academic - Fluency CMS

Transcription

About
Oundle
Trinity Quarter 2016
Imperial STEM Collaboration
Imperial College London working with Oundle
to establish STEM Hub - pg 3
Whole School Concert
Whole School concert at Symphony Hall, Birmingham - pg 10
New Director of Sport
Oundle appoints Danny Grewcock MBE - pg 20
1
CONTENTS
ACADEMIC
Pg 3
ARTS
Pg 10
ENVIRONMENTAL / DofE / PASTORAL Pg 12
OUNDLE SOCIETY
Pg 14
COMMUNITY ACTION / CHARITY PG 16
CCF PG 19
SPORT
Pg 20
BEYOND OUNDLE
Pg 24
OUNDLE IN PICTURES
2
Pg 28
ACADEMIC
STEM Collaboration
On Thursday 28th April, the first collaboration between Imperial
College London and the School took place in SciTec with a Space
Challenge for sixty local Year 7 and 8 pupils. Pupils from Thomas
Deacon Academy, Northampton Academy and Oundle took part
in what was a very successful inaugural event.
www.oundleschool.org.uk
of the future. SciTec will provide ‘practical hands-on
experience’, with pupils able to move seamlessly from theory
to practice and from pure science to the achievement of
workable technology, whilst embracing new fields such as
nanotechnology and mechatronics.
Chemistry teacher and Sanderson fellow, James Bessent
commented, ‘It is hoped that the Space Challenge will be
the start of a very fruitful relationship with Imperial College
London, who aim to use the School and its SciTec facilities as a
regional hub for local schools for future STEM activities.’
On 12th March, the School held a ‘topping out’ ceremony
on the roof of SciTec, to mark the completion of the external
structure of the new SciTec development. This sees the
construction of a new Mathematics department, new Science
labs and a complete refurbishment of the Patrick Engineering
Centre. It will link Science, Mathematics, Design, Technology
and Engineering both physically and philosophically, providing
state-of-the-art facilities for tomorrow’s scientists and
engineers. The School is extremely grateful to all donors for
their commitment to educating the scientists and engineers
Be Inspired and Inspire
Striking Gold
For the second year running, the School hosted the British
English Olympics (BEO), a highly prestigious academic
competition run jointly by Oxford International Education
Group and BEO World. Almost 600 competitors and staff
from thirty six different schools from as far afield as South
America, Mongolia, Turkey, Russia, Portugal and Italy resided
in ten of Oundle’s boarding houses. In total 100 schools from
around the world, with nearly 1,400 students took part in
the 8th British English Olympics which was located at six
different campuses. Twenty-six pupils achieved medals in The Royal Society
of Chemistry’s Olympiad. Of these, three pupils, George
Marshall (Sc), Winnie Liu (W) and Lower Sixth former, Kevin
Law (Sc) struck Gold. In addition to the three Gold Award
winners, there were eighteen Silver Awards (three from
Lower Sixth Form pupils) and five Bronze Awards. After
winning the Mid-Anglian regional heat of the Royal Society
of Chemistry Top of Bench competition in November, a team
of four pupils (consisting of Rebecca Siddall (L), Gordon Lin
(C), Alice Sze (N) and Polly Brown (K)), represented the region
and were placed 4th in the National Final at Loughborough
University competing against thirty-one other regional
winners throughout the UK. Two of the regional heat
winning team (James Duckitt (G) and Will Parker Jennings
(Ldr)) were unable to attend the final and so Rebecca and
Polly were called in as very able and worthy replacements.
Oundle has now won four regional heats since first entering
the competition in 2009, with teams coming 13th, 6th, 2nd
and 4th in the four National finals.
3
ACADEMIC
Literary Recognition
With his poem, Driving
Lesson, Ed Pryor (Sc) was
shortlisted for this year’s
Christopher Tower Poetry
Competition, receiving
a prize of £250 awarded
at a ceremony held in
the McKenna Room in
Christ Church College,
Oxford on 20th April.
Cara Nicholson (Sn) got
an honourable mention
in the 2016 Hippocrates
Poetry and Medicine
Awards for her poem An
Unwanted Visitor. Oundle pupils took top prizes in this year’s
Oundle Festival of Literature writing competition with Matilda
Somerville-Cotton (L) placed 1st in the Year 7/8 Poetry, George
Brettle (B) placed 1st in the Year 9/10 Poetry and Charles Willis
(S) placed 1st in the Year 9/10/11 Prose.
Ask the Experts
Head of Careers, Emma Aubury, commented ‘We are so
fortunate to have such a talented and diverse parent body
from which our experts generously volunteer each year. This
year, our pupils had the opportunity to talk to the British
Ambassador to Sweden, an Army Brigadier, the Head of
Trading for Boots plc (UK and Eire) and an advertising creative
director, as well as a number of representatives from a range
of different aspects of the legal, medical, engineering, real
estate and financial professions and academia. In addition,
from more niche professions, we hosted a commercial
helicopter pilot, a digital media publisher, an architect and an
F1 chief engineer.’
We had a lot to choose from. The most interesting products
were often presented by smaller companies, for example, the
revision app ‘Gojimo’. It will be interesting to see if any of the
products identified by the Digital Leaders will become part of
the School’s developing digital ecosystem.’
Some of the companies that the School is already working
with also presented their new features including iBoss, iSAMS,
Firefly and Parents Reception Booking system.
Summer Learning Inspiration
This year, each academic department has been putting
together a departmental document which lists suggested ways
that the Fifth Form could gain inspiration over the summer in
the subjects they have chosen for Sixth Form. The suggestions
take the form of books, websites, people to follow on Twitter,
MOOCS and places to visit with the idea that pupils and also
their parents, perhaps, might look at a small number of the
suggestions. They will also be available electronically so that
they can access them on their phones or ipads and can click on
the links or even explore topics from subjects that they are not
continuing with to A level but are still interested in.
Interim Director of Studies, Sara Davidson commented ‘This
is intended to be something pleasurable and the aim is to
encourage independent learning as well as thought and
exploration of some of the areas they will be learning about
next year, so that they start to get excited about what lies
ahead for the next two years.’
