Latest Grosvenor News

CARRYING THE TORCH ON BEHALF OF THE SILENT MAJORITY Grosvenor School start their Olympic Games countdown for 2012. As part of the schools preparations for the London Olympics 2012 we are in the fortunate position of having one of our own teachers nominated to be a bearer of the Olympic torch. Chris Adcock, Science teacher and Year 8 tutor, has been accepted by the selection committee as a potential bearer in recognition of nearly 30 years of organising sports teams and being involved in outdoor pursuits with groups of pupils in various schools. “This is an opportunity to represent the thousands of teachers and youth workers who quietly give youngsters the opportunity to have a range of experiences and to rub shoulders with future champions. Some may become future champions themselves. For many teachers today, organising teams and fixtures is a way of repaying their own teachers for providing such opportunities when they were themselves at school. I was encouraged by my own games teacher – Pete Hutchinson, a Welsh international athlete, who enabled his pupils to experience county and national events and meet future Olympic champions in the process.” Chris Adcock The final decision on who will carry the torch will be made very soon and Grosvenor School is hoping to have an extra reason to cheer as it passes through Nottinghamshire. So fingers crossed. Whatever the outcome, the School will present their School Sports Day athletes with medals to mark the 2012 Olympic games in the summer.

Santa comes to Grosvenor Santa comes to Grosvenor Santa came to Grosvenor today. He surprised children as they were singing Christmas songs. He then presented the classes with presents which were taken back to class to be eagerly unwrapped. The children were taking part in a fun-filled afternoon, consisting of a visit by Freddie the magician and then a party organised by the FrOGS. Everyone had a great time. Thank you to everyone who made the afternoon so wonderful. More photographs can be seen in the Photo Gallery.

Helping others Supporting charities Today we held our regular Cafe Grosvenor, which is always a popular event. Children were invited to raise money for Jeans for Genes and Link Romania. We raised an amazing one hundred and fifty pounds for Jeans for Genes and sixty pounds for Link Romania. Thank you to everyone who helped make it such a success.

YEAR 5 GROSVENOR CHALLENGE WALESBY TRIP Year 5 visited Walesby to camp and experience the outdoor life last weekend. We were very fortunate that the weather was good and we were able to enjoy the sun. Alec was our leader for the weekend, he met us and outlined the programme. We began by erecting tents and having lunch. Then we were off ‘rock’ climbing - everyone made it to the top. As night fell, we joined, and were entertained by, the scout/cub troops at their camp-fire,where we learned a few new games and songs. The game of ‘Sniper’ kept everyone occupied before retiring to cosy tents! Sunday dawned with the promise of raft building. The rafts built, no one seemed to have any interest in staying on them and quite a lot of time was spent in the water! Many thanks to children and staff for a great weekend.

The Fighting Fives at Foremarke. Year Five Boys Play in the Foremarke Soccer Tournament. Year 5 Boys at Foremarke Hall. The Year 5 boys entered this annual soccer tournament. Twenty teams were entered and we were in a strong division with the hosts' A team, Birkdale School, Terra Nova and Nottingham Boys High School. The 8 boys in year 5 all had the opportunity to compete in this prestigious competition and were all called upon to play in every match. We scored 5 goals in the qualifying league through Kallum Wilkins (2), Josh Chapman (2) and Taren Ghadiali. A heavy defeat to Foremarke was followed by narrow losses to Birkdale and Nottingham High but we ended well against Terra Nova. In the semi finals of the Plate Competition we were successful against Birchfield School, Warwickshire through goals from Alfie Willis, Taren Ghadiali (2), Josh Chapman (2). King Henry VIII School from Coventry were our opponents in the final. It was a thrilling end to end contest where Kings scored first. An excellent run down the right wing by our captain, Josh Chapman, and a cross to the far post was finished well as Taren equalised with a stooping header on the stroke of half time. A goal in the dying minutes of the match was a little hard to take but was accepted with good grace by all of the team. The player of the day was Alfie Willis for his resolute defending and determined running throughout. Matt Egglenton played very well in goal against some very skilful forwards The squad comprised of: Charlie Overall, Ben Collicut, Taren Ghadiali, Matthew Egglenton, goalkeeper, Kallum Wilkins, Alfie Willis, Josh Chapman and Woody Snapper.

