School_Matters_Issue_35

IBSTOCK PLACE SENIOR SCHOOL ISSUE 35, 12/2021

SCHOOL MATTERS

Physical Challenge

Derek Paravicini

Identity Week Debates, which took place in the Library at lunchtimes, included the motions “This House believes that PE/Games should be mixed-gender”

Dr Nikesh Shukla

IDENTITY WEEK 2021 During IPS Identity Week pupils learned about a diverse range of personal stories and experiences. For some, those stories will have resonated with aspects of their own lives; for others it was a chance to listen and learn and to understand that all human beings share a need for respect, kindness and the support of friends and family. We thank all our contributors.

a collection of essays titled The Good Immigrant in response to an increasingly hostile public discourse towards people of colour. A traumatic racist incident on a train had a profound effect on him. The Boxer , his 2019 Young Adult book, is a story for those who might find themselves a victim of racism. He warned us not to dismiss the hurt people feel when they are the targets of racist, sexist or homophobic slurs. His talk utterly gripped his audience. On Friday, in celebration of Neurodiversity, blind autistic savant and musical prodigy Derek Paravacini visited us with Professor of Music, Adam Ockelford. Derek’s extraordinary musical gifts – he is able to play any music after a single hearing – have been nurtured by Professor Ockelford for over 30 years. Mrs Catherine McBride, Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

to support their friends by championing equality and calling out discrimination. On Tuesday, the theme was Physical Challenge. Groups of pupils participated in exciting games of wheelchair basketball. Later, the whole school listened to Henry Fraser on Zoom. A promising athlete, Henry suffered a devastating spinal cord injury at 17, but has since become an accomplished mouth painter and author. He advised us to support others who might be going through difficult events in their lives. It was the love of his friends and family that gave him the strength to continue his journey. On Heritage Wednesday, pupils heard from author, screenwriter, and journalist Dr Nikesh Shukla. In 2016 he wrote

On Pride Monday, four young volunteers from the LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us spoke to Senior 8 – PVI pupils about the isolation and difficulties they had experienced coming to terms with their sexuality or gender and finding acceptance from family, friends and wider society. They reminded us that members of the LGBTQ+ community are unique individuals, not stereotypes and encouraged pupils

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PRIZE GIVING SUBJECT PRIZE WINNERS AND UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS

Sue Parsons Award for Service to School, French and Spanish Aniela Marks Delgado, Head Girl University of St Andrews French and Spanish

Sue Parsons Award for Service to School Barney Mortimore, Head Boy University of Bath Politics with Economics

Maurice Finnan Award for Service to School Claudia Murray Cors University of Edinburgh Biological Sciences (Biochemistry)

Art and Mandarin Lexi Crisp University of Leeds Chinese (Modern)

Biology Louis Titchen University of Oxford Biochemistry (Molecular and Cellular)

Business and Management Toby Groome University of Bath Accounting with Finance

Chemistry Percy Scott Imperial College Chemistry

Classical Civilisation Max Palmer LSE History

Drama and English Literature Finn Moore Durham University English Literature and History

Economics, Geography and the Keith Birch Extended Project Olivia Daniels University of Cambridge Economics

Further Mathematics Dylan Hunter University of Cambridge Mathematics

History Benedict Daws Durham University History

History of Art and Music Veronica Boyle Durham University Music

Latin Luke Martin Durham University Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations

Mathematics Ria Purdie

University of Manchester Business Accounting with Industrial/Professional Experience

Physics Edoardo Campione University of Oxford Engineering

Psychology Chiara Mansour University of Manchester Social Anthropology

Religious Studies Tilly Bogoni UCL French and Italian

Outstanding Contribution to School Sport Kate Mitchell University of Bristol International Business Management with Study Abroad

Outstanding Contribution to School Sport Tobias Ross University of Bath International Management and Modern Languages – Spanish

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PRIZE GIVING This year’s Prize Giving, Mr Christopher Wolsey’s first as Headmaster, took place in the Sports Hall with a much reduced audience as a result of social distancing measures. While the parents of prize-winners and UVI leavers were given priority for attendance, a professionally produced live stream of the event had been arranged both for pupils watching from Tutor bases across the School as well as to those pupils and parents viewing from home or workplace. The running order of the

reminded the audience of the School’s ‘Three Cs’ – curriculum, context and culture – and proposed a fourth: community. The centrality of community “to who we are and what we can become” had been foregrounded as never before through the many challenges of the pandemic, he explained. Invoking President Franklin D Roosevelt’s assertion that “a calm sea does not a skilled sailor make”, Mr Wolsey reflected on the strengths derived from steering a course through the many difficulties of the last year. This process had accentuated our awareness of, and engagement with, our community, to mutual benefit. He praised the efforts of pupils, parents, staff and governors to help and support one another and went on to stress the School’s energy going forward, its commitment to wellbeing and ongoing dialogue with all its stakeholders. What lay ahead was growth underpinned by self-reflection. Highlighting IPS’s growing footprint in the local community, Mr Wolsey paid tribute to Miss Rhead, Director of Outreach and Partnerships [see pp. 9-12 – Ed.] and all the pupils involved: “The positive difference we make to the lives of others is really what defines us.” Thanking current and departing staff for their contribution and commitment – including Mrs Marshall’s retirement from the role of SMT Secretary after 18 years’ service to the School – Mr Wolsey also celebrated his predecessor, Mrs Sylvester-Johnson: “She is the true colossus of Ibstock Place School, it is she who has driven the development of this extraordinary school and to whom we owe an enormous debt of gratitude.”

