Newsletter

Glyn School, The Kingsway, Ewell, Surrey, KT17 1NB T: 020 8716 4949 E: glynmail@glynschool.org W: www.glynschool.org

Learn • Achieve • Enjoy • Succeed

This week in pictures… The Glyn community came together on Tuesday evening at St Mary’s Church in Ewell Village for the annual Glyn Carol Concert. Pictured is Daniel Bennett 9M.

Dates for your Diary

Saturday 9 December - Collection of pre-ordered Christmas trees between 9.00am and 1.00pm in the school grounds Tuesday 12 December - Christmas Lunch for students in Years 7 to 11 Wednesday 13 December - Christmas Lunch for students in Years 12 and 13 Thursday 14 December - Students’ Christmas Fair and Mufti Day. School closes at 12.30pm (please see below for details) Friday 15 December - School closes at 12.20pm for all students, which marks the end of term Thursday 4 January 2018 - Staff Training Day - school closed to students Friday 5 January 2018 - Staff Training Day - school closed to students Monday 8 January - Students return to school at 8.40am

Arrangements for the End of Term

As we approach the end of term I would like to clarify the arrangements for the last week of term festivities and to remind you of two days when the school will close earlier than normal: Tuesday 12 December Christmas lunch for students in Years 7 to 11 who have pre-paid. We regret that it is not possible to pay on the day. Wednesday 13 December Christmas lunch for students in Years 12 and 13 who have pre-paid. We regret that it is not possible to pay on the day. Thursday 14 December Students will register in their Form rooms at 12.20pm and will then be dismissed from 12.30pm as we prepare for Speech Night (attendance by invitation only). This will also be a Mufti Day and students are invited to wear a Christmas jumper and to make a voluntary donation of £2.00 at the school gate. On Mufti Days students may wear their own clothes, but normal school rules will still apply with regards to jewellery and hairstyles. The Students’ Christmas Fair, which is organised by Sixth Form students and staff, takes place during the morning. All students will be invited to attend the fair at a specific time slot for their year group. Please allow your son or daughter to bring some small change to school to spend at the fair. There will be a whole host of stalls and fun activities for all students to enjoy. All proceeds from the Christmas Fair and Mufti Day will be divided between two charities: MIND, the mental health charity, and The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust which has assisted Mr Martin, Head of PE and Games, in his rehabilitation this year. Friday 15 December Students wear full school uniform. All students will attend a Whole School Celebration Assembly during the morning. School will finish at 12.20pm for all students, which marks the end of term.

Proposed Changes to Admissions Arrangements 2019-2020 The consultation period for proposed changes to our Admissions Arrangements will run from Thursday 7 December 2017 until Friday 19 January 2018. The proposed amendments can be viewed on our Admissions page on the Glyn website. Please submit any comments regarding the proposed changes to: admissions@glynschool.org or post to Admissions Consultation, Glyn School. Admissions Team admissions@glynschool.org

Important Notice Regarding Vomiting and Diarrhoea Please may we remind parents and carers that, in line with NHS guidelines, students should not return to school for a minimum of 48 hours following the last time they vomited or had diarrhoea. It is important that students are clear of symptoms for 48 hours before returning to school in order to prevent the spread of gastroenteritis to other students and staff.

