3rd May 2022 — The winning team comprised of Ellie M, Sienna H and Georgia D who are currently studying for their A Levels. The girls were required to deliver a 15-minute presentation on why the institution of marriage is outdated, competing against strong teams from St Albans’ Girls School and Stamford High School.

The girls’ victory follows their success in the district finals, which was held earlier, against teams from St Joseph’s College, Ipswich and The Perse.

The competition has been run by the Rotary Club since 1988 and provides the opportunity for teams to build their confidence and ambition.

Miss Garrett, Head of English at The Leys, commented: “We are so proud of the team, who retained the same winning formula of eloquence, humour and teamwork as they have done throughout the competition.

“They saved their best performance for the final and the way they worked with one another in answering questions was a remarkable feat of collaboration. The other teams were by far the strongest we had faced, and I think we were all aware that getting this far in the competition was a remarkable achievement in itself. Nevertheless, when The Leys were announced victorious, our team and the parents supporting them were absolutely thrilled.

“It is a shame that the national finals have been cancelled, as the next round would have been held at the NEC in Birmingham which would have been a wonderful experience for them, but the team will now remain unbeaten and should be incredibly proud of their achievements.”

29th March 2022 — On 23-24 March 2022, staff and pupils at The Leys School, Cambridge held their first ‘Giving Day’, a programme of events designed to bring the worldwide school community together and raise funds for a variety of causes. Initiatives on the day generated more than £25,000 for school bursaries, and almost £5,000 for chosen charities beyond the School.

Events in the School included a non-uniform day, cupcakes at lunch and an opportunity for the pupils to showcase the year-round fundraising they have been involved with. It was also an opportunity to invite guests to hear about the volunteering initiatives the pupils have been engaged with, such as maths tutoring at a local primary school or helping at Oxfam and Scope.

The day culminated with a buffet lunch for the visiting guests followed by a singalong screening of The Greatest Showman in the school’s Great Hall.

A running commentary on the day was shared on social media, and a dedicated website provided a platform for alumni, parents, staff and friends of the School to make their donations.

Donna Thomas-Watson, Director of Development at The Leys, commented: “This was a wonderful opportunity for the Leys community to come together to celebrate and reflect on the charitable activities of the pupils.

“The money raised will go directly towards 110% bursaries for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the amazing opportunities a Leysian education offers. This, as well as the funds going to charities beyond the School, is what the event was all about and we are very grateful for the support and generosity shown by the entire Leysian community.”

8th December 2021 — The Broadway musical, based on Louisa May Alcott’s novel, struck a chord with its theme of a family finding strength in their loving bonds during difficult days. Director Cory Pulman-Jones selected it for this reason and because it has many good parts for strong female actors and singers, something the school has in abundance in its current cohort.

The story is set during the American Civil War. The central character, Jo March, was played by Bonnie B. She conveyed Jo’s energy and ambition and her headstrong ways which get her into trouble but signify her potential. Jo’s plans to become a professional author form the framework of the show, which opens with her lamenting the string of rejection letters she has received from publishers while seeking her fortune in New York.

The action then looks back at her life with her family in Concord, Massachusetts, where Marmee (Ruby C) is bringing up Jo and her three sisters, Amy (India F), Meg (Lucy K) and Beth (Amira A) alone while their father is away at war. Intercut with the vignettes in which their lives unfold are several recreations of the “blood and guts” stories Jo writes in her attic studio. The amusingly absurd melodrama of these scenes contrasts with the tender interactions of the family and their friends and neighbours. Misunderstandings and tragedies are overcome by love and kindness, personified by the saintly Marmee. The sisters learn life lessons and become women.

Costume designer Carol Bye’s mid-19th century gorgeous crinoline dresses were a visual delight and the stagecraft was very effective. A scene in which the ailing Beth watches an illuminated kite soaring upwards was enchanting. The singing from all the characters (and the menfolk should not be forgotten) was very good, with outstanding solos by Ruby C and Bonnie B.

6th December 2021 — The biennial event for Under-21s was due to be held from 5 to 16 December in Potchefstroom. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is hopeful it can be rearranged.

“The safety of everyone involved in the FIH events is an absolute priority,” said the organisation’s chief executive, Thierry Weil. “Additionally, many countries, including from some of the participating teams, have now strongly increased their travel restrictions with South Africa, including halting flights. Therefore, it simply isn’t possible to maintain this event as planned. This is hugely disappointing.

“An FIH Junior World Cup is so important for the development of young players, and it the first time that an FIH World Cup was due to take place on African soil. On behalf of FIH, I’d like to thank all teams for their understanding as well as the local organisers for their great work and collaboration.”

Katie, currently studying at the University of Nottingham, enjoyed a sparkling career in Hockey at The Leys. She played in the national U16 Girls squad and captained The Leys U16 Girls’ side that reached the national schools’ hockey finals in two successive years. She also received the Roy Burrell Sportswoman of the Year award, for outstanding young players in Cambridgeshire.

6th December 2021 — Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.

Ollie T, Community Prefect, said: “We had two major assemblies, in which we took a deep dive into the problems with the way men’s mental health is addressed in our community and worldwide. We outlined our key areas of focus as being communication and sport. Secondly, we went into every single House to have an informal discussion about men’s mental health: how people can be allies and how people can look to ‘open up’.”

Their “finisher” event was on 1st December, when they attempted eight sports throughout the day to enforce the statistic that one in eight men have significant negative mental health difficulties.

“This has been an amazingly rewarding month, as not only have we been able to see an amazing amount of money coming in for a great cause (more than £1,250) but more importantly we have seen a shift in attitudes,” said Ollie.

"Initially, our belief about the problem of a lack of communication was confirmed, but all eight of us have had the privilege of speaking to individuals and helping them open up. Sport has been a great asset in inspiring communication. Above all this month has been about being frank, being open, and being ready to embrace the conversation.”

The donation link remains: https://www.justgiving.com/LeysMovember

6th December 2021 — The Cup is an endurance time trial, or processional race, originally organised by Jesus College Boat Club for the University of Cambridge but now open to all comers. It takes place at the end of November, with divisions for both novice and senior crews.

The novices’ course along the Cam is from the flagpole outside Jesus College Boathouse to the end of Long Reach, Fen Ditton - a distance of 1.7 miles (2,700 metres).

The Leys 1st Eight was: Claudia G (Cox/coach), Michiel T (Stroke), Will O’F (7), John G-I (6), Ollie G (5), Jack S (4, Captain), Elliott S-McK (3), Aidan J (2) and Ruslan R (Bow). They are pictured passing under the Green Dragon Bridge.

Simon Hames, Head of Rowing, said: “This was a great result for the lads.”