the lead in the game. Final score: Emanuel 9 -Harrodian 7.

The second game against Godolphin and Latymer proved to be more challenging. Their team was well drilled and had a number of big hitters. Although working well as a team, our girls were no match for the skill and determination of their opponents. Final score: Emanuel 4½ - Godolphin and Latymer 7½

Emanuel Charity Fortnight

In the second week of our charity fortnight pupils continued to get involved in lots of exciting events. Proceedings kicked off with the charities1_400 teachers facing off against the sixth formers in a heated game of football. Despite the valiant efforts of a star-studded line-up, captained by Mr Nilsson, the sixth formers managed to grasp victory. A sponsored Year 7 netball shoot followed, with participation from all the forms, and a stunning success from 7APF who broke previous records for the greatest amount of baskets scored in 10 minutes. Thursday saw a netball match between Netball 1^st and Rugby 1^st team with the game stretching out to a nail-biting finish. Despite some great passing from the girls, the boys clinched a win, showing a vastly improved strategy in the final quarter. Charity fortnight came to its grand finale on Friday with sponge the teacher. With some great weather and atmosphere, eight teachers (Mr Keddie, Mr Holmes, Mr McMahon and Mr Gregory to name a few) faced the sponging of lifetime, raising well over £50 in the process. All proceeds of these events will be donated to the British Red Cross (Japan disaster campaign); our linked school in India (The Sri Jayendra School in Tamil Nadu) Great Ormond Street, MacMillan Cancer Research, Trinity Hospice, and Samaritan's Purse. A big thanks to all students and staff involved, and look out for more charity events coming up in the summer term.

Cricket Reunion, Saturday 21st May from 11.30am

Tickets are now available Click here to purchase tickets online

Dacre Day 2011, Saturday 2nd July, 12 noon onwards

If you wish to attend Dacre Day, please can you apply for tickets either on line via the OE web site, or else contact Sarah Fisher srf@emanuel.org.uk. There is no charge for the tickets, but we need to establish numbers for catering purposes.

To book your tickets click here

Drama Scholars Workshop

On Thursday 17 March Drama Scholars met with Jake Brunger, who came in to run a workshop entitled ‘An Introduction to Direction'. Jake read drama at Bristol University and is currently developing a play for the Royal Court Theatre. He showed scholars how to make best use of the stage in order to help to convey different moods, along with trying out different techniques with varying emphases on voice and position on stage. Students thoroughly enjoyed this excellent meeting.

L6th Art Students visit Luke Elwes

On Friday 11 March Upper and Lower Sixth art students made a trip to Cork Street to visit Luke Elwes' exhibition 'Silent Kingdom' at the Adam Gallery. Luke met us at the gallery to talk about his paintings. He spoke about the travels that inspire his work from his trip to the 'Lost Kingdom of Mustang' in Nepal, to the Atlas mountains in Morocco via his work made in response to the Essex coast. He also told us about the varying techniques he uses to make his paintings. Following our visit to Cork Street we took students to Blain Southern Gallery in Dering Street to see Bill Viola's magical work 'The Quintet of the Unseen'.

Energy and Global Citizenship

Richard O'Halloran, formerly of Shell, came into school on Tuesday to discuss ‘Energy and Global Citizenship'. He spoke to all senior scholars and geographers. He examined global demand and supply of energy along with issues surrounding sustainability and finite versus renewable energy sources. He also talked about the politics of energy and the importance of leadership. We were all shocked that, despite the emphasis on growing renewable and greener sources of energy, the world is still hugely reliant on fossil fuels. It was a fascinating talk and extremely well attended.

The Articulation Prize

Seven L6th artists and I had a very successful and inspirational trip to Clare College on Saturday 12 March and saw Cambridge at its best, in full sunshine!

The day turned out to be so much more than we all expected. The Articulation Prize was founded by the Roche Court Educational Trust and speakers from Roche Court and Clare College preceded a short introductory talk about reading History of Art at Cambridge by the Professor of Architectural History, Deborah Howard. Then we had a fascinating lecture by Rupert Featherstone, the Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute for Art Conservation, explaining his detective work surrounding a surrounding a suspected Caravaggio.

Our group was then taken to the Fitzwilliam Museum for a talk about Dutch painting and historical context by one of the current History of Art undergraduates, who then took us to the Department of Zoology to look at insects and fossils. He finished the tour at Trinity with a visit to the Wren Library.

