of the country’s most talented young musicians from the prestigious Lancashire Youth Symphony Orchestra for an afternoon of music and song.

Led by Miss Margaret Young, Rossall also hosted the Music Director and Conductor for Blackpool Symphony Orchestra, Preston Opera and Lancashire Youth Symphony Orchestra, Helen Harrison.

The Orchestra performed for the first time Borodin’s Symphony no 2 and the 45-strong choir sang choral classics, Round the Riverside and Be thou my vision. They then went from old classics to Christmas favourites, singing Irving Berlin’s, White Christmas, beautifully accompanied by the LYSO.

Rossall has a great musical and choral tradition and we hope performing with the Lancashire Youth Symphony Orchestra, will inspire our students to great achievement in their musical careers.

and across the local community.

The Performing Arts Studio includes a professional standard theatre with acoustic lining and sprung floor which can be used for dance as well as drama. A control room, fitted with industry standard lighting and sound decks was supplied by Poulton-based KRS Productions. There is also a Green Room and supplementary teaching spaces.

We were able to create this wonderful space thanks to the generosity of Old Rossallian David McKee. David attended Rossall School from 1949 to 1956, and with his wife, Renee, were founders of the McKee Gallery in New York City. On opening the Studio, David addressed the pupils:

“Those who feel a creative interest are urged to embrace it. Do not fear expressing yourself, allow your gift to grow. There is a world at large waiting and watching for your talent – and your courage.”

To coincide with Remembrance Weekend, the opening was a great opportunity to host the pupils WW1 Commemoration Exhibition. As part of a cross-curricular project, many lessons in the week prior to Remembrance were planned around the centenary and pupils benefited immeasurably from studying various aspects of World War One across their subjects. The pupils participated in a diverse range of activities, the results of which were beautifully displayed in the Studio.

Drama students provided guests with poignant recitals of letters from the front and moving poems, dressed appropriately in clothing and uniform of the time. Year 11 pupil, Sofia Deplidge read ‘My Boy Jack’ by Rudyard Kipling and Year 10, Myles Davies narrated ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke.

The opening of the impressive new facility, coupled with the moving pieces on display, created a fitting celebration for Rossall School of today.

Mr Jeremy Quartermain added at the opening:

“The Performing Arts building is an integral part of our ambitious development plan,” he says. “It is a truly outstanding facility which will support the artistic and creative development of future generations of pupils at Rossall. With so many outstanding facilities, and a programme of cross-curricular projects and extra-curricular activities for the pupils to take part in, Rossall is a school where youngsters can truly develop their full potential”.

Bros. Studios.

Upon arrival, the students split themselves into smaller groups and embarked on the self-guided tour.

17 year old Lennart Breier jumped at the chance to volunteer to be one of two people to open the doors to the Great Hall and begin the experience.

Mouths fell open in shock, as the students and staff were transported into the actual sets of the beloved films.

“It was like a dream come true,” said 12 year old super fan, Jessica Sanderson. “I have loved Harry Potter since reading the first book. It didn’t really sink in that we were looking at the actual sets and props that they used in the film. What you see on the screen is right in front of your eyes!”

The students slowly made their way around the huge studios, stopping off halfway for a refreshing ‘Butterbeer’ beverage.

“It was one of the nicest drinks I’ve ever tasted!” said 13 year old Grace Evans. “After reading J.K. Rowling’s descriptions in the book, and seeing it on screen, I couldn’t wait to try it. It was better than I imagined.”

The students had a marvellous time immersing themselves in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, complete with a ride on broomstick, flying over the streets of London – with the help of a green screen, of course.

“It was really bizarre to find out how they created the special effects.” said 13 year old Alicia Anandappa. “You really don’t think about it when you are watching the films, as it looks so real!”

The tour concluded with a thorough visit to the gift shop, before the students boarded their coach once again for the lengthy journey back to Rossall School.

“My favourite part was when we saw the Hogwarts Castle at the end. It was huge and you could see the attention to detail like the paintings through the windows and the thousands and thousands of roof tiles.” Jessica said. “The trip was absolutely amazing and the memories made will last a lifetime.”

Photo: Grace Evans on way to Platform 9 and 3/4

armed with extra warm coats, hats and gloves, arrived at a very cold Reykjavik airport, before being whisked away to the popular tourist hotspot, Blue Lagoon – a geothermal spa. It was a very odd experience, enjoying the glorious warm waters in sub-zero temperatures! After a lovely afternoon, the group then made their way to Hotel Ork in Hveragerði. In the evening, the students embarked on the highly anticipated Northern Lights Tour and were very fortunate to see the Aurora Borealis – despite the low activity forecast. The group also saw a shower of shooting stars which made the evening even more magical. This was definitely the highlight of the trip and one to tick off the bucket list!

