THE JUDDIAN 2025 ISSUE 194 ISSUE 194
The painting used for The Juddian cover was created by year 11 student, Tom Pennink. Tom painted this piece for his GCSE Art coursework in 2024-5. The subject is a basketball player (modelled by Tom’s friend, Luke) doing a running jump before shooting the ball through a hoop. The abstract style of the painting was inspired by the Futurist art movement, and other artists who used stylised approaches to representing the human figure in motion. Tom’s perseverance and skill in bringing this painting to life, as well as the theme of celebrating students’ involvement in extracurricular activities like sport, made it a fitting subject for the cover of this year's Juddian magazine. Trips Editorial Contents 4 Barbados Cricket Tour 5 South America Rugby Tour 7 Portugal Football Tour 9 Italy Classics Trip 11 Year 9 Bath Trip / Benenden Classics Symposium 12 German Exchange - German Leg 13 German Exchange - English Leg 14 French Exchange - French Leg 15 French Exchange - English Leg 16 Geography Snowdonia Fieldwork 17 Biology Dale Fort Fieldwork 18 German Trip to Berlin 20 Drama Trips 21 The Play that Goes Wrong 22 A Level Politics Conference 23 Visit to Westminster 24 Year 8 Canada Ski Trip 24 Politics and Economics USA Trip 27 Computer Science California Trip 29 Classics and Philosophy Greece Trip 31 Bronze DofE Expeditions 32 Silver DofE Expeditions 33 Fishbourne Palace 34 World Challenge Academic & Society 36 Judd MUN 38 Drama Dept Update 40 KS3 Greek Club 41 Judd AI 42 PEACAS Roger Gough 43 Cavendish Society 44 Junior Maths Soc / Greenpower & Soapbox 45 Samsung Design for Tomorrow 46 Senior Prizegiving 48 Junior Prizegiving CCF 49 RAF Section Report 50 Army Section Report 51 RAST 2025 / New Recruits' Exercise 52 Military Skills Competition 53 Remembrance Parade 54 Summer Camp Art 55 Art Dept Overview 57 KS3 Work 58 GCSE Work 62 A Level Work - Alex Whawell
1 Music 64 ABRSM Exam Results 65 Music Clubs 67 House Music Competition 68 Rhineland Music Tour 72 Battle of the Band 73 A Level Recital 74 Jazz Cafe 76 Spamalot 77 Interhouse Singing 78 Top Gun Maverick in Concert / Junior Spring Concert 79 Soloists Concert 80 Winter Concert 81 Summer Concert Sport 83 Sport Review 24/25 84 Rugby Overview 85 U16A Rugby 86 U16B / U15A Rugby 88 U15B Rugby 89 U14A Rugby 90 U14B Rugby 91 U13A / U12A Rugby 92 U12B / U12C Rugby 93 Girls' Rugby 94 1st XI Football 95 2nd XI Football 96 U16A Football 97 U16B Football 98 U15A Football 99 U14A / U14B Football 100 U13A / U13B Football 102 Cross Country Overview 103 Junior Cross Country 104 Intermediate Cross Country 105 Senior Cross Country 106 U15A Cricket 107 U14A / U15B Cricket 108 U14B Cricket 109 U13A Cricket 110 U12A Cricket 111 U13B / U12B Cricket 112 Athletics Overview 113 Junior Athletics 114 Intermediate Athletics 115 Sports Day Community 116 OJ News 117 Old Juddian Society 118 Staff Notes 119 Mrs Elaine French / Mrs Doina Colf 120 Mr Toby Hopkins 121 Mrs Catherine Beck 122 Mr Paul Boyce / Mrs Prue Knott 123 Final Word
2 Greetings for a final time. I write this, my final editorial, sitting on a coach on the M6 coming back from the Geography trip to Snowdonia, with my machine precariously perched on the edge of my lap, and my legs kicked out in the aisle to make space for the chap next to me, who is writing the article for the PEACAS Journal I so rudely demanded from him. A week ago, on the outward journey, I set up the spreadsheet as I do every year, and had the pleasure of adding more names to the editor list than I have ever done before. This is of course essential to make up for my looming departure from the magazine, and, a few months later, the School as a whole. Therefore, in some sort of liminal between my former morning armchair at Rhydy-Creuau and my evening chair in my study, the previous editorial team and the next, and indeed between this educational life and what is to come (very Jekyll & Hyde, I know), I find myself reflecting on change. I’d like to think that my tenure has revitalised the magazine, and with a new project now ongoing to archive and digitise versions of all 193 previous editions, I think it's also clear that a reverence for tradition has, at least as far as I can control, remained. We have also unleashed the white heat of technology, and now publish the new editions of the magazine on the school website for your reading pleasure. The team has expanded and a brief post-Covid lull is now a distant memory, with genuine interest and enthusiasm for the magazine and the School now more commonplace than at any point I can recollect in my stint at Judd. Indeed change has been afoot in the School more widely over the past 6 years, with numerous development projects generously funded to a significant extent by our School community, which remains as strong as ever. Ethos enhancements and rebrands have seen the character of the School modernise. At the heart of all this, however, the true feeling and sense of purpose of our school has remained unwavering. Ofsted, no less, returning several years later than expected, seem to have reached much the same conclusion, and this is a result of which the whole Judd community can be enormously proud. So, although it is true to say that the Judd I joined and the Judd I will soon leave are not entirely the same, the essence of a Judd education remains steadfast; thus, the Watts that joined and the Watts that leaves are not entirely the same either. But, not wanting to get so sentimental at this time in the morning as to perturb those around me who know how out-ofcharacter that would be, I shall for now leave the final farewell a good chunk of pages away in order to put off the pain, and focus instead on the formalities. Just before we received delivery of the 2024 edition, we said a fond farewell to Jane Porter, who left Judd after several years as the Graphic Designer, and was of particular importance to The Juddian. That farewell turned out to be slightly futile, as Jane generously continued to work alongside our new external designer on this edition. I naturally thank her for sticking with us in some sense; the magazine would doubtless have been vastly different without her. I also thank Edward Hurst and James Bretz, who resigned from their positions on the magazine after a combined 10 years of work. Their efforts have been invaluable. I welcome Alex Maxim, Will Law, Tanmay Venkataraman, Arush Ghosh and Tom Campion to the team, and wish to express great appreciation for the support and enthusiasm we have received from the younger years of the school. This stands as proof to all that the magazine is relevant and wanted. Thanks also to Tyler Smith, Sam Lumley and Isaac Clarke for remaining on the team for another year, the latter two also for the final time. Conor Winspear remains on the team, and ascends to Second-inEdit in advance of him taking over control after my departure. He will Editorial
