Worth Insight Winter 2014

Winter 2014

INSIGHTWorth School enizagamWorth School enizagamWorth School enizagam

Worth School enizagamWorth School enizagamWorth School enizagam

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Worth is a UK Top 10 IB School

Worth School magazine

A personal look at Lectio

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Musician portraits on show

A62866 Worth Insight Autumn 2014 P2.indd 1 03/12/2014 14:41

Worth School magazine2

ON THE UPNATIONAL HOCKEY PLAYERS COACH

ADVANCED SKILLS AT WORTH


This term, the 1st and 2nd XI hockey teams were extremely lucky to get the chance to have an afternoon’s training session with three members of the Great Britain women’s hockey team. Commonwealth silver medallists, Maddie Hinch (goalkeeper), Giselle Ansley (defender) and Steph Elliott (midfielder) gave up a day of training to visit the school and put the girls through their paces. Although the weather wasn’t particularly on their side, the teams were worked extremely hard and gained an invaluable insight into what national-level training is like.

Katya Bingle-Williams, a Year 11 member of the 1st XI said: “What I

really enjoyed was the fact that we not only learnt so much in a relatively short time, but we also had such a good time doing it. It showed me that even national players can joke around and have fun at the same time as taking the session seriously.” Having gained a huge amount of first-hand knowledge from the three national players, the girls’ teams have had extremely successful seasons.

Samantha Clark, Head of Girls’ Games, added: “We have been having international players come to coach at Worth for the last four years and this session was, in my opinion, the most valuable to date. The quality of

our hockey has improved to the point where Maddie, Steph and Giselle are able to work on advanced skills and tactics. This current season has been a watershed in the development of girls’ sport and it has made me exceptionally proud to see our girls compete and perform consistently at such an impressive level.”

Bryony Maxwell

3www.worthschool.co.uk Winter 2014


4 Worth School magazine

With another improvement in IB (International Baccalaureate) results this summer, Worth School is now firmly placed in the top 10 in the UK IB league table produced by independent experts Educational Advisers. As well as being in the Top 10 for cohorts of up to 20 candidates, Worth is one of only two schools in the top 22 situated in the south east of England, and one of the few co-educational schools in the league table.

It is recognition which Director of IB, Stefan Steinebach, welcomes. “Of course I am proud of the achievements of our IB cohort this year,” he said, “but what really counts for me much more is the fact that we welcome a wide spread of ability into our community and seek to enable all our students to achieve their potential.

“We are not an exam factory but educate the whole person. At Worth, every pupil is given the time to grow into the individual we are very proud of when they leave and find their place in the world. The fact that this year’s students all performed astonishingly well is a tribute to the expert teaching of our very experienced staff and their way of motivating the young learners to do their very best.”

Worth now has a 12-year history in delivering the IB and 328 Worthians have achieved the qualification.

UK TOP 10







The recent installation of 14 portraits of musicians may have gone unnoticed by those who don’t frequent the Performing Arts Centre at Worth. However, should you enter the corridor leading to Mr Oakley’s office you may be surprised; gone are the old drums and pieces of musical paraphernalia. Instead, the walls have been repainted a clean white to contrast with the new photographic portraits of Worth’s finest student musicians. In Mr Oakley’s own words, these were commissioned over the summer in order to “create a gallery that not only provides images, but one that gives the viewer a glimpse of something of the character of the individual as well.” This was achieved by photographer Emma Duggan, who spent roughly an hour with each participant in order to get a feel for his or her personality and then capture that on film.

The display will eventually evolve as students in the portraits begin to leave the school, and the next generation of musicians arrive. However, what will stay constant − Mr Oakley hopes − is the students’ passion for music and their enjoyment in performing.

These portraits have been praised by many and Aidan Atkinson, who is amongst those portrayed in the photographs, believes they provide “a reflective window into the unique musical life of Worth”. Mr Oakley believes that the portraits have “provided a new focus on the work and people of the Music department. They draw on some of the unique qualities of the those portrayed, and yet they are all individual pieces in a jigsaw that gives a more rounded overview of the department and the school in general.” It seems that, for many, these portraits have successfully conveyed the character of the department in a visual way.

The portraits have also been praised by visitors to the school. Mr Oakley finds them helpful in highlighting all the best parts of Worth; it’s easy to present the all-round education offered at the school with a set of portraits that represent the “unique yet interconnected facets of Worth”.

