AESG girls ‘have a go’!

SUMMER TERM 2019 EARLY YEARS AND JUNIOR SCHOOL

Farewell Ms Howard! /04

2019 Bursary Ball /09

#STEAM 2019 /10

Year 6 Exhibition /14

and more...

AESG girls ‘have a go’!

inside

Welcome 03Farewell Ms Howard! 04 Resilience 06Where My Wellies Take Me 082019 Bursary Ball 09#STEAM 2019 10Parent Workshops 12Sport 13Year 6 Exhibition 14

Contents

SUMMER TERM 2019

#1. DREAMTo be loved and trusted as an academic school that nurtures girls to be happy, confident and resilient and who reach their potential in whichever field they choose.

#2. CHARACTERHappy Dynamic Academic United Nurturing AmbitiousFun Committed Inclusive Friendly Aspirational

#3. BELIEFSProviding an outstanding, educational journey to girls from the age of two to eighteen

Inspiring girls to achieve and to be the very best they can be

Giving every individual girl a truly holistic educational experience

Embracing the very best in technology to provide a personalised approach to learning

Welcoming girls of all faiths in a school with a strong Christian ethos

Producing successful citizens for the future with global awareness, empathy and a strong moral compass

Supporting girls with superb pastoral care; one which develops girls’ resilience, self-confidence and self-belief

Working in partnership with parents to guide girls throughout their school life

#4. SPIRIT“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

#5. FOCUSConfidence and self-belief

School Vision

I do love the summer term! It is always busy but full of so many lovely events to enjoy and often, some glorious weather too!

With a late Easter this year, we have had two short half terms; only five weeks in each! However, we never say, ‘This is a short term so let’s cut back on what we would normally try to fit in.’ Oh no, we just brace ourselves and on we go!

Our first half of term started with the Alderley Edge Festival. As usual, AESG had quite a presence there and once again, came away with many of our girls being placed in their musical classes and of course those linked to Speech and Drama.

Our annual residential trips for Years 3, 4 and 6 dominated this half term with Year 6 travelling to Glaramara in the Lake District and Years 3 and 4 to the Hollowford Centre in Castleton. These are fantastic opportunities for the girls to experience time away from their families, learning to be independent and resilient, too. The weather was mixed but spirits were never dampened and great fun was had by all. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join the Year 4 trip this year; it is so nice to see the girls in a setting away from school. It’s equally lovely, I am sure, for them to see their teachers a different light too!

The second half of term involved two Sports Days, three performances of ‘The Little Mermaid’, Moving Up Day, the Year 6 Exhibition and Speech Day. All this goes on whilst working hard to accomplish all that we need to in the curriculum, along with assessments, class assemblies, sports fixtures… to name but a few. It is no wonder that the time flies!

This year, however, all of these events are tinged with sadness knowing that it is the last time that I shall be involved in these at AESG. I really have enjoyed a wonderful ten (almost) years here as Deputy Head, then Head of the Junior School.

I have loved getting to know, not only our girls but our parents too; the ‘open door’ relationship that we have here really does contribute to the special atmosphere that prevails in the Junior School.

I have also really enjoyed, and been grateful for, the great team of staff that we have. The teaching staff, support staff and the incredible Mrs Fogg has meant that so much has been accomplished and with a lot of fun and laughter in the background too.

I shall miss everyone very much but wish you all, and AESG itself, every success in the future.

Bridget HowardHead of the Junior School

ASPIRE ALDERLEY EDGE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 03

EARLY YEARS AND JUNIOR SCHOOL

Welcome

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SUMMER TERM 2019

ASPIREALDERLEY EDGE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

“ After almost ten years at AESG, we bid farewell to Ms Howard. She has been an outstanding Deputy and Head of the Junior School and we will all miss her calm, fair and dedicated approach to school life. The girls are at the centre of everything she does and this is what has made her such a special and successful member of our team. We will all miss her dreadfully but we wish her every happiness and success for the next stage of her career! However, we couldn’t let her go without some final questions…” Mrs Jeys, Headmistress

Can you remember the first lesson you ever taught at AESG? If so, what was it and can you remember what you taught?

