Annual Report to Parents 2014-2015

Open Evening 2015 was certainly a busy event where it was, once again, a pleasure to show our school to prospective students and their families. Mr Gillespie and I really enjoyed extolling the virtues of our wonderful school and I was proud to witness the enthusiasm and commitment shown by both our staff and our students in sharing their passion for The Gregg. It was exciting to talk to our new parents and often I found myself answering the same questions, that focussed on a common theme that had been raised by my colleague in our introductory talks – “Why should our child leave the maintained sector to enrol in an independent school, and why should it be The Gregg?” These are the questions we love to answer. They provide the opportunity for us to explain our education sector to parents, enabling them to truly understand the type of education we offer. Mr Gillespie talked about ‘Freedom to Educate’ in his presentation. As a relatively new member of staff he is able to remind us about being a teacher in a school where the educational decisions had already been made by the Government. In these uncertain times, where education is being constantly remodelled by changing trends in political leader-ship, the government’s vision remains unclear. There are conflicts about qualifications, the curriculum, student access to smart technology in the classroom, inspections, school meals, just to name a few. The arena for these discussions is set within a framework where Local Authorities are having to make hard decisions about their school funding and the services that support them. Thank goodness we are independent! The choices we make about the curriculum we offer and the way in which we educate our students are our own. Decisions are made extremely carefully, taking into account current views and a wider agenda, but we are able to decide which facets to include or sidestep according to our own unique vision. Our strategy is clear: we are able to concentrate on the students in our school. The climate is conducive and we can really focus on what is important for the whole education of our students.

In addition, we offer something even more honed than that. We are a very successful small school. The Gregg is an inspiring place to be – we only have to look out of a window. Many of our counterparts in the independent sector are not only academically selective but offer completely different learning environments than that of Townhill Park House. Our accommodation may be ‘quirky’ but there is a ‘feel’ about this place that sets it apart from larger, more urban environments. Many visitors comment on this. They notice that our students actually run around and play (sadly this is not as common as many of us would like to think), they love their school and feel comfortable to ‘be themselves’ here.

We challenge all our students to do their very best and we take a personal interest in each and every one of them. We know them well, whether we teach them or not. We take time to work enthusiastically in partnership with them. This is why, when our Admissions Policy is not academically selective, the outcomes for our young people are even more impressive. The class of 2015 was an excellent example of our work. When they started at The Gregg in 2010 we knew that they would be an interesting cohort: academically strong but with wider skills and interests and a determination to succeed.

Even those who found their academic work particularly challenging demonstrated a steely determination that served them well. 90% of this cohort gained 5A* - C grades including Level 2 Thinking and Reasoning. These were the second best results in a decade of the school’s history and amongst these some extremely impressive performances in the core of the curriculum. Outstanding results in the core subjects of Science (97%) and Maths (96%) earned recognition from our college partners at Barton Peveril.

Team and individual sports have yet again been a particular strength. Not only were many more students gaining good grades in GCSE PE, our individual and team performances took some beating. We gained accolades in the City of Southampton, at county level, nationally and internationally. Team performances in many areas were superb and the work of Emma T, Serena V and Andrew D to achieve in, and promote their individual sports, is to be congratulated. We are continuing to develop our co-curricular programme having introduced further exciting opportunities to enrich and enliven the day-to-day work in curriculum areas. 50 or more additional activities are now regular features alongside our timetable and this includes the introduction of a new Nature Club for our younger students and Latin for those with linguistic flair. Charitable work continues to be high on our agenda at The Gregg. This was, once again, a very successful year where students enthusiastically raised over £10,000, benefiting a range of local, national and inter-national causes.

It appears that my enthusiasm for a completed building may have been a little ambitious in my last report. In spite of an excellent start with the foundation stage complete, an old covenant linked to the previous use of our site was discovered. Albeit an interesting reference to the past, we had to wait for this to be discharged by the Local Authority before we could continue. We anticipate the return of our builders in the spring to enable us to occupy the facility in September 2016. The Friends of The Gregg School (FROGS) have, yet again, had a year of events that served to continue their previous good work. We now have record numbers on our committee and our Chair, Shelley Wallace, and her supporters continue to work tirelessly on behalf of our school.

The Cocktails Night and Ladies` Night were enormous successes and a new Family Fun Day in the summer term proved to be a great way of welcoming new parents and families to our school. Parental Safeguarding Information Evenings were very well attended and our visiting speakers served to enlighten as well as providing the opportunity for our parents to discuss issues raised. Two additional Parental Information Evenings, one for Year 10 and one for Year 9 have helped us guide parents and students at the start of these two very important years. Feedback was extremely positive for all of these evenings and I should like to thank parents for their support. Primary links continue to be strong and Mrs Goodchild managed to visit all of our new students in their school settings prior to their arrival at The Gregg. This work in transition really helps our students feel familiar with our school and continues to help them settle quickly. Once again we hosted a very successful Primary Schools Cross Country event and our Science After-noons continue to be enjoyed by our visiting Primary Schools. We have hosted our partner school St. Winifred’s on many occasions this year and we are thrilled to maintain our strong link as their Secondary School.