3 then be ably assisted by Tyler as Second, before he himself assumes control. Finally, I must thank, sincerely, Mr Taylor. JRCT has worked on the magazine since 2015, acting as Editorin-Chief for 4 editions before handing control over to students after the 2018 magazine. He is likely to say that, for much of the time since I took over in September 2022, his work has been minimal, and he has been of little help. This is him being modest and is staunchly untrue. It would be difficult to summarise the gratitude I extend to him for his endless support, both in a production context and beyond, over 7 years at Judd, and 6 on the magazine. He has suffered a punishment few have, in that he has been forced to work closely with me across all of my time here, including two challenging years during which he had to attempt to teach me. As he begins to step away from such a prolific role in the School, he deserves the respect and thanks of the whole, extended Judd community. I look forward to seeing him hacking around a golf course in the future, and absorbing every ounce of related wisdom he imparts. In any case, the time has come to confront the beginning of the end. I’ll see you again in about 130 pages’ time… Welcome, then, to The Juddian 2025! Editorial Board SENIOR JUDDIAN EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief Aaron Watts Teacher In Charge Mr J R C Taylor EDITORS Conor Winspear (Second-in-Edit) Tom Campion Sam Lumley Tanmay Venkataraman William Law Isaac Clarke Tyler Smith Alex Maxim Arush Ghosh DESIGN Pinq, Sevenoaks PRINT Hopress, Marden AWatts
Trips 4 Bright and early, we set off from Judd at 6 o'clock in high spirits, ready to go to Barbados for a half term of cricket. After checking in at Dover Beach Hotel that afternoon, we spent the first night checking out the St Lawrence Gap, our home away from home for the next week, for the first time. Friday morning was spent training hard at the Franklyn Stephenson Academy, acclimatising to the blistering sun, before we spent the afternoon relaxing at the Boatyard Club in Bridgetown. We then spent the evening at Oistins, sampling the seafood delicacies of the island and being treated to some live music. Saturday was the day of our first game, a night T20 against Grantley Adams. After spending the morning prepping for the game in the best possible way (... beach cricket), we set off for their picturesque ground. Abhay lost the toss, and we were put in the field. Jack (1-19) and Ibrahim (2-24) set the tone beautifully, restricting the scoring and each taking a wicket in the powerplay. After a middle over fightback from their batsman, Rollo (2-22) managed to take a couple of wickets at the end, bowling well, as we managed to restrict them to a chaseable 122-6(20). We were 522(6.3), with Agie and Toby batting well before the rain started pouring, and the first game to ever get cancelled due to rain in Barbados ended in a resounding win for Judd on the Duckworth-Lewis method and a great start to the tour. The next couple of days were difficult, as we played some highly skilled opposition, among whom were Combemere, and they ended in defeats for Judd, with us not hitting our straps in any aspects of the game. Before our last game, we toured the historic Kensington Oval, the only ground along with Lords to have hosted 3 World Cup finals, where we learnt more about the history and evolution of cricket in Barbados, including the many great players that Barbados have produced like Garfield Sobers, Everton Weekes and Malcolm Marshall.The highlight of the last game was Nakula’s fifer, as he took 5-22, targeting the stumps and bowling a very disciplined line, and we bowled them out for 148, whilst showing better application in the field (Ishaan’s diving catch being the highlight). Our batting was improving, with a few batsmen getting in and getting starts but not cashing in and we ultimately ended up coming short once again. Wednesday was spent on the catamaran cruise where we sailed around the south coast of the island. We also had the opportunity to scuba dive and even managed to see a baby turtle.The last day was mainly spent doing the tour quiz and tour awards: Stan got the best batsman award, Nakula the best bowler and Tom and Jack for best in the field. Pranav managed to come back with the opposition’s neon kit as he got an award for being the sole wearer of the pink princess hat all tour and Rory got tourist of the tour award. Other highlights of the tour included the animated discussion of fines on the bus back and the running race by the football track, but without a doubt, the most memorable moment of the tour was Mr Davies beating us 21-0 at volleyball. We then flew back to the UK, where the temperature was 20 degrees lower and we all regretted our decision to fly back wearing shorts. I would like to end this by thanking Mr Richardson and Mr Davies for arranging and coming with us on the tour, making this a truly memorable experience for everyone who went. A Chimmalgi Trips BARBADOS CRICKET TOUR
With our first tour since 2019 to New Zealand, the newly bonded 1st XV were keen to put on a good performance abroad in South America. After a month of preparation with a new 2-42 structure, we flew to Santiago to play The Grange School. After a testing match the team unfortunately lost 42-19, however with 8 Chilean U18s in the opposition, we knew we had put up a good fight and our confidence stayed high heading into the second match. Then, in Buenos Aires, we played Cardinal Newman Club.This was a physical encounter where they were determined to defend their reputation, however the 1st XV came out victorious with a thunderous margin of 60-14. Next stop: Rosario, where Duendes Rugby Club awaited. We enjoyed a special game at night under the lights and in front of a crowd, as we looked to build our win in Argentina into something of a streak. A few injuries later, and following a heated curtain raiser from the 2nd XV where they set the tone with a victory, the 1st XV played and made it a brace with a 20-5 victory. Trips 5 2024 Senior Rugby Tour to South America