Alex Brammer

Every picture tells a story

Breanna Alleyne with French horn Front cover shows Cameron Pring with double bass


A personal look at Lectio




What has Lectio taught me? Lectio Divina is based around the four basic concepts of lectio (read), meditaio (meditation), oratio (conversation) and contemplation (contemplation). However, the importance and significance of Lectio extends much deeper than this. For me, Lectio is about taking a step back and just shutting off for a few minutes in my busy school week to have a think, and let the words of the gospel reverberate in my head and consider what they mean to me. Having been attending Lectio groups since Year 9, it has become something of a block fixture in my week and something that

I view as important, as much as rugby matches on a Saturday, or fish and chips on Fridays.

The chance to lead Lectio groups in the past two years has only enhanced the experience. Sitting down in a small group on a Thursday evening at 9.30 to read the Bible may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there is a unique attraction to Lectio. The experience of sharing your perspective on a particular passage or sentence of gospel, and being able to relate to other people’s ideas, can be truly rewarding and allow you to understand much better someone

who you don’t necessarily know that well. It not only helps to improve your understanding of others, or even yourself, but to develop a personal bond with God.

Lectio is an opportunity that I am very keen to enjoy while I can. In the future I may not be so fortunate to be surrounded by such a supportive and diverse community as Worth provides. However, what will stay with me is the ability to reflect from time to time, and not get carried away and distracted by the variety of life, and always remember what is important to me. That is what Lectio has taught me.

Tommy Ferguson


Wednesday afternoons at Worth see books and essays put to one side in favour of the activity programme, with pupils being able to take part in activities ranging from helping out in a charity shop to abseiling. The range of activities available has become even more diverse this year with the introduction of activities such as mountain biking and pedal kart design. To find out more about the revamped programme, I asked the man who organises it all, Julian Williams, Director of the Wider Curriculum for his thoughts.

What changes have you made to the activities programme this year?

JTW: Having listened to what students said last year, we have introduced many new activities this year including scuba diving, mountain biking, pedal kart design, embroidery, wildlife conservation, bushcraft and kayaking, to name but a few. I will be surveying the school this year to ascertain which activities are popular, which are not and what other activities we might be able to introduce based on popular demand so that we keep refreshing the choices. Please enjoy what is on offer.

Why is the wider curriculum so important?

JTW: Parents invest significantly in their children’s education and quite rightly expect not just a focus on academia, but on providing a rounded education that will prepare their sons and daughters for life after school – something that we should

not lose sight of in the daily struggle for results. A broad range of extra-curricular provision encourages a sense of adventure and risk-taking through outdoor pursuits and expeditions, such as the DofE. The Wider Curriculum gives our students the opportunity to develop skills and qualities such as initiative, interpersonal skills, independence of thought, problem solving, project management, having a positive attitude and working well in a team, all of which are very important life skills. Whilst good qualifications are obviously important, facilitating access to the first step of the chosen career ladder, it is these additional skills that will aid further progress. What would you like to say to a student who might be reluctant to take part?

JTW: For a start, you may discover a lifelong passion. Learning how to scuba dive has certainly provided one or two Worth students with exciting prospects for the future. Participating in extra-curricular activities also helps to raise self-esteem. Everyone wants to find something that they are really good at, and extra-curricular activities provide the opportunities to get involved in something and really shine.

When it comes to university applications, extra-curricular activities are the most genuine method for students to demonstrate what makes them unique and interesting. More importantly, they can be the best way of discovering personal education, career and life goals.

Finally, and looking at the much bigger picture, I’d say that extra-curricular activities allow young people to make a contribution to society and to encourage thinking about the plight of other people and those less fortunate than themselves. This is important in their growth as a person and will hopefully engender lasting values. What are your goals as Director of the Wider Curriculum?

JTW: My aim is to raise the profile of the Wider Curriculum and encourage all to view the activity programme as an integral feature of the formal timetable. To be able to offer something for everyone is a key objective, but more specifically I would like to see every student complete a service/volunteering, skill and physical element each year during their time at Worth; in this way an appropriate balance is achieved. Having said this, given our standing as a Benedictine school I do believe that our emphasis should be on providing more service opportunities within the local community and this is something that will be focussing upon over the next 12 months. We certainly offer a much broader range of activities than most schools our size and I would like to think that Worth School’s Wider Curriculum could be held up as the exemplar for good practice.

Daniel Montagu

Wider curriculum ramps up




Jaime Llavona takes on the mountain biking course


Wisdom of the ages




The monks at Worth Abbey are a foundational part of the school community. Each monk has a story to tell and a perspective on monastic life, and I decided to ask two monks who had been here very different lengths of time for their views.

