Peace is a word we hear frequently at Christmas. We spend time with our loved ones and reflect upon our lives and what matters most. There is a definite irony that this time of year can also feel overwhelmingly busy for both child and parent alike with myriad school functions, various social commitments, the shopping and all the preparation that goes into creating a magical time for the family. Christmas can be stressful.

As educators we are aware of the adverse effects of stress in young learners. It is a great inhibitor that can lead to anxiety, low confidence and poor health. Young children can become stressed over things that may seem trivial to adults but have resonance in their world: their reading book, a spelling test, a difficult friendship or even just a small change in routine. We live in an age where there are more pressures than ever on children and families in general.

Happily, we also live in an age where we now know, more than ever before, just what to do about this.

We now know a lot more, for example, about the psychological benefits of time spent in nature, exploring the outdoors. Forest School offers an opportunity for calmness, quietness and peacefulness; it provides children opportunities they may not have at any other time in their busy lives to explore the natural world. It promotes physical fitness, empathy and friendships. Research shows that children sleep better after time spent outside in the fresh air.

Within our enormous, hundred acre wooded site we have several unique trees, from giant sequoias to the prehistoric Wollemi Pine. We in the Pre-Prep and Nursery School have our very own Wild Wood in the farthest corner of the estate. The children have learned about and visited many of these trees at various times. Recently Year 2 enjoyed a special Forest School session run by Noelle from the former Claremont tree society. It was lovely for the children to hear a story around the campfire all about trees and how sometimes the trees that matter most are the smallest ones that many people don’t notice. Certainly, without the trees around Claremont Fan Court many of the amazing Forest School Christmas decorations that the children have worked on producing would not have been possible.

It is difficult as a school to teach peace but I think we can certainly help the children to learn about it through these experiences. Our Forest School staff are well-trained, passionate advocates of outdoor education. A little over a year ago, Sir David Attenborough replied to a collection of letters our children sent him which detailed the learning they were doing in Forest School. He replied: ‘I am truly admiring of the work you are doing in acquainting your children with what is going on in the world that they will soon inherit.’ I am proud of Mrs Watson and her team. The learning they engender does not always present itself in immediate, measurable ‘outcomes’, but it is learning nonetheless.

In order to care for our planet we have started learning about the importance of giving a little back and have been planting some new trees. Nursery have planted two Hawthorn near the pond with two Elder and Hazel saplings still to be planted by Year 1 and 2 this week. If properly cared for and given warmth, nourishment and space, these trees will grow and mature over many years to come. In a distant Forest school session many years from now, these trees may be climbed and enjoyed by future generations of Claremont children: outside and active, engaged with nature, enjoying a moment of peace in a demanding world.

Have a safe and restful Christmas, from all of us here at Claremont Fan Court School.

Mr Michael Williams

Head of Pre-Prep and Nursery School

Claremont Fan Court School hosted its first question time on Monday 18 November, welcoming candidates Dominic Raab (Conservative), Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat) and Peter Ashurst (Labour) to a lively meeting in which over 150 pupils had the opportunity to ask the prospective MPs about how they would manage the environment, street crime, education and health challenges of the future.

It was an engaging and energising experience for our pupils, helping them to form a deeper understanding of party policies and greater sympathies for opposing political arguments.

Headmaster, William Brierly, thanked the guests for being brave enough to stand as candidates in such a challenging political climate. The candidates had a chance also to enjoy a tour of the site and hear about the school’s new and exciting community partnership programme.

The school will be running its own mock election next month – Claremont Decides – and this provided a brilliant introduction to the forthcoming general election.

Six candidates are standing for Esher and Walton in the upcoming general election, with our three guests representing the three national parties standing in the constituency.

Pupils had a very special opportunity to catch sight of the planet Mercury moving across the sun during their lunch breaks on Monday 11 November. The transit is a very rare celestial event and won't happen again until the year 2032.

Luckily the skies remained clear enough for pupils and staff to view Mercury (a tiny black dot in front of the sun) through the school telescope and special solar filtered glasses for eye protection.

The Worshipful the Mayor of the Borough of Elmbridge, Councillor Mary Sheldon and her Consort John Sheldon and school Governors joined Claremont Fan Court School on Friday 8 November for a beautiful Senior School Remembrance Service.

Poetry readings, vocal performances and outstanding orchestral pieces made for a moving and poignant service enjoyed by all.

Following a two minute silence and the laying of the wreath by head boy Ben Ilbert and head girl Laura Buttanshaw, The Last Post was sounded at the eleventh hour to commemorate all those who gave their lives in wars both past and present.

We will remember them.

Our U13A girls football team, made up of Year 7 and 8 pupils, made school history in October after competing in their first ever girls’ football fixture against Tanbridge House School.

Prior to the match, the team had only trained together at two lunch time football sessions. It was fantastic to see the girls pick up the sport with such enthusiasm and most importantly, have fun on the pitch.

“It was an extremely tough game against strong opposition, but the girls played incredibly well and I am immensely proud of their progress. Girl’s football is every Friday lunch time and I would love to see more Year 7 and 8 pupils present for the sessions.” Miss Rose, teacher of girls’ football

This is a very exciting time for girls’ football at Claremont and we look forward to plenty more future fixtures in the school calendar. To keep track of fixtures and results, visit www.claremontfancourtsport.co.uk

We have been delighted to welcome the academic year in with the opening of our wonderful new Sir Sydney Camm science and technology building.