Behavioural Economics
The Economics Society had the pleasure of welcoming Alison
Lynch to give a lecture on the UK Tax System and her own
career as a chartered tax advisor. Her talk focused on the
different taxes that the government levies, how the revenue is
collected, with examples ranging from Jaffa Cakes to Cornish
Pasties. She also discussed the moral issues surrounding legal
tax avoidance - a topical issue given the recent controversy
with some multinationals. The Society also welcomed Paul
Ormerod to deliver a lecture on Behavioural Economics - the
concept of the behaviour of consumers in the 21st century and
economics adapting and changing to our modern day ‘cyber
society.’
BETT 2016
On 20th January, eight Digital Leaders went to visit BETT
2016. Formerly known as the British Educational Training and
Technology Show, BETT is an annual showcase for the latest in
educational technology, held in the ExCel Centre in London.
Nikita Belenkov (S) commented ‘Our mission was to find the
most interesting and potentially useful software or hardware
that would add value to learning at Oundle - not an easy task.
4
The Wall Jumper
Lower and Upper Sixth Germanists attended a lecture at
Cambridge University given by Peter Schneider, the author
of Der Mauer Springer (The Wall Jumper). Peter Schneider
discussed his experiences with the Berlin Wall and reactions to
it being built and then falling in 1989. Physics Challenge
Several Fifth Form Physicists took part in the British Physics
Olympiad’s Physics Challenge - a competition open to able
young physicists studying at GCSE level designed to test
understanding and problem solving skills beyond the syllabus.
George Garber (S) and Arthur Thomson (StA), were among
the top 3.1% of pupils entering the competition and were
ACADEMIC
awarded Gold Certificates and book prizes. Rebecca Siddall (L)
and Samuel To (S) were awarded Silver Certificates and Bronze
Certificates were awarded to eleven other pupils.
of such infection and contagion deserve the same level of care?
The same speed of response? Emergency first aid that makes
all the difference?’
Based upon her statistical analysis of a number of recent
outbreaks, Rebecca identified two areas which could increase
the efficiency of first response. The prize-giving event took
place at the Big Bang Fair at Birmingham NEC on 19th March,
where Rebecca had a stand to display the concept to experts
and the public. At the awards ceremony Rebecca received
£500 prize money and another £500 for the School.
Rebecca added ‘Part of the award involves mentoring and
networking with professional women engineers, so I might
have the opportunity to further develop iMEDIVAC.’
Best Newspaper
Public Speaking Success
In January, orators from the Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms won
the area heat of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition
for Schools. Oundle addressed the topic The Internet is a
Drug and we are all Addicted. The team comprised Catherine
Swanston (Sn) as Chair, William Slinger (B) as Speaker and
George Brettle (B), as Questioner. George was also awarded
Best Questioner of the evening. In the Regional Finals in
March, the team was placed runner up to Haberdashers,
narrowly missing out on a place in the Final. Will was awarded
Best Speaker on the day.
Senior Debating closed its formal programme for the year with
a riveting EU in/out debate between Bramston and Fisher (the
winners). The proceedings of the year concluded with the
formal Senior Debating dinner which was addressed by His
Honour Judge Peter Morrell (Adjudicator) and at which awards
were made to Presidents Will Brettle (B) and Anna Pathak (L)
and Vice Presidents Annabelle Barker (N) and Kieran Marray (L)
to mark their contributions to the Society. The Junior Mather
Cup was won this year by New House.
iMEDIVAC
Rebecca Siddall’s (L) iMEDIVAC project entry for the Talent
2030 National Engineering Competition for Girls won first prize
in the 15-16 age category.
iMEDIVAC was inspired
by an image of infected
Ebola nurse Pauline
Cafferkey being airlifted
from Glasgow to the Royal
Free Hospital. Rebecca commented
‘With life-saving
treatment, courageous
medics, and an isolation
care ward ready in
London, saving Pauline
was a triumph of
infrastructure and
training. Don’t all victims
In June, Issue 43 (December) of the Oundle Chronicle received
seven awards at the Shine Media Awards at Stationers’ Hall
including Best Newspaper. Editor Tom Lambton’s (B) article on
the Syrian fighter won Best Feature Article, and Tom also won
an additional award for Young Journalist showing Exceptional
Promise. The paper also won the BPIF Award for Exceptional
Overall Promise.
Thirty Oxbridge Offers
Thirty pupils received offers this year to Oxford and Cambridge,
with the offers evenly split between the two universities.
Twenty-four of these are conditional on A level and Pre-U
results, with six former pupils receiving unconditional offers.
Among the offers was an organ scholarship at Lincoln College,
Oxford. The number of successful applicants is higher than last
year’s total of twenty seven, and the highest since 2009.
Head, Sarah Kerr-Dineen commented ‘We are delighted for
all those offered a place. The growth of the non-examined
curriculum at Oundle in recent years has I believe further
inspired independence of thought and intellectual ambition in
all our pupils, and the higher number of Oxford and Cambridge
offers is a reflection of this.’
Close Defeat
In late November, Ali Mason (F), Nico Lethbridge (S), Charlie
Law (S) and George Chatterton (F), won the Regional Heat of
the Target Two Point Zero Bank of England and Times Interest
Rate Challenge held at the Leicestershire County Cricket
Club. The team narrowly missed out on a place in the National
Finals, after a close defeat in the Area Finals in February.
5
ACADEMIC
Advanced French Proficiency
Having passed the DELF B2 last year, Alex Asif (F) and India
Davies (N) are the first pupils to pass the prestigious DALF
C1 examination. Designed primarily for adult, non-native
candidates, the C1 is a specialised French proficiency
examination of undergraduate level that tests not only
language skills but also the ability to organise, analyse and
deploy rhetoric. Approximately 125 candidates per year enrol
nationally and this year only five candidates under the age of
18 enrolled for C1 in the UK. Eleven Lower Sixth pupils also
passed the DELF B2 examination. In addition, thirty-eight Fifth
Form iGCSE pupils also passed the DELF B1.
Gifted Scientists
Seven prep schools visited Oundle in early May to contest the
Prep School Science Cup. Each school took part in three handson experiments across the science disciplines. Cold science,
extracting DNA and rates of reaction were studied and tested
with an overall winner determined by the accuracy of answers
and quality of questions asked. In the end Old Buckenham Hall
once again triumphed, regaining their trophy won in 2015. Sanderson Fellow, Dr James Bessent noted ‘With the new SciTec
STEM development being finalised in the coming months, we
hope to expand the competition to include DT in 2017.’
