Today, we were thrilled to welcome a truly towering figure - Paul 'Tiny' Sturgess, who stands at an incredible 7 feet 7 inches tall and wears size 18 shoes, visited our school as part of our exciting guest speaker programme. Paul holds multiple world records, including being the tallest professional basketball player, the tallest actor, and officially Britain's tallest man! But it wasn’t just his height that made an impression, his message to our children was equally powerful. With some very tall stories and plenty of humour, Paul spoke to the children about what it means to be ‘different’, encouraging them to embrace their individuality and how he’s turned what makes him unique into something hugely positive. His message tied beautifully into our school values, especially the importance of being understanding and celebrating both our own uniqueness and that of others. Paul also wowed the children with a video of his time playing for the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters and shared exciting stories from his acting career—including roles in Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fantastic Beasts, and his upcoming part in Stranger Things! To top it all off, he led a fun basketball session, teaching the children some skills—and even a few tricks! We thought you’d enjoy seeing a few pictures: Mr Tagg and our Heads of Sport, Ella and Max, for scale 😊 What an inspiring and unforgettable day, thank you Paul. (fb)

“So here’s to labs, to Acorns who try, Who make things fizz and sometimes fly!” Last Friday, our young chemists took part in the annual Royal Society of Chemistry Analyst competition for Y12 students. This year, for the first time, some brilliant Y10 students were also invited to take part. The premise of this year’s competition was to investigate what chemicals were contaminating soil in an old industrial area. Here is a poem written for the occasion by two of the students who took part! "Reactions in the Lab" By two girls in goggles and gloves In coats too big and gloves too tight, We stepped into S9’s bright light, Beakers lined like loyal troops, in trays Miss Jackson laid in groups. The air was sharp with something strange, TLC eluent was in our range. We read the book (well, half, at best), Then guessed the rest — a noble quest. Pasteur pipettes in hand, we work in sync, Dr Bollans gave a silent nod (we think) The flame turned a brilliant red, “A shimmer of lithium” we both said. We stirred, we watched, we measured twice, Dr Wilson’s banter laced with sound advice. The Bunsen burned a steady flame, As science played its lovely game. Mistakes? A few — but memories more. Confidence we'd not had before. Not just reactions in a conical flask, But proof of how we aced the task. So here’s to labs, to acorns who try, Who make things fizz and sometimes fly, Who mix their minds with grit and grace— And light the world from this small space. Xanthe and Emily, Y12 (fb)