‘Battle of St. Benedict’s’ (Senior and
Middle School foil, Senior épée, Middle School sabre)
SUNDAY, 22ND MARCH
School Fencing Championships: ‘Battle of St.
Benedict’s’ (Senior sabre, Middle School épée, Junior School foil)
Posted on Thu 19th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas *Still live*
Change to Library Opening Hours – Bennies Day, Friday 20 March
Due to Bennies Day celebrations, the Senior Library will be open
from 9:00am and will close at 3:45pm on Friday 20 March. Please plan your
visits accordingly.
Thank you for your understanding.
Senior Library Team
Posted on Wed 18th Mar 26 by Senior School Library *Still live*
Fencing:
Public Schools Championships (Sabre, at Lee Valley Athletics Centre)
The following will be absent from school all day: Zach
Bowden (U6), Viliam Gordon (U6), Liam Tregea (U6), Matthew Kemp (U5G), Ishant
Mehra (U5O), Tom Hughes (U5Y), Felix Jenkins (U5Y), Miles Fletcher (L5H), Archie
Marton (L5H), Nathan Yip (L5H), Carlos Harte (L5O), Benjamin Mpofu (L4B), Davi
Ribeiro Hill (L4H), Yiming Zhong (L4H), Dylan Jagdeo (L4R), Harvey Bolton (L4Y), Oscar Gidaracos
(L4Y), Daniel Cristobal Laurrieta (3G)
Afternoon: Ealing Cross Country Relays
(U13, U12 boys and girls, at Perivale Park)
2.30: Hockey
v. Queenswood (U13 ‘A’s, Sisters n Sport Cup quarter-final, home)
4.15: Netball v. St.
Paul’s Girls’ (U13 ‘C’s and ‘D’s, away)
5.00: Hockey v. Sir
William Borlase’s GS (U15/U14 ‘B’s, home)
This is an opportunity for all pupils to extend your knowledge and explore any area that you are interested in.
The Task:
• To research an area that you are interested in - it may be
something that caught your attention in one of the subjects you study or
something you came across outside lessons - the choice is entirely yours;
choose something you are excited about.
• To summarise and present you findings in a Research
Poster.
The poster should be real and size A2 and contain the
following elements:
1. Why you chose
this field; what sparked your interest
2. What you found
out
3. References -
how you researched, where you got your information
4. Evaluation;
what went well, what you particularly enjoyed, what you could improve; how you
could take things further
The Research Poster Project should be completed over Easter,
and brought to the Helikon Centre in the
first week back after Easter.
Come to the Helikon Centre if you want to see some examples of past Research Posters Posted on Tue 17th Mar 26 by Mr S Scicinski *Still live*
Hockey: Spring League Finals Day (1st
XI, at Surbiton HC)
The following will be absent from school
all day: Gabby Giles (U6), Emma Lang (U6), Maria Scott (U6), Paola Baudin (L6),
Zeph Coleman (L6), Aniela Hanc (L6), Natasha Kocevski (L6), Phoebe Phillips
(L6), Marie-Hélène Whyle (L6), Julia Kicyk (U5B), Olivia Scott (U5B), Carmela
Remmer (U5C), Lois Hand (L5O), Sofia Potter (L5O), Miyabi Said (L5Y)
Fencing: Public Schools
Championships (Senior and Junior Épée, Junior Foil, Boys’ Mount-Haes Foil,
Girls’ Mount-Haes Épée, at Lee Valley Athletics Centre)
The following will be absent from school all day: Jake
Bowden (U6), Sam Egert (U6), Oscar Casadio Robinson (L6), Elias Giandomenici
(L6), Ava McMahon (L6), Ze Li (U5B), Arun Sandhu (U5C), Maverick Tigges (U5C), Kaito
Bonnel de Mézières (U5O), Kavish Thakar (U5O), Kairav Lachman (U5Y), Archie
Robinson (L5H), Malik Al-Azzawi (L5R), Rory Bradley (L5R), Dylan Bradford
(U4C), James Dong (U4G), Reyansh Agarwal (U4H), Lucas Donegan-Huertas (U4H), Jenni
Bosher (L4B), Wajih Khan (L4B), Raj Sidhu (L4C), Marcus Lee (L4R), Jasmine Tahmassebi (L4R), Jai Sandhu (L4Y), Ernest Ollendorff (3Y), Zak Vosser (3Y)
The following will be absent from Periods
2-4 and games: Orlando Akuffo (U6), Jared Bruce (U6), Will Curd (U6), Dan Lake
(U6), Tommaso Polleri (U6), Fin Burns (L6), Victor Crespo-Perez (L6), Riley
Curtin (L6), Rosh Ghedia (L6), Harry Hancock (L6), Theo Irving (L6), Saxon
Louca (L6), Johnny Dobbin (U5G)
10.45 departure: Rugby:
Middlesex sevens (U16, at Grasshoppers RFC)
The following will be absent from Periods 3 and 4 and
games: Aaron Patel (U5B), Marley Rabin (U5B), Stan Watts (U5B), Adam Frost
(U5C), Jay Whiteley (U5C), Freddie Morrey (U5G), Arlo Soden (U5G), Harry
Tallboy (U5G), Isaac Best (U5H), Evan Whitfield (U5O), Max Hall (U5Y), Ollie
Troman (U5Y)
Afternoon: Netball: St.