Yr 2 visit Green's Windmill On Friday 30th September, Year 2 accompanied by Mrs Butcher and Mrs Flesher spent the morning at Green's Mill. One half of the class climbed the windmill and found out how it worked while the other half of the class baked some bread. After an hour the groups swapped over. It was an enjoyable morning and everyone came back to school with some delicious bread. Thank you to everyone involved.

YEAR 6 GROSVENOR CHALLENGE BARNSWOOD TRIP On Friday last week Year 6 headed for the beautiful countryside of Staffordshire with Mrs Sidery and Mrs Monk, for their World Challenge weekend. We arrived at Barnswood Scout Camp after a good journey and set about erecting tents with instructors Simon and Matt. Mrs Sidery was rather concerned about how far we were away from the toilet block this year, but after some discussion with Simon about ‘alternative arrangements’, the boys didn’t seem too bothered by this! We spent the afternoon at Rudyard Lake (from where Rudyard Kipling gets his name). The boys had a good time dragon-boating, kayaking and, at the end, capsizing their instructors. We got very positive comments from members of the public enjoying the sunshine, about how good it was to see children having fun. Back at camp, we welcomed Alec Berry, our other instructor, and Mr Jackson – who arrived just in time for tea! In the dark, the boys played ‘Sniper’ with Alec and everyone slept well after hot chocolate and William’s lovely chocolate cakes. The next day saw us up on the Roaches, bright and early, rock-climbing. We had heavy down-pours, with sunshine and there was some excellent efforts – both at climbing and belaying. Oliver Brewill joined us on the rocks – in a heavy rain shower. Alec and Simon took the boys off to ‘weasel’ their way over and through rocks. After dinner, back at camp, we played more games in the dark and toasted marshmallows on our fire. Everyone went to bed, tired! Sunday was ‘pack-up’ day and the sun shone beautifully. Simon’s ‘bushcraft’ session resulted in a table-top full of the most incredible mushrooms – most of which were, apparently, edible. The trip will have made lasting memories. There was a lot of laughter and boundless enthusiasm from Year 6 who were a delight to spend time with. What a brilliant start to Year 6. Well done to all the boys for tackling everything so positively and for working so supportively together. TS

The rovers return. YEAR 7 GROSVENOR CHALLENGE SNOWDON TRIP Saturday 10th September After a good journey to Snowdon yesterday, we set up camp and had a good evening. Today we climbed Cnicht, despite winds of 30 mph and constant rain. The pupils did really well and had no difficulty although we all got a bit wet! The minibus has been commandeered as a drying room and so we are now all dry and well fed. We are due to climb Tryffan tomorrow but will review our plans in the morning and, depending on the weather, may move on early to the bunkhouse. There has been no phone signal all day, so a daily blog may be difficult - watch this space! Sunday 11th September The weather was very windy last night but the tents all stayed in place. After reviewing the weather forecast it was decided that we move on to the bunkhouse today and spend two nights there instead of just one. Also, we decided not to attempt Tryffan today but to do some low-level walking instead. The climb up Snowdon tomorrow will depend on the weather - we hope to climb some of it at least. Monday 12th September After a quieter night in the bunkhouse we managed to climb 3/4 of the way up Snowdon today. We decided to call a halt then as winds on the summit were 90 mph! The pupils all did very well on the climb even though it was very windy indeed. Because of the early finish to the climb, we went to Black Rock Sands this afternoon for a game of cricket. The fielding was difficult in the wind but the batters were able to score lots of runs whilst everyone chased the ball. Despite the weather, a great time has been had by all.

YEAR 2 BESTWOOD PARK ECOLOGY TRIP On Friday 17th June, Year Two, along with Mrs Butcher and Mrs Flesher, went to Bestwood Park for an ecology trip. There were lots of interesting activities including having a third eye to see the trees, creating a potion for a cocktail party and making a home for a bug. Everyone had a great time. Please look at our photos in the gallery to find out more.