The Headmaster

Commitment to community is something that Ms Anderson, whether as an MP, a Wandsworth councillor or Head of Community Services at the Katherine Low Settlement in Battersea, has demonstrated so impressively in her professional life. In her address prior to presenting the prizes and awards, she had two main pieces of advice to offer leavers. The first was: “Join in with your community.” The second: “Have courage”. Here, she drew on examples of time spent volunteering during the Bosnian war in Serbia in the mid-1990s, several years spent bringing up a family of four in Kenya, and (perhaps most daunting of all?) seeking selection to become an MP. It was an inspiring morning that celebrated individual achievement as well as community togetherness, strength and resilience through adversity. Ms Anderson quoted Maya Angelou’s perceptive observation: “You may not control all the events around you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” We thank her so much for being our guest speaker this year.

Fleur Anderson, MP

programme was adjusted so that the entertainment preceded rather than followed the presentation of prizes. These changes notwithstanding, the warmth of applause in the hall during the ceremony was as great as ever, despite the fewer hands expressing it, and the quality of entertainment was superb. Congratulations to Veronica Boyle, UVI, Francesca Chittenden, S7, Charlotte Sanderson, S10, Rosie Wright, PVI and Max Eastland-Park, UVI on their singing and playing. [Indeed, Veronica had only days earlier been awarded a Distinction in her Singing ABRSM Diploma: outstanding! – Ed.] It was with great pleasure that Mr Wolsey welcomed our Guest Speaker Ms Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, Roehampton and Southfields. Ms Anderson had visited IPS a few weeks previously when she kindly agreed to meet members of the Sixth Form studying Politics. Mr Wolsey

The House Captains of Brearley House collect this year’s Richard Hastie-Smith Trophy

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IPS ALUMNUS APPOINTED EDUCATION SECRETARY

Alex Hooper, LVI

Ryan Jones (OI, 2017)

The appointment of the Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP to the position of Secretary of State for Education on 15 September 2021 brought Ibstock Place School into the media spotlight as one of his former schools. Indeed, another former pupil of the school, Dr Daisy Dunn [who we were delighted to welcome back as Prize Giving Speaker in 2018 – Ed.] wrote an article for the Daily Telegraph which featured this pedigree in the new minister’s educational background. In it, she described the development of IPS and explained that the young Nadhim had come to Britain in 1976, aged nine, after his family fled Saddam Hussein in Iraq. He was schooled at IPS until the age of 16.

ENGINEERING TRIUMPHS FOR IPS PUPILS PAST AND PRESENT Former Head Boy Ryan Jones (OI, 2017), who graduated from the University of Oxford this year with a 1st in Engineering Sciences, has now been recruited by Deloitte. This is a tremendous achievement and we wish him all the best for every future professional success. Building on Ryan’s terrific news, we learned within the same week that Alexander Hooper, LVI had won a two-year Arkwright Engineering Scholarship. Alex had to sit a series of interviews and submit a detailed application to secure this prestigious award, which is widely respected by academia and industry. It comprises a £600 cash prize, access for Alex to enrichment events and opportunities through the Smallpeice [sic] Trust and his sponsor, the RAF Air Cadets, and he will also be able to apply for the Arkwright Undergraduate Engineering Scholarship. IPS is also delighted to be a beneficiary of the award to the tune of £400 and will donate its prize money to the School’s nominated charity. IPS is an ‘Arkwright School’ and, as part of IPS’s service to the community, Mr Kerr, Head of Physics, was involved in a full day of interviews for its charitable programme.

The Secretary of State for Education is responsible for the work of the Department for Education including, amongst other things, early years, teacher recruitment and retention, the school curriculum and school improvement. We wish Nadhim Zahawi every success in his new post.

© Creative Commons

SCHOOL CERTIFICATE IN PHILOSOPHY For the second year now, a cohort of self-selecting pupils embarked on a philosophy project in order to attain the School Certificate in Philosophy offered by the New College of the Humanities; the university founded by eminent contemporary philosopher A C Grayling. After some preliminary sessions covering the salient ideas of the pre-Socratics, Plato, Aristotle and Descartes, pupils chose a philosophical title and then undertook independent research. Topics which were favoured this year included personhood (‘Am I the same person I was when I was born?’ ‘What makes you, you?’); aesthetics (‘What is beauty?’); ontology (‘Are soulmates real?’ ‘What is love?’), different types of cognitive bias (‘Why do we believe what we want to believe?’); Just War theory (‘Is war justifiable?’); and the nature of belief (‘What makes our beliefs real?’). Perhaps the most intriguing title was from Emma Cortinovis, S10: ‘If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ This explored philosophical ideas surrounding perception and also the extent to which we are affected by events from which we feel far removed. Impressively, Emma also produced a 20-minute mini-documentary to accompany her essay.

From left to right: Natasha Hymans, S10, Pippa Maby, S10, Emma Cortinovis, S10, Laura Ortiz Sobrevia, S10, Yeva Kebabdjian, S10, Katrina Shone, S8, Raya Grayde, S9, Jasmine Dent, S8, Igor Elmanov, S9.

