After Lights Out

Lent Term 2013

Monday, 4^th March

Dear Parents

I would like to start this letter by thanking you for all your kindness and support following my appointment as Headmaster.  Annie and I have been tremendously touched by the warmth and enthusiasm you have shown us which has made us the more excited by the new direction in our lives.  The staff too have greeted us in a similar vein and we are confident that we will carry Ashdown forward into a bright future.

Last night’s concert and choral recital were a fantastic example of the Ashdown team effort.  Richard Fitt managed, with very little rehearsal time, to pull together children, parents, friends and staff to give the audience an uplifting hour of Vivaldi’s Gloria.  Those of us who are not natural singers are given the opportunity to ‘perform’ along with the professionals and others who are members of choirs and it is indeed a truly fantastic experience – I recommend it to anyone who shied away this year and encourage you to sign up next year…for it will be back as one of the staples of the Ashdown diet!  It was wonderful to have Aimee de Havas (who left last year with a music scholarship to Roedean) singing a solo and congratulations to Adeoluwa on his solo…and on his flute, piano, bassoon and saxophone pieces in the preceding concert.  The concert itself contained just the right mix of classical and more popular music to suit all tastes and all were a delight to listen to (do look on the website for photos of the evening).  To bring us down to earth rather, may I ask that anyone who finds themselves with a copy of the score please return it to school as soon as possible so Mr Fitt can return the full complement.

More positive news has been the awards we have heard of in the last two or three weeks.  Many congratulations to Aiko Eliot on her Exhibition to Benenden, to Claudia Grace on her Drama Scholarship to Benenden and to Dominic Prest on his Sports Scholarship to Sherborne.  Also congratulations to our prize winners in the David Shepherd ‘Global Canvas’ Competition: Esme Heath, Lucy Hunt and Freddie Smith are joint 2^nd Prize winners in their age groups and Aiko Eliot came 3^rd in hers.  They and other artists who were commended for their work go to the Natural History Museum this week to receive their awards from the great wildlife artist himself.

It is with regret that I have to tell you that John Boddington is moving on to become Head of Boarding at West Hill Park School in Fareham.  John has been a tremendous asset in the Staff Room and we will be very sorry to see him go, but wish him much happiness in his new role.   Those of you who were able to come to Choral Day can’t fail to have spotted Charlie Stanton in the audience!  It is with great pleasure that I pass on the good news that Charlie will be returning to Ashdown in September.  Charlie Stanton will come in to teach History and to assume the role of Head of Sport.

I know you were advised of Sarah Holt’s impending wedding recently, but would like to reiterate her invitation to all children and families to join her and Matt for their wedding on 12^th April at St Michael’s & All Angels Church, Sunningdale at 1 pm.  There is no need to let her know if you are going, but sadly she can’t invite everyone back to the reception thereafter. 

This shortest of terms is the most action packed – and this at a time when the Sick Bay is at its busiest.  We have had the usual round of seasonal ‘bugs’ this term, some of them rather persistent.  I must thank Sister and the matrons upstairs for their unstinting kindness and their diligence with their charges.

So now we’re into the run up to the end of term with lots more activity still to come – we host our U11 VIIs rugby tournament on Thursday which is always a great day for the players and supporters alike.  16 teams will be joining us in battle for the Ashdown trophy and we hope that the Spring-like weather we have had today holds fast till then – and beyond.  The girls go off to Roedean to take part in the IAPS regional netball tournament and we look forward, hopefully, to hearing that they are moving on to the National finals…  The Mock Trial, a Daniel Stephenson special, will be performed on Sunday, 17^th at 5 pm.  The cast is largely made up of 1s’ children but this, like Choral Day, is very much an ‘Ashdown Special’.

Once again, thank you for all your kind messages and Annie and I much look forward to seeing you over the next two or three weeks and then during the Summer Term.

Kindest regards

Haydon Moore

Monday, 4th February

Dear Parents

As we move out of the gloom of January and towards half term, the first crocuses and snowdrops of the season have definitely been good for morale despite the best efforts of assorted ‘bugs’, snow, gales, lashing rain and the darkness at the start and end of the day!

Although the snow wrought havoc with fixtures, there was plenty of competition of the snowballing, snowman building, toboggan racing variety and I hope that you have enjoyed some of the photos on the website. The children’s ingenuity never ceases to amaze me as they came up with a wide range of ‘vehicles’ with which to descend the slopes!

The rain and gales that followed cleared the snow to reveal the tractor-like traces of the badgers who had, alongside their friends the moles, done all in their power to make the rugby pitches resemble a war zone. The grounds staff worked like beavers (!) to fill in the divots, but any suggestions of how best to (legally) rid ourselves of these intruders would be gratefully received….

On the subject of war zones, it was fascinating to find, upon rifling through the chest in the Hall, relics of World War II – pieces of silk from the parachutes of US airmen who baled out of a ‘Flying Fortress’ and landed on the Patch as well as shards of a bomb that dropped behind the school and blew out many a window in dorms…one young lad, son of an Air Marshall, asked permission before leaving his glass strewn bed! My sermon in Chapel this morning was about the Good Shepherd, but linked in to the stories of wartime Ashdown.

I am so pleased with the way the daily Prayers we have reintroduced have been received by children and staff alike. A short period of contemplative calm before a busy day with a hymn, a prayer and the addressing of one or two issues, serves to reboot, as it were, the brain of even the youngest child, and ensure maximum focus for the day ahead. Lesson reading, which may seem a rather inconsequential matter, actually increases the children’s confidence in public speaking and it is heartening to witness children who shy away from being in the public eye blossom from this small act.

We’ve had a great weekend and finally the weather has allowed the matches to go ahead (although illness forced a couple to be cancelled). Great things are promised for the future by our junior girls on the netball courts where they came out victorious against the might of Holmewood House and the senior boys showed their power and commitment by convincing victories against Cottesmore. Tomorrow’s Grim Challenge sees our visitors (Brambletye and Hilden Grange) take us on over Mr Schreiber’s eponymous course.

Our cross country team must be congratulated on their performance at Great Walstead’s meeting last week and Will Brockman, in particular, for his fantastic win overall. His commitment to his distance running is commendable and plainly pays dividends.

The 1s are positioned nicely for their mock CEs later after half term and it is heartening to see how well they are all rising to this challenge.   It would be hard, too, to find the level of dedication and commitment shown by the staff in supporting them anywhere other than a boarding school and we have to be hugely indebted to the staff for their encouragement and support.

Our winter programme of guest speakers is drawing to a close, but not before we have some fascinating talks: this week Dr Stephanie Cook is coming to talk about her Sydney Olympic gold medal pentathlon and then next week Matthew Fleming, England cricketer, is coming to inspire us – the title for his talk ‘How to be heard without shouting…and perhaps play cricket for England’ speaks volumes.

On Friday next – the start of half term – the 4s’ play will end the formal part of this half of term. Before taking your children home, do come and enjoy their production ‘Operation Pied Piper’ (based on the mass evacuation of children from cities during World War II).

The parent/staff/children Charity touch rugby tournament on the afternoon of Friday, 15^th February, will be particularly poignant this year as we will dedicate it – and the funds we generate from it – to the memory of Peter Allen. Peter was, as many of you know, father to Holly (who left last summer to start at Bryanston) and Sam (in the 2s); a larger than life figure with a great many passions, one of which was rugby, so it seems fitting to use our tournament to try to raise as much as possible for Youth at Risk (youthatrisk.org.uk) which supports vulnerable young people in turning their lives around.

Strains of Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ can be heard around the school as Mr Fitt has us all practising for Choral Day (March 3^rd). Do come and join us – either (preferably) as singers or in the audience.

With best wishes

Haydon Moore

Monday, 14th January

Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends

Firstly, may I use this opportunity to thank everyone – parents, staff and most importantly, the children - for being so supportive and positive as Annie and I take on our roles for the immediate future. We have been extremely touched and will do everything we possibly can to ensure that the school moves successfully into its next phase. All the signs are that this will be the case and thank you for the very important part you play in this and the positive message you are giving to your children, families and friends.

On that note, ‘marketing’ is the word of the day and age in which we live, but we know full well that the only marketing tool that is 100% successful is the one that comes from within – positive and enthusiastic comments and, of course, happy and successful children – so please do spread the good word about how special Ashdown House is.

Our scholarship candidates (and their teachers) are at full steam in their preparation for attempts at academic, music, sport, drama, art, DT and all rounder success to Winchester, Westminster, Benenden, Marlborough, Tonbridge, St Edward’s, Sherborne and Heathfield and we wish them well, whilst, of course the Common Entrance candidates are revving into top gear for next term’s exams. The calibre of the schools to which they aspire continues to be from the top rank and the standards of CE equate with GCSE which helps to confirm the level to which the children are taught.

We have welcomed Dr James Tosh to his role as Head of Science this term. James has worked in research at the Natural History Museum for the last several years and has been involved down in Dorset at The Tree School (Old Malthouse) where his passion for teaching was confirmed. John Boddington, Head of History, has taken over the role of Head of Sport. We have welcomed back Stevan Rivoal, and Madeleine Renié has joined us – both invaluable native speakers in the French Department. Of course, the Lent Term sees us welcoming new gappers (not the best term to start when you come from sub tropical areas!) and Miss Jayme, Miss Jenna and Miss Hannah have settled in seamlessly to their new roles.

Sadly Caroline Kemsley, who has been at Ashdown for 22 years, will be leaving us at the end of this term. Caroline was the driving force behind the Log Cabin and has nurtured so many children in her care over the years. She will be a hard act to follow, but we have been extremely fortunate to find Mrs Lucy Cooper. Lucy has enormous experience in the field of teaching and of Learning Support specifically and we are sure that she will be a dynamic member of the team. I am sure you will join me in wishing Caroline a well deserved, and doubtless very active, retirement.

Suzanne Lloyd, the Mandarin teacher, has left to pursue her studies in China. Rest assured that we are working hard to replace her (indeed we will be interviewing during the coming week) and will hopefully have someone to take the Mandarin lessons shortly.

Choral Day went missing last year, but I urge all parents to join the children and staff in this year’s which will be on Sunday, 3^rd March. This year we will be performing Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ and invite you to join a rehearsal at 10 am on 3^rd. It really is a wonderful opportunity to join the children in something that is very ‘Ashdown’ and, even if you feel you are not a singer, the experience is very worthwhile. We had our first practice in congers and the children could be heard humming Gloria all afternoon so I am sure you’ll have very willing teachers!

There is so much going on in this, the shortest term, so do look at the Calendar and on the website for news.   There are several very interesting talks this term on Wednesday evenings at 6.30 in the Theatre and, along with those that can be found in the Calendar, we have late entrant – Stephanie Cook, Olympic pentathlon gold medallist in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, who will be talking to us all on Wednesday, 6^th February. Do please come along to any/all of these interesting talks on a variety of topics.

You are always welcome to join the children for Sunday Chapel (10.30 am unless there is an evening service which will be noted in the Calendar) or to our termly Roman Catholic Masses. We have been so fortunate to have Fr Nicholas Leviseur after the demise of the RC Church in Forest Row. Do join us after these services for coffee/refreshments.

I seem to remember the last couple of Lent terms being rather snow struck. The soggy, grey start to the term has claimed its first casualties with the girls’ netball matches v Worth having to be cancelled. However the boys went off to Holmewood House, one of our strongest rivals, where they acquitted themselves brilliantly – rugby takes no prisoners where the scoreline is concerned but the boys put on sterling performances....so watch out Goliath!

It is now Sunday evening and we’ve had a marvellous day with a wide variety of activities. The children have made pizzas at Beech House, baked with Mrs Moore in the flat; a group were taken to Les Miserables and there’s been football, swimming and model making as well as 40/40 on the Forest. Hopefully there’ll be some photos in the Gallery on the website shortly, so do have a look….

Annie and I much look forward to seeing many of you during the course of the term.

With very best regards

Haydon Moore

 

 

 

AUTUMN TERM 2012

Tuesday, 6th November

 

Dear Parents

It has been a turbulent week but, as ever, the Ashdown spirit has shone through. We are all positive and we will ensure recent events do not overshadow the excellent term we are having and the high morale exuding from the staff and children. Ashdown is in a good place and we must continue to bang the drum as loudly as ever! Onwards and upwards….  

