Head's Newsletter 8 February 2019

Dear Parents, As we come to the end of this half term there is plenty to report in this newsletter. Firstly, I do hope people have bought tickets for our annual production which this year is Oliver! The rehearsals have been going extremely well, and the amazing staging and transformation in the Main Hall makes it feel like a proper West End production! It will certainly be an excellent show, and we hope that the boys will perform before a full house. In addition on the performing arts front, the choir have been singing in La Bohème and the Queen of Spades in London, and we had an extremely good House singing competition this week. I was very pleased that last week we were also able to host the Kingston Mental Health Conference, where all the secondary schools’ Year 9 Mental Health Ambassadors come together with the Kingston health team to discuss and examine this very important issue. It was good to see Year 9 parents at the consultations which were held for the first time in the dining hall, rather than the sports hall, a pattern which we now intend to continue.

In this newsletter there are reports of quite a number of trips including both our German exchange and also the German trip to Berlin. There is also a report on the careers talks which are held every two weeks, as well as a trip to Cambridge University for Year 10. Sport has proceeded without too much disruption from the weather. The regular rugby fixtures are now coming to an end and tribute must be paid to the fantastic undefeated U13 side who won 19 games out of 20, with 1 draw, and a special mention also goes to the U14 side who managed an exceptional victory over John Fisher school. As spring approaches, it is exciting to see the beginnings of indoor cricket and there is a report on our victories. Finally, it is always with sadness that we have to say goodbye to staff; we are sorry to see Mr Martin leave us after 15 years of dedicated service where he has made a huge contribution to PE, basketball, athletics and as Head of Year 7. We wish him all the best for the future. I'm delighted to report that Miss Bond has been appointed Head of Year 7, and she will be taking over from Mr Martin after half term. Yours, Mr M D Gascoigne

IMPORTANT DATES

11 February to 14 February

School Play: Oliver! at 7 pm

Friday 15 February

Prof. Development Day: no boys in School

Boys start back after Half Term, normal 8.30 start Y7 Parents’ Consultations: School finishes at 1 pm Y8 Parents’ Consultations: School finishes at 1 pm Choir Spring Concert 7 pm at All Saints Kingston

Monday 25 February

Wednesday 27 February

Thursday 7 March Thursday 28 March

the late 1960s in East Germany, the viewing deck is 200m above Berlin and provides great views and despite being 50 years old, it is still one of the tallest structures in Europe. The Brandenburg gate and the Holocaust memorial were both full of historic meaning and providing us with plenty discussion material. A key part of the A-Level curriculum is the Oscar winning film “Das Leben der Anderen” ( “The Lives of Others”) and visiting the Stasimuseum on Friday gave us a lot additional

This year we extended the German Sixth Form trip to Berlin from 3 to 4 days, and for the first time both, Year 12 and Year 13 students, went together and this new format worked really well. Our schedule was packed and on the first day we went straight to the DDR-museum. where we engaged in an interactive exhibition showing us the reality of everyday life in former communist East Germany. As with so many other communist countries, East Germany referred to itself as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), in stark contrast to life explained at the museum. On day 2 we saw the Berlin Wall and the famous museums on the Museumsinsel. The highlight of the day was our late night tour of the Reichstag, the German parliament building. Our guide led us on an enthralling tour of the building, and we all agreed that the graffiti, left by Soviet soldiers after they stormed the building in May 1945, was the most memorable part of the tour.

information and a deeper insight into the secret police and their control over life in the GDR. The trip was a great success and all 13 students agreed that it has enriched their cultural knowledge.

Next morning, we took the bus to the Alexanderplatz and the TV-Tower. Built in

Sixteen intrepid students of German in Year 10 were brave enough to push themselves out of their comfort zone to go on the German Exchange to Neuwied, in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. The school has had an arrangement with the Rhein-Wied Gymnasium (Grammar School) in Neuwied for more than 10 years. The Tiffin students got to observe German life close at hand, staying with a German family for a week, attending lessons in schools, and (crucially) eating large portions of German food! They improved their German listening and speaking skills, kept a written diary in German of their efforts, and made great friends. Our hosts were wonderfully welcoming. They organised social gatherings, meals, pool tournaments, and in some cases even drove their Tiffinian guests to the Nürburgring! We visited the famous Cologne cathedral, climbing to the top to get a view of the city. We went to the Lindt chocolate museum and attempted (with partial success) to escape from an Escape Room alongside the Rhein. We visited the birthplace of Ludvig van Beethoven in Bonn, visited the museum of calculation, and had a pitstop at the home of Haribo! We went to the Rhein museum, saw the famous Deutsches Eck at the confluence of the Rhein and Moselle rivers. We also had a monumental snowball fight on the banks of the Rhein in Koblenz. This trip is open to Year 10 students, so keep an eye out in Year 9!