All of the pupils are to be congratulated on their independent learning, not least because they started the sessions remotely, and for their intellectual creativity and curiosity. The experience of undertaking self-starting work should serve them well as they go on to use similar skills for endeavours such as HPQ, EPQ, dissertations, and, indeed, in their intellectual lives beyond school. Mr Nic Walker, Gibbins Tutor

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SHINE SCHOOL MEDIA AWARDS 2021 After triumphing for IPS in this national competition once again earlier this year, four members of The Wall editorial team represented School at The Shine Media Awards. These took place in the stunning former library of Guildhall in central London. They write: After inspirational speeches given by previous student winner Vivianne Zhang Wei and the Chairperson of Shine, Alison Strachan, we enjoyed a delicious lunch. At our table, we had engaging conversations about book binding and university decisions with Victoria Mansfield and Alison Strachan. It was then time to collect our awards. We won the categories of ‘Best Magazine’, ‘Best Sustainable Initiative Leading to a Greener Future’, ‘Best Illustration and Artwork’ and ‘Most Inspirational Teacher’. Additionally, we were highly commended in the categories of ‘Best Magazine Cover’, ‘Best Print and Design’, ‘Best Marketing Strategy using Social Media’ and ‘Editor “It is both wide-ranging and personal and deserves the accolade of overall winner for its outstanding coverage, stylish design and honesty” The Shine Judges

Alex, Trinity, Ines and Kirsty with Mr Anderson

“This superbly polished edition deals with ‘Young Minds’ and its theme of mental health has been expertly managed by the editor Alex Mortimer.” The Shine Judges

of the Year’. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate these awards, which are all achievements of the IPS community! We were particularly proud of the ‘Most Inspirational Teacher’ award. Mr Anderson, the magnificent English teacher we all know and love, was our sage leader throughout the production of last year’s edition of The Wall and it gave us great pleasure to see him be recognised for his talents. It takes quite an extraordinary teacher to take a bunch of new Lower Sixth formers and amateur editors and transform them into avid journalists and editors.

In addition, our Editor, Alex Mortimer, was awarded the Terry Mansfield CBE Prize for Tomorrow’s Talent. This award was created as a tribute to one of the founding members of the Shine School Media Awards, Terry Mansfield CBE, who tragically died of coronavirus last year. Alex’s vision of a ‘Young Minds Issue’ for last year’s edition of The Wall really inspired the judges, and so it was fitting that she was awarded this inaugural prize. We congratulate her on winning these impressive accolades and thank her for leading our editorial team so excellently and always striving to change our school community for the better. Going to Guildhall and talking to lots of fascinating people was truly a unique experience for which we are all grateful. We are sure that the current LVI journalists will be back there next year! Alexandra Mortimer (Editor), Kirsty McMillan (Deputy Editor), Trinity Riad and Ines Anoustis

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SUMMER READING PROJECT We challenged Senior 9 pupils to read as many books as possible through the Summer Term, around a theme of their choice. The English Faculty was hugely impressed with the pupils’ enthusiasm and engagement with this term-long initiative. Topic choices were diverse, ranging from Black Lives Matter, to music, animals, war, comedy, thrillers and romance. Pupils also completed a series of reading challenges, such as following authors on social media, building a ‘book nook’ at home, creating an artistic response to a story, writing a musical score, and even baking a cake to represent the narrative! All pupils had the chance to win prizes: the more books they read, the more prizes up for grabs. At the end of the term, pupils submitted portfolios of work containing their reading challenges. We were bowled over by the quality and creativity of submissions.

Our panel of judges had the tough decision of choosing the winners. Well done, Jack Benson, Lydia Cartwright, Darcy Coleman, Hannah Lee, Ciara Murphy and Ema Velasco. Igor Elmanov received the ‘Challenge Award’ for challenging himself the most during the project, reading sophisticated titles around the topic of war and strategy including San Zu’s The Art of War , to which he responded by writing a book review and building a Lego construction to represent the themes of the text. After reading Brian Orend’s War and Political Theory , he had a discussion with a friend about pacifism and wrote a record of it. The prize for the Outstanding Reading Portfolio went to Alina Ahmad who truly impressed. She read an astounding 12 books, all on the topic of race, from Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give , to Robin Walker’s Black History Matters , Becoming by Michelle Obama, and Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam. In addition, the class that read the most titles were rewarded with a very special literary tea party at the end of term, at which they shared their favourite reads with their peers. The theme had to be ‘Harry Potter’! Congratulations to our prize winners and, indeed, to all S9 pupils. The English Faculty has truly enjoyed following your reading journey Dr Anna Cairns, Head of English

Katrina, centre, with runners up Marissa and Suhani

LOCKED DOWN POETS

Deep within the Ibstock Place School archives lies an intriguing anthology of poems, written by pupils who were evacuated from the Froebel Demonstration School, Kensington (as IPS was formerly known) to Dennison House of Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, during the Second World War. In March 2020, the children of Ibstock Place School were faced with their own ‘evacuation’ of sorts, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to shut and pupils to learn remotely from home. During the second lockdown in 2021, the English Faculty ran a House competition, encouraging pupils to write poems about their lockdown experiences. Katrina Shone in Senior 8 was awarded First Prize, while Suhani Sethi, S7 and Marissa Merxhani, S9 were chosen as runners up. Montefiore pupils gained the most points for their House. The English faculty enjoyed reading pupils’ creative responses, some humorous, some sad, and many hopeful. Their work has now been turned into an anthology, a companion to that which was written by the poets of Little Gaddesden.

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TSBA GOES TRANSATLANTIC AT IPS With jumbo book covers hanging on either side of the big screen featuring Senior 7 Ava Thomas’ stunning ‘Only Human’ painting, a gleaming grand piano and dramatic stage lights, the scene was set for this year’s TSBA Award Ceremony.