Finally gelling under our new system, we looked to our final destination: St George's School back in Buenos Aires. Here, we would aim to remain undefeated in Argentina and give ourselves a big boost going into an important season. On a small pitch, we kept play tight and won 34-14 to make it 3/4 on tour and keep ourselves undefeated in Argentina. This tour was a massive success for the players, as we made memories that would last years and grew closer as a group, which would turn out to be crucial in our season back home in England. All this rugby didn't come without fun days out off the pitch though, with key moments being visiting the Iguazu Falls and going under them, visiting Christ the Redeemer, spending a day in the Andes, touring River Plate’s stadium and many more. Awards for the 1s went to Zac Dixon for Best Player, Alex Ashley for Best Tourist, and Ben Morton for Most Improved. In the 2nd XV, Riley Young won the award for Most Improved, and Toby Shrimpton for Best Player. None of this could have been possible without the extensive effort put into this tour by Mr Reilly, Mr Richardson, Mr Davies and Mr Packman who organised and made the tour a once in a lifetime experience.They now look forward to the South Africa tour in two years’ time… H Gullett 6 Trips Awards for the 1sts BEST PLAYER Zac Dixon BEST TOURIST Alex Ashley MOST IMPROVED Ben Morton BEST PLAYER Toby Shrimpton
Trips 7 On the 1st day, after a grueling 3 hour flight that felt longer than it should have, we made our way to the first match against one of Porto’s FC academy branches, Dragon Force Viana FC. After a lunchless,1 hour drive through the Portuguese favelas, we arrived at the pitches, which were surrounded with beautiful mountain scenery. When we arrived, we got changed into our Porto-exclusive kit. As the A and B team piled into the half-packed stands to watch the C-team play against a team well under their age, the first game kicked off at 5pm. It was clear from the first few minutes of the game that our Portuguese opposition was clearly outmatched. After 6 minutes of pure Judd domination, the C-team’s prolific, ample centre mid - Ibrahim Tawfiq - opened the scoring with a marvellous trivia outside the box to make it 1-0. After a few more goals netted by Agi Xavier, Reuben Ashiagbor and Will Law, the C-team emerged victorious against the u12 Portuguese “devils” with a score of 4-0. Immediately after the C team game, the A and B teams kicked off at the same time. Despite their strong efforts, the B team unfortunately lost 3-1 due to the overwhelming number of injuries during the game and a plethora of mistakes, with the sole Juddian scorer of the game being Ewan Dobbs. The A team won their game 4:2 against the only team that were perhaps our age. Early within the game, the A team bagged their first goal to bring the score to 1:0. After a slow first half, the A team climbed their way up to a 4-1 lead, with great strikes from Ollie Hammnett, Tani Jegede and James King. Towards the end of the Game, the boys began to switch off and conceded a goal to end the game at 4-1. Tired and hungry we made it back to the hotel alive and well for dinner and a good night’s sleep. The second day was a lot less eventful, but just as enjoyable. The day consisted of a 3 hour training session in the morning with Porto’s training coaches at one of their grounds, followed by a trip to a lovely Asian Buffet and then back to the training ground for another 3 hour session. After a day of “intense” training, we went to watch a Boavista football match and then headed back to the hotel for a relaxed dinner. Portugal Football Tour On the 25th of October, the A, B and C football teams made their way to Gatwick airport for an exciting 5-day trip to Porto. DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 The third day was our 2nd Matchday. We started off the morning with the usual breakfast at the hotel, and since we had time to spend, we were able to spend the morning at a really nice nearby beach. The coaches had also selflessly planned a bowling game inside the hotel for us before the match as well, which was also really nice. After going to the beach and bowling, we still had more time to spare, so some of us put the hotel’s facilities to use. The hotel itself consisted of a pool table, table tennis, dance floor alongside other outdoor activities as well (and the bowling alley of course). At around 4pm, we got on the team coach and made our way to the second collection of pitches to play our matches against another branch of Porto’s academies, Dragon Force Penafiel FC. Once we arrived at the pitch - which was also in the mountains - we were met with beautiful scenery and packed stands of village elders banging their drums. As usual, the C team kicked off first against the underaged opposition. With goals from William Law, Keyaan Loukam, Charlie Trigg (who was playing for the C team striker temporarily but he usually plays GK for the As) and Reuben Ashiagbor, the C team remained undefeated producing a 5:1 win. The B team game kicked off right after, and displayed nothing but pure passion, heart and love for the game against their u13 rivals, the B team bagged 5 goals ; the goalscorers on the scoresheet being Kovidh Grewal, Henry Moseling, William Law (subbed on for the Bs) Daniel Smith and Barnaby Yates. Finally, the A team game came around. The As started off strong, and put up 5 goals by: Tani Jegede, James King and Jacob Lau by half-time. The second half started the same way, with James King securing a hat-trick to bring the score to about 6-0. Somehow, things took a turn for the worst, and Mr Picket - clearly not happy
8 DAY 5 On the 5th day, we left the hotel and went to get a really nice full tour of Porto’s stadium where we had lunch from a lovely viewpoint at the top of the stadium. We then got a tour of the stadium’s VIP section, and then the club museum. Lastly, we got an opportunity to buy any souvenirs from the club’s clubshop before we headed to the aiport to catch our flight home. T Ibrahim DAY 4 The 4th day was a lot more relaxed, following a fun night of room key issues (not the hotel’s fault), mattress theft and heartfelt conversations. Once again, we started the day with breakfast at the hotel and then headed off to train for another 3 hours at Porto training grounds with the Porto coaches. We then revisited the Asian Buffet again and with some time to spare before the next training session, we were allowed to explore the shops and streets of Porto. We then headed back to the training ground for another 3 hour training session before going back to the hotel to prepare for our departure the following day. with the standard of football being put on display - subbed on the Ibrahim Tawfiq at striker to prevent the opposition from somehow scoring 7 goals in the next 10 minutes. Despite this, no activity was brought about by the striker in the first 9 minutes, and the opposition still held a great threat. Just before the game ended, he somehow managed to nimbly turn the 11 year old defender marking him and drew a penalty in the last few seconds of the game. With the last kick of the game, Salah 2.0 slotted it in the bottom left corner and the shirt had come off, sparking wild scenes in the crowd and the rest of the squad, securing a 7-0 win. With some of us in tears of joy and others in tears of sadness, the boys got back on the coach, with a quick stop at the local Lidl, unbeaten on tour and ready for another night of noise complaints. Trips