The most successful Mercury Awards event so far was hosted by Mr Jackson in July. Once again, we gave out a record-breaking number of high level awards and a very special ‘Platinum’ to Taryn C who managed to achieve a staggering 25 Mercuries in one year!

It has been a fairly quiet year on the staffing front. We said goodbye to Mr Hunt, who took early retirement at the end of the academic year, whilst Learning Support Assistants Mr Kinnaird and Miss Livingstone left us at the end of last term to further their careers. We acknowledge the commitment and contributions made by them in the Mathematics and Learning Support Departments respectively. Miss Stevens decided not to return to School following the birth of her son last year, having made a significant contribution both academically and pastorally during her 11 years with us. Mrs Marris is currently on maternity leave following the birth of her second child during the summer holidays. We congratulate Mrs Park (nee Dee), Mrs Fernandes (nee Clarke) and Mrs Collings (nee Smith) on their recent marriages. Miss Webb re-joined the MFL Department following her maternity leave, and we welcomed Ms Hermitage to the English Department in September. Miss Dean relinquished her post as Technician in our Science Department, and Mrs Curzon-Thomson was appointed to the role last term. Mrs Gibson joined us as Deputy Bursar at the start of the spring term, and Miss Dingle and Miss Wood took up their Learning Support Assistant posts in September. We look forward to welcoming Mr Clarke to the Mathematics Department in January.

Public Examinations This was a very impressive year for our students taking Public Examinations. Not only was this the third year with some of our best results on record, six Departments - Art, Biology, Child Development, Design Technology Graphics, Music and Spanish gained a 100% A-C pass rate. The Burford Prize for Outstanding Achievement goes to Farzad B who gained 7A*s, 2As and a B grade in his GCSEs together with a B grade in his Additional Maths. In total, 10 of our students gain a prize on Speech Day for their excellent performance with over 50 points at GCSE, giving them an average grade of A/A*. We should like to congratulate Farzad B, Addison V, Arman S, Rebecca F, Joel D, Sienna A, Chris L, Amber C, Samuel R and Ezekiel O. In addition, Addison, Arman, Rebecca, Joel, Chris and Samuel also gained passes in their Additional Mathematics qualifications. Set ‘X’ Mathematicians in Year 10 took their IGCSE Maths a year early and gained some very impressive grades. Not only does this favour the work in the rest of their GCSEs, it allows them to extend their knowledge in Year 11 should they choose. Additional Qualifications A number of Year 9 students entered the Statistics GCSE for the first time, all gaining A or B grades. Eight Year 11 students worked towards the OCR Thinking and Reasoning Skills Level 2 qualification during activity hour and in private study time. All passed, with many gaining a Merit. Our top mathematicians in Year 11 studied the challenging Additional Mathematics course. Johnny W gained an A grade in Core 1, the first module of A level Mathematics, as well as a Grade A in Additional Mathematics. Chris L also gained Additional Mathematics at Grade A. Eight students gained a Free Standing Mathematics Qualification that will stand them in good stead as they begin their A level course. Supporting Learning Our Learning Support Department continues to work across our school providing assistance for individual students or classes as required. They work to enhance our students’ basic skills, help with organisation and the critical skills needed for GCSE success. This talented team also continue to ‘host’ younger members of staff who are looking to transition into teaching. Mr Kinnaird was an excellent Learning Support Assistant and we wish him well with his teacher training placement at Westgate School in Winchester. Mrs Pim continues to develop the role of Learning Resources Centre Manager. Ably assisted by some student leaders, she has been busy supporting departments with a range of media resources as well as helping our students find sources of information for their work. Mrs Pim also hosts our Careers Advisor once a week and the LRC now houses all our Careers Information and Guidance materials.

English This year we had three visits from The Young Shakespeare Company, enabling students in years 8, 9 and 10 to see productions of the plays they were study-ing (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado about Nothing).