If I am being honest, no! I do remember the first class I taught, though, which was Year 5 of 2009/2010. I joined in January and they were a great group of girls; very welcoming and keen to please.

What has been the best school trip you have ever been on during your time at AESG?

I have organised and been on a fair few of these, of course, but I do enjoy the residentials. Winmarleigh was always great fun and we were usually lucky with the weather. It is lovely spending time with the girls away from school and watching them take part in activities that are less familiar to them. There are always girls who really take you by surprise; they embrace every challenge put their way, show no signs of homesickness and enjoy the experience. I love seeing the camaraderie between the girls too, as they will always help and encourage those who don’t find the activities so easy.

We know that all subjects offered at AESG are brilliant, but which subject is your favourite and why?

I have always enjoyed Science and have enjoyed teaching it too. As well as being a fascinating subject, it teaches great skills: working co-operatively in groups, making predictions and explaining results…especially when things might not quite go to plan. There are a lot of fun but educational experiments that the girls can do.

Forward with Food: What is your favourite school meal?

I love the curries! However, because I eat a proper meal when I get home, I nearly always have a jacket potato and salad for my lunch.

Crispy cakes for dessert when feeling ‘naughty’ but I usually have fruit in reality!

What is the proudest moment of your career to date?

I was very proud when I was made Head of the Junior School. It was a bit of an ongoing joke with my Dad…he’d always be saying, ‘Are you Head yet?’ He was the first person I told because of this!

I waited until later on in my career to apply for a headship, so I am really glad that he knew that I had achieved this position before he died in 2013.

What inspired you to go into teaching, and then, into leadership?

I was unsure what route I wanted to take when I left school. I used to enjoy working with the younger pupils at school and one of my teachers suggested that I should look into teaching as a profession. I did some voluntary placements at one of my local primary schools and loved it… so decision made!

As for leadership, it wasn’t something I’d given much thought to, I’d always really enjoyed being a class teacher. However, after being acting Deputy Head in the Junior Girls’ at Bolton School Girls’ Division, I found that I enjoyed the new challenges and opportunities that I experienced. That made me apply for the Deputy Head of the Junior School job here at AESG. Then, when Mr Groves decided to relocate to Kent, I felt ready to put myself forward for the position of Head of the Junior School and was fortunate enough to be appointed.

Farewell Ms Howard!Ten Questions for Ten Years

05ASPIREALDERLEY EDGE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS


If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. I was one of those children who often knew the answer to questions at school but was too scared to put my hand up and say, for fear of getting it wrong and making a fool of myself. Someone else would eventually answer whatever question it was and end up getting the praise!

I would get so cross with myself! I chose the quote on our Junior corridor and am always keen that our girls should take this on board:

“ Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Albert Einstein

What is the funniest thing a pupil has said to you?

These are the sorts of things that do happen and which you should write down at the time…but of course, now that you are asking, I can’t remember any!

Mrs Fogg and I often laugh about a particular Year 6 assembly though. It was written and acted out by our ex-Juniors in the current Year 9. It was a skit on school life and there were some particularly funny scenes involving Mrs Fogg and myself, and pupil absence! It was very funny and I was crying with laughter!

If there was one quote you would encourage pupils to live by, what would it be?

“ Nothing works unless you do.” Maya Angelou

What has been your fondest memory throughout your time at Alderley Edge School for Girls?

I will leave AESG with many fond memories of all the girls, staff and parents in the Junior School, so to name one is very hard. I do love the productions when they come together and have really enjoyed the many Christmas plays that we put on each year. The staff and girls put a lot of time and effort into these and they are amazing; I get the easy part of just turning up to enjoy the final show! I always admire the confidence and skills of the girls and the fact that everyone is involved in some capacity or another.

The Lion King performed by Year 6 last year, was another favourite of mine.

