Head's Newsletter - 17 January 2020

A relatively quiet start to the year concerning sport not helped by the atrocious weather which no doubt will play its hand in the next few weekends if forecasts are right. One fixture for rugby saw us take on the old adversary Hampton. With the Hampton 1 st XV ranked third in the country, it was always going to be a tough match for the seniors, the final score finishing up as 52-12 to Hampton does not do Tiffin any justice. A brave display against an exceptional side with Tiffin’s two scores resulting from brilliant sets of phases and good finishes to match. There were wins for the unstoppable U14As in a tense and hard fought game, 5-0, and the U13As who have been going from strength to strength and have come a long way this season under Mr O’Connell and Miss White. Three weekend fixtures to go until the end of the season, one that has been great for development of the lower school. The future looks bright! No other results to report but with rugby fixtures this week against Glyn, mixed doubles badminton against Christs Hospital and a truckload of house competitions this week alone, it is set to be a busy term yet again. Winter cricket nets are in full swing and there is great attendance at training for basketball, badminton, table tennis all in anticipation of upcoming fixtures. Girls’ sport is as popular as ever, with Mr Brown taking Monday evening sessions for rugby and Miss O’Connell taking the netball during the week not to mention those involved in badminton, cross-country and rowing. We look forward to the spring term unfolding, hopefully offering more opportunities to grow in participation and strength, as the days get longer but no doubt a little colder!

On Tuesday 14th January fifty Year 9 students went on a day trip to Oxford with the Art Department. The trip was a fantastic success, despite the grey January weather. The first stop was the Pitt Rivers Museum, which houses over 26,000 objects donated by Augustus Pitt Rivers, a British Army, ethnologist, and archaeologist. There are now over half a million objects donated and purchased within the collection. During the visit, students enjoyed photography and drawing tasks. Students went on a walking tour past Oxford University’s Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe building and the Bridge of Sighs and enjoyed lunch at the Covered Market; a lovely food market. In the afternoon, students visited The Modern Art Gallery, viewing an exhibition by Kiki Smith, followed by a trip to the Ashmolean, the Museum of Art and Archaeology, founded in 1863. Gallery visits are key to students studying Art, as they are able to direct their own learning and see objects and works of art in the flesh. The trip was an opportunity for students to experience what an Art GCSE trip is like. It was great for students to visit a city, in which they might study in the future .