THERFIELD SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
October 1979

The new Gymnasium will clearly not be ready for use until some time during the Spring term.

SCHOOL FUND
We are grateful to parents for their generous support. We plan to spend part of this year's contribution on the development of individual learning units within our school library. The fund also enables us to foster the greatly increased number of school clubs and activities which are organized by our teachers before and after school, and during lunch-breaks. Our current schedule shows 70 activity meetings are taking place each school week

SAILING CLUB
You will be interested to hear that at the recent Surrey Schools Regatta, the Therfield boat won two of the three races for "fast boats" and so received the Sailing Cup, Well done Chris Trotter and Angela Cox.

CUTS IN EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITURE
You will know from the national press that there are considerable cuts in educational expenditure in hand or planned for the next few years. We do not know as yet the full extent of these proposals but reductions in the pupil-teacher ratio are certain, We intend to keep our parents informed of the likely effects of these cuts on our school.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
I suppose it was inevitable after the reception of "OLIVER" last year that all seats were taken for the three performances of "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" within a few days of opening the box office. Thank you for this tremendous response; equally, we are sorry that there have been disappointments. There may be some seats available through cancellations. You are invited to keep in contact with Mrs. Brook in the school office.

During the three performances, the Friends are arranging the refreshments which will include coffee, wine and confectionery.

This year all seats are numbered and so it will avoid the rush of "first come, first served".

You are invited to bring seat cushions for small children. Parents of the cast who are coming to collect their children should not arrive until the end of the performance and are requested to wait outside, or in their cars, to avoid congestion in the Entrance Hall.

STAGE LIGHTING
The second stage of the lighting scheme has now been completed and is in good order ready for next month's musical. Thanks to the success of the recent jumble sale arranged by the Friends, we are in a position to make full payment and henceforth direct fund-raising towards the third and final stage.

GIRLS' P.E. DEPARTMENT
The turn-out of our girls has produced much favourable comment, both at school and when competing elsewhere. Miss Inak would like to thank all our parents who have cooperated to ensure these high standards.

OUTDOOR WEAR
Over half term, as the winter approaches, you may wish to purchase outdoor wear for your son or daughter. Please note that the good tone of the school is often judged by the style of outdoor wear of our pupils. We do not proscribe a rigid outdoor wear uniform but many pupils wear a plain Parka or anorak of a dark shade, or a full-length unpatterned coat. These items we feel are the most suitable outdoor wear.

NEW TEACHERS
We welcome the following new members of staff who joined us in September.

HIGHER EDUCATION
News is filtering back to us about some of last year's Upper Sixth Form.
IAN CREASEY is at Durham University reading Electronics. PAUL GLASS, History (Leeds); JANE WHITE, English (Leicester); AMANDA SPORNE, Environmental Science (East Anglia); PAUL THOMAS, Metallurgy (Manchester); IAN WARD, Chemistry (Sheffield); RICHARD LUFF, Civil Engineering (London); KATIE HILL (Cardiff); EDWARD TATE, Music (Liverpool); MARK CARTER, Geology; MARK ANDREAE, Surveying (Kingston); JANET MUTIMER (Southampton); RICHARD MOYSE (ex Head Boy) will be going to Dartmouth Naval College.

AUTUMN TERM - DATES TO NOTE
Wed. 7th November Evening Meeting on the Sailing Holiday.
Tues. 13th November Inter-School Public Speaking Competition (St. Andrew's School).
15/16/17th November "Fiddler on the Roof".
Thurs. 22nd November 5th Form Parents' Evening.
Wed. 28th November Open Evening for Middle School Parents.
Sat. 8th December Friends' Christmas Fair (afternoon).
Sat. 15th December Friends' Christmas Dance.
Mon. 17th December (4 - 6 p.m.) 3rd Form Christmas Party,
Wed. 19th December Evening Carol Service.

WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME
During the current week 208 of our fifth formers are on Work Experience with 140 different firms or employers. These include, Banks, Greenwich Observatory, Post Office, National Theatre, Press Photography, Hairdressers, Maritime Museum, British Rail, Hospitals, Dentists, Laboratories, Veterinary Surgeons - to name but a few.

Ours is one of the most extensive and comprehensive schemes operated anywhere in the County. We thank our Careers teachers and the local Careers Officers for working hard to place so many young people in appropriate work experience situations.

EXAMINATION RESULTS
Therfield has had another successful academic year. Our 78% pass rate at "A" Level was comfortably better than the average for all similar Surrey schools, and the 66% "O" Level pass rate markedly so.

Highlights from an analysis of the results by the Second Master include 5th Form "O" Level pass rates of 80% in Biology, 81% in History and 82% in English Language. In Mathematics 93% of the fifty-six candidates passed, twenty-five of them obtaining Grade A.

HOUSE CHARITIES
Parents may be aware that the "Houses" of the school make a special effort in the Autumn Term to raise money for their chosen charities, This year Polesden are raising money for the Ashtead Club for the Physically Handicapped, Juniper for the National Cancer Research Oraranisation, Leith for "The Grange" Bookham, and Norbury for Sir Malcolm Sargent's Cancer Research for Children.