Paul’s Girls’ tournament (2nd VII, 3rd VII)
2.30: Football
v. Gordon’s (U16 ‘A’s and ‘B’s, away)Posted on Tue 17th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
You are warmly invited to attend the Middle School Art Show on Wednesday 25th March, 4-6pm in the Cloisters. There will by a wide selection of work from all 3F, L4 and U4 pupils including work produced in the Animation, Textiles, Fine Art and Design & Make clubs. We hope you will be able to join us in celebrating the fantastic creative achievements of our school community.
Posted on Mon 16th Mar 26 by Miss Linton *Still live*
U13 ‘A’s foil (Marcus Lee (C),
Ernest Ollendorff, Zak Vosser, Raj Sidhu)
St. Benedict’s 45 Polwhele
House 5
St. Benedict’s 45 Newton
Prep 13
St. Benedict’s 20 Westminster
Under 45 (Finals)
U18 ‘A’s sabre (Zach Bowden (C),
Tom Hughes, Viliam Gordon, Liam Tregea)
St.
Benedict’s 23 Latymer 45
St.
Benedict’s 35 KE VI, Stratford 45
U15 ‘A’s sabre (Nathan Yip (C),
Carlos Harte, Rayan Sheikh)
St. Benedict’s 22 Millfield 45
St. Benedict’s 24 Whitgift 45
St. Benedict’s 45 Crown Hills 22
U13 ‘A’s sabre (Dylan Jagdeo (C),
Yiming Zhong, Davi Ribeiro Hill, Benjamin Mpofu)
St. Benedict’s 23 Altrincham
GS 45
St. Benedict’s 45 Latymer 26
St. Benedict’s 34 KE VI,
Stratford 45 (Bronze medal match)
AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE TO WIN THREE BRONZE AND TWO SILVER MEDALS IN THIS NATIONAL TOURNAMENT. ST BENEDICT’S
FINISHED AS THE SCHOOL WITH THE MOST MEDALS IN THE MENS’/MIXED CATEGORIES.
THURSDAY, 12TH MARCH
U18 ‘A’s foil: St. Benedict’s 36 Eton 45
U18 ‘A’s épée: St. Benedict’s 41 Eton 45
U15 ‘A’s foil: St. Benedict’s 45 Eton 43
U15 ‘A’s épée: St. Benedict’s 44 Eton 45
Overall match score: St. Benedict’s 1 Eton 3
Overall points score: St. Benedict’s 166 Eton 178
SATURDAY, 14TH MARCH
U15 ‘A’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘A’s 43
St.
Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘B’s 35
U15 ‘B’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 19 KE VI, Stratford ‘A’s 45
St.
Benedict’s 28 KE VI, Stratford ‘B’s 45
U13 ‘A’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘A’s 28
St.
Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘B’s 40
St.
Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘C’s 38
U13 ‘B’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘A’s 35
St.
Benedict’s 39 KE VI, Stratford ‘B’s 45
St.
Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘C’s 31
U13 ‘C’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 30 KE VI, Stratford ‘A’s 45
St.
Benedict’s 30 KE VI, Stratford ‘B’s 45
St.
Benedict’s 45 KE VI, Stratford ‘C’s 40
Overall match score: St. Benedict’s 8 KE VI, Stratford 5
U18 ‘B’s épée: St. Benedict’s 45 Latymer 30
U18 ‘A’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 29 Latymer 45
U15 ‘A’s sabre: St. Benedict’s 45 Latymer 37
Overall match score: St. Benedict’s 2 Latymer 1
Overall points score: St.
Benedict’s 119 Latymer 112
Posted on Mon 16th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
L4 and U4 Research
Poster Presentations: Aeroplanes – Anish Verma The basics of music theory – Sam Scott The legend of Zelda timeline – Reuben Lask The impact of American involvement in the Vietnam War – Ryansh
Agarwal
All welcome Pizza, KitKat, juice
NOTE: due to large numbers, entry is by token and limited to 40 places – pick up a pass on the Monday either before school or at breaktime. Posted on Mon 16th Mar 26 by Mr S Scicinski *Still live*
Period 1: Tour
of school for Meschede exchange students
The following
will be absent from class until about 9.30: McKayle Adewuyi (U4B), Thomas Lane
(U4H), Rocco Russo (U4H), Kasper Muraszko (U4O), Joseph Thomas (U4O), Sophia
Sarwary (U4Y), Elliot Costes (L4B), Doireann Keogh (L4B), Viren Mathias (L4H),
Harry Campbell (L4O), George Girgis (L4R), Lowry Gorman (L4R), Kitty Hall
(L4R), Lisa Klümper (L4R), Federico Baratta (L4Y), Abi Langford (L4Y), Elliot
Poole (L4Y), Zach Trimble (L4Y)
Fencing: Public Schools
Championships (Senior and Junior Foil, Boys’ Mount-Haes Épée, at Lee Valley
Athletics Centre)
The following will be absent from school all day: Krishan
Dhawan (L6), Mehdi Darwish (U5O), Vikunth Dhiraj (U5O), Zavian Rathod-Brew
(U5O), Leo Ghobadian (L5G), Alex Mertikian (L5H), Sammy Vincent (U4B), Ethan
Hall (U4C), Luis Pickering (U4C), Dylan Avella (L4B), Orlando Salisbury (L4B), Keean
Abella-Malik (L4C), Hadi Darwish (L4G), Sam Brown (L4H), Rory Mitchell (L4Y),
Mayu Mihayashi (3G)
2.30: Football
v. UCS (U15 ‘A’s and ‘B’s, home)
Football v.