This last weekend was a classic. A massive bonfire built by our Grounds staff was set alight down on the Patch; glow sticks were flying everywhere, and screaming rockets and howling fireworks caused many an ooh and ahh! This was quickly followed by doughnuts, hot chocolate and games in the Barn overseen by the 1s. It was one of the best Bonfire Nights I can remember.

Despite the horrendous rain on Sunday we welcomed Harry Hammond (senior master) from Radley College for Chapel. We then put on the following activities: swimming, dodgeball, cooking, 40/40 on the Ashdown Forest, DT, ICT, 1s’ walk from Hartfield, football, ping-pong in the Dining Room, Dover Patrol, a James Bond film and Merlin. It was exhausting, but a wonderful weekend and displayed everything great about a traditional boarding prep school.

The concert, ‘Music for a Royal Occasion’, before half term in St Luke’s Church, Chelsea, was outstanding. The quality achieved by the children in such a short space of time by Mr Fitt and Mr Bennett has been noticeable. Many thanks to our Music Department and to Cothill House for creating such an opportunity. I am sure we will continue to collaborate with Cothill and other Trust schools in the future. Whilst on the subject of music, may I congratulate Richard and Helena Fitt on the birth of their first child, Arthur. Another one for the toddler group!

The Recitation Competition was a fitting way to end the first half of term. This must have been the highest standard I have seen for several years. The clarity of the delivery, the animation and the confidence of the children was a joy to watch and I am excited at how comfortable so many of your children feel under the spotlight. Many thanks to Sue Dudman Jones, from the Merlin School in Putney, who had the unenviable task of judging and placing the competitors. The winners were:

1s -      Felix Deere

3s -      Izzy Sayer

4s -      Mila Novick

5s -      Lucas Ayton

On the staffing front, I am sad to announce that Mike Hogue has decided to return to his homeland after 20 years of service to Ashdown. His dry sense of humour and sporting prowess will be sorely missed, not to mention his annual Christmas sketches that the children love so much. We wish him the very best in his future studies and career. Stevan Rivoal will be returning after Christmas to teach French. Many of you will know him already from last year.

There have been some notable victories in recent weeks on the sports fields. The 1st netball team came third in the recent Versatility Tournament at Cumnor House. The 1^st VI was victorious at the Brambletye VI-a-side Tournament and the Colts A team go marching on with only two losses this season.

We now turn our attention to this year’s Remembrance Service. Please do feel free to join us in what I consider one of our most poignant and special occasions of the year. Father Nick Leviseur will be taking the Service which starts at 10.30 am. Coffee will be served in the Library afterwards.

The next few weeks will inevitably fly by. There is much to do in that time but, as ever, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or answers!

Kind regards,

Dominic Floyd

Monday, 24th September 2012

 

After Lights Out

 

Dear Parents

This school really is an extraordinary place.  At times it feels as if we are running not simply a fine academic establishment but a finishing school, holiday camp and home all rolled into one.  The obvious factor that has been so evident this term has been the happiness of the children and the high morale oozing from the staff room.  Ashdown is the place to be at the moment!

The 1s had a fabulous time in Dorset.  Using the deluxe Old Malthouse as our headquarters, we left no stone unturned on the geographical front.  Dancing Ledge, Lulworth Cove, Corfe Castle, Swanage, Studland, Old Harry’s Rock and Durdle Door were all visited whilst bombarded with all things geographical – what a stupendous subject!  Outdoor education is so refreshing and exciting and we all returned to school exhausted but exhilarated.  Many thanks to Mr Schreiber for his organisation of the trip and to Mr and Mrs Brooks (former head of Cothill) who looked after us so well.  If the children do not remember Durdle Door and Old Harry’s Rock, I will eat my hat!

Meanwhile the 2s are having a fantastic experience over at Sauveterre – do look at the website (www.sauveterre.net) for a picture diary of the term thus far.  I believe that quite a few parents will be visiting this weekend and hope they come away feeling that their children are so lucky to have such an opportunity.

Many congratulations to Dominic Yorke and Freddie Smith on winning the ‘Figuratively Speaking’ competition at Christ’s Hospital.

Last Friday night we welcomed 17 Year 3 children from Finton House in London.  Much fun was had by all and as ever, the Ashdown children were terrific in helping the boys have a wonderful time in the countryside under canvas.  They all left reluctantly once their parents had found them hiding in the rhododendron bushes!

There are quite a few pre-tests at the moment for senior schools.  The Harrow Pre-Test went well for the seven boys who applied.  We now turn our attention to those for Benenden, Downe House, Eton, Heathfield, Radley Wycombe Abbey and other public schools.  Please rest assured all our children are given plenty of NVR and VR tests to familiarise themselves as well as interview practice with the Headmaster.

The concert ‘ Music for a Royal Occasion’ in London is almost upon us.  Mr Fitt and Mr Bennett have had very little time to oil our Chapel Choir, but I am confident it will be an evening to remember.  It is the first time since we merged with The Cothill Educational Trust that we have joined forces as schools.  Please do bring your friends and family and join us at St Luke’s Church in Chelsea on 11^th October at 7.30 pm.  We have decided to donate the retiring collection to the Kids Company.

Term is now well and truly up and running.  It has been an excellent first quarter and the children deserve a well earned exeat weekend.  I hope the extra day will give them and the staff the rest they need before the run up to half term.  Jeremy Branfoot who has been absent due to a hip operation will soon be back with us once the crutches have been thrown away!

Next week I set off to the Far East.  Haydon Moore will be deputising in my absence.  I will be visiting current and prospective parents in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.  I will also be speaking at the British Council on the merits of prep school education in the UK.  Do spread the word and encourage any friends to attend the various receptions we have organised in each place (details from the office).

Finally – and on a personal note – the only downside of moving into the main house has been that we have found it unfair on our cat.  If anyone would like to give a home to a beautiful, long haired, two year old white puss called Polo  (or knows someone who might) do please let Maria or me know.

Kind regards

 

Dominic and Maria

 

Friday 7^th September 2012

Dear Parents

It is with great pleasure I write my first letter of the year to you all. It has been a glorious beginning with remarkable sunshine and smiles everywhere. The children and staff are well rested and have all made a dazzling start to the new academic year. Naturally the talk has very much centred round the marvellous Olympics and Paralympics. Bradley Wiggins, Jessica Ennis and Jonnie Peacock have been mentioned a few times!

This year we welcome four members of staff: John Boddington (Head of History), Richard Fitt (Head of Music), Tom Bennett (English, History and Sport) and Josh Duarte (GAP student). It has also been lovely to welcome 26 new children to Ashdown. I know the entire community will make them feel at home and ensure their days at Ashdown are ones they will cherish forever.

The summer holidays have been busy to say the least. Latrobe’s fine building has had the windows and shutters restored and painted, the Junior Boys’ landing has been redecorated and re-carpeted, the East Wing Hall has been sanded and re-varnished, the boys’ changing room has been redecorated. Many other areas of the school have received attention albeit in some rather less glamorous areas! The Maintenance and Grounds team have worked tirelessly and I am extremely grateful to them for all they have achieved.

This past Saturday saw the whole school set off to the ‘stadium of dreams’ to watch the Paralympics. It was a marvellous occasion and a day we will never forget. It was a fitting way to start the school year. Do look out for photographs on the website and follower our Twitter account.

We wish our 2s a marvellous term at Sauveterre. I know they will throw themselves into the fray with gusto. Do follow their progress on www.sauveterre.net

I cannot thank you enough for your generosity and kindness in supporting our 1000km for £10000 for the Kids Company Challenge last year. The bike ride back from the Chateau de Sauveterre to Ashdown was memorable week though I hasten to add that neither Mr Mason nor I have got back on the saddle just yet! All in all we have raised over £18,000 which is fantastic. Thank you. We will post up some photos on the Gallery to tell the tale!

I am very grateful to Daren Bland who, on Sunday, led a team of five other Ashdown parents against our local rivals, Brambletye, Cumnor and Holmewood House. It sounded like a terrific afternoon and I am pleased to report a confident second place for the team.

I am looking forward to visiting the Far East in early October. If you have friends in Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong who may be interested in Ashdown for their children, do suggest they get in touch and come to one of the Receptions, details of

I will keep you posted about all the news going on at Ashdown. As ever there is much timetabled in the Calendar and I hope you will all join us for some of the events of the term. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you on the touchline.

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria Floyd

 

21st May 2012

Dear Parents

This last week has been an exhilarating experience with the school under close scrutiny by the ISI Inspectors.  It has been immensely satisfying (and exhausting) to share professionally everything we do at Ashdown.  We have all been on tremendous form and the sense of unity, fellowship and team work has exuded from all quarters.  A full published report will be released by the end of term which we look forward to sharing with you.

Thursday was a busy day.  The Inspectors who were fully occupied observing the academic side of the school were themselves inspected by Ofsted.  Simultaneously, we welcomed seven London prep schools to our annual Under 8 Cricket Tournament.  The Ashdown team played well and reached the semi-finals, eventually losing to the winners, Garden House.  A special thank you to Mike Hogue for once again putting on a great day for the youngsters.

Last night, our Glyndebourne crew (Emily Bland, Izzy Sayer, Lucy Hargrave.and Cordelia Moore) were on stage in this year’s first full performance of ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’.  They, along with Scarlett Fox,  have a performance rota and Scarlett’s debut performance will be later in the week.  Isabella Hall and Aimee de Havas are rehearsing hard for ‘La Boheme’ which opens during half term.  All the reports are more than positive and I am delighted that yet more children in the school are able to be exposed to such a unique opportunity.  We can’t wait to see them in action.

On Saturday, we had much success at the K2 centre where the National Swimming Championships were held.  In the morning, our Under 11/10 freestyle relay team knocked 20 seconds off their personal best and finished sixth in the country (Josh Burvill, Marcus Prest, Dominic Yorke, Freddy Floyd, Aaron di Comberti Black, Charles Harrison, Federico Giesler and Sam Allen).  Later in the day, Inju Chang smashed her personal best and finished 7th in the country.  An extraordinary feat for a small school.

Despite the weather, our sports teams have got off to a good start.  Our girls’ tennis teams are unbeaten thus far with victories against Windlesham House, Cumnor House and Brambletye.  The rounders teams are also punching their weight.  Our 1st XI won their first round of the JET competition and with a little more practice in the nets, our younger cricketers should starting firing on all cylinders.

Yesterday, we welcomed the Prep Schools’ Liaison officer from Uppingham, Mr Sam Dewhurst.  He gave a riveting sermon on ‘Heroes and Heroines’ and captivated his audience.  In the evening, our Catholics were treated to their own Mass in the Chapel.  Fr Nick Leviseur has them eating out of his hand!

Finally, please see the attached flier giving an update on ‘The Final Push’, our epic challenge to ride on bicycle from Chateau de Sauveterre to Ashdown this coming July.  If you have a spare note to give please sponsor us on www.justgiving.com/ashdownhouse  All proceeds will go to the Kids Company charity.  Mr Mason and I did ten miles yesterday which I am still recovering from!  

Now our attention focuses to the next few weeks.  The 1s are working hard in their preparation for CE with the Library becoming a study zone in the evenings.  The 4s’ play is almost upon us at the end of this week and of course the School Concert and Sports Day next week.  Busy times for a busy and happy school.  Life is rich and we are all fortunate to be connected to such a glorious educational establishment.  

Kind regards

Dominic Floyd

7th May
 
Dear Parents
 
The deluge of rain continues but one fact is certain, the grounds look stunning.  The flower beds and the fields are in rude health and I am extremely grateful to the Ground Staff for their hard work.  Now all we need are some cricket stumps, short tennis nets, badminton, croquet and some busy cricket nets!
 
The Cothill Trust recently announced their merger with St.Aubyn’s Prep School on the south coast in Rottingdean.  This is exciting news and we look forward to welcoming them into the Trust.  Now being our closest relation geographically, I am sure we will be seeing more of them and establishing a strong hold on the Sussex prep school scene.
 
This Saturday saw us brave Glastonbury conditions to entertain some of our new children coming to Ashdown in September.  It was an enjoyable afternoon and the kitchen laid on a delicious lunch.  Thank you to some of our current parents for joining us.
 
Several of our younger pupils were involved in the Mega Chess Final.  They all did remarkably well amongst 392 competitors.  Lucy Hargrave, Roland Bourne, Callum Hynes and Scarlett Fox all qualify for the Giga Final.
 
