February 2025
The Media Magazine Conference at The British Film Institute was an essential part of our budding Film and Media students’ journeys, with six essential talks ranging from the subject of AI, fandom and filmmaking to the topic of YouTubers and newspapers.
Within the conference, we all learned that it means to be a part of the industry from all aspects. We had exclusive talks from Chris Hog, Alison Phillips, Hannah Ewens, Harv Frost, Nida Manzoor, and David Hesmondhalgh, all prominent figures in the media industry, encompassing all essential roles such as lecturing, filmmaking and editing a national newspaper.
During each lecture, I observed a significant expansion and growth in mine and my class’s understanding of the media industry. This was all very useful and gave everybody insights on what they want to use their Film Studies and Media Studies A-Levels respectively for in the future. We all felt that having a talk directly from Hesmondhalgh came in handy as he is one of the media theorists that we are expected to write about in our exams, so to be able to meet him face to face was something I could never have predicted. One year ago, I was learning about him as if he were a celebrity, and suddenly he was there in front of my face.
On top of this, getting to meet everybody who spoke was wonderful and gave me some real insight on the types of amazing creatives that I one day hope to be around within the media industry.
Hugo Sheppard (13Otter), Film Studies and Media Studies student
On Friday 7th February the Librarians transformed Bishop Luffa Library for one night only into our very own Hogwarts as part of National Storytelling week celebrations in school. Year 7 and 8 students came to take part in Potions, Care of Magical Creatures and look at the History of Hogwarts museum, plus a very lively Quidditch practice. Students could also relax in the Owlery and shop at Honeydukes for magical treats like pumpkin pasties, Fizzing Whizzbees, and of course Every-Flavour Beans. The young witches and wizards were sorted into Hogwarts houses and for each activity had the chance to earn points for their house, including for a particularly fiendish quiz. On the night Hufflepuff were victorious as winners of the quiz and overall champions of the night.
Each Hufflepuff student received a small prize. Prizes were also presented for the best costumes. “Harry Potter Night is on the surface about bringing Students together to have some fun,” said the Librarians. “But it’s also about nurturing a love of stories and literature in our pupils that will last their whole lives, and it’s obvious when you look at some of our guests tonight just how magical and life-changing that can be.”
Mrs Shuttleworth & Mx Thomas, Librarians
On Saturday 8th February students took part in the 2025 Chichester Festival for Music, Dance & Speech. We are delighted to report that our students performed very well.
- Ralph L’Amie (7Ridgeway) received a Gold medal, commended, for his clarinet solo.
- Ben Taylor (10Ridgeway) received a Silver Medal with honours for his saxophone solo and a Gold medal with honours for his duet performance.
- Rebecca King (9Otter) not only was awarded the Paton Clarinet Cup receiving a gold medal with outstanding for her clarinet solo, she was also awarded the Helen Maltby Cup, gold medal with honours for her clarinet duet.
- Ben Webb (7Andrewes) received a gold medal with honours for his flute duet.
- Alexander Solly (11Ridgeway) won a cup for his Shakespeare monologue.
Congratulations to all our students! We continue to be very proud of their achievements.
Jane Bowen-Melfi, Head of Music
What a fantastic and unforgettable week we had this term with our Spanish friends!
This is the third year that we have run an exchange programme with our partner school (Nuryana School) in Tenerife, Spain. This year we hosted 25 students from Year 9, 10 and 12, and welcomed three fantastic and dedicated Spanish teachers. It was lovely to see the Spanish students in our school, attending lessons, eating at the canteen and making new friendships at break time. We have been very impressed with their level of English and their confidence and resilience. They participated actively in lessons and contributing with ideas and opinions.
During the week we went to Brighton, where we visited the Royal Pavilion, and enjoyed the beach, pier and lanes. All students loved the city and want to come back again soon! We also explored Chichester together, although the best part for our students was playing football, rounders and eating cake in the park. A great opportunity to bond together as a group!