Medical Room

A Wonderful Carol Concert! On Tuesday 5 December, the Glyn School Carol Service took place at St Mary’s Church in Ewell Village to a packed church of students, staff and families. For many of us, the annual Glyn Carol Concert marks the beginning of the Christmas festivities. The service began with an excellent solo verse of Once in Royal David’s City performed by Miles Mcmurtrie in 7 Abbey. The rest of the concert continued at this equally high standard, which included performances from The Brass Band, Ukulele Group, Pop Choir, String Quartet, Junior Band and Concert Band. The concert also featured Sam Woodall, Jamie Gibson and Kaleb Fox performing Run Rudolf by the late Chuck Berry and a solo performance by Kaleb who performed his own arrangement of Oh Holy Night and The First Nowell. A particular highlight was from Oliver Bowers, Henry Lamb, Tomas Lorenz, Ewan Silander, Daniel Swann and Oscar White, current members of the Year 7 Band, who gave their first ever performance, having only begun learning their instruments in October! I would like to thank Ross Paterson and Henry Lamb who excellently managed the stage throughout the performance, ensuring that all the ensembles were set up in time for their individual performances, and Kaleb Fox who managed to take part in almost every ensemble, in some form or another, playing a variety of instruments! A final thanks though must go to you, the parents and carers, for your continued support of the students practising at home. It is through this home practice that our music students consolidate what they have learned in their lessons. The standard of performances at Tuesday’s Carol Concert is testament to the support and encouragement that students receive at home. Both Miss Isaacs and I would like to congratulate all the students who performed at the Carol Concert, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Mr Gimson, Head of Music

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas! The Christmas Carole Concert was once again held in St Mary’s Church in Ewell Village this week and was a brilliant success with students from all year groups taking part. The performances each year go from strength to strength and this year was no exception. The Carol Concert is an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their talents, from the new Year 7 Band, who have only played five times, to the amazing talents of our Sixth Form students; special mention must go to Kaleb Fox 13B who took part in many of the performances and showed his wide arrange of talents from singing, to playing the guitar, piano, ukulele and violin. The Christmas Carol Concert for me always signals the start of our Christmas celebrations and we have lots to look forward to next week: Saturday – Christmas Tree Collection Tuesday – Year 7 to 11 Christmas lunch Wednesday – Year 12 and 13 Christmas Lunch Thursday – Students’ Christmas Fayre and Mufti Day, followed by Speech Night in the evening (by invitation) Friday – Whole School Celebration Assembly As the school’s Christmas decorations start to go up, we really feel that Christmas is fast approaching and there is much to look forward to. As well as the coming week marking the start of Christmas for many of us, it is also a busy time for our Year 11 GCSE cohort as they began their Pre-Public Examinations (PPEs). The students are now in their second day of PPEs and have been fully engaged, sitting two or three examinations each day. The PPEs are an excellent dry run for Year 11 students to see how they are doing and to set targets for the coming months to maximise their results in August. In would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year. Hopefully the weather will hold up, although it would be lovely to have a white Christmas. Mrs Jones, Assistant Headteacher

Year 9 Meningococcal ACWY and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Polio Vaccination All Year 9 students will be offered their Meningococcal ACWY and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Polio Vaccination on Thursday 1 February or Thursday 8 February 2018 at Glyn School. These vaccinations will be given at the same time in opposite arms or in the same arm 2.5cm apart. Your son has been given an envelope to take home today with a detailed letter from CHS Surrey, NHS, about the immunisations and a consent form. Please ensure a hard copy of the consent form is fully completed with all dates, signed and returned to Student Reception by Friday 15 December 2017. All parents or carers have the right to give consent for their son to be immunised and also have the right to withdraw their consent at any time. Please note young people under the age of 16 years are able to self-consent if considered competent to do so by nursing staff. The vaccine is very expensive and only a small amount of spare vaccine for self-consenting students will be available on the day. It is crucial that the consent form is returned by Friday 15 December 2017 to guarantee your son receives these important immunisations. Your prompt return of the consent form is very much appreciated. If you require any further information please email Student Reception studentreception@glynschool.org or contact Mrs Stillman on 020 8716 4949. Student Reception

LTA Tennis Leaders’ Course - Years 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 There will be an LTA Tennis Leaders’ course running in the Spring term. This is a recognised course which is the first step towards a Tennis Level 1 Coaching certificate. Students in Years 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 who are interested in this course should see me on Monday 11 December to express their interest. Mr Tanner, PE, Football and Rackets Academy Leader tannerm@glynschool.org

