#putneyhighschool

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Those who can...teach

It’s an old adage and one that is so often mindlessly trotted out when discussing the teaching profession: “Those who can do, those who can’t teach”.  We have George Bernard Shaw to thank for this beguiling piece of nonsense, first voiced in his play Man and Superman, 1903 - but quite why it has become such a fixture in commonly used rhetoric is a mystery to us.

At Putney High School  those who can, do in fact TEACH. You only have to look at the extra-curricular achievements of just a few members of our talented teaching staff...

Novel Inspiration

When she is not teaching creative writing at Putney, English teacher and Extended Project Qualification Coordinator, Rebecca Wait is an accomplished novelist. Author of The View on the Way Down (Picador, 2013) and The Followers (Picador, May 2015) Miss Wait is currently working on a hotly anticipated, third novel.

Here are just a few of the comments made about her recent work: ‘Wonderfully written… highly sensitive… thought-provoking… ultimately uplifting.’ ~ The Bookseller and ‘…a great surging shout of a novel.’ ~ Guardian

Olympic Role Models

Not only is our Headmistress Suzie Longstaff an ex-Olympic Cox but did you know that our part--time rowing performance coach, Jessica Eddie is herself an Olympic silver medallist?

She was part of the first-ever GB women's eight to win both an Olympic medal and European title in 2016.

Triathlon Triumphs

This summer, Lori Westcott from our PE Department competed in the Lanzarote 70.3, widely known as the toughest on the ironman circuit (Half Ironman distance Triathlon - 1900m swim, 91k bike and 21k run). She qualified for the World 70.3 Championships in South Africa next summer , not only winning her age group but beating the professionals to come 15th overall.

“Lanzarote was by far the toughest race I have done to date, purely because of the 30 degree heat, 1800m elevation on the bike course and 30mph winds. However, the toughest races make you stronger and challenge you the most.,”she says

Getting Creative

Putney Art Teacher, and practising artist, Nigel Murray studied illustration at Harrow School of Art and Art History at Camberwell. He has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions and will be showing recent paintings as part of the Wandsworth Artists' Open House event on the weekend of the 7 - 8 October at Putney Methodist Church, SW15 6SN. Open 11am - 6pm.     

Award-winning Learning and Research

Putney High School considers itself to be more than just a teaching establishment; it is a centre for learning and research, with teachers who are constantly engaged in their own learning. We have just been celebrating Putney’s success in the Inaugural GDST Impact Awards where Pippa Wadey (Head of Learning and Research at Putney High School) won firstplace in the Senior schools section for a project to encourage collaboration and debate within the classroom. Highly commended entries were also made by Putney’s Justyna Sokolowska (Head of Learning Enrichment and PHSE) for her work on Peer Mediation, Antony Barton (Acting Head of English) on the relevance and impact of the Key Stage 3 grading system, and Jo Jones (Key Stage 1 coordinator) for her project entitled Curiosity, Collaboration and Empathy.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, most of our teachers are  busily immersed in an impressive combination of ‘doing’ and ‘teaching’. A pleasing sign that at Putney, the barometer of success is set reassuringly high.

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Is uptown funk the solution to underwater junk?

Conservation campaigns often try to spread awareness using horrifying images. Whilst these are most certainly memorable and often effective, how many more birds with plastic filled stomachs will it take for us to become disengaged and numb? Environmental issues can be tackled in a positive engaging way, says Vivienne, Putney High School Alumna (Class of 2009).

She is currently reading her master’s degree in Marine Environmental Management at the University of York (MSc) and is on course to receive a distinction. This year, she developed the #ditchthosebeads campaign to raise public awareness about plastic pollution. She has also been offered the chance to work for the Blue Marine Foundation in the Maldives.

Vivienne describes how she got into marine conservation and discuss the innovative campaign she developed:

“After my A levels, I took three successive gap years, travelling and working in Australia and Tanzania. Working on a conservation project in Tanzania reminded me of my absolute adoration for wildlife and nature which was instilled in me from a young age, spending many years in South Africa with my family. I decided that I wanted to ensure that wildlife is conserved for generations to come and applied to study zoology (Bsc) at Royal University of London.

 In my final year of my undergraduate degree, I carried out a research project in Indonesia, where I spent eight weeks diving and studying nudibranchs on coral reefs. After this experience, I decided to specialise in marine conservation and began my masters at the University of York, where I am based now.

