The clangour of several doorbells, of various tone, being simultaneously set off, can only mean one thing at Luckley; the return of the annual Mary Evans quiz. A packed Drake Hall bears witness once again to several rounds general knowledge questions as four teams of three brave volunteers are pitted against each other. Of course, the quiz is only another stage in the ongoing struggle for house supremacy; Nelson, Drake, Jellicoe and Beattie have already done battle through Sport’s Day and other events throughout the year; but this only enhances the girls’ desire for victory on the penultimate day of the summer term.

From the outset the competition is fierce. However it soon becomes clear who the main contenders are; Beattie pulls away, with Nelson hot in pursuit. The buzzer rounds are the most intense; the moment the words have left Miss Davis’ mouth, and sometimes before, a small terrace’s worth of doorbells sounds. Beattie’s domination falters, their lead becomes less clear, allowing Nelson to come within a couple of points of their rivals. As we enter the final round, it is almost neck and neck. There is still doubt when the tide of questions subsides as to which house has triumphed. 

It is Nelson! The throng of spectators leap to their feet to applaud the persistence of the victorious team. Their victory is won over the tiniest of margins; Beattie sits just a couple of points behind them, Jellicoe follows and Drake takes fourth place.

Year 7 students were given the opportunity to indulge in a European breakfast, sampling both the cuisine and culture of France, Germany and Spain in a morning of language based activities.

Between mouthfuls of croissant, salami and other continental delicacies, the girls managed to converse with quite some confidence using the language skills they had acquired over the course of the year. Likewise, a little later, having consumed the vast majority of the tasties on offer, they confidently threw themselves into the traditional German schoolyard game of ‘Hinkeln’. Hopping on one foot, the aim of the game was to knock a stone from one square to the next (with the same foot) without exceeding the bounds of the drawn court. It proved difficult, but nonetheless incredibly entertaining!

While the game was taking place, some of the more creatively minded girls took to producing Spanish-inspired piñatas, using a variety of materials, and, in many cases, a great deal of glitter. Although the rain outside put a stop to the proposed French game of Petanque, it certainly did not dampen the spirit of the morning, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Luckley-Oakfield was delighted to welcome over 120 Year 5 girls to the annual Invitation Day in July.  The girls had the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities; science, cookery, art, sport, ICT, library, music and drama. After a delicious lunch the girls watched the entertaining and energetic Year 9 production of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. The day was a great success and enjoyed by everyone.

Director of Music, Mrs Vogel did not have to search far to find rising stars to showcase at the school’s Music Festival. The best of Luckley’s musicians took to the stage and performed to a full hall of parents, staff, pupils and friends.

Individual items ranged from traditional pieces on the grand piano to beautiful solos and challenging performances by senior girls playing various instruments. During the Festival students were assessed by an external adjudicator, who listened intensely throughout the evening and was tasked with selecting the most outstanding performers for the three sections; Lower, Intermediate and Senior.

Congratulations to the following winners:
• Lower: Honor Anderson  (Year 9) and Madeleine Fleming (Year 9)
• Intermediate: Harley Hodges (Year 10) and Emily-Jane Ashford (Year 9)
• Senior: Alex Greehy (Year 12)

On Tuesday 24 June Leavers' Day at Luckley-Oakfield provided time for girls and staff to reflect on the girls’ time at school. Miss Davis and the staff team were delighted to welcome Richard Blake (Headmaster 1984 – 2004), accompanied by his wife Margaret, as the preacher at the Leavers’ Service in the morning.

The Service was an opportunity to celebrate the girls’ time at Luckley-Oakfield and to offering up hopes and prayers for their future happiness. The sun shone all day and the girls and staff enjoyed a BBQ lunch on the lawn, while many photos were taken and farewell messages were written in precious year books.

This years Musical Theatre Production is “Much Ado About Nothing” a play written by William Shakespeare. This play is set in the 1960s era, using Motown style songs. Honouring the tradition of Luckley-Oakfield school, each role in this play is multicast. Meaning that there is more than one actor playing the same parts, at different times in the play of course. Each will be dressed similarly so that it is obvious who plays who. To make it even more simple, pay attention the what the actor is wearing, not the actor if you wish to follow what is going on without feeling confused.

The girls have created every single element in this show, sets, props, music, costumes and a very energetic performance to keep everyone entertained.

The girls have also been working hard to promote the event, designing colourful poster for around the school. Please contact the School Office for a ticket order form. Much Ado About Nothing is on 1 & 2 July at 7.30pm.

Year 8 and Year 9 Classicists went to Fishbourne Roman Palace for the day with Mrs Gummery and Mrs Keyte.

 ''We went out into the gardens and lay on the summer tricilinum. We then looked at all the herbs which the Romans used to cure you of things like madness! They have replanted the garden exactly where it was before. It was very large and in Roman times it was double that size so it would have been massive. Girls were  fascinated by the mosaics that were uncovered, especially the one where a mosaic was paced on top of another mosaic as if they had got bored of the old floor and laid a new one over the top. Some had doormats and others were plain with a “rug” effect in the middle.''

''In the Discovery Centre we saw artefacts such as pottery and glass that they had dug up. It was unbelievable how they had found such tiny pieces in this huge site, and also what they had worked about Roman lifestyle from them. We also were excited to see a photo of Zoe’s dad actually excavating what we had been looking at. We were amazed that they had glass windows and that the fire which destroyed the palace was so hot that it melted the glass. The most exciting part for other students was that they were standing on ground where an actual King of Britain had walked slept and eaten, but everyone’s favourite part of the day was rolling down the great hills of earth piled up from the excavations.''