Our Under 13 rounders team have started the term in winning ways.  Victory in the first round of the JET competition and winners of the St. Bede’s tournament have created a real buzz around the school.  Keep it up girls!
 
Another winner was, of course, Old Ashdownian, Boris Johnson who has been re-elected Mayor of London.  Looking at the boys and girls of 2012, one wonders what will be written of them in 30 years or so… They are certainly lucky to have inspiration from so many quarters, be they parents, teachers, their peers as well as from visiting lecturers and Sunday preachers.
 
On that note, we had a visit on Sunday from Duncan Hepburn who was Deputy Headmaster here in the 80s and who now teaches at Cothill and then, in the evening, Fr Nicholas Leviseur took Roman Catholic Mass in Chapel.  Both preachers’ messages were thought provoking and these services make me realise how blessed (literally!) the children are to enjoy traditional worship with their friends.
 
Please can I remind parents we have a no sweets policy and to please adhere to the weekend rules of going out.  Unless it is an important family occasion, please stick to the four Sundays out rule this term so that we can preserve the full boarding ethos of Ashdown.  The Sunday activities are designed to be fun and varied, often resulting in the best day of the week.
 
Finally, please keep an eye on your in-box for the latest push on the 1000km challenge and our forthcoming bike ride from Chateau de Sauveterre to Ashdown this coming July.  Over £5000 has been raised but we still need £4800 to reach our final target of £10,000 for Kids Company.  
 
Kind regards,
 
 
 
Dominic Floyd
 
P.S Stop press…we have now been informed of our coming inspection by the ISI next week.  We will all be flat out to give the best possible impression of what we aim to achieve here for your children.

 

25^th March 2012

Dear Parents

This last term has been as frenetic as I can remember, but I can confidently say I could not be more pleased with the achievements and successes the school has enjoyed this term. The children have been on excellent form and have all made noticeable progress in every area of their busy lives. Without apology let me share with you what we have achieved in recent weeks:

Lily Innes has won an academic scholarship to Wellington College. William Womersley was awarded an Art Exhibition to Radley. Cosima Keen and Aimée de Havas both won Music Scholarships to Millfield and Roedean respectively. Cosima also won a Chess Scholarship to Millfield and Tilly Butcher won a Sports Scholarship to Heathfield. We still await the results of a couple more, but I am sure you will agree that these are tremendous achievements and demonstrate the strength of teaching we have across the board and the talent there is amongst our pupils.

The netball this year has been quite extraordinary. Philippa McCarthy and Jenny Upton have done an incredible job at the top end of preparing and coaching our girls. In the IAPS National Tournament, our Under 13 team came 7^th overall in the country and our Under 11s finished 27^th= overall. For two year groups that boast twelve girls each from whom to choose we must have been the smallest and most successful school on the circuit. The Under 13s completed a brilliant season by beating Cumnor House last Saturday.

The 1^st XV also finished strongly as did the Colts A team, with three straight wins to finish their season. Indeed, our 7-a-side team won the Ashdown Sevens’ Competition and played some sublime rugby. The team spirit has been noticeable and I commend all the boys and their coaches for the progress they have all made across the school.

The David Shepherd Global Canvas Competition was phenomenal. Proudly on show for all the public to see, we took our prize winners and exhibitors to the Natural History Museum for the prize giving ceremony. Chloe Yorke (3M) won the entire event with her painting of two tigers whilst Arthur Lindsay, Lily St John, William Womersley and Annabel Naylor stood alongside as proud winners or with places in their category. The children met David Shepherd and enjoyed the paparazzi. The Art in and around the school is a true reflection of how vibrant the department has become under the inspiring eye of Suzie Fox.

This Easter, Keith Rutherford travels to his homeland of Australia to get married to his fiancée, Gill Turco. We wish them both a truly happy and memorable day with all their friends and family. Not only this, they are also expecting their first child in September which is fabulous news. Sadly though for Ashdown, Keith has made the difficult decision to leave us at the end of the academic year so that they can relocate to London which will be much closer to Gill’s workplace. Haydon Moore has kindly agreed to become Deputy Head as from September. We also sadly say goodbye to Charlie Stanton at the end of next term. Charlie has decided to take time off to complete his PGCE and fulfil some lifelong dreams, such as following a Lions’ tour to Australia. Charlie has spent nine years at Ashdown and has made a massive contribution to the school and to all the children he has taught. Tom Bennett, an Oxbridge graduate will be joining us in September having spent time teaching at Cothill House this last year.

Our Open Morning for the Pre-Prep was a great success with several interested families. Despite the drizzly weather, there was a great atmosphere and all seemed most impressed by the school and its warm ambiance.

Our final morning of term was completed with the Ashdown Talent Show. This was hugely successful and saw some incredible acts performed. Holly Allen won it with her rendition of Adele’s ‘Someone Like You’. In second place was Aiko Eliot and in third place, William Strutt and Tife Osho. I hope the school were inspired and start planning ahead to what they should do next year. Any parental input is greatly appreciated. I always liked the Two Ronnie’s ‘Four Candles’ sketch myself!

On Monday evening we were treated to a magic show by the talented Devonte. He amazed the audience with his selection of tricks. It was a brilliant and impromptu evening and left the school buzzing in disbelief at what they had seen. I am convinced with his charisma and skill, he will become a big name of the future.

Finally, having watched the exploits of John Bishop and Helen Skelton raising money for Sport Relief, the training for the big bike ride kicks off in earnest this holiday. You will remember the goal was to complete 1000km in order to raise £10,000 for the charity, Kids Company. So far, I have completed a 3.8km swim, a 42 mile yomp on the South Downs yesterday from Kingston (Lewes) to Eastbourne, with the added contribution of two half marathons from George de Moraville and Maria. Thus far we have raised just over £5000. The team joining me for the Sauveterre to Ashdown cycle ride is Paddy Mason, Duncan Bailey (Head of Cothill), Neal Bailey (Head of Sauveterre) and Ben Beardmore-Grey (Head of Mowden Hall). Please add your support by donating on www.justgiving.com/ashdownhouse

And so another term draws to a close…the children and staff are exhausted and now take valuable time off to prepare and recharge for next term. The school is looking terrific in this early summer sunshine and we, along with a few new faces, look forward to arguably the best term of the year. Maria and I wish you all a very happy, restful and enjoyable Easter break.

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria Floyd

 

 

 

15^th February 2012

Dear Parents

It has been a very busy half of term. Winter has finally driven us indoors and we have had the fires roaring and the boilers on full steam. Despite the number of bugs and colds around, everyone has been on terrific form.

We are constantly looking at ways we can improve the pastoral care of your children. For this reason we are implementing some changes next term to the structure of the boys’ boarding at Ashdown which we hope will benefit them all. This will result in a mirrored structure for both the boys and girls.

As from April, Regan and Gail Schreiber will oversee the boarding at Ashdown. The junior boys will move to the upper floor of the main house above the Schreiber family. The 1s will move to the wing above the 1s’ play room and be under Charlie Stanton’s watchful eye. The 2s will be on Mr de Moraville’s landing. Each year group will have ample Common Room space and will benefit from being grouped together at one end of the school. The evening arrangements will remain unchanged with a variety of different options being offered each night of the week by their houseparents and different members of staff.

David and Barbara Gibbon will liaise closely with the Schreibers to ensure a smooth transition. David will continue to teach Maths and coach sport, as well as the many other valuable things he contributes to the school. I am extremely grateful to him, and of course to Barbara, for their dedication on the junior boys’ landing.

Caroline Kemsley, our Head of Learning support has now moved to full time status. Annie Moore has joined the department in assisting those pupils requiring extra support.

After 13 years of dedicated teaching at Ashdown, Edward Gilsenan will be moving on to Pilgrims’ Prep School in Winchester as Head of Classics at the end of next term. I will of course let you know of his replacement when confirmed. Bina Solomon will also be leaving us to pursue her dream of working in embryology. Timothy Fry will be joining us in September as our new Head of Science.

On the Grounds’ front, Oli Riches has been promoted to Head Groundsman. We welcome Ben Samels who joins the team as Assistant Groundsman.

I am delighted to report that Aimée de Havas has been awarded a music scholarship to Roedean and Cosima Keen has been awarded a music and chess scholarship to Millfield. Many congratulations to them both and to their team of dedicated teachers.

We have also just heard in the last week or so, wonderful and exciting news about the David Shepherd Global Canvas competition. Chloe Yorke (3M) has won the entire competition! Lily St John won the Under 13 category, with William Womersley finishing third. Annabel Naylor came third in the Under 10 category and Arthur Lindsay came joint second in the Under 9s. Lucy Hargrave, Georgina O’Brien, Alexandra Nikolaeva, Scarlett Fox, Cristina Viviente, Simeon Lee, Mollie Beale, Seoyeon Jeong, Camilla Wilkins, Magnus Merryweather, Juan Trevino, Carlos Espinosa, Botakoz Rustem, Libby Galloway and Katerina Mathison all have paintings chosen to exhibit. All of these pupils will have their artwork exhibited in the Natural History Museum fron 15^th March. An extraordinary achievement and many thanks to Suzie Fox and Suzy Hiron for their inspirational teaching.

Skype and Facetime are rapidly becoming a popular and easy way to communicate with your child. The school’s Skype address is: Ashdown House Prep School and our Facetime email is: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Do let us know your address so we can add you to our contacts list.

Many congratulations to the Under 13 girls’ netball team. Victorious at the Hurstpierpoint tournament we eagerly await the next competition and Regionals. Keep shooting those goals!

Last weekend saw our first optional Saturday night. Those of us left back at the ranch had a great time as promised. Lots of extra treats and an action packed Sunday left us all feeling exhilarated and exhausted. I certainly enjoyed Drusillas Zoo and the Adventure Playground at the end, not to mention additional coffee shop and sugar doughnuts.

The 3s’ play, ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ must be one of the best plays we have seen in recent times. The entire cast was fabulous and once again the magic of George de Moraville worked.

Our school ski trip departs this coming Saturday to the Austrian resort of St Christoph under the close supervision of Victoria Randle. She is joined by veteran Paddy Mason and Charlie Stanton. We wish them a fabulous week in some of the best snow conditions for years. Poor things!

Have a lovely half-term.

Kind regards

Dominic Floyd

 

 

15^th January 2012

Dear Parents

It has been a tremendous start to 2012. The weather has been sublime and this weekend exuded everything that is so wonderful about a boarding prep school. When the Inspectors arrive, I sincerely hope they spend some time with us at the weekend too. Happy New Year!

The first day back saw us treated to a series of talks and photo slide shows by David Edwards, a conservationist and lecturer, raising awareness about sustainable issues. The children and staff were gripped.

Our second batch of the 2s have left the UK shores and are settling in well at Sauveterre. Paddy Mason has accompanied them to help them find their feet. Do keep abreast of their life and activities out in France on the Sauveterre website: www.sauveterre.eu

Activities and Clubs have all started and it has been great to see new initiatives on offer. However, due to a lack of interest I am afraid the junior fitness club and fencing will not be taking place this term. Do muster support amongst your children if you would like any new hobbies/activities or clubs introduced. It would be lovely to see more children signed up for the senior fitness club.

This weekend has been exhausting but terrific. We did well in the netball against neighbouring Worth and some excellent rugby was played against Holmewood House, with Ashdown’s 1^st XV coming a close second. In the early evening we were treated to a fascinating lecture by James Kenworthy who rowed across the Atlantic Ocean in 2010.

Sunday saw us take two minibuses to the London Boat, Bike, Outdoor Adventure and Watersports Show at the ExCel. What a treat! As I remember doing when I was at prep school, the children challenged themselves to find as many catalogues, stickers, badges and goodies they could! With £10 million yachts, fast (and very expensive) cars, wake boarding and bicycle polo, all ages were entertained! Back at the ranch, bow and arrow making, Patch games, basketball and the 1s’ walk kept everyone warm and entertained. I shall not mention the football!

On Sunday evening we welcomed back Father Nick Leviseur who kindly gave Mass to our resident Catholics. It was a lovely service and we feel very honoured that we can cater so handsomely for our Catholics. Some very kind donations from parents have enabled us to purchase a chalice and candle sticks.