Students’ Christmas Fair Donations We are approaching that time of year where the Glyn Student Christmas Fair, hosted by the Sixth Form, is just around the corner. As part of the festivities, we will be holding a raffle in aid of our chosen charities: MIND and The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity (RNOH). MIND provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity is a charity we very much value as they

assisted Mr Martin in his recovery and rehabilitation last year, therefore we would like to show our appreciation to this worthy cause. Over the past few years, the raffle has been one of our most successful attractions and we are hoping to surpass last year’s fantastic total of £1,500. We will be visiting all Tutor groups to sell tickets to students at a cost of £1.00 for five tickets. We will gladly accept any sort of donation, from bottles of wine to toiletries, or chocolates to unwanted gifts. Please bring donations to the Sixth Form Office or Student Reception by Monday 11 December 2017. Thank you in advance for your support. Miss H Thompkins, Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Mufti Day – Thursday 14 December 2017 There will be a Mufti Day on Thursday 14 December in aid of our chosen charities: MIND and The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity. MIND provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity is a charity we very much value as they assisted Mr Martin, Head of PE and Games, in his recovery and rehabilitation last year. Students may wear their own clothes and can donate £2 at the gate which will go towards this worthy cause. The theme is ‘Christmas Jumpers’ and there will be prizes for the best-dressed students. On Mufti Days students may wear their own clothes but normal school rules will still apply with regards to jewellery and hairstyles. Students will be allowed to attend the Sixth Form Christmas Fair at a specific time slot for their year group on this day. Please allow your son or daughter to bring some small change to school to spend at the fair. All proceeds will be donated towards MIND and The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust. Miss Clare, Law, Acting Head of Year 13

Calling All Swimmers - Years 7 to 13

Any student who would like to compete in the Surrey Schools’ Individual Swimming events

should meet me in the Sports Hall on Monday 11 December at 3.15pm. The gala will be taking

place in January 2018, so it is important that students who wish to part in the event attend

the meeting on Monday. Please email me at tannerm@glynschool.org with any questions or

queries.

Mr Tanner, PE, Football and Rackets Academy Leader

100% Success Rate for LAMDA Students! Eight weeks ago, all the students who have been undertaking London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) lessons on Wednesdays took their LAMDA Award in Performance

examination. Students, ranging from Years 8 to 11, had to learn up to three monologues from a variety of authors, styles and time periods. The Drama Department is very proud to announce that all 14 students have passed their examination with at least a Merit (meaning they had to score 70-80 out of 100), with several students scoring a Distinction (Scoring 80-90 out of 100). These awards are nationally recognised qualifications and can help with applications for colleges, universities and the working world. Well done to the following students on this wonderful achievement:

Mr Beaney, Head of Drama

Year 7 MFL Trip to the University of Surrey On Tuesday 28 November, a group of Year 7 students had the opportunity to go to the University of Surrey. Students learnt the key differences between university and school, particularly focusing on the types of careers a degree in Languages can lead to. During their visit, students participated in an Arabic and a Greek taster lesson and had the opportunity to meet a professional interpreter. The students represented our school impeccably and seemed to really enjoy this exciting learning opportunity. Miss Vazquez, Head of Spanish

Sam Sanday Year 8 Grade 3 Pass with Distinction

Hayden Fowler Year 10 Grade 4 Pass with Merit

Ethan Davey Year 8 Grade 3 Pass with Merit

Zain Khan Year 8 Grade 3 Pass with Distinction

Alexander Van Niekerk Year 8 Grade 3 Pass with Merit

Nathan Lee Year 10 Grade 4 Pass with Distinction

Pete-Reynold Mhando Year 10 Grade 4 Pass with Distinction

Adam Stubbs Year 10 Grade 4 Pass with Distinction

Louis Mitchell-Nandoo Year 11 Grade 5 Pass with Merit

Oliver Clement Year 11 Grade 5 Pass with Merit

Robert Clark Year 11 Grade 5 Pass with Merit

Dylan Knott Year 11 Grade 5 Pass with Merit

Jamie Dennis Year 11 Grade 5 Pass with Merit

Finley Willcocks-Brown Year 8 Grade 3 Pass with Merit

Pistol Shooting - Free Taster Session Tuesday 12 December - 3.15pm to 5.00pm As mentioned in an earlier Glyn Newsletter, there is going to be an opportunity to take part in a pistol shooting taster session, with the opportunity to attend the Glyn Shooting Club in the new year. The free taster session will be held on Tuesday 12