Sixty ‘Gifted and Talented’ Year 5 and 6 children from nine local
state schools attended a Science Day on 9th June enjoying
experiments from all three sciences including painting with
maggots and making cloud chambers. In June, pupils from
Laxton Junior School enjoyed an afternoon of chemistry
looking at how to put the fizz into fizzy drinks.
Society was next addressed by Dr John Pollard (Cambridge),
who provided a revealing account of the methodological
and historiographical challenges of writing a history of the
modern papacy, before Professor Anne Curry (Southampton)
spoke on the battles of Agincourt and Bosworth. Professor
Curry, a leading expert on late medieval warfare, explored the
difficulties of determining the location and actions of battles,
whilst placing both critical encounters within their historical
and political context. The final talk of the academic year was
provided by Dr Lucy Wooding (KCL), who argued persuasively
in favour of Henry VIII having played an active and decisive role
in the religious developments of the 16th century. ‘Tax, war and democracy’
Speaker at the Oundle Lecture, on Thursday 23rd June was Mr
Edward Troup (B 72), Tax Assurance Commissioner and second
Permanent Secretary at HMRC. Reporting directly to the Chief
Executive, Mr Troup is responsible for shaping tax policy and
strategy and is the Head of Profession for Tax. He also oversees
and provides assurance of large tax settlements by working
with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Over the last twenty
years he has worked directly with Kenneth Clarke, Gordon
Brown and George Osborne. More recently The Prime Minister
appointed Mr Troup as Executive Chair and First Permanent
Secretary at HM Revenue and Customs. From the Archive
A new Audio Chapel tour of the windows recorded by
Mr Chris Pettit is now available on the Archive website. A rich
history and explanation of each window has been written
and narrated by Rev Ian Browne (School Chaplain 1997 –
2011). Also available is a new recording of the School song,
Carmen Undeliense, words by Mr R F Patterson (S 1907), music
by Dr C M Spurling (Director of Music 1891 – 1936). Three
members of staff came together one lunchtime, to sing, play
and record this anthem that is familiar to many OOs.
Young Analysts
On Thursday 5th May, Maria Jenkins (D), Kevin Law (Sc)
and Callum Rough (Sc), took part in the Regional Heat (East
Anglia) of the annual Royal Society of Chemistry Young
Analysts competition, held at the University of East Anglia.
The team had to carry out various experiments to determine
the concentration of three chemicals in Coca-Cola. Apart
from using pH titration curves to estimate the amount of
phosphoric acid, the pupils also had to use unfamiliar analytic
technique such as refractometry and high performance
liquid chromatography to find the sugar content and caffeine
concentration. The team worked well together but didn’t get
their readings accurate enough to be placed in the top three.
History Society
2016 has seen academics address the Senior History Society
on a variety of topics, including music, the papacy, medieval
warfare and the English Reformation. In January, Professor
Tim Blanning (Cambridge) argued for the ‘triumph of music’
in the modern world, suggesting that developments in the
purpose, status, technology and performance spaces of music
helped it to become the dominant art form it is today. The
6
Classical Lectures
The Classics Department hosted three very well attended
lectures this year: a record attendance met Dr Matthew
Nicholls (Reading University) as he talked through his 3D
Virtual Modelling of Rome Project, and large numbers,
including members from the U3A, enjoyed Dr Angus Bowie’s
(The Queen’s College, Oxford) talk about The Odyssey: echoes
from the Iliad. Both speakers generously ran a master-class
ACADEMIC
for specific sets before dinner: Dr Nicholls on the Architectural
Rome of Augustus for Upper Sixth formers studying Latin
and Classical Civilization, and Dr Bowie on The Plays of
Aristophanes – an interpretation for the Lower Sixth studying
Classical Civilization. Finally on 19th May, John Davie, of
Trinity College, Oxford, gave an interesting talk on the nature
of heroism in Epic, inviting pupils to reflect on what it was in
the ancient world to be a hero, and what the word means to
us today.
alongside modern exhibitions, debates about Kafka and piles
of weaponry. Other groups closer to home toured the historic
centres of Stamford and Uppingham, and one group even
ended up in prison - a planned stop, of course! Pupils reported
having their eyes opened to hidden corners of culture, enjoyed
the off-piste day out, and thrived on the open challenge for the
event to take the most eccentric picture.
Giving Gifts
A group of eight Fourth Form Germanists entered the
Goethe‑Institut’s Digital Days Competition and won first prize
in the interview-styled ‘Reading Competition’ on the theme of
Geschenke – giving gifts. Over 700 pupils from across the UK
took part in the competition and almost 100 were involved in
the Reading category. As the winner of the competition, the
group was awarded a cash prize of £80. Forty five other pupils
from Oundle who participated in the competition were also
awarded presents from the Goethe-Institut to commend them
for their efforts.
Figaro
On Tuesday 26th January, a packed Adamson Centre hosted
Dr John Leigh (University of Cambridge) to speak on Figaro.
This French Society event, also well attended by History
pupils, outlined why the character of Figaro – whether in the
original Beaumarchais plays, or in the adaptations by Mozart,
Rossini or others – helped to cause the French Revolution. The
conclusion was that the play had gained more symbolic power
than the character himself offers. Ending on an amusing note,
the audience also enjoyed a rendition of Figaro by cartoon
characters Tom and Jerry, for contrast with the high culture.
Trivium Trips!
On Friday 5th February, the whole Third Form set off just after
dawn on twenty different Trivium Trips - Trippium - around the
country. Among destinations far afield, pupils explored the
Royal Courts of Justice, the history and architecture of London,
the libraries, colleges and ancient printing presses of Oxford,
the fine art, controversies and quadrangles of Cambridge, the
mediaeval strongholds and cathedrals of Lincoln and Coventry,
‘In or Out’
On Friday 6th May, the School hosted an EU referendum
debate as the key vote on 23rd June approached. The event,
open to members of the public, saw Alasdair Burt, Minister for
Social Care speak on behalf of the ‘in’ campaign with Corby
and East Northamptonshire MP Tom Pursglove arguing in
favour of leaving the European Union.