Father Kevin Taggart was one of the ‘founding’ members at the monastery at Worth in 1957, aged 26. He has known Worth and seen both the monastic life and school change throughout the last 50 years. Brother Gabriel is one of the younger monks in the Worth community and was 24-years-old and had a degree when he entered the monastic life. It was soon apparent that these two men were comfortable to agree and to disagree with each other as two fascinating life stories emerged.

What made you want to become a monk?

FK: I had grown up with a strong Catholic tradition both at home and at school. When I was 19, the Abbot of Downside asked for volunteers to join and I felt it was something I ought to do. It just felt right. Having been brought up with the tradition at Downside Abbey, the role of a Benedictine monk seemed natural. I was ordained in 1955 and when Worth opened I came here. At the time, I was the youngest and the baby of the monastic community.

BG: I was born and raised a Catholic and I grew up knowing various monks. After I finished university, having gained my degree, I suddenly realised that I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. It was not until I accompanied my younger sister on a pilgrimage to Taizé, and witnessed a monk taking his vows, that I actually began to consider a life dedicated to the Church. At the time it was very emotionally turbulent and I tried to deny it to myself as I had a relationship as well. There was a moment where I referred to this relationship in the past tense when speaking to a friend, and it was then that I knew I had already decided in

my heart. I just said to God, “I don’t understand this God but I hand myself to you.” Afterwards I felt a sense of peace and certainty, and I knew this was right for me.

Was the reality of monastic life different to what you thought it would be?

FK: You try having to get up at 5am every morning! It was definitely a struggle at first. However I felt I was in the right place and it brought me a basic peace of mind. It was different, of course and the first years are the hardest part I believe.

BG: I would definitely say that the romantic vision of monasticism is incorrect in many ways. In reality, the life of a monk is messy, irritating, good and beautiful. It is imperfect of course, but we are striving to be perfect and that is what makes it wonderful. It does, however, take a lot of self-honesty and reflection. In many ways, deciding to be a monk is the easy part and the real work begins when you actually start life as a monk. You are forced to face the inner demons that in normal everyday life we lie to ourselves about.

Fr Kevin, how has the Church and school changed since you have been here?

FK: There have been big changes in both the Church and the school throughout the time that I have been here. The 2nd Vatican Council in the 1960s really changed things. It was a modernising of the Church, which was difficult and controversial for a lot of monks as it included changes such as masses being in English rather than in Latin. After the Council, the interpretation of Church values was much broader. Another change has been of course the monks’ involvement in the school. At the beginning monks could teach here. For example, in 1959 I was in charge of 28 boys as a housemaster! It was fun and pioneering. However, as teaching has become more professional,

the monks have become much more pastoral within the school − something which I think is good and that the community has benefitted from as a whole. I believe that the monastery underpins the life of Worth and that, despite these changes, the heart of monasticism and our main beliefs have stayed the same.

Do you think that age affects how you view monastic life?

FK: I think that the view is mainly the same regardless of age. In my opinion, the values are the same for a monk at any stage in their life and the main thing that always remains is community.

BG: I would tend to disagree with Fr Kevin. I believe that there are different stages to monastic life and that age does affect your perspective of it all. The heart and desire to fulfill the core values is all the same, despite age. However I think there are phases that a monk goes through throughout their life and as I am still quite new as a monk, I see myself at the beginning and still working through the first phase.

What do you see the Church and school being like in 50 years’ time?

FK: I have no idea what the future will hold for the Church or the school. However I think that recruitment into the monastic community is of course one of the most important things. More people being influenced and coming to the Church will certainly determine the future and what it holds for us. I also think that monastic life does evolve with time, as can be seen with the huge changes already made in the last 50 years! So, we shall have to just wait and see to find out how monastic life does change and what it will become.

GB: I agree, there is no way to know what the future will hold and when you sign up to be a monk, it is like signing a blank cheque. So there is no way to tell.

Laura Chow





Strictly selfieNot many people can claim to be as accomplished as Ann Widdecombe who has a track record of achievement as a politician, novelist, columnist and Strictly Come Dancing legend. No wonder that Worth’s Sixth Formers found her “dynamic and refreshing”, in the words of Head Girl Emily Hollings. After Miss Widdecombe’s talk on ‘The Challenges of the 21st Century’, the questions came thick and fast, but clearly what some of the students most wanted to do was to grab a photo. Our thanks to Miss Widdecombe for being a great speaker and good sport.





