THE RUNNYMEDE TIMES - 50th Anniversary Special Edition - Runnymede College
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THE RUNNYMEDE TIMES - 50th Anniversary Special Edition -
Letter from the Headmaster Getting Frank On Arthur Powell: The Interview
Fifty years ago my parents, Mr and Mrs Arthur F Powell, were Our father’s idea was that Runnymede should be academically It was on a Tuesday afternoon when we sat down with Mr Powell
confronted with a problem which is not unfamiliar to many parents excellent, co-educational and cosmopolitan. An educational to listen to his recollections of his father and the history of the
nowadays. Where do we send the children to school? establishment in which there was complete freedom of speech school he shaped. We had previously asked him if it would be ok
and expression, where the only limit was respect for the opinions to raise a few more personal questions, and he’d assured us that
Nowadays, the answer is simple, if not easy. There is a huge with which one disagreed. we would be surprised at his openness. Taking advantage of this
variety of schools to choose from; schools offering an education in statement, we had prepared some thought-provoking, and maybe
different languages or several; single-sex schools; co-educational So why call it Runnymede? Runnymede is a meadow by the even slightly invasive, questions. We most definitely did not expect
schools and schools subscribing to various religious persuasions river Thames near Windsor where on June 15th, 1215 King John the shocking yet endearing answers we received.
or indeed, to none. Parents could, nowadays, be said to be spoilt sealed Magna Carta. It was the first time an absolute monarch
for choice. admitted that there were limits to his powers. In the words of the We began with a softball question: how it came to be that
poet, Kipling: “At Runnymede, at Runnymede / Your rights were Runnymede was founded in the first place. We all know the basic
In those days it was not so easy. Education was regulated by the won at Runnymede”. story: Arthur didn’t want his children educated in the compulsory
State and the Church who determined curricular content. It was Catholic system in Spain during the Franco regime, and Julia
they who decided what was and was not taught. Things which we The spirit of Magna Carta was reflected in the UN Declaration Powell refused to allow them to go to boarding school, being
take for granted today and indeed expect to be taught such as which mentions “the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable the caring Spanish mother that she was (as Mr Murphy said in
the effect of substances on health or relationship education, were rights of all members of the human family” and solemnly states his memorial speech, “behind every successful man there is a
unheard of. The content of history syllabuses was determined that everyone is entitled to those rights “without distinction of startled woman”). Hence, a compromise was formed; they would
by the authorities and even the Modern Languages which were any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political found their own school, teaching the values they both believed
studied at school were determined by the administration. or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other in, resulting in the naming of the school, Runnymede, the island
status”. on the Thames where the Magna Carta was signed. Runnymede
Our father was not going to submerge us in such an educational became a safe haven - “a sort of island”- for non-Spanish
system and our mother was not going to agree readily to our This, I believe, was the legacy of Magna Carta that my father residents, particularly Jewish and Hindu families.
being sent to boarding school in England. The outcome was very wished to perpetuate. It is a fine legacy, and I hope it will continue
British: a compromise and the name of that compromise was, guiding and inspiring all Runnymedians throughout their lives. In terms of getting around the authorities, they kept a low profile, When asking about the legacy his father had left on the school, he
Runnymede. using the Spanish colours for the uniform and placing a simple replied that Runnymede remains a safe place for everyone, where
- Frank M Powell, BSc (Econ.) (Hons.), PGCE metal plaque outside. When necessary, officials were bribed to we treat each other with respect, “a place where the eccentrics
obtain the learning resources necessary for the school and when can flourish, where the nerds can flourish, where people can
we asked whether there were any incidents, Mr Powell told us the speak their mind”. He believes that the sense of community
story of a Communist teacher who taught at the school (coinciding amongst students, teachers, parents and other staff members
with the influx of right-wing Cuban families into the school after is something his father would be very proud of. We agreed
Letter From The Editors the revolution) who expressed his views in class, only to have the
outraged students tell their parents who called the police and had
enthusiastically and responded that we considered Runnymede
our home, to which he reacted emotionally. In another interview
him arrested. Luckily, Arthur Powell managed to get him released with Julia Powell, she replied similarly to her son, stating that what
This year has been particularly interesting and exciting for The with the help of the British ambassador. As a result, he recognised made Runnymede so special was that no other school had the
Runnymede Times. From uncertainties in politics to hilarious the need to be more careful in order not to anger the regime. family bond we all share here.
trends in pop culture, our team of journalists has had the
opportunity to not only experience these events first hand but But what about Arthur Powell himself? Brought up in a strict This led us to our next question, which was if he always knew that
also write about them. School life has also kept us busy, from the religious home, but an atheist, “he was very bohemian and he he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. Much to our surprise,
drama clubs’ three school plays this year, to the sponsored run. always wore his hair too long”. He was also a bad student at he said that he had never dreamt of it and had plans to become
school (something we found delightfully ironic), and actually an army officer (We know! We were shocked too). It wasn’t until
Furthermore, as the school celebrates its 50th Anniversary, we went to art school after graduating. Being a pilot during the war he took on a summer job teaching English at a Spanish school
have had the honour to interview Mr Powell as well as his mother, changed him. We quickly learnt that he was very vocal on his that he realised it was his passion. “Deciding to become a teacher
Mrs Julia Powell, on the history of the school and trace back its radical beliefs, having joined the communist party. In fact, he had is like falling in love. It’s irrational. It’s likely to end in tears, but you
history to 1967. volunteered to join the Korean War, but the CIA had denied his can’t do anything else”.
registration due to these communist affiliations. “It was quite lucky,
We would like to thank our team for making 2017 a memorable really”, his son said, “otherwise I wouldn’t even exist!” He also had Teaching wasn’t Georgina’s original plan either. She had wanted
year for the Runnymede Times. Firstly, we would like to thank an incredible capacity for work. “My brother Charles has inherited to work in banking but after an internship realised she hated it
Alvaro Millán for being our web designer and publisher. To our sub that,” Mr Powell told us. He worked three jobs when he started the saying “finance is much more of a meaningless life”, and bringing
editors: Lucia Sevillano, in charge of our culture and entertainment school, often getting home from work at midnight. his son, Manuel, into the business “didn’t take much convincing”.
