Word from the Head – 19 September 2025

We are delighted to remind you that Channing School subscribes to Tooled Up Education. This gives our families and our staff privileged access to a digital platform that ensures you are staying up to date with contemporary issues related to modern-day parenting and that you have access to actionable ideas derived from the highest quality research evidence.

This document TooledUp – Registration Instructions.pdf explains the benefits of the platform and a quick reminder of how to sign up for your free Tooled Up account.

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The Day is a news website for secondary schools. The articles are engaging and informative and are framed around a question to encourage debate. Each article can be read at different readability levels and there are translations into French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Welsh and Arabic (under Resources > Archive Content > Translations). Parents can access The Day for free using this link.

Students in the Junior and Senior schools have access to Britannica School online encyclopedia. Articles are written and edited by experts and easy to read and navigate. Students can log in from home with the following details:

School Access ID – channing

Passcode – school

We have two upcoming lunchtime Careers events – please encourage your daughters to attend. Both events are in the Arundel Centre at 1.00pm.

• On Wednesday 24 September we are launching the Newsquest Young Reporter Scheme for budding journalists in year 10 upwards.
• On Monday 29 September Dr Joanna Redmond, Head of the Chemical Biology Science and Technology Platform at the Francis Crick Institute, will be talking about careers in STEM. All year groups are welcome.

We are always looking for speakers with interesting career stories to tell. Do get in touch at careers@channing.co.uk if you can help.

There are some free parent and student webinars coming up soon from InvestIn and Unifrog on supporting your student applying to university. These are particularly relevant to Year 13. Parents can create their own Unifrog account using the signup code CHNNparents.

We are delighted to welcome Dr Cameron Roberts to the Arundel Centre on Thursday 25 September to give a talk and a masterclass on optimising practice and performance. Dr Roberts is a concert pianist who performs throughout Europe and Australia with many of the world’s finest instrumentalists. He studied Medicine and a Masters of Music at the University of Melbourne, whilst furthering piano studies at the Australian National Academy of Music and internationally. For many years, he taught at the prestigious Reina Sofia School of Music, Madrid and, later, completed a PhD on the physical, perceptual and pedagogical aspects of the touch-tone relationship (University of New England, Australia). Further, he holds a specialist degree in Anaesthetics (Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK).

Parents, students and staff are all very welcome to attend and there is no need to book tickets for this event. The event starts at 5.30pm in the Arundel Centre.

Cooking for University
As part of their preparation for university life, our Year 13 students spend a double period each week learning valuable cooking skills. Guided by Arti Mirwani Daltry, they explore a variety of practical dishes and pick up useful tips on preparing simple, healthy meals independently.

The menu changes from week to week, allowing students to build up a repertoire of recipes. This week they learned how to make egg fried rice, a favourite that also provides a great base for experimenting with different flavours.

These sessions not only develop confidence in the kitchen but also prepare students for the independence of life beyond school.

Music at Lunchtime
The first Music at Lunchtime of the year did not disappoint! A stunning line up of Sixth Formers kicked off the year with flawless vocal and instrumental performances. First up was our resident trumpeter Anna R-B, Year 12, with a fluent and joyful performance of Red White and Blues by Leonard Bernstein. Anna displayed her consistently impressive technique and performance skills, setting the tone for the rest of the concert. To follow, Juliet B, also Year 12, delivered a charismatic rendition of Almost There from The Princess and the Frog. Juliet’s jazzy voice created an energetic and fun atmosphere in the Arundel Center, perfect for a Friday afternoon.

Afterwards, Stevie B (Year 12) performed a more solemn performance of Breathe from Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. This moving piece was conveyed beautifully, showcasing Stevie’s excellent vocal technique and flair. Next up was Mei-Xing L-C, Year 13,, who chose to showcase her exceptional piano skills in Joe Hisaishi’s Il Porco Rosso. Mei-Xing delivered a polished and colourful performance of this charming piece. Bella K in Year 12 rounded up the concert with a powerful rendition of No One Else from Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. As usual, Bella moved us all with an emotive and soulful performance, and gave us all goosebumps with her skillful use of dynamics.

Overall, this first Music at Lunchtime was the perfect way for our talented Sixth Form to show off their skills. Looking forward to many more brilliant concerts to come this year! Do listen HERE.

Reviewed by Tal M, Year 12

In English this year, we are encouraging our KS3 pupils to enter a competition to complete four extension tasks a half term to win a prize. This week Roop N and Louise B in 9EHi have impressed with their designs for a film set of Red Room in Charlotte Brontë’s book, Jane Eyre.

Origins Club
The inaugural Geography and History ‘Origins’ Club met this Wednesday and attendees were given their copy of Lewis Dartnell’s namesake book and introduced to some of the key themes of the book. We will be exploring how Earth’s geology, climate, and geography shaped human evolution and the rise of civilisation.
It is not too late to sign up to this club if you are in Year 7, Year 8 or Year 9. Mrs Blake and Mr Morgan look forward to seeing you there: Wednesdays, 12.30 – 1pm in A3.

Senior Geography Society
The Senior Geography Society kicked off on Thursday with a debate looking at a recent BBC article ‘Our hot homes are making our children sick.’ We explored the key themes of this article through the A Level specialised concepts; inequality, resilience and interdependence.

We look forward to a different debate each week and our A Level geographers leading sessions.

The planet is talking, are you listening?

After the Fire by Will Hill
Listen to Dr Hayward as she introduces After the Fire, Will Hill’s award-winning novel for KS4 and KS5 readers. Told through the voice of Moonbeam, a teenager raised in a closed religious cult, the story is a tense and gripping exploration of survival, identity and freedom.