Henry Phillips-Sheard (S) commented ‘I had rather been
hoping for answers and a sense of conviction, but instead was
left with questions, and doubts. I left the hall better-informed,
but in no way more certain of the merit of either argument.
Like many others, I was left with only a gut instinct that will
most likely not be swayed by statistics. And I thought they were
there to answer questions…’
Buy Me the Sky
On the evening of 7th January, the Needham Society was lucky
to have Xue Xinran 薛欣然 (more commonly known simply as
Xinran) as a guest speaker. Xinran is a renowned author, radio
personality and philanthropist who has worked both in China
and the UK for over thirty years. She has published books on
topics as wide-ranging as the position of women in Chinese
society, traditional Buddhist practices on the Tibetan Plateau
and the plight of migrant workers in Chinese cities. She spoke
mostly about her new book, Buy Me the Sky, which examines
the effect on society of the ‘One Child Policy’. Xinran also spoke
about the work of her multinational charity Mother’s Bridge of
Love which works to help abandoned or adopted Chinese girls,
who were unwanted simply for being female in a society that
deeply values a male heir to continue the family line.
7
ACADEMIC
Working with Warwick
Maths Challenges
Over the past two years Helmut Schmitz and Sean Allan from
Warwick University, have visited Oundle to give lectures on
Brecht and Der Mauerspringer respectively. The German
department has also set up a link with Final Year students
at the university during Tuesday and Thursday Vols. Coordinated by Grit Brendecke, this gave pupils the chance to
gain additional speaking practice in preparation for their Oral
Examinations. It has been successful for all involved, as it
allowed the university students to gain an insight into teaching
and gave pupils extra support whilst preparing. EPQ Greenpower
Next academic year, as part of a competition run by
Greenpower Trust, there will be the opportunity for pupils to
undertake a new EPQ with a focus on Engineering. Each team
has to design and engineer a four wheeled electric vehicle
to compete in an international competition. Teams have to
solve various design problems from speed v endurance, to
innovation v reliability. Entrants take part in a number of
races lasting ninety minutes at various racing circuits including
Goodwood and Silverstone. At present, within The Patrick
Engineering Centre, pupils are developing Oundle’s first entry
into this series, the vehicle is named Jackal and the intention
is to start racing this car in the 2016-17 season. The aim of this
EPQ is for a second Greenpower car to be designed, built and
raced in the 2017-18 race calendar. Sixth Form EPQ pupils will
have the opportunity to explore their own self-selected subprojects as part of an interdisciplinary team. These individual
research projects will then combine to form a highly efficient,
competitive, ultra-fast machine.
Triple Gold in Biology Olympiad
Nineteen pupils received medals and highly commended
certificates in the recent Royal Society of Biology Olympiad
with Emilia Broadbent (L), Laura Woodrow (N) and Isaac Uwins
(G) receiving Gold medals, placing them in the top 6.6% of
pupils entering the competition.
Emilia commented ‘Unlike so many exams of today, rote
learning of the syllabus was not required; in fact, the Olympiad
is not even confined to a syllabus. We were challenged and
stimulated by questions from every corner of Biology, and that
is what makes it such a rewarding experience.’
In February over 200 Third, Fourth and Fifth Form pupils
participated in this year’s UKMT Intermediate Maths
Challenge. This competition sees the pupils competing
alongside over 200,000 pupils from across the UK, and an
impressive fifty six pupils achieved Gold certificates. Samuel
To (S) was awarded the certificate for the best result in the
School. A number of pupils qualified for the follow-on rounds
with twenty-eight pupils sitting Kangaroo papers and a further
seventeen pupils taking part in the prestigious British Maths
Olympiad papers, placing them in approximately the top 1,500
results in the country. George Garber (S), Jungho Lee (StA) and
Sofya Paramonova (D) all achieved distinctions in the Olympiad
papers and received medals. Furthermore George Garber
scored an outstanding full marks in the Olympiad and has been
invited to attend a National Mathematics Summer School in
July. In April, First and Second Form pupils took part in the
Junior Maths Challenge with twenty two pupils being awarded
a Gold certificate. Vincent Yung (By) achieved the best result
in the School. Earlier in the year, the Maths Department set
pupils a challenge – ‘What is the largest hole you can cut in a
single sheet of A4 paper?’ only using a pair of scissors (no glue,
tying or stapling). Sixty pupils managed to fit through one of
the holes created!
SCOOP Winners
On 26th May, Sixth Form Germanists visited London on an
educational visit, having won the SCOOP Language Business
Competition a few months previously. They headed to the
Independent and Evening Standard offices, where Simon
Hart, a UEFA journalist and one of the judges of the SCOOP
competition hosted a tour and Q&A session with one of the
sports editors who talked to pupils about the ins and outs of
the journalism industry. They then hopped over to Wimbledon
to the UEFA offices where journalists were working hard on
the UEFA social media and website.
Developing Languages
International Society Vols ran for six weeks, with pupils
researching cultural aspects and traditions of different
countries, preparing a presentation, and discussing and
reflecting on what they had learnt from their research. The
topics included a comparison between festivals in India and
Spain, the Martinstag in Germany and the Day of the Dead
8
ACADEMIC
in Mexico, Traditions in America and China, a comparison
between German and Japanese food and between Chinese
New Year and the Russian Maslenitsa. The quality of the
presentations was outstanding and it was extremely difficult to
decide on the winners but the prize went to Seci Fung (By) and
Anastasia Yusova (By). This year, the School has been privileged
to host three new Language Assistants - Matthias Jux and
Alexandre Rey through the British Council Modern Language
Assistant programme, and Rebecca Perez Deito. Modern
Language Assistants bring up to date language skills and use
materials such as songs, news and culture to engage pupils
in the language they are learning. As the Modern Language
Assistants are often university students or recent graduates
themselves, pupils find it easy to relate to them and develop
confidence in speaking as a result.
Hugh Flying
Hugh Wells (L) started flying after his 15th birthday and gained
his pilot’s licence in March, shortly after his 17th birthday.