9 DAY 1 Archaeological Museum, Naples Today was the start to this amazing trip. We met at Judd early in preparation for our flight. We sped through the airport with little to no trouble and arrived at the gate ready to board our flight to Naples. Having arrived, we boarded our coach to the centre of the city, which took us first to the Archaeological Museum. It was an amazing experience, seeing statues of many figures we had studied. After the museum we made our way to our hotel in Sorrento. The driver took us on a very scenic route, which allowed us to have many views of the coast. Having checked in, we had some free time to get settled into our rooms and explore the hotel a bit more. The hotel and the food were both great. Although we were tired after the early start and all the travelling, we were looking forward to the next few days. We started the day with a continental breakfast in the dining room, and then made sure to gather as much water as possible before getting another bus to the ancient city of Pompeii. Upon arrival we admired the remnants of what survived the eruption of Vesuvius. We visited the amphitheatre and the fora which were still very well DAY 3 Mount Vesuvius and Herculaneum We began our day with a visit to Mount Vesuvius.The ascent to the crater was tiring but astonishing, with beautiful views over the Bay of Naples. We met with our guide Raphaelo, who taught us about the eruption that buried Pompeii and Herculaneum. It was surreal to think about the immense force of nature. We soon descended and travelled to Herculaneum in the afternoon.The wellpreserved frescoes and mosaics were key to showing how the Romans lived. One of the most haunting moments was seeing the boathouses where the skeletal remains of citizens were found.They had tried to flee, but were overtaken by the eruption. Seeing their final moments frozen in time was deeply moving and made the tragedy feel incredibly real. DAY 2 Pompei preserved after almost 2000 years. We continued to walk through the streets which had been carefully planned out by the Romans. The city itself was split into about 10 regions, made up of insulae (‘blocks’). After stopping for lunch, we continued to walk around Pompeii, seeing other attractions such as the house of Caecilius, a name known by all Judd students. After visiting some more villae and buying some ice cream to cool us down, we headed back. We went down to the beach for a swim, and had dinner, after which we played some games for a couple hours before turning in. Classics Trip Italy Trips
Trips DAY 4 Capr i 10X and 10Y 10 DAY 5 Rome: Trajan’s column, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain We started in the morning ready to move on to Rome. After arriving at our new hotel, we walked into Rome, visiting Trajan’s Column and Market. We admired the architecture behind the Pantheon, the largest unsupported concrete dome in Europe containing an ‘oculus’ (eye) in the centre. We then had some free time to walk around the Trevi Fountain before returning to the hotel and going out for dinner in the evening. was large sheets of fabric would have been set up over the spectators to provide shade, managed by sailors. Then, we went up to the first floor. The view of the vast arena was a truly incredible experience. We took some pictures and moved on to our next destination - the Palatine Hill. We learnt a bit about the Palatine Hill, and about Emperor Augustus, who originally developed it. He led a surprisingly modest lifestyle, which would later give way to the decadence of future emperors. We then saw the Circus Maximus, the largest stadium in Ancient Rome, used for chariot racing. Our next stop after the Palatine Hill was the Roman Forum. There was a lot to see: temples, courts and columns. The most memorable of these points of interest were certainly the Arch of Titus, built to honour the victories of Titus and Vespasian in Judaea, and the Temple of Vesta. After lunch, we headed to our final sight of the day: the Capitoline Museums. We had an hour to tour around and explore the vast collection. Despite the many well-known works on display, the highlight was a balcony with a grand, sweeping view across the whole Roman Forum. It was the perfect way to round off such a fun and busy day. After an early start, we left our luggage in the hotel's lounge and headed off to our first destination, the Ara Pacis (‘Altar of Peace’), built in 9BC by Augustus and the Roman Senate to celebrate his achievement of peace in the Roman Empire. Next, we walked around Piazza Navona, originally a stadium, built by Domitian, where contests were held. We had lunch at a delicious authentic Italian Pizzeria. Finally, we made our way to Ostia, Rome’s ancient port at the mouth of the river Tiber. It had a very important role during the Roman period, as goods arrived here to be taken to other cities. After an hour of exploring Ostia, we were given a challenge to take a photo in a Mithraeum, an underground temple, and bring it back to the teacher to earn a well-deserved ice cream. Finally, we made our way back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and hopped on the coach taking us to the airport. We quickly made it through, and explored the airport, before finding a restaurant where we all bought steaks as our last meal in Italy, to end a trip we will never forget. DAY 6 Rome: Colosseum, Palat ine Hi l l , Roman Forum, Capi tol ine Museums DAY 7 Ara Pacis , Ost ia Ant ica We set off for the Colosseum, ready for our busiest day yet. Although we arrived on time, the dense crowds of tourists gathered outside made it a long wait. Once in though, Mrs Hargreaves told us all about the amphitheatre and the events that would take place there. One particularly interesting fact We woke up early and made our way to Sorrent’s Port, for our ferry to Capri. We arrived in Capri at around 9, and boarded a funicular train up the mountainous terrain of Capri. Next, we started a long walk up to the ancient House of Jovis ( Jupiter).This historic building was one of Emperor Tiberius' several palaces on the island, overlooking the Mediterranean. We then made our way back into Capri town, and were given some free time to explore. After pizza for lunch, we returned to Sorrento and got to walk through the markets there. After some time discovering the town, we went back to the hotel to enjoy our final night in Sorrento, before heading up to Rome.