They awoke the next day bright and early, ready to explore the south coast of Iceland – one of the country’s most scenic regions. The group visited the Gunnarsholt Soil Conservation Services, and learned about the various ongoing projects to preserve the land. After this, they made their way to some of the most picturesque sites of Iceland, including the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Skógar Waterfall, Sólheimajökull Glacier, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach and the small town of Vík. The group also visited the Eyjafjallajökull Erupts: Visitors Centre to learn about the recent volcanic activity, and the Skogar Folk Museum to learn about the culture and heritage of Iceland.

The next day, the group headed to Reykjavik for a sightseeing tour. Some of the highlights included the Pearlan Centre, Reykjavík City Hall, Hallgrímskirkja church, and the city centre.

On their final day, the group experienced some of Iceland’s most stunning sights including Thingvellir National Park, Gullfloss waterfall, the Geysir Center, Friðheimar greenhouse cultivation centre and Kerið Crater. They then spent a final night in their hotel before flying back to a slightly warmer climate. It was a wonderful experience for all involved. Thank you to Miss Corsby for organising the trip.

Day on Saturday.

Based around the theme of ‘Moon and Stars’, the event gave prospective students the chance to experience life at Rossall, from code breaking in Maths to food testing in Biology and learning how craters were formed on the Moon in Physics.

Visitors were also treated to a Planetarium Show in the onsite Lawrence House Astronomy Centre and made their own Apollo 11 keyrings in the Design and Technology department, before trying their hand at improvisation in Drama.

Rossall’s strength in sport and pentathlon was also on show in the gymnasium where visitors could join in with the students in strength and conditioning sessions and laser shooting.

Head Ms Purves said: “This has been our busiest open day ever and it’s a real pleasure to give so many prospective students a taste of life at Rossall.

“Our theme of ‘Moon and Stars’ was inspired by the fact that the first photos of the far side of the moon were taken on October 7th 1959 – it’s really given us the scope to showcase the topics Rossall students cover in science, technology and the arts.

“The interactive sessions we held at the open day really seemed to fire the imaginations of our young visitors and we look forward to welcoming many of them to Rossall as students in the future.”

breath-taking churches across the city.

Almost as soon as the summer term concluded, the Rossall students were whisked on a jet plane heading to the ‘eternal city’ for their five day trip.

Their first performance took place in Basilica Papale di S.Paolo Fuori Le Mura (St Paul’s Outside the Walls), a stunning Church building with a vast oblong hall and double colonnades. The students took part in the Celebration of Mass, singing beautifully under the splendid dome; they were even applauded at the end of the service.

The Chapel Choir’s Second Mass was held at Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore -a Papal major basilica and the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome. Under the high altar of the basilica is the Crypt of the Nativity, said to contain wood from the Holy Crib of the nativity of Jesus Christ.

Their final performance at St Paul’s within the Walls, an American Church in Rome, was a more relaxed performance for the students where they sang a number of joint songs and solos. The church, although not small, was a great deal smaller compared to the two basilicas, but the atmosphere and acoustics certainly enhanced the choir’s incredible vocals and song pieces.

Between performances, the students had time to relax around the hotel and explore its wonderful landmarks and attractions including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Forum.

Nineteen year old Sam Pitcher who is leaving Rossall after six years and school leaver was thrilled to performing in Rome and commented, “I loved the architecture and

acoustics at the Basilica Papale di S.Paolo Fuori and the Colosseum and Forum had to be my favourite tourist attraction. This was a fantastic final trip with Rossall for me”.

Director of Music, Mrs Margaret Young commented, “The Choir 2017 Tours was a fabulous experience. The pupils excelled themselves not only in their singing but also with their polite manners and behaviour and they were an absolute credit to the School”.

be competing in the European Championships held in Glasgow in August 2018.

Seventeen-year-old Lauren competed in her first triathlon eight years ago and has been coached for the last two years by Mike Park, Director of Boarding and Teacher of PE at St James’ School, Grimsby.

In order to be selected for the team, Lauren had to be within the top 4 or 120% of the winner’s time, at the May 2017 Southport Triathlon, part of the British Triathlon Major Event Programme. Lauren came in third securing her place in the GBR team.