It is often perceived that the Lent Term is a quiet one; however, our aim will be to pack in as much as we usually do - and more. Do come to see the exhibition on endangered animals and to hear David Shepherd talk at 6.30 pm. There will be supper after the talk (please let us know if you are able to come for catering purposes) and a raffle as well as the opportunity to buy some of David’s beautiful prints/books/post cards etc.

Kind regards,

Dominic Floyd

Sunday, 20th November
 
Dear Parents
 
This week has seen many of us succumb to various bugs and viruses (not the Headmaster I hasten to add!).  The exeat will be a welcome opportunity to restore our batteries for the final quarter of term.  After the end of term exams, there is much to look forward to on the horizon (as well as exams of course) and I hope you will all have the opportunity to join us at various functions before Christmas is upon us – the1s and 5s’ plays, the Advent Service and Concert and the Ashdown Carol Service.  Please note that the Carol Service is at the Holy Trinity Church in Forest Row this year rather than in Coleman’s Hatch Church.
 
Some wonderful news …another Ashdown engagement!  Sarah Holt has announced her engagement to Matt Goff - the ring is on the finger and we wish her every happiness in the future.
 
I am most impressed with Claudia Grace and Helena St John.  Off their own back they decided to bake a selection of cakes and other delicacies to raise money for the Kids Company.  They and their sisters will be enticing you to part with your money this coming Saturday morning to raise valuable funds for our chosen charity.  I am extremely grateful to them and I hope you will all show your support.  So far we have managed to raise over £3000.  Our goal is to hit £10,000 by the end of the academic year.  You can sponsor us on www.justgiving.com/ashdownhouse or send a cheque made payable to ‘The Kids Company’.  Watch out for more news of our Santa Run on the 4th December!
 
This terms 1s’ play is called ‘Hollywood’ and is a de Moraville special, tailored to the Ashdown humour.  The 5s will be performing Mr Moore’s interpretation of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.  I do hope many of you will join us on both Friday evening and Saturday morning.  It is a wonderful way to start the weekend and see the journey your children make from the innocence of the 5s to the heady heights of the 1s.  Pastries and coffee will be served in the interval.
 
Last Wednesday saw a busy and fulfilling day.  Our senior girls performed brilliantly in the East Grinstead Under 13 hockey tournament finishing fifth overall.  This is no mean feat and they returned to school delighted and thrilled after some confidence boosting victories and results.  In the Under 9 football team, Morten Tilley managed to put five past the Tavistock and Summerhill goalkeeper whilst helping his team to a 10-0 victory.  In the evening we had a whole school debate, with the motion ‘This House believes that all children under the age of twelve should not have mobile phones’.  There were some excellent speeches which were well researched and practised.  The floor was also lively with many of the children contributing their views. In the end, the motion was not carried with a winning margin of 13 votes defeating the motion.  Well done to the speakers – Ivo Kleinwort, Tife Osho, Sameer Mohinani, Lily Innes, Tilly Butcher and Gus Turner.  Edward Hannay did a wonderful job with the two minute bell!
 
Today has been another glorious Sunday.  Chapel saw some excellent reading from two boys – Jay Darling and Alexander Young - some lovely singing by the Chapel Choir and some thoughtful bidding prayers from Fred Cox, Ben Chavasse and William Barker.  Do come and join us if you are taking your child out on a Sunday (or even if you’re not!) and join us for a coffee afterwards.  One minibus full of fortunate children was treated to a European rugby match at High Wycombe with Wasps taking on Rovigo in the fog.  Mrs Fox put on a wonderful day project, designing looms and decorating them with natural foliage.  Games in the Barn, the Sunday film and Dover Patrol on the Patch took me back to my prep school days where we had so much fun running around without a care in the world – oh! to be young again…..
 
We are making a concerted effort to raise the level of fitness in the school and teach good practice in warming up, stretching and cooling down before and after exercise.  Timing the cross-country runs is providing useful motivation amongst the pupil body and it is pleasing to see so many of them improving their personal bests.  William Brockman currently is the fastest man on the track.  I am still the fastest on the Scalextric track!  
 
Talking of speed but on a very serious note, I have noticed in recent weeks the alarming speed that some cars approach the main house.  Please be ultra cautious when approaching the school – the children can come charging out from bushes or the arch and, now that daylight hours are so much shorter, this poses an additional danger.  I would be loath to put up any more speed limit signs.
 
A few dates to flag up:
 
There will be several lectures next term which we will of course note in the Calendar, but one that parents might like to note is a return visit from David Shepherd, the famous artist and conservationist.  He visited us a couple of years ago and was a smash hit with adults and children and will be here next term on Wednesday, January 25th so do make a note of that in your 2012 diaries.
 
Choral Day will be on the first Sunday of the Summer Term – Sunday, April 29th
For the uninitiated this is a wonderful ‘team’ occasion for families to join their children in rehearsing and performing a choral work.
 
New Pupils’ Day will be on Saturday, May 5th
 
Kind regards
 
Dominic and Maria

Sunday, 13^th November

Dear Parents

It has been an extremely busy two weeks since half term and I am delighted that so many areas of the school are functioning so well. There is much to report back on over the last two weeks and I am eager for you to be fully in the loop.  

Last weekend we had a glorious Bonfire Night. The moon was full and we did our best to shoot it down with a barrage of fireworks and rockets. I cannot think of a better setting for a firework display. This was preceded by an enormous bonfire in the corner of the Patch. The children were in excellent voice and later let off steam in the Barn after gorging themselves on doughnuts and hot chocolate. The 1s did a splendid job in running some novel stalls.

In Chapel last week we welcomed James Stileman who gave a riveting sermon. He runs a very successful Christian Activity Holidays for Prep school children in the New Forest called ‘Forres’. Do get in touch with me if you are interested.

Since half term we have had several visitors to the school specifically aimed at engaging the children with their ‘trades’. Garen Ewing (a cartoonist famed for ‘The Rainbow Orchid’ series) inspired the children with his humour and blatant talent; Hector Krome spoke about his love for India and showed his photography of the country; Colin Swainson (Housemaster at Tonbridge) gave a talk about honey bees and beekeeping; and Marco Crivello (artist) spent the day with the top year groups, inspiring them with his vibrant seascapes and landscapes. Next Wednesday (November 23^rd) we have a visit from local vet, Jenny Christopherson, and the following (November 30^th) from Steve Cunningham who is, we understand, the fastest blind man on land and sea. Parents and friends are of course very welcome to all these Wednesday evening talks which start at 6.30 pm in the Theatre. 

On 11^th November, the entire school took to the Ashdown Forest and traipsed across the woodland and MOD land to reach our destination – the Airman’s Grave. Despite grizzly weather, we spent the best part of the day clocking up an impressive 11 miles. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with many of the children and chatting informally. The school’s conduct was more than impressive and the children’s stamina and positive spirit made us all feel very proud. I doubt any school in the country will have remembered our servicemen and women in such a profound manner. This was completed with a wonderful Remembrance Day Service this morning. The Chapel Choir sung beautifully and William Brockman did a tremendous job in performing the Last Post and the Reveille.

Our swimming team this term have now been successful against Handcross and Brambletye. Our golf team also had a victory against Brambletye last Sunday. Roland Bourne came third in the Sussex Chess competition. Well done to them all and keep it going!

We send Cosima Keen off to Brazil at the end of this week to compete for GB in the World Youth Chess Championships. We shall be keeping a close eye on her progress and wish her the best of luck.

On 4^th December we have the opportunity to enter a 5 km Santa Run in Greenwich. This will be in aid of Kids Company. I am urging any of the children to enter from the 4s upwards. The entry fee is £20 and they have to pledge a promise to raise £100. All will be provided with a Santa suit to run in! I hope you will encourage your son/daughter to jump on board the sleigh. There should certainly be some entertaining snaps to come.

On a more serious note, I am acutely aware these days of the financial pressures on many of us. We are aware that parents are being emailed asking for permission to be given for additional sums to be added to their children’s end of term bills. In most cases these requests are for optional activities or items, however, I hope that the transparency of communication ensures that no unknown extras are added to your bills.  

Increasingly parents are informing teachers/houseparents directly of plans made that affect the diary for their children.  Please could you filter all this sort of info through the office?  Anything needing to be sent on to the relevant member of staff will, of course, be forwarded.  Please also remember to ensure children sign out and back in the Absences folder in the Hall when they leave the premises for any extra-ordinary event.

Finally, in the quest for exam, sporting and all sorts of other successes - as well as the desire for our children to be happy at all times - it is often easy to forget other important lessons that it is our duty – as teachers and parents – to pass to our children. Risk, both physical and emotional, is something that the powers that be attempt to remove from many parts of society….but it is an essential element of growing up and our duty to ensure that our charges can take responsibility for their actions, accept that sometimes the road is a little bumpy and to remember their responsibility to and for their peers.  Here at Ashdown we try to ensure that the children learn this in a caring way.  Of course we recognise the added angst that an emotional child on the end of a phone causes when things don’t go his or her way.  We are of course always here to reassure and console them when disappointments occur, but hope to instil in them acceptance of occasional failure so that when they are unsuccessful in an interview or get something wrong at work, they can cope with these events in future life. 

It is a long second half of term, but, despite a few bugs, everyone is keeping the momentum going. We look forward to seeing many of you at the Plays next weekend – do come along to see the 5s in ‘Charlie & The Chocolate Factory’ and the 1s in ‘Hollywood’ either on Friday, 25^th at 6 pm or on Saturday, 26^th at 9.30 am.

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria

9th October 2011
 
Dear Parents
 
This week has seen a frenzy of activity centring around the Library.  This was kick started on Monday morning with all the staff dressed up as literary characters to celebrate Children’s Book Week .  We had ‘Wally’, several witches, Cruella de Vil, Robinson Crusoe, Willy Wonker, Mr Twit, Peter Pan and many others including Pingu and a Fairy Godmother!
 
As many of you will know, we have given the Library a fresh lick of paint and a serious push into the limelight of everyday life at Ashdown.  A kind and dedicated group of mothers and Miss Kay have given many hours already this term in helping with the cataloguing and push in reading.  It is splendid to see so many children using this resource and seeking sanctuary in their busy days with a good old fashioned novel or to simply listen to some story telling.  We will continue to feed the Library with children’s classics and contemporary novels and reference books.  Is it a matter of time before the Kindles arrive?  On Friday, we welcomed Nigel Hinton, author of the Beaver Tower Stories.  He had the children spellbound by his anecdotes and inspired them with the ideas and origins behind his own writing.
 
I am very grateful to those of you who sent your child back with produce for our Harvest Festival.  The altar in Chapel was groaning and the sense of smell was put to good work!  We had a lovely service led by Reverend Nick Lamb and poignant contributions from the 5s.  Yesterday, our Head Girl, Lily St John, and Head of the Hippos, Annabel Hickson, took our produce down to Crawley Open House, a shelter for the homeless.   
 
Last Saturday saw the first performance of La Bohème at Glyndebourne.  It has been fascinating listening to the children tell us about their experiences and emotions on performing in front of a paying audience.  By all accounts it was outstanding.
 
The school has been recently given two iPads.  These will be put to good use and will allow us to experiment the merits of Mathematical apps and Literacy apps in class-time.  We will be using Mrs Randle’s form as guinea pigs!  This also enables us to utilise ‘Facetime’ which is the Apple equivalent to Skype.  If you are an overseas parent and you would like to use this facility, please let me know and we can enable it for you.  I am eager to increase Skyping and Facetiming for our overseas’ parents and their children.
 
As you will know, we have made a conscious effort to increase the number of clubs and activities on offer.  However, due to small take up, we have had to let a few activities take a back seat, such as squash.  If you or your child has any suggestions for new clubs please do rally support and let us know.  We are always happy to consider new pastimes and activities that will benefit the children.
 
After half term, the Cellar Club will start in earnest.  I am hoping this area of the school will be used for various hobbies but, in particular, for Lego, Airfix models, Warhammer, painting figurines, board games and creative activities.  I do recommend a lockable tool box to keep paints and models in.
 
Each week we give the children across the school ten General Knowledge questions.  These are published early in the week to encourage research.  At the end of term, a full 100 questions will be asked and expectations are that every child in the school should achieve a healthy percentage if they have done their homework throughout the term.  Please do join us in motivating your children to strive for perfection!
 