After our Year 12s had visited the Deutsche Schule London (DSL) in December, it was time for the return visit. On 24 th January fifteen Year 10 students from the DSL came to visit us. After getting to know the school and observing some Tiffin lessons, they quickly got to work with their partners from Year 12. The groups produced an amazing set of activities that were set up in the main hall. Our Year 7 Germanists spent 50 minutes exploring and enjoying the entertaining stalls, including the popular, geography themed, “Bundesländer” where boys not only practised their German, but also got to know the federal states of Germany. At the sports stall, vocabulary and their dribbling skills were stretched. The great props & sounds at the interactive animal exhibit was another firm favourite. All year 7 boys enjoyed their time and were able to extend their German. We thank the students from the DSL and our Year 12s for all the hard work they put in!

Y ear 10 Open Day, University of Cambridge On Friday 18 th January, Mr Brittain and Ms Varley took an excited group of thirteen Year 10 students to an open day at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

economical causes and effects of plague. After proceeding to eat a hearty lunch, we were taken on a tour of the historic college and hidden gardens by current students, who answered many questions about college life. The Schools Liaison Officer then gave a very useful talk on A Level and degree choices, as well as the admissions process for Cambridge. Overall, not only was the day very enjoyable, but it also provided us with a fascinating insight into what lectures at such a prestigious university would be like, and how to apply, all of which will prove useful I think I am now more likely to apply to Cambridge, as it isn't as overbearing as I thought it would be.  It reminded me about the impact good GCSEs have on university which has encouraged me to work harder.  I think that the taster session was an interesting glimpse into the inner workings of a supervision and I believe that it helped me to understand what the culture would be like at Cambridge as well as what would be required in order to make a successful application.  The talk and tour with the current student really gave a useful insight into college life! I had not been aware of all the different clubs/ societies at Cambridge.  It inspired me to work harder as some students come from a humble background like mine.  I think that the trip solidified my impression of Cambridge as an outstanding university and definitely one that I would consider applying for in the future, dependent on grades of course. in our decisions for the near future. By Jack Yu, on behalf of the group Student Comments : 

Upon arrival, we were separated into our chosen taster sessions of either Sciences, Arts & Humanities, or Social Sciences. The Sciences session was a 2nd year zoology practical investigating the effect of flock size on the vigilance of barnacle geese. Meanwhile, the Arts & Humanities session began with a fascinating lecture on the hierarchy of knowledge, followed by an intense debate over whether high and low culture exists. Finally, the Social Sciences session explored the geographical and

Sam Read, our brilliant Art Technician, has been asked to be a part of an exhibition at Byard Art Gallery in March, to showcase new artists to the gallery. An example of her work is shown below.

Insider Knowledge careers talk - Working in newspapers and journalism

A couple of weeks ago a group of Year 10- 13 students came in to school early to meet Andrew Morrod, Executive Editor of the Daily Mail, to learn more about careers in newspapers and journalism. In an informal and engaging session, Andrew shared his experience of what his working day is like, the different roles involved in putting the paper together, the excitement, challenges and stresses of working in the industry and the impact that it’s possible to have. Questions from students uncovered further insight into stand-out stories he’s been involved in, the practicalities of work-life balance, insider knowledge about sought-after qualifications and how to build work experience. This was part of a series of early Thursday morning ‘insider knowledge’ careers talks on lesser-known or less-accessible industries, designed to broaden students’ horizons and enable them to speak directly to people working in these areas. The next of these, on 14 th February, will be on getting into the UK’s animation and VFX industry, from Tom Box of animation studio Blue Zoo.

Contemporary art gallery Byard Art is located in the historic centre of Cambridge, opposite King’s College Chapel. The independent art gallery’s innovative exhibition programme of solo and mixed shows by contemporary artists offers a unique selection of two and three dimensional work, in a friendly and welcoming environment. Sam will be showing mixed media paintings See her website at https://byardart.co.uk/ artists/samantha-read/

TIFFIN PUPIL IN STAR ROLE

Y11 students enjoyed a trip to see Macbeth which is part of The Globe’s winter series on Ambitious Fiends and a set text for a component of the Literature GCSE. Hastie’s production makes use of the intimate space of the Sam Wanamaker theatre to create a close, and at times claustrophobic, atmosphere. The boys particularly noted the use of whispering and lighting, which gave more nuanced meaning to scenes which they had studied in class but hadn’t seen in performance. One student noted, ‘More emphasis is placed on the element of fear in this version of the play, which wasn’t expected’.