Year 7 students were enthralled by the visit of Joseph Delaney, author of the popular “Spooks” magical fantasy series of books, which included a workshop on creating literary monsters. Carla Spradbery, best known for her “100 Society” books for young adults, gave Year 11 students valuable advice on the craft of writing, on which they were able to draw when completing their GCSE writing assignments. As part of the Department’s co-curricular extension programme, a group of Year 10 students visited The Globe Theatre during half-term to see Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice”. A number of students had their poems and “mini sagas” accepted for publication in a new collection. Once again our Year 9 students wrote books for young children, some of which were read to St Winifred’s students, who also enjoyed another drama production from our Junior Drama Club. The Poetry Writing and Original Writing Competitions produced many excellent entries, and the finalists in the Verse Speaking Competition delighted the audience with their confident and entertaining performances. Drama and Performing Arts The annual Year 7 play is an excellent opportunity for our new students to collaborate with Year 11 Drama students, the latter being wholly responsible for the direction and production aspects of the play. This year’s production - “The Wizard of Oz” - involved a cast of 20 Year 7 students, displaying a range of emerging talents, whilst the Year 11 production team’s dedicated and professional approach was much in evidence both in rehearsals and during the performance itself.

Musical Our annual Musical, “Guys and Dolls”, staged at The Berry Theatre, Hedge End, was a testament to the commitment, enthusiasm, and talents of all involved, and was undoubtedly one of the best in twenty eight years of musicals. From the moment the curtain rose to the final harmony of the last chorus, the audience was enthralled.

The scenes between Lewis B and Sophie B produced many hilarious moments, whilst Naomi E and Toby M both portrayed tender moments and flashes of conflict with great sensitivity. Throughout the show, the trio of Tapuwa P, Jack P and Oliver C worked brilliantly together, a strong feature of their performance being their wonderful use of gesture and excellent comic timing.

All the solo singers acted their songs with almost professional skill, and in the numbers supported by the chorus we saw some promising acting by students in all year groups. The orchestra - which included eight students - was particularly strong, making a valuable contribution to the show’s success. The stage management team was ably directed by Francesca M, who worked confidently with the Theatre’s own back-stage and technical crews.

Mathematics Achievements in the Mathematics department were again very pleasing, with 40% of students gaining an A or A* at IGCSE and 96% achieving A* to C grades. The accelerated group in Year 10 also took their IGCSE, in preparation for the study of Further Mathematics during Year 11 as a precursor to A level. 12 students gained an A or A*. Jayjun L in Year 9 outshone many to achieve an A* in his IGCSE, scoring an impressive 98%. A number of our mathematicians took part in the Junior and Intermediate Mathematics Challenge, organised nationally by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust. Taryn C-B gained a gold award in the Intermediate challenge, as did her brother, Joe, in the Junior challenge. Rory H and Jayjun L also achieved gold certificates. Jayjun and Taryn were also invited to take part in the European follow-on round. In addition, we won 8 Silver and 15 Bronze awards across the two sections of the Challenge. The Team Mathematics Challenge was again enjoyed by students in Years 8 and 9. Mr Wilford, having worked hard to train the team, had a thrilling day supporting Tim W, Jayjun L, Euan I and Joe C-B as they competed with schools across Hampshire. The Gregg School team came 10th - our highest ever placing.

Students considering Mathematics A level attended the annual Maths Inspiration talks in Winchester. Twenty students heard talks on “The World’s Favourite Number”, “The Maths of Pizzas” and “The Electric Guitar”, and heard how vectors can be applied to the winning of film Oscars. Able students in Years 9 and 10 visited Bletchley Park for a day of exploration into the cracking of the Enigma code. Students watched ‘The Imitation Game’ before the trip, and had an introduction to the Mathematics of permutations, which enhanced their appreciation of the work that went on at Bletchley. Students also had a code-breaking talk and challenge, followed by a tour of the site.

Students took part in the annual “Number Day”, being set the challenge of finding the solutions to a series of mathematical questions, the answers to which were worn by members of staff. We also celebrated Pi Day, on 14th March, using the American date notation of 3.14.15, with some students being treated to apple pies whilst studying circles and the importance of Pi! Science Our scientists had a busy and successful year. Year 11 students achieved our best ever GCSE results which was a testament to their hard work and dedication. During February half-term, a group of Year 11 students visited Disneyland Paris to investigate the Science behind the theme park`s rides. Students attended a workshop about the Physics behind the rides but seemed to be more interested in experiencing the rides for themselves! Further work was undertaken back at School building a `virtual` rollercoaster to reinforce what had been learnt on the trip.

In March, a team of Year 8 students participated in Southampton University‘s Chemistry Challenge. This was an opportunity for our students to experience analytical chemistry at a higher level, the students having to complete several chemical challenges with the help of a postgraduate student, which really helped to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the techniques used to identify unknown substances. In April, a team of Year 7 students represented The Gregg at The Salters Chemistry Festival held at Oxford University, having to solve a crime using a range of Chemistry equipment in one of the undergraduate laboratories. Science week was again a busy time for the Department, each lower school year group being set a different challenge. Year 7 completed a paper engineering task working in teams to build a marble run using straws, whilst Year 8 had to design and build a protective case for a fresh egg so that it remained undamaged when dropped from several metres. Year 9 completed a construction challenge which involved the building of not one but three structures using a limited amount of material. There were also whole school activities including quizzes, displays and assemblies which included a hydrogen-fuelled rocket launch in the School hall!