column and Patrick Baskett in charge of sports. We would also “The Powells are very much bleeding heart liberals although we
like to thank our trusty regular journalists, Sofia Sajonia, Carlota He was also a friend of the underdog. When asked about the may not seem like it”, he explained to us and the dynamic of a
Santos, Lucas Fernandez and Sofia Hurtado. Last but definitely biggest life lesson his father had taught him, Mr Powell answered school is much more fulfilling and inspiring.
not least, we would like to give a massive thank you to Ms Clague, that it was his ability to know when to be generous and turn a blind
not only for her support and advice, but for generally being the eye for the greater good of the children. He told us a story about Our final question was what would his father be most proud of?
backbone to The Runnymede Times. how Mr Murphy caught some pupils smoking in the bathroom all Respect and freedom, “our fundamental values”. What made
those years ago. He dragged them down to Arthur’s office, only Runnymede so special has continued to flourish, being exerted
You can read our weekly publications for The Runnymede Times to have him say that because he hadn’t physically seen them onto the intellectual growth of the students. And as for Mr
on www.englishrunnymede.com smoking, there wasn’t proof and he therefore couldn’t punish Powell? “The world is a tough place to grow up in and it gives
them. It’s likely that he gave them a good telling off once Mr me enormous satisfaction to be able to help you to handle the
Murphy left the room, though! “He was a very kind person”. Mr challenges life throws up at you”.
Powell smiled at this point. “Remember when we did that session
- Rose Shohet and Sabrina Penty, Y 12 on kindness in PSHE? I was thinking about him the entire time.” - Rose Shohet and Sabrina Penty, Y 12
2 3
Debate: Human Progress Is Not Inevitable
For Against
On Friday, we witnessed what was possibly one of the most of the world’s population lives on under $2.50 a day. 1.3 billion I must admit that the title of the motion, with its double negative, that even when the dismal circumstances of an era fill us with
upsetting scenes ever televised. We had to sit and watch in people are living in extreme poverty. Inequality is growing as well. was a piece of syntax too complicated for my head to process uncertainty and scepticism, human intellect and culture can prevail.
horror as Barack Obama, the first black president, winner of the While the rich have seen an increase in wealth since the 1980s, at first, and made me think I was arguing against progress and
Nobel Peace Prize and a hugely inspirational figure, left the white the wages of the poorest 50% have remained stagnant, meaning human development. I therefore started to research the different I was taking a look at the circumstances of the signing of Magna
house in a helicopter, to be replaced by Donald J Trump, an that the gap between them and the top 10% is wider than at any ways in which human history had displayed increasing levels of Carta in 1215, a document regarded in England as an early
inexperienced, hugely bigoted billionaire. It’s as if we’ve regressed time since the 1920s. We have witnessed an enormous transfer of backwardness as well as what we would consider immoral acts, protection of civil rights and justice. The thing is, that this famous
50 years in time! And it’s not just in America. Across the world, wealth from the middle class and the poor to the multimillionaires. which in many cases amounted to genuine atrocities. agreement ensuring that the monarch ruled under the custom and
everything seems to be getting worse, whether it’s poverty, climate the law, was essentially inspired by the cruelty of King John, who
change, or xenophobia. There is no progress. There is only As well as this, youth unemployment is at all time high and our When, after some time, my average mind decided to reexamine my ruthlessly ruled on the principle of force and will.
division, and discord, and disharmony. prospects upon graduation are getting bleaker and bleaker. position, I noticed I had decided to argue for an optimistic view on
Unlike our parents, who had jobs lined up for them once they progress, rather than taking a cynical stance. Slavery is a further example of the bigotry and cruelty which
The fact that Trump was even a presidential candidate was bad left university and could even afford to buy their own apartment, mankind is capable of projecting. Nonetheless, behind this brutality,
enough. An inconsistent, narcissistic bully with tiny, tiny hands, he we will probably have to complete a masters to even witness My research on shameful events and circumstances that are seen there still existed people who embraced and fought for the sake
had called all Mexicans rapists, proposed banning Muslims from the possibility of getting a job, and we’ll be paying off massive to have had a negative impact on the world, as well as the bleak of freedom, leaders like Abraham Lincoln who brought about the
entering the USA, mocked a disabled reporter, been accused debt until we’re well into our 30s. In fact, millennials are the situation that human foolishness can drive us to, wasn’t exactly Thirteenth Amendment or Martin Luther King who saw the deep
by twelve women of committing sexual assault, settled a court first generation in history to be worse off than their parents, and a waste of time. For when I started to think about the many ways wrongs of racism and discrimination and helped to put an end to
case for fraud to the tune of 20 million dollars, and bragged about things don’t look like they’ll be improving any time soon. This is that the world has progressed throughout the ages, an interesting them through The Civil Rights Movement. Cruelty and bigotry gave
grabbing women by the, you know. When he first announced that unacceptable; this is wrong; this is not progress. pattern stood out; human development often comes as a response way to compassion and equality.
he’d be running in the Republican primaries, everyone, myself to cultural, economic and political anxieties, the Frankenstein’s
included, took it as a joke. Just the thought of him as president As human beings, we are not only destroying our species by monsters of societies. Building upon the idea of equality, one must acknowledge the
of such a seemingly tolerant country seemed so absurd that he making devastating political decisions, but we’re destroying our great progress that has been made in terms of marriage rights and
was mocked and scorned. Two years later, the impossible has planet while we do it. Climate change is not an issue that will be Take the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century. acceptance of the LGBT community. The fact that Ireland, known for
become a reality. How is it remotely possible that we’ll achieve this affecting us in 100 years, in 50 years, or even in 10. It’s affecting This decisive event is considered by many as the beginning of the its strict Catholic tradition, has now approved gay marriage, or that
inevitable progress with someone like him in charge? us now. For the first time in history, carbon dioxide levels have Dark Ages, a time period characterised by counter-urbanisation, Madrid, once a capital of the Catholic world and the headquarters of
reached 400 parts per million. The last 8 years have been the population decline and a cultural recession which oversaw the the inquisition, is now regarded as one of the most welcoming cities
It’s not, of course. Already, he has signed an order to begin hottest years on record, 2016 being no exception. We’ve seen an abandonment of Roman law and a replacement of democracy for gay people illustrates the incredible progress undergone.
