AUSTIN FRIARS ST MONICA`S SCHOOL

13/14
AUSTIN
SENIOR SCHOOL
AUSTIN FRIARS
ST MONICA’S SCHOOL
In Omnibus Caritas
02 NEW STARTERS
03 HEAD’S SPEECH
06 HEAD BOY & HEAD GIRL SPEECH
08 FEATURES & REPORTS
16 ENGLISH POEMS
17 CHAPLAINCY
18 LINCOLN HOUSE REPORT
20 STAFFORD HOUSE REPORT
22 CLARE HOUSE REPORT
24 BOYS’ SPORT REPORT
28 GIRLS’ SPORT REPORT
32 MUSIC & THE ARTS
34 U6 LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS
L O V E • W E L L - B E I N G • H U M I L I T Y • S T U D Y & W I S D O M • F R E E D O M • C O M M U N I T Y • C O M M O N G O O D • H U M B L E & G E N E R O U S S E R V I C E • F R I E N D S H I P • P R AY E R
NEW STARTERS
In Omnibus Caritas
At the start of the Michaelmas Term 2013, the School welcomed
50 new students into the family of Austin Friars St Monica’s School.
CLARE HOUSE
LINCOLN HOUSE
STAFFORD HOUSE
Harry Austin
Carys Auckland-Lewis
Denizhan Akdeniz
Oliver Brooks
Hannah Elsender
Naomi Bell
James Brown
Oliver Ferdinand
Oliver Bowers
Thomas Davies
Olivia Graham
Francisca Boyling
Eleanor Ewart
Henry Johnson-Ferguson
Josh Galloway
Paul Harrison
Ijaz Kittoe
Louis Grogan
Maisie Hitch
Philip Mackay
Marcus Grogan
Megan Le Brocq
Hannah Martyn-Jones
Caitlin Hodkinson
Lucy McCulloch
Charlotte Mitton
Percy Johnstone
Anna Park
Lewis Ransley
Charlotte McGauchie
Jonathan Park
Oliver Walton
Holly Milbourn
Harry Robinson
Guy Wellings
Jared Musson
Isabel Wood
Max Lancaster
Max Skinner
Katie McCall
Marcus Tiffen
Ruaridh McCall
Alice Ullyart
Kristy Liu
Corbin Hamilton
Emily Armstrong-Hinson
Umer Memon
Sarah Waugh
HEAD’S SPEECH
Brigadier Griffiths, Trustees,
Parents, Guests, Colleagues and
Friends – welcome to our Speech
Day & Prize Giving.
I hope that you will indulge me for a short
time whilst I try to explore some of the
issues that trouble us teachers and me,
particularly, in my role as Head. In our roles
we are often visited by troubles. Some are
visited upon us by others; some we bring
upon ourselves but – they are all troubles
nonetheless. The very nature of our being
is that we strive to help people, and there
is a group of people that I believe is in
need of our help. The group is, of course,
children: but the help is not in learning how
to differentiate, or how to explain the causes
of the outbreak of the Second World War.
The help they need is far more serious than
that. The help they need is in preserving that
which is only available for a very limited time
– we need to help preserve childhood.
Government attitudes. It is clear from Policy
statements and Ministerial speeches that
the Government believes that success
in traditional academic subjects is key to
greater social mobility and happiness. We
often hear that we are educating young
people for many future careers, some of
which have yet to be invented. Well, that’s
all very well – but what we seem to forget is
that we are educating children who already
inhabit a world vastly different from that
in which we, parents and teachers, were
educated, and it is a world that I’m not sure
we fully understand.
“
In ‘The 2013 Good Childhood Report’
by the Children’s Society they report that
children in the UK experienced a rise in
well-being between 1994 and 2008, but
this appears to have stalled and may have
begun to reverse in most recent years.
Now, some may tut and fear that to make a
speech child-centred is a flabby, progressive
piece of thinking but there is, I believe, a real
danger that Government policy combined
with shifting social attitudes means that
the whole concept of childhood is being
undermined. How so, you might ask – and
what does this have to do with us at Austin
Friars St Monica’s? Well, let’s consider
Government policy; or more accurately,
Children need play to
develop the skills that
are so important for
childhood and beyond;
and they need play
for, dare I say it,
the F word – Fun.
”
For example; do we have any real idea
of the emotional effect that a constant
bombardment of horrific news has on the
soul of a teenager? There is a danger that
our children are living in a world where such
images become the norm. If we add to
this our judicial system which is based on
confrontation and attack, and our method of
so-called ‘political debating’ which involves
politicians shouting at each other in an
aggressive and combative way – is it really
any wonder that the touchstones of civilised
society are slipping away from our youth?
Imagine if our staff meetings or School
Council meetings were conducted in the
same way as Prime Minister’s Question time
– it simply would not be tolerated.
And if we go back to policy; our emerging
examinations system and Higher Education
admissions policies are by-and-large
designed to select the few and to fail the
many. Our inability to properly develop and
support the mainstream vocational subjects
means that many children simply give up.
And what happens when they give up?
They become disaffected, they become
isolated and they repeat the learned pattern
of failure.
There is nothing wrong with having different
pathways through education – children are
incredibly egocentric and will want what is
best for them as an individual. The fly in the
ointment is when they are constantly told
that one route is supposedly better than
another. Better for whom, I would ask?
So, our children are existing at school in an
environment that undermines many. And,
what of the world around them? Well, the
pressure for children supposedly to ‘grow
up’ too quickly is shocking.
We all know of the high profile cases where
inappropriate clothing is being promoted
for young children and the like but are
we guilty, too, of promoting childhood as
some form of occupational hazard on the
road to becoming a real person? What
sort of country have we become where we
encourage seven year-olds to have tutors to
get into highly selective schools? When we
send young children home for the holidays
with practice exam papers? When we build
schools without playgrounds, and when
we fill the curriculum with subjects that are
03
In Omnibus Caritas
supposed, by a few, to be more important
than subjects that may well be more
engaging and more relevant to a modern
world?
We all have a part to play in preserving
childhood. It is surely a precious time, partly
for its own sake, but there is also a very
important reason for doing so.
At the Autumn Meeting of the Society
of Heads, the Deputy Director at The
Government Digital Service, Tom
Loosemore, confirmed that what he was
looking for as an employer were young
people who had the confidence to work in
teams with others who had different skills,
strengths and challenges, and who valued
an open-minded and creative approach
to problem-solving. Now, of course we
need to teach enabling and access skills in
Maths and English to a high level. But Rod
Bristow, UK President of Pearson said, “It’s
not just about literacy and numeracy.
Even the best-performing nations say
the number one issue in education is
to better equip school leavers with the
broader skills needed for working life,
and we are no exception. Employers
still find that some young people lack
the initiative, problem-solving and
communication skills to succeed at
work.”
So, how do we at Austin Friars St Monica’s
develop these broader skills? Well, the
interesting thing is that children already
have them. If you look at a group of young
children playing they demonstrate all of
these so-called ‘higher level skills’. Play
encourages creativity; in play, children learn
how to control their impulses and follow
rules; and one of the central art forms
of being human is the ability to control
impulses and behaving appropriately in
context. Play is a way in which young
children can learn to control fear – and in
particular the fear of failing; but children
do not fear failure – they fear the response
of others to failure. And so why do we
undervalue play either by disabling
opportunities, or by controlling it so closely
that it is of no real benefit?
Our future generations do not need longer
school days or fewer holidays. In his recent
article in the Independent Dr Peter Gray
said: “The Education Secretary’s hope
is that more hours in school will raise
test scores in the UK to the level of
those in China, Singapore and other
East Asian nations. Paradoxically,
Gove’s proposal has appeared just a
few months after the Chinese Ministry
of Education issued a report – entitled
‘Ten Regulations to Lessen Academic
Burden for Primary School Students’
– calling for less time in school, less
homework and less reliance on test
scores as a means of evaluating
schools.”
Children need play to develop the skills
that are so important for childhood and
beyond; and they need play for, dare I
say it, the F word – Fun. Often derided
as inconsequential or frivolous, there is
a danger that we are driving all of the
fun from childhood. Some time ago, I
tried to search for the word “fun” on the
Department for Education website and it
would only show if closely followed by the
word ‘ding.’
Wordsworth understood that children see
things differently. He wrote:
There was a time
when meadow, grove,
and stream,
The earth, and
every common sight,
To me did seem
apparell’d in
celestial light,
The glory and the
freshness of a dream.
For Wordsworth, childhood is a shining
time; a time ‘Of splendour in the grass, of
glory in the flower’.
And so perhaps I am confusing childhood
with schooling? Perhaps I am falling foul of
one of my other concerns about education.
I am sure that Mr Gove is a very nice man
but he has one serious flaw, and it’s one
that he shares with us all, I think. His main
flaw is that he went to school, and therefore
he must be an expert in schooling. It was
Mark Twain who said that one should never
let school interfere with your education and
I think he was right. Perhaps we should
remember what it is like to be a child, rather
than try to remember our schools?
04
In Omnibus Caritas
The child development psychologist Alison
Gopnik advises ‘If we adults want a
taste of childhood, imagine being
in a situation you’ve never been in
before – falling in love with someone
new, or arriving in a new city for the
first time. What happens then is that
our consciousness expands, so those
three days in Paris seem to be more
full of consciousness and experience
than all the months back home. And
coffee actually mimics the effect of
baby neurotransmitters. So what’s it
like to be a baby? It’s like being in love
in Paris for the first time after you’ve
had three double-espressos. Every day
is first love in Paris. Every wobbly step
is skydiving, every game of hide-andseek is Einstein in 1905.’
If we look at our schools, they are designed
to make children conform. They must dress
the same, move when a bell rings, (and I do
like the anecdote I heard about Mr Tiffen;
that his class were studying Pavlov in a
Psychology lesson, but then the bell rang
and so they went for lunch.) But worse than
just expecting conformity, most schools are
based on a historical model that has little
relevance to our world today – let alone that
of the future.
In a recent Blog on ‘Diversity or Conformity’
Steve Wheeler said:
“It is clear that schools should be
founded on diversity not on conformity.
Yet to achieve this involves not
only a strong consideration of the
development of individuals and their
specific abilities, but also on the need
for each school to create its own
distinct identity within its community.
How can this be encouraged and
supported?”
Well, I think that there are two ways that
this can be supported and encouraged and
they are ways in which we at Austin Friars
St Monica’s are already well ahead of the
game. Firstly, in order to fully and properly
understand and develop the individual, we
need teachers who are teachers of children
and not just teachers of subjects. The art
of being a teacher, and it is an art form,
is being lost in a narrowly focussed and
misdirected political gimmick to supposedly
drive-up academic standards. Pastoral care
has to be at the centre of any community.
Children are labelled as learners, data sets
or mobile profit centres and their needs as
individual children are being lost in a datadriven swamp.
Secondly, children must feel valued, (loved
even), and part of a community. We can try
to demonstrate communities with uniforms,
houses, ties and whatever but actually they
need to feel it. And their teachers need
to feel it. And their parents need to feel it.
And their local communities need to feel
it. And in order for children to feel part of
a community, they need to feel valued by
that community. They do not need to feel
that they’re letting the community down by
depressing a league table place.
They do not need to feel that the
community doesn’t want them because
they’re not going to get an externally and
unrealistically determined crop of exam
grades. They are going to feel it when
the other members of the community, in
particular the staff, treat them with dignity
and respect for who they are. They will feel
it if they are involved in making decisions
about the community and having an input
into things that are going to affect them.
I’m not talking about children taking-over
the running of schools or other such
nonsense talked about by certain tabloids
whenever student voice is mentioned. But
I am talking about those with significant
responsibilities – that’s us – teachers and
parents – being accountable to our whole
community. They will feel it when they
feel trusted. Trust is somewhat going out
of fashion in our increasingly controlling
society. Every day in London each
person’s picture is, on average, captured
300 times on CCTV. The UK has 10% of
the world’s 30 million CCTV’s. Why is the
world now so full of warnings?
Why does the packaging for an iron say
on it ‘Warning: do not iron clothes on
body’ or a bottle of Nytol (a sleep aid) say:
‘Warning: may cause drowsiness’?
Why does a hair-colouring kit say
‘Warning: do not use as an ice cream
topping’, or why, on a birthday card for
a 1 year-old does it say ‘Not suitable
for children aged 36 months or less’?