December in the Fitness Suite. The club is open for students in all year groups. Parents and carers are more than welcome to attend and join in. The session will run from 3.15pm to 5.00pm. If you have any questions, please come to see me, or email me at martinj@glynschool.org Mr Martin, Head of PE and Games

Fencing Success for Rowan Halls Rowan Halls 10B won the Surrey Intermediate Men's foil on Sunday 3 December at Epsom College. The previous weekend, Rowan made the final 8 of the Surrey Senior Championships, with Glyn’s Max Brooks also making the last 16. 25% Discount for Glyn Families The next Epsom Fencing Club Beginners Class starts on Wednesday 17 January 2018. Please email info@epsomfencingclub.org for more information. There is a 25% discount for Glyn families (including parents and carers). Fencing lessons would make an ideal Christmas present, as well as being a fabulous family activity. Nick Payne, Epsom Fencing Club

SEND Faculty: Shaving Foam Intervention Recently we have been running ‘Shaving Foam’ interventions in the SEND Faculty. This intervention is primarily aimed at students who have dyslexia. It is a multi-sensory strategy which students also find very therapeutic. Students who attend the intervention spend the session physically spelling out words using their fingers to trace the letters in the shaving foam! Pictured is Henry Penfold in 9 Derby enjoying his shaving foam intervention session! Mrs Strachan, Acting Head of SEND, SENCO

Arriving to School on Time Arriving at school on time allows students to experience positive interactions with others and participate more fully in learning activities. Please be advised that the school day starts at 8.40am prompt. Please ensure that your son or daughter aims to arrive to school by 8.30am and that they are fully prepared for their day’s lessons, with the correct equipment and games or PE kit if required.

Any student arriving late to school in the morning and without good reason will be required to attend a lunch time detention on the same day for 20 minutes. If a student fails to attend his or her late detention and has not notified his or her Head of House or Head of Year, a one hour detention will be further issued. Mr B Holloway, Lead Head of House

Attendance Dental and Medical Appointments Parents and carers are asked not to arrange appointments during school sessions, except in cases of urgency, so that considerable interference with school work is avoided. We understand that hospital and orthodontist appointments are often dictated by the clinic or practice. However, please do not keep students out of school for a whole day unless absolutely necessary. Mid-morning or after lunch appointments are preferable and students would be expected to attend school before the appointment and return to school after the appointment. If an appointment in school time is unavoidable please advise the Attendance Officer in advance of the date via a letter or email to attendance@glynschool.org or the Absence Line on 020 8716 4949. Press 1 for Years 7 to 11 and press 2 for Sixth Form absences. You may email for Sixth Form students on 6thformabsence@glynschool.org. Parents and carers may continue to use the Parent Portal (Insight) also. On arrival at school or when leaving school, all students must sign in and out at Student Reception. Only the school can authorise absence, on the basis of information provided by parents or carers. Medical paperwork may be required from the doctor or specialist to confirm illness absence and the date and time of medical appointments. For medical appointments that fall on a Friday, either all day or for the afternoon, we would now ask to see a copy of the appointment card or official letter from the hospital, doctor or medical practitioner. The card or letter should be handed in at Student Reception or scanned and emailed in advance. Where explanations are not felt to be acceptable, the absence will remain unauthorised and parents or carers informed. What happens If a Student Becomes Unwell During the School Day? If your son or daughter becomes unwell during the school day, he or she must ask for permission to go to the school’s Medical Room and, if necessary, parents or carers will be contacted for their son or daughter to go home. Students must never contact parents or carers directly to make arrangements to go home. Parent Portal (Insight) – Attendance and Reporting Absence Glyn School would respectfully advise you that the Reporting Absence Section on the Parent Portal (Insight) is designated to report illness absences from school and medical appointments only. All other requests for leave of absence must be requested via the Attendance Officer by a ‘Leave of Absence’ request form. The form can be downloaded from the school website or collected from Student Reception. Alternatively you can email scrutonj@glynschool.org for the attention of Mrs Scruton and Matt Duffield, Acting Headteacher. We would respectfully ask that parents or carers do not email or contact their son or daughter’s Form Tutor to request days of absence or in connection with medical appointments. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Matt Duffield, Acting Headteacher