For the first time in its seven-year history the Award Ceremony was transatlantic, broadcasting as far as Canada. Short- listed authors joined us via Zoom: Kenneth Oppel from Toronto, Sharna Jackson from her houseboat in Rotterdam, Victoria Williamson from Glasgow, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Bali Rai from England. 40 IPS socially distanced pupils formed the live audience and 12 other schools tuned in remotely, along with the School Library Association’s President Richard Gerver, to find out the winner of the 2021 award. Senior 8 pupil Skye Bishop opened the show with a stunning vocal performance and Mr Wolsey delivered a powerful address on how reading has provided comfort during a year of lockdowns, as we turned to the adventures and characters on the page for escape. An entertaining Q & A followed, chaired by Dr Cairns, with questions supplied in advance by

TSBA 2022 Books shortlisted for next year’s award, titled ‘Take Two’ comprise some of the best titles that have been shortlisted previously but not won. They are: Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird Not if I See You First by Eric Lindstrom Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick The Boy Who Lied by Kim Slater The Arrival by Shaun Tan Find them in the Library! the different participating schools. The audience enjoyed insider insights from the authors’ homes ‘where the magic happens’, heard the back stories behind the short-listed titles and received excellent advice for becoming a writer. The best pupil entries in the Creative Response and Book Review competitions were showcased on the big screen. IPS was strongly represented and Joshua Clements and Jasmine Dent, S8 were awarded Joint Third Place. Josh’s ‘Choose

Winning author Susin Nielsen

Your Own Adventure’ style game based on High Rise Mystery could not have been more different from Jasmine’s emotive film inspired by No Fixed Address. For this, she composed and played evocative piano music, demonstrating the competition’s fantastic breadth. Mr Wolsey opened the gold envelope to reveal the winner of TSBA 2021: No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen. The Vancouver-based author was on set filming her new TV show but sent an entertaining video message starring her cat Emily Brontë and she was warmly congratulated by all. IPS pupils went home clutching goody bags of ‘booky’ treats including signed bookplates from the participating writers. Ms Helen Cleaves, Librarian [Our special thanks go to Ms Cleaves who expertly coordinated the TSBA ceremony at IPS, and Mr Ward and Mr Baskett whose technical support was invaluable in staging the event – Ed.]

The Headmaster announces the winner

Skye Bishop, S8

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CHINGLISH AUTHOR VISITS IPS Empathy Lab author and illustrator Sue Cheung visited School during ‘Empathy Week’ to inspire some summer reading, writing and art. Senior 8 and 9 pupils heard about Sue’s eye-opening childhood growing up above a Chinese takeaway in the 1980s, which is fictionalised in her award-winning book and Trinity Plus title Chinglish . While the story is told via a series of comic journal entries, many of which feature escapades with Sue’s family pets, darker themes are touched on such as mental health and domestic violence. Sue spoke honestly about her experiences and the challenge of re-living traumatic events in order to write the book as well as how she found refuge and comfort in her passion: art and design. Pupils were intrigued to find out more about her family’s reaction to the book given the not-entirely positive portrayal and to ascertain what

OXFORD AZ VACCINE PROJECT LEADER INTERVIEWED BY SENIOR 9 TRIO Senior 9 pupils Oliver Visram, Finley Naughton, Stacy Eremeeva and Oscar Lovell showed exemplary initiative through the course of 2020-21 to produce a series of podcasts with a focus on Science. ‘The Slightly Scientific Podcast’, in which these young IPS scientists interviewed a special guest to understand more about their area of specialism, featured guests and topics including Imogen McCurley (Fungal Vaccines); Rob O’Connor (Geophysics); Amina Memon (Psychology) and Sophie Stephenson-Wright (Filming Documentaries). However, their fifth episode represented a tremendous coup for The Slightly Scientific Podcast team. The subject this time was none other than Professor Sarah Gilbert, Project Leader on the Oxford Astrazeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine development team. Oliver Visram’s persistence paid off as Professor Gilbert, who is Professor of Vaccinology in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford (and recipient of the RSA Albert Medal for “services to collaborative innovation for the global common good”), agreed to his emailed request. We congratulate Oliver, Finley and Oscar who were the trio asking the questions in this instance with all the aplomb of seasoned professional interviewers and we highly recommend their podcast. Well done to the team and many thanks to Professor Gilbert!

had happened next to key characters. There was much excitement when, asked about future projects, Sue revealed that she is in talks regarding a sequel and in the process of adapting Chinglish for TV. Beyond Chinglish , pupils are encouraged to try one of the new TSBA selection now available in the Library or another diary-style read such as Spud by John van de Ruit, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith or Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison. Happy reading!

Author Sue Cheung

CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION WINNERS: ROTARY YOUNG WRITER & FEARLESS STORY TELLING Three pupils enjoyed success in creative

writing competitions. Lorenza Rees, S8 and Alex Mortimer, LVI both won in their respective age groups first in the local heat, then in the Rotary in London District Final, of the Rotary Young Writer Competition. Their poems on the theme of ‘my happiest day’ were selected to go forward to the national final of the competition. Meanwhile, Emma Cortinovis, S10 earned 2nd place in the Martin James Network’s ‘Fearless’ Story Telling Competition for her short story, ‘A Boy at War’. The judges praised her creativity and character development. Congratulations, Emma!