Lauren is very excited to be competing with nineteen fellow team members, in the Sprint Distance Triathlon, a 750m swim, 20 kilometre bike ride and 5 kilometre run and cites her coach and her mother as being her inspiration. Lauren’s mother, Mrs Christine Brooks, competed in the European Championships in Denmark last weekend in the Middle Distance Triathlon.

Lauren, whilst studying for A levels in Geography, Biology and PE, trains six days a week for at least two hours a day. Lauren commented, “Mike Park sends through my weekly training schedule and I do a combination of 1hr sessions of swimming, cycling and running, with a 50-60 mile cycle ride on a Sunday and I love it!

Lauren is looking forward to studying Geography at Leeds University in September, host to Leeds Triathlon Centre, an elite training centre for top triathletes in the UK.

fitting way to celebrate the pupils’ hard work and achievements over the past year.

The Infant and Junior School Prize Day, held annually on the last day of term, began in Chapel, where this year’s Infant and Junior School Captains gave thanks for their privileged year of responsibility. The choirs and pupils also performed a number of musical pieces and poetry recitals.

The Prize Giving Ceremony, was a mixture of inspiration and emotion, as Old Rossallian, Josh Landman, who attended Rossall for 11 years, took to the stage and recounted his story of being left paralysed from the neck down, following an accident whilst on holiday. Josh passionately talked about his rehabilitation, learning to walk again and his achievements along the way. Josh’s recent challenges, all for charity, have included a Tough Mudder, the Blackpool 10K and scaling the heights of Snowdon, all in his everyday wheelchair. Josh is now looking towards competing in a triathlon, the London Marathon and hopes to be picked to compete in the sit-ski at the Winter Paralympics 2022.

His speech received a standing ovation from the audience and the pupils were in awe when they received their prizes from him.

To conclude the ceremony, Mrs Katie Lee, Headmistress of Junior, Infant and Nursery School announced the new School Captains and left the Year 6 leavers with a fitting message:

“In life, we have gifts and we have choices, cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Cherish the gifts you have been given. Choices can be harder – spend time thinking through the possibilities before making your choice. Use and practice the skills we have taught you. Use the gifts you have been given well, and make wise choices.

We hope you cherish your time in Junior School, use the skills you have been taught, and continue to grow and flourish. Floreat Rossallia!” The day concluded with an amazing Mad Hatter’s Tea Party themed feast. Rossall’s catering team were dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland, adding that unforgettable touch to the lunch proceedings, whilst families enjoyed an array of sumptuous savouries and sweet treats.

Rossall Infant and Junior School pupils, their families and staff had a joyful day, before leaving School for their well-earned holidays.

a standing ovation for the impressive thirty-eight strong cast of students aged twelve to eighteen.

Following a ‘good luck’ video message from their West End equivalents, the Rossall cast embarked on their challenge with high spirits, and once on stage any sign of nerves that may have been present backstage disappeared.

Lead cast member and previous head boy at Hodgson Academy, Matthew Peill, age 17, shone as Jean Valjean in a performance worthy of the West End. Matthew, alongside rehearsing for one of the most challenging roles in musical theatre, is studying for his A levels, and appeared relaxed and confident on stage, showing no signs of any pressure. His vocal performance of the iconic Les Misérables songs, including ‘Bring Him Home’, had the audience captivated.

Head of Hodgson, Mr Derek Yarwood commented:
“Congratulations to the staff and students at Rossall for the fantastic Les Misérables production, my favourite musical! It was a truly wonderful and emotional performance by talented students.”

Kirsty Swarbrick, age 17, captured the beauty and emotion in Fantine’s ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. Despite knowing the fate of Fantine, one couldn’t help but be caught up in Kirsty’s performance and wish her a happiness that unfortunately would never be.

As the student revolutionaries took to the barricades, Felix Mistry, age 13 and one of the youngest actors to take to the stage, showed incredible promise as Gavroche.

Strong performances were also given by Sam Pellowe (age 16), Sam Pitcher (age 19) and Noni Purnell (age 16). Sam Pellowe’s ease at commanding a stage with his booming baritone instilled the authority of Inspector Javert perfectly. While Sam Pitcher and Noni Purnell formed the perfect double act as Monsieur and Madame Thénardier, their jovial performance filling Big School with laughter. Natalina Dell’Armi (age 15) played their daughter, Éponine, whose love was unrequited by the revolutionary Marius Pontmercy, played by 17-year-old Téo Beaumé. Marius had fallen head over heels in love with the beautiful Cosette, played so delicately by Lisa Pavshinskaia (age 18).