Trips 11 On the 23rd of April, Year 9 classicists were given the opportunity to explore the Roman city of Bath (also known by the Latin name Aquae Sulis), specifically its famous baths. As soon as we arrived (after a 3 hour journey), we were treated to the unique architecture of the city; the buildings' compactness and small size was a result of the haste of the Romans to create a city centred around the spiritual qualities of Minerva. The schedule for the day involved two study sessions, with a museum visit separating them. In the first session, we were supplied with Roman artefacts, diagrams and extracts, allowing us to deduce much about the town’s rich culture and history. In particular, we focused on trade, worship, bathing rituals and architecture. Using these sources, we were asked to draw an opinion on the uniqueness of the town and to discuss our opinions with others in the room. After the first session, we were provided with an audio guide and were allowed to explore the museum; rich details in the guide combined with the fascinating artefacts and visuals allowed students to truly immerse themselves in the town’s culture.The museum itself was designed by Victorians when the baths were opened for public viewing in 1809.They also added viewing platforms and added extra supports to conserve this exhibition of Roman history. At the end of the tour, we were given the opportunity to taste the spring water beneath Bath; though most people agreed it was an acquired taste, it was an enjoyable experience. To finish the trip, we reconvened at the study centre for a recap of our discoveries following our trip to the museum. We then began to analyse tomb-stones and their inscriptions, which (after we translated them) allowed us to apply our previous knowledge and deduce their life styles. To conclude, Bath held opportunities for all the students to truly appreciate the depth of its culture and history, a trip well worth the seven hour journey time. B Heard On Thursday the 20th of March this year, a small group of classics students from Year 10 upwards travelled to the Benenden School to participate in a Classics Symposium. This was the inaugural gathering and had groups from various other schools from around Kent. However, we provided one of the largest contingents. We were greeted by a selection of various refreshments before being ushered to take a look at the ‘Reimagining the Classics Exhibition’ - a selection of imaginative creations showing different ways to look at the Ancient World. Among them were a selection of humourous ‘mythical hero at the psychiatrists' scripts and The Iliad Top Trumps from our own sixth form. After an opening address it was time for the first talk of the day - from Marina Pavlidou Elamin (a PhD student in the Department of Greek and Latin at University College London) on ‘Sappho and Epic Poetry’. After a quick break we had the first student presentation carousel - I found myself in Cloister 6 where some students from the Maidstone Grammar School spoke about the ‘Dark Ages of Greece’ before A. Smith - from Judd’s Year 12 - spoke enthrallingly about ‘The Themes of the Odyssey in the 21st Century’. It was then time for lunch - which was simply marvelous (the joys of a private education). A very nice chicken curry with all the trimmings was washed down by a ‘Benenden Brownie’ and cream. All of which was consumed in their lovely Rose Garden - not a cloud in the sky. We then listened to Maddy Warrens (former Benenden student going to Cambridge next year) on The Benenden School CLASSICS SYMPOSIUM ...continued next page Y9 Bath Trip
We left the lay-by at 9.30, on our way to London City Airport. Security there took hours, despite frequent signs informing us that the airport had the ‘fastest security experience in the country’! After enduring that, however, we were free to board our small airliner to Frankfurt. We met our exchange partners in the airport, and I was soon swiftly on my way to my temporary (but lovely) home. After a relaxed first evening, it was a bright and early - if slightly bleary-eyed - 5:30 AM start for me for our first day in the Adolf Reichwein Gymnasium. German school was certainly an experience: although their lessons are 90 minutes long, they only have a few every day, often going home at 1 o’clock.That day, we were also treated to a scavenger hunt across Heusenstamm; I’ll admit it doesn’t sound too interesting at first glance, but my group had a lot of fun asking for directions and immersing ourselves in the German way of life. At the very least, no-one complained - we would have otherwise spent the time immersing ourselves in a German Literature class! Wednesday brought more lessons in the Gymnasium; despite PE being cancelled, there was some consolation in the fact that I was beginning to understand snippets of what was being taught in lessons - as strange as it seems, that was probably the most rewarding part of the exchange. On top of that, we got a lovely reception from the Deputy Mayor at the town’s Rathaus where we also sampled some German sweets. I confess that they were good enough that I took advantage of a few empty seats next to me to snag extras! After a showing of the school’s professional and intricate observatory, we rounded off the day with pizza in the school canteen. I then spent an interesting evening learning my Frau Lambertmandated 10 daily German words from Fiona (my exchange partner); some favourites included Morgenmuffel (an antonym to morning person), Torschlusspanik (fear of missing out) and Geistesblitz (lightbulb moment). On Thursday, we spent a day exploring Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a small town in the neighbouring state of