After lunch the seven finalists from the regional heats of Articulation made their presentations. The competition was judged by Sir Christopher Frayling, ex Rector of the Royal College of Art and now Professor Emeritus of Cultural History at the Royal College of Art. We intend to take part in the competition next year.

U6th Business Studies Talk

Many thanks to Christian Papworth from the Kaplan Business School who kindly came into Emanuel on Monday to talk to the U6th Business Studies students about his career as an Accountant and also about Corporate Social Responsibility. Christian's talk and accompanying brochure are sure to be a huge benefit to the students as they take on their Unit 4 revision.

OE Artist Success

Fran Giffard OE, who recently graduated from Camberwell College of Art where she studied Fine Art Drawing, is having her first solo show at the Communications Building at Leicester Square . "Sixty Birds from Hong Kong and Four Creatures from My Room" had a great reception on opening night. Fran is currently working on the series ‘One of Every Species of Bird found in Hong Kong'. Alongside are her intriguing and peculiar ‘Creatures'. Since graduation, she has exhibited at the Affordable Art Fair, Covent Garden and Leicester Square, where she is having her first solo show. Fran's next exhibition will be at the Art Work Space, this May.

Senior House Maths Competition

On Tuesday 22nd March, the brightest mathematical minds from years ten to thirteen were pitted against each other in the ultimate challenge: The Senior House Maths Competition. In the closest competition for years there was nothing to choose between 3 houses, Howe, Marlborough and Nelson. The Individual round proved decisive for Nelson, winning overall by just one point. Rodney redeemed themselves in the final speed round picking up much needed points.

Chess News

This year's exceptionally close house chess competition finished on Tuesday with Nelson picking up the competition prize. A 2-2 draw against nearest rivals was enough to hold off the spirited Howe challenge. After Easter we will be running our full Emanuel School Chess Championship. The matches will be longer, and played in a group format before a knock-out for the later stages.

The Emanuel School Eco-Group

The Emanuel School Eco-Group have been working hard over the last six months to investigate ways that our school can become more environmentally friendly. As well as implementing new strategies for recycling, printing and heating within the school, the big campaign that we have been promoting is Meat Free Monday. By cutting meat from our diets just one day a week, we are able to significantly help reduce the greenhouse gasses that are depleting our ozone layer and creating global warming. Following a series of assemblies given to the whole school, asking students to vote for or against Eco-Group policies, an overwhelming 89% have voted in favour of our proposed changes. Meat Free Monday will be put into action after the Easter holidays, and new recycling bins will also appear around the school site and in classrooms over the next few weeks, for recycling plastic, paper, glass and cans. We hope the school community continues to support these changes and works together with us to make Emanuel an eco-friendly school.

Voces8 Concert

The Voces8 master classes with Emanuel School together with Sutton Valence, Queen Anne's Caversham and Greycoat Hospital came to a grand conclusion with an exceptionally good concert in the Hampden Hall on March 11.

The Emanuel choir performed a tricky Voces8 arrangement of "Fever" with some slinky choreography and a Mike Brewer arrangement of the African sing "Hambalulu". They then joined Voces8, Greycoat and Queen Anne's for the joint choral items, Parry's My Soul and Whitacre's Sleep.

To add variety to the evening there were solos and accompaniments from the 2008 World Champion Beat boxer who had also entertained years 9 and 10 at assembly earlier in the day.

We look forward to next year's visits to the Foundation schools and more exciting opportunities for our pupils to work with this premiere choral group kindly provided by the Westminster Schools' Foundation under the auspices of Roy Blackwell.

Cambridge University v Emanuel!

The following appeared in the Telegraph on Wednesday 23rd March:

‘The Cambridge boat was firstly drawn into an impromptu race against Emanuel School, then they were forced to make an emergency stop to avoid hitting a schoolboy double. Joining Oxford for practice on a crowded Thames, Cambridge managed to avoid the pupils as they turned at Barn Elms near Barnes.'

Emanuel Annual Charity Fortnight

This year's charity fortnight got off to a fantastic start last week with Year 8 Pupils being sponsored by their year group to walk laps around the school grounds, raising well over £70.

This was followed up by the always successful Krispy Kreme donut sale which raised £300 and was expertly handled by the 6th Form Charity Committee, who assured me that selling over 300 donuts was such hard work that they certainly deserved that reserved box of donuts that they were found scoffing at the end of the sale.

Later on in the week the Hill and Year 7 had a fantastic time playing hide and seek, with one of the three winners being so successful at hiding that it took most of lunch to find her!