building the stupid wall, further increasing tensions between 8% increase in air pollution over the last 5 years. Rising sea levels with feudalism. The Dark Ages were succeeded by the medieval
neighbours. At his first press conference, he refused to answer a are leading to the flooding of precious land across the world, and period, considered a backward era of human history, haunted The very Universal Declaration of Human Rights, produced in
CNN reporter due to his previous criticism of him and later kicked it’s estimated that two thirds of Bangladesh will no longer exist by by the impacts of the plague, when women were burned for 1948, which protects all citizens of UN countries around the world
him out of the room. He’s also deleted any mention of climate 2030. When reading this speech to her this morning, my sister alleged sorcery and when there existed an overall rejection of the from torture, coercion, censorship, slavery, and multiple other evils,
change, civil rights or ethics from the government website. His said, “But why should we worry about climate change? Trump is development undergone in the Classical period. However, the itself arose from the experience of World War II and awareness of
tax plan is set to cost 5.9 trillion dollars in revenue other the next going to kill us all in nuclear war anyway!” What does this kind of Middle Ages eventually gave way to the Renaissance, a cultural the horrific events of the Holocaust, which resulted in the death of
10 years. His Cabinet is more white and more male than any pessimism say about our society? None of this is progress. It’s bridge between the past and a promising modern Age. 6,000,000 Jews in Europe.
president since Reagan (and he was in office 30 years ago!). In systematic, widespread, apocalyptic-like catastrophe.
fact, the only woman on his transition team was his daughter. Do Under the Renaissance, the arts and sciences progressed led by My point is that while violent death and terror swept across
you really trust him with the nuclear codes? To sum up, everything has been getting worse and will probably Leonardo DaVinci, Copernicus and Michelangelo while in England Europe, and the rise of fascism compromised the moral integrity
continue to do so, whether we are discussing politics, the Shakespeare orchestrated a revolution in literature, and Sir Roger of governments across the globe, people acknowledged the
But other than that, things must be fine in the rest of the world, economy or the environment. Progress has already been Bacon busied himself not only in the creation of the popular wrongfulness of the situation and tried once it was over to ensure
right? We must be experiencing progress somewhere, right? irreversibly hindered for decades to come, and I don’t see breakfast dish, but also in founding scientific empiricism. Progress that previous mistakes committed by humans, who have a shocking
Wrong! Brexit, a vote cast based on a campaign focusing solely anything changing any time soon. ultimately triumphed. tendency towards self destruction and idiocy, couldn’t be repeated.
on hatred, is set to spread wide-reaching drawbacks throughout While people will argue that similar events have taken place since
Europe due to the increased isolation it promotes as well as the Yes, I have successfully turned this debate into a history lesson, then, like Saddam Hussein’s genocide of the Kurds, creating
disservice it does to free movement. What does it say about a - Rose Shohet, Y 12 but through this waterfall of facts I intended to send the message awareness of the atrocities committed by our ancestors means we
country when my mum was basically paid to go to university are less likely to perpetrate an attack on humanity on such a large
through grants over 30 years ago, while many of the people in this scale, at least without receiving condemnation.
room might be paying fees of up to 22,000 pounds per year to do
the same thing? This isn’t progress; it’s insanity! Humans evolve, not necessarily physically, as we can agree,
for example, that we won’t grow another eye in the span of a
Over in Spain, it took us a whole year to even decide on a century. However, moral development and the ability to recognise
government, let alone actually run anything. So apparently, wrongdoing, to discern injustice and inequality from the norm and
democracy is failing too! Turkey, a previously secular, democratic fight to put an end to them are all qualities which we inherently
country is now becoming increasingly fundamentalist in its possess and continue to develop.
views since Erdogan, the prime minister, came to power with an
attempted coup in summer failing miserably and only leading to While I can’t argue that President Trump’s policies or the Refugee
the tightening of an already tyrannical stranglehold on power. Crisis will not, in the near future, escalate into one of those time
The war in Syria has led to over 16,000 children being killed periods condemned in retrospect, I can assure you that the inner
in the conflict, and the refugee crisis has meant that external good in humanity and an instinct for survival will quickly manifest
displacements of people are at an all time high. themselves to stop these threats.
And no, poverty hasn’t been solved either. In fact, nearly 50% Visit RC’s official facebook page to watch the debate.
- Jaime Martínez, Y 12
4 5
Junior School
Junior School Life: Maths Week Junior School Life: Art
Year 2 had a blast participating in all of the fun maths activities Every class enjoyed studying Mr Arthur Powell’s favourite painting of ‘Salisbury Cathedral’. Although a traditional and rather formal painting
their teachers had prepared for them - such as using logic skills in it inspired some wonderfully creative artwork; from the fantastic cotton wool clouds of Nursery P to the combined painted canvases of Year
order to solve Sudokus, playing a variety of board games to test 3 to the arches designed by Year 6. There were 3D models, mosaics and mobiles; stained glass windows, farm animals and ponds.
a myriad of maths skills, performing rap songs designed to teach
different times tables, and estimating how many ‘Chips Ahoy’
cookies were in the jar! They even had to think of a sum in order to
receive a piece of Ms Morrison’s yummy birthday cake!
Year 5 cleverly combined work with pleasure - revising everything
they had learned this term while trying to earn House points
during the Inter House Kahoot Revision Game! They teamed up
with other House members to work together to solve a variety of
problems and questions and even had a chance to defend their
answers and explain their workings out to their fellow Year 5
students. Congratulations to Newton for taking 1st place!
Year 3 played a range of games which helped develop their
maths skills in a fun way. They had an opportunity to play different
games, focusing particularly on times tables and how to tell the
time.
Art is one of the children’s favourite subjects and we invited parents in to school to share their passion and expertise with the children.
Year 2 heard all about textiles from Mrs Fouladi and Mr Otamendi taught them a lot about architecture. Mr del Pino spoke to Year 5 about
Year 6 enjoyed a morning of Mathematical Magic at the Escuela buildings and engineering, complete with presentation and video. The children greatly enjoyed this insight into the world of industry. Mrs
del Pensamiento Matemático in Torrelodones, where they listened Durand enthralled Year 6 with a talk and presentation on ‘Pictorialism’ in which she demonstrated the links between photography and the
to a conference, participated in activities and learned mathematical Impressionist art movement. Mrs Foulache explained the business of furniture making to Year 4 as part of their ‘Tudor Day’.
maths tricks. They then split into teams and competed in a
mathematical gymkhana, working together to solve a series of
logic puzzles.