Last Monday saw our six best golfers pair up with some of the lady members of Royal Ashdown Golf Club.  It was a glorious afternoon and I was mightily impressed by the level of golf played, particularly by our two Spaniards, Carlos and Juan.  We should do this more often!
 
I recently attended a forum on cyber bullying.  Although this is not essentially a problem we have to face at prep school level, it is imperative, as parents, we are fully educated on the risks that exist.  We will continue to stress the importance of not leaving photos and personal information on the Internet and to make sure that the privacy settings have been fully utilised.  I envisage we will invite an expert to talk about Internet Safety again this year.  Education is the key to avoid strife in the future.
 
Our week was concluded with the visit of Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, the Headmaster from Stowe.  He gave a riveting sermon based on the importance of accepting failure and the importance of learning from our mistakes.  Next Sunday, we welcome Simon Davis, the Headmaster from Eastbourne College.  Please feel free to come and join us at 6.30 pm in Chapel.
 
Finally, with threats of winter arriving early, Maria has asked me to ask parents/guardians to please ensure their children return to school after half term with hats, gloves and a warm coat – these do not have to be uniform but please ensure they are named.
 
Kind regards
 
Dominic

Sunday, 25th September 2011

Dear Parents and Guardians

It is extraordinary how much we can cram in such a short space of time. It would be fair to say that we have utilised the first few weeks wisely and the children deserve a long weekend. The wheels and cogs are now certainly in full motion.

Our Harvest Festival will be on Wednesday, 5^th October. We would be most grateful if you could send as much produce as possible with your charges after the weekend (children returning on the train, please go easy on the size of the marrows!).   Anything edible will be well received. Our prefects will help take the produce to Crawley Open House, a homeless charity.

Many congratulations to Arthur Lindsay and Jolly Koska (5M) for completing their first triathlon at Hever Castle last Saturday. Wow!

Last Friday saw Ashdown host the fourth Under 8 Football Tournament, welcoming fifteen teams from London. It was a lovely day and the sun shone for us. Indeed, Wembley could learn a few things about preparing pitches. The icing on the cake was Ashdown’s victory in the final against Broomwood Hall. Two early goals from Morten Tilley saw them off and after a nail biting second half, Ashdown won the cup with a 2-1 victory. Many congratulations to all the 5s’ boys and to the coaches, Mr de Moraville and Mr Wallis.

Sophie Huntley is our new ballet teacher this term. She comes in every Monday during rest. If you would like your son/daughter to sign up for ballet, please let Jeremy Branfoot know as soon as possible. The cost if £5 per session.

The Photography Competition has now been judged. Although we did not receive as many entries this year as last, the standard was higher. Thank you to everyone who entered. Congratulations to the winners: Alexander Young, Libby Galloway, Lily Innes and Freddie Smith. Do take time to admire the gallery in the 1s’ Play Area.

I am so touched by the kindness and generosity of so many of you in supporting the charity, Kids Company. At the time of writing we have raised £1,718. Our 1,000km challenge got off to a fine start with our two challenges completed on Sunday. This is just the start and I know many of the children are plotting their own challenges to help us reach the target of £10,000 by the end of next summer. Please do sponsor us if you haven’t already www.justgiving.com/ashdownhouse I now promise to go quiet on this for a few weeks!

Next week we are looking forward to officially opening the refurbished Library and welcoming a couple of well known authors to the school. To inspire children to read must be one of our greatest priorities.

Kind regards

Dominic Floyd


  

Sunday, 19^th September 2011

Dear Parents

It has been a tremendous start to the year. I have never known such a buoyant staff and pupil body.

What an extraordinary first week the 1s have had down at the Old Malthouse in Dorset. It has been wonderful to see first hand how inspired and enthusiastic they have all been amongst some of the world’s leading Scientists from the Natural History Museum. The Isle of Purbeck is such a stunning place with enormous potential for all our year groups. Do have a look at the photographs on the Gallery. My thanks to Regan Schreiber for his organisation of the trip.

There is no question that the public schools are experiencing the Millennium bumper years with strong applications across the country and waiting lists galore. Please do come and speak to me about your choice for your child’s future school. It is important that you register your child for the more popular schools early on as places are filling up.

You will notice on the home page of the website, we now have a direct Twitter feed. We try to highlight the main events as often as possible.  Our username is AshdownHouse (without the space) if you wish to set up an account which will give you instantaneous tweets on your phone.

The Holiday Diary entries have now been judged. Every entrant has received written feedback from our new Head of English – Miss Kay. We have all been blown away by their content: fabulous writing, colourful creativity and plenty of originality. The winners are: Callum Hynes, Alexander Young, Katerina Mathison, Cosima Keen and William Payne. There was also a special award for originality for Ellie Koska. Next week we will announce the winners of the Photography Competition.

Our fundraising page for Kids Company is now up and running. We kick off our challenge this coming weekend with Mr de Moraville running a half marathon in Oxford and Mr Schreiber and I swimming 3.8km in the Eton Rowing Lake. I would be so grateful to you all if you can sponsor us in our attempt to complete 1000km over the course of this year. Kids Company is a super charity that looks after the poorest children in our society. It is unbelievable how impoverished these children are and the circumstances they are found in. Please help us to make a real difference and inspire your children to stand up against poverty in this country. You can sponsor us in two ways:

• Online…www.justgiving.com/ashdownhouse or by texting
• Text to: 70070   Code – type ASHD99 and then the amount you wish to give

Our touch typing for the 4s will soon start. This was a successful pilot last term and one we are keen to build on for the future, making sure that every child is able to touch type when he or she leaves Ashdown.

Glyndebourne rehearsals continue apace. This week sees a little breathing space from rehearsals, allowing the children to keep on top of their studies. Mr Merryweather says they are a credit to the school.

Kind regards

Dominic Floyd

Sunday, 11th September

Dear Parents

The last few days have been such a pleasure. The school looks fantastic and the children have all returned in terrific form. The staff are well rested and the air of positivity is tangible. We are so lucky to have a really great crop of children in our midst. Ashdown is such a happy place and it is great to have the heartbeat back from the holidays.

I have enjoyed hearing about your splendid trips all around the world over the summer. The Floyds chose to mirror the Camerons, but at least our holidays were not interrupted! The photography competition is taking shape. Some of the entries have been breathtaking and beyond impressive. As for the Holiday Diary Competition, we have been overwhelmed by the creativity and originality in so many of them. It will be an impossible task to judge both competitions. Thank you for encouraging your offspring.

Congratulations are in order for Keith Rutherford who has got engaged to Gillian Turco and to Anthony Merryweather who has become engaged to Victoria Humphrey. I know an excellent organist for both weddings!

The school has been an extremely busy place over the summer break. Paul Coughlan (Head of Maintenance) and his son, Luke, have worked tirelessly for eight weeks as have the Ground Staff, Adam Thompson and Oli Riches. The Barn now has a new roof and the walls have been repainted and the floor re-treated and lined. No more puddles in the Barn! The Library and Entrance Hall have been redecorated and re-carpeted. The Green and Blue Block have all had freshly painted windows. Three new interactive whiteboards have been installed which will, I am certain, enhance the teaching your children receive. Various areas of the school have been replastered. All the school mattresses have been replaced and all the duvets dry cleaned. We have also had a completely new digital phone system installed.

The Leavers’ parents generously gave the school a smart wall mounted clock that now adorns the face of the Music Block. A flat screen TV was also given for the Staff Room and has just been perfectly positioned for the Rugby World Cup. We have also bought a scenery shed for the back of the Theatre.

I am also very grateful to the current 1s’ parents for their generosity. The 1s’ Area has received a stylish makeover and has now become a seriously ‘cool’ room for them to relax in at the end of a hard day’s work. This area can now be seen as a real privilege for the 1s at the top of the school.  

Our Development Plan will continue apace and I look forward to seeing us move further ahead over the course of the next few years. The driveway entrance and various potholes along the drive will be patched in the coming months. Some of you will remember at the start of last term, our intention to consider carefully Clarion Call, a service used by many schools. In my opinion, Sue Cooper already delivers such a service and for that reason we will not be investing in this for the time being.

I have been delighted with the feedback from Chateau de Sauveterre. By all accounts the 2s’ children have had a tremendous few days and have according to Mr Mason, been throwing themselves forward in trying to speak French openly and uninhibitedly. I commend them for adopting such a gung-ho attitude. Maria and I will be visiting them shortly.

Rehearsals have started for the privileged 13 chosen to sing in Glyndebourne’s production of ‘La Boheme’. This is a lifetime experience and will undoubtedly add to the excellent standard of music already in the school. I am sure many of you will be plotting an evening to watch them perform. We are honoured that some of our children have been invited to sing for Glyndebourne.

Our new children and staff have all got off to a confident start. It is always great to see new faces and the feedback from them all has been very positive.

Unfortunately due to lack of demand, we have not been able to run the squash activity as advertised. It seems such a shame that the opportunity is there for the taking. Please do encourage your children to try new sports and clubs. Fencing, Mandarin and Street Dance will be running. If there is demand for any other activity such as ballet or martial arts, we will happily source a teacher.

The ski trip to St Christoph in Austria is getting closer (February half term). If any families are interested please let Sue Cooper know. There are a few places still available.

Please note the change this year to the summer Half Term. Due to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the later date for Common Entrance, we have taken the decision to move Half Term to an earlier date than the traditional. Sports Day will be on Saturday, 2^nd June. In 2013, we will return to the usual format.

Finally and importantly, I have decided to set myself and some of my colleagues a challenge to raise a significant amount of money for what I consider to be an extremely worthy charity – Kids Company www.kidsco.org.uk This will be our chosen charity for the year and I hope that many children will get involved and contribute to our fundraising. The intention is to complete 1000 kilometres to raise £10,000. We will be kick starting this campaign on 25^th September with two physical events – Mr Schreiber and I will be swimming 3.8 km in the Eton Dornay Rowing Lake and Mr de Moraville will be running a half marathon in Oxford. Mr Schreiber is in it to win it…I’m in it to complete it! The year will end next summer with a bicycle ride to Sauveterre and then on to the highest peak in the Pyrennees. Please support us and help severely impoverished children in this country to get on track and at least look forward to an evening meal and a bed to sleep in. You can sponsor us on www.justgiving/1000kmfor£10000

The 1s have now left for the Old Malthouse for a week of Geography and Science delivered by the world’s leading experts from the National History Museum. There is nothing like getting out of the classroom to learn to learn so much more, not just the academic… I am much looking forward to joining them tomorrow.

Kind regards

Dominic  

Sunday 2^nd July

Dear Parents

It has been a busy couple of weeks since half-term with some tremendous highlights and successes. With five days to go until the end of term, I am confident you will receive your children in an exhausted, but exhilarated, state of body and mind. I am certainly in pieces after playing short tennis this morning and cricket with the fathers against the leavers this afternoon! At least the mothers were victorious against their daughters.

I must thank the whole school for a truly wonderful Concert and Sports Day before half-term. The weather gods were kind to us and we were all entertained by some phenomenal athletics both on the track and in the field. We managed to raise £801.27 on the day for the Children’s Air Ambulance thanks to your generosity, the stalls and the Pimms tent. I do hope you all were able to appreciate the incredible Art and DT exhibition too (if not do look on the website Gallery).

The catering team have been working around the clock in recent weeks. We had a very successful 2s’ weekend giving us all plenty of opportunity to meet new faces, have plenty of fun and highlight the expectations on next year’s 1s – we can learn a lot about the children when we see more of the parents ‘in action’! I must publicly thank the 2s and Anthony Merryweather for their entertainment, Fiona Millar for her Scottish Dancing expertise and our wonderful catering team.

Common Entrance seems to have whizzed by this term. I am delighted with the results and congratulate the 1s on their conduct and hard work. The fruits of their labour have now been realised. Again, my thanks must go to the hard work my team of teachers give on a daily basis and the care they have given in preparing every child for their senior school.

I am sure many of you will have BBQs and dinner parties booked in your diaries over the next few weeks. Please do remember we now have our own personalised ‘Ashdown House’ wine and champagne. The red and white are £8 a bottle whilst the champagne costs slightly more at £25 per bottle. Do let Sue Cooper if you would like to buy a case or a few bottles.