 Since December 2015, I have been developing the #ditchthosebeads campaign to raise public awareness about plastic pollution and the environmental issues around microbeads. Microbeads are small plastic beads which are added to cosmetic products such as scrubs and toothpastes and marketed for their exfoliating properties. Due to their small size they are not filtered out by water treatment and end up in our oceans. As foreign materials in this environment, animals are unable to recognise them and avoid them and so unintentionally consume these beads. They are not digested properly and build up in digestive systems resulting in fatal consequences for not only for the animals but also for those who prey on them. Considering we eat seafood, microbeads also pose threat to us. Microbeads are totally unnecessary additives and there are many natural alternatives available.

As a young conservationist I am always so surprised at how little the general public often knows about marine environmental issues and equally how difficult it is to get people to become engaged in marine conservation. I’ve also noticed that many conservationists or activists often publish disturbing images to shock the public into caring about various issues, however I believe these will not forever be effective as media develops and we continually become increasingly exposed and accustomed to such images. I believe it is therefore crucial that we experiment and explore new ways of trying to engage the public in important issues.

I am interested in the potential public response if we integrate a marine conservation issue like microbeads with something with a more positive tone which will make people smile and laugh. I have produced a parody video of Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars as a mean of engaging people with the issue of microbeads in a light-hearted manner. The aim of the video is to simply spread public awareness and get people to sign the petition to get these beads banned from products in the UK. 

Working in conservation is a challenging field for economic, political, environmental and social reasons. Conservation efforts are incredibly limited by funding and may encounter governmental resistance, as it is the case for microbeads. It can also be very challenging to work with people on improving environmental practices, however travelling and working for such a vital cause are the perks of the job – not many people get to say that they dive on coral reef for a living! “

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A Nation’s Birthday Card

Year 7 pupil Nadia Charawala has won a Radio Times Competition to celebrate the Queen’s birthday. She designed a cover for the Queen’s 90th birthday edition of the magazine and was one of two runners up out of 11,000 entrants!

Her entry, in the 9 – 12 years’ age category, has been published in the Radio Times June issue.  “I was so pleasantly surprised when my parents told me the amazing news that it took me a few days to realise. Then excitement took over!” says Nadia.

She entered the competition through the school.  “I was really enthusiastic about it, I put a lot of thoughts in my work. I wanted my design to be simple, creative and unique. I wanted it to represent Britain” she says.

The result was a flowery cup of tea with a pink lipstick mark and white smoke shaping the number 90, drawn with pen and pencils. Author and illustrator Judith Kerr, BBC arts editor Will Gompertz, Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell, Radio Times Editor Ben Preston and Radio Times Art Director Shem Law were on the judging panel. Blue Peter’s Lindsey Russell declared: “I love the details, particularly the lipstick mark. It’s so elegant and well-drawn!

“I pictured the Queen drinking her cup of tea at the end of the day, looking back at all the things she has accomplished in 90 years. Therefore, I wanted something simple and refreshing,” Nadia says.  

“Although I would like to be a doctor later on, I would like to keep art as a hobby. It is a way to express my creativity.”

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Music to our ears: Year 9 Rosie Thorogood wins the Royal Opera House Fanfare Competition for Young Composers 2016

Year 9 composer Rosie Thorogood has won the Royal Opera House Fanfare competition 2016.

Rosie, who plays no less than five instruments, started composing ‘The Final Flourish’ a few months ago. “I write a lot of music and I am part of the composition club but it was the first time I have entered a competition. It was thrilling to win,” she declares.

The competition invited young people aged 11–18 from across the UK to compose their own fanfare, drawing on musical motifs from the Royal Opera House’s ballet and opera repertoire.

The winning fanfares were chosen from 129 entries, and selected by a panel of musicians and staff members from a range of departments across the Royal Opera House, including Music Director of The Royal Opera House,  Antonio Pappano.

Winning entrants were then invited to perfect their fanfares at a workshop and hear them played and recorded by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. They had the opportunity to work with composer Duncan Chapman and members of the Orchestra to arrange and perfect their fanfares. 

The fanfares will be recorded by Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in June and will be used to call the Royal Opera House audiences into performances throughout the 2016/17 season. Audiences in Covent Garden will hear the first fanfare before the Season opening performance of Norma on 12 September 2016.

For the full list of winners, and to hear Rosie’s fanfare as well as the other original entries, please visit http://bit.ly/1T7Ap6G

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Debating the debate? The consensus around debating in schools

Debate has always been inextricably intertwined with democracy; from the Greek agora in Ancient Athens to the current state of the British parliament, it has become the vehicle of freedom of speech and confrontation of opinions.