Why, on a pushchair, does the label say
‘Caution: remove infant before folding
for storage’? And my favourite is the
child’s Superman costume where the label
says: ‘Wearing of this garment does
not enable you to fly’.
‘The 2013 Good Childhood Report’
showed that children are most likely to
experience low well-being in the early
teenage years, but goes on to say that
this is not inevitable and that happiness
with some aspects of life, such as school,
appearance and choice drop a lot more
between 8 and 15 than other aspects,
such as happiness with friendships that
remain high throughout these years.
How reassuring, then, that in this exact
age group of children surveyed in the
Society’s Schools, over 90% said that
they would recommend their school to
friends. This survey, carried out by MTM
Consulting had responses from over four
and a half thousand children. It came up
with some interesting conclusions but it is
unsurprising, although gratifying, that our
children feel part of a community at School
and that they feel this is important. That
they see small class sizes as important in
achieving their best. These things we, as
adults, just assume and it is good to know
that our assumptions are correct.
“
...we need to let our
young people know
that they are valued
and cared for – for who
they are, and for what
they might want to
become. And for that,
we need teachers who
understand their wider
roles. We need schools
that give children the
opportunity to be heard
and trusted.
”
A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to
be chatting to a former pupil who told me
how lucky he had been to attend Friars;
every teacher knew his strengths and
challenges, and he felt valued by them all.
He sensed their willingness and desire for
him to do his best. He wanted to please
them. He was the first person in his family
to get a degree and it is solely because
our community nurtured him – his words,
not mine! He didn’t think of himself as a
scholar but that didn’t matter. He said,
“They treated me with the same
respect for being good at designing
and making as they treated those
that went to Oxbridge and those who
played Rugby at the highest level.
We were all the same – cared-for
and doing our best because of it. We
were allowed to be children; allowed
to make mistakes; nurtured when
things went wrong and celebrated
when things went right. Not through
complex systems of rewards and
sanctions; but rather by human
contact. I am immensely proud of my
old school because as a vulnerable,
shy, and awkward 13 year-old boy
with difficulties they looked after me
and had faith in me.”
And so if we want to talk about social
mobility then we need to let our young
people know that they are valued and
cared for – for who they are, and for what
they might want to become. And for that,
we need teachers who understand their
wider roles. We need schools that give
children the opportunity to be heard and
trusted.
The exceptional teacher will hold the
children safe, and in this safety ‘free’
them. The freedom to take risks, the
willingness to make errors, the enthusiasm
to share ideas, the courage to find a
voice – these all have their roots in the
way a teacher cares for the child. And
what are the values that our children in our
schools most value in their teachers? Well,
according to the recent MTM research our
children most value teachers who are fun,
kind, helpful and caring. Not unsurprising,
but I ask – how highly do these particular
attributes figure in Ofsted Standards
for Teachers or indeed ISI inspection
regimes..?
We need a school and examination
system that rewards ALL competencies
and capabilities, and we need
communities that are prepared to standup for children and protect their childhood.
Let me return to Professor Gopnik in
closing. After what I hope will be an
inspiring Speech Day with even a bit of
that ‘F’ word thrown-in, you will go back
to your homes. I’m not suggesting you
should do so via a brief caffeine-fuelled trip
to a European capital city, but why not visit
us at School sometime and wander into a
1st Form classroom; you’ll almost certainly
see some challenges being thrown down
and met, some willingness to experiment,
some laughter, and some wide-eyed, pure
joy in learning, and teachers and pupils
who genuinely care – then you’ll know that
your children are in the right place, and on
the right track.
“
You have made us
for yourself, O Lord,
and our hearts are
restless until they
rest in you.
”
05
In Omnibus Caritas
HEAD BOY & HEAD GIRL SPEECH...
Ladies and gentlemen, parents and
pupils, trustees, honoured guests
and teachers, welcome to our last
ever speech day. We thank you all
for coming this morning to celebrate
what has been one of the busiest
and most exciting years of our
school lives. We hope to give you
an insight into our Austin Friars
St Monica’s experience.
2007 saw the arrival of some very
nervous and anxious new starters,
and this was just Mr Love and Mr
Finn alongside 49 other excited and
enthusiastic First Formers. Freddie and
I are privileged to have been original
members of Team Finn. Mr Finn
has since gone on to mentor 6
further 1st form groups in Clare
House. He recently expressed to
us his pride in seeing 7 years of
Team Finn all together in the refs
at lunch time and how a part of
him will leave with us this year. It
is this sense of community that
we love and will miss most about
the school. My first lesson with Mr
Love is a significant memory of
First Form that I always remember;
where he spent an entire lesson
telling our class how to pronounce
his surname Mr Love and not
Mr Luurrrve, I was quite honestly
terrified of him. However, we soon
realised that he was far from scary
and is a teacher with whom many
have a strong relationship and his
classes are always enjoyable. One
word can be used to describe
him, PASSIONATE; about both
chemistry and Lincoln House. He
is always incredibly positive, which
of course is hard being in charge
of Lincoln, not that we are biased at
all. And he even manages to crack a
smile when we answer his question
“what don’t you understand?” with
“Chemistry”.
Freddie and I, along with Alice, Munro,
Zaz and Toby make up the first senior
prefect team elected by Mr Harris
himself. We are a close team who have
really enjoyed working together this
year; in fact we have become almost
inseparable. More emphasis has been
put on the role of being a Deputy Head,
with a constant presence in chapel
during assemblies and the overseeing
of younger years. And, we must say,
the hymn books have never been so
organised! With the role of Head Boy
and Head girl, comes many duties
and responsibilities; of these the most
challenging by far has been the delivery
of the Friday morning prayer without
mispronouncing or stumbling over the
word. ‘administrative’. This is something
we have been ridiculed for on a weekly
basis. We even tried to resolve it with
a slight modification of the wording
unfortunately this did not go unnoticed.
Sport has been a huge part of the school
for both of us and this year has been no
different; seeing an enormous number of
sports fixtures taking place, as teachers
and pupils are well aware of, as another
Friday assembly goes on way past the
bell. Last October saw the 1st ever mixed
rugby and hockey tour undertaken by
the school in which we were followed
by a fan club of parents. The journey
is one that most of us will not forget in
a hurry, with gale force winds causing
the ferry, and us, to heave from side to
side, a bad night’s sleep and many green
faces in the morning. Receiving the
devastating news that we would have
to spend another 6 hours on board due
to not being able to dock was not what
we wanted to hear and we consequently
missed our 1st matches. However
despite the bumpy start, we enjoyed
many activities planned for us, playing
some competitive matches, especially
for the girls, as Holland’s prime sport is
hockey.
One of the largest characters during our
time at school was Mr Smith, whose
06
In Omnibus Caritas
one liners and old school style will never
be forgotten both on and off the rugby
pitch. His ski trips are legendary and
although during my time every trip was
said to be his last, he has still kept them
going; but I gather he has finally hung
up his size 14 boots. The end of an era
for us all! He is truly a legend and his
departure certainly left big boots to fill of
which Mr Laidlaw only managed to fill a
quarter of...literally speaking of course.
In fact, Mr Laidlaw just slotted in when
Mr Smith left. He has been a massive
part of our lives since he arrived 4
years ago and although he describes
himself as being in the top 3 worst form
tutors in the school, we would
most definitely disagree. He
has watched us transform from
slightly annoying 15 year olds, to
extremely annoying 18 year olds
supporting and guiding us through
our GCSEs, AS and A2 levels. He
has continually kept us entertained
with his endless amount of
useless facts on anything and
everything, and if he doesn’t,
he’ll make something up; as he
often says “if you can’t be funny,
be short”, however somehow he
manages both.
Mr Parry arguably has one of
the toughest jobs in the school
as Head of Sixth Form, keeping
an eye on so many boisterous
and mischievous 6th Formers.
He is unbelievably organised,
most probably due to his military
background, with each day’s
agenda and meeting notes
regimentally scheduled and
recorded on his beloved iPad;
meaning that his nickname of Sergeant
Paz has followed him into his teaching
career. His knowledge and help with all
things university has been invaluable
and we will greatly miss his friendly
and approachable nature. His genuine
interest for every student means that his
office will be one of the first places we’ll
call in when we visit the school in the
future. We salute you Mr Parry.
Music is something which has played
a big role to many in our year, whether
that’s singing in the choir or playing
in one of the many bands. The music
department is an indispensable asset to
the school which offers many a break
from their studies and a chance to
have fun with their friends. The House
Shout is yet another occasion where
the whole school is brought together to
battle it out to be the best singing house,
though it often resorts to a contest of
who can scream the loudest. We even
managed to witness the 1st XV rugby
squad embrace their feminine side when
singing ‘Love Story’ by Taylor swift.
Mr Judge never fails to put on a
spectacular performance of any show,
and this year was no exception with
the production of West Side Story.
Described by Mr Judge as ‘ambitious’, it
was always going to be a challenge and
one always expects a few hiccups along
the way, but to lose one of your leads...
twice, certainly added to the stress in
the last few weeks. Mr Hattrell was also
phenomenal throughout the process,
putting up with what he described as
‘tone deaf harmonies’ and singers who
have no idea what a ‘key’ or ‘note’ is.
I think this was mainly directed at
Toby and I, but despite all of these
obstacles, the production was an
outstanding success and we are
sure that next year’s will be just as
good. There is no way that I, and am
sure many others, would ever have
participated in a school play at any
other school; but that is the lovely
thing about Friars.
During our time here we have
witnessed many changes to our
uniform. These have included the
implementation of suits for 6th
Formers, the introduction of blouses
without ties for the girls and more
recently dark brown shoes for
Upper 6th boys. Not forgetting last
year the introduction of the fleece
lined, breathable, embroidered and
waterproof school coat, thanks to Mr
Harris and last year’s Upper 6th. What
we thought was just a one off would
not seem to be the case, as we have
discovered tartan knee length skirts,
unbraided blazers and modified robes
are all currently being trialled as additions
to the exclusive Matt, Gucci Harris
collection. Who would have thought
that our new Headmaster had a hidden
talent and burning desire to be a fashion
designer?
new and enthusiastic chaplains who
have continued to build on this important
aspect of school life developing the role
of students throughout the school within
our services and redesigning the Order
of Mass.
Another teacher who has joined the
school during our time is Mr Jardine,
although some people thought he was a
6th Former for most of his first year! Since
our first lesson with him, he has been a
firm class favourite and his ‘rock hard’
questions are always schweet once
we’ve answered them.
We were sorry to say goodbye to Miss
Storey, a wonderfully unique and loved
teacher, at the end of the last academic
year. We were concerned as to how she
could ever be replaced but thankfully to
our relief and amazement Mrs Fletcher
“
The values of unitas, vertias and caritas,
unity, truth and love are at the centre
of the school ethos and no one has
quite demonstrated the true meaning
of these in the way Brother Nigel did.
We were privileged to have known and
spent time with him as he was a truly
remarkable and inspiring person always
seeing the good in everyone. He has left
a lasting legacy on this school and we
will always remember him with gratitude.
Since his sad passing we have been
fortunate in having the assistance of 2
...we’d like to thank
our year group,
who have made our
experience at school
so much fun, we know
we will all keep in
touch and we wish
you all the best in your
exams and success in
whatever you do.
”
actually shares many of Miss Storey’s
best qualities and has the ability to
relate to her students, always providing
amusing stories of her life as a reward for
hard work at the end of a class.
This year sees the departure of Mrs
Willacy from the Junior School after 3
decades in charge. She has had a big
influence on many of the Senior School
pupils who have progressed through
from St Monica’s and we wish her all the
best in her retirement.
The news of Mrs Maclean-Eltham’s
retirement also at the end of this school
year was particularly sad for many
as she is the second longest serving
member of staff after Mr Barr. She has
been a dedicated Head of History, an
enthusiastic Classics teacher and is
committed to the Christian values and
practices in the school. Our year has
got to know her especially well, as she
has been the form tutor for both Clare
and Lincoln for 2 years each. Students
both past and present will remember her
for her passionate character and great
sense of humour. We wish her all the
best with her plans for the future and
hope she’ll miss us as much as we’ll
miss her.
At Speech Day every year, we hear
about how fantastic the school is, about
how well it sets you up for later life, the
sense of community that brings
everyone together, the amazing
teachers and everything else that
makes Austin Friars St Monica’s
more than just a school. The
reason why this is said every year
is because it’s true. We have had
the best 7 years and Friars has not
only given us a brilliant education
but has helped and encouraged us
to be the best that we can be. In
every aspect the school punches
above its weight and we hope that
every pupil is proud to come here,
because I know we are.