There were exciting scenes on the sports field too, with members of the 6th Form facing off with lower school pupils at a charity rounder's match. Thursday found a huge crowd gathered in the Hampden Hall to watch the now infamous sponsored leg waxing, where some of the 6th Form's self-proclaimed 'hairiest' boys stepped up to the stage whilst many lower and middle school pupils looked on in slightly sadistic glee.

Friday's Dress Down day was similarly impressive, with many pupils choosing to wear red (to celebrate Red Nose Day) or coming in animal costumes. Excellent effort went in to many of the costumes from pupils of all years.

Rowing

Thank you to parent Mark Williams, for producing a superb video highlighting the students' achievements at the Bedford Head and the Schools Head of the River Race this year.

Schools' Head of the River Race:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2uc8C-hn1E

The Bedford Head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQPvqUo5QIk

Many thanks to Mark Williams for putting these videos together.

Lower Sixth Geography trip to Dorset

The L6th geographers spent last weekend in Swanage. On the first day we stopped off at the attractive village of Wareham, where we started a tally of the services that Wareham provided. This data was to be collected from other villages in order to discover if there was a correlation between the population of a rural settlement and the number of services it geography1_400 provided. We repeated the same tally in Corfe Castle and then set off for our accommodation after a long bus journey. We stayed at an Allnatt Centre, which are specifically designed to accommodate young students and the facilities proved more than good enough for a group of rowdy teenagers. Despite the uncomfortable beds students seemed very happy with the level of food, teaching and recreational facilities that were provided. We later took an interesting trip to Swanage bay to look at sea defences and their effectiveness in preventing Swanage from one day disappearing. We also discussed longshore drift in great detail which pleased Mr Hardy greatly.

On Friday we ventured to the banks of the sometimes violent river Wey in order to look at river depth, width and velocity -

just what you want at 10 O'clock on a Friday morning. We ploughed on collecting data for our river analysis and to some people it began to sink in that we were here to collect data for our exams. We visited several different sites all along different parts of the river's journey (long profile) to the sea. We collected more data for population analysis and, after an incredibly tiring day, some dared to venture out into Swanage itself which was highly unsuccessful trip out!

On Saturday we visited Studland Bay, a narrow sandy beach that backed onto Sand Dunes and woodland beyon geography2_400 d. This was the most popular visit by far. The beautiful beach and good quality of teaching made for an attractive place to learn. Again, we collected data for later analysis and we were given time at lunch to kick-back and enjoy the surroundings. Later we discussed human impacts upon the beach and how it had been developed and it was encouraging to see all the students take a keen interest in the formation and maintenance of the beach - that was until we discovered that some of it was allocated to nudist visitors!

On the final morning we sat down for the usual early morning lesson, something to which we had grown accustomed since Friday. After 4 days of work and data, everybody seemed tired and dreading the long journey back home. Despite this, people did enjoy it, and most people had fun.

Thanks to Miss Lopez for organising the trip, to Mr Hardy providing the banter and of course to Mr McMahon who acted as chauffeur for the weekend. It was hugely kind of him to drive us around and he will forever be known as the man who took the single longest route from the A3 to school ever in the history of driving. Harry Purnell

Annual Fund 2011

Funds raised through the Annual Fund are the major source of additional voluntary funding beyond the school fee. The fund enables the School to achieve its ambitious plans more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

Parents have been sent the Annual Fund brochure 2011 and already donations have been gratefully received. Thank you very much indeed for supporting Emanuel in such a positive way.

As you know the Annual Fund is a major source of additional voluntary funding for the school so we can achieve our ambitious plans for our pupils more quickly than would otherwise be the case. This year's chosen Annual Fund projects include: for the Chemistry Department a spectrometer, Modern Foreign Languages have requested video equipment, the Music Department are looking to purchase additional instruments so we can offer a wider range of music, the theatre has asked for lighting. This year we are establishing community links with Sankarnagar School in India which needs seed-corn funding. Your contribution will go to funding the above projects.

If you are intending to make a contribution, but haven't yet got round to it, please be aware that HMRC is reducing the amount of Gift Aid that the school can claim on your gift from April 2011. Therefore please consider sending your contribution before the end of March so we can maximise the tax efficiency of your gift. It all makes a difference and the benefit will go towards your children's education.

If you have any questions or require more information, please contact Sarah Fisher, 020 8875 6978 or e mail srf@emanuel.org.uk .

I look forward to hearing from you.