Year 4 really got into the spirit of Maths Week, with two days
dedicated to a variety of fun and exciting games and activities!
They kicked off Maths Week with a QR code challenge, wandering
around the Junior School in search of problems to solve. They
then created both 2D and 3D shapes using marshmallows and
toothpicks. Pupils also took part in a maths problem solving
circuit, solving 24 problems that involved skills such as logic,
visualizing and reasoning. They finished the week with a look at
M.C. Escher’s work and at optical illusions. Don’t forget to visit
the amazing ‘Art Meets Maths’ display of Parabolic Curves, in
which they practiced using a ruler to draw straight lines and create
beautiful pieces of artwork!
6 7
Junior School
Junior School Life: Plays Junior School Life: World Book Day
In the Junior School the plays produced by each year group are incredibly important to us. The teachers and children work hard and the Each year we have celebrated World Book Day we have Each classroom door was also decorated as the cover of a well
bar is set really high. This year even Nursery are to perform a play. The plays bring us together and are eagerly anticipated by all. They are wondered how we will better the event the following year, but known book and the children delighted in the D.E.A.R. initiative.
an excellent opportunity for skills to be showcased:- acting, singing and dancing. Our children learn how to to perform for an audience from somehow it just seems to get better and better! This year the Throughout the day everyone had to ‘Drop Everything And Read’
a very early age and of course there are wonderful opportunities for lots of ‘Speaking an Listening’ and amazing drama. children, their parents and teachers surpassed themselves with for five minutes when the school bell rang at random times!
the costumes. They were outstanding as can be seen from the
The Reception children entertained us at Christmas with a lovely Year 3 had great fun rehearsing and performing ‘Pirates of the Of course reading forms an incredibly important part of school
photos on the school website. The winner in each class received
performance of ‘The Sleepy Shepherd’ which told the story of a Curry Bean’, a swashbuckling pirate adventure on the high seas life at all times of the year. This is particularly important when the
an Amazon Book Token and the runners up in each class received
lovable shepherd who just can’t keep awake. which took them to the mysterious island of Lumbago in the sea children move from reading from the Reading Scheme to choosing
certificates, however trying to choose winners was a really
of Sciatica! Year 3 sung, acted and danced their socks off and their own ‘real’ books to read.
unenviable task. As always the majority of the teachers entered
appeared to enjoy every minute. into the spirit of the day.
Year 1 might be one of the youngest classes in the Junior School Year 4 soon followed with their polished production of ‘Goldilocks’
but they produced a lively and entertaining show called ‘Stella the wherein they debated the dilemma of whether Goldilocks was a
Starfish’. Their acting was great, there were solos, dances and victim or the perpetrator of a crime of vandalism. The children also The Year 4 teachers have really been promoting reading and
they even helped to paint the backdrop and make props! Their performed dances and sang such well know songs as ‘Wrecking many of the children are reviewing books for a popular website.
parents certainly enjoyed their performance as shown by the Ball’ or ‘Titanium’. There were flashbacks to the scene of the crime Alejandra in Y4 was chosen to review the book ‘The 78 Storey
standing ovation they gave the children. and for the first time a prerecorded video clip appeared in a school Tree House by Andy Griffiths’ prior to publication. Here is an
play at Runnymede. The ‘Green Screen’ allowed backdrops of the extract of her review: ‘This book is funny but sad, as a friendship
forest or the bears’ cottage to be projected onto it. gets broken. I loved the illustrations and the spy cow!’ The full
review is available online at: www.lovereading4kids.co.uk
The youngest children were treated to a performance of the ‘The
We all enjoyed Year 2’s exciting performance of ‘Cinderella Year 5 have got us off to a very good start way back in October, Three Little Pigs’ by their teachers. In KS1 the staff dressed up
Rockerfella’. Ana (6P) wrote that “their performance deserved the with an excellent show called ‘Go for Gold!’ It was entertaining and as the characters from the Reading Scheme Books complete with
huge applause for their amazing effort. The fantastic singing and educational, all about the Ancient Greek Olympic Games. Sofia Miss Morrison as a very convincing Floppy. All the way through the
costumes added to high standard of acting and was particularly (6P) explained that it showed how a modern day family travelled school the children heard excerpts from well known stories and it
good for children of such a young age.” back in time in a sort of flashback. They saw that the God of the was impressive to hear the collective gasps of recognition from the
Underworld ‘Hades’ wanted to ruin the Olympic games and made children!
the Athenians fight with the violent Spartans. The show, and the
costumes, were spectacular.
8 9
Junior School
Junior School Life: Sports
PE is a class that many of the children said was the best thing
about school, among them Juan Ybarra in 4T who said ‘Team
Runnymede’ was the best thing about school. The results in
competitions have certainly improved since its’ start a couple of
years ago.
Autumn
Years 3 to 6 had a really successful Sports Day in the sports
stadium in Alcobendas. The weather was perfect and the children
thoroughly enjoyed competing in their four houses in both track
and field events. The competition was close but when the final
points were added up it was Austen who won the day.
Dry leaves drifting down,
Yellow, orange, red and brown.
A colourful forest completely dry,
The first sports event of the year was the Inter House Cross
Country for Years 3 to 6 (KS2). This took place at the Sports Holding up a grey cloudy sky.
Centre in Alcobendas. It was a lovely day, there was a really good
atmosphere with all the children doing their best to win points for Leaves lay sadly on the path,
their Houses. Keynes were the winners and the cup was awarded
to the House Captains, Borja and Sofia. A couple of weeks later
Snatched by the wind who’s possessed by wrath.
Years 1 and 2 (KS1) had their very own Running Races in the
school playground. This time Newton were the winners.
The freezing, crying, howling trees,
In the Summer term we enjoyed three very different Sports Days. Are staring at the lonely leaves.
The children in EYFS had a great time. All the children participated
in an obstacle race and a running race. Then they watched some The autumn breeze silently flows by,
very competitive races from their parents! The grand finale was
an aerobics exhibition with Miss Serra and all the children from Stroking a tree with a satisfying sigh.