We did it! YEAR 8 GROSVENOR CHALLENGE SCOTLAND TRIP Thursday 9th June The Year 8 Grosvenor Challenge trip to Scotland began today. The aim is to canoe 100k from Fort William to Inverness in 6 days, camping lochside along the way. We had a good journey up to Loch Lomond, arriving at the Youth Hostel at 4.00pm. We had a couple of stops on the way - at a farm shop by Scotch corner, and later at motorway services. The boys couldn't wait to spend some of their money, and the surprising 'buys of the day' were 2 harmonicas! Luckily they were bought by the musical members of the expedition. It remains to be seen whether they will still have them by the end of the trip! Friday 10th June After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we made our way to the usual venue - Morrison's in Fort William - to meet the instructor for the week, Alec, and armed with a long list we made our assault on the supermarket. It only took 2 hours! We then set up camp at Gair Lochy and had a couple of hours on the water trying out the canoes. You will be pleased to know that no one fell in! Some rain during the day but the sun came out this afternoon. We start our journey early tomorrow rowing from Fort William. Saturday 11th June We all got up early - 6.00 am - but it took some time to breakfast and get sandwiches ready for lunch so we took to the water at 10.30. The wind has been against us all day so it has been a hard day of paddling to travel the distance to the next camp. The boys are doing well though. If the wind direction is the same tomorrow, we may travel by minibus to the next camp site and paddle back towards where we are now. It will still be the same distance but the wind will be helping rather than hindering our journey. Sunday 12th June We continued in the same direction today. Paddling was easy to start with and it was great fun going down the rapids. We have found out one thing though - the yellow kit bags are only dry when you fasten them, and the tumble dryers at the Fort Augustus campsite work very well! One consolation, it is fish and chips for supper tonight. Tomorrow we start Loch Ness, which will take us 2 days to complete. The weather forecast is for windy conditions again tomorrow so it has been decided to take the minibus up to the half way point and then canoe back to Fort Augustus. Monday 13th June We had quite a late start today because of the weather. It has been pouring with rain all morning and quite windy so we travelled by minibus from Fort Augustus, at the bottom end of Loch Ness, to the halfway point opposite Urquhart Castle. We then took to the water travelling west back to Fort Augustus. Part way through the morning, the wind changed direction against us and so we had to turn around and paddle back the way we had come! By this time, the wind was 9 kph and we made really good progress, even though we had to surf a few waves, crossing the Loch from one side to the other to get to our campsite. The time is now 4.45 pm and we are already setting up camp for the night. Tomorrow we complete Loch Ness but who knows which direction we will do it in! Tuesday 14th June A great time on the Loch today with a good start, better weather conditions and some sun. The boys are doing well and getting used to the early starts and tiring days. It's now 3.30 pm and we are just dismantling the 'sailboat'. This is when we lash a few boats together and put up a sail - and get a rest from paddling! However, there are still 12k to go before we get to the end of Loch Ness - another 3 hours on the water. Hopefully, we will get back to camp in time to have a BBQ tonight. Wednesday 15th June With Loch Ness completed, we have done 100k in the canoes. Some achievement! We spent the morning doing fun things on the water and all of the boys tried jumping in - they tell me the water was cold! We then got cleared up and broke camp ready for the 100 mile drive to the Youth hostel in Glasgow - stopping at the 'Green Welly' shop on the way. Mrs Newbold won't let us pass it without calling in. One night in Glasgow and then tomorrow we are on our way back to Nottingham. It has been a great week and we can all feel proud that we have completed the last Grosvenor challenge.

Learning about the Trebuchet YEAR 5 HISTORY TRIP TO WARWICK AND BRINKLOW Castles and their construction form a significant part of our work in History this term and so a trip to two classic examples of castle building helps to bring our studies alive. The two castles are very different today but it is the Motte and Bailey design at Brinklow, which forms the template for mighty Warwick. Very few people know of Brinklow’s existence but once you have located it, and scrambled up the steep motte, you have a superb view of the Bailey’s earthworks and, of course a 360 degree view of the Warwickshire countryside and the old Roman road, the Fosse Way-the raison d’etre for the Norman’s choice of site. Warwick began as a humble Motte and Bailey but changed beyond recognition over the centuries and every conceivable development in castle construction is on display. Year 5 saw them all-from Barbican to Wall Walk, Footings to Dungeons, Arrow Slits to Murder Chamber. In addition, they saw the great siege engine, the Trebuchet, loose (not fire) and enjoyed a detailed account of its workings from a member of the firing team. Our pupils were complimented on numerous occasions by members of the public concerning their standard of dress and behaviour. Well done to them - they have played their part in maintaining the School’s excellent reputation at Warwick. Finally, a very big thank you to those parents who joined us on the trip. Your help was very much appreciated.