He took nine flying exams followed by a practical flying skills
test (during the course of which four F15s from Lakenheath
Air Base flew beneath him). He flies out of Peterborough
Sibson (EGSP) and has completed over seventy hours. The
most exciting landing to date has been at Clacton which has
an approach over the sea and a short grass strip runway
which is crossed by a footpath (on which pedestrians have
right of way!). Flying through London controlled airspace with
commercial traffic has probably been the most complex route.
Oundle Chess
Chess players took part in a variety of chess tournaments
throughout the year starting with the National U18 team rapid
play tournament. With Oundle’s teams having an average age
of only 13 they finished very respectably in mid table. The
tournament was notable as Sam Herring (L) managed to beat
his first player graded over 200. In December teams from both
the Oundle and LJS took part in the National U13 and U11
competitions in Oxford, sadly both teams missed out by only
one point in getting to the finals. They also took part in the
Schools Chess Problem Solving and Team Chess Challenges.
Three teams of U11 players and one U9 team qualified for the
semi-finals of the English Primary Schools Chess Competition
in June. The best placed U-11 team finished in 4th place with
the other teams all performing well. In addition both U11
and U9 teams are presently top of the county Grand Prix
Tournament series.
From Strength to Strength
The first OSCAR broadcast of 2016 began with a sense of
trepidation over whether the broadcast would run completely
smoothly as it was for many in the OSCAR team, their first
attempt at organising and running a broadcast since joining.
However, as usual, the team pulled through and any worries
the management might have had soon evaporated. The latest
broadcast had many standout moments: from the final hurrah
of the legendary ‘Breakfast Boys’, interviews with Mr Olver
and Mr Hipperson, and the debut of many exciting new shows
featuring pupils from all around the School.
Sixth Form Lectures
Professor Jane Hutton - Statistics and Ethics
Sir Matt Baggott - Policing
Andy Coles - The History of Radicalisation
Dr Asad Sadiq - 1,000 Years of Amnesia
Professor Sir Michael Marmot - Healthcare and Social
Determinants
Major General Professor Alan Hawley - Humanity and Conflict
Matthew Craston - Finance
Professor Mike Berners Lee - Green Matters
Design Museum Awards
Fergus Anderson (StA), Henry Chen (G) and Henry PhillipsSheard (S) were shortlisted for the national Design Museum
competition this year. Entrants choose from five competition
briefs, all linked to the theme Changing Lives: Travel, Migration
and Mobility and are encouraged to consider how design
can have a positive impact for people experiencing a change
or a journey, challenging them to develop design ideas that
celebrate movement, transition or relocation or promote
a senses of togetherness and inclusion. Fergus chose to
pursue a brief related to the built environment, honing in on
designing a contemporary bench to be used in central London.
Henry Phillips-Sheard created an interactive smartphone
application based around augmented reality, allowing the
user to access information about the environment around
them through what they see in an application window. Henry
Chen responded to the transportation element of the theme
by designing an innovative micro portable smart bike made
from composite materials for business commuters. The panel
of judges, which included a number of very well-known and
respected international designers, architects and engineers,
awarded Henry Chen runner up in the 17-19 age competition,
Henry Phillips-Sheard runner up in the 14-16 age category and
Fergus highly commended finalist in the 14-16 age category.
9
ARTS
Art on Show
both the traditional and innovative elements of music at
Oundle. Over 350 pupil musicians and singers performed
with an emphasis on whole School and massed performance,
combining string groups, bands, choirs and large ensembles.
Oundle pupils last performed at Symphony Hall in 2011 and
prior to that in 2006 as part of the 450th celebrations of the
founding of the School.
‘The opportunity for our pupils to perform in such a
magnificent location is one they will never forget. Music
for all is a central component of Oundle’s rich heritage and
the occasion gave us a chance to come together in a way
we seldom do to celebrate the excellence of our musicians.’
In the New Year, the Yarrow Gallery welcomed a diverse group
of OOs who exhibited their current work in an exhibition which
highlighted the breadth of talent and expertise within the
creative arts. There were examples of Photography, Painting,
Fashion Design and many other areas of the Arts from former
pupils who have all been taught at the School. The exhibition
aimed to promote the range of opportunities that are
currently available within the Arts and creative industries. If
you wish to be kept informed of upcoming Yarrow Exhibitions
and receive invitations to Private Viewings, please email:
[email protected]
The Upper Sixth Form A level show is always one of the
highlights of the year in the Yarrow calendar. This year was
no exception with a wide range of techniques and approaches
on show. There were examples of bold expressive paintings
contrasted by delicate mixed media pieces and beautifully
crafted drawings. The work was bold, exciting and represented
the best of the talent from this year group. From 30th
September – 15th October, the Yarrow will host the annual
exhibition of junior art work with examples of work from every
year group in the School. On show will be a wide range of work
with examples of printing, drawing, painting and sculpture.
Hepburn
This year’s Hepburn Music Competition saw no fewer than
334 musicians participate in performances that spanned two
weekends. The Grand Final included fifteen soloists competing
for the Hepburn trophy. Oundle buzzed with the sound of
practice, as pupils made use of every nook and cranny in the
department and beyond, in the boarding houses. The Final
encompassed the full variety of talent that Oundle possesses.
A drum kit solo sat alongside the Mozart slow movement
for harp and flute, Satriani on electric guitar was performed,
as well as Tarrega on classical guitar, and Glazunov’s ‘Elegie’
for viola sat in stark contrast to Say’s ‘Paganini Jazz’ on the
piano. The winner was a performer who showed incredible
musicianship, total command and created outstanding levels
of atmosphere and aura. Performing from memory, Rebecca
Baker-Munton (D) played floor toms and vibraphone with two
contrasting works by Zivkovic and Schmitt. Whole School Concert at Symphony Hall
On 8th March, a celebration of Oundle music was held in
one of Europe’s premier concert venues, Symphony Hall,
Birmingham. Every member of the School, all 1110 pupils
together with staff, parents, former pupils, governors and
guests, travelled to Birmingham for a concert incorporating
10
- Sarah Kerr-Dineen, Head
Spring and Summer Stahl Events
The Easter Quarter began with a superb, StA production of
Alan Bennett’s The History Boys directed by Hugo Beazley.