Meschede Exchange (U14 ‘A’s, home)
The following will be
absent from Periods 5 and 6: Elliot Costes (L4B), Doireann Keogh (L4B), Caelan Clarke (L4G), Viren
Mathias (L4H), Mikhail Paixao (L4H), Joaquin Rivero Neira (L4H), Harry Campbell
(L4O), Henry Parra (L4O), George Girgis (L4R), Lowry Gorman (L4R), Kitty Hall
(L4R), Lisa Klümper (L4R), Henry Suka (L4R), Federico Baratta (L4Y), Freddie
Codrington (L4Y), Abi Langford (L4Y), Elliot Poole (L4Y), Zach Trimble (L4Y)
Posted on Sun 15th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
These meetings are all of this week, starting Monday 16 March, except Friday, and next week, starting Monday 23 March, during first break in the Helikon Centre. Check your Teams messages for your day.
Posted on Fri 13th Mar 26 by Mr S Scicinski *Still live*
Definition: It means
impossible to subdue or defeat and is used to say someone is strong, brave and
difficult to defeat or frighten.
Origin: from the Late Latin 'indomitabilis'
meaning 'untameable' or 'not able to be subdued'. Originally used for
wild things, it evolved to mean unconquerable spirit.
Sentence: A quietly
indomitable figure, she vowed to keep protesting to the end of her life.
Chosen by: U5Y
Book of the Week (Fiction): Wildlands,
by Brogen Murphy
Twenty-five years into the
future, no humans are allowed in the Wildlands - a vast area in Britain where
wolves, lynx and bison roam free. The only exception is a high-speed train line
between London and Glasgow that crosses right through the heart of the project.
Thirteen-year-old Astrid and her little sister, Indie, are onboard when their
train slows to a brief, unexpected stop...and they find themselves accidentally
left behind. Stranded in this place of astonishing natural wonders and terrible
dangers, they have only a rucksack, a phone without signal - and each other. As
every wrong turn takes them deeper into the Wildlands, do they have the
ingenuity and determination to survive?
Book of the Week (Non-Fiction):
Finding my Way by Malala Yousafzai (920)
Thrust onto the public stage at
fifteen years old after the Taliban’s brutal attack on her life, Malala
Yousafzai quickly became an international icon known for bravery and
resilience. But away from the cameras and crowds, she spent years struggling to
find her place in an unfamiliar world. Now, for the first time ever, Malala
takes us beyond the headlines in Finding My Way—a vulnerable, surprising memoir
that buzzes with authenticity, sharp humour, and tenderness.
Finding My Way is a story of
friendship and first love, of anxiety and self-discovery, of trying to stay
true to yourself when everyone wants to tell you who you are.
Article of the Week
The machine learning
engineer: ‘Just be keen’
What does it take to work in
machine learning? Sneha Sen, 27, is a senior machine learning engineer at
London-based financial technology (fin-tech) company Cleo.
By her own admission, Sneha’s
path to her chosen career was unconventional. Many of her colleagues who work
in technology have degrees in maths or computer science. But at school, Sneha’s
passion was languages.
She took three languages at GCSE,
followed by A-levels in French, German and maths. She was fascinated by how
languages work. “I just got really into grammar,” she says.
Completing an extended project
on how children learn languages, Sneha discovered linguistics, the scientific
study of language. She knew she wanted to study at Cambridge — and so she set
about doing everything she could to learn more about the course.
After emailing a Cambridge
linguistics professor, they introduced her to students studying linguistics,
whilst a UCL professor offered her a week of work experience.
At this point, Sneha did not
know what she wanted to do with a linguistics degree. She forged ahead anyway.
“The jobs you can get might not even exist right now,” she explains. “So it’s
best to just be interested in your subject and trust that things will work
out.”
In her second year at
university, she took a module in computational linguistics, exploring
algorithms and how computers learn language. That summer, she completed an
internship at the Computer Laboratory in Cambridge. It was her first
introduction to Python coding, and something clicked.
When she began applying for
graduate schemes the following year, she knew that she wanted to use her
linguistics skills in a practical way. She was taken on as a tech trainee data
scientist at Education First, using natural language processing to explore the
errors language learners make.