Nursery and Reception. Many of the winning children were chosen to represent the school
at the Inter School Sports Day where Runnymede achieved
victory once the scores had been adjusted to allow for the size
of the schools. It has been a good Year for Sport and the Alevin
By Alvaro de Frías
Basketball team especially deserve a mention for coming first!
Congratulations!
Years 1 and 2 have a slightly different Sports day in the Summer
term whereby the children all participate in small groups in
activities designed to use the skills they have learnt in PE
throughout the year. All the points are added up and a cup
awarded to the winning team, which this year was Locke.
10
School Life: The Plays
The Latin Play
Romeo & Juliet
Runnymede College’s modern adaptation of
one of Shakespeare’s greatest works proved
to be a great success both with students and
parents alike. Romeo, played by Javier Rome-
ro, was appropriately romantic and delivered
the verse beautifully; as did Juliet, played by
both Lucia Sevillano and Beatriz del Pino, who
showed their ability to engage with the audien-
ce and brought out the moving story of the
character. It is worth mentioning that performing
in the Teatro Trovador allowed us to create an
intimate and touching mood which hopefully
captured the hearts of the audience.
- Nicky Fernández - Ladreda , Y 12
Cinderella
The 2017 Latin Play, presented by Year 9, took place on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of March and involved most of the Year 9 students. The
play was a recreation of the foundation of Rome in 753BC as later told by the Romans who wanted to make Rome seem like a special
place. The Story was split into three different plays, each one performed by a different form group. The story is focused on the twin
brothers, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Both the audience and the students were amazed by the performance and their
impressive acting abilities.
- Alejandra Jiménez & Cecilia Monell, Y 9
Macbeth
Our shortened version of Macbeth was
performed in the Teatro Trovador in the centre
of Madrid, giving us the opportunity to perform
in a black-box theatre where we could connect
and engage with the audience. The impressive
portrayals of Macbeth, played by Jaime
Martinez, and Lady Macbeth, played by Rose
Shohet and Dana Al-Juburi, really stood out,
as did the synchronised and choreographed
movements of the witches, played by Sabrina
Penty, Lucia Sevillano and Berit Levy. It was
a real privilege to perform in a professional
theatre in which lighting and sound contributed
to our dark and sinister performances of this This year the Drama Club once again surprised us with an excellent performance of this classic fairytale. The play included all the elements
great tragedy. of the classic story and added a twist, incorporating new characters such as the Three Little Pigs, the Queen of England and The Emperor
from Star Wars in an enjoyable ball scene. The production showed the comic capabilities of even the youngest members of the club who
showed supreme characterisation in their roles. The play also included music as Cinderella sang Halestorms’ ‘Dear Daughter’ in a touching
- Berit Levy, Y 12 scene. Altogether a hilarious and entertaining play. I am looking forward to next year’s performance!
12 13
Our Students Muse On
Life During Pablo Escobar’s Presence
South Africa – bottom of the class
Imagine living in constant fear. Every time you leave your house, communities, which considered him a “Robin Hood” figure.
you don’t know if you will be back for dinner that night. When
Escobar, driven by his determination and love towards his cartel,
you find yourself walking in a lonesome street, you can feel
waged a constant war against the government in order to get
someone behind you, watching your every move. When you are
what he wanted. An example of this would be the Storming of
in a crowded place, you don’t feel safe either. At any moment you
The Supreme Court in Bogota, 1985, when Escobar hired guerilla
could be in real danger. This was what day to day life in Colombia
forces and supplied them with weaponry to siege the Palace of
felt like during the 1980’s, when the Pablo Escobar-run drug cartel
Justice in central Bogota since the Supreme Court was studying
was at its peak.
the extradition treaty with America.
You may have been hearing Pablo Escobar’s name recently, as
Clarisa Bermudez, who was working as a press officer for the
the hugely popular Netflix series, Narcos, has everyone intrigued
mayor of Bogota witnessed the scene as the guerilla stormed the
by this ambiguous man’s genius yet savage ways. He managed
building.
to become the wealthiest criminal in history through his notorious
drug cartel, which at its highest, managed to produce him a “It was around 10 am and I was at a meeting. We suddenly heard
personal income of US $21.9 billion a year and was trafficking gunshots, and our initial thought was that the bank from across the
approximately 80% of the world’s cocaine. road was being robbed, as it had happened once or twice before.
I looked out the window and noticed men dressed in camouflage
Escobar began his criminal career selling contraband cigarettes
jumping out of trucks, which was when we realised it was the
and fake lottery tickets, as well as getting involved in the theft
guerrilla soldiers. At one point, my boss and I were looking out the
of vehicles. By the 1980’s, however, he had set up his own drug
window when there was a big crossfire. The gunshots were so
cartel and was transporting between 70 to 80 tons of cocaine from
loud and near that I threw myself on the ground.
Colombia to North America. Deadly massacres and a high rate of
crime soon came to plague Colombia and day to day life became Within a week, we had to go back to work and seeing the building,
something everyone considered a blessing, because at any black and burnt, I felt a silent sadness and couldn’t believe that
moment, it could be over. something so awful had happened in a place I knew so well. The
worst part was that the people who worked at the cafeteria, whom
The rivalries that emerged were vicious. It wasn’t only his direct
I saw almost every day because I loved the place so much, were
opponents that were targeted, but also family members and
all killed. They were all innocent, had families and truly lovely
On courtesy of economist.com friends of his potential rivals, his work partners who he distrusted
people. A family friend who was a magistrate there was also killed.
and later on, politicians and journalists who began to speak out
about him and the terrible crimes he was committing. Everyone After this, no one felt safe. Every time I left the house my mother
South Africa is characterised by having one of the worst education system segregated by race with one divided by wealth. Schools in was aware of the drug cartel he was running, but for many would bless me and each morning when you went out to work,
systems in the world with a league table drawn up by the OECD poorer areas receive more state funding yet those in richer areas years, nothing was ever done about it because he managed to you had the mindset that you potentially might not make it back” –
ranking the nation 75th out of 76. In November, the latest Trends can charge fees on top. In theory these schools must admit pupils bribe politicians and the police, allowing him to continue making Clarisa Bermudez
in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), a even if their parents cannot afford the fees; in reality they are Colombia a living hell.
