Roedean Academy’s Structural Design Challenge

This month, a group of talented students from the Roedean Academy took on an exciting design challenge. Working collaboratively, they produced structural, three-dimensional garment designs which were inspired by visionary designers Alexander McQueen and Elie Sabb. The students looked at various gowns, concentrating on form, shape and texture and how they might be able to use similar elements when creating their own.

The teams were given just five metres of fabric each with just one restriction – no cutting allowed. This led them to think imaginatively and work on using intricate fabric manipulation techniques including pleating, darting, gathering and folding. There was careful consideration from the students into the fabric’s properties and how it might be transformed into elaborate designs that emphasized and transcended the human figure.

The fearless approach to design and teamwork paid off with the students creating an impressive collection that could rival designs on a high-fashion runway.

CAP Afternoon Tea with Somerset House

In a wonderful collaboration between three of our Year 12 CAP groups we were delighted to welcome members from the  Somerset Centre to Roedean for a delicious afternoon tea. The food was prepared by our Community Cooking group, and our Community Music group provided some magnificent musical entertainment.

There was a brilliant atmosphere with the Somerset Centre joining in the singing and giving generous applause at the end of  each song. The performances included generational classics and even some Abba and really highlighted the exceptional talents of our musicians. 

The Community Cooking group had been working hard in the kitchen to prepare a mouthwatering selection of treats for our guests, including sandwiches, homemade sausage rolls, traditional scones with jam and cream, and even a Victoria sponge cake dusted with icing in the shape of the Roedean deer!

Our students were fantastic ambassadors for the School and it was a great opportunity for them to show hospitality, teamwork, collaboration, and leadership. After the event the Somerset Centre wrote to say,

“We would like to thank you and all the students for the wonderful tea party you organised for the Somerset Centre! All the members had a fantastic time, the food was so beautifully presented and delicious! This day will leave a lasting memory with our members.”

Roedean Celebrates Neurodiversity Week

March saw us mark Neurodiversity Week at Roedean and it was great to see a group of students in Key Stage 3 share their experiences in Assembly.

Autism isn’t something to be afraid of – it’s something to embrace. Everyone has their own strengths and challenges, and when we work together, we make the world a better place for everyone. I am proud of what I can do and achieve.

Tabitha (Yr 7)

Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty that affects a person’s ability to understand and work with numbers. It’s often compared to dyslexia — but instead of struggling with words, people with dyscalculia struggle with numbers.

Maddie and Georgie (Yr 9)

I've written a children's book about autism, and I wrote it because, when I was in primary school, if I was wearing my headphones or ear defenders, then often the younger children would come up and ask me why I was wearing them. I didn't mind explaining, but it got a bit annoying because I was having to explain every day. So, I thought that if they were to read my book, then maybe they'd understand better. Tabitha and I are going to act it out for you.

Cleo (Yr 7)

Following the themed assembly, some of the students joined the Learning Support Department for a Neurodiversity Party and as part of the festivities they shared their hopes and aspirations by writing them on tags and hanging them on our wishing tree. There was music, cake and they also had the chance to collect a variety of neurodiversity stickers. It was a wonderful occasion, and it was fantastic to see students from all year groups come together and celebrate their unique strengths and talents.

International Competition for Young Debaters

In a competition run by the Cambridge Union, six Roedean debaters from Years 9 and 10 competed against 114 other debaters from the UK and abroad. Along with students from St Paul’s, The Grammar School at Leeds, King Edward’s Upper, St George’s British International School in Rome, the British School at Caracas and 15 other schools, our debaters were put into teams of two, and with only 15 minutes preparation time had to take part in three 40-minute debates. 

They performed confidently with enthusiasm and passion on three different motions: ‘This House Believes That, from the age of 16, the education system should be divided into an academic stream and a vocational stream’, ‘This House Would pay all elected politicians the median wage in their country’, ‘This House Would legalise performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports’. Despite having to change team members three times in the lead up to the day, Team A came first twice on the day, Team B came joint third overall, and Team C won the first debate of the day.

Our debaters were outstanding, keen and motivated and it was fantastic to see such a strong sense of team spirit among them. The newest member of our young debaters, Scarlett, said

"The day helped develop my adaptability, teamwork and public speaking skills, and challenged me to think about topics I don't have much knowledge on, and was overall a good challenge."

Staff vs the Students Netball 

The annual Staff vs the Students Netball match returned this month, and it was fantastic to see so many staff step onto the court to take on our 1st and 2nd team Netballers. Both staff and students displayed some excellent Netball with clear determination and passion. Although the matches were close, it was the staff who took the victory.

The event was great fun and provided the students with a wonderful opportunity to engage with their teachers, promoting teamwork, sportsmanship and resilience.

Boarding Round-up

House 1 have had a busy month full of fun games and in particular their favourite Bingo night which had an array of prizes up for grabs. They celebrated Pancake Day and all took turns at testing out their flipping skills before covering their pancakes in delicious toppings. Their House social to the Marina was a real success as they challenged each other to a game of bowling  before heading back for Nacho Night!

House 2 hosted a competitive game of Dodgeball with all Houses fighting for victory. House 3 were the overall winners, and all the girls were rewarded with ice pops which certainly helped them cool down afterwards. The following week they held a baby photo quiz with a total of 33 baby photos to match to students and staff – it was great fun! They said their farewells to the South African exchange students who had been staying with them and gave them some small gifts to remind them of their time in House 2.

House 3 made the most of the March sunshine and ventured down for a walk along the undercliff. They came together to celebrate Holi festival by creating colourful paintings before hosting an exciting evening of party games with everything from Pass the Parcel to Twister! 

House 4 put a twist on Pancake Day by making Japanese pancakes which were incredibly fluffy and enjoyed by all. They had a week of celebrating birthdays with friends which of course involved music, their favourite takeaway and some very special cakes!

Keswick and Lawrence saw some girls head into Brighton to explore the Laines for a day of shopping with friends, while others  stayed a little closer to home and headed to the Marina for a scenic dinner. Two of the girls, Mancy and Galina, took on the huge challenge of the Brighton Half Marathon to help raise money for the charity Breast Cancer Now. Their hard work and commitment to such an important cause was outstanding – well done!