WRITE ONWINNERS OF THE WORTH ESSAY COMPETITION WERE GURDIP AHLUWAHLIA IN FIRST PLACE AND MADELEINE CHAMBERLAIN IN SECOND PLACE.

Gurdip’s piece was entitled ‘The Death of Victoria Climbié: have lessons learnt been successful?’ while Madeleine addressed the questions ‘Why should we care about rare diseases?’ Neither was an easy topic to tackle and Insight wanted to know more about how they wrote their essays.

GURDIP MADELEINEWhy this subject?

I had seen a documentary about Victoria Climbié’s death in 2000 and it really shocked me how the signs of abuse hadn’t been acted upon properly. So I started to do some research about why it was such a significant case. Her death provoked a lot of changes in the law, with the introduction of the Children’s Act 2004.

As a child I read an article on rare diseases in a local newspaper and it made me realise just how much of an impact they could have on families. I also wondered how someone got a rare disease if both their parents were healthy.

How did you research the topic?

I tackled it mainly online, reading articles on the BBC website – on the case itself and on the Children’s Act 2004.

I went to other newspaper articles to find out more and also used Google Scholar http://scholar.google.co.uk/ and books here in the School Library.

What were you surprised by?

Fifteen years on, the Climbié case and its impact on society still resonate with the public.

Just how many people are affected by rare diseases in the UK.

Further thoughts?

The tragedy was responsible for some major changes in our child protection laws. The Children’s Act helped to bring in increased accountability for those in social services. Up to then it had been hard to penalise social workers. Now their jobs are on the line if they don’t help children.

Doing the research I also found out that there had been quite a lot of changes in how rare diseases are diagnosed – for example GPs who can now learn more about specific rare diseases to make them easier to diagnose. I am interested in medicine or research as a career so I had already known a bit about rare diseases.

The full essays by Gurdip and Madeleine are on the Worth School Voices blog, www.worthschoolvoices.co.uk or click the ‘Voices’ tab at the top of the school website pages.



The Camino de Santiago is the name of any of the pilgrimage routes to the shrine of the apostle St James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in north-west Spain. Many choose this route as a form of path or retreat, for their spiritual growth. Some pilgrims undertake the whole distance in one attempt, others return to walk different sections of it over several years.

Fr Peter and several of Worth’s teachers have walked sections of the journey in the last few years. I interviewed Austin Housemaster and Physics Teacher, Paul Ambridge, about his experience of this pilgrimage.

What inspired you to participate in this venture?I have been on a personal spiritual journey over the last few years. As part of this exploration of my faith I read a book called The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho. It felt as if the author had a direct link to my inner thoughts.

What does participating in the Camino entail?People walk for approximately 25 km a day, stopping at hostels and carrying as little as they feel they need. Each year my pack gets lighter; a change of socks and pants, a towel and not much else. I shower in my clothes and let them dry on me.

However, the journey is far more than a test of endurance. It’s a highly emotional and spiritual journey because you have time and space to reflect; you have no worries or concerns. All you have to do is walk. The way is signed with shells and yellow arrows and every village and town

has hostels offering a bed for the night. The conversations you have with strangers are open and relaxed and there is a very strong feeling of belonging.

What have been some of the particularly moving experiences on the Camino that you’d like to share?On arrival at one hostel my feet were in a bit of a state and the men running the hostel dressed them, which was quite a humbling experience. In the chapel attached to the hostel, part of the service was for the pilgrims to read notes left by previous pilgrims. My note had a short but powerful message. It was written by a mother and father who were on the walk because their 11-year-old son had taken his own life and they were trying to come to terms with the tragic loss and make sense of it. The thought that these parents were going through this tragedy was immediate and overwhelming.

You’ve emphasised to me that the Camino has been part of your own spiritual journey. Can you elaborate further on this? I’m not sure I can. My own journey continues to surprise and excite me. As a clumsy extract from Thomas Merton’s prayer says “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going…But I believe the desire to please you does in fact please you…Therefore I will trust you always…”

The full interview with Paul Ambridge is available on the Worth School Voices blog, www.worthschoolvoices.co.uk or click the ‘Voices’ tab at the top of website pages.

Mr Andrew Lavis

A literal and spiritual journey




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Science-savvy bear launches blog

Worth School magazine



Meet Sylvester, the new Worth Science blogger who is helping Worth to conquer cyberspace. Suitably attired in his own lab coat, Sylvester is into everything that’s going on in the Science classes – from mastering the use of a burette in his chemistry lesson to tapping out biology calculations.