As open democratic places, schools allow students to experience, both inside and outside the classroom, public and responsible speaking. Debating is a key skill in education; it does not only teach pupils how to win an argument, but also develops a crucial academic, social and professional skill set.

It requires students to engage with new concepts and unfamiliar language, to recognise and acknowledge how others think, to research and critically analyse current pressing issues. They become comfortable and good communicators, learning how to express their thoughts clearly and fluently. Debate also improves creative thinking, problem solving and active listening and ultimately, it increases students’ self-confidence, resilience and empathy.

Universities like Oxbridge and the Ivy League colleges, as well as world leading companies, are looking for applicants with a debating background; many lawyers, teachers, public relations officers, radio and television personalities, and prominent public figures can testify to the benefits of debating.

In Putney High School, we aim to provide an environment which stimulates intellectual agility and independence of mind, offering all Senior School girls the chance to join our debating society. It meets every Wednesday at lunchtime.

The aims of the society are to develop the skills and confidence required for engaging in public debate and speaking in front of large audiences as well as helping pupils to engage positively with moral, ethical and political issues which affect all of our lives. We enter a range of debating competitions such as the London Junior Debating League, the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition, The London Middle School Debating Competition, The Chrystall Prize and the ESU-MACE debating competition.

This year, year 11 Imaan Ahmad won the Chrystall Prize, speaking on ‘The best possible time to be alive – reasons to be cheerful in 2015.’ “Taking part in this competition involved four months of research, planning and writing about complex topics,” says Imaan. She adds: “The hardest aspect of writing was thinking of thought-provoking ways to present my viewpoint. I am so proud of the speech I created and my interests in speech-writing and politics have been encouraged by my success.”

Year 10’s Lara Brown, who won the prize for best speaker at the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition, has debated since Year 7 and “can’t imagine [her] life without debating”. It is an “intellectually inspiring and exciting activity. I love it, it makes me feel alive. It has given me confidence in expressing my opinions,” she says. 

Putney’s Year 10 debating team of Lara Brown, Rosie Kent and Lucy Pummell at the ESU Churchill National Public Speaking Competition.  Rosie Kent was awarded the prize for best chair and Lara Brown won the award for best speaker. 

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Reception pupil Maggie donates her hair to children with cancer

Reception pupil Maggie Pardo de Santayana had very long brown locks until last week, when she had it chopped off for a very good cause.

She donated her hair to help children with cancer, and has so far raised £596 for the Little Princess Trust, a charity that helps to make wigs for children undergoing cancer treatment.

Maggie, who had never had more than a trim, decided a year ago that she would grow her hair until her fifth birthday and give it to little girls who have lost theirs because they are sick.

Her birthday is on 31st May and although she has already had her hair cut, you can still donate by following this link: https://www.givey.com/maggiegivesawayherhair

Maggie’s gesture shows her great kindness and generosity towards others, something we very much encourage and value at Putney High School.

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Old Girl Rachel Singer (Class of 2009) was awarded the GDST Emerging Talent Award 2016

Tailor and Old Girl Rachel Singer, whose ambition is to open her own house on London’s prestigious Savile Row, has won the GDST Emerging Talent Award 2016.

Rachel (class of 2009) wants to create a fashion house offering bespoke tailoring to women.

She will use the £3,000 prize to purchase essential tailoring equipment which will enable her to build a home studio and take on private commissions, helping build her skills and profile.

Rachel graduated in Graphic Design from Kingston University and is currently training at the Savile Row Academy, where she focuses on traditional tailoring methods, creating pieces by hand, cutting bespoke patterns and fitting in harmony with body shape for style, elegance and comfort.

She said, “I am so grateful to the GDST for helping me buy the equipment I need to grow my bespoke tailoring business. My eventual goal is to open a bespoke women’s tailors on Savile Row and it feels really special for the GDST, where my ambitions started, to kindly support my future.”

The Emerging Talent Award was launched in 2015 to provide financial support to a GDST alumna with a burgeoning talent in a specific field. Each year the competition has an area of focus: in 2016, it was the creative arts.

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The Women of the Future Ambassador's Annual Reception

More than 20 girls from schools across the GDST network were invited to attend the prestigious Annual Reception of the Women of the Future Ambassadors Programme at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office this April.