Careers Convention 2011

The annual careers convention, held this week in the Hampden Hall, and very well attended by students and parents from Y11 and the L6, was another vibrant and colourful affair. The evening was tremendously well supported by more than 65 committed, enthusiastic parents and former students who generously gave up their evening in order to support our event. The convention was preceded by a lively drinks and canapé party for guests which allowed former students to catch up with old friends and to set the tone for a lively, yet relaxed evening.

Several outside guest speakers commented upon the general interest and insight shown by our students "who asked relevant, interesting questions and seemed to be very aware". For my part, I am always impressed by the willingness of both parents and former students to become involved with careers education at Emanuel and would like to express my thanks to all concerned. If you are interested in presenting at future careers events please contact Sarah Fisher in the first instance srf@emanule.org.uk

Athletics News

Louis Keen

Congratulations to Louis Keen 11 SJR who qualified for the first time for the National Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham on 26th/27th February. After a hotly contested battle, Louis was lying in 3rd place in bronze medal position right up until the last round, and was pipped by 1cm into 4th place! However, he broke his personal best three times in the competition and now is firmly 4th place in the Great Britain rankings for shot-putting with a long space between him and the 5th and 6th positions. He also competed last Sunday in the County Championships, which he won and is now also Middlesex Indoor Champion to go with last year's Outdoor title which he will be defending later in the season.

Jenna Walters

OE Jenna Walters has retained her title of British Universities gymnastic champion. Jenna who is studying sports therapy at London Metropolitan University and trains at Mayfield Gymnastics Club, took gold on the floor, bar and beam and bronze in the vault and now qualifies fopr the World Student Games in China in August.

Gordon Dear - RIP, 2nd February 2011

It is with sadness to tell you that Gordon died on 2nd February 2011

His funeral was at Kingston Crematorium, Bonner Hill Road, Kingston at 3pm on Friday 25^th February, and afterwards at The Skiff Club.

Gordon Dear, known affectionately as ‘Father of the Thames', has died at the age 87. Gordon attended Emanuel between 1934 and 1941, was a member of Marlborough House and was appointed Captain of Boats in 1941.

During the Second World War he served as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy; serving in HMS Scylla, Implacable and Finisterre. The first of which played a pivotal role in the D-Day Landings.

After the war Gordon rowed for Thames Rowing Club winning the Wyfold Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 1955. He went on to become spare man for the England VIII in the 1958 Empire Games held in Wales.

Gordon was a life member of Thames and was also President of the Skiff Racing Association. A Henley stalwart he could always be seen smoking his pipe and cheering on both Emanuel and Thames crews.

Gordon supported Emanuel School to the full. He was closely associated with the Boat Club and was always present at any rowing event. Outside of rowing Gordon was a former President of the Old Emanuel Rugby Football Club and well into his seventies was still playing rugby at Blagdons.

gordon_dear_400

Nick Gillingwater with his trophy for winning J16 sculls at Thames Ditton 2010, together with Gordon Dear OE 1934 - 1941, former winner of the Wyfolds at Henley Royal Regatta in 1955, Father of the Boat Club and life long ESBC supporter.

If you wish to make a donation to the Boat Club in his memory, you can do so on line at

http://www.emanuelalumni.org.uk/donate

and let Sarah Fisher srf@emanuel.org.uk know. Thank you.

Choral Concert: St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

This week the choir performed evensong at St. George's Chapel, Windsor; one of the most esteemed choral venues in the country, the personal chapel of the Queen. The evensong was a triumph with the choir performing the elegiac and beautiful Herbert Parry's My Soul there is a Country as well as the classic Bernard Rose Preces and Responses. The service also included the more modern and dissonant work of Bryan Kelly with his Magnificat in C, its progressive style causing more than a few heads to turn among the chapel clergy! However, the high standard of singing and advanced musicality demonstrated by all the members of the choir turned this evensong into a great success, and, while her Majesty didn't make an appearance at this evensong, the choir can safely say that their performance was worthy of her and her chapel.

Dr Emerys Jones

Congratulations to Dr Emrys Jones OE 2002 for recently obtaing his PHD in English Literature from Cambridge University. His subject of his thesis related to the concept of private friendship in early 18th Century British Literature. Emrys is now lecturing at the University of Greenwich.

From the Headmaster

Dear OE, mhb_400

Every year things seem to get busier and busier at Emanuel! I hope these snippets will give you a flavour of life at your alma mater in 2010.