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SUMMER TERM 2019


ResilienceOur pupils all have the potential to achieve wonderful things in life. They may have skills in sport, academia, music or art, for instance, or they may have the personality required to nurture or inspire others in life. Whatever their skills, they all have the potential to achieve in whatever field they might choose, but one ingredient that they will certainly require along the way is resilience.

Throughout our lives, from being young through to adulthood, life is full of challenges and one of our jobs as educators and parents, is to help build resilience in the children we care so much about.

As teachers we are constantly encouraging girls to ‘have a go’ and to not be afraid of the possibility of failure. This applies to all areas of the curriculum from Science and Art to Sport. Resilient girls are curious, prepared to make mistakes and learn from them. They have the ability to bounce back when things don’t go quite as planned.



Our residential trips in Years 3-6, have an important part to play in this. Girls spend time away from the security of home and family, and face new challenges, some of which definitely take them out of their comfort zone.

Mrs Sherville-Payne writes about Year 6’s adventures in the Lake District this year.

“As teachers, every time that we take the girls from the Junior School on a residential trip, we experience moments of pure wonder and joy when we see someone push themself to achieve either an emotional or physical feat. Our trip with Year 6 to Glaramara House in the Lake District this year was no exception; all girls showed resilience and strength of character in order to achieve their goals.

We were blessed with fabulous weather once again, so the girls were able to try rock-climbing on the side of a rock face called ‘Woden’s Face’. The Vikings would have been proud of them. Several girls who might normally be considered quiet or unassuming scaled the cliff like spider women to cheers from their classmates. Correspondingly, some of those with stronger voices who found the climbing more mentally challenging, were encouraged from below to overcome their fears and trust in the techniques that they had been taught, in order to reach the top. The girls’ courage during this activity was remarkable to see.

To our bemusement, the girls’ favourite activity was the coldest and wettest. Ghyll-scrambling involves climbing up the bed of a stream, diving into pools, crawling through a tunnel under the road and being sacrificed to the Viking gods in a waterfall. They had to find the strength to enter the water at the start and then overcome each obstacle in the stream, whilst nursing icy fingers and toes. All this was done with enthusiastic splashing and a cheery smile. By the end of the activity, the girls could barely feel their fingers or remove their waterproofs. Never again will they take a hot shower for granted – but they had loved the challenge!

At the end of the trip, we bring home girls who have tales to tell of great daring. They faced demons of all sorts and survived; for some it was the first time that they had stayed away from home. They are stronger and wiser characters and they have moved one step closer to becoming the independent women of the future.”

08 ASPIREALDERLEY EDGE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

SUMMER TERM 2019

Where My Wellies Take Me Do you remember those glorious sunny

days as a child where you pulled on your wellies and wandered off, not knowing where they may take you? Clare and Michael Morpurgo have produced a truly idyllic compilation of poems looking at nature in an environment very similar to the leafy countryside around Alderley Edge. It has inspired the girls in Reception to appreciate the beautiful world we live in and look closely at the things that live and grow naturally around us.

We examined the structure of cherry blossom and used different techniques to make billowing branches of pink candyfloss. It has been amazing to look at the migration of swallows and the distinct shape of these graceful birds. We explored why they sit on telephone wires and looked at the telephones our grandparents used compared to the mobile phones of today.

The text contains the poem ‘The Owl and The Pussy Cat’ by Edward Lear and we had lots of fun acting out the poem and thinking about the unusual language he used. We made a list of minibeasts and thought about how they move, so we could write our own version of the Christina Rossetti classic ‘Hurt No Living Thing.’ It was fascinating finding out about bees and looking at how they produce honey, and watching our very own caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies.

The story follows the travels of a little girl, Pippa, as she passes through farmland and the magnificent animals she meets. It was wonderful to see these creatures up close at Tatton Park Farm and hunt for minibeasts in the gorgeous gardens. We milked a pretend cow and fed the chickens out of our hands. It was wonderful to see the excellent mathematical thinking and problem solving they used to find their way through the maze. The girls used their amazing phonics skills to write non-fiction facts about the different farm animals, developed their vocabulary with new words such as ‘herbivore’ and examined the process of producing wool from the fleece of a sheep.