And so we’d sincerely like to thank
everyone who has contributed
to our time here. Thank you to all
the teachers for their continuous
guidance and to the rest of the
prefects for ‘sometimes doing their
duties’ without complaining too much
about it. But our biggest thanks has
to go to our parents for giving us the
opportunity to come here; they have
supported us so much over the past 7
years and have given up a lot of time to
allow us to take advantage of everything
the school has to offer. And finally we’d
like to thank our year group, who have
made our experience at school so much
fun, we know we will all keep in touch
and we wish you all the best in your
exams and success in whatever you do.
Again we’d like to thank you all for
coming today, and for listening to all of
our great experiences that we shall keep
with us for the rest of our lives.
Thank you
Freddie Graham-Campbell
and Taya Dixon
Head Boy and Head Girl
May 2014
07
In Omnibus Caritas
FEATURES & REPORTS
Lockerbie Manor
At the start of the term our First Formers enjoyed three
days of activities at Lockerbie Manor.
The purpose was to get to know each other, learn to cooperate
and work together and also to have a good time!
Pupils were put into groups and, over three days, took part
in each of the nine activities on offer. They had fantastic
instructors who took them abseiling, fencing, crate stacking
and walking on high ropes to name but a few.
There were understandable nerves from some, but most
overcame these and were able to achieve a real sense of
satisfaction from having walked blindfold through the mud
trusting their partners, or faced and conquered their fear of
heights as they shot down the zip wire. The students were
superb and an absolute pleasure to be with.
08
Glasgow Science Centre
On Wednesday 21st November the 3rd Year Science
students went on a Science department trip to the
Glasgow Science Centre.
The day started with an impressive 3D film in the Imax
cinema which looked at the efforts to repair the Hubble
telescope. This proved to be a very insightful glimpse
into what is it like being an astronaut.
It also showed some of the amazing images we have got
from the Hubble telescope. The students then moved on
to a very entertaining science show entitled ‘Water, water,
everywhere’.
After lunch the students explored the three floors of hands-on
interactive science displays and experiments. The day proved
to be very enjoyable and also a good educational experience.
“
The purpose was to get
to know each other, learn
to cooperate and work
together and also to have
a good time!
”
09
Bronze DofE Askham Fell
On Sunday 24th November the Bronze DofE cohort set
off for navigation training to Askham Fell.
The weather remained stable all day, albeit a little on the chilly side!
Students were divided up into groups and began navigating round
a number of different landscape features and path junctions.
A great deal of confidence and proficiency was seen at this early
stage, as students learned about grid references, map features,
compass bearings, timing and distance, emergency procedures
and reviewing clothing and equipment.
A jolly lunch was had inside survival shelters and this upbeat
eagerness continued throughout the afternoon’s navigation too.
Mr Finn would like to thank all students for their excellent
contributions, and also the very enthusiastic staff leaders for their
help (Mrs Thornborrow, Mrs Fletcher, Mr Harte, and Mr Parry).
Silver DofE Practice Walk
On Sunday 17th November a Silver Duke of Edinburgh
award training walk took place on the hills around
Blencathra in the Lake District.
Setting off from Bowscale, the group of twenty two 4th Form
students walked up the track to Bowscale tarn, practising
setting the map and pacing out distances. They then ascended
the steep sides of the tarn onto Bowscale Fell. From here the
students practised using their compasses, walking and pacing
to navigate from hill to hill.
As the day progressed the cloud moved in and the temperature
dropped. All the students did well, showing a good level of
fitness and great team work. The day was a great success
and the student’s navigation skills really came on.
A special thank you must go to Mrs Boyling, Mrs Le Brocq
and Mr Earley who accompanied Mr Holden on the trip.
“
...students learned
about grid references,
map features, compass
bearings, timing and
distance, emergency
procedures and
reviewing clothing
and equipment.
”
Gold DofE Expedition
Over the Easter holidays students working towards their
Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award completed a practice
expedition.
The students walked through the Lake District for four days
and camped overnight. Throughout the journey they were
completely self-sufficient and had to cover approximately
20km a day. Although the first day was warm and sunny, the
spring Cumbrian weather produced heavy, prolonged showers
on the remaining days. This made navigation on the fell tops
challenging, and saturated tents added to already heavy
backpacks.
The highlight of the trip was a wild camp at the beautiful
Dalehead Tarn; unfortunately the fabled ghosts did not make
an appearance! 10
Iceland Trip 2013
During the October half term break the Geography Department,
ably accompanied by Mrs Farnaby and Mr Finn, took 41 students to
Iceland to experience some of the most fantastic geographical sites
and features that it is possible to see anywhere in the world.
They experienced, first hand, some of the extreme weather that Iceland
has to offer, but that did not deter them from enjoying waterfalls, geysers,
rift valleys, geothermal pools, power stations and black basalt beaches.
Being intrepid explorers, they walked and climbed through one of the
many old lava tubes and snorkelled in the clear waters of a fissure
between the North American and Eurasian Plate. Coming directly from
a glacier the water was extremely cold!
The pupils had a fantastic time and were fortunate enough to see the
Northern Lights on the last evening there while they walked back to their
hotel in Reykjavik.
11
Austria Ski Trip 2014
During the February half term forty eight students and
five members of staff headed to Austria on a skiing
holiday. After flying from Manchester to Munich, and a
two and a half hour transfer, we were soon rising into
the Austrian Alps.
There was very little snow down in the valley and it was with
relief that it magically appeared as we arrived at the ski resort
of Hochfugen at 1500 metres. After putting our bags in the
rooms we headed off to collect skis, poles, boots, helmets,
lift passes and insurance cards. We had eighteen students
who had never skied on snow before, but I had been taking
them on Sunday afternoons to the dry ski slope in Carlisle.
All the beginners made rapid progress and by the end of the
week most of them had skied red runs and been off-piste in
some powder.
“
All the beginners made rapid
progress and by the end of the week
most of them had skied red runs and
been off-piste in some powder.
12
The Austrian ski instructors worked hard to ensure all the
students and staff made good progress. The evenings were
spent doing a variety of activities, ranging from a shopping
trip, a general pizza buying event, swimming, bowling, a
disco, and a quiz and film night. All the students got on very
well with each other and the weeks skiing passed in a relaxed
and good humoured manner with no injuries.
The Fourth Form students went out for a meal one evening to
celebrate Will Ferdinand’s birthday. Jonathan Davidson and
Travis Little also had birthdays whilst we were away so large
quantities of birthday cake were consumed during the week.
Special thanks must go to Mr Judge, Mrs Green, Mrs Boyling
and Mr Harte who accompanied me on the trip. They worked
tirelessly over the eight days we were away and their massive
contribution to the trip helped to make it a great success.
”
“
...everybody
singing the
Christmas Carol
in the dark, with
only a candle
in hand.
”
Carol Service
The School held its annual Carol Service during which
former and current pupils, staff members and parents
joined the School Choir in a packed Chapel to celebrate
Christmas.
The Carol Service which opened with a candle lit welcome
of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ saw everybody singing the
Christmas Carol in the dark, with only a candle in hand.
Popular carols were sung throughout the service including;
‘The First Nowell’, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘O
Little Town of Bethlehem’. During the service readings were
made from pupils. First Form pupil Eleanor Ewart confidently
read a passage from the Gospel of Matthew and Head Boy
Freddie Graham-Campbell and Head Girl Taya Dixon closed
proceedings with a prayer to those for whom Christmas will
not be an experience of unity, truth and love. The service was
a very pleasant Christmas occasion to end the School term.
13
First Form Farne Islands Trip
On Tuesday 3rd June the First Form students set off
on the annual Biology field trip to the Farne Islands.
The sunshine, that Cumbria is so well known for, was left
behind as we arrived at Seahouses as the skies darkened.
After some impressively good fish and chips we boarded the
boat ‘Glad Tidings II’. This was the smallest boat we have ever
sailed on to the Farne Islands and the slight sea swell soon
had us all bobbing about. A few students became unusually
quiet and a little ‘green around the gills’.
As we left the harbour the heavens opened and a heavy
downpour had everyone diving for waterproof jackets and
trousers. Thankfully, after about an hour the rain stopped and
we landed on Inner Farne Island. We walked through waves
of Arctic Terns which were determined to defend their nests
at all costs. The students had been pre-warned of the avian
assault and an impressive variety of hats were quickly donned.
Builders’ hard hats, cycling helmets, cricket hats, bobble
hats, umbrellas and hoods were all used.
14
“
The students had been
pre-warned of the avian assault
and an impressive variety of hats
were quickly donned. Builders’
hard hats, cycling helmets, cricket
hats, bobble hats, umbrellas and
hoods were all used.
”
Arts Evening
The School held its annual Arts Evening to celebrate the
outstanding work produced by students throughout the year.
Students were joined by parents, family and staff to see
the culmination of some fantastic work in art, photography,
design technology, music and drama. With the sun shining all
evening, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Form students welcomed guests
by performing scenes and stories about the First World War
around the grounds.
Displays of GCSE and Advanced Level pieces were on display
in the Art and Design Technology departments along with
members of the 4th Form drama group performing, ‘The
Meeting Room’ and ‘As He Likes It’ to a packed audience in
the Drama Studio.
The Junior Choir entertained guests on the schoolyard,
performing First World War songs exceptionally well, closing
proceedings to an overwhelmed audience.
“
Students were joined by parents,
family and staff to see the
culmination of some fantastic
work in art, photography, design
technology, music and drama.
”
Cumberland Open Fencing
The School hosted this year’s Cumberland Open Fencing
Competition which saw a number of top International
Fencers descend on Carlisle.
A six weapon fencing competition saw
a host of talented entrants over the two
days, ranging in standard from novice
fencers entering their first competition to
regulars on the international circuit.
The Austin Friars St Monica’s School
team consisted of Nick Glen (aged 15)
in the Men’s Foil and Sabre, Harrington
Moore (aged 15) in the Men’s Foil, and
Tia Musson (aged 13) and Emily Swallow (aged 13) in the
Women’s Foil and Sabre. The most notable performers were
Nick who was placed 5th overall in the Men’s Sabre, and
Emily, who won a Bronze medal in the Women’s Sabre event
by beating her best friend Tia in an extremely close Quarter
Final match.
Ruth Bober, fencing coach and Modern Language
teacher at Austin Friars St Monica’s School, competed
in the Women’s Sabre, Women’s Epée and Women’s Foil
competitions, picking up Bronze medals in the Sabre and
Epée, and 5th place in the Foil. The winner of Women’s
Sabre event was Jen Sancroft who is ranked 13th in the UK.
15
Sixth Form Leavers’ Ball
The New Hall was the venue for the VI Form Leavers’
Ball, organised by the outgoing U6th.
They were joined by current L6th students, parents and
staff to celebrate the end of their time at the School. Special
guest, Alice Fearn, a former pupil of ‘Friars’ and current star
in the West End Musical ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’, gave
two brilliant solo vocal performances which were enjoyed
immensely by all.
Charity Fashion Show
The School once again held its very successful
Charity Fashion Show, raising money for Hospice at
Home North West and Eden Valley Hospice Jigsaw
Appeal.
BBC Radio Cumbria were in attendance, having recently
teamed up with Eden Valley Hospice to help raise money
for the Jigsaw Appeal which offers support to children and
young people with life-threatening and life limiting illnesses.
The total amount raised on the night was £2,000.00 which
was split evenly between the two charities.
16
Lower School Ball
Friday 13th is an inauspicious date for anything,
but that was when we held the Lower School Ball!
The weather was fantastic, the pupils looked superb and
a great time was had by all.
The Refs had been ‘dressed up’ for the evening. Thanks go to
Mrs Gilchrist, Mrs Graham, Mrs Brown and Mrs Moore for their
time and energy. It made a terrific difference and really added
to the sense of occasion. Members of the 4th and 5th Form
acted as very efficient waiters and waitresses, with a special
mention to Gregor Gilchrist who was an absolute star all day!
After the meal, everyone (including some of the staff) headed
for the dance floor to dance the night away. Thank you to all
staff who attended and to the pupils who all thoroughly enjoyed
letting their hair down at the end of exam week.