I hope that this section acts as a reminder, if you haven't been back to Emanuel for some years, to come and pay a visit. There are all sorts of opportunities to do this during the school year. One option is to contact Sarah Fisher directly to arrange a personal visit (her email address is srf@emanuel.org.uk). Alternatively you could come to one the OEA dinners held biannually at the school (and the next one is due in October 2011). You can come along to Dacre Day - which, this year, will be held on Saturday 2^nd July. The event usually attracts over 1000 people and is free for those who simply want to come and see the Exhibitions or have tea in the marquee. There is also the option to join other members of the OEA for a special lunch in the cricket pavilion from 1pm. The afternoon finishes at 4.30pm.

There is also another interesting way to keep in touch with Emanuel - and this applies to anyone who has made a donation of £200 or more to the School Annual Fund or who has helped the school in other substantive ways. We now hold regular "Benefactors Society meetings" and the next event will be held in the Members Dining Room at the House of Commons on Friday 20^th May 2011 (from 6 - 9pm). Please contact Sarah Fisher for details of this and other events relating to OEs at the School.

So - one way or another I hope to see you either at Emanuel or at one of the Benefactor Society meetings which are taking place in the coming year. I hope you will be interested to see how the school has developed and changed since your day - and please note that you will be very welcome.

With best wishes

Mark Hanley-Browne

Rugby

The 1^st XV have had another very good season, winning over 60% of their matches including wins against King Edwards, Aston (43 - 15) Latymer Upper (a very exciting match which ended 27 - 26 in our favour!) and St Dunstan's (58 - 27). Also, for the first time in many years, we took on St Paul's School and only lost to them narrowly (20 - 30). Overall the 1^st XV played 13 matches this term, winning 8 and losing 5. The 2^nd XV played 12 matches, winning 8 and losing 4. Overall we fielded 12 rugby sides from U12 to 1^st team level and won 55% of our matches. Not bad for a coeducational school!

In terms of personal achievements: Sam Stanier (pictured) and Jamie Yuksel were selected to represent Middlesex in the U18 County rugby fixtures over the Autumn half term. Sam continued in the full back role he has filled for the County since U14 level, contributing to a fantastic win over a very physical Kent side. Jamie played No.8 against the Eastern Counties and scored a fine try. On Sunday 31^st October Sam played against a talented Surrey team and the match was expertly refereed by Gary Dibden OE.

Boat club dinner raises over £10,000

This term we organised a dinner for current rowers and OEs to celebrate 50 years since the school boat house was built by the Wates family at Barnes Bridge. We welcomed James Wates, one of our governors, who spoke about his family connections with Emanuel and how his grandfather and great uncles recognised the unique qualities that rowing offers young people with the skills and commitment that is crucial in both adult and business life. Alan Campbell, an Olympic rower, was the after-dinner speaker and he echoed the same theme of passion and hard work that goes into elite sport when one is rowing at the highest levels. John Layng gave a speech of how rowing was developing at Emanuel and Richard Marriott conducted an auction to name the new boys' boat. In all over £10,000 was raised during the evening enabling the Boat Club to buy a new boat.

Nick Marriott OE wins at Henley

Nick Marriott OE, rowing for Tideway Scullers Club, won the Britannia Cup for coxed fours at Henley Royal Regatta this year. In the final his opposite number in the bow seat of the crew from London Rowing Club was another OE, James Young. James rowed for the Emanuel 1st VIII in 1993. Nick rowed in the Emanuel 1st VIII from 2003-2005, and rowed for Isis, the Oxford University 2nd VIII, in the curtain raiser to the Boat Race in 2007.

English Schools Athletics Championships

Emanuel had two representatives at the English Schools in July which took place at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham on 9th and 10th July 2010.

Louis Keen achieved 5th place in the Inter Boys Shot with a throw of 13 metres 34 cms and Niclas Baker made it to the semi finals.

Fives

I would like to thank the OEA for providing financial support to put in lighting and a new path across to the Fives courts. Writing this in the depths of winter I can tell you that this has been an enormous help to the boys and girls making their way to and from the Fives courts after school. It has also allowed us to use the courts on some evenings, involving current pupils and OEs in evening matches.

This year the Fives teams have really gone on the rampage, securing wins against Eton, Westminster, Bryanston, St Olave's and Lancing. Patrick MacCahon reached the final of an U14 tournament held at Eton, this term, out of an entry of 54 competitors. Charlie Edwards reached the finals of the U12 tournament.

The development of Fives at Emanuel over the past few years has been very exciting and we are now considered to be the rising star on the circuit. Long may this continue.