Then disaster struck. Six months
after she started her first job, the pandemic hit. Sneha’s whole team was made
redundant.
She used her time to take free
courses online in algebra, statistics and machine learning. Soon she had a new
data science job at an insurance company, before taking on roles at a language
learning app and then a small company creating teaching resources.
Two years ago, she made a pivot
into machine learning engineering when she applied for her current job at Cleo,
a personal finance app. Her first project involved improving the “quick reply”
actions in the company’s chatbot. Watching her work be rolled out for millions
of users was incredibly satisfying.
On a typical day, Sneha arrives
at the office at 9am. Her team has a morning “standup” to discuss the tickets
they are working on. Then she spends the rest of the day training models,
helping others with their code and perusing the office’s unlimited free snacks.
Data science and machine
learning is a well-paid profession. Graduates can expect to earn at least £35k
at the start of their career, while seniors will easily earn six figures.
But there can be downsides to
working in start-up or scale-up. Some experimental work may never go anywhere,
whilst jobs can be at risk as founders search for funding.
Sneha hopes that in five years’
time, she might be a principal machine learning engineer. She is still deciding
whether or not she wants to manage people, but in many tech jobs, you can
progress without having to manage.
Get creative
Sneha’s top piece of advice is
to follow your passions and look for opportunities, from work experience to
internships. If you are interested in a tech job, make sure you stick with
maths. And keep up to date with the field — AI
has changed the world since she started, and she has to work hard to
stay on top of new developments.
Mr Coles and Mr Cattaway will be running tennis sessions on the last two Mondays of this term at the School Playing Fields: Monday 16th March 4.30pm - 6pm Monday 23rd March 4.30pm - 6pm
These sessions are only open to pupils in Form 3 - Lower 5th. Those interested in attending must bring their own racquet to participate. For more information, please contact Mr Coles in the PE department.
Posted on Thu 12th Mar 26 by Mr Coles *Still live*
- Arrive in Bennies Tracksuit and the Junior School Gates. - Bring Black Games Shirt and black leggings/skort and trainers - You will get a packed Lunch (There is a vending machine for drinks and snacks) - Meet outside JS entrance at 7.30am sharp - We will return back to school by 3.45pm
For information on prospects of play and the latest information regarding this fixture please visit our Sports Website here
The following
will be absent from Periods 3-6: Rawdon Crutchley (U4B), Daniel Wright (U4B), Tof
Anyogu-Makoyawo (U4C), Joe Bolden (U4C), Danny Boyle (U4C), Will Davis (U4C), Louie Souter (U4C),
Giacomo Collins (U4G), Tadhg FitzGerald (U4G), Hugo King (U4G), Sam Scott (U4H),
Lucas Nwaokolo (U4O), Joseph Thomas (U4O), Orlando Francis (U4Y)
Rugby: Caldicott sevens (U13)
The following
will be absent from Periods 3-6: Owen Cotter (L4B), Felix French (L4C), Ollie
Hall (L4C), Carlos Grant (L4G), Henry Parra (L4O), Jack Tarrant (L4O), Josh
Colbourne (L4R), Elliot Irawan (L4R), Otis Monaghan (L4R), Axel Worsley (L4R), Freddie
Codrington (L4Y), Alex Zoumidou (L4Y)
11:50 departure: Rugby: Middlesex sevens (U15, at Grasshoppers RFC)
The following will be
absent from Periods 4-6: Logan French (L5B), Dan
Markham-Lee (L5B), Aaron McQuillan (L5B), Zack Hardy-Gill
(L5C), George Rowlands (L5G), Phoenix Williams (L5G), Rex Worsley (L5G), Tom
Hill (L5H), Otto Mudge (L5H), Luke Hartman (L5O), Aarav Patel (L5R), Herbie Reed (L5R)
2.30: Football v. Mill Hill (4th XI,
5th XI, 6th XI home, 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI away)
Afternoon: Sixth
Form and U5 House Netball Tournament
Period 6: L6
Anscombe Scholars’ and E and A pupils’ meeting with Steven Campbell-Harris
(Helikon Centre)
The following L6 will be absent from class:
James Bedwin, Dyran Birdi, Fin Burns, Oscar Casadio Robinson, Erik Chan, Aaron
Chavda, Harry Clapham, Zeph Coleman, Victor Crespo-Perez, Seb Cullinane, Tommy
de Pear, Joe Donoghugh, Riona Egan, Molly Garner, Reilly Harron, Deen Hoque,
Louis Kaluzinski, Oscar Lewis-Jones, Ralph Lewis-Jones, Rhyka Mohapatra,
Susannah O’Sullivan, Pramshu Pathak, Tanera Pinkney, Jake Rizk, Yash Shah
The sports department will be running some tennis ‘hitting’
sessions on the remaining three Mondays of term: 9th, 16th
& 23rd March.
The sessions will run from 4.30pm – 6pm at the school sports
fields on both the hard courts and astro. These sessions are open to all those
in Years 7 - 10 wishing to begin their tennis ahead of the summer sports
programme.