Curriculum Enrichment Week provided the opportunity for students in Years 7 and 8 to participate in a range of Science-based trips. Year 7 visited Marwell Wildlife Park to further their understanding of animal adaptations, and were given the opportunity to handle some of the animals and enjoy a presentation by Marwell staff.

Year 8 travelled to Lulworth to investigate the geology and marine ecosystem of this World Heritage Site. The trip was great fun and included a number of chemistry experiments on the beach.

Throughout the year Mr Benning has run his popular Chemistry Club which has provided enrichment activities for students. This year the experiments were even more intriguing, and included making Aliens` blood and Elephants` toothpaste! Modern Foreign Languages During October half-term, a group of Year 8 and 9 students spent a week in a French chateau in Normandy fully immersing themselves in the French language and culture. All mealtimes and activities were conducted in French and the students gained a great deal of confidence in understanding and speaking the language. They also visited Mont St Michel and a French market to put their language skills to the test and took part in a snail-eating competition which tested their stomachs!

In the summer term, the MFL Department teamed up with the Home Economics Department and taught how to make Tapas and Tarte Flambé with the lessons being conducted in French and Spanish.

A group of Year 9 students participated in the year-long Language Leader Award course, learning how to teach a topic in a foreign language. The course developed communication, inter-personal and organisational skills and the students got a real feel for life as a teacher. At the end of the course students taught two lessons to local primary school children with each student being given a recognised award for their hard work. We celebrated the European Day of Languages in September. This annual event, which celebrates the diversity of languages spoken in Europe, aims to promote lifelong language learning. Activities included a Year 7 homework competition, a range of international food on offer in the canteen, registers being taken in a different language and lessons structured with a European feel. The MFL department is looking forward to the German Christmas Market trip in December and is hoping to launch the Language Gold Award, a follow-up to the Language Leader Award, later in the year. History Much of the department’s focus this year has been the World War One centenary anniversary. All students watched a visiting drama company recreate the causes and opening stages of the war through visual images, film and sketches. This was followed by assemblies on the morning of November 11th combining a joint project with the Art Department where the students attached poppies they had made to a large wooden poppy which was then displayed in reception to great effect. In addition, Year 9 students visited the Imperial War Museum in London to experience the new interactive World War One exhibition and to trial the recently reorganised World War Two galleries. In January, we revisited the Museum with our GCSE History students to use the World War One Galleries for their controlled assessment work focussing on women in the war and the leadership of Haig and his generals. They also had the opportunity to visit the Holocaust Exhibition as part of their studies of Nazi Germany.

In the spring term Year 7 visited the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in West Sussex, furthering students’ knowledge of life during the later Middle Ages and Tudor periods.

Our new IGCSE History course gives us the opportunity to study the changing nature of warfare from World War One to 2003, and in May Year 10 History students visited Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset where they enjoyed a number of workshops and explored the multitude of tanks on display. This visit was complemented by our most recent trip to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton where they studied the development of warfare at sea and in the air by focussing on the use of aircraft carriers. The Carrier flight deck experience was a particular highlight.

Geography The Geography Department has had a really exciting year. Our Schemes of Work for the lower school now have greater emphasis on enquiry-led and investigative learning, with topics which include Human, Physical and Environmental issues affecting and shaping our society today. In Year 7, students consider ‘What’s the point of Geography?’, in Year 8 they investigate `Ecosystems – Are they forever?` and in Year 9 they enquire into migration with the question ‘What are moving stories?’

In Year 7 students worked on a topic in the summer term called ‘Surf’s up’, learning about coastal processes, waves and the best surf locations. Students visited Bournemouth to assess the impact of the surf reef, and returned to School to undertake a year group debate on these opinions.

Year 8 students visited Moors Valley Country Park as part of a research project to develop a sustainable tourist activity. The students had a wonderful day testing the park’s activities before deciding on an activity that they considered to be of benefit to the park, both environmentally and economically. The students produced some wonderful projects – many of which achieved Headteacher Commendations.

A record number of students chose Geography as a GCSE option this year – 50 in total! A large number of these students took part in a trip to Swanage where they investigated coastal processes and coastal defences, before travelling to Bournemouth to look at constructive and destructive waves and longshore drift. Year 11 undertook their Controlled Assessment Task in Lyndhurst, investigating the hypothesis ‘Tourists create negative impacts for the locals of Lyndhurst’. The students worked incredibly well whilst they were on the trip and on return to school entered their primary data into spreadsheets, maps and graphs.