Expedition to Borneo July 2010

This summer seven intrepid Emanuel sixth formers ventured into the wilds of Borneo to spend a month travelling around the country, taking part in a World Challenge Expedition.

Jamil Lalani, Charlie Barrett, Helen Hobson, Kathryn Meredith, Saul Parkinson, Issam Aldroubi and Maria Johnston spent two years planning, fundraising and preparing for their trip. Over the course of the month the team engaged in a wide range of challenges: physical, mental, environmental and social. They spent a week in the depths of the rainforest, trekking through dense forest, sleeping in hammocks and cooking on open fires. The walks were tough going at times, and leeches and other insects constantly plagued them. The project phase of the expedition was spent in the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, constructing a boardwalk through the jungle. This was a week of tough manual labour, made increasingly more difficult due to sweltering temperatures of 35 degrees plus and 90% humidity, coupled with sudden and frequent tropical rainstorms. This trip included a visit to the neighbouring Orang-utan sanctuary, where the students got to see the baby orphaned orang-utans being rehabilitated into the forest. Whilst staying in the northern city of Kota Kinabalu, the group spent a day offering their time in an orphanage for mentally and physically handicapped children. The tales behind why the children were living in the orphanage were incredibly harrowing and it was a very moving experience for the team. The final stage of the expedition was a climb to the summit of Mount Kinabalu, one of the highest mountains in South East Asia, standing at a staggering 4095 metres. The walk was a two day climb; day one involved a hard slog though the forest up 2500 steps cut into the side of the mountain, whilst day two began at 1.30am with a strenuous climb up sheer rock face in the dark to reach the summit for sunrise. In temperatures of minus 3 degrees, the team faced harsh winds, sleet and fog in the morning climb but were rewarded with breathtaking views of a world above the clouds on the descent.

Over the duration of the trip, the team had to work closely together managing a budget, booking transport and accommodation and living and travelling in close quarters for a month. It was a tremendously rewarding experience - and one they will surely remember for the rest of their lives.

History trip to Krakow

On October 15th, thirty Year 10s and 11s travelled to Krakow, Poland in order to learn about the city's rich history and to visit Auschwitz, setting for perhaps the greatest ever human tragedy. The emotion was clear as everybody seemed to be struggling to comprehend how such horrors could have been possible. The rest of the day was spent in Krakow city centre which displays beautiful, Renaissance inspired architecture. On the third day the students were taken to the famous salt mine, 135m underground. Within it, they saw sculptures carved out of the rock as well as two chapels. It was a marvellous experience - from negotiating the local trams to drinking delicious hot chocolate!

German Exchange

During the first week of the half term break nineteen students from years 8 to 11 spent an enjoyable and successful week in Hamburg, completing this year's German exchange with the Luisengymnasium, Bergedorf. Friendships were strengthened, new experiences made and a whole host of cultural and social activities were undertaken during a very busy week. Activities enjoyed by the whole group included: getting acquainted with the German school system, ten pin bowling, visits to the major Hamburg tourist attractions including the Hamburg Dungeon, St. Michael's church, a boat tour around Europe's second largest working port and also a visit to Heide Park - north Germany's major theme park.

Service at Westminster Abbey

Before half-term the choir performed at Westminster Abbey with Bairstow's Blessed City Heavenly Salem. The service concluded with Parry's I was Glad. This was a wonderful experience for the pupils and we hope to sing there again in 2011.

O.E. who changed the world

It was only twenty years ago on 12^th November 1990 that Tim Berners-Lee (OE) published his proposal ‘WorldWideWeb: Proposal for a HyperText Project'.

Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, is a British engineer and computer scientist and MIT professor credited with inventing the World Wide Web. He attended Emanuel School from 1969 to 1973 and went on to Queens College Oxford, where he received a first-class degree in Physics. On 25 December 1990, with the help of Robert Cailliau and a young student at CERN, he implemented the first successful communication between an HTTP client and server via the Internet.

Creme De La Crepe

Former Emanuel student Nick Willoughby came in to talk to Business Studies students about his start-up business "Creme de la Crepe" - a pancake parlour based in Covent Garden and South Kensington.

The talk was excellent and covered many aspects of the GCSE and AS syllabus, particularly relating to the role of the entrepreneur in a business. There is no doubt that the talk will help the students considerably with their exams next summer.

Nick is one of several OE students who often give up their valuable time to come and talk to the students about life in the world of business.

If there are any other OE students or parents who are willing to come in to the school and talk about their business experiences then please could they contact Rupert Tong, Head of Business Studies and Economics on rst@emanuel.org.uk