Newsletter – December 2014

From the Head Master

Another newsletter that brings a sample of the huge variety of activities at the school to your notice. As Christmas approaches, we bid farewell at the end of this term to Tracy Stanley, who leaves us to join the Maths department at Tonbridge Grammar School. Tracy is a loss to Skinners’ in many ways. A thoughtful, phenomenally well-organised and very supportive second in department, a great Maths teacher in her own right, a fundamental cog in the CCF and, since September, charged with creating a Key Stage 3 STEM programme that brings the disparate elements of that subject (Maths, Computing, Design Technology and Art) into a cohesive whole. Quite a CV. We wish Tracy every success in her new role. We have appointed a new Second in Department for Maths. Laurence Satow is currently Head of Department at Sussex Downs College in Eastbourne. An outstanding teacher, he will bring fresh ideas and academic rigour to the department. Mr Satow will not join us until Easter. Therefore the interim will see Peter Boyages join us from William Clarke College in Sydney, Australia. Another gifted teacher, Mr Boyages also brings a talent for music and sport (particularly cricket) and we look forward to seeing him contribute significantly to the school. Also joining us from Australia in January will be Max Indge. Max is on a Gap Year having completed his schooling at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney. He will principally support PE and Games at Skinners’ but I am sure his influence will be felt in many areas of the school. Clive Bullivant and Jim McDonnell also move on from Skinners’ after working with the DT department since September. In a short amount of time they have both made their presence felt, auditing our DT facilities, getting exams groups focussed and inspiring the next generation of STEM specialists. Many thanks to both of them for their significant contribution. Paul Edwards, currently Head of Technology at Bancroft’s School, will join us as Head of Department in January. We look forward to his experienced leadership. May I take this opportunity to wish all pupils, parents, staff and friends a very Happy Christmas? We look forward to seeing you again in the New Year.

Edward Wesson

In November the school took part in the annual Tunbridge Wells Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA), an event that has been held for the last 30 years. Nine of the Lower Sixth participated as country delegates for Iran, China and Australia, debating resolutions on Women’s Rights, the Environment and International Conflicts. Delegates have spent much of the term researching their countries and resolutions before getting into role on the day. Some great debating and knowledge was displayed by all. Alex Stevens (Iran) was presented with the trophy for the Best Delegate, beating delegates from other local schools including TWGGS, Judd and Tonbridge Schools. Sam Hayes was also commended for his contribution, also as Iran. Two of the Upper Sixth, Jacob Bull and James Woodroofe (pictured right), were also highly commended for their professional approach to their roles as the chairs of the Environment committee. Two further Skinners’ boys were involved as part of the Press team, producing a broadsheet newspaper (the MunGuardian) reporting on proceedings on the day.

Chris Adams

The China delegation - Shiv Pattanshetti, Josh Barker and James Dean

Alex Stevens with the winning trophy

Harry Straw in

the Press Room

On 1st December, boys preparing for the Harvard Model United Nations trip were afforded a

rare and incredibly exciting glimpse into the world of foreign policy: a trip to London to visit three ambassadorial institutions. The day began with a visit to Australia House (the oldest diplomatic mission to the UK) and our fist glimpse of the world of statesmanship was one of polished marble and wood panels. If we weren’t already feeling the buzz of going to America after Christmas, the Downer Room certainly did the trick! The chance to directly question His Excellency The Hon. Alexander Downer (Australian High Commissioner and former Australian Foreign Minister) was pounced upon, with a discussion ranging from Australia’s immigration policy, to the preservation of peace in South East Asia. We also spent time with David MacLennan, Head of the Political and Economic section of the Australian High Commission, and left with a plethora of links, information, and insight into Australian political affairs. We then had an appointment at the Foreign Office. Venturing into Westminster, the heart of British diplomacy, we were treated to an inside view of the old and impressive Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Past and present, old and new, collided in this hub of international activity - the lavish wing once occupied by the East India Company sung of colonial authority whilst down the corridor the hum of a busy room of computers reminded us that 21st Century diplomacy never stops. Our next stop was the Italian Embassy, nestled in the streets of Mayfair. We were treated to a more intimate meeting with a host of Italian representatives, and after an introduction from Counsellor Lorenzo Fanara, First Councillor for Political Affairs, we got stuck into some of the key issues in Italian foreign policy. Admiral Cristiano Aliperta guided those delegates debating maritime issues, and the discussion moved towards ship-