Philosophy and Religions Students continue to study all the major world faiths as well as considering their own beliefs and values in Philosophy and Religions. Again this year, Year 11 students had the opportunity to visit the stunning Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon, taking part in a `walking meditation`, talking to a lay Buddhist, and asking a monk questions about his life. Year 8 visited the very welcoming Gurdwara Nanaksar in Southampton. They enjoyed a guided tour of the temple, had a questions and answers session with a member of the Sikh community and were provided with Langar (a traditional Sikh meal). Sociology GCSE Sociology students covered many topics through-out the two year course, one of the most popular being Education, where they had the chance to undertake their own research projects. Students observed lessons and produced questionnaires to enquire into the ‘hidden curriculum’. They also brought political participation to life during the Power topic by writing letters to their MPs about issues they are concerned about in their local area. Music In November, members of our Jazz Band and Chamber Choir spent the day at a recording studio in Southamp-ton cutting their first album. Christmas continues to be the busiest time for our musicians with numerous performances including the Senior Citizens` Christmas Party, Royal Victoria Country Park Carol Concert, the Rotary Club Christmas Dinner, Turner Sims Christmas Concert and our own Carol Service at Bitterne Parish Church.

They also enjoyed three days in St Ives, visiting the Tate, attending a workshop at the St Ives School of Painting and the Barbara Hepworth Museum. The trip led to the students producing work inspired by St Ives Artists such as Peter Lanyon and Ben Nicholson, and exploring themes in their coursework connected to the Cornish landscape and the sea. GCSE photography students took part in a two day workshop held at the Wallace Collection in London, and in School, exploring the theme of ‘Portraits in Spaces’ and the results can be seen at http://www.portraitsinspaces.com/2015/. The students had the invaluable opportunity of working with a professional photographer for both days. The Art Department also developed a certain entrepreneurial zeal, producing a wide range of hand screen-printed goods for our Christmas Craft Fair. Items included handmade cushions, wrapping paper and tea towels. Students were involved in the printing of the merchandise and contributed towards the design work. During Enrichment Week, the Artist Sarah Misselbrook led a sculpture project in School. Students learnt a number of techniques, and worked with plaster, creating charcoal and making plaster casts of their hands. The week culminated with the installation of students’ art work around the Summer House. We were also fortunate to have four students from Winchester School of Art helping us during the week. The Department have made excellent use of their new large format digital printer which was donated by the Friends of The Gregg School, and have made excellent use of it this year. GCSE Art exam work was enhanced in the summer by using the printer to create banners for final pieces. GCSE Photography work has been printed on a variety of mediums including satin finish photography paper, canvas and self-adhesive vinyl. In addition, two large banners were produced for Achievement Evening. The school year ended with a trip to Barton Peveril Sixth Form College where students viewed the end of year exhibition and Photography students took part in a dark room workshop.

Music The New Year brought a World Music Workshop to School. Whilst the Year 7 students learnt about Chinese New Year traditions, our Year 8 and 9 students experienced traditional Japanese Taiko Drumming. GCSE Music students used their performing experience to judge the music competition at St Winifred’s School and gained valuable insight into coaching young musicians.

Record numbers of students entered our House Music Competition, with fierce competition in all categories. The school musical, “Guys and Dolls”, held our largest pit orchestra to date, showcasing the talents of our senior musicians.

The Summer Prelude concert brought the summer term to a close, with ensembles and soloists performing on the Sundial Lawn on a lovely summer’s evening. Most recently, our musicians have had the opportunity to gain solo performance exposure at Heritage Day and the MacMillan Coffee Morning. Art The Art Department had a very successful year, achieving 100% A* C grades at GCSE. Year 11 Art students benefited from a trip to London to the Tate Modern and Tate Britain, whilst Year 10 Art students visited Pallant House in Chichester and the Cass Sculpture Foundation near Goodwood.

We were delighted to hear of our students’ successes at the Independent Schools’ Association Art Competition, Hillary V achieving second place in the GCSE Photography category, and Amber C receiving two Highly Commended awards for her sketchbooks. Computing and Business Studies In Computing, students began working on the new Computation and Algorithms topics as well as starting to learn Python programming in Year 7. Year 8 enjoyed designing Apps using `App Inventor` and testing them on tablet devices whilst Year 9 looked in depth at the hardware, software and logic involved in building a computer. The year group also took part in the Bebras Computing Challenge with James L taking the `Best in School` award. The Department has also contributed significantly to the School’s programme of co-curricular extension activities this year. BBC School Report was introduced as an after school club to allow students to not only test their journalistic skills but to also develop their video and audio editing capabilities. On BBC School Report day in March, students visited St Mary’s stadium and interviewed the Supporters’ Relations Officer to find out her views on why Southampton FC had been so successful this year.