quadrennial test sat by 580,000 pupils in 57 countries, had fortresses of privilege. Moreover, few countries spend as much to Being a Colombian myself, I can say that Pablo Escobar has
South Africa at or near the bottom of its various rankings, with its so little effect. Public expenditure on education is 6.4% of GDP; There is no denying that Pablo Escobar was a genius. Although marked a massive scar on our country. Anyone alive during that
children behind those in poorer parts of the continent. A striking the average share in EU countries is 4.8%. However, a lack of committing crime after crime, Pablo Escobar managed to time will say how terrifying the power that he had was, and tragedy
27% of pupils who have attended school for six years are illiterate, accountability and the abysmal quality of much of the teaching are establish his presence and even gain support from some people after tragedy triggered by him remain on people’s minds. What
compared with 4% in Tanzania and 19% in Zimbabwe. After five more problematic issues. within Colombia. He was elected as a member of the Chamber went on in our country is not something we are proud of. To many
years of education half cannot work out that 24 divided by three is of Representatives of Colombia as part of the Colombian people, the time of Escobar seems like something fictional through
eight and only 37% of children starting school go on to pass the Central to both failures is the South African Democratic Teachers Liberal Party in 1982, through which he was responsible for the the series of Narcos, but to many Colombians, it was a reality that
matriculation exam. Just 4% earn a degree. Union, allied to the African National Congress. Notorious scandals construction of many hospitals, schools and churches in western still haunts us every day.
of abuse and corruption within schools include female teachers Colombia. This gained him popularity, particularly within the poorer
- Sabrina Penty, Y 12
South Africa’s education system perpetuates racial divisions being told they will be given jobs only in exchange for sex and the
with its combination of substandard public schools for the black government has done little in response.
majority and elite private schools for a mainly white minority. The
gap in test scores between the top 20% of schools and the rest To conclude, South Africa urgently needs to reform its school
is wider than in almost every other country. Of 200 black pupils system, especially by nurturing aspiration in more children than
who start school just one can expect to do well enough to study the offspring of the elite. Collaboration schools form part of a
engineering. Ten white children can expect the same result. promising scheme based on academies in England and charter
schools in America. They are funded by the state but run by
This has its foundation in historically discriminatory law. The Bantu independent operators, aiming to inject competition into the public
Education Act of 1953 set out to ensure that whites received system, with early results unveiling that its pupils are on average,
a better education than blacks. During apartheid, black pupils a year ahead of their peers in state schools. However, these
received about a fifth of the funding of white peers and were only account for a tiny fraction of the country’s more than 25,000
consequently taught almost no mathematics or science. Most schools. Widespread improvement will require loosening the grip
independent church-run schools that provided a good education in of SADTU. In local polls the ruling party (ANC) is seeing its worst
black areas were shut down. results since the end of apartheid. This may force it to review
vested interests. More likely it will continue to fail children.
After Nelson Mandela became president in 1994 his government
expanded access to schooling. It also, however, replaced a school On courtesy of elcolombiano.com
- Sofía Hurtado Knaster, Y 12
14 15
2016 Rewind: Trends, Music & News
As we excitedly greeted 2017, we took one last look at the exhausting year that was 2016. From devastating headlines to crazy internet
trends and Beyonce’s album release, we rounded up the top 15 moments that defined 2016.
1. Donald Trump
I apologise for starting with Donald Trump, but he basically made the year into the dark dark memory we will remember 2016 as, yet at the
same time he definitely gave us something to talk about and it never got old. From his petty comebacks to his angry tweets, his election to
president will definitely be something we will never forget.
2. Bottle Flipping
Oh yes, the water bottle flipping challenge. Yet another very pointless talent which was turned into a viral trend after a video of a boy was
put up online where he flipped water bottles and made them land upright in a talent show. Doesn’t seem very exciting but somehow the
whole world seems to be doing it. 2016 also proved to us how the internet is ruining us.
3. Leo’s Oscar
Who would have thought 2016 would bring us one of the most glorious days of all? On February 28th of 2016, Leonardo Wilhem Dicaprio
finally won an Oscar. We never thought we’d see the day when Leo would win his well deserved Oscar. I like to look at this event as a
metaphor to show us that everything is possible, and that there is still hope for 2017.
10. Death of many celebrities
4. Finding Dory 2016 has been an unfortunate year for the greatest celebrities. 2016 started off with the death of the one and only David Bowie, and has
Those of you who have been Finding Nemo fans since the day it premiered way back in 2003 can understand the joy its sequel, Finding since been followed by the passing of many incredibly inspirational stars - Alan Rickman, Prince, Mohammed Ali, Prince, George Michael
Dory, brought to thousands of now-teens when it premiered earlier this year. My three year old self was definitely brought out at the cinema and Carrie Fisher are just a few.
watching it and it was definitely worth the wait.
11. Aleppo
5. Election Memes The ongoing conflict in the Syrian city of Aleppo is something we can definitely not ignore. In 2016, shelling, death and destruction only
No matter how exhausting, frustrating and stressful the US elections were, the beautiful power of Tumblr and the internet managed to bring intensified. Lets hope that 2017 finally brings peace to the war stricken town.
out a little humour out of what was something infuriating. It also showed us, in a very brutally honest comic way, how pathetic a lot of what
goes on in the elections actually is.
12. Orlando Shooting
The devastating shooting in a gay nightclub known as Pulse, in Orlando, Florida occurred in June earlier this year. Not only was it
6. Rio Olympics heartbreaking that many innocent people were killed on a night out when having fun, but what makes it even more frustrating was that it
No matter how unathletic you are, you have to admit there’s nothing more exciting than watching the Olympics and cheering your country was a terrible hate crime against the LGBT community.
on. You practically make your plans around the Olympic games, because there is no way you are going to miss the inauguration or Michael
Phelps win his one billionth gold medal.
13. Harambe
If you are not familiar with Harambe, let me break down the story for you. In May of 2016, a three year old boy climbed into a gorilla
7. Police Brutality enclosure in the Cincinnati zoo, where a gorilla, known as Harambe, dragged him around. The result of this was the death of the gorilla to
Ongoing Police Brutality in the USA and around the world only got worse in 2016, and one would have thought that by now the abuse of save the boy, which caused a lot of controversy. Many hashtags surfaced on the internet calling for justice for Harambe, although weird
authority and discrimination would be long gone. Instead, this past year highlighted how little we have moved forward. Lets hope that 2017 tweets also emerged making Harambe into a meme.
finally brings justice to the thousands of victims and those who live in fear.