YEAR 4 DERBYSHIRE TRIP Last weekend Y4 had an action packed visit to the Peak District. Our weekend began on Friday when Gwen gave us a tour of Chatsworth gardens . It was quite special to be there before all the other visitors arrived. We saw the squirting willow tree and watched the waterfall spring into action, chasing the flow of water down the cascade. We finished the morning by going in the Great Maze, which managed to confound us for quite some time until Fred led us into the middle! After lunch we toured the farm, meeting a rather ’naughty’ cow and saw a new litter of 6 piglets. Everyone then climbed the ‘secret tunnel’ to the Adventure Playground which was, to quote the children, ‘awesome’. We enjoyed staying in comfort at Cliff College. On Saturday we visited Eyam, the ‘Plague Village’. We had lunch at Grindleford playground followed by a walk along Froggatt Edge accompanied by Mr and Mrs Charles, Buddy and B. On Sunday morning, we went to the Blue John Cavern in Castleton. After a hearty lunch back at Cliff College we made our way home…for a rest!

The successful team of 2011 The Colts Hockey team end on a high - again! What a great week for the Colts of Grosvenor School. This report recently appeared in the local press- On Tuesday 29th March the Colts had the privilege to represent Nottinghamshire in the Midlands Hockey finals at Cannock. This was the chance to pit their talents against the winners and runners up from seven counties. This was the 5th time in eight years that we had achieved this fantastic feat. On each of the previous occasions we reached the final but this year the opposition looked particularly strong in the warm up. As usual we were undaunted which is a credit to the have a go attitude of our pupils of all abilities and ages. The majority of our team were Year 5s who just love to take on the “big boys” and the larger schools. In the pool rounds we produced the following results: Newcastle, Staffs. 1: 0 win, Solihull, Warks. 1:1, Woodland View, Nhants. 3:0 win, Moorfield, Shrops. 1:0 win, Brooke Priory, Leics. 3:0 win. Winners of the league without loss saw us through to the semi finals against William Shrewsbury School where 2 goals from Oliver Pavis, to add to the six he had scored earlier, put us into the final. Oakham were our opponents and were under pressure for the first 4 minutes but we could not force home the goal we required to settle the nerves. Evenly matched for the remainder of the game, a breakaway goal in the last minute meant that we had to settle for runners up. No mean feat against strong opposition. Traditions endure and a small band of keen players can match the might of the big boys when the chance comes along. Every member of the team performed outstandingly well but Oliver Pavis scored steadily throughout and was man of the tournament, Thomas Wilkins started us off with the winner in the first match and Captain, Stephen Monckton scored 2 crucial goals to go with his excellent service to our forwards. A special mention to Oliver Brewill for his demonstration of how to play competitive sport. In our last group match a goal was awarded to Grosvenor in the last 2 minutes of a 0:0 contest, but Oliver informed the umpires, who were both unsighted, that it had actually gone in off his pad. Many other schools learnt a great deal from Oliver in that moment and we are contemplating inviting Diego Maradonna and Thiery Henry to our next home match. A goal in the final minute of this match confirmed to Oliver that his decision was the right one.

VE PARTY IN YEAR 2 On Friday 1st April, the children in Year Two once again brought their World War II clothes to school. Not for an evacuation day this time, but for a VE party. Betty Hatvani, an evacuee from the war, came to visit and told the children about her memories of the time. In the morning the children helped Mrs Flesher set up the classroom for the party and in the afternoon there were games, songs and party treats. Delicacies such as spam, jam and cheese were consumed and the winner of the party was highly delighted with her prize of a banana!! A fun time was had by all. There was a real atmosphere of team spirit and many thanks to everyone who took part. More photographs can be found on the photo gallery.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PIRATES OF THE CURRY BEAN & MOCBETH “All the children were fantastic” “It was super!” “Weren’t they all fabulous?” Comments after our plays last night, at The Grange Hall, Radcliffe-on-Trent, sum up the atmosphere of the whole evening. Mrs Keys and I were so proud of all the children as they acted, danced, brewed, plotted and sailed their way through “Mocbeth” and “Pirates of the Curry Bean”. Both plays really came together and were a great shared, rewarding experience. Huge thanks go to all those parents and friends who helped us in this venture. Thanks too to everyone who supported us by coming to watch – it was lovely to see some of our past and future stars there too! Photographs and DVDs are available to buy from School.