We are very proud of our Reception pupils and all they have achieved through investigating, playing and exploring. They have become resilient learners and critical thinkers. It has been delightful to watch them blossom... just like the lovely cherry trees.

2019 Bursary Ball

Supporters

Mottram Hall HotelAlderley Edge HotelThe BotanistGustoAlderley Bar & GrillFosters Fish & ChipsThe Bubble RoomBeauty WorksPhysiofitGranthamsThe Potting ShedBarburrito Rachel Bates InteriorsOcean Wave Fresh Fish Hoopers Corks OutHenry D Johnstone JewellersVillage CaféThe Mere Hotel & SpaRunway PilatesThe Rex CinemaPiccolinoBang & Olufsen Sean Hadfield

Suzanne Collins Laura Malcolm Glorious CreativeAlderleyedge.comClients FirstDace MotorsMcLarenJackson-StopsCollective Print ManagementProbrandTG SkiSalutionsButton Nose KidsUKFast

On Saturday 8 June we hosted our annual Bursary Ball at The Mere Hotel. A fantastic time was had by all as we continued to raise funds for our Bursary Appeal. Over the last three years, we have raised nearly £20,000 for the Bursary Fund.

The aim of our Bursary Ball is to raise funds for pupils to be able to stay at Alderley Edge School for Girls whose families are experiencing short or long term financial hardship, or to support local girls to attend our school who would not otherwise have the financial means to do so. We have seen how being awarded a Bursary can change the life of a child and provide them with opportunities that they would not otherwise have been able to access. We are proud that we are able to offer such Bursaries at AESG and do hope that you will continue to support our fundraising.

A special thank you must not only go to parents, staff, alumnae and local businesses who attended on the evening but also to our generous community and parent sponsors who advertised in the ball programme or donated prizes for the raffle or auction.

Library Appeal

On Thursday 9 May we held our special Library Appeal Event which launched our first ever capital appeal at the School. The school is aiming to raise £125,000 for the complete refurbishment of our Junior and Senior Libraries. The development will also enable our Learning Enhancement Centre to become a separate learning environment.

We were joined at the event by Ella Duffy, poet and daughter of former Poet Laureate Carol-Ann Duffy, who spoke about the importance of libraries and bookshops. In addition, Laura Earnshaw, founder of myHappymind, talked about the positive impact that reading has on mental health and wellbeing.

A special thank you goes to Aman Bhakar in Year 8 who spoke about her love of reading and how it inspired her entry in to the BBC Radio 2 500 Word Competition, in which she was a national finalist. If you would like to support our appeal in any way and help us to reach our target, please contact Debbie Dawson, Director of Development on 01625 588045 or email [email protected]



SUMMER TERM 2019


Reception

In Reception, the girls made three chairs for the three bears. The girls designed, measured and built the chairs and then investigated shape through the patterns of Kandinsky and Mondrian and decorated their chairs accordingly.

Year 1

In Year 1, Sphero (a spherical robot, controlled by a tablet) was used to create Jackson Pollock inspired paintings.

Year 2

In Year 2, it has been all about Pi; creating some wonderful art and endless dreamcatchers.

Year 3

In Year 3, the pupils made cubes concentrating on the precision of completion and considering perspective. Making felt fractions pictures was really engaging, cutting circles into halves, quarters, eighths and sixteenths, producing an amazing quilt of all the patterns together.

Year 4 In Year 4, the girls collected data on their favourite journeys and produced skyline bar charts to display their findings.

Year 5 In Year 5, Fibonacci circles were measured and calculated and all sorts of numbers made up individual faces. Year 6 Year 6 calculated and drew some magnificent and very complicated Spirolaterals, which are patterns made from lines of differing lengths turning at a constant angle.