breaking, and Italian refugee policy. Bob Leonardi, Professor of European Policy also gave us an insight into Italy’s role within the EU, and a brief look at its diplomatic history. The issues we discussed stretched beyond the immediate context of the upcoming conference, and responses on the EU and humanitarian issues brought many of our conference topics closer to home. The journey home gave us the opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary day. The chance to have such an intimate look into international policy is rare, and our time spent in London was both inspirational and insightful. I would like to thank everyone who made our day so enjoyable – and look forward to our visit to America in early 2015.

Theo Merchant Year 12

HARVARD MODEL UNITED NATIONS

SKINNERS’ GOT TALENT

The presenters, Sam Breathwick (L) and Max Aspen (R) The Charities Committee once again organised the

annual Skinners’ Got Talent competition in October, showcasing our students’ talents as singers, musicians, dancers, magicians, jugglers etc. The evening was hosted in style by Max Aspen and Sam Breathwick. We were also treated to a guest appearance by Sam Jones, star of Britain’s Got Talent. The winner on both

evenings was Oliver Paice, who wowed the

crowd with his amazing, and amusing magic show. All monies raised were donated to the

Headway UK charity.

The Bushcraft camping trip was amazing. It was the best trip I have ever been on and certainly the most fun. I loved making the fires and cooking our lunch on them - the food was delicious. We made shelters out of ferns and logs. The staff were really kind and they helped us a lot during the activities. Some of the activities were a lot harder than I thought they would be, but also so much more fun than I expected. We were split up into tribes. I was in a tribe called The Serpents. The four tribes had six tasks to see who would be first to lunch. Our tribe won due to another team being given a time penalty. Some of the tasks were: making a fire then burning through a rope, making a snare that would work on rabbits, keeping our tribe leader warm when pretending to have hypothermia. We played some good games - one was called Predator where one student went off, found a tree and stayed there while the others were given about five seconds to run and get as close to the prey/student as possible. They had to hide when the bushcraft instructor stopped counting. You had to hide low on the ground so you didn’t get spotted.

YEAR 7 BUSHCRAFT TRIP

Another game was called Capture the Lantern which we played at night. We attempted to capture a lantern without being spotted by the instructors or sixth formers. The game was loads of fun and a lot of times the main instructor, Liam, scared people by going up behind them and then shouting in a crazy voice. It was fun, scary and exciting all at once.

Oscar Arnold 7Y

The entire Skinners’ community turned out for a whole

school Act of Remembrance on 11 November.

Two poems – Last Post by Carol-Ann Duffy written to commemorate the death in 2009 of Henry Allingham and Harry Patch (the last two British survivors

of WW1), and Valete by Leonard Coleman, Old Skinner, written in 1943 whilst serving in the army in

Italy) – were read by Jacob Bull, the CCF’s Recruit Company CSM, and by James Miller, the Head Boy. During the Two Minutes’ Silence, James and Thomas Neylan, the youngest boy in the school, took the wreath to the War Memorial in the School Hall. The occasion was significantly enhanced by the immaculate performance of the CCF on parade.

ACT OF REMEMBRANCE

The CCF also took part in the Tunbridge Wells town parade in November, pictured left.

VALETE To you who stand before this sombre tablet, These were the friends I knew in schoolroom days. These were the men who played and worked together, Until they parted on their separate ways. I knew them well, though years may dim their vision, And dull the memory’s half remembered gleams; I see again those happy, laughing schoolboys, Who shared my sorrows and my hopes and dreams. So when the soul of England in her peril, Sent out the call, it was not heard in vain; From every corner of this lovely island, They came in happy comradeship again. They climbed into the air, they roamed the desert, They went beneath, and on, the seven seas. That we might live; you will have given greatly If you can give but half the gift of these.

