On Thursday 12th December, Year 12 and 13 German students had the privilege of visiting the British Film Institute (BFI) in London to explore the legacy of East Germany through film. The engaging study day was rounded off with a festive visit to a Christmas market.
Being a part of the Year 10 pantomimes was an amazing experience. It was wonderful and fulfilling to see all of our hard work come to fruition, and everyone’s performances reflected the dedication put in by everyone. Even from backstage, you could hear how engaged the children were by the pantomimes, and how happy they were to be there. It was particularly amusing to hear how hard they laughed at the ‘brainrot’ jokes growing in popularity, which were sprinkled into a few of the performances.
The Kendrick Ultimate club (otherwise known as our "Frisbee" club) took part in UK Junior Women's Indoor Nationals (JWIN) this term for the first time.
Kendrick was one of the few schools who entered a team into both the Under 14s and Under 17s categories, and the support shown by each team to each other during the tournament was such a credit to them. Both teams cheered each other on and embodied the 'Spirit of the Game' which is instrumental to a self-refereed sport like Ultimate.
Even though this was their first tournament, we had multiple other teams and coaches approach us to congratulate the teams on their kindness and supportive nature towards their opponents. Students frequently congratulated opponents on good plays and had good discussions on rules where something was disagreed about.
Kendrick School's recent school production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" was a resounding triumph, captivating audiences with its enchanting music, intricate storytelling, and outstanding performances.
Students from Year 7 to Year 13 dedicated countless hours of rehearsals, demonstrating incredible commitment and talent. Their hard work shone through in every scene, from the powerful vocals to the nuanced character portrayals to delivering powerful music scores amongst the band.
On the 15th October, I had the privilege of attending The Royal County of Berkshire Lord-Lieutenant Awards ceremony at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where I was appointed as one of the Lord Lieutenant’s cadets for the Royal County of Berkshire. In my role, I accompany the Lord Lieutenant to his duties.
The English department was once again inundated with brilliant, inspiring poems in response to our winter competition on the theme of hope. After much agonising deliberation, we selected the following winners and runners-up.
Season's Greetings from us all at Kendrick School
This year I was invited back to the US Space and Rocket Centre as an ambassador at the Honeywell Leadership Challenge Academy. As an ambassador, I got to know all the 130 participants from around the world, sharing my own experiences from last year, encouraging them to give their best in the activities and to tackle new challenges.
On Tuesday 26th November 2024, we were excited to launch our Widening Horizons programme for the 2024-25 academic year. Over 130 parents and primary school children from Years 3-5 in receipt of Pupil Premium (free school meals), Service Premium (children with a parent(s) in the British Armed Forces) and who live in our designated area and children in care or previously in care attended the Widening Horizons Information Event at Kendrick School.
Parents listened to talks from senior members of staff and heard how, as a result of the Widening Horizons and outreach work, Kendrick School has been awarded the prestigious Sutton Trust Fair Schools Admissions Award at the highest GOLD level. The primary school students participated in exciting art, library and English workshops, led by our staff and supported by our older Kendrick students, and it was lovely to see their excitement and enthusiasm as they left the workshops. Two parents with students who have taken part in the Widening Horizons programme and gone on to join our school community, spoke to the parents about their, and their child’s, positive experience of Kendrick School and this programme, and gave some helpful tips and advice on making the most of this opportunity.
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During the last academic year, I participated in the British Physics (BPhO) Computational Challenge 2024, where I undertook a project to program Physics models, with this year’s theme being Projectile Motion.
As part of this project, I developed a website, which was then reviewed and given a Gold award. Various phenomena in physics, such as the orbits of planets around stars, can be analysed and generalised into formulae, which can then be modelled computationally.
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'The Cooking Show', a short animation film by Jessica in Year 7 made with her sister & friends (calling themselves the Lefroy Collective) was awarded this year’s Royal Academy of Art's (RA) President’s Prize 🏆 as selected by the President of the Royal Academy, Rebecca Salter PRA!
The artwork was on display at the Royal Academy's Young Artists' Summer Show and is on their online exhibition as well. Here is a link: https://youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/2024/125919?query=the%20cooking%20show
On Friday 18th October, Year 12 biologists embarked on an exciting trip to Longleat Safari Park. Our visit to Longleat was aimed to deepen our understanding of conservation efforts and prepare us for learning about the upcoming biodiversity topic on our A Level course.
The conference that we attended was split up into 2 sessions. Session 1 covered how zoos and wildlife parks collaborate in breeding programs to ensure genetic diversity and the long-term survival of species that are at risk of extinction. The conference also covered rhino IVF, focusing on the northern white rhino, which is functionally extinct.