Named after Pope Sylvester II, who was a Benedictine monk, scholar and teacher, this teddy is in his element as he blogs away about what is going on in the Science department. He’s not without attitude – but his inquisitive nature prevails as he follows what the students are up to.

Ms Louise Chamberlain, Head of Biology, explains: “The idea behind

Sylvester is to open the door on what goes on in the Science department at Worth. Sylvester will be going into lots of Science practical lessons and even going behind the scenes to help the technicians.

“He’s a very appealing bear with his own lab coat (coutured by teacher Mrs Naomi Williams) − everyone would want Sylvester as their lab partner! If you are a current Worth student, you might see Sylvester doing the practical that you carried out last week or a practical that you could be doing when you are older. If your parents are thinking about sending you to Worth, Sylvester‘s blog is a window into what you can expect in Science.

“In a more abstract way, I hope that Sylvester highlights the compatibility of religious belief and scientific knowledge. He’s named after a Benedictine Pope and could have been named after any of the number of religious people who’ve been scientifically curious over the years such as Gregor Mendel and Hildegard of Bingen.”

Follow Sylvester as he’s captured on camera at www.worthschool.co.uk/Subject-departments.

Scientif icial ly yours

Sylvester


Theology conference is a first for WorthOn Friday 7th November Worth hosted its first ever ‘Theology+’ conference. The purpose of the conference was to gather theologians to share their thoughts; there were university professors, teachers and monks, as well as 110 Sixth Form students from Catholic schools in the South East. This was not only a first for Worth but it was the first time an event like this has happened in the UK. The conference gave students an insight into what reading theology at university might be like and inspired many of us to think differently about the issues raised.

We had three world-class speakers cover a range of topics. Professor John Loughlin from the University of Cambridge, spoke about ‘Theology and Social Justice’. He caused lots of debate with statements such as “religion does not cause war” which led to a very interesting question and answer session ably marshalled by our own Dom Mark.

We then heard from Professor Janet Soskice, also from the University of Cambridge, who gave us an incredibly engaging talk on ‘Theology and Creation’. Worth students found

this particularly interesting as she related her argument to a painting that many of us had seen in Rome last June, the ‘Tree of Life’ crucifixion from the Basilica of San Clemente.

Finally, Professor Ben Quash from University College London finished off the day with a thought-provoking talk on ‘Theology and Art’. Personally, when reading the line-up this title was not the one that jumped out at me from the page. However, I was very wrong as I found Professor Quash a very engaging and charismatic speaker, and I found the symbolism behind the religious art truly fascinating. I had not realised the range of religious art, from the neon sign by Tracey Emin in Liverpool Cathedral to the stunning roof of the Sistine Chapel.

As someone who is planning on reading Theology at university, I thought the day was a great success. It was both informative and thought provoking, using theology from the past in order to help us find meaning in the way we are living our lives today.

Oliver Campbell


Prof John Loughlin and Prof Janice Soskice with Freddie Roux, Benedict

Konst and Brigit Douglas




Printed on environmentally friendly paper made from raw materials sourced from managed and sustainable forests.

Insight Editorial TeamAlex Brammer (Year 13)Oliver Campbell (Year 13)Laura Chow (Year 13)Simon FisherCatherine ForresterAndrew LavisBryony Maxwell (Year 13)Daniel Montagu (Year 13)

For the latest Worth School news and events, please visit www.worthschool.co.ukFurther news and views from around the Worth community can be found at www.worthschoolvoices.co.uk.Worth School, Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill, West Sussex RH10 4SDt: 01342 710200 e: [email protected]

Registered charity number 1093914Company registration number 4476558

PhotographyImages by Emma Duggan Photography except hockey photo by Ady Kerry and Camino image by Mrs Maria Young

Alice Robinson in St Anne’s House is the joint winner of the Mid Sussex Young Volunteer of the Year. Her staggering range of work includes volunteering at a junior youth club at the Wallis Centre in East Grinstead, being an organiser and director on the Outset Youth Committee for all its volunteers in Mid Sussex, supporting young people with learning disabilities through Springboard Buddies, working in the holidays in a local Shelter charity shop, organising and leading fundraising events for Marie Curie Cancer Care and being a Cub Scout Young Leader. On Sundays, Alice helps a family with a 10-year-old boy with severe autism. Over the Autumn half term, Alice spread her wings even wider and worked at an orphanage in Morocco.

Volunteer of the Year

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