Billy Rilot in Year 10 performed in Hansel and Gretel at the Rose Theatre from Thursday 6 December to Sunday 6 January. Photo credit :Mark Douet

Elvy McCrudden and Garvit Hora, both in Year 12, star in Tiffin Girls’ production of Chicago .

Opening night of The Queen of Spades (above) at the Royal Opera House. “There is, too, top singing from the company’s enlarged chorus, further aided by Tiffin Children’s Choir and Boys’ Choir, confident and well drilled”, said the Guardian’s reviewer.

RUGBY REPORT

we’re reaching out to you to become part of #TeamTIPRA (Tiffin Parent Rugby Association) If you are able to … a one-off, annual payment of £40 or a monthly standing order of £4 can make a HUGE difference to the amount of additional support we can provide for our boys. So, why not sign up this term (referencing your son’s name and year group)? Thank you!!

Tiffin rugby has had an enjoyable and fruitful half term. Saturday block fixtures against Hampton proved a learning curve for all but the U13A and U14B but the boys gained a lot from the return of this historical fixture. This was followed by Glyn where the performance of the weekend was by the U12s who stormed to victory in both A and B teams against, up to then, unbeaten Glyn teams. The U13s have continued their wondrously unbeaten season with a 45 – 0 win against Hampton, 50 – 0 against Glyn and 30 – 5 against John Fisher. They finish the season with 19 wins and 1 draw. A season to be cherished. The performance of the season however, is saved for the U14s and their coach Mr Ingall. The boys went away to John Fisher with little hope of success considering a Tiffin side had not beaten a Fisher side in many a year. Win they did though, and comfortably at that. Special mention should go to Alex Cormack who put in his best display this season scoring 4 tries on the road to victory. Well done the U14s. The Senior Squad have been building on each performance and after tough games agianst Hampton and John Fisher, earned a well fought draw against Glyn that should really have been a win. Huge credit goes to the three year 11 boys who played the whole game, with Josh Clough taking a try as well as man of the match on his debut (photo right). This experience will prove invaluable in the years to come. Tiffin is currently fielding an incredible 20 teams across all years – but with that, comes extra demand on resources, kit, transport, first aid, Refs, which is why

Account Name –TIPRA Account No – 43474585 Sort Code – 20-46-76

Year 11 boys Matt Cormack, Daniel Smith and Joshua Clough representing the 1 st XV (L-R)

After automatic qualification through the first Round, the Chess A team enjoyed a 6- 0 thrashing over opponents, Wilsons’s, on a glorious afternoon which they are eager to emulate at future fixtures. After winning by default on Board 6, the team of Haotian Wu, Darshan Kumaresan, Sagink Chatterjee, Vincent Trieu, and Vladimir Kalashnikov stormed to an impressive victory, and are now looking forward to their next match against RGS Guildford. The House chess competition finished with the senior Chess taking place alongside the Year nine parents’ consultation. The competition showed off the highest standard seen for many years with over 48 competitors showing considerable skill and strategic nous. Senior Chess was won with a very strong performance by Turing Nightingale House on all six boards; this put them level with Churchill Gordon overall, meaning that this year the House chess trophy has been shared. The strongest individual performance of the afternoon came from Haotian Wu who was unbeaten on board one. CRICKET NEWS The Year 8 Cricket VI won their tournament in the Sports Hall on Monday, 28 th January. The side included Aaryan Ghag (Captain), Harish Narasimhan, Dylan Shori, Ashiken Aathavan, Sam Jenkins and Ben Coats. Monday, 4 th February saw the second borough indoor cricket competition. We were asked by the organisers to put in a second team so both Year 9 and Year 10

entered a team of 6. Both teams won their group and inevitably ended up playing each other in an all-Tiffin final. As predicted the Year 9 team containing 2 boys who represented the 1 st XI last season as U13 players (Datta Vasireddy and Alex Cormack) were comfortable winners. The photograph shows Tiffin A (Year 9) at the front and Tiffin B (Year 10) behind. The Tiffin Year 8 and Year 9 teams go on to represent Kingston in the County finals.

CROSS COUNTRY Ollie Coppellotti in Year 12 was due to run for Surrey in the Inter counties competition in Hampshire last weekend but unfortunately this event did not go ahead. He gained this selection through being top 5 in Surrey at the County Championships held at Reigate on the second weekend of January. This top position also gains him selection for the English School Championships. This is the first time this decade we have had an athlete at the Nationals. Very well done, Ollie.