During Activity Hour, a group of lower school students took part in an enterprise competition that involved designing a pair of flip flops, carrying out market research and calculat-ing the costs involved in production and market-ing. Lauren G, Isobelle

W and Mollie W won a place in the grand final and although they didn’t win, they learnt a lot of new business and entrepreneurial skills along the way. Business studies was introduced as an option to Year 9 and had a successful take-up, particularly amongst the boys.

The whole of Year 9 also took part in the National Enterprise competition, working in small groups to design a new attraction for Alton Towers, calculating costs, devising a marketing strategy and demonstrating how the attraction fitted in with Alton Towers’ ethos. Our winning group visited Alton Towers to present their idea to some of the Park’s Managers.

Design Technology Year 11 GCSE Graphic Products students excelled in their examinations, gaining 100% A*-C grades. We were delighted to take delivery of our new 3D printer which enables students to print plastic in three dimensional shapes - a valuable resource for all year groups.

Year 7 students have now started the new Race Track project, designing and building electrically-powered CAD/CAM cardboard cars which are then raced down a digitally-timed straight. The Department’s involvement in the School’s co-curricular programme this year has seen the Bicycle Re-cycling Club refurbish nearly 50 cycles for shipment to Africa, and the Off-Road Buggy Club have put the finishing touches to the Buggy and are now hoping to design a race track in the grounds!

Home Economics and Child Development Mrs Woollett joined the Department this year and has enjoyed her first year of teaching Home Economics. We entered the Fit2Cook Create and Cook Competition which is sponsored by The Southern Co-operative. Four students visited Winchester City Mill, discovering how wheat grain is milled into flour and gaining inspiration for their recipe choices which included Hampshire trout, sticky toffee pudding, beef cobbler and carrot cake. The standard of entries was again very high and our students were commended on their efforts. We looked at several types of corn during Science week and joined forces with the MFL Department during Enrichment week, with Year 9 students making Patatas Bravas and Tarte flambé with instructions given in French and Spanish. During camp week, we made Japanese food. Salmon and tuna sushi, teriyaki beef, miso cookies and water-melon slices were packed into `Bento boxes` made by the students. Students enjoyed their Japanese-style packed lunch on the terrace later that day. Our GCSE Child Development students were once again welcomed by the staff and children of Class R at Townhill Infants School when they visited during the autumn term in order to complete their Child Study coursework. Pupils from Class R visited The Gregg School to collect flora for their autumn project, and they were all delighted when the deer made an appearance. Class R returned in the summer term for the continuation of their bear hunt in the woods. In the summer term, Year 10 Child Development students visited Woodlands Pre-school and were fully involved in activities with the children from playing with cooked rice and jelly to quiet reading. Personal and Social Development Personal and Social Development lessons have continued to be supported by guest speakers and presentations from external organisations. Lower school students were engaged in a self-esteem work-shop run by BEAT, the UK’s leading charity supporting eating disorders and issues with weight and shape. Year 9 students learned how to budget and look after their money through a Finance Workshop run by representatives from Barclays Bank. Year 9 continued to make full use of the careers software package to help them identify personal skills and strengths prior to choosing their options for GCSE. Students and their parents attended an Options Evening at School gaining in depth information about the subjects available for study at GCSE. Year 10 worked with the charity `Explore`, discussing marriage and lasting relationships in our society today. During the Autumn Term, Year 11 students were visited by a large number of local colleges. Students and their parents also attended our ‘Next Step’ evening which provided them with information, advice and guidance on further education choices and courses.

Physical Education and Sport Elite Sports Programme Our Elite Sports Programme has gone from strength to strength since its introduction in 2013 and our students have continued to benefit from the inspirational work-shops led by Olympic diver Peter Waterfield and GB trampoline coach Howard Tear. The group enjoyed travelling to Richard Taunton College to perfect their somersault techniques on the beds there. We are delighted to report that nearly 10% of students are now enrolled into the Programme.

Our most successful students, those performing at regional and higher, include; U17 England Athletics Captain and Hampshire Athletics Sports Personality of the Year Andrew D, GB sailor Edward N, Swimmer Emma T and Shot Putter Serena V (who both broke Regional and National ISA Championship records). These students in particular felt the benefits of being part of the Elite Sports Group. This year has continued to help them to balance school work with their demanding training and competition schedules. Athletics Despite setting high standards last season, we have managed to better our successes this year. At the Southampton Schools` Track and Field Championships we amassed 12 Gold, 13 Silver and 7 Bronze individual and team medals.

Andrew D was undefeated in all competitions this season with a highlight being named England Boys` Team Captain and winning the pole vault for the second year in a row at the Schools` International Competition with a jump of 4.40m.