Bavaria. After an informative city tour, we were set free in groups to wreak havoc on the peaceful Rothenburgers, although I personally limited myself to exhausting my cash reserves on a toy sword and challenging my friends to duels.The evening was a sleepy one, and after the requisite words were learnt, it was time to hit the deck before our final day of lessons. Friday was uneventful, but by no means uninteresting: I spent the day attempting to keep up with German Geography and History. Although I’m sure the full effect of the lesson was lost on me, it did result in a few new words added to the book (Quellwasser and Imperialismus). A surprising highlight was Maths, where due to the earlier age the English go to school, we managed to put up a good fight with German word problems in pythagoras and basic trigonometry (after some quick translation from our partners, of course). After that, Saturday was spent doing a windy, but beautiful boat tour on the Main through the centre of Frankfurt; a surprisingly captivating and green city despite its status as a port and industrial hub. After this, we were let loose once again - this time for some shopping and a sampling of German Starbucks (just as good as the English one, you will be pleased to hear).The following two days won’t represent everyone’s experience, so I won’t detail it here, but I will say it involved some introductory time travel and close encounters with cows: I certainly enjoyed every minute, and from what I’ve heard from everyone else, those weekends were just as fun. However, all good things must come to an end, and this one did so with an early flight out of Frankfurt Airport. We returned home with heavy hearts at leaving, but full of renewed vigour for learning German. My (and the whole group’s) greatest thanks must go to Frau Lambert, whose Herculean efforts in getting a group of teenagers to a foreign country and back in one piece cannot go unrecognised (with the same naturally going for Herr Jackson). I would like to extend just as German Exchange - German Leg Trips 12 ‘Four Forgotten Women who helped shape Roman history’ and Charlotte James (former Benenden student at Cambridge) on ‘How did Rome acquire an overseas empire in the 1st-3rd centuries BC’. It was then time for the second student carousel - where I delivered my own sublime talk on the ‘Roman Civil Service’ which was very well received. For our final talk of the day we had Dr Alexia PetsalisDiomidis (from the University of St. Andrews) on ‘Living with the Classics’ - a fascinating piece on how academics, researchers and enthusiasts interact with the Ancient World today. After a closing address we returned back to Judd then home. I wish to express my strongest thanks to Benenden school for putting it on (particularly Dr Walker), all the speakers (experts and students) as well as our own teachers for making our participation possible. J Wood
During lunch break on the 23rd of June myself and another 30 to 40, if I were to estimate, students waited eagerly by the Judd gates where we would soon meet our partners for another week of new experiences and as I look back at them, amazing Memories. On Tuesday, we took a trip to Canterbury where we went punting down a beautiful stream. On the trip my partner (Lisa) had the scare of her life when we went through a tunnel which had walls lined with cobwebs and spider egg sacs. After the boat ride we went through considering where we would go for lunch. We concluded with George and his partner Fiona that we would go to an Asian restaurant. This ended up being the highlight of my trip as it was the first time we were able to all go out together since we were in Frankfurt 2 weeks earlier. After our amazing meal we explored Canterbury Cathedral where we learnt about the development of the Cathedral and why certain areas have different architectural designs. On our return to Tonbridge, despite how tired we were, I dragged Lisa to the local park where we met up with a huge crowd of exchange students and their partners. Wednesday was a rather dull day for Lisa as it was her first experience of what English school is like, so by the end of it she was exhausted. During the school day she had German twice in the morning, which unsurprisingly she found amazing. Our lunch break on the days the Germans were at Judd started at 12:30, which for me and Lisa meant we could escape our Physics lesson after ten minutes. In the afternoon, we were both shattered so we spent the rest of the day watching movies, without any energy or will to do anything else. For Thursday, Lisa and I were treated with a late start, convening at Judd for the bus at 9:30 - amazing! We took a journey, which I thought would never end, to the Harry Potter studios which in one word was magical.The first thing on our agenda there was to take part in a lesson which explained how sound is added in movies.The lesson was very eye opening and I won’t forget my group's dreadful attempt at adding sound effects to the scene of the troll in the girls’ bathroom. Afterwards, Lisa and I explored the studios where we were hit with incredible nostalgia from all the sets - especially when walking through Gringotts Bank. As a whole Harry Potter studios was amazing and brought back amazing memories from when I watched the films when I was younger. Worth the 4 hours on the coach! On Friday, we were split from our partners for them to go to the Royal Mews and for me to have Sports day. From what Lisa told me she found the Royal Mews interesting yet tiring, as a result of how long they were on their feet for. The weather on Friday was amazing and made a great day for sports day. For Lisa however, the weather just made it worse for her when walking around London. However, she was pleased to be reunited with me at the station and I’m sure she enjoyed me explaining to her all the events of my sports day! As George has already stated, what everyone did over the weekend varies so I’ll also keep my account of the weekend short. To summarise, I introduced Lisa to my refereeing - where she willingly endured an hour of under 11s football. We also showed her the English coast at Eastbourne, where Lisa really enjoyed the beach - having not seen the sea for years! Monday was another school day which went by like a blur.The afternoon was rather sad. It would be me and Lisa’s last afternoon for a long time. She spent a lot of it thanking my parents for their hospitality and sharing how she had such an amazing time. Tuesday was a very depressing day for it being