CHAPLAINCY
Minsteracres
Second Formers headed off to Minsteracres in Co. Durham
for a two day retreat, accompanied by their form tutors and
the Chaplain. They were joined by Fr Ivan Pichel and Miss
Claire Webster, part of the Augustinian Youth Ministry, who
led the retreat.
In sessions titled ‘Image of Self’, ‘Image of God’ and ‘Community
and me’, pupils were given the opportunity to identify and reflect
on their own characteristics, and to consider the positive impact
they could have on the world around them. One activity included
creating a person using newspaper, sticky tape and scissors.
It was fascinating to see the different ‘people’ that emerged,
from large flat people, to smaller 3D figures. In another activity
pupils choose an image that they thought represented God, and
an image which they thought did not represent God. It was very
interesting to hear the range of explanations given for images
that were the same or similar.
After dinner on the first day, Mr Harris joined the group, and
having spent a short time preparing for it, pupils experienced
the celebration of Mass in a fresh way, in the lovely Chapel at
Minsteracres.
All the Second Formers had
a great time away, taking the
opportunity to relax, laugh
with friends and spend
time outdoors exploring the
immediate surroundings
of the retreat centre. They
particularly enjoyed getting
to know each other better in
different surroundings, and
the staff at Minsteracres were
enthusiastically thanked for the
wonderful food they had
provided over the two days.
17
LINCOLN HOUSE
For the first time in the history of
Austin Friars St Monica’s School,
two female House Captains were
elected. Frankie Scott and Portia
Inglis were given the responsibility
of pushing Lincoln House to
greatness, and that is exactly
what happened.
The Michaelmas term is always a
quiet one for House sports, but that
is where the House Music Festival
and House Shout fill in the gap. The
run up to half term is feverish, with
a lot of talk around the now fabled
‘House Shout.’ The House decided
on two classics, ‘SOS’ by ABBA and
‘Consider Yourself’, from Oliver. We
were awesome throughout the three
days of musical delights.
At the end of it all Lincoln were
crowned champions of the ‘House
Shout’. We were ecstatic and could not
believe it when we were then crowned
House Music Festival champions as
well! Oliver Walton, Lewis Ransley,
Rachel Mackay, Kerry Regan, Toby
Robson, Emma Smith, Ophelia
Appleby, Katie Kelton and Anna Rigg
all won their categories. What an
unbelievable half term it was.
“
This meant a clean
sweep of awards for
Lincoln House. I was
utterly speechless.
What a result for all
the hard work Lincoln
put into the year.
”
The second half of the term does not
consist of any House events but it does
have the annual school production.
This year saw ‘West Side Story’ being
performed by almost all ages and
all done to the highest of standards.
Harry Grant, Francesca Bertoletti,
Toby Robson, Kerry Regan, Esther
Stronach, Hannah McMillan, Emma
Collier, Asha Nicholson, Ben Davidson,
Ellie Routledge, Emma Smith, Rachel
Mackay, Ophelia Appleby and Anna
Rigg performed their hearts out.
It was simply stunning to watch and I
thank them for their efforts. A big thank
you also goes to Kathryn Weaving,
Georgina Coyle and Sophie Ferdinand
for helping backstage.
18
The Lent term is when things begin to
heat up in the world of House Sports.
The House Cross Country had to be
postponed due to overflowing rivers.
At least the House Hockey could
be played with both the Junior and
Intermediate Girls coming second to
Clare. Our Senior girls continued to
show passion and commitment in
everything they do gaining first place in
the hockey with a nail biting win over
Clare. Our boys performed almost as
well. The Junior boys dominated both
of their games and the Intermediate
boys came a narrow second.
Once things began to dry up the Cross
Country could be run. It was a fantastic
event which saw Lincoln and Clare tie
for first place; the first time for many
years. I have to thank the following
people who ran their hearts out for the
House: Henry Johnson-Ferguson, Ijaz
Kittoe, Jonathan Davidson, Charlotte
Mitton, Olivia Graham, Kerry Regan,
Ben Davidson, Asha Nicholson and
Victoria Barbour. Well done to everyone
involved for making the House proud!
Just before we broke up for the Easter
holidays it was the House Rugby Festival.
We knew this would be a long day after
a number of students were going to be
absent. We came a close second place
in the Junior category and in third place
for the Intermediate team. My heart
goes out to the Senior team however,
as before the tournament began they
were written off as outsiders. The mood
around the School quickly changed
when Clare House were comfortably
beaten by these underdogs. It was only a
strong defensive Stafford team that kept
us from taking the crown. A brilliant day
for all involved.
From one busy term to the next and
lastly came the Summer term with
so much at stake. Our girls were
amazing in all the netball games. The
Junior team were unlucky not to win
the overall competition being narrowly
beaten by Clare in the final game. The
Senior and Intermediate Teams were
out of this world. They were head and
shoulders above the rest and came out
deserved winners. All the girls at the
end of the tournament were delighted
with the result and it was great to see
the spirit of the House shine through.
Part way through the Summer term is
Speech Day.
This gives the school a
chance to reward students
for all the hard work they put in
throughout the year. It is also when
the Hunt Shield and the Credits and
Merits trophies get awarded. When
these awards are about to be handed
out the tension in the Cathedral peaks
dramatically. Who will it be this year?
Then the results, Lincoln House
crowned Hunt Shield and Credit and
Merits Trophy winners 2014! The
crowd went berserk!
This meant a clean sweep of awards
for Lincoln House. I was utterly
speechless. What a result for all the
hard work Lincoln put into the year.
“
...the House and
I would like to
wish Mrs McLeanEltham a wonderful
retirement. Her
service to the school
over the last 18
years will not be
forgotten.
”
Sports Day was up next and was,
yet again, a very competitive one. For
some reason Lincoln just can’t stop
winning, coming out with the overall
first place on the day. The athletes put
in some stunning performances on the
day. Ruaridh McCall, Christian White,
Jude Lester, Ben Davidson, Kyle Ryder,
Henry Johnson-Ferguson, Thiane
Pohlandt, Katie McCall, Charlotte
Mitton, Sarah Hodgson, Camilla
McKnespiey, Kerry Regan, Frankie
Scott and Asha Nicholson all coming
first in their events. A special mention
goes to Esther Stronach, Victoria
Barbour and Ijaz Kittoe for receiving
Victrix Ludorum and Victor Ludorum
respectively.
The final part of the term contains all
the Summer Sports. We were runners
up in the Senior Tennis competition
and third place in the Junior and
Intermediate events. The Intermediate
Rounders team finished a close
second.
“
At the end of
it all Lincoln
were crowned
champions of the
‘House Shout’.
We were ecstatic
and could not
believe it when
we were then
crowned House
Music Festival
champions
as well!
”
On a different note, Lincoln House
have been raising money for CAFOD
this year. We had cake sales, egg
decorating competitions, a car wash
and a ‘Lincoln Fair.’ We managed to
raise over £600 which is superb, thank
you for all your efforts.
We also raised £130 for Emily
Armstrong- Hinson’s sister who needs
full-time care.
We provided an extra £90 for the Lent
shelter box appeal in order for the
School to provide one complete
shelter box. Well done
everyone!
Lastly, the House and I
would like to wish Mrs
Maclean-Eltham a wonderful
retirement. Her service to the
school over the last 18 years
will not be forgotten!
Thank you Lincoln for a most
amazing year!
Can we do it again next year?
G Love
Head of Lincoln House
19
STAFFORD HOUSE
In Stafford House we measure our
success on how well we have lived
out our Augustinian values on a
daily basis and there is no denying
that In Omnibus Caritas has been
tangible amongst us throughout
the school year 2013-14.
Niamh and Mark on being awarded
The In Omnibus Caritas Prize at
Speech Day. It had to be Stafford! I
have only highlighted a few individuals
but every member of the tutor group
has shone in their own way and we will
miss them greatly.
guitar. On the sporting front,
it was Sarah Waugh who scored
half our goals in the Senior Hockey
Competition in April. We lost narrowly
to Clare (5:4) which was a far more
positive game than our 8:0 defeat
against Lincoln!
Let’s start with 13S, Upper Sixth
Stafford. They are a group of amazing
individuals who have set a wonderful
example of friendship and mutual
support. Munro Kellock has been an
excellent Deputy Head Boy and Katie
Scott and Mark Forster have shown
fine motivational and leadership skills
as House Captains. A favourite Katie
moment has to be her performance of
Stormy Weather at the cathedral, and
as for Mark; collecting winning trophies
for the Senior Boys’ Rugby and Sports
Day performances. Well done for being
selected to play for The Newcastle
Falcons Mark! Staying with sport,
congratulations go to James Robson
for his second place in the Cross
Country Competition and to Murray
Clark for winning five games without a
partner in the House Doubles Tennis
Tournament!
The Lower Sixth have a busy year
with duties around the school and
in the tutor groups to which they are
assigned. 12S worked well this year
leading weekly quizzes and a wide
range of other activities with their
Stafford pupils and we are looking
forward to them taking the lead next
year. In December Alex Grogan and
Sarah Hughes indeed became leading
man and lady, Tony and Maria in
West Side Story. They were truly the
stars of the show with Alice Tod and
Maria Temple also giving admirable
performances. Maria has shone in
many other aspects of school life,
winning the guitar class in the Music
Festival, the Javelin event on Sports
Day and compering the Charity
Fashion Show. We are proud of Maria
and know that she will make a lively
and capable Head Girl. I am certain
too that Alex and Olivia Bell Macdonald
will make their mark on Stafford House
in their role as House Captains next
year. It is interesting that both have
twin brothers/sisters in Stafford House
to egg them on and put them right!
Staying with the theme of siblings, Dan
Wilkinson won the Senior Brass class
in the Music Festival and it is great to
see and hear him play next to his sister
Jodie in the Brass Ensemble!
11S have been one of the liveliest
Stafford tutor groups of 2013/14, with
Katie Barker and Mira Habib Kirollos
coping admirably with the pack of lads!
Along with 8S they organised a Cake
and Shake Sale in November to start
off our Malawian Charity fund. We are
proud of Lloyd Clark for being selected
to play rugby for Scotland and also for
winning the Javelin event on Sports
Day. Congratulations also to Mira
who along with John Colwell (10S),
Charlie Johnston (10S) and Cameron
McGauchie (9S) took part in the Top of
the Bench Chemistry Competition.
The winner of our House Spirit Prize
was Henry Berry who has made
a recognisable contribution to all
aspects of life in Stafford House. Lizzie
Colwell’s participation in House events
throughout her time at school was
also celebrated this year when Mr
Harris awarded her The Special House
Achievement Award.
Niamh Orr, following her visit to
Malawi in summer 2013, inspired us
to fundraise for Kangaroo Babies,
the mother and premature baby unit
in Ekwendeni hospital. 13S raised
over £128 with their “Buy a Square”
game. We have sent £1170 to Malawi,
exceeding our target by £300. Stafford
has to be top of the fundraising league
and we are proud of the way pupils
and staff work together to improve the
lives of others. It was good to welcome
both Mr Stephen Bober (retired
consultant gynaecologist) and Mrs
Christian Robertson (representative of
the Church of Scotland) to speak in
House assemblies on their knowledge
of Malawi and healthcare in Africa. We
thank Niamh for her role in our Malawi
project this year and congratulate both
20
“
2013-14 has been
a fun and positive
year in Stafford
House and it was
good to see our
mixed-aged Stafford
teams working
together...
”
Of course, the biggest musical moment
of the year has to be The House
Shout. This year Sarah conducted
Stafford singing “Consider Yourself”
and “Summer of 69”. It was another
huge team effort with Louis Grogan
(7S) introducing the songs and Brad
Cooper (13S) accompanying on the
Some members of 10S joined Mr
Holden and other members of the
House to bag-pack for Malawi in
April. This raised more than £300
and boosted our funds considerably.
10S and 9S gained second place in
the Intermediate Rugby Competition
and the Intermediate Girls Cross
Country. Mike Newstead is a welcome
new addition to the rugby team. He
and Lily Bell Macdonald also led the
speeches for Stafford in the Fourth
Form Debating Competition, clinching
a credible second place for the House.
Stafford only managed third place in
the Intermediate Cricket Competition
but Edward Ecroyd stood out for his
bowling against Clare.