This morning I spoke to one of the 1s boys in letter writing. He showed me a letter he had received from his grandparents who informed him they had proudly received 72 letters from him since he had started at Ashdown. It reminded me how important it is these days to instil in our children the art of handwriting letters to our loved ones and how precious they are to all of us. Do make sure your child has appropriate letter writing equipment for next term and, whilst we try our best to teach them how to address an envelope, it would be very helpful if you could reinforce this (or send them back with labels).

Next year’s ski trip to St Christoph will be going ahead. We should be a rather compact group of about 40 bodies. Do let Sue Cooper know if you would like to join us as I am sure we can find some extra seats.

Paddy Mason has departed today with 8 of our finest athletes. They are competing in the Nationals in Birmingham. For a school of our size, we have surpassed all expectations and whatever the result, I commend the team that have qualified: William Brockman, Holly Allen, Gabi Skinner, Lily Innes, Laura Kendall, Aimee de Havas, Luke Berry and Ed Garner

The Leavers’ Trip to Dorset last week was a great success. By all accounts the 1s were impeccably behaved and fantastic company. Much fun was had by all and again they were blessed with good weather. Many thanks to Edward Gilsenan, Charlie Stanton, Susy Hiron and Anthony Merryweather for their effort and work on making this such a success.

And so we march on to the end of term…..Sauveterre beckons for some of next term’s 2s and the final few days of their Ashdown careers come to an end for our much respected and admired 1s.

Maria and I look forward to seeing many of you this coming Friday. Do come and join us to watch our final show this year, Pride and Prejudice.

Kind regards

Dominic Floyd

5^th June

Dear Parents

Both Maria and I have been humbled by the warmth and generosity of the Ashdown community over the news of the latest Floyd addition, not least by the enthusiasm and wonderful remarks from the children.  Thank you so much for all your kind words, cards and presents.  Kitty Constance Floyd has made an excellent start to life and will no doubt be on parade soon once she has learnt to stop crying and to sleep!  Both mother and child are in good health and, by popular demand, I attach a couple of photos with this letter. 

We are all looking forward to this coming weekend when we will be treated to a festival of Music, Art and Sport.  Do join us for drinks this coming Friday before the concert on Chapel Lawn (weather permitting) or if the heavens open, in the Library and Front Hall (please let Sue know if you will be attending so we can ensure there are enough glasses!). 

Also on Friday evening, we welcome Neal and Nici Bailey who will be running Sauveterre as from September and we welcome back Duncan and Maria Bailey (current Directeur of Sauveterre and future head of Cothill House).  3s’ parents will be meeting them and learning more about Sauveterre over a light supper in the dining hall after the concert.

Sports Day will carry the same format as in previous years with stalls on Beech House lawn and the main action on the athletics track starting from 10.30 a.m.  Do please remember to bring your bears for the Teddy Bears’ Picnic which we hope, together with the leavers’ stalls, will raise funds for the Children’s Air Ambulance.   There will also be an opportunity to buy some personalised Ashdown champagne and wine, and those following the school on Twitter will know that Flora Koska will be selling her homemade fudge, already famous in Forest Row at Sports Day.  You have to try it to believe it! 

During these two days, the Art and DT Departments will be running an exhibition in the 1s’ Play Room (take the door beyond the Library and at the end of the corridor).  Please make the time to see what the children have been doing and creating.  I am still aghast at the talent of so many of them and I am extremely grateful to Suzie Fox and Suzy Hiron for the work and effort they have given to this exhibition.

We will sadly be saying goodbye to Joy Eady at the end of term.  Joy has been Houseparent for the junior girls for three years now and has been a wonderful asset to the school.  The care and love she has given every girl on her landing has been second to none.  We wish her every happiness for her wedding day and new life with Mr Justin Kirby.

Last week saw some splendid sports performances.  The school was almost unbeaten bar two matches against Cottesmore in both rounders and cricket.  On Saturday, our 1^st XI managed to chase down 185 runs to beat Wellesley House by one wicket.  The week before saw a tremendous set of scores against Cumnor House in the rounders with convincing victories in the senior ranks.

I do hope you are keeping up to date with the photos posted on the website gallery.  We have uploaded over 4000 images this year and will continue to keep you up to date.  Watch out for new videos also on the gallery. 

The ski trip to St Christoph next February is filling up fast.  If you would like to come with your family, please do get your deposits in by the end of this week.  It is an amazing location and promises to be a tremendous week. 

Finally, with an early night behind them, I wish all of our CE candidates the best of luck in their exams this week.      

Kind regards 

Dominic Floyd

 

22^nd May 2011

Dear Parents

Having spent the best part of today at the races, I realise more than ever how fortunate we are to live in such an idyllic setting. No, I am not talking about Ascot but the high society of Smallfield, near Gatwick where we , with gaping mouths, watched some ‘Banger Racing’ with the 4s and 5s. Enormous fun and an eye opener to some of our overseas’ pupils to the intricate and stylish lifestyles of the more local ones! I will do my best to upload some photos from my phone…

Two important letters are on their way to you. The first is in regard to the Library which is facing a makeover during the holidays. In light of Mr Mitchell’s retirement, we are seeking a few kind mothers or fathers (or grandmothers/fathers) to offer their support in looking after the Library and supporting Miss Kaye in pushing the enjoyment of literature. The second letter received is information about next year’s ski holiday to St Christoph in Austria. Although the price is a little steeper, I believe this a good deal and should provide some memorable moments. Do sign up fast to avoid disappointment.

I must congratulate all those parents and staff who took part in the inaugural golf match held at Royal Ashdown Golf Club last weekend. It was a glorious day and the quality of golf was pretty impressive. I hasten to add the staff notched up 2.5 points to the parents 1.5 points. Victory was ours! I am very grateful to Jonathan Eliot for organising the event and look forward to the next match.

This week saw the conclusion of our residential trips for the term (with the exception of the Leavers’ Trip). The 4s had a splendid time in the Lake District and came back in high spirits and with many tales of adventure. I am most envious and will certainly be pencilling my name down for next year. The 5s all had an exceptional experience at La Chaumière and returned full of joie de vivre. I hope many of you followed their journey on the La Chaumière website. Do have a taster www.la-chaumiere-de-sauveterre.net. I love the fact they are already trying out their new found confidence in French. The 3s all seemed to have benefited from their time out in the field at Juniper Hall. Many thanks to Jeremy Branfoot, Haydon Moore and Bina Solomon for their meticulous organisation and their time; the educational benefit of getting outside the classroom is undeniable.

Do keep abreast of the closing dates for registration into senior public schools. As an example, Wellington’s closing date for 2013 entry is this coming June. Thank you to those of you who have sent back their forms with your future intentions. I will be contacting those of you who remain undecided or who need a little more steer.

More chess success! Congratulations to the senior chess team of Charlie Keen, Cosima Keen, William Douglas and Alexandra Mathison who won the Butler Cup. This makes Ashdown, the Sussex Chess Champions for Under 14.

The Easter Readathon has been a great success. The school has managed to raise £3,665.20 for Alive and Kicking. This is a tremendous achievement and sets the record for money raised here at Ashdown since my arrival. Well done everybody and thank you to all those generous sponsors out there and for the parental support.

With two weeks to go until Common Entrance exams, can I remind parents of the 1s (apart from the scholars) that Sunday, 5th June is a closed Sunday. This way we can structure the day accordingly and make certain everybody is fully prepared for the week ahead.

This evening we welcomed Jo Heywood to Ashdown for the first time. Headmistress of Heathfield, a small girls’ public school in Ascot, Jo gave us a riveting sermon on making the right decisions.

We have also welcomed six new chickens to Ashdown. Unfortunately, Mr Fox has already shown his teeth and reduced our stock to four! They have made a big impact with some of the children - one boy was spotted this afternoon, taking a break from his bike to give one of the chickens a gentle stroke. The more ‘wild’life the better….

This week we look forward to the 3s’ play on Thursday night and Friday morning. Even if your son/daughter is not performing, do join us on Friday to appreciate their efforts and enjoyment on stage.

There seems to have been an influx in sweets in recent months. Please respect the school rule on not allowing any sweets into the school. We do our utmost to treat the children at certain times and it is not fair when some children ignore the rules – not to mention the fact that we need to keep a close eye on this sort of treat from the serious allergy perspective.  

Unless my phone has run out of battery, the Floyd family still remains at four officially! I will keep you posted on any developments, but contrary to one nameless boy’s opinion, Mrs Floyd has not been simply eating chocolate and salad all year!

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria


8^th May 2011

Dear Parents

It has been another splendid and busy week at Ashdown. Despite an early morning deluge, the New Pupils and Open Day went off extremely well with a busy marquee and plenty of young feet exploring new boundaries. It was certainly an impressive sight to see every corner of the fields in use. There cannot be many prep schools that can boast such an idyllic scene at this time of the year.

At this juncture it is worth highlighting the wonderful catering we have at Ashdown. Eifion Davies and his team consistently produce exquisite food for us all to savour. The summer term BBQs on match days remain a popular feature. If you are ever passing, or indeed killing time, do join us for lunch to experience it for yourself. We have had a recent push in making sure there is more protein and wholemeal options available for breakfast. Egg and bacon (not to mention black pudding) particularly tick my box! Evening snacks have also changed slightly with more natural sugars rather than simple processed biscuits. Fruit, flapjacks, cereal bars and dried fruit finish the day off perfectly. Finally, it cannot go unnoticed but to congratulate Claire Davies on her intricate and creative match teas. Our only problem is that they look so perfect, many people believe they are bought rather than made on site!

This week saw two outings. The 4s’ girls were treated to a day of drama at Downe House whilst the 1s visited the Greenwich Observatory in London. Many thanks to George de Moraville and Bina Solomon for their organisation and time.

The whole school photo once again took place underneath the rhododendron blossom. Perfect weather made it the least stressful photo I have ever experienced! Even Wheels, Mr Rutherford’s new puppy behaved himself impeccably!

The weekend has been a busy affair. Mr Mason took a party to Hever Castle where they enjoyed the adventure playground and water fountains. The 1s took advantage of the good weather and utilised a traditional privilege of walking the disused railway from Hartfield. Miss Solomon organised a tennis and badminton tournament and, despite my best efforts, I had no takers bar one for a triathlon! The new BMX bikes continue in popularity. Who knows, London 2012 might still be within our grasp!

At the crack of dawn, Jeremy Branfoot set off with the 4s to the Lake District. Tomorrow (even earlier), the first group of 5s set to La Chaumiere. Our 3s will be spending two days at Juniper Hall, a science field study centre during the course of the week. We wish them all the best of times and look forward to hearing their intrepid tales on return.

Chapel this evening was magnificent. The Choir sang beautifully and the school welcomed Mr and Mrs Doodes from Milton Abbey. We were reminded of how important our prep school days are in discovering our talents and building the foundations for our future.

Finally, I trust you all saw and read the article in Saturday’s Telegraph by Rachel Johnson, a former OA. Although much has changed (no maggots in the shepherds pie here), the ethos certainly has not. The freedom she enjoyed whilst being at Ashdown continues today and we truly celebrate that. I also wholeheartedly agree with her when she says that the job of educating one’s children is too important to undertake oneself. We must trust those in education to assist with the right choices and direction for our children.

Kind regards,

Dominic

1st May 2011

Dear Parents

It has been a wonderful start to the Summer Term.  The children and staff have been in cracking form and the feel good factor exuding from the Royal Wedding has been infectious.  It is good to be British!  Do take a look at the recent photos on the website gallery that should give you a flavour for what we have been up to.  This weekend has been one of the best I can remember with an enormous amount taking place: badminton, croquet, 40:40 on the Ashdown Forest, rounders, football, swimming, DT, Giant Jenga, table-tennis, cooking, BMXs, CD recording of Choral Day, cricket nets and a trip for the new children and their shepherds/buddies to a local animal sanctuary.

Thank you to the many parents who attended the meeting on Wednesday in the Theatre.  Adrian Richardson and Simon Blackmore enjoyed meeting you and it was a good opportunity to hear his views from the Trust.  I will send those of you unable to attend a resume of the main points that came out of the meeting in the next couple of days.

Jane Costin and Neil Mitchell are retiring at the end of this term after six years of service at Ashdown.  Both of them have contributed a huge amount to the daily life of the school.  We wish them every happiness for their retirement in Oxfordshire.  Clive Williams, who has been standing in as Head of English for the last two terms, will also be stepping aside.