The inspirational new building boasts 13 new teaching spaces including 8 purpose-built science class rooms, a design and technology studio and workshop, a magnificent food and nutrition classroom together with an inspirational textiles space.

This superb development, with its state of the art facilities, really is the icing to our already successful science and technology cake!

‘With great power comes great responsibility’ says Uncle Ben to his nephew Peter Parker. And while that is a phrase worth restating to politicians both in the House of Commons and across the world, it made me wonder about the opposite. With little power, do we have little responsibility?

Perhaps Greta Thunberg disproves this best, showing we have more power than we ever imagined we might. Many would say the young protesters in Hong Kong have displayed the power of an idea, a consensus, too. However only history will tell whether their accumulated power, gathered through numbers and persistence, is able to be moderated in a way that delivers a safe and progressive outcome.

Having sat down with every member of Year 11 in the past few weeks, I have asked them about the power they have to fulfil their potential. ‘I have started my revision already’, some answer. ‘I think I will start in about a week’s time’, others reply. ‘I would revise, but I have to do this or that first’, others will state. ‘I do go to clinics’, some reply, and ‘I think I should go’, others state, and probably most effectively the occasional pupil will report that they have developed a clear programme for their revision and will ask if they need help but feel things are in hand.

Our pupils have been supported by their parental love, by a striving desire to work hard and use their income to support their children’s learning - what better gift could there be? The power of a good education, in turn, brings a responsibility to make the very most of this gift. I should say that I have been rather impressed by the responsibility my Year 11 pupils take, and their willingness to stick up for others and for what is right. They do so in their involvement in all areas of school life, in their citizenship, and they do so in the way they learn. The responsibility they recognise they have in supporting their own learning and also the power they have to benefit the learning of others.

It is frustrating to see once again in the news criticism of the unfairness of an independent education. We take a decision to support our children to give them the best education we can, and there is an implied criticism that that is wrong because others do not have the means to do the same. What the criticism does reasonably remind us, however, is that we have a responsibility by delivering an excellent education to our pupils, to ensure our pupils give back to the community and the world at large. Whether through our community partnership programme, through financially supporting bursaries for those who would thrive here if they could afford to be here, or simply through our pupils being the best they can, and hopefully becoming the world shapers of tomorrow. We all have a responsibility for the world we live in now and that our children and grandchildren will occupy after us. We all have the power - in dialogue, cooperation or simply in leading by example – and the responsibility sits with us all.

William Brierly
Headmaster

There is something refreshing about the start of the autumn term. In the same way some adopt New Year resolutions on the 1 January, the start of the academic year presents the opportunity for pupils and students, and indeed teachers, to recalibrate. Perhaps one has always done the work set, but has not quite done oneself justice with the amount of effort; maybe writing revision notes could have happened earlier so that later revision could have focused on practising past papers; possibly one could have been kinder or simply exuded a different attitude to others. This is the moment to recommence with resolve and determination – with respect for yourself – to do even better in the coming year.

Our school’s mission is to provide an environment where the God-given potential of every individual is recognised and valued. Indeed, this cascades to our vision as a high quality school of choice where girls and boys achieve more than they think is possible. This may sound like something simple but in fact it places the onus on us as teachers, and our pupils as learners, to strive for excellence in everything we do and not just the things we feel most at ease with.

I have to admit that when it comes to the TV programme Countdown I enjoy the numbers round most and I will always have a go at arriving at an answer in time. I never think I am as good with words and I might even excuse myself by confessing I am not as well read as I feel I should be. Admittedly I often find that one of the contestants has come up with an 8 letter word when I am delighted with my own 5 or 6 letter attempt. However I don’t really pay much attention in these rounds and therefore I am less practised and, unsurprisingly, I don’t get much better. It is as easy for me to say I am not very good with words as it is for a literature expert to say they are no good with numbers - little wonder I can never spot the 7, 8 or 9 letter word in 30 seconds.

So I challenge you to resolve yourself (and me, myself) this year not to be constrained by doing the bits we feel most at ease with, but also by working on the areas we find harder. If it was a pupil who found the mathematical bits of biology the hardest, we wouldn’t want them to skim through these elements. These would be their priority and, in turn, if a teacher found a certain style of assessing or teaching pupils difficult, or a member of the office team found taking complicated steps with a database challenging, surely those are the things they ought to work on most.

I view our school in the same way. Claremont Fan Court School has made an incredible journey to where it is now and more will always be possible. The only thing to stop us from making further strides forward is us. Of course success isn’t achieved overnight and it takes great effort. To those who might look at a certain school that they think is in a league above us, I remind them there is only one league which is why we hold our sights so clearly on being, and remaining, a high quality school of choice where we achieve more than we ever thought was possible.

As individuals we owe ourselves this sense of self-respect as well, in clearing away the obstacles that stop us from thriving and by being people who are determined to persevere in achieving more than we thought was ever possible.

William Brierly
Headmaster