Collection of Students’ Art and Photography

Coursework

Students who took Art GCSE, Photography GCSE or

Fine Art A Level last year should collect their work

from the Art Department by Thursday 14 December.

Students should see Mr Braybrook in C8 or me in C6

to collect work by Thursday 14 December as we will

no longer be able to store work after that date.

Miss Gascoigne, Head of Art and Photography

Former Student, Jamie Smart, Spoke About Resilience Many students long to have an active job, with opportunities to travel the world. Last week in assembly, we were graced with a former Glyn student, Jamie Smart, who does just that. Jamie is a pilot for EasyJet and has recently completed his training course with the airline; he now flies A320s all round Europe. Due to suffering from asthma, Jamie was initially unable to follow his desire of becoming a pilot, but he was determined to follow through with his ultimate dream. At the end of his seven years as a Glyn student, Jamie worked at Glyn School for a year whilst he continually sought to find another opportunity to train to fly. Following a change of company policy, Jamie was accepted by EasyJet; the course is not cheap, however, with help from his family, Jamie got the chance to make his dreams come true. Having now been flying for a year, Jamie told us that it was the most ‘liberating’ experience one could undergo – that the air was a space to feel free and in command. Jamie’s underlying message to students was most certainly ‘resilience’. Don’t abandon your hopes and dreams, even when you face set backs. Jamie is an inspiration to all students as they look toward the leviathan task of getting a foot in the door of the world of work. From all of us; thank you, Jamie. Samuel Woodall, 12SB

Chef of the Month - November 2017 November was a busy month in Food Technology! There were many practicals, Year 11 students started their second non-examination assessment task, Year 10 students went on a trip to Borough Market, and Year 12 Food Science and Nutrition students completed mock practical assessments. I have been really impressed with how hard students have been working, both in lessons and with independent learning tasks, so ‘well done’ to all! In particular, the following students have been superb in their efforts, and are therefore deserving of being awarded Chef of the Month:

Year 8 Chef of the Month – Ethan De Ville, 8 Carew For always completing work to a very high standard and for making great progress throughout the term.

Year 9 Chef of the Month – Aaris King, 9 Abbey For consistently being a hard-working and conscientious student.

Year 10 Chef of the Month – Rohish Seeruthun, 10 Bourne For making great progress so far this year, and for always putting 100% into practicals, ILT and classwork.

Year 11 Chef of the Month – William Broadley, 11 Tudor For making a great start to his second non-examination assessment, and selecting a task that will pose more of a challenge.

As well as receiving achievement points, these students will be entered into a prize draw to win a recipe book, which will be drawn in time for the winner to be announced in the end of term assembly. Well done, students. Keep up the good work!