There are many other 10S highlights:
Kathryn Orr played her flute beautifully
in the House Music Festival to win her
woodwind class. In the Cross Country
Competition Henry Richards gained
third place and on Sports Day Julio
Boyling won the 200m race. Both
boys also worked hard to bring light
and sound to West Side Story. Nick
Sowerby won the Discus on Sports Day
but his achievements on the golf course
deserve an extra special mention.
As part of the North of England
Development Squad, Nick competes
in many National competitions. On
Speech Day I noted that a large number
of Fourth Form prizes were awarded
to members of 10S. They are without
doubt a talented bunch!
Now to 9S and their achievements
this year. Firstly, they have certainly
provided us with some lively and
curious assemblies. Secondly, a
9S team won the Michaelmas Term
Stafford quiz competition. And
thirdly, 9S gained second place in
their debating competition with main
speeches from Tia Musson and Joseph
Waterfield. Sophie Dodds stands out
as our most prominent Third Form
sportswoman as she continues to
meet with success in the pool. This
year Sophie achieved Bronze in the
1500m Freestyle. Congratulations
Sophie!
8S is of course the tutor group I know
best of all as they are mine! This was
a real group of friendly and crazy
pupils whom it was good to get to
know a little better on our retreat to
Minsteracres. This year they based
their fundraising on cake sales. We all
enjoy our cake in 8S! One of the girls’
most successful sporting events of
the year was when they teamed up
with the boys for mixed doubles in the
Junior Tennis Competition and attained
an equal first place with Clare. Well
done to Holly Milbourn (7S) who joined
Claudia Whitaker and Sophie Smith
on court to represent the girls. Sophie
also won both the Discus and 200m
events on Sports Day. Ellie Stobbart
was equally a Sports Day Star with her
victory in the 100m. Stafford Junior
girls also won their Junior Relay and it
was second place for them in House
Rounders.
The boys have done brilliantly on the
sporting front. With 7S they won the
Junior Rugby and Cricket Competitions
and came second in the Hockey and
Cross Country events. Marcus Tiffen
(7S) captained the winning Junior
Cricket Team and his father thought
the competition the most exciting
and enjoyable House competition he
had ever witnessed. Well done boys!
On Sports Day, Corbin Hamilton and
Charlie Skeer both won their track and
field events. I love to hear the boys in
my tutor group singing their hearts out
in assembly but it is our trumpet player
Ollie Harte who stands out as the
true musician amongst them! Hannah
Henderson and Laurence Wilson
are both passionate and articulate
orators who delivered excellent debate
speeches. With the support of 8S, the
Second Form Debating Competition
was a victory for Stafford.
7S are the champion fundraisers
this year with both their cake sale
and sponsored silence (all the more
amazing for such a bubbly, chatty
class!). Altogether they raised more
than £500. The friendship and energy
which are palpable in our First Form
class bodes so well for the future of
our House. Firstly they have lots of
musical talent. They gave a fantastic
rendition of “Living on a Prayer” in
the House Music Festival. Caitlin
Hodkinson and Francisca Boyling both
won a woodwind class in the Carlisle
and School Music Festivals. Francisca
was delighted to win the Lisa Watson
Memorial Prize at Speech Day too.
Although the girls did not beat their
opponents at hockey and netball, skills
and potential are there. Naomi Bell and
Charlotte McGauchie merit a mention
for their performance in the Junior
Netball matches. The boys have so
much sporting potential. Josh Galloway
is definitely one to watch and it was
great to see him crossing the 100m
line in first place on Sports Day. The
year finished on a positive note with
Harvey Roberts and Denizhan Akdeniz
gaining second place in the First Form
Debating Competition on the subject of
the abolition of the monarchy.
Stafford pupils’ generosity of spirit was
clear in the way they contributed to
the Carlisle Food Bank during Lent.
Above all they enjoy life and were
certainly in the majority on this year’s
Ski Trip and Spanish Exchange. Indeed
2013-14 has been a fun and positive
year in Stafford House and it was
good to see our mixed-aged Stafford
teams working together during our Fun
Morning at the end of term. It was less
pleasing to spot our Stafford Shark tied
captive in a tree on the Upper Sixth’s
last day at school! I paid a ransom and
all was well!
Finally I would like to thank my
colleagues and our Stafford tutors
Mrs Agnew, Mr Thornton, Miss
Quinn, Mr Holden, Mr Turnbull and
Mrs Evans for their hard work and
commitment to Stafford pupils. Once
again I have been grateful for Mr
Thornton’s daily and active presence
in the ref. Thank you Katie and Mark
for being energetic House Captains
and to all members of Stafford House
for making us the caring, lively and
talented House we are.
GO STAFFORD!
H Boyling
Head of Stafford House
21
CLARE HOUSE
Life is always full of high spirit
with a real competitive edge in
Clare House. 2013-14 has been
no exception; many members
of the House have experienced
disappointment for the first
time this year. It may not have
been a memorable one for
winning trophies but there were
many highlights and important
achievements to celebrate on
Tuesday mornings.
The first house event of the year is
always the Music Festival, and as a
house we excelled. We had very strong
entries in all categories, even the first
sports team entries!
In the Junior Woodwind Eleanor Ewart
performed beautifully, without any sign
of nerves, showing amazing guts as
the First Form pupils had only been in
school for 6 weeks!
Our first winner of the festival was
Emma Tomkins in the 2nd Junior
Woodwind and Brass section, with a
stunning performance. On day two we
had three further winners; Taran Vear in
the Senior Strings, Charlotte Hattrell in
the Intermediate Piano and Megan Le
Brocq in the Junior Singing.
Jack Freshwater also won his singing
class and in the miscellaneous class,
Hannah Le Brocq and Charlotte Hattrell
teamed up with Theo Lewthwaite to
perform ‘Wasting My Young Years.’
Unfortunately this wasn’t enough
to hold off strong competition from
Lincoln who were crowned overall
winners. However, I am positive we
finished a close 2nd!
The Music Festival always concludes
with the House Shout and the Clare
House song was ‘The Wobbling Song’,
which was sung with great volume
and spirit but failed to beat Stafford
on this occasion. Although I am a
tad biased we did sound amazing
on the afternoon. It certainly was the
best we had ever performed it. We
also, yet again, got a mention for our
presentation of filing on and off the
stage! But it wasn’t to be and we didn’t
retain the cup this year. However,
I am told that Brett Connon, Jack
Freshwater and new House Captain
George Sims have already started
practicing for next year. So watch out
Lincoln and Stafford.
22
We always excel on the sports field in
Clare and this year was no exception,
with the Intermediate Boys and Junior
Girls leading the way. They won
everything on offer to them this year;
which is a fantastic achievement.
House Rugby took place on a lovely
sunny Saturday morning, with parents
as well as former pupils on the touch
line cheering on the boys. The senior
event is always one which is fiercely
competitive and this year did not
disappoint with some boy’s even
spilling blood to get their hands on
the winning trophy. Unfortunately,
we lost out to a strong Stafford side
that seemed to have size and pace
on their side. The Intermediates,
however, managed to lift the trophy
with convincing wins over both Stafford
and Lincoln. Apparently that’s what
happens when Angus Irving gets
‘mad’, we win stuff!
Our Junior Boys seemed to struggle
the most with the strong opposition
from the other houses, so we had to
settle for 3rd place. However, the Junior
tournament was one of the best I’ve
seen in years, a lot of potential for the
future.
“
This has been
such a memorable
year for so many
reasons, the talent
and diversity we
have in Clare House
amazes me...
”
In House hockey this year we had
more success, with wins in both Junior
and Intermediate tournaments, and
runners up in the senior event; after
being ‘robbed’ of a flick after a foot on
the line in the Lincoln game. Not that
I’m bitter or anything, but I do have it
on camera.
ever witnessed, with
the added rule that
players had to change position
every quarter; it was a true reflection of
the improvements made in the game
across the school. The Senior and
Junior Girls lead the way, winning in
fine style as the Intermediates narrowly
lost to Lincoln House.
Cross Country this year took place
during the Lent term after flood
warnings on the course in early
February. This is always an event
favoured by Clare House and having
British 5000m Champion Tom Farrell,
former Clare House Captain, as our
inspiration seems to pay off year in
year out. We had individual wins in
both the Intermediate events with
Ella Telford winning the Girls race and
Maxwell Kirton winning the Boy’s. We
also had 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes in the
Intermediate Boys race. This is also
the second year we have managed to
win the trophy for the most finishers on
the day, which is a true testament to
our competitive robust nature in Clare
House.
This year in Clare House I have tried
aspiring to make the House Charity a
true focus, with a major event planned
for September 2014 for the Great
North Air Ambulance. However, we
have also raised money for two other
charities through the year. Mr Harris
agreed to lose some hair for Children
In Need and the Junior Girls managed
to use netball to raise a significant
amount for Sport Relief. 11C also held
a very successful alternative cake sale
which raised over £150 for the Air
Ambulance.
In the Boys Hockey we managed
wins at Intermediate level but finished
runners up in the Junior tournament.
During the summer term we seemed
to up our game, with wins in the Junior
House Tennis (Isabel Wood and Jamie
Irving gaining a clean sweep) and
the Senior House Tennis. We were
narrow runners up in the Intermediate
tournament. This gives us a good
foundation for reclaiming the Hunt
Shield next year. Watch out Mr Love!
The House netball was played on a
rather cool Saturday morning and
as our sports hall was otherwise
engaged, the girls braved the cold
on the Astroturf. This was one of the
most competitive tournaments I have
In the Girls Rounder’s we finished
winners in both the Junior and
Intermediate tournaments with some
fantastically competitive matches.
Chloe Wood, Paige Lee and Katie
Robinson scored a rounder a minute
between them in the Intermediate
tournament. With the Brass sisters,
Isabel Wood, Lilly Brown, Jemima
McKendry and Katie Burgess being the
notable performers both in the field and
with the bat for the Juniors.
Our cricketers experience mixed
success; however, Mr Tiffen did say
it was the best set of tournaments
he had witnessed in the 9 years he
has worked at school. The Juniors
finished in 3rd place to strong Lincoln
and Stafford sides. Our Intermediates,
however, continued on their winning
ways with a fantastic win to conclude
the year. Well done boys.
Sports Day was a rather blustery day,
and with a threat of rain, it wasn’t the
best conditions for our athletes to
gain personal bests. However, what
stood out was the determination and
competitive spirit from all Clare pupils
to achieve the best performance
possible for the House.
Our Junior Girls dominated, winning
everything on offer to them this year;
which must be commended. Jane
Brass won the Long Jump and Emma
Tomkins won the Javelin, with Maisie
Hitch 3 centimetres behind her in 2nd
place. Emily Brass ran a personal best
in the 200m to claim 2nd place and Anna
Park narrowly finished 2nd in the 100m.
Also narrowly in 2nd place was Jemima
Mckendry in the Shot Put and Isabel
Wood in the 800m. The Junior Boys
weren’t so successful on Sports Day,
finishing in last place overall. Joshua
Liddle was the highest placed finisher in
any event, he ran very well in the 800m
to finish 2nd by only 2 seconds.
More success came in the Intermediate
Boys events as they dominated with
8 wins out of a possible 12 events.
Our newcomer Patrick Noutch was
dominant in the 100m and Long Jump,
almost gaining school records in both.
Maxwell Kirton continued to dominate
the middle distance events with wins
in both the 800m and 1500m. Ross
Collier also had a super day with wins
in the 400m and Javelin. Angus Irving
also continued to win the Triple Jump
event again this year. A fantastic team
performance which was capped with a
win in the Relay.
Our Senior teams didn’t fare so well in
either competition with both the boys
and girls team finishing in 3rd. However,
the Senior Girls did manage wins in the
Relay. House Captain Loren Ewart won
the High Jump and Catherine Tomkins
the Shot Put.
House debating is something we
clearly need to work on in Clare
House, with all year groups finishing
in 3rd place. However the 4th Form
managed a clear victory, with Anna
Wallace collecting the individual prize.
Oliver Brooks also picked up the 1st
Form individual prize. Well done to all
speakers.
This year we had a number of House
members performing both in the
School Musical and the Arts Evening
in the summer term. A special mention
must go to House Captain Loren
Ewart; her A’ Level art display on the
evening was simply stunning.
Lastly, I would just like to thank Loren
Ewart and Barnaby Robson, the House
Captains of 2013/14. You have both
taken on the role with diligence and
pride. Loren your nurturing and caring
approach has been lovely to watch and
Barney your competitive spirit on the
side lines of the sports tournaments
has been first class. You have been a
pleasure to work with.