The programme, led by Pinky Lilani CBE DL, connects its community of influential women with sixth-formers to provide students with mentors and role models, aiming to inspire and engage the next generation of female talent.

The speakers included Dr Jena Meinecke, an astrophysicist from the University of Oxford; Annie Zadie, a professional football coach and Karen Pierce, Chief Operating Office at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.  All of the speakers, and indeed ambassadors who attended the networking event later in the evening were inspiring and funny, and gave students the confidence they can do anything they put their mind to – if they are prepared to work hard. It was a great evening celebrating the success of women and motivated the girls to learn more about career opportunities. All the girls who came along were buzzing with inspiration and have expressed how much they enjoyed the event with the intention to make the most of the contacts they made. One sixth-former commented she is now considering a sector she had never even thought of and another noted that this was the kind of advice they couldn't get on any website.

Year 13 Georgina Boardman, shares her experience of the event:

I found the Women of the Future event really inspiring and stimulating as it opened my mind to the multitude of jobs available in so many different areas. It really motivated me in showing what the end result of exams and university degrees could be. The women who spoke were all completely loving what they do each day as well as continuously being challenged, which is exactly where I want to be in my career. They emphasised the necessity of hard-work and hustle, particularly as a woman in what is still a very male dominated world. That a passion and desire to work hard for what you believe in as well as maintaining kindness along the way, are the most important keys to success. They filled me not with doom about the minority position of women in so many workplaces, but with a sense that this is so possible to change if we, as women, have the right attitude and spirit to want to change this.  

Read more: http://www.gdst.net/article/women-future-ambassadors-annual-reception

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Year 13 student Sophie Simnett cast as lead in new Disney TV series

Sophie, who is studying for her A Levels in English, Geography and Drama at Putney High School, has been cast as the lead character in a new Disney TV series, The Lodge.

Successfully combining her studies with her career, Sophie has already worked in TV, appearing in Sky’s current production, The Five, and the recent BBC blockbuster, Dickensian. Prior to that, she starred in the music video for Maximo Park’s single, Midnight on the Hill and as early as 2013 she produced and directed Rollercoaster, a play performed at Hammersmith’s Lyric Theatre. Later this year, she will be seen on the big screen in Niall Johnson’s Mum’s List, playing a young Kate alongside Emilia Fox and Rafe Spall.

Putney Drama scholar and keen lacrosse and tennis player, Sophie set her heart on being an actor from a very young age.

In The Lodge, Sophie plays 15-year-old Skye, who, following the death of her mother, swaps life in the city to take over the running of the family’s lodge. Throughout the series she has to navigate her way through every day teen pressures including a complex love triangle, integrating into a new group of friends as well as adjusting to her new life in the countryside. With nine original songs, music is integral to the telling of the story. “It is the first time that I have been singing and dancing whilst acting! I had an intense seven weeks of rehearsals and recording in London before actual filming” says Sophie.

Executive producer of The Lodge, Steven Andrews, said: “The Lodge is a demanding show, requiring our young and talented cast to climb, kayak and mountain bike, whilst occasionally singing, and dancing.”

Sophie and the cast are currently filming in Ballynahinch in Northern Ireland until the end of May.  The Lodge will air on Disney Channel in 108 territories across EMEA later this year. 

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Voice Festival UK Finals 2016 - watch and listen to our two Putney High School finalists

The Rolling Tones and License to Trill, two of our a capella groups, got through the Voice Festival UK Finals 2016. 

We unfortunately didn't win this year - although License to Trill won Best Choregraphy - but check out their amazing performances:

Well done girls !

More information about The Rolling Tones and License to trill:http://bit.ly/1S6R0BP

More information about The Dreamettes, last year VFUK winners: http://bit.ly/1QqWGWk

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Mindfulness and well being

Wellbeing of students is always at the forefront of our actions at Putney High School.  Pastoral care is first class, detailed and continuous. With this in mind we continually ask ourselves what more can we do and how best can we ensure that our students are looked after to the highest level possible.

This year we are developing a programme of mindfulness for students and staff as a new strand of our in-depth wellbeing programme. 

Students in the Junior School in Years 5 & 6 are already working with a mindfulness teacher exploring their thoughts, fears and the theory behind their brains through the Paws.b course. 

Parents in the Junior School have taken part in a taster session and attended talks sponsored by our Friends of Putney High School (FOPHS) to support their daughters even more effectively. 