Les Misérables is considered one of the most difficult musicals to perform and produce, though the Rossall students and staff took this all in their stride. Talk still continues about the production; Head of Rossall Ms Elaine Purves stated:

“I am still basking in the glow created by the most superb production of Les Misérables; it was, without a doubt, one of the very best school productions I have ever seen.

“At many points throughout the performances, the students were indistinguishable from West End professionals. What an amazing experience they must have had working to such a high level and creating two evenings of entertainment that will be talked about for many years to come.”

Rossall School’s production of Les Misérables is sure to go down in School history as an awe-inspiring achievement.

your own chair. That is exactly what happened to the students of Rossall School, this week, when Google Expeditions dropped by.

Google Expeditions is a new app developed by Google which aims ‘to open up the classroom for an immersive learning experience’.

The app enables teachers to take their students on virtual field trips, using virtual reality headsets and a controlling tablet.

Teachers were able to select a destination from across the world and throughout history, and their students were immediately transported to a 360-degree, 3D view of the destination.

Classes enjoyed expeditions to the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef and even the American Moon Landing.

Mr Dan Hall, History Teacher at Rossall School, used Google Expeditions to transport his Year 8 class all the way back to the trenches of the First World War.

Students found themselves standing in a flooded trench, staring up at a soldier holding a pistol. As they turned around, they saw another soldier cooking bacon on a poorly constructed stove.

Mr Hall commented on the experience: “It can often be extremely difficult for our students to visualise different periods of history.

“Unfortunately, we are lacking flux-capacitors at Rossall, so time-travel is out of the question. Google Expeditions is certainly the next best thing – it allowed our students to truly gain a picture of how difficult life was like as a soldier during World War One.”

Over 300 Rossall School students experienced the virtual reality locations, travelling through time and space to many different locations and periods.

In Antarctica, enthusiastic geographers observed penguin colonies, leopard seals, and Ernest Shackleton’s explorations.

And it was not only history and geography that benefited from the expeditions, PE students used the Google devices to take a look at the Crow Fair, often referred to as the ‘Teepee Capital of the World’.

During the visit, students studied traditional tribal dancing and continued to celebrate Native culture and its history by taking part in a boys vs girls tribal dance off. Both teams were exceptional and were able to transport us back to Crow Fair without any need for virtual reality.

The Google Expeditions catalogue also includes a vast collection of other interesting destinations, ranging from Mars to the Moon to Gettysburg, the Anne Frank House and the Great Wall of China.

Head of Rossall School, Ms Elaine Purves stated, “Whilst we have a broad range of enrichment opportunities – dashing for a fleeting visit to the Great Barrier Reef is not quite feasible.

“At Rossall, we are always looking for new opportunities to inspire our students’ learning, and this was a great way to get them excited about their subjects!

“Thank you to the Google team for giving our students and teachers a truly unforgettable day.”

West End’s stand-out shows, The Lion King seemed sure to be an ambitious challenge. The cast, of pupils aged six to eleven appeared unfazed by the enormity of the task ahead as they took to the stage for two sold out performances.

The pupils performed all the well-known Lion King songs such as Circle of Life, complete with Zulu lyrics. The group performances, from cast and chorus, set the atmosphere for the show perfectly.

The first act saw Junior School Captain Emerson Porter (age 11) lead the cast as Mufasa, with fellow Year 6 pupil, Oscar Mistry as his young lion cub son, Simba. Oscar brought an enthusiasm to the role, which beautifully opposed the sneering cruelty of his uncle, Scar. 11 year-old Henry Singleton shone as Scar, capturing the deception and cruelty of his character and instilling the needed fear that surrounds the lion.

Steffan van Blerk (age 11) took over the mantle of Simba in the second act, with Rosie Lupton (age 9) and Daniel Eaves (age 11) by his side as the lion’s unlikely friends Timon and Pumbaa. The pair mastered the comedic timings of their duo to deliver the light relief the Lion King needs surrounding its emotional story.

Grace Brindle, who is only 10 years old, delivered an inspiring performance as the mandrill shaman, Rafiki. Grace subtly portrayed the mystical energy and all-knowing ways of Rafiki with an ease telling of her talent.

Thanks to kind donations from KRS Rigging Services, and Indivisual Media Group the Infant and Junior School production included an impressive digital backdrop, allowing the cast to fully immerse themselves in the Pride Rock setting.
Rossall School teachers, pupils and parents excelled themselves with impressive set and costume design, the lion headdresses in particular made a lasting impression on the audience.

Directed by drama teacher Seren Mistry, The Lion King Jr is notably one of the most impressive productions the Infant and Junior School has staged.
Rossall has seen many budding stage talents nurtured at the school, and it seems possible that The Lion King Jr showcased some of tomorrow’s bright young stars.