Lorenza Rees, S8

Emma Cortinovis, S10

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#IPSPARTNERSHIPS Ibstock Place School has been able to continue its partnerships work, despite the Covid-related restrictions. LVI Community Outreach projects restarted after the Easter holidays, and pupils resumed their various weekly activities, including community gardening, litter picking, helping at The Scrubbery, social support of Linden Lodge School pupils and English language support of Richmond Park Academy pupils. All these activities provided tangible benefits to both our pupils and our partners. As part of Roehampton Community Week, Head of Art Mrs Elmore and a group of S8 pupils made their own piece for display at the top of Danebury Avenue for a community art project. All Senior 7 pupils did an hour of litter-picking, as part of their Team Building Day, but this also helped with the Roehampton Spring Clean, which was one of the themes of Community Week. Despite the torrential rain, the pupils showed fantastic enthusiasm and energy. We also supported several charities with donation drives as well as monetary contributions. We collected: second-hand bedding to be made into scrubs and other PPE by The Scrubbery, second-hand children’s toys and clothes for charity Little Village, and food items for the community food boxes organised by local charities Rackets Cubed and Regenerate. After the Charity Stalls afternoon in the Summer Term, we were very pleased to donate £2,345.81 to help fill the food boxes over the summer holidays. We are excited to build on all of these links for the years ahead and to make even more relationships with the community. Miss Charlotte Rhead, Director of Outreach and Partnerships

Senior 7 litter pick for Roehampton Community Week

Sixth Form volunteers in Community Week

#IPSPARTNERSHIPS Preparations at the Alton It was a beautifully warm afternoon for a willing band of LVI volunteers to tackle the digging out and weeding of a plot at the Alton Activity Centre. In fact, although this was a follow up visit from that made in the dead of winter when they last cleared the plot, the intervening months had allowed the weeds to take hold again so remedial action was required. However, under Mr O’Sullivan’s direction, it was not long before order was restored and the bed was cleared again for planting out a selection of geraniums and other plants grown in the School’s greenhouse. Well done to the gardeners and thank you for all you are doing to help out in another important #IPSPartnerships project.

#IPSPARTNERSHIPS Plogolution rides again We were pleased to welcome Mr Dermot Kavanagh into School from the charity Plogolution. He joined an impressive group of LVIs embarking on an afternoon of keeping the neighbourhood clean and green as part of the #IPSPartnerships programme. We applaud their efforts and thank them for their work.

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#IPSPARTNERSHIPS Scrubbery update

#IPSPARTNERSHIPS IPS presents cheque to Rackets Cubed charity We are grateful for the generosity of IPS parents who donated their lockdown-related fees rebate to Rackets Cubed. Indeed, this fine idea originated from a small group of parents who wished to see the money used for people struggling with food poverty. Throughout the pandemic, IPS parents have been enthusiastic in their regular donations of food items to food boxes, which Rackets Cubed continued to assemble at nearby Heathmere Primary School, in support of over 200 local families. This additional donation allowed work to start on a new permanent food bank, operating from Focus Hall on the Alton Estate. This food bank is run by the Trussell Trust. As a school, we are very excited to continue to build links with both Rackets Cubed and the wider Roehampton Community Response network led by Mr Jonathan Palma.

Newsletter regulars may remember reading an article during Autumn Term last year about the amazing work of Mrs Rosie Taylor-Davies and the remarkable charity called The Scrubbery she founded in 2020. Through her determination, along with countless hours of industry and perseverance working in adapted former squash courts at the Bank of England Sports Centre, she came to the rescue of hundreds of NHS

staff running short of scrubs during the pandemic. She and her volunteer team have spent months stitching and shipping scrubs items to hospitals up and down the land. The Scrubbery has seen over 26,000 scrubs items reach London hospitals alone. We are pleased to report that IPS donated a sewing machine to the project. There was also a major collection drive organised for old bedding items such as duvets, sheets, and pillowcases all of which could be recycled and put to good use as scrubs and other items. Our new donations box near First Porch was delighted to receive all the contributions. We thank all those pupils, parents and staff who contributed to this collection. Our LVIs, who have been volunteering at The Scrubbery since last autumn, made thank you cards for gift packs to doctors which Rosie and her team assembled for dispatch. Doctors and nurses who had been dealing with coronavirus on the front line for a year were at last able to see a fall in levels of the virus to those not witnessed since September 2020 and deserved thanks and recognition for all their hard work. Well done to the LVI involved in this effort. #IPSPARTNERSHIPS Alton Estate Community Clean-up

The Headmaster presents a cheque from IPS to Mr Jonathan Palma and Mr Michael Hill of Rackets Cubed for £3.946

wellbeing. Getting involved is easy and gratifying and making it a competition with your friends to fill more bags adds an element of fun too (we filled seven huge bin bags to the brim). It goes without saying that it could not have been possible without Ms Combe who organised the outing and, more importantly, bought us some life-saving ice creams! Claudia Murray-Cors, UVI

the thanks from people walking by made collecting bottles, plastic bags, nappies and half a dead bird worth it! On a more serious note, littering is sadly still so common and people often underestimate how beneficial a clean environment is for a community’s

On one of the hottest days of the year, an enthusiastic team of IPS pupils took our litter pickers in hand and rose to the challenge of cleaning up our local community around the Alton Estate. Such events are extremely fulfilling and hearing

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#IPSPARTNERSHIPS Estate Art Roehampton Ibstock Place School was invited to submit a panel of art to be exhibited until the end of 2021 on Danebury Avenue in Roehampton. Local resident and artist Lynne Capocciama set up ‘Estate Art’ and organised the exhibition of art made by local artists, community centres and schools.