On Saturday we visited HMS Victory and the Mary Rose museum in Old Portsmouth. We finished the day with a delicious fish and chips lunch in a traditional English pub. A lot of students got together in the evening to watch "el clásico", Real Madrid - Athlético de Madrid football match. Sunday was a relaxing day with the families. Most students went to the beach, ate a traditional English roast and also went bowling together.
Saying goodbye on the last day was quite emotional but the majority of students were organising their own future trips to see each other again. Some of the Spanish students did not want to leave! They said they have had a wonderful time here and wanted to stay a bit longer. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the parents who sent us lovely emails thanking us for organising the exchange, and for being such great hosts. All the Spanish students left with a smile on their faces and incredible experiences to remember.
We are all looking forward to our trip to Tenerife in June and seeing our friends again!
Elizabeth López Gamero, Team Leader of Spanish & International School Coordinator
During the February half term break, our Sixth Form Film Studies and Media Studies students got a taste of the capital and the culture and creativity on offer on our doorstep.
After a train journey into Waterloo, our first stop was the Tate Modern where - amongst the expected famous works of art - innovative short films and diverse multimedia projects gave our Year 12 learners inspiration ahead of their forthcoming coursework units.
Following a meander around Covent Garden, we watched the award-winning musical adaptation of Back to the Future with its astonishing staging effects and deft adaptation of Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis’s timeless screenplay (handy for our Year 13 Film students as we are currently studying the shift from New American Cinema to the high concept blockbusters of the 1980s).
After a stroll past Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace to London’s original Hard Rock Café for dinner, our first day concluded with screenings at the British Film Institute. Each student decided which one of the three films on offer they wanted to watch; these included Memoir of a Snail, a Burtonesque Australian animation which is up for Best Animated Film at this year’s Oscars, and I’m Still Here, the critically acclaimed story of a family’s life in 70’s Rio under the Brazilian military dictatorship. Each student was enthralled by their choice, and some were visibly moved and deeply affected when we gathered in the lobby afterwards to discuss our picks.
The following day we set off for what was possibly the highlight of the trip: Vogue: Inventing the Runway, an audio-visual experience at The Lightroom, a huge immersive space in which moving image is projected on all four walls and the floor. We lined up in a “backstage area” where some of our students indulged at the make-up stations. Then, after getting comfy on one of the Lightroom’s many seating areas, the history of Vogue magazine (a product our Year 13 Media students are studying) was told through a collision of images and footage which enveloped the entire space. It was a truly unique experience, topped off by some of our students getting to meet and talk to the staff member who created the entire installation.
After lunch at Canopy Market near Granary Square, we finished our residential with a visit to Madam Tussauds, where selfies with film, media and cultural icons were the order of the day. We also took in the newer Marvel and Star Wars exhibits, a reminder of the sustained legacy marketing and cross-promotion methods deployed by Disney, all conglomerates and companies that we investigate in Year 12 Media Studies.
After two days and over 35,000 steps we were done! The students left with a fresh awareness of the myriad ways to enter the film, media and cultural industries and the huge impact the sector has on their lives and futures.
My thanks to Mrs Jones for accompanying us and to all the students who embarked on the trip.
Gareth Evans - Team Leader Film Studies and Media Studies
Bishop Luffa was teeming with love and joy in the week before half term with the sale of roses for the Otter House charity event to raise money for Macmillan
Cancer Support.
Thank you to everyone who bought a rose (or 3!) or made a donation to this amazing charity. We matched our total of £450 from last year - this is in addition to the £240 raised from the Coffee Morning in November. A huge thank you to 11 Otter and the wonderful Mrs Smerdon-Corp who do a phenomenal job behind the scenes so the roses can be delivered to the correct people - no mean feat to get hundreds of roses delivered around the school in one tutor time.
Jas Stone, Head of Otter House
Congratulations to Jackson Harding (7Sherborne) and Alvin Bineesh (9Wilson) for their fantastic achievement in the national Halloween Coding Competition, run by DressCode in Scotland! Their impressive Scratch games each earned them the top prize—Tobbie the Self-Guiding AI Robot. Well done to both students for showcasing their creativity and coding skills!
Helen Williams, Team Leader of Computer Science