Serena V came first in the Independent Schools` Associ-ation national finals at Shot with 11.23m, a new Champion-ship Best Performance by nearly 2 metres, and set another Championship Best performance at the Hampshire Schools` Championships, a feat for which she was awarded the Trophy for Best Field Performance in the Championships for the second year in succession.

We had our best ever performance at the Hampshire Schools` Track and Field Championships, with nine of our students representing Southampton Schools. Andrew D broke the county pole vault record, whilst Patrick W and Rob J won their respective events. Netball Our netball teams had a good season across all age groups, our U12s, U13s, U14s and U16s all finishing second both in their respective Leagues and in the Southampton Schools` Tournaments. Cross Country Several of our runners qualified to represent the London West Region at the ISA National Championships helping the region to take Gold. Emma T, Amber C and Imogen P won team Silver at regional level. They also won the Southampton Schools` league title. Aimee R won three Southampton League Cross Country races and was selected to compete for Southampton in the county competitions alongside Patrick W, Josh B, Joe C, and Taryn C. Further success was achieved by Matthew L who collected a Silver medal at the Southampton Championships. Schools Biathlon Emma T won the Regional Schools Biathlon and went on to finish seventh in the National final held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park pool.

Sports Day The standard of athletics on display at this year’s Sports Day was particularly high, with a number of school records broken in both track and field events.

Serena V broke both the Year 8 Javelin and Shot Putt records. In particular, her 11.55m throw in the Shot was over three and a half metres longer than the previous record, and looks likely to stand for some considerable time.

Aimee R’s time of 5.42 broke the Year 9 girls` 1500m record by 6 seconds, and Eestun E produced some magnificent sprinting over both the 100m and 200m setting new records of 12.6s and 26.4s respectively in his races.

Winners of the Victor/Victrix Ludorum trophies were:-

Swimming Once again, our swimmers excelled at the Southampton Schools’ Swimming Gala, winning the Boys’ and the combined Boys’ and Girls’ overall team trophies.

Year 7 boys Jasper W Year 7 girls Emily K

Year 8 boys Harvey K

Year 8 girls Serena V

Year 9 boys Temwa N and Ben D Year 9 girls Ellie B

Year 10/11 boys Patrick W

Year 10/11 girls Seraya C Junior Abbey Trophy: Aimee R Senior Abbey Trophy: Taryn C

Year 7 and 8 spent half a week each with Harbour Challenge in Poole. They spent 2 nights camping, and their programme of activities included a variety of water sports ranging from canoeing to coasteering. They spent the remainder of the week following a programme of team-building activities in school, which included an origami frog race, completing jigsaws and building monsters out of recycled materials.

Year 9 students had a fantastic week at the Adventure International Camp in Bude, with activities including surf-ing, abseiling, body-boarding, high ropes, canoeing and mountain-boarding. Personal and team challenges were met with determination as students pushed themselves to their limits and bonds were forged and strengthened.

Charity and community involvement One of the key elements of our School’s Vision and Mission is to foster an environment where students demonstrate respect, compassion and tolerance for others, and develop an enhanced awareness of their place in the wider world. Our Charity and Community programme plays a major role in fulfilling these aims, and is fundamental to the development of “soft skills” – the personal attributes which enable us to interact effectively with others, and the Charity Fun Day in November certainly honed students’ communication and collaboration skills as they worked in teams to complete a series challenges.

Representing London West Region, Emma T, Grace R and Archie S won Gold medals and Ben W a Bronze medal at the ISA National Swimming Championships held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park pool. In total, our students won 7 Gold and 2 Bronze medals and set five new ISA National Records. Emma T swam in several events at the British Swimming Champion-ships and the ASA Championships, her most notable success being fifth place in the 200m Individual Medley.

Rugby The Year 7 & 8 Rugby teams had a fantastic season, both winning their respective Southampton Schools` leagues. Two students were selected to play for Hampshire - William B (Year 10) and Harvey K (Year 8). Football The U15 football team were also crowned League winners, but had to relinquish the title and settle for the runners-up position after a re-arranged fixture at the close of the season resulted in the league tables having to be amended. Preparation for adult life During the spring term, Year 10 students constructed their Curriculum Vitae and letters of application in preparation for their mock interviews with Governors and business professionals. Our Work Experience programme was a great success, Year 10 students gaining placements across a broad range of industries and organisations as witnessed from their displays at the Work Experience Presentation Day. Residential camps and activities

The day raised an amazing £3,300, which enabled us to send a donation of £2,750 to the BBC’s Children In Need Appeal, purchase gifts for the Southampton Voluntary Services Toy Appeal and to fund the Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party.