Leonard T. Coleman (1943) Leonard Coleman

was a former pupil, then serving in WWII

with H M Forces

History Lecture Trip to the University of Oxford

Enthusiastic history students were admitted into Ms Schillinger’s natural habitat last Thursday, otherwise known as Oxford; a lecture on the Russian revolution of October 1917 was the focal point of the day, but opportunities to admire Jesus College (Ms Schillinger’s home for her master’s degree) and the antiquity and grandeur of Oxford were bi-products of this educational trip. We arrived safely in Oxford at midday and were then guided to St Anthony’s College where we were treated to a lecture from an American professor of the university, formerly a lecturer at Reading, about the earlier mentioned revolution, with particular emphasis on the impact it had on the bourgeois classes, i.e.. those displaced by the socio-political gyration of communism. However, the lecture lacked the cutting edge Oxford-level analysis we had hoped for, instead providing a factual narrative of events without a defined opinion or stance. An hour’s lunch break followed, with students allowed into the heart of Oxford. Afterwards, we enjoyed a talk from the student liaison officer, followed by a tour of the college by three undergraduate students: a geographer, an engineer, and a history and politics student. Looking at Jesus College demonstrated the irrefutable fact that Oxford is the most attractive university in the UK: the historic chapel, the old stone walls, the formal dining hall decorated with portraits of ancient college benefactors, epitomise the aesthetic attraction of Oxford, and nearly all of our company were impressed at the sheer beauty of the College. After this tour we were given some question time with the geographer and the engineer; the questioning proved fruitful and we left Jesus, many with prospectuses in hand, feeling appreciative of the quality of the university, but also the notion that it is not an unreachable destination. The day was beneficial, enjoyable and enlightening, encouraging many students to think about applying for History, either at Oxford or another university. It provided a valuable insight into student life, with the experience of being lectured providing a stark contrast to the interactive lessons at school, thus highlighting the vast differences between school life and student life, and preparing us gradually for the oncoming hurdles.

Solomon Hardwick

On November 14th, five Skinners' boys made their mark in the highly competitive and unforgiving world of fine food — a relatively new battle arena for Skinners'. It's certainly not quite the same as 'Juddment Day,' but finalists produced blood and sweat, and some of the parents even managed a few tears.

Miss Spencer with the Skinners’

entrants Every year, 'Produced in Kent,' an organisation committed to showcasing the best of Kentish produce and talent, seek out the county's best young chefs for a live cook-off and judging by a panel of experienced chefs. Entrants from across Kent submit their own recipes using local and seasonal produce, then four entries each are shortlisted for the junior and senior categories. The winning recipes were selected by Produced in Kent and the judging panel with no knowledge of the

entrant's school, name or gender, so it was particularly impressive that Skinners' boys represented five of the eight finalists. Skinners' student Ben Colley has won the junior title two years running in 2012 and 2013, so the judges' expectations were high. The cook-off at East Kent College was streamed live on video to the restaurant while the finalists prepared their dishes. Sponsors, guests and parents watched anxiously as the students worked in the college kitchen. Whilst taste, cooking skills and presentation were key factors in the selection of the winners, judges were also looking for pace, organisation, high standards of health and safety, and strong team leadership. All five of our Skinners' finalists produced inventive and demanding main courses using seasonal Kentish ingredients.

KENT YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR

Jack’s Winning dish

Junior entrant George Helmer's dish, tender slow-cooked pork with local root vegetables, was described by celebrity chef Richard Phillips as "autumn on a plate". Jack Watson cooked Kentish rabbit wrapped in pancetta with a sweet potato mash, honey-glazed baby carrots, parsnips and Kingswood cider reduction. Jack was awarded the junior title, and was commended for his cooking skills and command in the kitchen. He will be planning and preparing a charity dinner in January at Richard Phillips' Windmill restaurant in Hollingbourne in aid of Mind, the charity for better mental health. More information on the dinner can be found at producedinkent.co.uk. Senior finalists Sam Crook, Alex Galpin and Jack Palmer produced a range of spectacular dishes on the day. Alex cooked scallop ravioli with samphire, salsify, coral sauce and potato dauphinois, Jack cooked a perfectly timed crispy skinned cod with roasted balsamic tomatoes and turned baby vegetables, and Sam plated a superbly cooked pink duck breast on a bed of smoky mash. Despite missing out on the senior title, Sam, Alex and Jack thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are already planning menus for next year's competition.