14. Mannequin Challenge
8. Melania’s Speech One of the last 2016 trends was the Mannequin Challenge. I’m not going to explain it as I’m sure everyone knows what it is, but this trend
Talk about awkward. We all remember the time the future first lady, Melania Trump, completely plagiarised Michelle Obama’s speech word was something no one wanted to miss out on. Many celebrities have posted their own versions, such as Troye Sivan who got his entire
for word on national television and hoped no one would notice. Firstly, if you’re going to be first lady and represent a nation, at least give audience to participate. A crazier one still was Blac Chyna and Robert Kardashian’s mannequin challenge. You’ve also found yourself
the people a reason to believe in you. filming one, either with your friends, at school (shoutout to Miss Bala and the year 12 mathematicians).
9. Michel Obama’s Carpool Karaoke 14. The Dab
Now that we are on the topic of how amazing Michelle Obama is, we have to bring up the time she was on James Corden’s segment of When someone asks you for one word to describe 2016, “dab” is probably the first word to come to mind. The dab has been overused and
carpool karaoke. The first lady’s singing and dancing was definitely a highlight of the year. She will definitely be missed in 2017. we all know it, yet we can’t seem to incorporate the dab into dances or conversations. Lets hope we get rid of the dab in 2017 for good.
16 17
School Life: Trips & Events
Year 7 History Trip to Atienza
The Year 7 students were taken to Atienza by the History
department this May. As soon as we got there we walked to the
plaza where there was a beautiful church which was slightly
spooky on the inside because there was a creepy statue of a
woman staring at us. Suddenly the lights flashed and everyone
started to scream and flood out of the apparently haunted building.
Pluto’s Sonnet
After our “adventure” with the scary virgin statue we headed of
to a medieval castle on a VERY steep hill. When we got to the
top of the keep you could literally see the whole village; it was
a spectacular view with the green grassy fields spread over the
entire landscape. It seemed strange to be in a defensive castle
which had suffered wars, diseases and millions of deaths over the
years, but which seemed so idyllic and peaceful now. Where I live - dark and empty,
- Alejandra Diéguez , Y 7
I felt nothing but emptiness.
No one to love, to care about.
Year 10 Lengua trip to Alcalá de Henares Year 12 Geography Field Trip to Alicante I tried to find a way - to love,
The Department of Lengua y literatura took the Year 10 students The Geography Department took a group of Year 12 students to
But I didn’t find anybody,
to Alcalá de Henares this May to learn about its fascinating the beautiful beaches of Alicante to do some fieldwork on coas- Just some dead souls.
cultural and historical significance. As the place where Miguel de tal erosion. After measuring sand dunes and rocks and studying
Cervantes was born and a World Heritage site, it offered a host of longshore drift, they were treated to a boat trip along the coast.
fascinating places to enjoy. The students visited the house where
Cervantes was born, the University, founded in 1499, the Regional Suddenly my heart shone
Archeological Museum and the Corral de Comedias. When she appeared, as bright as the sun
Hadn’t seen anything like her ever .
In bare feet. She stood up.
I tried to reach for her but luck wasn’t on my side
She hugged her mother - she broke me into pieces.
Then darkness filled my body fully,
I knew what to do next.
Year 13 Maths Trip to London
Further Maths students in Year 13 attended
a ‘Mathematics in Action’ conference at
University College London in December.
They were introduced to the importance Martin Hernandez, Year 7
of mathematics in security systems online
and how rigorous coding can prevent (Inspired by the novel To Kill A Mockingbird)
cyber attacks, the mathematical beauty
of the Mandelbrot set and how the brain
appreciates mathematical ‘friendly’ musical
tones and how several of our most iconic
songs follow similar numerical pattern as well
as much more. They also had the opportunity
to meet up with old Runnymedians currently
studying in London to ask important
questions about their experiences to date.
18School Life: Trips & Events
Year 7 Latin trip to Mérida
This May Year 7 had the opportunity to discover the amazing PI Day: Organised by the Maths Department
historical sites of Mérida - a trip which has been organised by
the Head of Classics, Mr Nigel Bennet, since well... since almost
Roman times - indeed the parents of some of our current year 7s
went on the same trip when they were at Runnymede!
The children were able to transport themselves back in time
and imagine what it was like to be a Roman in Augusta Emerita
(Mérida): the adrenaline and excitement of the gladiator and beast
fights in the amphitheatre; the all day long theatre performances
where a Roman bottom would only have had 55cm to make itself
comfortable; the sound of the horses’ hooves and chariot wheels
in the circus; and even a chance to marvel at the amazing feats
of Roman engineering at the Proserpina dam. No Latin course is
complete without a visit to such a well preserved and evocative
site such as Mérida and we are so lucky to have on it our
doorstep. A study of Roman life now makes far more sense... Long
Live Mérida. Euge!
Year 12 English trip to London
Earlier this year, the Year 12 English Literature and Drama students were taken to London to enjoy a busy schedule of cultural and literary
delights. They visited the British Library and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, taking part in workshops on literary context and Othello, as
well as attending two wonderful plays, Whose Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and The White Devil. All students bought a book at Foyle’s on The Maths department celebrated Pi Day on Monday 13th March
the Southbank, and everyone enjoyed the visit to the London Eye and Tate Modern. A delicious meal at Wagamama rounded off the by creating exciting Pi based activities for all students in years 7 to
challenging and rewarding visit to Britain’s capital. 9 to take part in.
Year 7 investigated the meaning of Pi by measuring the
circumference and diameter of circular objects and then
calculating the ratio between them. They discovered no matter
what unit they used in their measurements (centimetres, meters,
even their own feet!) that the diameter fits inside the circumference
of a circle 3 and a bit times, and that this special number is called
Pi!
Year 8 replicated a probability experiment called ‘Buffon’s Needle’
where they dropped matchsticks onto paper marked with parallel
lines. They discovered that the probability of the matchstick
landing between the lines is related to the value of Pi.
Year 9 students learned about how the number Pi was originally
derived by Archimedes, and followed his initial steps to accurately
construct inscribed and circumscribed polygons inside circles.