The School Council's Charities Group has met on a regular basis to discuss potential fundraising activities and to put forward students’ suggestions for appropriate beneficiaries. The non-uniform day and cake sale in February raised £640, which was divided equally between the British Heart Foundation and the Hampshire Riding Therapy Centre. Ticket sales for the Year 7 Play raised £340 for the African Foundation for Education and Development (AFFED), the Southampton-based organisation which supports the provision of education and community development programmes in Africa. Our fundraising for Comic Relief this year saw the return of some favourite activities and the introduction of the `Penny Wars Challenge”, a fiercely-contested House competition to see which House could raise the most from the large “Penny Pots”. The Day’s activities raised a total of £1521, which provided a donation of £1021 to Comic Relief and £250 each for the “For Reuben” and “Free the Children” charities.

The Christmas Craft and Gift Fair proved as popular as ever, raising £1785 for Wave105’s “Cash for Kids – Mission Christmas”. Over 70 local senior citizens enjoyed an afternoon of festive fun at the beginning of December, devouring a delightful tea provided by our Catering team, playing some fast and furious games of Bingo, winning a host of prizes in the raffle and joining in enthusiastically with the carols and songs played by the School’s Wind Band. The raffle raised £128 for AGE UK Southampton.

We supported Rotary International’s Shoebox Appeal again this year, sending 50 boxes filled with toys, stationery and small items of clothing to Eastern Europe.

Our “Seasonal Sweaters” non-uniform day and cake sale raised £560 which was donated to Save the Children and the Southampton Blue Cross Animal Welfare Centre, the latter also receiving a large quantity of pet food and animal toys donated by our students and parents. A packed congregation at our Carol Service contributed to the collection which raised £276, providing donations to Bitterne Parish Church Restoration Fund and the British Red Cross. Thirteen students from Years 7 to 10 travelled to Wembley Arena in March to participate in “We Day”. This powerful event combines the energy of a live concert with the inspiration of extraordinary stories of leadership and change, and is a celebration of youth making a difference in their local and global communities.

In September, we continued our support for two health-related charities. A non-uniform day and cake sale raised over £750 for Jeans for Genes, the charity which provides funding for the care and support of children with genetic disorders, and our coffee morning in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support enabled us to send the charity a cheque for £380. The total raised for charitable causes over the year was £10,134, which is testament to the enthusiasm and commitment of our students and the support of parents, friends and members of the wider community. We should like convey our thanks to all who have contributed to this achievement and look forward to another successful programme of fundraising in the year ahead. Our Gardens Open Days have continued to grow in popularity, over 1200 visitors enjoying our beautiful environment across the seasons. Our thanks to the Friends of Townhill Park House Gardens volunteers whose hard work and commitment has been much in evidence throughout the year. As you can see, it has been an extremely busy year at The Gregg! I am sure, reading this, you will understand that we are working very hard to provide the most exciting opportunities for our students to explore, investigate and enjoy their time at school. Without doubt, experiential, enterprising learning is on the increase with a vast array of interesting opportunities for our students to try something new. The trips and visits serve to bring our curriculum alive and the ‘hands on’ approach in lessons allows our students to explore and increase their independence when learning.

Every opportunity, every conversation, each challenge enables our students to gain confidence, leadership and high levels of self-awareness. Such strengths enable them to transition well in their next steps and build successful futures. Our Senior Leadership team has been very involved in supporting staff at St Winifred`s this year and this has served to benefit students and staff in both schools. We have been busy reviewing our statutes, customs and practice in preparation for inspections which will be on the agenda in the next academic year. We have also been focussed on the structure and function of our Governing Body which has changed in order to focus on our Key Performance Objectives. The new Sub – Groups provide a sensible mechanism for ensuring that each and every aspect of our school business is supported and monitored effectively. Strategically we are well–focussed. As always, the over-arching theme constitutes pushing for excellence in all that we do, every day, for each and every student in our school. I am a fortunate lady who works with a very talented group of teaching staff. Increasingly they go out of their way to add breadth to our curriculum in their voluntary work and they really do care about the progress of each and every member of their tutor and teaching groups. I should like to thank them for their hard work this year. I should like to extend my sincere thanks to my Senior Team. They have worked very hard in two schools this year but have still managed to demonstrate considerable resilience and creativity in their work. In addition, our ancillary teams work extremely hard to support our school. I should like to thank our drivers and catering staff in particular who have continued to demonstrate extremely high standards this year. To our enormous array of volunteers – the Trustees, Governors, Friends of Townhill Park House & Gardens and FROGs, thank you for your time, patience and effort on our behalf. We really appreciate it. Finally, Parents. Our work in partnership is the key to our students’ success. Thank you for your support from home, your attendance at functions and your hard work alongside us in our joint aims. We look forward to working with you all in the next academic year.

An independent education with a difference