I am delighted to announce that we have appointed two new full time members of staff who will start in September:  Jolene Kay, who has been assistant Head of English at Windlesham, will be Head of English and Christine Clarke, who has been Deputy Head and Year 2 teacher at Fonthill Lodge, will be looking after the junior end of the school.  I believe several children (and their parents) will already know Christine Clarke from their pre-prep days.  I have no doubt that Jo and Chris will both be fantastic additions to our team of staff.  We look forward to welcoming them to Ashdown in September.

I am eager to communicate to parents as much as possible about what happens at Ashdown.  We will continue to send you any relevant information as soon as possible and we are considering whether a parent mail service such as Clarion Call will benefit us more than our current system.  We also now have a Twitter account – Ashdown House.  Please do follow us and we will endeavour to tweet away relevant news from the frontline/touchline/boundary.  

Over the summer, our redevelopment programme will continue apace.  The Barn roof is to be replaced, making it a safer and more rainproof area to play in.  The Library and Front Hall are also due a revamp with additional book space and redecoration.  The boarding areas are being spruced up with more bean bags and creature comforts which will make the dormitories more comfortable and homely.  The drive, which has suffered significantly with two harsh winters, will also be repaired.

Chess at Ashdown has consistently been one of our strongest areas.  Freddie Smith and Alexander Keen had great success in the ESPCA National Chess Finals in Nottingham during the holidays.  Both boys were representing the Sussex Under 9s.  The team won by a narrow margin, bringing the championship home for the first time in six years.  Freddie and Alexander are to be congratulated for their valuable contributions, with Freddie winning all three of his games and Alexander adding a further win to the scoresheet.  Well done boys!  On Saturday, 20 of our children spent the best part of the day slogging it out at the Chess Megafinals in Cuckfield amongst 300+ competitors.  Not only were they a great credit to the school but many of them qualified for the Gigafinal in Reading this coming July.  Freddie Smith won the Under 9 category and Cosima Keen won the Under 12 category.  Many congratulations to them all.

This term sees us embark on various trips.  Next week the first group of 5s head off to the south of France to La Chaumiere, the 4s depart on their adventure to the Lake District and the 3s gain valuable experience in the field at Juniper Hall near Dorking. 

As ever, if any parent would like advice on future school choice after Ashdown, please feel free to make an appointment to see me.  Applications to senior schools seem to be higher than ever and it is imperative the registration process is started in good time.

Kind regards

Dominic

23^rd March 2011

 Dear Parents

We have had phenomenal success this term with our scholarship entries. Over 25% of the 1s have been successful, winning a total of eleven scholarships. This is a record breaking year in Ashdown’s history! We are immensely proud of what they have achieved to such reputable schools. I am so grateful for the hard work and effort the teachers have given these children in preparing them. It has been a great team effort and the champagne corks have been popping as befits such results!

Academic Scholarships
Felix Radmall                          Sevenoaks
Lusha Radmall                         Sevenoaks
Rory Craig                               Harrow
Henry Smith                            Harrow
Alexandra Bluck                     Benenden
Imogen Heath                          Benenden

Music Scholarships
Aimée de Havas                      Rugby
Thalia Merryweather               Ardingly College
Isobel Stevens                                     Kent College

Headmaster’s Award/All Rounder Scholarship
Victoria Watson                     Ardingly College

Art Scholarship
Flora Koska                             Hurstpierpoint

Ashdown Easter Readathon
Please join us in supporting the Easter Readathon during the holidays. Every child has been given a sponsor pack and information on how the Readathon works. I have asked the children to gather as many sponsors as possible in the first week of the holidays. Officially, the Readathon will start on Monday, 4^th April and finish on Easter Sunday (close of play). Please help your children to source various sponsors and guide them to stimulating books. Reading lists will also accompany the pack.  

The money raised will go to ‘Alive and Kicking’, a charity aimed at helping orphans and refugees in Zambia and Kenya. If the children can give their sponsorship to Sue Cooper at the start of term I know the charity will be hugely appreciative – and the children will have benefited as well. We will use the first exeat as the deadline for collecting in the money. 

Staff News
It is with great sadness that I announce the retirement of Fiona Millar. She has been a tremendous asset to the school and has worked tirelessly in preparing the children for their Scholarship and Common Entrance for 25 years. We wish her the very best in her retirement at the end of this academic year. In her place we have appointed Victoria Randle who joins the school as Head of Maths, having taught at Sutton Valence. I am confident she will be a great addition to our team.

Tony Knight finally hung up his strimmer at half term this term having spent the last 35½ years on the ground staff. We all wish him and his family and long and happy retirement. Oli Broom has joined us this term to add weight to the ground staff. I am sure you will have noticed the straight edges!

Shelterbox
Thank you so much for your generosity on the evening of Choral Day. The school raised £590 for this excellent charity that is helping the victims of the Japanese earthquake.

Choral Day
What a tremendous evening we had a few weeks ago. Not only was the music exceptionally beautiful, the whole occasion was a privilege to be part of. My thanks to Anthony Merryweather for his composing genius and to all the school for their contribution. All parents and friends who sang are invited back for a recording to produce a CD as we did so successfully last year. This will be on Sunday, May 1^st between1 and 5 pm – please confirm with Anthony or Sue that you can come.

The Mock Trial
Another theatrical treat from our talented 1s and 2s! With a cast of over 62 children, this was a marathon evening full of suspense and intrigue. This year saw Gabi Skinner in the dock only to reveal Kate Brockman as the guilty one! With a motley jury and a feisty judge, the evening was great entertainment. My thanks to Daniel Stephenson for his poetic genius and script-writing skills and to George de Moraville for his directing and production.

Trips
Next term sees us spread our wings more and venture beyond the school drive:

5s –                  La Chuamiere
4s –                  Lake District
3s –                  Juniper Hall
Leavers -          Dorset

Next year’s 1s will be going to The Old Malthouse in September to combine the expertise of the Natural History Museum with some geography. Further details will be sent at the start of next term.

SATIPS General Knowledge
Many congratulations to Henry Smith for his achievements in this year’s annual Prep School competition. He was 19= in the country!

Next term, there will be a weekly quiz consisting of 20 questions culminating in an end of term quiz. We hope, by pulling across all departments, that the children’s general knowledge will increase. Please can I urge parents to switch off their children’s Nintendos and iPods and quiz your offspring more on long train/air/road journeys?

Artwork
Please do take a wander around the school to appreciate the artwork your children have been producing. It is so impressive to see what they can do when given the freedom to express themselves. Many thanks to Mrs Fox for her hard work in creating so many displays around the school.

Sport
Ashdown continues to punch above its weight in the sporting arena. Illness has ravaged our effectiveness, but there is no question the children are playing at an excellent level. The girls were fantastic ambassadors of the school at the netball Regionals and the Under 11 boys did brilliantly in the Ashdown 7’s tournament in reaching the Plate final. The grass roots are also looking encouraging. It is a great relief we do not have sports coaches that give our children a barrage of abuse when the chips are down!

Chess
Further success on the chess front.  Cosima Keen been selected to play for the Great Britain Under 14 team and Freddie Smith has  played  for the Sussex Under 9s in the Southern England Chess Championships. The school has also continued its success:  we have recently won a place in the finals of the U13 Butler Cup and 25 of our budding grandmasters will be playing in the British Land UK Chess MegaFinal next term in Uckfield.

Royal Wedding
Ashdown will be celebrating this historic event in style. We will watch the service in school and then have an old fashioned street party lunch at the front of the school.

Shorts
In light of the balmy summer experienced last year we have introduced shorts onto the uniform list. This is a revolutionary change but will undoubtedly keep some of your children much happier and cooler! All children may wear navy blue shorts from the start of the term.

Lost Property
There has been a huge amount of unnamed and unclaimed items found at the end of term. Please make sure you clearly name all clothing and belongings.

IAPS
As many of you will know, the Trust has taken the decision to withdraw Ashdown and the other schools within the Trust from IAPS. This will have no effect on the day to day management of the school and will strengthen our affiliation with BSA, AGBIS and ISC, all quality organisations associated with Independent Education that ensure a common inspection process under ISI to all Trust Schools. The only difference that it will make to our programme of girls’ games is that we will no longer be able to enter public competitions via the IAPS route. However, the schools that we play and the competitions that we organise will remain exactly the same.

Ashdown and CET
I would like to invite any interested parents to a meeting that the Principal (Adrian Richardson) and the Trust Secretary (Simon Blackmore) will attend at noon in the Ashdown Theatre on Wednesday, 27^th April 2011. The purpose of this event will be to give people the chance to hear about the very positive view that the Trust takes concerning Ashdown’s future. We will also be announcing plans that will enable parents to feel closer to the Governance and Management of the School.

Maria and I wish you all a happy Easter and a restful holiday and we look forward to seeing you during the course of the Summer Term.

Kind regards

Dominic Floyd       

22^nd February 2011

Dear Parents

 

I trust you have all had a welcome break last week. Some panda faces have returned from the slopes which is good to see and I am relieved to see everyone in one piece other than Paddy Mason who managed to dislocate his left shoulder whilst skiing in Bulgaria.

We have had some fantastic news with regards to some of our scholarship entrants. Alexandra Bluck and Imogen Heath have both been awarded Academic Scholarships to Benenden. Great news, too, on the music front with Aimée de Havas winning a Music Scholarship to Rugby School and Thalia Merryweather to Ardingly College. Isobel Stevens won a Music Scholarship to Kent College earlier in the term. We are immensely proud of them all and give them our heartfelt congratulations. I would also like to publically commend their teachers who have given them hours of support and guidance. A great team effort! Good luck to our remaining candidates! The school will recognise this achievement once all scholarships have been completed in May.

Congratulations too to Cosima Keen who has qualified for inclusion in the U14 England Chess Team and to Rory Craig who has been selected to play goalie for the South of England U13 football team.

The Choral Day is almost upon us – Sunday, 13^th March at 6.30 pm. Please rally your friends and relatives to come and join us for this splendid occasion. It will be a travesty if we do not fill the theatre with voices and a grateful audience. The music has been composed by our talented Director of Music, Anthony Merryweather. Music scripts and CDs can be obtained and anyone is welcome to join us. There will of course be dinner and drinks after the performance for all those who take part. Do embrace this wonderful Ashdown tradition.

The Christmas Waste competition has now been judged and the winners are….. 

Senior                                                                         Junior

1^st Prize –        Victoria Watson                     1^st Prize –        Izzy Sayer

2^nd Prize –        Isabella Hall                          2^nd Prize –        Sam Allen

3^rd Prize –        Holly Allen                             3^rd Prize -         Freddie Smith

Special Prize - Flora Koska

 Yesterday I gave an assembly about Plastic Bags and the appalling waste and damage they do to the environment and to wildlife. I have urged your children to campaign on this topic alone and to encourage supermarkets and shops to stop using them and giving them away for free. The Italian and Irish examples have proven that we can live without them. In the UK, some 13 billion bags are dished out every year from our High Streets. You will be teaching your children a good lesson if they cease to exist at home and recycled bags are used instead. Do encourage your son/daughter to rise above the apathy that exists in our society and take a stand.

 We have a busy and exciting few weeks ahead. Today we have Nigel Payn at Ashdown delivering a workshop on film making to some of our children. Steve from Animazing is coming this Friday to show the 3s & 4s his range of exotic/scary animals and creepy crawlies! We have the Mock Trial and the School Concert to enjoy, the end of term in house Talent Show and of course numerous matches and the netball Regionals as well as many other activities. There is an additional talk from Oli Broom on 2^nd March who cycled from London to Sydney to watch The Ashes to which you are of course welcome and do come and join us for the talk on Internet Safety on 9^th March (rescheduled from this week), a subject of increasing importance and poignancy in this day and age.

Maria and I look forward to seeing many of you over the course of the busy next few weeks.

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria Floyd 

PS You may have seen Mrs Cooper’s recent missive and musings aka Mabel with regards to spaniels and Labradors.  Interestingly, the computer automatically gives Labradors a capital letter whilst ‘spaniels’ remains lower case.  I rest my case!

 

 

20th January 2011

Dear Parents

Now we have had two days respite from the dreadful January weather, I thought I would take the opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year and feedback to you on various goings on within the school. It is hardly surprising that the British are renowned for incessantly talking about the weather given the last year we have experienced. Some things never change!