Our most recent staff inset day for all staff was run by the Mindfulness in Schools Project and followed with a taster session for colleagues and the opportunity to sign up for an eight week Mindfulness course. This course has of course been oversubscribed as colleagues have enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to learn more about the practice and how we can best support our girls with mindfulness practice. We already have a voluntary mindfulness club in the Senior School and next year Year 10 will follow the the .b mindfulness course.

Research shows that mindfulness increases concentration, improves sleep and reduces anxiety. It encourages participants to focus in the now and reduce irrational and negative thoughts. We are very excited about its potential to sit successfully within our already strong pastoral frameworks.

I am also incredibly grateful to my inspirational colleagues who will be giving up their time to become mindfulness practitioners.

Putney High School is a highly reflective community with a detailed professional development (CPD) programme already in place. The opportunity for teachers to review their practice, research new teaching methods and share best practice with colleagues is key for a successful school. Sometimes the opportunity to stop and reflect and just ‘be’ can be equally important and in this regard, mindfulness with be influential. I'm looking forward to it.

Suzie Longstaff

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Entrance tests at Putney High School; a note from headmistress Suzie Longstaff

As we end the 11plus testing season, and look forward to welcoming a new Year 7, I read with interest an article in The Times about the entrance tests designed to “ weed out those who have been overtutored”.

In common with most highly selective independent schools, we take great effort to ensure we spot real talent and potential, and are well used to identifying the signs of over tutoring. We are looking for girls who are bright, eager to learn and able to combine their academic studies with a  curiosity and thirst for interests outside the classroom, whatever they may be.

However, our first priority is the young girls sitting our tests. We want to be open and upfront with our parents and candidates, so they know what to expect, to lighten their stress. At Putney High School, where pastoral care is one of our core pillars, we think carefully about the impact on girls even before they join our school. That’s why we ensure our interviews are friendly and informal. The exams follow a straightforward system testing core skills in Maths, English and creative writing. This  proves time and again to be the best predictor of future potential and ability, while doing so with the minimum of stress on the young candidates. Our own data, and the girls’ subsequent achievements, would suggest we get it right.

The use of verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests by schools is nothing new. Many schools have used such tests although currently they do appear to be reducing in popularity as a key tool. Research conducted by David Lohman, Professor Emiritus at the University of Iowa over a number of years, on the effectiveness of verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests, concluded that the best predictor of future accomplishments is current ability and not reasoning tests. Put simply, this means that the best predictors of future accomplishments in Maths and English are tests in Maths and English. 

 The English paper we set at Putney High School assesses core skills while looking for future potential in creative thought and writing ability, skills required across many subjects during a student’s lifetime of study. As a Mathematics teacher too, I can bear witness to the plain and simple fact that Mathematics skills learned at primary school are the basis for academic success in Mathematics at secondary school. 

I think the question of how to select the right students will rightly continue to be discussed and a careful, reflective and considered approach is definitely best for all involved in this process and for the children who sit these tests.

 Suzie Longstaff, Headmistress

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Welcome, Willkommen, Bienvenue, Bienvenido to the GDST Modern Foreign Languages Festival 2016

Over 200 girls from 11 schools took part in the GDST MFL festival held at Putney High School.The GDST MFL Festival is an ambitious programme designed for pupils from years 7 to 10 to encourage their passion and enthusiasm for language learning.

Years 7 pupils participated in French, German, and Spanish Spelling Bee Competitions: in groups of three, girls had to translate words from English into the required language and spell them as fast as possible, without any mistakes. All girls did amazingly well, showing great accuracy and pace. The winners of the French category were from Norwich High School. Putney High School took first place in the Spanish category and Sutton High School came out on top in the German category. Felicitations, felicidades, gratulation!

Year 8s took part in a European Cultural Quiz which focused on geography, famous people, TV and film, food and drinks as well as vocabulary.

Meanwhile, students from year 9 acted out dialogues, performing sketches in French, Spanish or German demonstrating their creativity and passion for drama. Girls included in their performances: colourful costume designs, use of props, elements of culture as well as excellent acting and pronunciation. The audience enjoyed watching such fun and entertaining performances.

Finally, Year 10s participated in a Poetry recitation competition. The judges found it hard to decide on a winner in each category because of the exceptionally high level of the performances and language.

All prizes were presented to the girls by Amanda Riddle, GDST Director of Communications. She said “I am impressed by the level of language demonstrated today. You should all be proud of yourself; it was an inspiring and uplifting day.”

See you soon! A bientot! Hasta pronto! Bis bald!  