When a devastating fire destroys the world she has always known, Moonbeam is forced to confront the truth of her past and navigate the challenges of a life she was taught to fear. Through her voice, the novel explores themes of control, courage, trauma, and healing – making it both a powerful survival thriller and a moving emotional journey.

Perfect for students who enjoy page-turning thrillers, tense psychological drama, and thought-provoking stories, After the Fire is a timely reminder that even in the darkest circumstances, there is always the possibility of hope and renewal.

As part of our ongoing commitment to social impact and providing our students with opportunities to engage with a diverse community, we invited Kidscape to provide mentoring training to the 35 students who have signed up to volunteer for breakfast clubs at different state schools and a new initiative, the Education Plus HNCP hub. Channing students were also joined by 4 St Aloysius’ students who were also keen to be part of the mentoring training. The feedback on the day was very positive. Amara, one of our Year 12 Partnership leaders attended the training and commented:

“In the Kidscape Peer Mentoring training, we learnt invaluable skills such as how to effectively communicate with younger years, as well as the more serious aspects including the importance of confidentiality and setting boundaries. The interactive aspects of the workshop helped us work through sometimes difficult but plausible scenarios when working with children and we are very grateful for Kidscape for taking the time to help us develop our ability to better support children.”

Year 7 Football and Netball Preseason
On Saturday 6 September, our Year 7 students took part in their Football and Netball Pre-Season Day. We were delighted to see such a fantastic turnout, with over 40 girls attending the morning football session led by Mr Garnett, alongside Miss Allen and Miss Dorey, who are both valued members of the PE department as well as players for Wimbledon FC.

In the afternoon, we again welcomed over 40 students for the netball session, delivered by Vicki Oyesola, a former Netball Super League player for London Mavericks and England Netball Roses, together with Ms Nelson and Ms Gibbins.

It was brilliant to see so many students actively involved in preparing for the start of the school year, building their skills ahead of fixtures and competitions. We look forward to following their progress throughout the rest of the year.

Meet the PE Team Webinar
On Tuesday 16 September, we held a PE “Meet the Team” webinar, which was a fantastic opportunity to share with parents more about the PE Department, our curriculum and the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities available. Parents also had the chance to ask questions and find out more about sport and PE at our school. For anyone who was unable to attend, the slides from the webinar are attached here.

Year 7 Trip to Stubbers 2025
Last Friday, Year 7 had a brilliant day at Stubbers Adventure Centre, throwing themselves into every activity with huge enthusiasm and positivity. The sun was shining for much of the day and, even when two huge downpours arrived, they didn’t let the weather dampen their spirits. Instead, they embraced the challenge, kept going with energy and determination and proved how resilient they can be. The day was packed with adventure. On the water, pupils worked together to build rafts, testing their teamwork and problem-solving skills. Laser tag brought excitement, strategy and plenty of laughter, while climbing pushed many to be 10% braver as they overcame nerves and celebrated reaching new heights. The most surprising highlight however, was axe throwing – the clear favourite of the day. Who knew Year 7 would have such a natural talent for it? It was wonderful to see everyone encouraging each other, forming new friendships and showing such strong teamwork so early in their senior school journey. The way they supported one another, tried new things and gave every activity their best effort was truly impressive. What a fantastic start to Year 7 – well done for embracing the day and giving it your all!

Anatomy Club
The anatomy club started again this week with the dissection of a sheep’s heart. The Year 7 and 8 students began by examining the external anatomy, feeling the size of the muscle and inspecting the four different vessels going into and out of the heart. Then the students made a long cut to open up the heart to reveal the two ventricles and atria. They also examined the heart valves. Finally we used microscopes to look at the muscle cells in more detail. The club had fantastic support from two Year 11 scientists who were able to guide the students through the details of the anatomy.

Year 12 Biodiversity Day 
On Friday 12 September Year 12 biology students went on a trip to Epping Forest Field Studies Centre to study biodiversity. While there, despite the torrential rain and soaked through paper, we collected valuable data to investigate and compare the biodiversity of two aquatic environments using a standardised technique. Once the data was collected we used the Simpson’s Biodiversity Index to calculate and compare the biodiversity of the two environments to explain the potential reasons for the difference. It was fascinating to learn and take in all of the information and different facts about the things in our natural surroundings that we view so simply and gain a deeper understanding of the richness and complexity of ecosystems and our surroundings. In the afternoon we used a random sampling technique to investigate and account for the abundance of species in an area of high and low light intensity.

Alex, Lucy and Zinia, Year 12

Maths Updates
Mathletics has started this week with Mr Raschke and Mrs Williams getting the team ready for their first match against Highgate next week.

Maths Drop In is running every Thursday in the T rooms from 4.10 to 5.00pm – do send your children along if they need help with Maths – especially if they have missed some lessons.

Our Year 13 students are working hard with Mrs Wootton to prepare for University entrance tests (ESAT and TMUA).

Partnership Problem Solving club started this week, smoothly run by Lucia K and Amy H in Year 12. They did a fun group puzzle round – here they are in action!

KS3 Science Partnership club
This week the KS3 Science partnership club began. They had students from the Junior school as well as Brookfield school join them after school to try and make the most effective egg parachutes. They used materials such as bubble wrap, straws, bags, cards, string and more… There were no broken eggs, which was no mean feat!

Can you believe that these girls were in Year 6 twenty years ago? I wonder what they are doing now. Some of you may recognise them (or indeed be one of them) – do let us know!