They divided the circumference of each polygon by its diameter
and found that the value of Pi always lay between their answers
for the circumscribed polygon and the inscribed polygon. As they
increased the number of sides of their polygons, their answers
became closer to the value that we know now as Pi. Archimedes
continued this up to a 96 sided polygon!
All pupils took part in a Pi-recital challenge, where they put their
memory skills to the test in groups of four. The Year 8 winners
managed to recite more than 50 digits of Pi between them!
Finally, a bake sale was held in which pupils and staff contributed
Pi related cakes to raise money for Charity. A prize was awarded
to Alejandra Dieguez (Year 7) for a fantastic entry!
20 21Literature Reviews
I wish I could live
The Year 12 English trip - What are we reading?
During our trip to London, Year 12 made a stop at a bookstore
along Southbank, where we got a chance to choose from a Eddy Gibbons: Professor Stewart’s Incredible Numbers
massive variety of novels. Here at The Runnymede Times we I had already read another of his books called him Cabinet of I wish I could
asked some of the students what they had bought to give you some Curiosities which explores interesting mathematical concepts from
recommendations. all the different areas of mathematics. He explains complicated
ideas in such a way that they are relatively easy to understand. I Feel the light stroke my skin
Rose Shohet: Our Revolution by Bernie Sanders would recommend this book to people who are interested in maths
The fact that I bought the book by Bernie Sanders may have and willing to spend a couple of hours thinking about and maybe Play with friends and always win
disappointed some (*cough* Hilary-lover Mr Crumpton *cough*) even working through each problem.
but it surprised no-one. Having spent the better part of the year Feel the air blow my hair around
shamelessly incorporating Bernie and his revolution into any Carlota Monreal: Cure by Jo Marchant
conversation, class project or presentation remotely possible, I chose a book called Cure by Jo Marchant because I am very
Laugh for once and smile at life.
Senator Sanders could publish a book about his toenail clippings interested in holistic living and healing, and I wanted to learn
and I’d probably buy it. I’m not joking when I say that I screamed about it in more depth as many had recommended it to me. Jo
and jumped for joy when I saw it in the shop. Marchant talks about what he learnt throughout his travels talking I wish I could
to physicians, patients and researchers about the connection of
Sabrina Penty: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the body and mind and the ability to heal the body with the way we
Being a fan of 20th century literature, I ended up buying The Great
Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I am excited to read it based on all
think.
Live anywhere else than my room
the praise it has had over the last century and because it’s a great Sofia Sajonia - Coburgo: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Never cry again in the gloom
classic. Jane Eyre wasn’t a book that I had wanted or even considered
reading. However, when the tour guide at the British library talked Talk to someone, express my worries
Jaime Martínez: A History of 21 Women by Jenni Murray about the book, I was intriguied as the story reminded me of the
Bookshelves were filled with novels, poetry and plays, of all genres film, The Sound Of Music, which is one of my favourite films. Travel the world, narrating my stories.
and subjects and it was painful to have to choose only a few
books out of such a wide array of fascinating texts. In the end, ‘A Álvaro Millán: Chess by Stefan Zweig
History of Britain in 21 Women’, by Jenni Murray, turned out to be a During the Year 12 Trip to London we had the opportunity to I wish I could
satisfactory choice. Like many other books in the shop, it combines visit bookshops in order to take some books back home. One
useful A level knowledge with current discussion topics, offering me of my favourite books is Chess by Stefan Zweig, which was
the opportunity to broaden my understanding of the past and the recommended to me by a friend and is a dramatic depiction of
present. obsession and the price of genius.
Distinguish each season for once
Build a snowman, with something called love
Carlota Santos: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Berit LEVY: The Snow was Dirty by Georges Simenon
This is a book I had been recommended and had wanted to read I had never heard of the author nor the book, so it feels like a dose Run around hand in hand, with you
for a long time and could not wait to buy it when I saw it! It tells the of fresh air to read something completely new. The blurb really
life of Amir and Hassan, two friends who grow up in Afghanistan and caught my attention in the bookshop as it seemed to contain all Please, stop calling me Boo!
their upbringing. This book is so emotionally honest and touching the mystery and engaging action that I want in a book! And being
but it can also be humorous at times and teaches us many lessons someone who has an eye for the arts, I judge a book by its cover,
on loss, love and loyalty. the thing that finally fully convinced me to purchase it! I wish I could
Tomas Sánchez de Novellán: Oedipus and Three More Sofia Hurtado : Utopia For Realists
Sophoclean Tragedies Utopian visions have driven humanity over the centuries and
This is a great book which gives lots of information about greek Bregman’s overarching aim here is to convince us that an Escape from this nightmare
mythology and theatre, topics I’m very interested in. In addition, it alternative to what we see today is achievable – a new society Scream how sorry I am
is a great help for my drama A level, as well as the degree I want to can be created with “visionary” ideas that are wholly plausible and
study (Classics). Moreover, the narrative is enriched with interesting possible to implement. Nonetheless, while his lack of “realism” Change their minds, show them I’m nice
metaphors that show the musicality of all tragedies. I would allows his dreams to be contagious, his lack of seriousness
recommend it because it is a fascinating book which gives you lots can undermine their persuasive power amid his straightforward Change for god’s sake, change, change!
of information about the long lost culture of Greece through four elegance when handling contradictions.
fantastic tragedies.
Nicky Fernández - Ladreda: Nirvana and Kurt Cobain.
Lucia Sevillano: Emma by Jane Austen. Having recently discovered a newfound admiration and meaning for
This caught my eye for many reasons, such as the fact that one of alternative rock music, discovering a biography that recounts the life
my all time favourite movies, Clueless, is based on this particular of the famous grunge band, Nirvana, and its frontman, Kurt Cobain,
book. I knew going into the store that I wanted to read a classic, was a great pleasure for me. It was fascinating to see how Nirvana’s
well-known novel, and who better to turn to than Jane Austen music exploded into the mainstream of the 1990’s, how it spoke to Greta Díaz-Pintado, Year 9
herself! Although I have on,y just started reading it and haven’t the youth with its thoughtful lyrics and some powerful melodies. To
really got stuck into it yet, I can already tell I’m going to thoroughly this day, they’re still regarded as one of the greatest rock bands in (Inspired by the novel To Kill A Mockingbird)
enjoy it. recent times as well as one of the most influential bands in history.
22You can also read