Adam Oliver impressed as the contentious, non-conformist
teacher, Hector, whilst Magnus Jeffery delighted as the riotously
funny Headmaster. In February, Matt Burlington directed David
Farr’s UN Inspector, an imaginative re-working of Gogol’s The
Government Inspector. This pacey production featured some
glorious swansongs and some thrilling debuts. Tom Younger (G),
and Adam Oliver (St A), both leaving this year, gave excellent
performances as Martin Gammon and the President. Also in the
production were Minty Kunzer (N) and Sunny Woodend (N) who
made exciting first appearances at the Stahl as faithful sidekick
Sammy and Maria the President’s defiant daughter. The rapierlike wit and rhetoric of the text was skilfully handled by this
immensely talented ensemble cast. Reb Desmond’s striking set
design, which featured an impressively intricate, hand-painted
floor mosaic, provided the perfect oligarchical backdrop for the
piece. The first professional production of the spring season was
What I Learned from Johnny Bevan. Next, Stahl audiences were
transported to the heady, hazy world of Tennessee Williams’
Deep South. The Pretty Trap, Portrait of a Madonna and I
Never Get Dress ‘til After Dark on Sundays (directed by Naomi
Jones, Hattie Hopper and Tim Hipperson), when performed
consecutively reveal the full gamut of Williams’ experimentation
with form and style. Coco Brown (W), Catherine Winterton
(D) and Hermione Coke (D) played the three female leads with
great power and emotional weight. The Easter Quarter was
rounded off by Falling, a captivating new play from Theatre
Alibi. This Land from Pentabus Theatre Company performed
ARTS
for two nights at the Stahl
in May investigating the
controversial issue of
fracking from the viewpoint
of a couple in crisis. The
Stahl season was brought to
a chilling end by a brilliantly
staged production of Scary
Play performed by the
First and Second Form.
Director Andrew Martens
created a wonderfully eerie
atmosphere, making the
audience face many of the
most common childhood
fears from clowns to dentists. Charlie Cobb (L), as Mal and
Edward Cubitt (L) as best friend Kal were a great partnership
at the heart of this cleverly crafted NT Connections text, whilst
Imogen Oakey (L) made a charming and very familiar, little
sister, Lou, desperate to be included. Paul Laughton designed
and created some amazing puppets for the production which
included a twelve foot clown!
Just weeks after receiving the Olivier Award for Best Director
for Oresteia, Robert Icke led this year’s Wontner Masterclass
with Theatre Studies pupils’ discussion focusing on his style
and methods as a director.
String Sessions
On 24th April, seven string players had the opportunity to play
alongside top musicians studying at the Royal College of Music,
exposing them to a standard of musicianship and music that
would otherwise be impossible to be a part of in School.
Henry Sleight (L) commented ‘We were privileged to be sharing
the stage with a standard of technical ability and expression
that left us sweating to keep up! It was an inspirational
learning experience. This is one of many instances where the
School’s partnership with the Royal College of Music comes to
the fore, as it affords us the opportunity to expand the horizons
of our understanding and of our playing.’
Music for All
The majority of wind players helped kick the 2016 calendar
year into full swing, featuring everything from flute,
trombone, percussion and saxophone ensembles to Oundle
Brass, Concert Band and Wind Orchestra. As for the strings,
performances honed in on Baroque Masterpieces in support
of the Elton and Achurch Churches. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
renditions (every movement a different pupil soloist)
featured in preparation for the forthcoming tour to Hong Kong
and Shanghai.
Eighteen Lunchtime Concerts, four Musical Opportunity
Concerts (for the younger performers), A2 recitals, a superb
Take Two concert for the many younger ensembles all provided
challenging and fulfilling outings for pupils and audiences
alike. Guitar Madness was unleashed in a perfectly kitted
Stahl Theatre before the February Long Exeat. The Jazz Bands
delivered sparkling performances at St Peter’s, Titchmarsh, and
Polebrook. Organ Recitals were given by Ben Horden, James
Parsons, John Arkell and Elizabeth Barter, and Andrew Reid.
The House Singing was a typically zestful experience with some
accomplished Part-Singing. The high-quality singing, adjudicated
by the singer Joanna L’Estrange, saw trophies being earned by
St Anthony for Part-Singing, Sanderson for the House Song, and
Laxton for the Forbes Trophy and overall winners. A separate
event was held for The Berrystead and Laxton First and Second
Forms this year: a tactical ‘dead heat’ was ultimately declared!
Congratulations to pupils who gained Diplomas this year:
Charlotte Ma (N) – piano ABRSM, Findlay Stowers-Veitch (L) –
violin ABRSM, Francis Yiu (Sc) – violin ABRSM, Nicholas Ho (G)
– violin ABRSM, Ian Ostojic (C) – trumpet ABRSM, Sam Rees (Sc)
– Saxophone ATCL and Angus McRae (StA) – guitar Rock School.
Prior to the concert, the pupils were invited to attend an
Alexander Technique forum displaying methods of decreasing
‘playing pain’ - a fascinating exploration of playing habits, and
potential ways to spot bad practices, and to eliminate them.
On the 26th February, three of Oundle School’s chamber music
groups went to Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester to
take part in the National Young String Quartet Weekend. Over
the weekend they were treated to coaching sessions, lectures
and concerts joining other string groups from conservatoires
and music schools from around the country and Europe.
Pipers in Edinburgh
A quartet of Oundle’s bagpipers was once again invited to
compete in the Scottish Schools’ Bagpipe Competition at
Broughton High School in Edinburgh on Sunday 13th March.
This is the largest event of its kind north of the border with
122 schools taking part. The standard of the Oundle pipers has
been deemed worthy enough by the organisers to deserve one
of the few invitations extended to a southern school.
Tate Success
Six pieces of pupils’ work were submitted to a competition at
the Tate Gallery London on the theme of Future. The Tate are
re-opening after a huge redevelopment and the competition
is to celebrate the gallery and the ‘future of Art’. All six were
selected to be included in the Tate’s digital display which took
place in the Turbine Hall throughout the opening weekend
of the new Tate Modern on 17th June. The pupils are Ryan
Wu (B), Emma O’Dea (L), Zoe Gillett (K), Clara Goodman (W),
Lorne Inglis (StA) and Davide Gibson (B). Lorne’s work was also
shortlisted for a prize which will see his work used as store
design/artwork in Uniqlo’s flagship store on Oxford Street!