the last day we would see our partners for some time and marked the end of the German Exchange, which I can easily say was the best trip I have been on.The memories I made I know I won’t forget and that made sending our partners off very sad. When saying our goodbyes outside the gates of Judd, you could see every emotion which was beautiful. Overall, the German Exchange was a once in a lifetime experience that will stay fondly in my heart forever. G Stevens German Exchange - English Leg much gratitude to the lovely Fiona and her family for their no less significant efforts in keeping me fed, watered, and happy for 9 days. They really were the best exchange family I could have asked for! Going on the German Exchange was an incredible and unique experience, both for my German and for my personal growth, and I wasn’t the only one. I doubt anyone with me on that trip did not make at least one lasting friend or memory, and I can’t wait to see what the English leg will bring! G Yakovlev Trips 13
Going into the French Exchange, I had no idea what to expect. Of course I had never stayed in a stranger's house before; let alone in a foreign country. The thought of it did scare me, but I was also excited for the adventure and the memories I would make along the way. We departed London Gatwick Airport in the late afternoon of the 26th of March after a long wait in the terminal.The mood on approach to Bordeaux was one of apprehension and excitement. After landing, we made our way to baggage claim where we posed for a group photo.This would mark the final moment together before going off to our exchange’s houses for the house. Making our way towards the exit, we walked out to a round of applause from our exchanges and their families. It was at this moment, I realised there was nothing to worry about. After an introduction to our homes and families and, for me, a meal from McDonald’s, we all met up at the school the next day with a spring in our step.The school was old but charming, with a central courtyard where games such as football and basketball could be played. We had a tour of the school by former exchange students from Judd in Bordeaux then walked to Jardin Public (the local park) to eat our lunch.This park would be a staple for playing football and volleyball in. Almost every day, after our activities, we all met up here to play and chat about the day. We were then given a tour of the city of Bordeaux and given some free time to explore with our exchanges. The next day, however, was even better. We took a coach down to the Bassin d’Arcachon where we visited a museum about oysters and learnt how they were harvested. After this, we travelled to the Dune du Pilat; the highlight of the trip. After a strenuous climb up the dune, we had lunch and then played sports like football and rugby with our exchanges. Other activities included burying people in the sand and racing down the dune.The views of Cap Ferret and the Bay of Biscay were beautiful and the weather was perfect. Finally, we returned home, prepared for the weekend to come. The weekend consisted of many funfilled activities such as boat rides on Bassin d’Arcachon, visiting the zoo, spending time with our exchange’s family, going bowling at midnight and, for one lucky person, a trip to the Pyrenees to go skiing! Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the weekend with their exchanges and their families; however seeing our English friends again was very much appreciated after only speaking in French. We were all excited for another week of activities. On Monday, we visited Château Cantenac, a family run winery near Saint Emilion, and learned about and tried their wine.Then we continued onto Saint Emilion itself and enjoyed the picturesque view of the quaint town; had a tour of the Monolithic church and even made friends with a lizard. On Tuesday, we travelled to Bassin des Lumieres, a former submarine base turned into a digital arts centre.The displays included fields of interest like Ancient Egypt and nature. After that we visited the Darwin Urban ecosystem for a skateboard lesson. For me, this was my first time on a skateboard but the instructor was very patient and clear, allowing me to kind of master the skill. Wednesday included a boat ride to the Cite du Vin, a huge wine museum with interactive exhibits teaching us about wine. In the afternoon, we played monopoly across the city with both our French and English friends.Thursday was filled with a trip to an illusions museum and a barbecue with our families and friends. The next day we had to say goodbye to our families. For some it was emotional, others were excited for the English Leg but nevertheless, everyone had enjoyed it. After a lengthy delay in the relatively small Bordeaux, we set off at midnight and arrived home to our families eagerly awaiting at the airport. Y10 French Exchange - French Leg B Heard Trips 14
Y10 French Exchange English Leg As a student of the French exchange, the experience had some of the best days of my life. Everyday would be a new adventure I looked forward to and not only was it beneficial, it practically saved my French End of Year exams! For me the best day on the English Leg was when we all went to Camden Town in London. Once we arrived we were allowed to have some free time with our exchanges and explore the town. I believe this was one of the days I really strengthened my relationship with my exchange partners. To begin, we all went to KFC and had some lunch because we were starving but nonetheless we didn’t need a lot to enjoy this trip. All we needed was each other's company. I was super excited for the trip as I finally was able to see my exchange after so long. After eating we went to the nearby park and took a great group photo with all of us, with no awkwardness since it genuinely felt like we knew each other our whole lives. Afterwards we all returned back to the school and we ended up going out in Tonbridge since one of my friends had brought a rugby ball. Now I was surprised that the French wanted to join in on the game but without a second glance we let them have a try and surprisingly they were really good at rugby. It didn't matter whether they were boys or girls, they all had that look on their face that showed freedom and carefreeness that they haven't felt before. I was delighted to see everyone was enjoying themselves and that they didn’t have to think about their return to France. Before Camden Town, we went to Canterbury on Tuesday and it was a very pleasing experience. I