If you do have any questions/problems, please do not
hesitate to contact Mr Coles in the Sports Office.
Posted on Mon 9th Mar 26 by Tennis Sessions *Still live*
Period
5: Third Form Day Scholars’
meeting with Steven Campbell-Harris (Helikon Centre)
The following will be absent from class: Tala Abbas
(3B), Sam Economou (3B), Ayaan Gulati (3B), Zack Harris (3B), Ayaan Usmani
(3B), Theo Brown (3C), Wolfie Burt (3C), Miriam Ozdamir (3C), Mason Patel (3C),
Rohan Wiggin (3C), Charlie Cullen-Jones (3G), Edelyn Ditmar (3G), Leo Hewlett
(3G), Leo Johnson (3G), Ryan Salehi (3G), Edith Haynes (3H), Grace Hickman
(3H), Lawrence Owen (3H), Lautaro Potter (3H), Tselmune Bat-Erdene (3O), James
Costa-Pereira Smart (3O), Jayen Gupta (3O), Sienna Hall (3O), Philippa Graham
(3Y), Asahi Miura (3Y), Ivy Weeks (3Y)
Posted on Sun 8th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
Period 4: L5
Congar Scholars’ and E and A pupils’ meeting with Steven Campbell-Harris
(Helikon Centre)
The following will be absent from class: Ben Cadwallader (L5B), Aaron McQuillan (L5B),
Anna Klümper (L5C), Cameron Riddington (L5C), George Saber (L5C), Harry Eakins
(L5G), Leo Margaritis (L5G), Eva Pangrazi (L5G), Mia Sonahee Winter (L5G), Miles
Fletcher (L5H), Tom Hill (L5H), Jeremy Renaud (L5H), Maria-Rosa Carias (L5O), Lois
Hand (L5O), Clea Karadimou (L5O), Ed Oliver (L5O), Eric Zhang (L5O), Charlotte
Allwright (L5R), Abi Bricknell (L5R), Vincent Gilfillan (L5R), Raoul
Jasani-Iacob (L5R), Frank Williams (L5R), Owen Wong (L5R), Feras Asami (L5Y),
Hugh Whelan (L5Y)
Posted on Sun 8th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
Period 3: U4
Chesterton Scholars’ and E and A pupils’ meeting with Steven Campbell-Harris
(Helikon Centre)
The following will be absent from class: McKayle
Adewuyi (U4B), Alex Economou (U4C), Ethan Hall (U4C), Sheelun Jing (U4C), Luis
Pickering (U4C), Giacomo Collins (U4G), Elsa Munoz Alvarez (U4G), Max Owen
(U4G), Reuel Abel-Solomon (U4H), Reyansh Agarwal (U4H), Lucas Donegan-Huertas
(U4H), Lucas Nwaokolo (U4H), Becky Ramsden (U4H), Rocco Russo (U4H), Sam Scott
(U4H), Alejandro Smith Verona (U4H), Mia Yazdi (U4H), Reuben Lask (U4O), Claudia
Scott (U4O), Felix Twum-Ampofo (U4O), Cyrus Drandakis (U4Y)
Posted on Sun 8th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
L4 Scholars' and E and A pupils' meetings Periods 1 and 2
Period 1: L4
Newman Scholars’ and E and A pupils’ meeting with Steven Campbell-Harris
(Helikon Centre)
The following will be absent from class:
Azariah Abel (L4B), Benjamin Mpofu (L4B), Anish Verma (L4B), Felix French (L4C),
Varrunan Thayakaran (L4C), George Bigland (L4G), Rory Ollard (L4G), Simone
Radebe (L4G), Hamzah Abbasi (L4H), Mikhail Paixao (L4H), Uma Sidhu (L4H), Kareem
Abusido (L4O), Aryan Raykundalia (L4O), Kaya Stojsavljevic (L4O), Alexa Joannou
(L4R), Tom Pollard (L4R), Federico Baratta (L4Y), Harvey Bolton (L4Y)
Period 2: L4
E and A pupils’ meeting with Steven Campbell-Harris (Helikon Centre)
The following will be absent from class: Jay Dharman
(L4B), Penri Powell Cotter (L4B), Finnbar McQuillan (L4C), Sophia Norman (L4C),
Alice Pereira (L4C), Raj Sidhu (L4C), Francesca Varkey (L4C), Lucas Nossa
(L4G), Jacob Skinner (L4G), Missy Wanjau (L4G), Sam Brown (L4H), Artina Hashemi
Nasab (L4H), Ana Norman (L4H), Freya Hughes (L4O), Alessia McQuillan (L4O), Fionn
O’Reilly (L4O), Charlie Goodridge (L4Y), Abi Langford (L4Y), Rory Mitchell
(L4Y), Anthony Sherlock (L4Y
Posted on Sun 8th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
Senior and Junior School Dance Show matinée performance this afternoon
2.30: Senior
and Junior School Dance Show matinée performance
The following will be absent
from Periods 5 and 6: Louis Daniels-Shayvard (L6), Krisha Popat (L6), Imogen
Boas (U5B), Aoife Clark (U5B), Eliza Jordan (U5B), Julia Kicyk (U5B), Aimée
Paget (U5B), Jess Williams (U5B), Coco French (L5B), Saoirse Field (U5C), Anna
Klümper (L5C), Suri Virdi (L5C), Isabella El-Haddad (L5G), Leo Ghobadian (L5G),
Eva Pangrazi (L5G), Mia Sonahee Winter (L5G), Maggie Wellard (L5G), Amara Singh
(L5H), Simar Birdi (U4B), Eva Kyagulanyi (U4B), Amelie Marsh (U4B), Orla Treacy
(U4B), Lily Avetoom (U4G), Elsa Munoz Alvarez (U4G), Becky Ramsden (U4H), Amelia
Marron (U4O), Claudia Scott (U4O), Eli Cardelli (U4Y), Luna Akuffo (L4C), Sophia
Norman (L4C), Simone Radebe (L4G), Martha Samuels (L4G), Missy Wanjau (L4G), Betty
Armstrong (L4H), Artina Hashemi Nasab (L4H), Varvara Nedostupenko (L4H), Ana