All finalists were given a certificate and an invitation from Richard Phillips to spend a day in one of his restaurant kitchens.

Rebekah Spencer

Design Technology Department

The U15 team travelled to Newquay on 28th November for the National Cross Country Finals. This year there was a record entry of 1529 teams from 529 schools, so for the team to make it into the last 24 in the age group is something to be really proud of. The team consisted of James Puxty, Dan Seagrove, Oscar Hussey and Luke Bright from Year 10 along with Josh Martin and James Stoney from Year 9. On a tough course with temperatures soaring to 14 degrees the team performed magnificently well and exceeded all expectations and previous performances. James Puxty led the way coming in 2nd which gave the team an almost perfect start. Dan Seagrove has recently been picked to represent Kent along with James and fully justified his selection with a 16th position. These were then backed up with a 32nd finish for James Stoney and 52nd finish for our fourth counter – Josh Martin. Both of these boys will form the backbone of the team for next year having competed a year early. Oscar Hussey and Luke Bright both put in creditable performances to support their team mates. The Skinners’ team finished a magnificent 5th, only 11 points off 2nd position. Congratulations to all the team members and thanks to the travelling parents for coming all that way to witness Skinners’ best ever finish at a national cross country meeting.

Simon Jervis, Head of Physical Education

SKINNERS’ BOYS REACH CROSS

COUNTRY FINALS

The Master & The Apprentice

Soloman Akhtar, class of 2009, a Geography graduate from the University of Exeter,

recently visited the school to give a talk to the Sixth Formers about his IT business

based in London.

Students were of course just as interested to hear about Solomon’s appearance on

BBC TV’s ‘The Apprentice’, with Alan Sugar. He was happy to pose for photographs

with various students and staff members – pictured below with his former ‘Master’,

Mr Fleming!

Teachers from the Skinners’ Religion and Philosophy Department have shared their diverse skills and expertise this term to help out colleagues and students studying History and Drama. Mr Ian Kelso, who also runs the CCF, has a background in Classics so he gave a lecture to our Lower Sixth Drama students on the background history and mythology of the Family of Antigone (which is the main character of the play of the same name). He helped students dissect the concepts of the fickleness of the gods and the curse that occurred due to the actions of humans when pushed by the gods. The end result was tragedy based on the concept of hubris, hate and nemesis. Mr. Kelso examined these concepts by going through the narrative of the play as laid out in the Choroi (choruses) of the Geron of the city (council of old men who run the city). Here we see the rise and fall of the leader of the city Creon who is under the curse that is on the family of Antigone as he is her uncle. Mr Kelso has a BA in Classics from the University of Windsor, Canada, an MA in Classics and Ancient History from the Dalhousie University, Canada and an M.Phil in Classics and Ancient History from the University of Warwick. Meanwhile, Mr Fergus Cannan-Braniff, a noted historian and author, gave a lecture entitled Who was William Wallace? This lecture examined the man behind the myth as part of the History Society’s season of talks on ‘Great Britons’. Mr Cannan-Braniff is currently writing a biography of William Wallace, a project which began after he presented one of the features about Wallace for the blu-ray DVD of the blockbuster epic Braveheart, directed by Mel Gibson.

The RE teacher is the author of some 40 publications about history, craftsmanship, art and ideas, especially during the Middle Ages, including the books Scottish Arms and Armour (2009), Galloglass: Medieval Gaelic Mercenary (2010) and co-author of Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum (2010). Object of Devotion (which won two prizes) accompanies an exhibition of medieval sculpture from the V&A which toured ten museums, of which Mr Cannan-Braniff was Associate Curator. He is also the author of three historical graphic novels, and was a contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Mr Cannan-Braniff has a BA HONS in History from King’s College, London and an MA in Medieval Studies from Brighton University.