This has been such a memorable
year for so many reasons, the talent
and diversity we have in Clare House
amazes me year in year out.
It truly is a pleasure to lead such a
wonderful group of people. Mr Love
has promised to keep the Hunt Shield
polished and safe for its return to Clare
next year. The loss this year has just
made us want it all the more!
C Routledge
Head of Clare House
The Intermediate Girls also finished in
1st place, led by our English School’s
star Ella Telford who had impressive
wins in the Javelin, High Jump and
800m.
23
BOYS SPORT REPORT
1st XV Rugby
The 2013-14 season has been both
busy and largely successful. In total
the 1st XV played 22 games, winning
14. The major highlights were
winning the Keswick 7s for the very
first time, going unbeaten on our
Holland tour and narrowly losing to
rugby giants, Lancaster RGS in the
fourth round of the Natwest Cup.
It was clear right from the start of
the season that we were going to
cause most teams problems with our
attacking back-line and that most of
our tries would stem from our skillful
midfield. It was however, a surprise to
everyone, just how many tries we were
able to score throughout the season;
758 points were scored at an average
of 34 points per match! The centre
partnership of captain Freddie GrahamCampbell and Yousef Sahib were simply
unstoppable at times and providing
they got “go-forward” ball, their incisive
running lines and accurate passing
presented opposition defences with
major head-aches.
Yousef scored an amazing 33 tries and
Freddie, over 20. It was fly-half Brett
Connon, who provided the well-timed
pass or created the space from which
they profited. Brett had an outstanding
season and it was no surprise that he
was selected for Ireland U18s clubs
team, where he was awarded Man of
the Match for his performance against
Italy. Brett’s all-round game is superb: he
is an accurate kicker and passer, as well
24
as being able to make breaks and score
tries, and his game management sets
him apart from others. Yousef, along
with Mark Forster, also made selection
into the North of England U18s team;
just rewards for their performances.
Brett Connon Ireland U18s
Everyone knows and I am frequently
reminded by players in a single digit
shirt, that without an effective set of
forwards supplying ball, tries aren’t
scored! Tribute must be paid to the
magnificent forwards who were on most
occasions, the catalyst for our attacks.
In previous seasons we have struggled
with our size in the front five, but not
this year. Mark Forster, Christian White
and Jack Freshwater in the front-row,
created a solid platform at set pieces
and frequently disrupted opposition
ball causing many turn-overs. As well
as representing the North, Mark also
played for Newcastle Falcons academy
team against a senior Cumbria team.
Christian White proved to be a real
force to reckon with in the loose and
alongside Jack Freshwater and Brad
Cooper, were able to smash through
many team’s defences and create
opportunities for other players.
James Robson and Henry Berry have
contributed so much to Rugby over the
last 7 years and in their final season,
they continued to perform at a high
level. Henry was the master of turningover ball, whilst James’s deceptive
speed off the back of scrums caused
many opportunities both for himself and
other supporting players.
The U6th boys will indeed be a big miss,
however, there is much optimism for
next season. George Sims, Matthew
McKenzie, Hardy Hamilton and Duncan
Hill all proved to be elusive runners with
ball in hand and Matthew in particular,
used his blistering pace during the
7’s season to score buckets of tries!
Harry Grant is a composed half-back
with a good eye for the gap and made
excellent breaks throughout the season
and both him and Ben Davidson
provided an effective link for Brett
Connon at Fly-half. Haris Craig also
proved to be a very versatile forward
who made lots of progress throughout
the year.
The 5th Form boys stepped up to
the challenge of 1st XV magnificently.
Cameron Gilchrist played out of position
throughout the season, but he is
technically a very good prop and his
contact skills proved to be very effective
at this level. Lloyd Clark demonstrated
his phenomenal progress since his time
at our school. Lloyd is a very competent,
abrasive back-row player, contributing
hugely to defence and link-play. His
performances were also noticed at a
higher level and he ended up playing
for Scotland U16s at the Wellington
festival – an amazing achievement when
one considers he only started playing
the game on joining the school in the
Second Form! (Mr Tiffen)
The 7s season
The 7s season provided our fast
attacking players with a perfect platform
to demonstrate their skills. It was no
surprise, therefore, that we had one
of the most successful seasons for
quite a while, ending up finalists in
all 5 competitions we entered. The
preparations leading up to the first
tournament went well, with the squad
putting in lots of extra fitness sessions
and it was difficult to select the final
squad of 12 players.
Predictably, it was Brett Connon and
Freddie Graham-Campbell who were
the “go-to” players and they created
and scored the bulk of tries. However,
many boys made big improvements
as the season progressed and the
responsibility for breaking the defence
line was distributed more throughout the
season. Our defences improved as we
progressed and a lot of our tries were
created through pressure we put on the
opposition. (Mr Tiffen)
The Holland Tour
This was the first senior joint sports tour
for boys and girls and apart from the
travelling, it was a huge success and
enjoyed by all players and a venture we
look forward to repeating in the future.
We took 2 rugby teams and a girl’s
hockey team.
Hockey in Holland is a massive
participation sport and the girls
had some formidable opponents to
overcome, which led to some highly
competitive fixtures for them. The
boys on the other hand, came across
opponents who were not as skilled but
nevertheless very competitive, physical
and very tall! As a result the rugby teams
won both games against Gouda and
Hillversumse whilst the Hockey team
lost against Rotterdam, but recorded a
fantastic 3-1 win against HDM Hague.
(Mr Tiffen)
2nd XV Rugby
The 2nd XV had a mixed season this year
and perhaps there was an omen for the
year when we lost our captain, Murray
Clark to a broken collar bone in a heavy
loss at Giggleswick. Murray’s tackling
was a massive miss. During the season
we did not win a game on UK soil, but
were undefeated on International duty
beating Dutch opposition Gouda 56-5
and Hilversume 38-16. There was a
creditable performance against a strong
Dame Allan’s side early on where we lost
by a score in the last minute.
The game against Sedbergh started
brightly with a score for Ben McKean,
however Ben was then called up to
the 1st XV pitch to cover an injury and
without an attacking threat Sedbergh
were dominant. Despite results the team
has played with their usual great spirit
and youngsters like Ruaridh McCall,
Will Robson, Sam Tang & Chris Mooney
have merged well with more senior
players such as Ben McKean, Toby
Robson, George Sims and Duncan Hill.
The season ahead looks promising and
as usual the 2nd XV will approach every
game with enthusiasm and heart.
(Mr Edmondson)
Junior Rugby
U12s
The record for the season reads Played
11 Won 7 Lost 4, so there is much
reason to feel content and optimistic for
the future.
It was hard to imagine that these boys
had only arrived at School this year
as the quality was fantastic. In fact, it
was something I was not used to since
becoming a Rugby coach. There were
switches, Rhino-balls and 10-balls
a-plenty. The only time we struggled
on the pitch is when we were battling
ourselves rather than the opposition.
This is something they know they must
work on for next year.
There were so many highlights of the
year but watching the action when they
play as a team is something to witness
for yourself. Communication, pace, and
courage are only some of the words
that could be used. A magnificent
performance and an outstanding year!”
(Mr Love)
U13s
It is not unusual (Tom Jones used to
sing) to have small year groups at Austin
Friars St Monica’s and the U13’s have
had to use every male member of their
year to fulfill their fixtures. With that
said, they have truly put in some very
brave and encouraging performances.
Highlights of the season were recording
home and away wins over St Bees,
and a hard-earned 22-5 victory against
local rivals Trinity. The most pleasing
aspect of their season however, is the
way they have played and it is most
pleasing to see their tries coming from
contributions from forwards and backs
working together. In the forwards, Max
Lancaster stood out as a physical player
who created many turnovers as well as
breaks which led to opportunities for
other players. He was ably supported by
captain Laurence Wilson and Ijaz Kittoe
who are full of promise for the future.
In the backs there was pace and guile
from Corbin Hamilton, Jamie Irving and
Charlie Skeer, whilst Jonathan Davidson
proved himself to be an accomplished
decision maker at scrum-half.
(Mr Tiffen)
U15s
Open Day 2013 will forever be a red
letter day for this team. For this is
the day when a wonderful reversal of
fortune took place and a team shorn
of confidence and with only 1 win to
their name in the previous season finally
found their belief under their fine captain
Angus Irving and beat QEGS in bright
sunshine to start a 9 game unbeaten run
and a tremendously successful season.
The foundation for this run of success is
one of team work, where on numerous
occasions it has been nye on impossible
to select a Man of the Match, such was
the quality on display from so many
players.
The season had not started in
auspicious circumstances with losses
to Kings School and Dame Allans, but
the glimmer of potential was certainly
there even though perhaps the players
could not yet see it. Ruaridh McCall
was a welcome addition to the side.
He immediately showed that he could
control the game well at fly half and his
tackling ability became an infectious
disease that the rest of the team caught!
Next up was the QEGS game, which
was very tight where we ran out 20-17
25
winners in front of a bumper crowd.
St Bees were beaten comfortably in
the next game 48-5 and up next was
Giggleswick, probably the toughest
opponents that we play. This was a
tremendous spectacle for the neutral,
but for those with a vested interest in
the outcome there cannot have been
any nails left unbitten. The game was
end to end with both teams giving
absolutely everything. We scored some
magnificent tries from long range on the
back of some wonderful offloads. The
team held on to win 37-36 with many of
the players not realising they had won
until after the final whistle!
Trinity, RGS Newcastle, Bede Academy,
Nelson Thomlinson, NSB and Ullswater
also succumbed to our onslaught and
against Ullswater we also welcomed
Mike Newstead and Patrick Noutch to
the team. They gave us extra power and
pace respectively.
The Christmas lay off clearly had an
effect on the team and we suffered a dip
in form after the break where we lost to
Harton, Stainburn and Barnard Castle
sides.
Our final game of the season was
Ullswater in the snow! We really needed
a win to round off the season and it
was duly supplied on the back of a
tremendous, dogged effort in appalling
conditions.
The momentum was maintained in
the 7s season where we entered 3
tournaments and came away with
silverware in each. We won the NSB
tournament gaining revenge on Kings
School in the final to lift the trophy,
we won the plate at Giggleswick in a
tournament of a very high standard
and we won a weather affected County
competition at Ullswater.
This success is due to the ability of
the forwards to win a great deal of
ball, in particular the team’s ability to
counter ruck so effectively to turnover
possession. Standout performers were
Matthew Tomkins for his close driving
play, Gregor Gilchrist for his ability to
win many scrums against the head (also
playing up a year), Mike Newstead for his
powerful ball carrying, Adrian Anderson
for his aggression in contact and playing
through the pain barrier, Will Ferdinand
for his ability to make ground with the
ball, Max Kirton whose desire to convert
to flanker proved a master stroke
where his tackling ability was superb.
26
Special mention must go to Max Kirton’s
performance against Bede Academy
where he made up 70m on the diagonal
to save a certain try with a tackle in the
corner. Charlie Johnston was almost
unstoppable when he made up his mind
to run and Angus Irving who led by
example with his work over the ball.
The backs then used this ball very
effectively scoring some tremendous
tries off both first phase and turnover
ball. Stand out performers were Chris
McBride who, despite his size, showed
real control and excellent service in his
new scrum half role, Angus Stronach
who shared the scrum half role (playing
a year up) and grew massively in
confidence as the season progressed
where his defence in particular stood
out, Ruaridh McCall whose tackling
made experienced rugby supporters
wince, the centre partnership of Tom
Harrison and Sam (interception) Low
who made many line breaks and
supported so effectively and the wingers
Julio Boyling and Patrick Noutch who
terrified their opponents with their pace
and at the back the defensive wall of
Ross Collier who in particular against
Barnard Castle just refused to let
anyone get past him. The ever versatile
Kyle Ryder filled in across the backline a
measure of his growing skill set. We are
all looking forward to seeing these boys
progress to senior rugby next year.
(Mr Laidlaw)
“
...this run of
success is one of
team work, where on
numerous occasions
it has been nye on
impossible to select a
Man of the Match...
