Every week at Brighton’s Roedean School is unique. As new events and opportunities often arise, girls always have something to get involved with and look forward to. With so much going on, Roedean publishes a Weekly Review that covers the School’s latest developments.
Roedean School’s Head Niamh Green writes an introduction for each Weekly Review, where she commends students for their latest achievements.
Here are a few of the events Niamh Green and the wider Roedean community celebrated in the 20-25 November 2023 Weekly Review.
High Commendation for Roedean’s Model United Nations Club
Year 13 student Elodie shared the news of Roedean’s Model United Nations Club being highly commended at the RGS Guildford MUN conference. This was the Club’s first conference, and members acted as the delegations of Sudan and Russia.
The girls conceptualised resolutions for challenging topics and presented these in a General Assembly. The girls representing Russia won the “Highly Commended Delegation” award for their debating skills and speeches on resolving conflict.
Hockey Masterclass With Helen Richardson-Walsh
Mrs Wienekus wrote an overview of the Hockey Experience Day that Roedean’s Sports Scholars enjoyed with 50 Year 5 and 6 students. Staff hosted this event with the School’s Sports Ambassador Helen Richardson-Walsh, who won a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The Experience Day started with the girls practising a carousel of indoor hockey skills and working on their strength and conditioning. They then watched an analysis video of the Rio Olympic match in which Richardson-Walsh won Gold.
Following a break, the girls moved outside to shape their skills on Roedean’s Astro field. Roedean staff worked with Richardson-Walsh to help the girls develop their hockey practice. They enjoyed various sessions, including one tailored specifically for goalkeepers.
Richardson-Walsh then gave an inspiring presentation about her experience in the world of sports. During the presentation, she passed her Olympic medals around for the girls to look at. She discussed the sacrifices she has made and the determination she has upheld to reach such a high level of athletic success.
The girls concluded the day by returning to the Astro field to compete in hockey mini-matches and try out the strategies they had learnt.
Moldova Splash Charity Colour Run
Dr Barrand shared several bright, paint-filled photos from Roedean’s Moldova Splash Charity Colour Run. This colour run followed Roedean’s trip to Moldova in July 2023.
Two staff members escorted 12 students to Moldova for this trip. The students had prepared English lessons, which they delivered to over 50 Ukrainian refugees and underprivileged Moldovan children. During the trip, the students also visited an orphanage just outside Chișinău, Moldova’s capital city, to play games with the children who live there.
The visit proved so successful that Roedean has pledged to cover 3% of the orphanage’s annual running costs for the next 10 years and will return to visit every year. To meet this pledge, the School needs to raise £5,000 every year for the next decade. The colour run marked the beginning of Roedean’s fundraising efforts for this year, raising over £400 for the important cause. Several more fundraising events will follow.
World Philosophy Day
Mr Megahey explained the concepts that students considered for World Philosophy Day. These concepts included what philosophy is, why philosophy matters, the questions that are most important to ask, and the methods we can use to answer these questions.
He explained that philosophy underpins every subject that students learn at school. For example, philosophical logic allows us to understand the laws of mathematics and computer science. Meanwhile, moral philosophy allows us to define “good” and “bad” so we can structure laws and societies.
During World Philosophy Day, students reflected on their thought processes, how they form their opinions, the assumptions they might make, and the reasoning behind their decisions.
Why Phoebe Enjoys Philosophy
Year 13 student Phoebe explained that she enjoys exploring the unknown and the uncertain beyond science and logic. Her philosophy studies support her literary studies, helping her analyse texts. For example, she has examined Emily Dickinson’s works through the lens of Queer Theory.
Phoebe listed highlights from the A Level Philosophy curriculum that she is enjoying. These highlights include Plato’s allegory of the cave, Aristotle’s prime mover, Descartes’ substance dualism, and Peter Singer’s preference utilitarianism. Phoebe has also completed her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) on Marxism and human rights.
Why Jemima Enjoys Philosophy
Year 8 student Jemima described her experience joining Roedean’s Philosophy Society. As a member of the Society, she enjoys pondering philosophical questions and ideas that challenge her to think beyond what she already knows. These questions include: could time travel exist, and is the world around us virtual?
Why Amelia Enjoys Philosophy
Year 12 student Amelia shared that she enjoys philosophy because she’s a natural question-asker. Curiosity has always led her to seek answers to questions that she is now discussing at A Level. She is considering studying philosophy at university.
Why Yujin Enjoys Philosophy
Yujin explained that philosophy studies complement her computer science and religious studies. At the intersection of these subjects, she enjoys exploring the human psyche, collective unconscious, and technological singularity.
Yujin aspires to create artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. She believes that philosophical theories will help her understand the world so she can create high-level technologies.
Amelia Crowned Tes Poetry Competition National Champion
Earlier in November, the Times Educational Supplement (Tes) named Year 12 student Amelia its 2023 Poetry Competition champion. Amelia wrote a poem that reflects her journey so far to meet the competition theme, “Inspiring minds: the difference you make to me.”
The competition crowned champions in four categories: one individual and one group in the primary school category, and one individual and one group in the secondary school category. Amelia won the individual prize in the secondary school category.
Children’s author Michael Rosen was the head judge of the competition. He read Amelia’s poem aloud and presented her with her award at the Tes SEND Show. Amelia attended this prize-giving ceremony with her mother and two staff members from Roedean’s Learning Support department. The ceremony took place at London’s Business and Design Centre.
More November Events at Roedean School
In her Weekly Review introduction, Niamh Green also touched on her enjoyment of Roedean’s Disney concert, which students and staff came together to perform. The concert included a Tchaikovsky rendition and a rock cover of the Cars theme.
On top of this, Niamh Green complimented the School’s Remembrance service. She also praised two Year 12 students for representing Roedean at a Remembrance Sunday service in Rottingdean.
Niamh Green also congratulated the Year 13 students who are now receiving university interview invitations after submitting their applications. Early applicants have already received interview invitations for Oxbridge and other universities where they hope to study Medicine.
The Weekly Review also covered:
- Roedean’s In the Spotlight Dance Showcase.
- The Year 7 HHH Textiles group’s teddy bear project.
- The different houses’ Bonfire Night celebrations.
- Year 9 student Molly’s charitable work setting up a fireworks display for Tunbridge Wells’ Round Table. Molly has also helped paint a replica of Santa’s sleigh and is collecting donations for her local food bank. This charity work will support her Duke of Edinburgh Award.
- House 2’s victory in the House Quiz.
- The workshops that Year 12 international students have created to deliver to local primary schools. They have developed these lessons as part of the Language Pathway CAP.
- Roedean’s latest sports successes. These successes included hockey and netball wins, plus a standout performance from Roedean’s Swim Squad at a friendly gala.
Read more about Roedean School’s November highlights.
About Roedean School
Roedean School, in East Sussex, welcomes girls from across the UK and internationally to its inclusive day and boarding school. Serving students aged 11-18, Roedean has nearly doubled its student population since 2013. Students enjoy a wide-ranging education that covers academia, creative subjects, and sports. Staff inspire these students by encouraging them to nurture new passions and push beyond their comfort zones.
The result is cohort after cohort of broad-minded, compassionate young people who are ready to take on the world. Armed with outstanding exam results, a wealth of co-curricular skills, and long-lasting friendships, students finish their Roedean journeys well-prepared for their desired higher education paths and ambitious careers.