Kevin O’Brien BA, MA, LLM Head of Religion and Philosophy

Religion & Philosophy Department Build Cross-Curricular Links

An Audience with Professor AC Grayling Ten lucky Upper Sixth students were invited to a lecture by British Professor AC Grayling at the New College of Humanities in London this term. They were accompanied by our new Head of Religion and Philosophy, Mr O’Brien. This year almost 50 students are studying A Level Religion at Skinners’ School so it was an invaluable opportunity to hear the renowned atheist philosopher speak. The title of Professor Grayling’s talk was “An Opportunity to Discuss the Meaning of Life and other Ethical Issues”. These themes included logic, truth, knowledge, rationality, politics and religion. His latest books are The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism (2013) and Friendship (2013). Professor Grayling's new book, The Challenge of Things, will be published in March 2015. Anthony Clifford Grayling lectured in philosophy at St Anne's College, Oxford, before taking up a post in 1991 at Birkbeck, University of London, where in 1998 he became reader in philosophy, and in 2005 professor. He resigned from Birkbeck in June 2011 to found and become the first master of New College of the Humanities, an independent undergraduate college in London. He is a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. Grayling is also Chair of the Judges for the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

Expert Training for RE Staff Both Mr O’Brien and Mr Cannan-Braniff continued to enhance their professional development by attending seminars on Philosophy of Religion this term with renowned philosophers, Peter Vardy and Michael Lacewing. Mr O’Brien spent an entire residential weekend with Dr Vardy in Ashburnham Place, Sussex, examining the problems of Religious Language, Arguments for the Existence of God, Religious Experiences, the Nature of Truth and Science and Religion. Dr Vardy was a university lecturer for over 30 years and ran the MA course on Philosophy and Ethics at Heythrop College, University of London. Meanwhile, Mr Cannan-Braniff also spent a day learning from Dr Lacewing at Heythrop College. The seminar explored the Paradox of the Stone, Kretzmann and Kenny on Omniscience, Cognitivist and Non-Cognitivist Accounts of Religious Language and Four Cosmological Arguments Compared. Dr Lacewing is an expert in both Philosophy and Psychoanalysis. Both Dr Vardy and Dr Lacewing are noted academics and authors. It was a great privilege for our RE staff at Skinners’ to further their professional development with esteemed academics.

Kevin O’Brien Head of Religion and Philosophy

Mr O’Brien (left) pictured with

RE students

After a very early flight at the beginning of October, we arrived in Krakow and started our trip with a walking tour of the city , which took in the entire history of Krakow. We then visited the Jewish quarter, which used to be a separate city itself ,and saw the site from the film Schindler’s List. That evening we had a traditional Polish meal with folk dancing (enthusiastically participated in by both the boys themselves and certain members of the history department!). On the second day we had a harrowing but enlightening tour of the two main camps at Auschwitz, the concentration camp and the death camp. Finally on the third day we visited Schindler’s factory which is now a museum to him and to Polish resistance and life under occupation during the Second World War, before flying home. It was a very enlightening trip and the boys gained a significant insight into the historical importance of Krakow.

Mr Clucas - Head of History

HISTORY DEPARTMENT VISIT TO KRAKOW

Many congratulations to Chae MacDonald-Gay who recently received his Chief Scout Gold Award at the Kent Presentation Evening. This is the top award a scout can earn. To achieve the Chief Scout Gold, Chae needed to complete eight Challenge badges including his Community Challenge. To gain his Community Challenge, Chae had to go out into the local community and find out about someone or an organisation who through their contributions makes the local community a better place. Chae decided he wanted to look in detail at the role of the PCSO’s within Tonbridge & Malling. At the same ceremony Chae was also awarded his Diamond Volunteering award which involves the scout giving up 250 hours of his own time to help other people without financial reward. There have only been 6 other scouts in Kent who have achieved this.