Norman (L4H), Alexa Joannou (L4R), Lisa Klümper (L4R), Isadora Kirkpatrick
(3B), Eva Mazur (3B), Mariam Mesrati (3B), Bella Davis (3C), Frida Blanco (3G),
Keira McMahon (3G), Millie Scambler (3G), Savanna Vamathevan (3G), Gabriela
Geodjenian (3H), Edith Haynes (3H), Grace Hickman (3H), Elysia Papathanasiou
(3H), Pendle Selway (3H), Evie Beake (3O), Sienna Hall (3O), Sasha Norman (3Y),
Ivy Weeks (3Y)
Posted on Sun 8th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
Definition: refers to the theory of knowledge—specifically its nature, origins, and limits. The root episteme stems from epistasthai ("to know" or "overstand").
Origin: derives from the 19th-century term epistemology, which originates from the Greek words episteme (knowledge/understanding) and logos (study/reason/argument).
Sentence: Scepticism has been the dominant epistemological problem in the modern era.
Chosen by: U5O
Book of the Week (Fiction): The Last Life of Lori Mills by Max Boucherat
Gaming, adventure and friendship combine in this heart-pounding, spine-tingling adventure. 11-year-old Lori is home alone for the first time, and she’s immediately done all the things she’s TOTALLY NOT allowed to do. But quickly, Lori realises something is wrong. She can hear strange whispers coming from the screen – and soon, they’re in the house with her. Trapped in her home as the doors and windows start to vanish and her phone goes dead, Lori must use all her bravery, wits, gaming skills – and the love and deep bond she shares with her BFF, Shoelace – to survive until Mum gets home…
Book of the Week (Non-Fiction): 101 Black Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (602)
Black Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics honours incredible and inspiring black women who pushed past the bounds of human knowledge and broke down the thought barriers of their and our time. From the 1800s to today. We celebrate these black leaders who paved the way for future generations of women.
Article of the Week
Countdown to football’s greatest spectacle
Will the World Cup be a success? Hopes are high for this year’s tournament, but as the date draws nearer the risk of disruption is also rising.
This summer, the largest football stadium in Latin America will fill with crowds. On 11 June, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, 87,523 fans will gather in the stands. Then the referee will blow his whistle, and the men’s 2026 World Cup will begin!
The tournament is less than 100 days away. With 48 teams taking part, more fans than ever can participate in the competition. According to one travel director, “demand for the 2026 World Cup is the strongest” he has ever experienced.
At the same time, political instability has led to concerns over safety at this year’s tournament. So, as the countdown to 11 June begins, here are some of the hopes and fears for the weeks ahead:
Record run. The 2026 competition is already breaking records. With 104 matches hosted across three countries and 16 cities, it is the largest tournament in World Cup history. Organisers also expect record TV audiences, with billions of people watching the games.
Debut teams. The expanded format means several teams are appearing for the first time, including those from Uzbekistan, Jordan and the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Also, Scotland will play for the first time since 1998, while Wales is competing for one of the final spots later this month.
Drug war danger. Last month, commandos killed “El Mancho”, one of Mexico’s top drug lords. In revenge, drug attacked sites across the country — including Guadalajara, one of the host cities for the World Cup. Many worry that the violence will not have ended when the football fans arrive.
ICE or nasty? Donald Trump has promised to make the US border more secure. This has meant travel bans for several countries and violent crackdowns from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Critics claim World Cup supporters could face the same violence attending the 78 matches hosted in the USA. But, the acting head of ICE argues that his organisation will make sure every match is “safe and secure”.
Rip-off tickets. In the US and Canada, buying tickets to resell at higher prices is legal. With costs already 200% higher than 2018, some fear that regular fans are being priced out of the tournament. Tickets to the final currently cost over £3,000, causing the head of a French football fan association to claim that this is “an World Cup”.