Of the production Rossall’s Nursery, Infant and Junior Headmistress, Mrs Katie Lee, said: “Rossall Junior School were amazing, the acting and singing fantastic. Congratulations to Mrs Seren Mistry (producer), the teachers and all the parent helpers who made tonight a tremendous success.”

pence. The money was raised in December from Rossall’s annual Reindeer Run and other various Christmas activities.

Junior School Captain’s, Emerson Porter and Yasmine Ajiteru and the Infant School Captain’s, Woody-Lee Wilson and Lake Porter were joined by the Headmistress of Junior, Infant and Nursery, Mrs Katie Lee to present the cheque, at Rossall School, to Community Fundraiser at Brian House Children’s Hospice, Emma Padgett.

Photo – Back row from left to right: Emma Padgett, Emmerson Porter, Yasmine Ajiteru, Katie Lee. Front row from left to right: Woody-lee Wilson and Lake Porter.

interested in politics, had the opportunity to have a question and answer session with Ms Smith about current issues, the big Brexit debacle and the views of the labour party.

Cat recounted tales of her political endeavours and described her journey of how she became a politician, from school to the Houses of Parliament, despite not studying politics at university.

Year 12 student, Amber brown commented, “I thoroughly enjoyed Cat Smith’s visit to the school, as I’m inspired by her feminist views and strong opinions.

“She told us not to be afraid or intimidated by the predominantly male atmosphere in Parliament which is inspirational to all young girls who are thinking of a career in politics.”

Ms Smith joined the students for lunch where she reiterated how important it is for young people to get their voices heard. Year 12 student, Rebecca Heyes said, “Ms Smith really made me think about how politics affects everyone individually.

“She was also very interested in hearing about our own views on subjects such as Brexit – it was nice to be listened to.”

Later, Cat sat down with Rossall School’s first female Head, Ms Elaine Purves who said, “It was wonderful to welcome Ms Smith to Rossall to speak to our students.

“We are always looking for opportunities to inspire our students and it is extremely important to us to convey the message to them, that they can be anything they want to be, irrespective of their gender.”

Emily Rose, Jack Sangha and Rebecca Heyes entered the UK’s Premier Investment Competition with over 400,000 students from 2,500 schools.

The competition involves the teams investing virtual money into the London Stock Exchange.
There are two elements to the competition: an Active Investor Portfolio and a Strategic Investor Portfolio. In both elements, the students invest a hypothetical £100,000 with the aim of trying to maximise their portfolios, however, in the latter their ability to manipulate is very limited.

In the heats, the Rossall Roadmen were one of the best performing teams, resulting in their progression to the semi-finals, where they will attempt to accurately predict the value of a company’s share at the end of the week.
16 year old Jack, who studies Maths, Business, Economics and Computer Science A levels at Rossall commented: “I have absolutely loved the challenge so far. To be given the chance to experience life in the stock exchange is simply incredible.

“It is certainly a great way for aspiring investors to gain experience in a safe environment, with no risk of any actual money being lost!”

Photo Left to Right – Annabel Counsell, Jack Sangha and Emily Rose

15 and 19 years can join the Elite Football Academy Programme, delivered by Fleetwood Town Academy’s leading coaching staff.

A bespoke education curriculum will be tailored to the needs of the individual and delivered by Rossall School.

Rossall School and Fleetwood Town FC have had a long-standing relationship, providing coaching and team building sessions for students and the mutual use of the School and Fleetwood Town grounds and facilities. This collaboration further cements this relationship creating a unique experience for young aspirational players.

The programme is open to players who are already playing in a Professional Academy or who simply wish to develop their footballing ability.

Students will not only participate in coaching, training and competing for the School and Fleetwood Town, but will also have access to excellent physiotherapy, be provided with a strength and conditioning programme and learn how a professional football club operates.

Elaine Purves, Head of Rossall School commented: “We are delighted to be working with Fleetwood Town, a club on the rise and part of the English Football league.

“This partnership will benefit both the school and the club, combining both our skills and facilities, creating an exceptional package for students nationally and internationally.”

Fleetwood Town Head Coach, Uwe Rösler, said: “We are delighted to link-up with Rossall School for this project.

“I recently toured their grounds and was hugely impressed by the facilities on offer and hope we can together produce stars for Fleetwood Town Football Club.

“The partnership will create a perfect environment for players to develop and grow in a dynamic and encouraging atmosphere.

“Rossall’s superb facilities and educational package, along with our professional coaching will hopefully prove the perfect combination.”