SKINNERS’ PUPIL WINS TOP

SCOUT AWARD

2014 TEEN TECH CONFERENCE Ten boys – Anthony O’Hara, Ben Slater, Christian Parfrey, Dominic Secker, Matt Edwards, Rauri Garret, Jonathan Newman, Sam Fletcher and Siyan Patel – took part in the 2014 Teen Tech Conference at the Riverside Centre, Tonbridge. Teen Tech is a national event organised to aid the study of STEM in Secondary schools across the country, specialising in technology and engineering.

Possibly the most anticipated part of the event was the App designer program, where Skinners’ designed a GPS-enabled app that incorporated satellite navigation and the unreliability of bus companies such as Arriva and Go to create a ‘Track My Bus’ app, where a flashing red dot would appear on the screen to show the location of your designated bus!

In the ‘Innovations’ competition, two of our pupils, Matt Edwards and Ruairi Garrett combined ideas to design a pair of shoes from which you are able to pull your clothes on, were shortlisted as contestants for the prime accolade - other shortlisted inventions being genetic cloning of plant-life and, for some bizarre reason, a 3-course meal chewing gum (Didn’t Willy Wonka invent that?!)

“This was so different to all the other events and after school clubs – I loved trying out new technology” “ It was great to see new technology, I now understand STEM more…rather than just seeing it in a lab. This was real life” “ I liked seeing the University of Greenwich and Kent stands – it made me think about possible undergraduate courses and careers “

By Jonathan Newman Y8

STEM NEWS

Teen Tech Prize-winners, pictured above with Mr

Moody, look delighted with their award.

SKINNERS’ FIRST ARKWRIGHT SCHOLAR An ‘Arkwright Scholarship for Engineering’ is a highly regarded achievement – it brings the scholar status and financial reward for two years, but more importantly, allows them to visit businesses and industry for mentoring and enrichment experience. We are pleased this year to have our first home-grown scholar in Lukas Ratcliffe. Lukas is an active member of our senior STEM team and is currently working with fellow STEM student, Nathan Davey in designing and building a drone helicopter that will carry a sulphur dioxide monitor to sample the air above and around the school. “Becoming an Arkwright Scholar has proved to be a fantastic opportunity that will allow me to expand my interest in physics and engineering – for example, I have been able to gain work experience with an American defence contractor in the summer. Winning such a prestigious award is a very strong addition to my UCAS and CV when I apply to university and for STEM related jobs, giving me a head start for my career. In addition, I receive a financial grant for 2 years which has also allowed me to follow my own interest in STEM related projects and purchase books that will help with my A-Levels. “ Any junior pupils reading this, who are interested in any aspect of ‘engineering’ ( …and there are many forms of engineering: electrical, mechanical, chemical, aeronautical, automotive, green, biochemical, nuclear etc.) should seriously think about applying when they get to Year 11.

www.arkwright.org.uk

INTER-SCHOOL SCIENCE COMPETITION

This competition is held every year at Beacon Academy and brings together the brightest and the best Year 11 scientists from local schools. This year a team of hand-picked boys from Skinners’ were put through their paces in a series of devious challenges which required knowledge, teamwork, ingenuity, and great practical skills. In one of the challenges, each team had to place in rank order of concentration, a series of 5 different (and unknown) salt solutions using only a limited set of apparatus – in this case, some sand, a plastic pipette, two pieces of copper strip, some wire and a multi-meter.

Well, how would you do it??

We were pleased to achieve first and third places for the theory paper, but in the practical challenges our boys apparently didn’t calibrate things accurately enough, or show evidence of repeating their results, or of recording them clearly enough – that should be enough to make you realise why we science teachers keep going on about these things! All three teams can be congratulated on their effort, and take consolation that in ‘theory’ at least, Skinners’ scientists can still hold their own against the very best!