Senior Schools
Please do not hesitate to make an appointment to see me if you wish to discuss future schools for your child. I appreciate what a huge and important task this is and will happily give you our opinion on what we consider to be the best option. It would certainly be wise to have a few schools ear marked by the 3s especially as several have pre-tests at 11+.

General Knowledge
Thank you to everyone who revised for the annual re-run of the General Knowledge Quiz over Christmas. The scores have increased considerably. The best performers in our next whole school quiz will represent the school in the SATIPS Challenge (a national prep school competition) next month.

On this note, we have subscribed to some new publications for the library: First Week, The Week, Wildlife, ?Aquila, Geographical and the National Geographic. There is also a daily newspaper for children to read. We hope with more regular competitions we will increase everyone’s appetite for current affairs and general knowledge.

Reading
One of the greatest pleasures I get from a holiday period is the time to read a book. There has never been any doubt that this must be the most important tool for children to learn and enjoy. All children are encouraged to read at least three times a day – morning form period, rest and in the evening before lights out. We also monitor what every child reads and ask them to review it. With the exception of Sundays, we are insisting that novels are read rather than reference books and comics! We are planning to have a Readathon in the holidays to encourage everyone to read more. Details will be released shortly.

Sauveterre
The groups for next year will be decided within the next few weeks for the current 3s. As you will know, with such a large year group, one group will go in the Autumn Term and the other in the Lent Term. The Bailey families (who have, and are about to, run the Chateau) will be visiting Ashdown next term to meet the pupils and parents. We will let you know the dates as soon as possible.

Chapel
All parents are always welcome to join us for Sunday Chapel. Coffee will be served afterwards in the Library.

Charity
Thank you so much for the heated bidding war that took place on eBay just before Christmas. There were in the end over 25 bids for the ‘stash’ of Lego. In the end, the Lego Christmas Tree was sold to an anonymous buyer for £215.The proceeds will go to Demelza Hospice. Thank you for your generosity in giving away 13 kg of Lego for such a worthy cause.

You will have seen that on Friday, 11th February we are repeating last year’s exhausting afternoon of Touch Rugby. All parents, children and staff are welcome to join us. Further details will be sent out shortly. Start your training now!

Christmas Waste Competition
It is terrific to see the bar raised in this year’s Christmas Waste Competition. I am certain many of you will have been greeted by Victoria Watson’s pony! Thank you for supporting and encouraging your children to be imaginative and creative. It never ceases to amaze me how talented young minds and hands can be. The winners will be announced before the first exeat.

The Cellar
The cellar has been given a new lease of life and will now become a modelling area for all children in the school. Warhammer, Airfix Models, figurines, Lego, Meccano are some of the activities that can take place. I hope it will become an area of intricate art work and imagination. I certainly remember fondly playing ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ and painting little soldiers (and that was just last term!). If your child wishes to return with their toolbox of various bits and pieces, please ensure all of it is clearly named.

Talent Show
The term will finish with what I expect to be a tremendous finale for the children. All pupils are invited to enter either individually or as a group. There will be two categories – musical and non-musical. The first round of auditions will take place before half term. Do offer your wisdom and any ideas that would be novel and entertaining. An external judge will have the unenviable task of choosing a winner from both categories.

Rip Sticks/Skate Boards
Please ensure your child has a helmet and pads to protect them when skateboarding and rip sticking. The school has a supply of helmets for the BMXs and bicycles.

Activities
Thank you for encouraging your children to take up new activities. It is wonderful to see the East Wing Hall used for what it was designed for and so many new pupils taking up Street Dance, Taekwando, Ballet and Fencing.

Website
As previously mentioned in earlier correspondence, the parent and staff log in areas will be up and running shortly. We expect the information contained in the parents’ area (which will only be available to parents entering the web) will help clarify all the things we do at Ashdown.

With matches galore and plenty of work to get on with, I look forward to seeing many of you at the various events this term and on the courtside/touchline.

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria Floyd

2nd December 2010

Dear Parents

I cannot remember seeing such vast quantities of snow in this country but we are all in fine fettle and life goes on as normal – albeit with snowmen, snowballs and sledging replacing rugby, hockey and netball!  Fortunately we have plenty of staff on site, including Eifion, our Head Chef, who is camping here rather than risk the mayhem on the roads.  The Spirit of the Blitz is well and truly alive and, with tanks full of oil and enough sustenance to keep us healthy and full of energy, please be reassured that your youngsters are absolutely fine.

Our advice to any parents thinking of braving a journey would be to stay at home unless there is an emergency.  Your safety is of paramount importance and must take precedent.  Those children who have missed exams will have them rescheduled. 

Do keep your eyes on the website gallery where we will upload the latest action in the snow.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.

Kind regards,

Dominic






20th October 2010


Dear Parents

The last six weeks have flown by and as ever we have been incredibly busy.  I have been delighted with the progress we have made on various fronts within the school.  Our visit to the Far East was a great success and I am immensely grateful to our current parents for hosting us in both Hong Kong and Shanghai.  Many thanks particularly to the Bradleys, Higson-Smiths and Yorkes.

Sauveterre and La Chaumiere
The 2s have been enjoying the Autumn sunshine in the Pyrenees this term for the first time.  Mixing with other pupils from both Mowden Hall and Cothill House, the feedback has been immensely positive and by all accounts their level of French has already vastly improved.  We have been watching their attainment and effort carefully from their weekly reports as well as enjoying the daily montage of photos.   

La Chaumière also saw its first Ashdown visitors with two visits from children in the 3s.  I do hope many of you have had the chance to look at the daily feed of photographs on the Sauveterre website www.sauveterre.net  and La Chaumière on www.la-chaumiere-de-sauveterre.net

Many thanks to Madame James, Haydon Moore and Charlie Stanton for giving our 3s’ groups such a memorable time.

Mandarin
Plans remain on course for the teaching of Mandarin at Ashdown for our junior year groups (4s and 5s).  Myra Mao who has been appointed from the YK Pao School was expected in September but had her visa withdrawn at late notice.  We are now seeking an alternative tier and remain optimistic she will be with us for January. Thank you for your patience.

Activities/Clubs
This term has seen a rise in the number and variety of clubs we offer at Ashdown.  I am very grateful to David Gibbon for overseeing our extra-curricular programme and I know he shares my belief, that it is essential to give your son/daughter every opportunity to try new activities and hobbies.  We have carefully sourced several qualified experts in their fields who we hope to utilise from the start of next term.  This week saw the school give a taster session in fencing which I hope will inspire some of the pupils to take up in January.  If there is enough interest we would also like to offer Taekwando.  Please do encourage your child to give it a go.  Once a few of them start, inevitably these clubs will grow from strength to strength when the other children see what can be gained from trying new options.  Please find below the clubs and activities taking place this term:

Clubs - Table tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, Forensics, I.C.T., Piranhas, Model Making
Pottery, Golf, Craft/sewing, Textiles, Scalextrics, Model Railway, Art scholars’ club
Environmental club, Miss K club, Classic film
Activities – Boules, Croquet, Golf, Swimming, Tennis, Archery, I.C.T., Girls football, 7s Rugby
Additional Activities – Street Dance and Piranhas

Music
I do hope many of you have had the opportunity to inspect our recently revamped and redecorated music block.  After the success of the girls at Glyndebourne, it has been a pleasure to see many of our children perform in Morning Prayers and take the opportunity to take part in instrumental days at both Lancing and Ardingly College.  Please do encourage your son/daughter to play in front of the school.

Chickens
At the start of the second half of term we will be welcoming six new chickens to Ashdown.  We will also be planting a small orchard in the Lent Term.  This signals the start of our sustainability push which Annabel Brooks will be overseeing as Head of Sustainability.  Our apple crumble today was made from stewed Ashdown cooking apples, kindly prepared by the 4s’ girls and Mrs Costin.

Biathlon
Many congratulations to all the children in the school who entered the first Ashdown biathlon on 17th October.  This was an enormous success and will undoubtedly become a regular event in the Ashdown calendar.  William Brockman and Nurshat Izbassar won the senior event, whilst Sam Allen and Georgie O’Brien won the junior section.

1s’ Geography Field Trip to Scotland
Despite dismal weather, the 1s’ Common Entrance trip to the Cairngorms was an outstanding success.  Almost all the syllabus was touched upon and valuable data was collected for the CE projects.  Watersports in freezing Loch Insh proved to be a popular way to finish the day.

Stephen Venables
Our Winter lecture season was started with an inspiring talk by Stephen Venables on his successful assault on Mount Everest in 1988 without supplemented oxygen.  This was a real treat and I know the children and adults were spellbound.  Do look on the website for details of upcoming lectures and let Sue Cooper know if you would like to come along.

If any parents have an inspiring tale to tell or indeed know of someone who would inspire our children, please do let Sue know.

Photography Competition
Many congratulations to all those children who entered the photography competition.  Do take a look at the gallery of photographs in the East Wing Hall.  Peter Fox, a Formula One photographer adjudicated the entries and prizes were given to the following:

1s – Henry Smith and Ailsa Moon
2s – Georgie Higson-Smith
3s -  Aiko Eliot
4s – Chloe Yorke
5s – Freddie Smith and Scarlett Fox

Special mention to:  Maria Espinosa, Charlie Keen, Flora Koska, Elena Breeze and Jay Beale.

Holiday Diary Competition
This was virtually impossible to judge after receiving so many strong entries.  I have enormous respect for those children who stuck to the task throughout the summer holidays and injected so much time, care and enthusiasm into their diaries.  They will now have a very special journal to treasure for the rest of their lives.  Well done to the following winners:

1s – Flora Koska
2s – Libby Galloway
3s – Camilla Wilkins
4s – Chloe Yorke
5s – Momoko Eliot and Dominic Yorke

Charity
You will have seen from Mr Schreiber’s letter that we are supporting the Demelza House Hospice this year.  Please encourage some rummaging in the attic to find any unwanted Lego pieces so we can create a tall Christmas tree in the front hall.  As you will know, we plan to auction it on eBay at the end of term and see how much we can raise for such a worthy charity.  Any colour of Lego will be gratefully received.

Recital Competition
This morning saw the school take to the stage and deliver their recitation of various poems.  I shall announce the winners on the website.

I do hope you all have a wonderful half term break and we look forward to seeing everyone return refreshed on Sunday 31st October.

Kind regards

Dominic and Maria Floyd

2^nd September 2010

Dear Parents,

I trust you have all had wonderful holidays and a restful time with the family. No doubt you are looking forward to a little more routine and some peace and quiet at home! I hasten to add we are very much looking forward to starting the new academic year and welcoming back everybody and our of course our new children.

For logistical reasons we have had to shuffle the personnel and location of some of the boarding landings. David and Barbara Gibbon will remain as Houseparents for the junior boys. This will also include the 3s boys. George de Moraville will be looking after the 2s boys on their return from Sauveterre. This will be where the 1s/2s girls were located last year (The Old Study and above the boys changing rooms). The 1s boys will be housed in the main house under the watchful eye of the Regan and Gail Schrieber.

We are delighted to announce that Mrs Bella Duarte has been appointed as Head Matron and Houseparent of the 1s/2s girls. Sister Holt will be living on the landing and assisting. The girls will be located in the East Wing where the 1s boys used to be.

Our new website should be live on the first day of term. Do take a look at it and let us know your comments. I am very grateful to Sue Cooper and Maria for all their hard work over the holidays. This will obviously be something that evolves with time and we look forward to adding a new batch of photographs as the year progresses.

Finally and most importantly, our sincere congratulations to the ten girls who have performed so professionally at Glyndebourne this summer. Emma Harris, Lydia Gethin, Lusha Zharova, Aimee de Havas, Holly Allen, Elena Breeze, Susannah Watson, Isobel Stevens, Isabella Hall and Cosima Keen have all been tremendous. The Ashdown theatre might be a something of a come down for them but they have been great ambassadors of the school and I know will have learnt so much from their experience this summer. Their singing at the Proms last Tuesday was magnificent. We are immensely proud of what they have achieved over the last few months and pass on our gratitude to Mr Merryweather and the Glyndebourne staff for all their help and support. Do read the final paragraph on this link

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/prom-61-hansel-und-gretelglyndebournelpoticciati-royal-albert-hall-2067489.html

We look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards, 

 

Dominic Floyd