”
Cricket
The perennial problem with doing any
competitive sports during the Summer
term for pupils in the senior years is
that for the majority of the time, they
are involved in exams, there is also
the Cumbrian weather which tends to
hamper proceedings somewhat! As a
result the 1st XI only managed to play a
couple of matches and, unfortunately,
our jewel fixture against the MCC was
started but fizzled out after tea as the
heavy clouds gave way to persistent
rain. Nevertheless, there were some
good performances in the field with
both Ben Davidson and Chris McBride
picking up a couple of wickets each
and alongside Harry Grant, bowled tidily
and caused the MCC some awkward
moments. The MCC moved on at quite
a pace to declare on 173-4 off 42 overs
by lunch.
We were given approximately 35 overs
to reach our target and with a good
batting line-up, decided we were
capable of winning the game. However,
the MCC bowlers, whilst not quick,
proved to be very accurate and the runs
failed to come at the rate we required.
When the match finally came to an end,
we were 27-1 off 17 overs with Ben
Davidson top scoring on 17 not out.
Despite the disappointing lack of
matches at the senior end of school,
there have been some outstanding
achievements recorded by both Ben
Davidson and Chris McBride who have
both been involved in the Manchester
and Durham academies on a pathway
towards first class cricket. We wish
them both well. (Mr Tiffen)
Junior Cricket
At the junior end of school, all years
have played numerous fixtures and
success has been achieved throughout
all teams. The most successful team
has been the U12s who managed to
progress through to the semi-final stage
of the Bunbury cup at county level,
losing to a very powerful Ulverston
Victoria team, this was their first defeat
of the season. Of the five victories
recorded, the most satisfying win was
against Trinity who were widely tipped
to be favourites to win the Cumbria
section.
Boys Hockey
Competitive hockey matches for boys is
a relatively new thing for boys at Austin
Friars St Monica’s, but enthusiasm and
competence grows within our teams
and we are beginning to play with some
authority and have picked up some
good “scalps” against larger schools,
which mark our progress. The U15 and
U14 teams both recorded wins against
Barnard Castle with Anthony Tang,
Chris McBride and Angus Stronach
scoring fine goals, however Lewis Windle
stood out as a very talented player with
excellent ball control and an ability to
beat players at will.
Lower down the school the U13 team
recorded an amazing result against
Newcastle School for Boys, winning
10-0. They played some very cohesive
hockey, scoring many team goals.
Jonathan Davidson netted the majority
of them, however Travis Little, Corbin
Hamilton, Ryan Mathew, Charlie Skeer
and Josh Liddle also showed some
neat touches and made important
contributions throughout.
Boys Tennis
Tennis is the fastest growing sport for
both boys and girls throughout the
school and it is very heart-warming
indeed to see all 6 courts in use at
break-times and after school throughout
the Summer term. This year for the
first time, we entered 2 teams into
the U15 and U13 leagues. The most
successful quartet were the U15 “A”
team who finished winners in Division 1
by defeating both Nelson Thomlinson
teams and William Howard along the
way. In the semi-finals they met an
impressively strong Kirkby Lonsdale
team who proved too strong. Number
one, Anthony Tang had an impressive
season losing only 3 games in the
first 3 matches and his deep-hitting
groundstrokes enabled him to overcome
most opponents. Ben Fairclough and
Angus Irving also have an ability to hit
long and hard and show good agility
across the court and Kyle Ryder and
Chris McBride made big improvements
throughout the season. In Division 2 the
team narrowly defeated Ullswater and
comprehensively beat Ulverston 12-0.
Sam Low, Angus Stronach and Lewis
Windle were the stand-out players who
offered variation in their play and won
most of their games.
At U13 level, the boys in Division 1
and 2 found the going a little tough
at times against the bigger schools,
nevertheless, they were able to win a
couple of matches against Keswick
“B” and William Howard. Travis Little
and Jonathan Davidson showed great
promise for the future and Charlie Skeer,
Harsha Morisetty, Laurence Wilson
and Jon Kittoe made lots of progress
as the season progressed and gained
confidence playing more from the back
of the court.
Boys Athletics
There have been some notable
individual performances this year across
the age range. Josh Galloway and Guy
Wellings represented Carlisle District in
the 1st Form county championships in
the 100m and Javelin respectively with
Josh winning the B final. In the 2nd Form
Corbin Hamilton’s 200m performances
were strong, scoring valuable points
for the team in the Sainsbury’s Cup.
Ross Collier produced some excellent
throws in the Javelin improving his PB in
almost every event and Kyle Ryder did
likewise in the high jump. Julio Boyling
showed the same speed on the track
as he shows on the rugby pitch in the
sprint events. Patrick Noutch showed
his versatility and travelled to Stoke to
represent the County in the multi-event
championships.
Table Tennis Club
The table tennis club has developed
significantly over the past few years and
now has a total of 6 tables, thanks to
the invaluable support of the PTA.
Kyle Ryder, this year’s intermediate
champion, has dominated play since he
joined the school in September 2009.
He has been virtually unbeaten in every
internal competition, often seeing off
older competitors. He has extremely
quick reflexes and a very effective
smash. He also covers a lot of ground
when he plays and stands well away
from the table to ensure he can cover
all the angles. Another technique that
opponents find difficult to overcome is
Kyle’s use of spin which makes the ball
bounce back towards the net, or spiral
out at awkward angles.
This year’s junior champion was Harry
Austin, who shocked some of the older
pupils with his ability when he first came
along to the club; it is always a good
move to arrive with your own bat, as
psychologically it suggests that you
are an experienced player! With Harry
this proved to be the case. Harry has
not yet beaten Kyle but he is a worthy
successor to Kyle’s junior crown.
Although the club does tend to be
dominated by the boys, we have had
a number of female players this year
who have come along and successfully
joined in. However it would be nice to
see some more female players next
year: everyone is welcome.
(Mrs Agnew)
27
GIRLS SPORT REPORT
Senior Hockey
1st XI
Before our demanding fixture
programme gets under way it is tradition
to play our former pupils, for the first
game of the season.
This was the first time I’d experienced
my current captain playing my ‘old girl’
captain. Trying to remain impartial was
difficult; I am just pleased I didn’t have
to umpire on this occasion.
We played in four quarters, much to the
old girls delight; it was clear they lacked
fitness but certainly hadn’t lost skill over
the summer.
Experience seemed to play a part as the
current 1st team struggled to get to grips
with each other as a newly put together
team.
The score finished 10-3 to the ‘oldies’.
Well done to Jen Bale who scored a
number of goals.
The following week, after a few intense
pre-season training sessions, the girls
were ready to play in the first round of
the National School’s Competition.
This year we played the North County
Round in Penrith, playing UCC,
Keswick and QEGS. Beating Keswick
comfortably and drawing with QEGS it
all came down to the last game against
UCC. We needed to beat the 5-0 goal
difference QEGS had to qualify for the
next round.
The play was mostly in our ‘D’ and
28
we dominated throughout the game,
however we couldn’t seem to get the
ball in the back of the net. During the 2nd
half we kept up the intensity, showing
our pre-season had certainly paid off
with Frankie Scott, Alice Calvert and
Victoria Barbour finding goals through
excellent play from Maria Temple and
Taya Dixon. This was not enough,
however, to put us through to the group
stage.
Although we didn’t get through, this was
a great start to the season and gave the
girls confidence after the former pupils
game.
We then had the pleasure of hosting
a touring hockey team from Chile; this
was a fantastic experience for all the
girls and many have made life-long
friends.
The hockey was played at a fast
pace with both teams having early
opportunities to score, however it was
obvious that Chile were coming to the
peak of their season as we were just
finding our feet and the score finished
6-0 to the visiting team. These goals,
however, were all scored through
penalty corners, so in open play the
teams were well matched.
Many of the results did not reflect the
standard of hockey played by the
1st XI this season; the girls were very
competitive on the fixture circuit with a
number of compliments from travelling
staff members.
We had narrow defeats to Stonyhurst,
QEGS, Giggleswick, Sedbergh and
Barnard Castle. We did, however,
manage some convincing wins against,
Keswick, Cockermouth, UCC and
Nelson Thomlinson.
At the end of the season the girls
celebrated with a formal dinner with the
following awards being presented:
Player of the season: Taya Dixon
Top Goal scorer: Victoria Barbour
Most Improved player: Alice Tod
Genius Loci: The Barbour Sisters
2nd XI
The second team have consistently
worked hard over the season both on
the pitch during games and at training. Over the season, under the leadership
of Sophie Ferdinand, they have
developed an excellent team spirit and
work ethic.
They won three games during the
season including victories over Durham, Penrith and Central Newcastle
High School. This was an improvement
over the previous year, and, in the
games where they suffered defeats, the
majority were very close and the result
could have gone either way.
The team have developed a positive
attitude and have never given up
during games and have always been
determined to fight their way back into
the match. With many of the current
team being available for next season
and the strength of players coming up
from the U15s it looks as though, with
hard work & practice, the second team
could be in for an excellent season this
autumn.
U15s
The under 15s have had a fantastic
season this year. The results alone
show that in 15 games there have been
12 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, scoring
62 goals and conceding only 12. Ellie
Routledge was responsible for a lot
of the goals, 35 in total, with Esther
Stronach also contributing well with 14
from midfield during her first season as
captain. The statistics, however, are not
the full story of the season. This team
has been successful in terms of results
since they joined the school.
The main objective of this season was
to play well as a team and see the best
of the entire squad. A strenuous couple
of pre-season sessions seemed to set
us on the right path as the first match
was a convincing 4-1 win over St Bees,
which was followed by arguably the
best performance of the season. A
very strong Stonyhurst team, who had
beaten us comfortably the last time the
sides met, travelled to the school and
competed in an end to end game that
saw both sides leading, as well as a last
minute equaliser, which unfortunately
for us, we were on the wrong end of!
The match finished 2-2 but the positives
we took from the game such as the
first of many impressive performances
from players such as Kathryn Orr,
Emma Collier and Eliza McKendry,
far outweighed the disappointment of
narrowly missing out on a win.
The girls set themselves the goal of
becoming County Champions very early
on, a difficult task given the standard
of the competition, but achievable
with the right approach. The first
round was comfortable as we went
through conceding just 1 goal, with Ellie
bagging 10 on the day. The final was a
round robin against Sedbergh, Nelson
Thomlinson and Queen Katherine’s.
An opening draw against Sedbergh
followed by a comfortable win versus
Nelson Thomlinson left us needing to
win to ensure we became champions.
A very tense game ended in a 1-0
victory, thoroughly deserved.
It has been a pleasure to coach the girls
over the last 2 years and I’d like to thank
each and every one of them for their
contributions, both on and off the pitch.
There aren’t many people who could
get me to wear a onesie! Good luck in
senior hockey girls! (J Freshwater)
U13s
This year has seen vast improvements
from each and every member of the
U13 girls hockey team. Despite some
disappointing losses the girls showed
great enthusiasm, determination and
willingness throughout the season
which allowed them to reach the finals
of the County Schools Tournament
where they played with great strength
and willpower. With a conscientious
approach in training they have really
started to gel as a team allowing both
individual and team playing to excel.
Well done to everybody who has taken
part this season, I look forward to the
year ahead. (J Hurcombe)
U12s
The U12s have had a great season all
around. Being their first year of hockey
they have been up against some
tough teams but the enthusiasm and
determination of each of the girls has
been great to see.
Highlights include beating St Bees in
every match we played against them
and to finish off the season by reaching
the final of the County Tournament. One
of the best matches they played was
against Carlisle Hockey Club. Captain,
Isabel Wood, provided encouragement
and support throughout the season with
the help of Vice Captain Holly Milbourn. I
can only wish the team the best for next
season as U13s and I am sure that they
will do well. (J Bale)
29
Hockey 7s
Choosing a 7s squad this season
was made difficult because of the
commitment and dedication of both the
1st and 2nd team.
The 7s season for the girls always
kicks off with the Penrith tournament.
Having lost our title last year we were
certainly keen to win it back. However,
QEGS dominated with some strong club
players and they were difficult to beat.
We did, however, comfortably beat UCC
and Keswick and we finished runnersup again.
The AFSM 7s is always a highlight.
With a waiting list of teams this year
the standard was extremely high. After
finishing runners-up in our group, we
faced St Bees in the Shield final.
This was a close game with both teams
having chances to score. Although we
had the better fitness and chances on
target we didn’t seem to
be able to finish.