Miss Owen, Head of Food Technology

Friendship Engineers Get Creative! Students in Years 7 and Year 8 who attend Friendship Engineers have been getting creative by making Christmas stockings. Friendship Engineers is run by the Higher Learning Teaching Assistants and Learning Support Assistants after school on Wednesdays to help students bond and make friends over a variety of activities. Mrs Strachan, Acting Head of SEND, SENCO

The LRC Book Series of the Week is H.I.V.E by Mark Walden Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E) I was gripped as soon as I read the first line ‘Otto woke with a start as the whole world seemed to tip beneath him.’ This line introduces the protagonist of the story and jumps into the action. Throughout this book the pace is mostly calm, the protagonists make friends, eager to learn about each other’s pasts yet an issue starts to arise which can threaten the whole school. I was eager to turn the pages to find out the intriguing pasts of the characters that were always delayed. This effect was agitating but made the story gripping. I didn’t like how we were left in the dark towards the end but that makes you read the next one. The Overlord Protocol Again the book starts with action, something that is thrown at you unexpectedly. In this book, Wing and Otto can leave the island to go to a family funeral but they are ambushed before they reach their destination. Someone dares to try and kill star pupil Otto, but who? H.I.V.E needs all the help it can get to oppose this new villain. I liked how they started with a meeting as it gave you the chance to meet other members of the organisation although Wing and Otto aren’t the most interesting characters. Escape Velocity A new anti-terror organisation, H.O.P.E have captured Nero, headmaster of H.I.V.E. This leaves the Contessa in charge and she has evil intentions. I like the explosive action. Otto has a secret and things are about to change forever. This book was one of my favourites of the series, showing the teachers plotting against the Contessa. It was gripping. Dreadnought Lucy Dexter is a new student with a secret which she finds hard to hide once she befriends the curious gang. On their way to a training mission the students stop to see Diabolus Darkroom’s latest ship, the advanced Dreadnought. When the facility is attacked in an attempt to steal the Dreadnought, Otto and the gang must stop them. Lucy has a secret power and it is time for her to reveal it. I like the personality and secrecy of Lucy – she is one of my favourite characters. I disliked the action on board the Dreadnought though as it was too predictable. The end leaves you on a cliffhanger. Rogue Otto has gone rogue! G.L.O.V.E has issued an order to kill Otto without hesitation but Raven, Nero and Wing must find him before anyone else to save him from the horrible substance controlling him before it is too late. Raven is held back by someone as strong as her, a superhuman opponent. I like the story and how so much goes on but dislike the fact that H.O.P.E manage to get away all the time. This of course keeps it interesting but you feel annoyed when someone bad is not brought to justice. Zero Hour Overlord is reborn and stronger than ever, yet he needs Otto to survive for longer. In this gripping story Overlord threatens to control the whole world. When even their most trusted allies are forced to turn against them, Nero initiates Zero Hour, a plan to exterminate Overlord once and for all. This book is exciting as the concept of Zero Hour and how Overlord can turn people against each other is ingenious and I wonder how the protagonists can beat them. Aftershock The former G.L.O.V.E ruling council members team up with the evil Disciples out of rage to take down Nero once and for all. They sabotage the training exercise known as The Hunt and they have help from one of the protagonists which makes the story very interesting. This book releases Franz’s true abilities in a hilarious way. Deadlock Otto and Raven are on a mission to track down Anastasia Furan and the secret location where she is holding the children. The President’s best men are also hunting Otto. Can Otto survive the fame and beat the advanced clone of himself that can render anyone powerless? I like how the book answers things, has great ideas but leaves space for things to be answered in the future. I can’t say I disliked anything about this book. The cliffhanger makes you may wait maybe years to find out how Otto will oppose the new rising threat. The H.I.V.E series is recommended for anyone who loves an action book with mild humour and very interesting characters who can all relate to each other. These gripping 2,560 pages (roughly) are worth reading and you can’t stop once you start. These books would be 10/10 for me as I love action, humour and deep, sometimes dark stories. Niall Mirza 8 Merton A special ‘thank you’ to Niall for reviewing this entire series of books, all of which are available to borrow form the LRC. Mrs Woolridge, Study Skills Director