M ark Moody

‘CLOSED LOOP’ SOLAR KILN Skinners’ has now designed and built its very own Solar Kiln – a type of shed used to dry timber by forcing air over the planks of wood. This one though is unique, as it is powered entirely by a solar panel, which in turn drives a fan – other kilns rely on a supply of mains electricity, or a generator for their power, thus making our kiln a ‘closed loop’ design. The kiln was built by an enthusiastic team of pupils and funded by a generous grant from the High Weald AONB Unit. The walls of the kiln are double-skinned and filled with sheep’s wool for insulation. The inside is then painted black in order to absorb as much heat as possible from the polycarbonate window above. The first load of sustainably sourced oak is about to be delivered, and we have installed a data-logger to monitor the temperature and humidity over the next few months to see how long it will take to dry the wood to a desired 12% moisture. The idea is that oak wood that has been sustainably sourced and sustainably dried will be used for premium projects by the DT Department.

POLLUTION ON ST JOHN’S ROAD Sulphur dioxide is a noxious, polluting gas. Current scientific evidence links short-term exposures to SO2, ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours, with an array of adverse respiratory effects including bronchial constriction and increased asthma symptoms. These effects are particularly important for asthmatics at elevated ventilation rates, for example while exercising or playing, so it is clearly something that we should be very concerned about at Skinners’, living as we do next to one of the most polluted roads in Kent. In 2009, our STEM club used GPS-enabled data loggers to record the SO2 levels along St John’s Road. The results were astounding…there were clear peaks of pollution wherever cars were moving slowly or stationary – outside Sainsbury’s for example, or further along outside the bus depot. Although we talk about ‘atmospheric pollution’ it is not often that we can visualise it like this, and we sent our results off to Kent Highways so they could see for themselves. We had an assembly visit from them and a promise that they would see what could be done. Fast forward 5 years to 2014 and not much has changed. The average speed of traffic outside school in the morning is still less than 4 mph. Adding to the poor air quality, some parents still park on double yellow lines by our back gates, with engines running, just to drop off or pick up their sons – this is a habit we continue to discourage and would ask any parents who do this to consider dropping off further away. We still have our GPS data loggers, and they give us the same ground-level results, but this time we want to see in more detail what exactly is happening. We now have carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensors, and the sixth form STEM boys are also building a remote controlled drone to take our sensors up into the air to sample the levels higher up.

Nathan Davey Year 12

S N I P P E T S

November involved a themed week focussed on HEAL – Healthy Eating And Living. Daily assemblies by sixth formers and Heads of Year reminded boys about a balanced diet, consuming enough water, the dangers of eating too much of certain food groups and the need to consume enough calories. Special activities included a flash mob aerobics session during lunchtime with the help of Miss Morris, the caretakers and the ICT department. Meanwhile two groups learned how to make a Tikka Masala curry from scratch under the guidance of expert sixth form chefs, and members of staff Mrs Luckhurst and Ms Spencer. Due to popular demand HEAL week will make a comeback in the near future so watch this space!

Maryce Moss- Montoya

The Geography department has continued to offer the Sixth Form access to a rich lecture diet this term. In November the school hosted a lecture on the geopolitics of the conflict in the Ukraine which attracted students from other local schools. We also attended a series of lectures at the Judd school, organised by the High Weald branch of the Geographical Association, on topics such as River Management, Climate Change, social exclusion in India’s new service sector and the role of gender in the study of the Development Gap. These form an excellent opportunity for students to gain up to date knowledge and understanding of the latest research being carried out in universities. The High Weald branch of the GA can be followed on Twitter @HighWealdGA

Chris Adams

Club 2000 Winners August 1st G Page £150 2nd H Bennett £100 3rd A Bolam £50 September 1st C Van der Zanden £120 2nd J Hamilton £80 3rd G Page £40

October 1st R Ferry £120 2nd A Ellis £80 3rd N Marshall £40 November 1st R Wright £120 2nd A Corner £80 3rd P Huxham £40

WITH VERY

BEST WISHES

FROM ALL

THE STAFF

AT THE

SKINNERS’

SCHOOL FOR

A VERY

HAPPY

CHRISTMAS

Reminder ………Term 3 starts on Monday 5th January (and there will be an Inset Day on Wednesday 14th January)