Our submission was created by a talented group of Senior 8 pupils. The design is that of Zara Quasi and is a scaled-up version of her classwork. Senior 8 have been composing paintings derived from biological cells and inspired by two textile designers, Betty Busy and Karen Kamensky. Colour theory was a fundamental aspect of their work and Zara’s piece was completed with complementary colours. I would like to congratulate the Senior 8 artists involved for producing a vibrant, intricate and beautiful piece of art. They are: Evie Buckley, Jasmine Dent, Olivia Duran, Amal Hashmi, Bella Mallet, Myrto Maurides, Sebastian Onillion, Ariane Piehl, Zara Quazi, Carmen Tabis, Hannah Tewkesbury and Zoe Wisso. Mrs Su Elmore, Head of the School of Art

IZZY ASSISTS IN

VACCINATION PROGRAMME During the Summer Term, I had the pleasure to volunteer every Friday afternoon, during my community outreach programme, at a vaccination centre in Shepherd’s Bush. My role at the vaccine hub was a ‘vaccine runner’, which describes someone who helps to draw up and then deliver the vaccine and direct patients to the various vaccinators around the hub. Not only was this vital work experience for my pending medical school application, but it was one of the most fulfilling projects I have ever been a part of. Although initially it was intimidating to be given so much authority (to the point patients would call me “Dr”!), I soon became really confident in my role. From attempting to speak Spanish to a non-English speaking 75-year-old man to meeting a well-known TV presenter, each week was different. Saying this, almost every patient who came through the door was appreciative and that made it the best possible atmosphere to experience practical medicine for the first time. Although at times being on my feet for six hours and running around after patients and vaccines could be difficult, I always looked forward to these afternoons and I am extremely thankful to Dr Sarah and Dr Sharron, who ran the vaccine clinic like clockwork, for giving me the opportunity to learn from them and their colleagues (and for allowing me to keep my

#IPSPARTNERSHIPS Little Village donations We were thrilled to welcome Helen and Kate from charity Little Village. Little Village operates like a food bank, but for baby supplies, and helps support struggling families in Wandsworth. A new hub has recently opened in Roehampton, and so this activity will directly benefit local families. Through the amazing generosity of IPS parents following our call for donations, we had plenty of items to sort and present

to the charity. Our 14 volunteers busied themselves for two hours, firstly sorting the items, and then inspecting them to see they were still working, and finally cleaning and disinfecting them, where appropriate. We also had one group working on assembling the ‘pamper packs’ intended for the mothers, by putting together small bags of gifts of lovely toiletries. The energy and positivity that the pupils showed was truly a joy to witness. We are proud of them for choosing this activity as part of their Summer School itinerary, and for completing it to such a high standard. They showed IPS in its very best light to our guests.

scrubs at the end!). Isabella Thomas, LVI

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SIXTH FORM SPEAKER PROGRAMME

We were delighted to be able to welcome our speakers back onto campus as well as using Zoom to deliver talks on a wide range of topics. We heard from: Fiona Spargo Mabbs , who gave a moving drugs awareness talk to the LVI. Sadly, Fiona's son Daniel died having taken Ecstasy with friends and Fiona delivered an informative talk to pupils to help them to protect themselves. Florence Instone (OI, 2016) , who spoke to pupils about her experiences working in the tech sector. Florence studied HSP at the University of Cambridge and, after a short stint working at a legal tech start up, moved to a technology consultancy company. Florence talked about pivoting from a Humanities degree to a role in the technology sector and outlined some of the advantages and disadvantages of working at a start-up versus a more established company. Florence spoke about her Sixth Form and university experience and passed many valuable tips to our pupils. Rhona Gorden , from the University of Glasgow Admissions Department also delivered an interesting Zoom talk to our LVI. A growing number of our pupils apply to this Russell Group institution and Rhona outlined how undergraduate degrees work in Scotland, explaining the similarities and differences between the Scottish and English systems. Rhona gave us a virtual tour of the beautiful Glasgow campus and highlighted some of the areas in which the University excels. Cecilia Wilkins-Dulanto (OI, 2019) joined Ms Palmer for a fireside chat in the Theatre. Cecilia is currently studying Music at the University of Oxford and discussed issues relating to gendered violence in schools and on university campuses. Cecilia also spoke to pupils about her own Sixth Form experiences, as well as her experience of being diagnosed as having ADHD. Cecilia also outlined her experiences of the Oxford admissions process and spoke with real enthusiasm about her own university experience. Cecilia spoke superbly and the talk was very well received. We are most grateful to Cecilia for her honesty and openness.

Nathaniel Peat from the Safety Box works with teenagers at risk of joining gangs as well as those at risk of becoming victims of crime. He delivered a thought-provoking session in which he encouraged pupils to think about the risks that they may face both online and in person. Nathaniel gave pupils a whole host of useful personal safety tips. We hope Nathaniel can return soon to run a practical, self-defence workshop. Jo Peat is Head of Educational Development at Roehampton University. She gave a thoroughly engaging talk in which she discussed the operation of ‘blended learning’ at university, with lectures streamed but seminars and tutorials taking place in person. Jo explained that there is a greater focus on quality teaching in universities these days, with all universities offering teacher training to lecturers. She outlined how modules and credits worked and reassured pupils that plenty of support was available. Jo closed her talk by encouraging pupils to involve themselves fully at university and enjoy a balanced social life too! Ms Rachel Palmer, Head of Sixth Form

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PVI AND UVI SUMMER SCHOOL With no public examinations for GCSE, Pre-U or A-level cohorts this year, a change to the structure of the second half of the Summer Term was possible. This meant that arrangements for our traditional Summer School offering for PVI pupils could be extended to include UVI pupils too. As well as comprising numerous visits to destinations out of School, the activities and sessions organised by teachers drew on an extensive and fascinating range of staff interests, pursuits and passions. We thank all those who contributed their expertise to another highly impressive and successful IPS Summer School.