See #TateModern or Future Late:
www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/special-event/future-late
11
Environmental / DofE / Pastoral
Environmental
Energy Use – Green Dividend
week revolved around the visits of Mike Berners-Lee and Sir
Ghillean Prance, former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens
at Kew. Mike delivered the annual Sir Peter Scott Memorial
Lecture entitled How can Oundle help create a low carbon
world? which was also open to the public. There was a series
of workshops and assemblies with pupils across all year groups
studying various aspects of climate in Biology, Chemistry
and Physics, Geography, PSHE, Drama, the Languages and
History. Oundle already takes its environmental responsibilities
seriously, with a robust boiler replacement programme in the
pipeline; a policy of retrofitting LED lighting wherever possible
and PIR/absence control; retrofitting new and often above
spec insulation whenever possible (including staff housing in
the future); and the Buildings department is now leading the
way with a ‘zero to landfill’ policy. The School is also looking
at replacing some vehicles with electric ones, and will keep
considering new options as they arise.
Each year, the School uses over £1million pounds of energy
and releases over 4,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Everything
we can do to reduce this will help lessen the long term impact
of climate change, and generate good habits. Throughout
the Trinity Quarter 2016, each House got a chance to make
a difference: electricity consumption for the Quarter was
measured against the same Quarter in 2015. If it is less, each
House will receive the whole value of this reduction to spend
as the House sees fit.
Creating a Low Carbon World
Oundle and Laxton Junior School (LJS) once again ran their
own version of Climate Week – hoping to inspire a new wave
of action to create a sustainable future. The high points of the
Fairtrade Fortnight
‘Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you’ve depended on more than half the world’ Martin Luther King
As part of Oundle town’s initiative during Fairtrade Fortnight to host as many Fairtrade breakfasts as possible, the catering
department considered the School’s purchasing and food habits and its Fairtrade policy, looking at good and safe working
conditions, better prices and fair terms of trade for farmers and producers. Across Fairtrade Fortnight the School community
sold Fairtrade items during break times and used Fairtrade coffee, tea, sugar and other products including bananas at breakfast
and afternoon tea.
12
Environmental / DofE / Pastoral
DofE
Pastoral
Commitment to DofE
The Healthy Mind Curriculum
Head of DofE, Trudie Raftery attended the Buckingham
Palace gardens 60th DofE Award presentations where she
was presented with a plaque by celebrity guest, Jo Malone
in recognition of the School’s commitment to the DofE
Award Scheme.
This year has seen continued development in the School’s
approach to the promotion of positive mental health. The
long-term aims in this respect have been formalised in the
‘Oundle School Healthy Mind Curriculum’, which has, as its
central tenet, the fostering of a climate in which wellbeing
is promoted and mental health issues are understood and
non-stigmatised by all members of the School community.
In support of this culture, the Clayton Rooms, as part of the
Health Centre on Pavilion Drive, hope to provide a range
of educational and therapeutic activities with a view to
encouraging positive life skills. The Clayton Rooms are part
of the Health Centre because the School sees emotional
wellbeing as an important part of ensuring the all-round
health of its pupils. The Rooms are home to the School
Counselling Service which complements the existing in-House
pastoral care. Here pupils can take time to discuss issues in
a confidential setting with a team of professionals who are
independent of daily School life. With the celebration of
Mental Health Awareness Week in mid-May and the recent
formation of a pupil body to discuss wellbeing strategies, it has
been an exciting year at the School and it is hoped to build on
these developments in 2016-17.
Excellent Attitudes
At the start of the Easter holidays, thirty-nine Fifth Form
pupils went to the Peak District to complete the Qualifying
Expedition of their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. Prior to
the expedition, each group had planned walking routes for
three days, totalling around sixty kilometres. They camped
for three nights, and were completely self-sufficient during
the expedition. The weather was much better than the past
few years, with no snow! The assessors praised the pupils
for their positive attitudes throughout the expedition, and
their excellent camp craft, navigation and teamwork skills. All
pupils passed the Expedition section, and are now working to
complete the other three sections in order to achieve their
Silver Awards.
Gold DofE
Gold training expeditions took place at the end of the Easter
Holidays. Walkers to the Peak District, Katacanuists on the
Nene and, for the first time this year, a group of sailors took
to the Norfolk Broads. The weather for each of these can
only be described as ‘variable’. All groups had to endure
freezing temperatures at night, warm sunshine, hail, and
for the walkers, even some snow! The pupils learned a
great deal, improving their navigation and survival skills and
applying these in a real, practical context. They are all working
on the other areas of their award through Voluntary, Skill
and Physical activities, with some having completed their
Residential Sections. They are now looking forward to their
summer expeditions with hopes for slightly more welcoming
weather conditions.
Bronze DofE
Over 170 Fourth and six Fifth Form pupils undertook their
Bronze DofE expeditions around the surrounding Oundle
Countryside in June.
13
OUNDLE SOCIETY
Virtual Balloon Race
Nearly 700 balloons belonging to pupils, parents, OOs and
staff, spent the week competing against each other in a Virtual
Balloon Race. The project, coinciding with Climate Week,
allowed pupils to explore weather related topics whilst raising
money for SciTec. Furthermore, a group of Upper Sixth Form
pupils had the opportunity to discuss a variety of related topics
live with Weather Presenter and Meteorologist for Al Jazeera
English, Everton Fox. Details of the winners can be found on
the Society website - www.oundleschool.org.uk/The-OundleSchool-Virtual-Balloon-Race-The-Winners
organising these visits: Andrew Yong (Ldr 97), John Foster (Sc
51), Nigel Napier-Andrews (Sc 59), Taufik Omar (C 97), Nigel
Sudborough (N 65), Nicola Chu, and Tina Atkinson.