Netball Glyn v Dunottar School On Wednesday 29 November, Glyn took their Netball A team to play a match against Dunottar School. We only had six players, which we figured would be interesting, considering a netball team consists of seven players! But we were prepared to take on the challenge. We also had some new kit, thanks to Mrs Mabbott, which actually features the Glyn logo...hurrah! We ended up playing two games, one against their A team, and one against their B team. I can’t explain in this report how cold it was but, take my word for it, it felt like -10°C. We also had to borrow a Goal Defence from Dunottar. Our game didn’t begin the strongest and Dunottar were soon a few goals up. We quickly pulled it back once we got into the swing of things and ended up winning 11-7. Our second game started very well and we took a solid lead. This gap was then slightly decreased when Dunottar got a few goals in. We also ended up winning this game 13-4! It was a decent result for the day... and the cookies and hot chocolate helped us to feel even better! I’ve also been forced to write a paragraph here about the ‘amazing’ play that Eloise Williams demonstrated in positions such as Wing Defence and Centre, which she wouldn’t normally play. Regardless, she ended up winning Player of the Match in BOTH games, which really highlights how good the rest of us are, doesn’t it!? Joking aside, well done, Eloise. Thank you as always to Mrs Mabbott, Manager, and Miss Clare for coaching and supporting us. Team: Louise Chappell, Bethany Chapman, Katie Curver, Gemma Gosden, Tyler Lovegrove and Eloise Williams. Gemma Gosden 13 Carew 1

Wishing you a restful weekend.

Sports Team of the Week U12B National Cup Run – 12 Goal thriller decided from the Penalty Spot This week I would like to praise the attitudes, effort and persistence of the U12B Football team who are this week’s Sports Team of the Week, following their 12 goal-thrilling third round National Cup victory against Ravensbourne School in Bromley, last week. Following an hour long minibus journey, and with limited warm up time on a bitterly cold and wet afternoon, it wasn’t a surprise that we didn’t start the match in the spriteliest of fashions. Ravensbourne were the first to score within 10 minutes, with their striker taking advantage of some poor defensive shape and covering. However, within one minute of the restart, Glyn were back equal, with some decisive forward passes ending in Lucas Thomas confidently slotting a Joe Barker Cross past the opposition keeper. The match followed the same sequence of scoring up until half time, with the home team finishing the first half 4-3 up. After conceding an early fifth goal in the second half and the clock running down it looked as though Ravensbourne would go on to win the game. However with 10 minutes to go the drama was just getting started and Henry Taylor struck a magnificent low drive from 20 yards out, that rocketed in to the bottom corner and the comeback was on. The continued pressure and high pressing resulted in a late equaliser from Joe Barker that tied the game at 5-5 with two minutes to go and the hope of extra time. There was still one last turn of fate however with the suspense and tension of the final minutes clearly affecting the composure of the Glyn defence. A Ravensbourne player found himself unmarked at the far post to turn in a header from a deep cross, which seemed to seal the victory for the ecstatic home team. With one minute left on the clock, there was still time for a final attacking attempt for the Glyn team and this resulted in a deep free kick being headed down and knocked in at close range by Finlay Palfreyman, to tie the game at 6-6 and take it to extra time and penalties. A tense 10 minutes of extra time saw solid defending from both teams and with no further goals being scored, meant that the hard fought Cup tie would be decided from the penalty spot. Four confident penalty strikes and two fantastic saves from goalkeeper Freddie Facey meant that Glyn won 4-3 on penalties and deservedly made it through to the next round. The outstanding work rate and fantastic attitudes of all of the players to never give up, in the end resulted in the better team becoming victorious. Well done to the squad and we look forward to our next 4th round last 32 fixture this coming Monday 11 December against Cardinal Newman Catholic School, which will be played away in Hove for a 2:00pm kick off. Goal scorers: Lucas Thomas, Oscar Mollet, Joe Barker (2), Henry Taylor, Finley Palfreyman

Mr McKay, BTEC Quality Nominee and Vocational Education Lead, KS5 Coordinator PE