A DAY OUT IN WESTMINSTER Ms Francis spent the day with pupils taking in the beautiful views of St James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, Horse Guard’s Parade, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament. They enjoyed a picnic in Green Park, where the highlight was encountering a herd of life-sized, hand-carved elephants from India. The elephants will raise funds for organisations that aim to allow people and wildlife to coexist in a peaceful way.

AQUA ADVENTURE On a blisteringly hot afternoon, pupils were able to cool off and release assessment stress at Thorpe Water Sports Lake led by Miss Middleton- Smith. This beautiful lake setting offers open water swimming, and many aquatic activities. Pupils clambered over a course of inflatables and swam through the crystal clear water to complete their races. Much laughter was heard from all activities, and they returned to School with a sense of happy exhaustion.

ACTING THROUGH SONG Mr Bartlett was delighted to welcome Jenna Innes, currently covering Eponine in Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre, to coach pupils in song interpreta- tion. After taking the singers through a warm-up and establishing the room as a ‘safe space’ where singers were free to make mistakes and experiment, Jenna took each song and singer apart, equipping them with a set of dramatic tools to enhance their performance, harnessing nerves, fidgeting and shaky breathing to direct energy towards characterisation.

ALCHEMY OF SOURDOUGH Pupils enjoyed learning about the art and science of sourdough. They mixed up their own starter, used a bubbling levain to create a dough, and produce everything required to raise their own loaf. Dr Cairns explained the impact on the starter of different milling processes; demonstrated the stretch and fold technique; and explained the importance of creating a ‘steam trap’ in the oven. Pupils left ready to bake fresh loaves with which to delight their family!

ART CURIOUS A committedly curious cohort of pupils gathered for Art Curious, a session led by Mrs Farnum-Ford exploring the weird, wonderful, deeply unsettling and down-right dazzling in art history. From an exploration of the life and work (and untimely early demise) of Cuban artist Ana Mendieta, to the subtle and captivating messaging in a recent music video by Beyonce and Jay Z, discussion and learning ranged across a broad and fascinating series of foci.

ART OF TARTE TATIN Pupils in Mr Diaz’s cookery session took great pleasure in baking their own Tarte Tatin. This dish, which is a delicious tart of caramelised apples, presented some challenges for the novice chefs including making the caramel which coats the apples. The apples are then cooked under a lid of pastry and served with the pastry underneath and the fruit on top. However, everyone went home with their own scrumptious dessert!

BLACKSMITHING Under the tutelage of Mr Tatchell, pupils spent a very warm afternoon in front of the forge, hammering away and creating coat hooks as an introduction to the ancient art of the blacksmith. They all showed a huge amount of enthusiasm, learning how to use the shoulder of the anvil to create an edge to flatten the metal, to draw the bar down to a point, and how to introduce a decorative twist to their work.

CAR MAINTENANCE The ever-popular session for novice drivers run by Mr Collins and Mr Peel covered standard procedures from opening the bonnet of a car to changing a tyre, jump-starting a dead battery, topping up windscreen washer fluid, as well as checking and changing oil. We hope that pupils are now a little more informed with what to do when they own their own car as well as being able to help their parents.

BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE Mr Diaz led this introductory course for pupils on British Sign Language (BSL). He gave an overview of BSL in the UK before covering a range of vocabulary, including greetings, the alphabet, colours, numbers, and verbs. Ten million people have a hearing loss in the UK and more than 800,000 are either severely or profoundly deaf. However, there are only 150,000 deaf people who can communicate in BSL.

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CARROZZIERI ITALIANI Mr Elstub’s session examined the contribution made by Italian design houses, such as Pininfarina, Bertone, Ghia, Zagato and Touring Superleggera, to the development of the motor car between 1946 and 1968. Ferrari, Lancia, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Lamborghini all got more than a passing mention, and individual designers such as Guigiaro, Scaglione and Gandini were considered within the context of the development of the ‘unibody’ frame and its ramifications for the car industry the world over.

CAUSES OF CANCER Pupils came to learn more about some of the 200 different types of cancer, what the potential causes are in terms of genetics and lifestyle choices, and the increasing range of available treatments. They also learned about how work done in his previous career by Dr Slade had contributed to a clearer understanding of these processes. This led to a lively discussion with much earnest questioning by the pupils.

CRYPTIC CROSSWORDS A small but adept band of pupils learned to get to grips with the quotidian delight of cryptic crosswords guided in the process by seasoned solver Mr Bartlett. They examined the general principle of deciphering a clue, tackling anagrams, wordplay instructions, charades, puns, the phonetic alphabet and much more, before being unleashed on the morning’s Times (with, it is reported, some variety of success...)

CURRY COOKING ON A BUDGET Aromatic smells from the Cookery room drifted down the corridor in Main House as pupils collected ingredients and followed Mrs Porter’s recipe. It soon began to look like the ‘Master Chef’ kitchen and there was much enjoyment as they prepared the vegetables and spices. The finished products were impressive, much colour and flavour. We hope the use of this experience will allow them to cook up family feasts or feed their fellow students at university!

FINANCIAL INVESTMENT Mr Dare introduced 40 PVI and UVI pupils to the basics of investing: how to net present value cash flows based on different yield curves, and the implications of the yield curve on equity investment. He discussed how to diversify and optimise investment returns based on personal risk preference and views about the future. These included the green agenda, the dominance of technology companies and the ethical dimensions attached to different investments.