The final score was 0-0. Meaning it
went straight to penalty flicks. After 3
flicks each it went to sudden death,
Captain Portia then managed to beat
the St Bees keeper placing the ball in
the bottom left hand corner. This meant
that it rested on goal keeper Rebekah
Pallister to save the next flick. As the
rest of the team watched on nervously
the St Bees player flicked the ball, but
Rebekah managed to get her kicker
to the ball and with a ‘karate chop’
action saved the flick, meaning we had
won the shield for the 2nd year running.
Definitely one of the season’s highlights.
30
U16s
This has been our best season across
the board. All teams have produced
some fantastic results. Leading the way
were the U16s squad which won the
County title and represented Cumbria
as Champions in the North West
Championships; held in Manchester.
Beating schools like Sedbergh, QEGS
and Kirkby Lonsdale to qualify, this was
a fantastic achievement, especially when
you think back to their season as U13s
when they didn’t win a game! This was
also our smallest cohort of girls.
U15s
The U15s followed this performance with
a County victory, comfortably winning
the North Cumbria section; they had
the luxury of playing the final on our
home astro. With an incredible display
of possession hockey, these girls have
made such progress as a team this year.
They beat Sedbergh, Nelson Thomlinson
and Kirkby Lonsdale with ease.
The team, captained by Esther Stronach,
have really worked hard with Mr
Freshwater, developing fast following
hockey.
This is the first time in the school’s
history of girls hockey we have achieved
this. The girls played in Manchester,
winning one game against Merseyside
and narrowly losing the other to Greater
Manchester.
Athletics Report
This has been another successful year
for girls’ athletics.
In the English Schools track and field
cup the Intermediate girls qualified
for the North West Final in Blackpool
after finishing 2nd in the County round.
Competing against much larger schools
the team finished a creditable 5th
place out of 12 teams. The team also
managed to improve their first team
score by over 40 points. Individual high
scorers were Captain, Ella Telford in
the Hurdles and High Jump, Camilla
McKnespiey in the 1500m and Relay,
Esther Stronach in the 100m and Long
Jump and Ellie Routledge in the Javelin
and Hurdles.
In the County School’s Multi events, the
Intermediate girls team of Ella Telford,
Kerry Regan and Ellie Routledge won
the team title with Ella being crowned
individual Heptathlon Champion and
Kerry placed runner up.
This meant they finished a creditable 2nd
in their group and progressed to the final
where they played Wilmslow. We were
comfortably beaten by a strong side;
however we did not let them have it their
own way, with mid-field players; Victoria
Barbour and Rosie Watson putting in
some strong tackles. Eliza McKendry
was nominated player of the tournament
for a super performance in goal. Ellie
Routledge was top goal scorer. It is
exciting that these girls will move up
to play senior hockey next season.
Both Ella and Kerry were selected to
compete at the North Final for Cumbria
in Stoke. Ellie narrowly missing selection
in 5th pace. Ella is currently ranked in the
top 7 nationally, hoping to improve on
this at the North Championships in June.
In the Junior Girls Pentathlon Thiane
Pohlandt was selected after finishing in
4th pace overall, and Jane Brass also
competed well to finish 6th in a large
pool of girls from across the County.
The girls also had a number of
successful performers who where
selected for the District team after the
City Championships which were held in
May. This is the first step towards them
competing for Cumbria in the National
Championships.
Leading the way again was Ella Telford
with wins in both the Shot and High
Jump, gaining National Standard for
both, and a place at the English Schools
Championships in Birmingham. Ella is
closely followed by Camilla McKnespiey,
who off the back of an extremely
successful winter season on the road
and country, managed to gain selection
for the English School Championships
for the first time on the track as a Junior
Girl.
This is the first time we have had
two female athletes going to a
National Championships; a fantastic
achievement.
Thiane Pohlandt (high Jump) and
Sarah Hodgson (Shot) both performed
well for the district to finish 4th and 5th
respectively.
Intermediate girls who also performed
well were Ellie Routledge finishing 3rd
in the 80m Hurdles and Javelin, Esther
Stronach in the 100m and Kerry Regan
in the Long Jump.
In the First Year Championships our
most successful performer and the
only girl to gain selection for the County
Championships was Charlotte Mitton in
the 1500m. Alice Ullyart was unlucky not
to gain selection after a 3rd place finish in
the 200m with a personal best of 29.3.
“
The English
Schools
Championships...
This is the first
time we have had
two female athletes
going to a National
Championships;
a fantastic
achievement.
”
Cross Country
Again another successful year for the
girls over the cross country season, our
lead pair Camilla McKnespiey and Esme
Davis both gained selection for the
National Schools after first and second
place finishes at the County Schools
Championships in Cockermouth.
Both girls had a fantastic winter season,
with wins at the English Schools Fell
Running Championships, the Cumbria
Run and also the Great North Run. I
commend them for their hard work and
commitment to training.
This year both girls teams where unlucky
not to qualify for the North West finals
in the English Schools Cross County
Cup. Both teams finishing 3rd in the
County Round, which is still a creditable
performance. Camilla and Esme also
won these County races.
Other runners who gained selection
for the County Championships were
Charlotte Mitton and Isabel Wood for
the minor girls.
Rounders
During the summer term, the girls
played a number of competitive
Rounders fixtures and tournaments.
A highlight of the season for the girls is
always the tournaments held at St Bees,
the U13s performing the best out of the
three year groups, (12,13,14). The team
finished runners-up to QEGS by 1½
rounders. Overall, they won six games
and lost one beating Nelson Thomlinson
A and B, Malsis, St Bees, West Lakes,
and Keswick convincingly.
Another highlight was the U14s
who finished in 3rd place at the
City Tournament. Katie Robinson
was nominated fielder of the whole
tournament. A fantastic achievement.
All teams have worked on the basic
skills of batting and fielding, each
showing significant improvement.
31
MUSIC & THE ARTS
House Music Festival
The Senior School held its annual House Music Festival
which gave pupils the opportunity to showcase their
outstanding musical talent. Mr Hattrell organised the
event. He said, “Each year we hold the Music Festival and
it is always met with great enthusiasm from the pupils.
We have some fabulous musical talent in the school and this
festival gives pupils the opportunity to perform in front of
their friends and family.
Year on year the musical performances are outstanding
and this year has been no exception.” A selection of the
festival results are as follows. Ophelia Appleby (Upper Sixth)
and Henry Berry (Upper Sixth) won the Ensemble Singing
category with their brilliant rendition of Stay by Rihanna.
Taran Vear of Lower Sixth won the Senior Strings category.
She played two pieces, the first was called Carousel which
Taran wrote after her first experience of riding a carousel in
Carlisle, and this was combined with a traditional Breton
dance tune that she learnt from a Breton folk musician last
summer. One of many exceptional performances came from
1st Form pupil Megan Le Brocq who won the Junior Singing
category with her performance of ‘Castle on a Cloud’ from
the musical ‘Les Miserables’.
The week culminated in the House Singing Competition which
saw pupils from across the school come together to compete
with their fellow house peers. Each House sang the set song
‘Consider Yourself’ and then sang their chosen House song.
Stafford chose to sing ‘Summer of 69’ by Brian Adams, whilst
Clare sang ‘Day Dream Believer’ by Neil Diamond. Lincoln
House followed with ‘S.O.S’ by Abba. In a nail biting finale
Mrs Lyn Young, adjudicator, pronounced Lincoln House the
winners to great celebrations and cheers.
“
House Singing Competition In a nail biting finale Mrs Lyn
Young, adjudicator, pronounced
Lincoln House the winners to
great celebrations and cheers.
32
”
West Side Story
Pupils and staff at the School staged three live
performances of ‘West Side Story’, an American musical
inspired by William Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the
Sharks, two teenage street gangs from different ethnic
backgrounds. The two leading characters, Tony and Maria were
played by Alex Grogan and Sarah Hughes. Tony, one of the
Jets, falls in love with Maria, sister of Bernado (played by
Henry Taylor), the leader of the Sharks.
Students from all years got involved in the production and,
equally as important as those acting in the play, were those
who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. Students were
involved in hair and make-up, dance and choreography, stage
management, lighting and sound.
Enhancing the performance throughout was the live band,
which was made up of pupils from across the school as well as
music teachers, who introduced each scene and accompanied
the singers throughout. The play really was incredible to watch,
with some fantastic individual performances which captivated
the audience from start to finish.
Summer Concert
Students from the Senior School took part in the School’s
annual Summer Concert which gives individuals the
opportunity to perform in the grandeur of the Cathedral.
The evening included musical performances from talented
pupils across the School and included a mix of classical and
contemporary pieces which were performed in front of a large
audience.
Throughout the evening different groups performed. These
included; ‘Some Strings Attached’, the Saxophone Ensemble,
the Guitar Ensemble, the Senior Choir, the Brass Ensemble
and the Swing Band.
The evening was introduced by ‘Some Strings Attached’, a
group of talented musicians from all years of the School, who
played ‘Themes from ‘Star Trek’’ as well as an arrangement of
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.
The Senior Choir performed a brilliant rendition of Howard
Goodall’s ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ followed by a moving
rendition of ‘Sure on this shining night’ by Morten Lauridsen.
During the evening the audience were treated to two solo
performances from A’ Level students Catherine Tomkins and
Katie Scott. Katie sang a beautiful version of Arlen &
Koehler’s ‘Stormy Weather’ (her first solo performance in
public!), and Catherine performed ‘Remembrances’ by John
Williams on the violin. U6th student Ophelia Appleby also sang
the ‘Flower Duet’ from ‘Lakmé’ by Delibes with Naomi Dodd,
her singing teacher, taking the second soprano part.
33
Leavers’ Assembly
With their A2 examinations looming, members of
the U6th celebrated their school careers coming
to a close with the now traditional U6th leavers’
assembly in front of a large audience of students
and parents in the Chapel.
Heads of House and Tutors reminisced about their
time with the U6th, with each student having their
own official farewell. A fabulous occasion that our
U6th leavers shall never forget.
34
U6th LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS
Ophelia Appleby, Bristol, History of Art and French
Toby Robson, Exeter, History and Politics
Alexandra Barbour, Gap Year
Alexander Rose, Further Education
Henry Berry, Employment
Isobelle Rosindell, Gap Year
Alice Calvert, Bristol, Geography
Frankie Scott, Chester, Business Management
Murray Clark, Edinburgh, Mechanical Engineering
Katie Scott, Newcastle, Chemistry
Elizabeth Colwell, Roehampton, Biomedical Science
Thomas Scott Robson, GAP Year
Brad Cooper, GAP Year
Felix Stamper, Central Lancashire, Mechanical Engineering
Taya Dixon, Sheffield, Hispanic Studies
Holly Thompson, GAP Year
Hebe Dyson, Employment
Catherine Tomkins, GAP Year
Loren Ewart, St Andrews, Comparative Literature and English
Mark Forster, Gap Year
Other Leavers’ Destinations
Freddie Graham-Campbell, Aberdeen, Biomedical Science (Anatomy)
Jen Bale, University of Cumbria, Nursing
Jamie Henderson, Lancaster, Accounting, Finance and Mathematics
Elizabeth Brass, Harper Adams, Animal Science
Portia Inglis, Leeds Metropolitan, Sports, Physical Activity & Health
Rachel Brass, Prague, Vet Science
Mahrukh Khurshid, GAP Year
Catriona Duff, Salamanca, Languages
Munro Kellock, Edinburgh, Mechanical Engineering
Anthony Johnston, Northumbria, Business with Economics
Hannah Nicholls, Dundee, Law
Hamish Matthews, Dundee, Medicine
Niamh Orr, Chester, French
Harriet Potts, Glasgow, Spanish
Rebekah Pallister, Liverpool John Moores, Policing Studies
Isabella Graham-Campbell, Edinburgh Napier, Hospitality
Management with Language
Barnaby Robson, Northumbria, History
James Robson, GAP Year
35
AUSTIN FRIARS
ST MONICA’S SCHOOL
In Omnibus Caritas
Etterby Scaur | Carlisle | Cumbria | CA3 9PB
General Enquiries | t. 01228 528042 | e. [email protected]
Visits and Admission | t. 01228 550760 | e. [email protected]
Designed & Printed by hhreedsprinters.co.uk
www.austinfriars.cumbria.sch.uk
L O V E • W E L L - B E I N G • H U M I L I T Y • S T U D Y & W I S D O M • F R E E D O M • C O M M U N I T Y • C O M M O N G O O D • H U M B L E & G E N E R O U S S E R V I C E • F R I E N D S H I P • P R AY E R