The Junior staff were impressed by the application of the learning of all the girls for the STEAM projects and gave a special mention to the following girls who received a certificate in Celebration Assembly for their exceptional efforts:

6H & 6S Evelyna, Ella and Arabella5D Amalie, Pippa and Sophia4EW Phoebe, Scarlett and Charlotte3B Scarlett, Maya and Kitty2T Isla, Isla and Mila1E Rosie, Rora and BellaRec Scarlett, Isobelle and Gertrude

The projects are displayed along the Junior corridor. Many thanks to Mrs Rankin for her creative installations.

In April, the Junior School celebrated the understanding and application of mathematical strategies through art, as part of STEAM Week.

It is easy to view Maths and Art as completely separate subjects. Analytical versus the creative; practical versus imaginative.

In fact, many of the core skills in Maths and Art are closely related. Both disciplines require spatial reasoning skills and the ability to recognise patterns. Artists and mathematicians use geometry in their work — including shapes, symmetry, proportion, and measurement.

For this reason, among others, we have changed our focus from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) to STEAM – adding an “A” for Art.

We often hear students say, “I am good at Art, but I don’t like Maths” or “I love Maths, but I can’t draw” as if they cannot do both! We often see subjects as discreet and our talents and skills as fixed or unchangeable.

However, when we help students to see the overlap between Art and Maths, we not only strengthen their skills in each, but we expand their vision of what it means to be an artist and a mathematician. Maths can be creative! Art can be analytical! Both can inspire our imagination.

#STEAM 2019



#STEAM 2019

The Happy Puzzle Company Workshop

As part of the STEAM Week activities, Karen Wood from The Happy Puzzle Company, came into AESG to run a full day workshop that tested the brains and the resolve of our girls.

This workshop equipped the students with the skills to work through real life challenges and situations, allowing them to respond with awareness, creativity and deliberate strategies, in order to achieve a positive outcome. This helps to build resilience and encourages perseverance.

Each year group was set puzzle challenges which, as groups, they had to complete. The puzzles were demanding and the groups needed to communicate effectively, identify and deploy the knowledge of each team member and draw upon their logical reasoning and maths skills.

One of the puzzles tackled by Year 3 and 4 was the Fraction Formula Challenge – where the main focus was applying past knowledge to new situations, managing impulsivity and thinking interdependently. The teams each received three test tubes and a series of fraction chunks. The aim was to fill all of the test tubes perfectly. This challenge helped the participants to use their knowledge gained from previous experiences (in this case learning about fractions) to be used in different contexts.

At the end of the school day, many girls brought their families back to the ‘Family Puzzle Workshop’. All the girls and the family members were engaged, had fun and gained a great deal from this ‘out of the classroom’ experience.

Many thanks to the PFA for their very generous funding of the workshop.

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SUMMER TERM 2019


Parent Workshops‘Home Work Maths’ by Mrs Bains

Over the years, many parents have asked me the same question: “How can I help my daughter at home?” People are often surprised when I don’t offer extra worksheets, but talk about the ‘real life’ opportunities to develop maths skills that really develop confidence in the subject, outside of the classroom.

With this in mind, I ran a workshop for parents, ‘Home Work Maths’.

The workshop began by circulating the year-level mathematics expectations for Years 1, 2 and 3 and understanding what needs to be achieved by the pupils in this subject. Then, we quickly moved onto practical activities and ideas on how to use everyday situations and tasks, such as tidying up the toys, shopping and eating out, as opportunities to use mathematical operations and language.

This was a well-attended practical and fun workshop. Thank you to everyone who attended, joined in with the Lego and received a merit!

This workshop will run again during Autumn Term 2019-2020 for anyone who wasn’t able to attend.

“ I thought the maths workshop was great. I took away some simple and practical ideas I can implement out of school, as well as recognising that I need to get the girls wearing a watch!” Mrs Walker


NetballStatistics on the day

Kayla Top goal scorerLalli Most interceptions

Goals scored 78Goals conceded 12


The U10 netball team stormed through competitions this term to be crowned The Association of Junior Independent Schools (AJIS) U10 Netball Champions!