thought it was going to be boring but then when we left the house on the way to school, I saw that beaming sun glowing on the shining road and knew it was going to be a good day. Firstly, we arrived at Canterbury West after a long train ride and walked to the punting tour which was near the station. And now, I can't forget this moment, before we got onto the little punts, I saw my friend barely skim the water and fall into the punt! It made me laugh so loud and people thought I was laughing at nothing because he denied it after. Luckily for me, my exchange saw it too and assured me that I was actually right. Nonetheless we climbed onto the punt and began the tour. Now I didn’t know what to expect as I had only found out what a punting tour was just moments before but it most definitely didn’t disappoint as we went through the wall with a bunch of spiders in which flocks of pigeons were lingering around. By the time we finished the tour, we were very hungry and were starting to become tired but our teachers had other plans where we went to the nearby pub and had one of the best chicken burgers we have ever tasted. Now it wasn't about the food or the places we went that made this trip amazing, but it was the new people I had met and shared a home with for a total of 17 days that I had gotten much closer with and even now after so long I still speak to them whether its on text or phone and, if all goes well, I would love to plan a trip to Bordeaux and see my peers once more and I will know I have achieved something great knowing I have friends in another country so far from me. Even if I don't see them for a long time, nothing will change the connection between us. M Ilijevski Trips 15
Twas a rather cloudless day when 32 A-level Geographers set off for Betwys-y-Coed in Snowdonia.This set the precedent for a week of splendid weather and productive fieldwork, for the most part. After a riveting six hours on the coach and a stop at a subpar service station (meaning one with no M&S or Waitrose), we arrived at the Field Studies Council’s Rhyd-yCreuau, which endured a succession of pronunciations scarcely recognisable to its true form. We settled into our rooms, as much as one could, before attending an introductory classroom session - one of many to come. Dinner followed, which many of us were pleasantly surprised by over the course of the week, perhaps given various presentiments within the group. It was ‘lights out’ at 11, with great anticipation for the first full day of fieldwork. Unlike most students’ typical Saturday, we set off for Criccieth (not far from the Black Rock Sands) to be involved in fieldwork relevant to the ‘Coasts’ section of the specification. Methodology broadly followed that of the GCSE Pett Level day: a bipolar analysis of different management strategies that had been implemented along the coastline, a beach profile to assess the gradient of the beach, and sediment analysis to support findings. Saturday also marked the beginning of a tea tasting competition led by myself and two other students, and planned entirely with consideration of the Globalisation topic (and during lessons on this unit). We were joined by Mrs Emmerson and Ms Yarham, with each participant bringing with them a variety of tea types.The first round was a classic earl grey head-to-head. Arguments prior to the competition were rendered useless when Ms Yarham’s Ahmad Tea, originally to be thought nothing of, came out of the votes as a clear winner. Rounds two and three were postponed, however, due to injuries sustained from ‘too-hot tea’. Day three commenced on site, gathering data relevant to the ‘Water Cycle’ topic. We later set off for Llanrwst in order to assess the flood risk management strategies across the town, performing a bipolar analysis of various forms of flood management infrastructure, including culverts, levees, and a dutch dam. As is fieldwork tradition, a land use survey was created (which never helps to relieve the subject’s widespread reputation for involving nothing but ‘colouring in’), with all students contributing through GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping software.The evening consolidation session involved familiarisation with GIS to present this data in various exciting ways. Day four’s fieldwork took place in the coastal tourist town of Llandudno, known for its High Street’s once 2% unit vacancy rate, and the unique presence of goats in the town.The day was characterised by the rather obscure and unfamiliar forms of data collection, such as spatial emotional mapping (using colours and ‘emojis’ as a forms of notation to transcribe feelings at certain sites), smellscapes (using the colloquially known ‘smello-meter’ to note the smells in a place), and non-participant observation (making judgements of a place based on subtle observations of people within the place). Despite the very chilly start to the day and a subsequent lack of motivation, there were many interesting interactions, including stand-offs with guitar-wielding citizens, incredible photos with the so-called ‘Monkey Man’, and a fascinating dancing woman. Tuesday took us to Llanberis, a historic mining town with increasing adventure tourism prospects, with the aim of understanding the concepts of regeneration and rebranding. After learning about the impact of the Dinorwig Slate Quarry (which should ring a bell for anyone taking Geography at GCSE) on the town, a ‘brand’ was delegated to each group. My group received ‘food’, which we then had to collect data for in various forms to be able to present a conclusion to the rest of the group once back in the classroom. That evening, following a few days of injury-tending, the second round of tea-tasting could take place. Round two was primarily a Darjeeling round, a subtle-tasting tea that was new to most involved. Yet again, this was won by Ms Yarham’s Ahmad tea, beating the likes of British Airways’ Birchall, the local Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Co., and PG Tips. The penultimate day of fieldwork was a fairly relaxed day after quite a rigorous week thus far.The day was spent walking around Cwm Idwal and considering the nostalgic glacial processes last encountered at GCSE level. Following a beautiful drive, we were met with clear skies and a beautiful view over the tarn and down through the valley, which was later accompanied by a pair of F-16 fighter jets flying the Mach Loop. We finished Trips 16 GEOGRAPHY SNOWDONIA FIELDWORK
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