FOODBANKS AND FREE SCHOOL MEALS FIASCO Pupils joined Ms Palmer for a session focussed on foodbanks and free school meals. Ms Palmer outlined the reasons why a growing number of people in the UK have needed foodbanks and explained the changes in the government’s position on free school meals during the pandemic, highlighting Marcus Rashford’s contribution to the policy changes made. Pupils showed maturity and sensitivity in the lively discussion which followed on what society can do to solve the problems.

GREAT BRITISH SPORTS CARS Automotively-inclined pupils had a ‘hands-on’ opportunity to learn from the Headmaster about the flowering of British car design and engineering between the early 1950s and the late 1970s and classics such as the Jaguar E-Type, Aston Martin DB5, MGA and even the humble Mini Cooper. Back in that more innocent age, cars could be serviced without a computer and drivers had to do without the likes of power-assisted steering or ABS.

HORTICULTURE FOR BEGINNERS

GREENWICH Starting with a leisurely river cruise from the London Eye, a walking tour led by Mrs West alighted at Greenwich to view the Cutty Sark before heading for the National Maritime Museum to take in ‘Polar Worlds’, and Turner’s famous ‘Battle of Trafalgar’ painting. Then it was up the Hill to the Royal Observatory for iconic London views and an al fresco lunch stop. Canary Wharf was eerily deserted on the final leg.

Pupils swapped the classroom for the greenhouse to learn a range of new skills to help turn indoor space into a green jungle! Mrs Wright showed them how to take cuttings from Monstera, pot up plantlets from spider plants, and how to propagate Pilea Peperomioides (The Friendship Plant) in order to make gifts for free. They also planted avocado stones and pineapple crowns in jars of water.

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INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORY Dr Cairns’ whistle-stop tour through feminist theory began in the C14th with Christine de Pizan’s complaint that ‘so many men’ write ‘falsely’ about women. Parallels were found in Mary Wollstonecraft’s assertion that male writers have typically represented women according to their own desires rather than ‘rational creatures’ capable of ‘standing alone’. Via C18th poet Phillis Wheatley and C20th author Virginia Woolf, attention turned to contemporary Black poet Amanda Gorman; now in the vanguard of fighting oppression and marginalisation.

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

KEW GARDENS Pupils accompanying Mrs McBride on a hot day in Kew visited the Hive, a steel art structure on a slope of wildflowers with their attendant bees and dragonflies. The work highlights the importance of pollinators to the environment and food production. It hums with the music of Kew’s beehives, in the key of C, like an orchestra of double basses, cellos and harmonicas! They spent time in the Princess of Wales’s Conservatory, with its cacti and orchids and enjoyed a picnic overlooking the Palm House.

Mr Kerr’s session began with Enlightenment thinkers and Logical Positivists. Pupils considered Hume’s Problem of Induction, Bertrand Russell’s Inductivist Turkey, and speculated as to why inductivist and empiricist views are so attractive. They then moved on to Popper and Falsificationism; Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions and Paul Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchy. The conclusion? They started confused and ended confused – but on higher plane.

KNITTING Gathering at tables under the ‘Henry VIIIs’ on the Orchard under the skilful direction of Miss O’Connor, pupils embraced an exciting new hobby: knitting. They cast on and learned the basic knit stitch, with some even incorporating purl stitch as well. They made an excellent start on their scarves, which while perhaps not entirely seasonally appropriate given the hot weather, looked very impressive and should come in handy come winter.

LA DOLCE VITA! Seekers of Italian culinary expertise joined Mrs Farnum-Ford for this tasteful cookery class. Pupils made Insalata Caprese, combining fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and sweet basil, seasoned with salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar; Zucchini alla Scapece, a tangy side dish with an intense minty dressing; and the “pick me up” dessert favourite Tiramisu comprising whipped cream, mascarpone and biscuit fingers soaked in fragrant, steaming coffee. Buon appetito!

LEARNING TO SAIL If wind conditions weren’t perfect on a still, scorching day at Queen Mary Reservoir for Dr Evans’ group hoping to make Laser Pico dinghies travel at more than walking pace, this didn’t seem to bother the pupils too much! They raced the dinghies around a course in the rather unconventional way of paddling and then embarked on a whole series of capsizes. The day finished with some stand-up paddle boarding.

MAGIC THE GATHERING Goblins, pirates, dragons and vampires were among a handful of creatures who turned up for Mr Smith’s introduction to the card game Magic The Gathering. Over the course of two sessions, participants learnt the basics of the game, from how to tap lands for mana and cast a spell to how to attack and defend with your creatures. Everyone got to grips with the basic plays and was able to face one another in one-on-one games. Impressive.

PADEL In an activity organised by Mrs Campione, ten pupils took their first steps into the world of padel, instructed by two enthusiastic and energetic Spanish padel coaches. Padel is the fastest growing racket sport in the world. It is only played in doubles format and it is so much fun! The pupils with tennis experience brought racket skills and aggression, whilst others learnt that consistency and patience have equal merit in this game.

MALAYSIA Mr Prestwich led this session, drawing from his own experiences living in Malaysia. Pupils were thrown into a crash course in Malaysian language, history, culture and geography. Attendees were intrigued by how the lives of pupils their own age there differed considerably from their own. The highlight was the food, described as “class” by Lorcan Hunter, PVI or “sedap” by those who had been paying attention to the language segment of the session.