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'Cambodia and Vietnam on a Shoestring': Year 13 Chiara Benn has been awarded The Oakley Award Scholarship

Year 13 Chiara Benn has been awarded the prestigious Oakley Award travel scholarship as well as £500 towards her Gap Year project.

The Oakley Award was founded by Mr Michael Oakley, the former chief executive of the GDST, to offer financial assistance to GDST students embarking on a project that relates to their ongoing career or study development.

In June 2017, Chiara will embark on a 22 day journey to Cambodia and Vietnam, filming and creating a video series mapping cultural heritage and charitable programmes. She will be travelling with the Charity ‘G Adventures’ which aims to minimise the negative environmental and social impacts of tourism, and to offer authentic adventures in a responsible and sustainable manner. Launched in 1990, this travel company seeks to maximise tourism's benefits by funding 'Planeterra' training or cultural preservation schemes.

Chiara said: “My time at Putney High has granted me a positive future outlook; one where an individual can make a difference. This scholarship will fund a socially responsible film and art project. Refining skills and gaining inspiration from a culture so remote from my own will fuel my own artistic development and enhance my portfolio whilst drawing attention to Vietnam and Cambodia's pursuit of the elimination of absolute poverty.”

Art and Academic scholar Chiara is passionate about film making, an interest which she hopes to further at university.   

“This will be an unforgettable experience aiding my future career and study,” she said.

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Putney High School Year 8 trio hit the right note

Year 8 pupils Anna Brown, Alicia Ward and Ciara Whitnall have won through to the finals of the South East Schools’ Chamber of Music Competition 2016.

Anna, Alicia and Ciara’s music impressed coach and adjudicator Richard Ireland, one of the UK’s leading chamber musicians. Mr Ireland praised the extremely high standard of chamber music this year saying there had been some truly beautiful playing.

The SESCMC was founded by Harrow, North London Collegiate and Wycombe Abbey Schools in 2011 to provide schools in London and the South East Region with quality chamber music coaching within the framework of a competition.

For the finals, the Putney trio will be performing Shostakovitch Three Pieces for two violins and piano at St John’s Smith Square at 7pm on 15th March 2016.

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Putney High School’s success in the GDST Creative Writing prize

The GDST Creative Writing prize is a competition for pupils from across the Trust’s schools and two academies. It offers pupils the opportunity to demonstrate their literary flair and creativity by producing a short story of no more than 1,500 words. This year, the theme for the GDST Creative Writing prize was ‘ Happiness’ and the entries were judged by Anne Fine OBE, an alumna of Northampton High School and acclaimed author of both children and adults books.

The competition received a total of 82 entries. “I was astonished, in particular, by the capabilities of some of the youngest entrants. I also very much enjoyed the glimpses some of these pieces give into the lives and viewpoint of today’s child.” said Anne.

Putney High School year 1 pupil Daphne Daubeney won the Years 1 and 2 category and year 5’s Delilah Dowd was the Years 5 and 6 category winner. Special mentions were awarded to Year 10 Anoushka Maini and Year 12 Lydia Sax.

Headmistress Suzie Longstaff says: “This is a stunning creative year for Putney! Well done to all staff who helped to teach and support the girls with their creative writing and well done to the girls!”

The success comes after Putney High School introduced a Writer in Residence as part of an innovative creative writing programme. The appointment of published author Matt Greene builds on the school’s tradition of promoting creative writing.

Matt is offering creative writing workshops and classes as well as numerous exciting projects with the different year groups, promoting qualities such as independent thinking and learning. It reinforces the work of Putney’s English department which is always looking for ways for students to apply their literary skills outside the classroom and outside of boundaries.

Year 1’s Daphne won with her short story ‘The boy and the Golden Coin’ recounting the story of a naughty robber stealing happiness from villagers at night. Anne Fine said: ”Daphne is telling a traditional-style fairy tale. She has an inventive little plot with nice descriptive flourishes.”

Delilah wrote ‘The Long Wait for Happiness’, a very well documented short story about a curse. “This was a most accomplished piece of work for a pupil of this age. Admittedly, Delilah has chosen a riveting story to tell, but she has done it well, with a nice sense of period and some powerful descriptions of the scenes in the tale she tells,” Anne declared.

Many congratulations to the winners! Delilah and Daphne were presented with certificates and cheques (£100 each) at the school assembly this week. Delilah said: “I am going to buy books and a nice fountain pen with this money!”