Iran out? Iran has qualified for the tournament, with their national men’s team set to play matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. But, since America started bombing Tehran to topple the government, their participation is in doubt. According to Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s football federation, it is now “unlikely” the country will take part.
The World Cup often clashes with politics. For examples, the decisions to host the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar were both controversial. But, now that the countdown has started for the 2026 competition, most fans hope that nothing will stop them from enjoying the football.
Rugby: The
Schools Championship sevens (U18, at Sixways, Worcester)
Football fixtures v. Claires Court:
U15 ‘B’s away kick-off 9.30
U14 ‘A’s home kick-off 9.30
U13 ‘A’s home kick-off 9.30
U13 ‘B’s home kick-off 9.30
U12 ‘A’s away kick-off 9.30
U12 ‘B’s away kick-off 9.30
Hockey fixtures v. Highgate:
1st XI home push-back 9.00
U15/U14 ‘B’s home push-back 10.15
Netball fixtures v. Gordon’s:
U15/U14 ‘A’s home centre pass 9.30
U15/U14 ‘B’s home centre pass 9.30
U15/U14 ‘C’s home centre pass 10.30
U15/U14 ‘D’s home centre pass 10.30
Fencing v. Radnor House (U18 ‘B’s, U15 ‘C’s,
U13 ‘D’s foil, home)
Fencing: British Schools Team
Championships (U18 ‘A’s, U15 ‘A’s, U13 ‘A’s épée, Leon Paul Fencing Centre)
SUNDAY, 8TH MARCH
Rugby: The
Schools Championship sevens (U18, at Sixways, Worcester)
All England sevens (U16)
Queen Elizabeth’s, Barnet sevens (U14)
Fencing: British Schools Team Championships (U18 ‘A’s,
U15 ‘A’s, U13 ‘A’s foil and sabre, Leon Paul Fencing Centre)
Posted on Fri 6th Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
There will be no Chess and Board Game Club tomorrow lunch time due to the Cloisters being used for other activities. It will resume on Friday 13 March.
As part of our World Book Day 2026 celebrations, all L5 students will attend the Author Visit talk with Josh Silver in the Studio Theatre during Period 5 on Thursday, 5 March. Thank you for your support.
As part of our World Book Day 2026 celebrations, some L4 students will attend the Workshop conducted by guest author Josh Silver in the Library during P2, P3 and P4 on Thursday, 5 March. The students' names and period times are indicated below. Thank you for your support.
Apply to be a Summer Club Assistant at St Benedict’s.
We are seeking organised, proactive, and enthusiastic student leaders to support the day-to-day running of our Summer Club for children aged 5–11. The club runs from 20th July to 14th August, 8.00am–6.00pm, providing a safe and engaging environment for local families.
Staff are not expected to be available for the full four weeks; individual availability will be considered when creating the rota for successful candidates.
As part of our World Book Day 2026 celebrations, all L4 and U4 students will attend the Author Visit talk with Josh Silver in the Cloister during Period 1 on Thursday, 5 March. Thank you for your support.
Students to meet Miss Williamson and Miss Davis at the Junior school gates @ 11:40 to go for early lunch. Please be in tracksuits with skort and games top underneath.
The girls will travel to the games field @ around 12pm.
Parents to pick up from the junior school gates @ 15:45.
For information on prospects of play and the latest information regarding this fixture please visit our Sports Website here
Careers Breakfast with Lydia Hopgood (OP 2017) on Thursday 5 March at 7.45am in the Scriptorium 'From Bennies to the BBC'
Lydia
began a BBC Production Apprenticeship last September, following a highly
competitive selection process, and will be outlining how all her experiences
developed the skills required to secure this highly coveted role!
There will be bacon butties and warm Pain au Chocolat
available.
Students
and their parents from all year groups are very welcome. Please enter via the Sixth Form gate on Montpelier
Avenue.
11.00 departure: Rugby:
Shrewsbury House sevens (U13)
The following
will be absent from Periods 3-6: Owen Cotter (L4B), Felix French (L4C), Ollie
Hall (L4C), Carlos Grant (L4G), Henry Parra (L4O), Jack Tarrant (L4O), Josh
Colbourne (L4R), Elliot Irawan (L4R), Otis Monaghan (L4R), Axel Worsley (L4R), Freddie
Codrington (L4Y), Alex Zoumidou (L4Y)
Cricket: Lady Taverners Softball
Competition (U15/U14 ‘A’s and ‘B’s girls, at Lord's)
The following will be absent from school all day: Coco
French (L5B), Lola Pickering (L5B), Tshego Wanjau (L5B), Anna Klümper (L5C), Clara
Stoughton (L5C), Molly Walker (L5C), Carmen Casadio Robinson (L5H), Bella
Dawson (L5O), Sofia Potter (L5O), Charlotte Allwright (L5R), Shian Hines (L5Y),
Sara Krunic (L5Y), XyXy Coleman (U4B), Sheelun Jing (U4C), Mia Yazdi (U4H), Elena
Fry (U4O), Amelia Marron (U4O), Lottie Rowlands (U4O), Claudia Scott (U4O),
Celeste Anderson (U4Y), Eli Cardelli (U4Y)
Morning: Hockey: London Regional Round
(U13 ‘A’s)
The following will be absent
from morning registration and Periods 1-4: Carlotta Vannuccini (L4B), Simone Radebe (L4G), Ana Norman (L4H), Alessia
McQuillan (L4O), Anoushka Rakkar (L4O), Kaya Stojsavljevic (L4O), Abi Langford
(L4Y), Eva Mazur (3B), Evie Beake (3O)
10.45: Rugby: Middlesex sevens hosted by St.