The highlight of the Junior School Netball season is arguably the annual AJIS tournament. The team travelled in high spirits, in the knowledge that their netball season had gone well, and that they had yet to be beaten. With 16 teams present, it promised to be an exciting yet challenging day.

The girls had a magnificent start versus Stockport Grammar School, recording a 14:2 victory. In their second match, the girls showed dominance throughout, winning 16:0, followed by a 17:0 win against Kirkham Grammar. By topping their group, the girls secured their place in the cup semi-final against hosts, King’s School Macclesfield.

The semi-final began and our girls were on fire. Everyone upped their game and stuck to their task to record a fantastic 15:1 victory on the home team’s turf.

Entering the final, the girls faced a strong and undefeated Bolton School team. What a final this was! It was goal for goal in the first half, with both teams putting on a display of absolutely brilliant netball, playing with grit and determination. Bolton pushed back in the second half in their attempt to take the lead, but our girls saved some of their best netball for the final and put on a master class display to win 16-9. An utterly fantastic achievement!

Sp rt

SUMMER TERM 2019


Year 6 ExhibitionThe Year 6 Exhibition is a celebration of the learning which the girls have experienced throughout their Junior School years. Higher level academic skills, which will apply in Senior School school and beyond, are developed as part of the process. These include research gathered from a range of sources then referencing these sources; creating surveys recording results and drawing conclusions. Expressive interpretation through art, music, dance and drama are encouraged as part of the exhibition.

The process of learning through the Exhibition is as important as the product; learning how to select and redefine information from a range of sources and then present it in a relevant and engaging way. The girls are encouraged to reflect on their ideas at every stage of the process, thus discovering more about themselves as learners.

The process of working on the Year 6 Exhibition begins with exploring ideas as a year group, working in small groups and in pairs to refine the skills needed to pursue an individual project. Real life issues such as pollution are discussed and investigated, where the girls are encouraged to offer solutions and take action.

Each girl then selects a topic she would like to study in more depth. As part of the reflection process, these topics are often refined or changed in the early days of gathering information. However, once a firm decision has been made, the girls are then guided through the process of research, development and presentation of ideas and knowledge leading to a display and individual presentation to visitors.

As many girls as possible are assigned a mentor outside of Year 6. Mentors provide invaluable help from discussing original ideas, developing lines of enquiry, assisting with resources or just to be an encouraging sounding board. This year we are delighted to have mentors from across the whole school.

The range of topics under consideration this year was tremendous, from Gymnastics to Knife Crime! As teachers, it is extremely rewarding to work with the girls on areas about which they are passionate. The Exhibition, presented on 24 June was lively, informative and exciting. Well done to all of our Year 6 students, we are incredibly proud of you all.



“ I have been mentoring Alexandra (Backyard Chickens, pictured) and Isabella (Fashion in the 20th Century) and have been impressed by the passion they have shown for their subjects and the creative ideas they have for sharing their research. It is a privilege to be involved in mentoring the Year 6 girls and to share their exhibition experience.” Mrs Bains – Year 3 Teacher

“ I have been incredibly impressed with Charlotte’s study of knife crime. She has obviously researched the subject thoroughly and is using recent events and detailed statistics to base her project on. Charlotte spoke to me about it in such a mature manner, demonstrating how she has progressed this year. It’s important that the girls have a genuine interest in their subject matter for this exhibition and Charlotte’s obvious passion about the worrying rise in knife crime is evident.” Mrs Davison – Junior Deputy Head

Alderley Edge School for Girls, Wilmslow Road, Cheshire, SK9 7QET. 01625 583028 E. [email protected]

www.aesg.co.uk @schoolforgirls /Alderley-Edge-School-For-Girls

Registered Company No. 2659703 Registered Charity No. 1006726

AESG girls ‘have a go’!

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