Thank you so much to all those who sent/brought in donations as part of our annual Harvest Appeal 2024. The appeal was in support of two fantastic local charities, Loose Ends and Fair Close Centre, and the students from the House that collected the most donations were promised a Non-school Uniform Day. All the Houses collected a really generous selection of canned food, biscuits, chocolate, teabags, jam and cereals, but there could only be one winner and this year it is Evers. Well done Evers and we are pleased to say that your Non-school Uniform Day will be on Friday 8 November – more reminders to follow!

On Wednesday 16 October, Co-Head of Sixth Form, Mr James Wilder, and St Bart’s School Officers, Eve, Will and Milo accompanied by Year 8 students, Joseph, Mille and Jude, visited both charities to deliver the boxes of food and learn more about the important work they do. So much had been collected that it was necessary to make two trips in the van! The students had a wonderful time making deliveries, meeting the volunteers at both charities and chatting to those local residents enjoying the facilities and company at Fair Close Centre.

Millie, Year 8, said: “We learned all about the services the charities provide and helped hand out some of the food. It was really nice to meet everyone at the Fair Close Centre. I was asked lots of questions about what it was like to study at St Bart’s and what I wanted to do with my studies. Some of those I spoke to had also been to St Bart’s and so it was fun to compare school experiences – I think a lot has changed!”

As part of the cultural enrichment programme, our students studying Chinese had the chance to visit the Kung Fu Oriental Buffet in Newbury to enjoy a meal together. Everyone had a great time. Some of the Year 7 students from Hong Kong, were kind enough to demonstrate to us how to hold chopsticks correctly.

Alice Rumens (8E1) said, “I really enjoyed the trip to Kung Fu. My favourite foods were the sushi and lychees, which hadn’t tried before. We played games and quizzes and I like learning about the different Chinese cities. Thanks to Mrs Wood for organising this for us.”

On Friday 27 September, we took ten Year 8 girls to Bletchley Park to take part in the “I Belong in Computing: Empowering Girls” event. This event was hosted by the NCCE’s St Clement Danes Computing Hub, which serves schools across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and West Berkshire. Bletchley Park, once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers, is a fascinating place to visit, offering immersive films and interactive displays.

Upon arrival, we were taken to the Auditorium for inspirational talks from Mandy Quinton (Computing Hub Lead – St Clement Danes School) and Su Adams (Ucantoo). Su spoke about her journey to owning a tech company, while Mandy shared how her daughter pursued a career in programming. Reflecting on the talks, Asmi (8P2) remarked, “I was shocked to discover that only 20% of girls do GCSE Computing. However, I hope these numbers change in the future.”

Following the talks, we enjoyed a guided tour. Debra, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and brought the history of Bletchley Park to life. Approximately 75% of the workforce at Bletchley was female, and it was particularly fascinating to learn that female messenger riders were allowed to carry firearms on their motorbikes—unheard of in those days! We also learned about the Polish contribution to codebreaking. In 1939, Polish mathematicians handed over their work on decoding the Enigma code to British and French authorities, having broken the code as early as 1932. This contribution was crucial, despite the Germans frequently updating their Enigma machines.

After a quick lunch, the girls took part in some self-exploration. They visited the Mansion, where the first Codebreakers worked before the workforce expanded into newly built huts and blocks. They explored Commander Denniston’s Office and the Library, followed by a visit to Hut 8, where the team breaking German Naval Enigma messages operated. One of the highlights of Hut 8 was Alan Turing’s office, which has been recreated to look as it did during World War Two.

Next, we headed to Block E for a workshop on “Past, Present, and Future Encryption.” Block E was once Bletchley Park’s World War Two communications centre, handling messages, encryption, and material distribution across the organisation. The workshop explored the principles behind modern-day encryption, and the girls tried a simulation of the Vigenère cipher before learning about symmetrical encryption.

We returned to the Auditorium for a final talk aimed at inspiring the girls to consider taking GCSE Computing. Alesha (8C3) commented, “I really enjoyed the trip because I loved the inspirational talk. It was amazing to think about how many things we can do today, and that we were standing in the place where they broke the German codes, which helped win the war. I also loved exploring because there was so much to see, like the dining room, the rooms where they coded, the lake, the mansion, and so much more.”

The trip offered a unique blend of history and technology, leaving the girls inspired. Tanishka (8D1) summed it up perfectly: “The trip was an amazing experience. I learned so much about the Codebreakers in WW2, and it was very interactive. Everyone was so friendly, and the activities were really fun. I’d love to go again and would definitely recommend it.”