Benedict’s (U18)
The following will be absent from Periods
3 and 4 and games: Orlando Akuffo (U6), Jared Bruce (U6), Will Curd (U6), Tom
Kottler (U6), Dan Lake (U6), Tommaso Polleri (U6), Victor Crespo-Perez (L6), Riley
Curtin (L6), Fionn Egan (L6), Rosh Ghedia (L6), Harry Hancock (L6), Theo Irving
(L6), Saxon Louca (L6), Johnny Dobbin (U5G)
Rugby: Shrewsbury House sevens (U12)
The following will be absent
from Periods 3-6: Zack Harris (3B), Sammy Gilbert (3C), David Pantea (3C), Matteo
Collins (3H), Mark Pantea (3H), Ben Rhoda (3H), Lawrence Owen (3H), Rayan Serroukh
(3H), Joseph Georgiou (3O), Ben Thomson (3O), Asahi Miura (3Y), Flynn Skinner
(3Y)
2.30: Football v. John Lyon (1st XI,
2nd XI, away)
Netball
v. Downsend (3rd VII, 4th VII, away)Posted on Sun 1st Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
The following will be
absent from school all day: Ben Cadwallader (L5B). Logan French (L5B), Dan
Markham-Lee (L5B), Aaron McQuillan (L5B), George Wiley (L5B), Zack Hardy-Gill
(L5C), George Rowlands (L5G), Phoenix Williams (L5G), Rex Worsley (L5G), Tom
Hill (L5H), Ed Oliver (L5O), Aarav Patel (L5R)
2.45: Football v. Gordon’s (U13 ‘A’s, ‘B’s, ‘C’s,
‘D’s and ‘E’s, U12 ‘A’s, ‘B’s, ‘C’s, ‘D’s and ‘E’s, away)
4.15: Netball v. St. Paul’s Girls’ (U12 ‘C’s and
‘D’s, away)
5.00: Hockey v. Godolphin and Latymer (U15/U14 ‘A’s,
home)Posted on Sun 1st Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
L4 talk and dystopia crafting workshops with author Josh Silver Thursday
Period 1: L4 talk by author Josh
Silver (Cloisters) – no classes
Period 2: L4O
and L4R dystopia crafting workshop with author Josh Silver (Library)
The following will be absent
from class: Kareem Abusido (L4O), Harry Campbell (L4O), Freya Hughes (L4O), Alessia
McQuillan (L4O), Fionn O’Reilly (L4O), Sahil Pursnani (L4O), Anaya Dhillon
(L4R), Lowry Gorman (L4R), Kitty Hall (L4R), Alexa Joannou (L4R), Otis Monaghan
(L4R)
Period 3: L4B,
L4H and L4Y dystopia crafting workshop with author Josh Silver (Library)
The following will be absent
from class: Dylan Avella (L4B), Jenni Bosher (L4B), Elliot Costes (L4B), Doireann
Keogh (L4B), Emme Love (L4B), Momoka Tejima (L4B), Numair Al Nasiri Feijoo
(L4H), Artina Hashemi Nasab (L4H), Ana Norman (L4H), Joaquin Rivera Neira
(L4H), Uma Sidhu (L4H), Joe Baddeley (L4Y), Abi Langford (L4Y), Mila Miran
(L4Y), Rory Mitchell (L4Y), Zach Trimble (L4Y)
Period 4: L4C
and L4G dystopia crafting workshop with author Josh Silver (Library)
The following will be absent from class: Reuben
Adebutu (L4C), Laura Chbib (L4C), Rory Cree (L4C), David Pocitari (L4C), Francesca
Varkey (L4C), Neve Bissett (L4G), Zoe Harrison (L4G), Grace Heald (L4G), Simone
Radebe (L4G), Martha Samuels (L4G), Jacob Skinner (L4G)
Posted on Sun 1st Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
12.15 departure: Rugby:
Middlesex sevens (U12, at Grasshoppers RFC)
The following will be absent
from Periods 4-6: Zack Harris (3B), Santi Caceres (3C), Sammy Gilbert (3C), David
Pantea (3C), Zak Heanen (3G), Matteo Collins (3H), Jackson Harris (3H), Mark
Pantea (3H), Lawrence Owen (3H), Ben Thomson (3O), Aran Virdi (3O), Flynn
Skinner (3Y)
Posted on Sun 1st Mar 26 by Mr. Thomas