Ross Brawn Visit and RAC Club Event
Staff and pupils welcomed multi-championship winning
Formula 1 Engineer and Team Principal, Ross Brawn OBE, for a
private visit to the emerging Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (SciTec) development. He spent time in the
now partially-opened extension to the Patrick Engineering
Centre, where he saw Oundle’s capabilities at first hand and
spent time hearing about pupils’ experiences of engineering at
Oundle. Following his visit, he spoke at the Royal Automobile
Club (RAC) in London on the evening of 28th April. Guests
came together to celebrate the development of Oundle’s
vision for the future of STEM education, and a so-far strong
fundraising effort. Staff from Oundle’s Design and Technology
Department were on hand to demonstrate some of the cutting
edge equipment needed for the new facility and two cars, built
by OOs whilst at School, were displayed in the RAC’s foyer.
Old Oundelian Magazine
OOs may wish to receive this year’s OO Magazine in digital
rather than hard copy. Those who have not yet responded to
the OO Magazine Survey and would like to receive it via email
should email the OO Club Secretary, Jane Fenton: cjfenton@
oundleschool.org.uk
Invictus Choir
You may recently have seen Captain Bernard Bambury (N 93)
in BBC 1’s Gareth’s Invictus Choir, a two part series featuring
wounded ex-armed service personnel performing at the 2016
Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida.
North East Adventure Camps
Toby Pease (StA 11) has established North East Adventure
Camps in Northumberland, facilitating outdoor activities for
children. The camps, based at Mowden Hall School, outside of
Newcastle give children the chance to discover their own real
outdoor adventures. Toby’s website can be found here: http://
www.northeastadventurecamps.co.uk/
OO South West Lunch
International Events 2016
In March 2016, Director of Development, Matthew Dear and
Head of International Admissions, Caitriona Redding, visited
Dubai for a dinner with prospective, current and former
parents and alumni. This was followed in April by a visit to
the Far East with well-attended drinks receptions and dinners
in Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The Head, Sarah
Kerr-Dineen, joined Chairman of Governors, Julian Tregoning
and members of staff for the event. In May this year, the
Normandy Battlefields Tour hosted thirty OOs and current
parents for a four day tour of the WWII beaches. Later in May,
an enjoyable meal was held at Grano’s Restaurant, Toronto for
the ever supportive contingent of OOs and friends in Eastern
Canada. It has been a very busy series of events for the Society,
and thanks go to OOs and current parents who have helped in
14
Head, Sarah Kerr-Dineen and husband Anthony joined nearly
fifty OOs and partners for the biennial South West Lunch,
this year held at Taunton Race Course and organised by Chris
Walliker (D 54). The venue was excellent and the racecourse
was bathed in spring sunshine.
The De Angeli Salver
In commemoration of the generous legacy of Julian De Angeli
(Sc 70) which provides bursarial support to boys in need in
School House, the Undermaster, Tony Burrows, presented a
pewter salver to the House at a dinner on Thursday 26th May.
The Housemaster will, with input from members of the House,
award the salver annually to a pupil deserving of recognition
and who shares one or more of Julian De Angeli’s diverse
passions which included natural sciences, military history,
theatre, and rowing for the house.
OUNDLE SOCIETY
Over 60’s Lunch
Coxless Crew Pacific Crossing
Around ninety OOs gathered for their annual London lunch
at the RAF Club this March. An excellent three course lunch
was provided, with a talk on the Club’s activities from OO Club
President, Arthur Marment (D 77). Following this, Director of
Development, Matthew Dear, gave an informative address
regarding the School’s development plans.
In January 2016, Isabel Burnham (D 02) became part of a
world record setting team when her coxless crew arrived in
Cairns, Australia, having rowed there from San Francisco,
California via Hawaii and Samoa, in a 29ft boat. This is the first
time that a four person rowing boat, and the first time that a
team of women, has crossed the full Pacific Ocean. The team
are raising money for Breast Cancer Care and Walking With
The Wounded.
Film and Drama Roles
Congratulations to George Blagden (S 08) who features
in BBC Two’s historical drama Versailles this Summer. The
programme is running for ten weeks between June and August
this year. George, who plays the Sun King, Louis XIV, in the new
drama, has previously played roles in the 2012 film production
of Les Miserables, and Canadian drama series, Vikings.
Taking the High Road
Rory Buckworth (Sc 11) and Philip Hunter (StA 11) have
embarked on a 7000km charity cycle from Shanghai to
Kathmandu to raise money to build a refuge for girls rescued
from slavery and forced labour in Godwari, Kathmandu. So
far they have raised an outstanding total of £36,653 of their
£50,000 target
Edinburgh Reception
Some sixty parents, OOs and friends north of (or close to)
the Scottish Border met for a drinks reception at the New
Club in Edinburgh, with those present enjoying an address by
the Head against the backdrop of stunning balcony views of
Edinburgh Castle on a bright May evening.
Events Calendar July – December 2016
OO Sports Lunch and Multisports Weekend
Telephone Fundraising Campaign for Bursaries – Wednesday
20th July – Sunday 7th August
OO Drinks and Links: Law sector, London – Tuesday 13th
September
Donor Thank You Event – Friday 23rd September
OOGS - Annual Golf Weekend, Luffenham – Saturday 1st and
Sunday 2nd October
OO West Sussex Dinner, Squire & Horse, Bury – Wednesday
2nd November
OO Birmingham Dinner, Copt Heath Golf Club – Friday 4th
November
OO London Dinner, Honourable Artillery Company – Thursday
24th November
Christmas at The Club at The Ivy – Thursday 8th December
This year’s Multisports weekend took place between 5th and
6th March, organised by Al Gordon (C 69) with the OO Club
defeating the School 6-4 to reclaim the Multisports trophy.
This was succeeded in April this year by the Old Oundelian
Sports Lunch, held at the Queen’s Club, London. 100 OOs
came together for lunch at the prestigious venue; the first
multisports complex ever built, which hosts more than twenty
five different sports.
Links
OO 1970s Reunion
Oundle Society
On Saturday 11th June, 2015 President, Ian Hodgson (Sc 78)
and current President, Arthur Marment (D 77) held a reunion
for leavers 1970 – 79. A lunch was held in the Two Acre
Club, with tours of the Houses and a tea held in the J M Mills
Pavilion. In addition, former staff member and Honorary OO,
Vic Northwood, organised a trip down the river for ex-rowers
at the School, which was enthusiastically received.
Facebook facebook.com/oundlesoc
Twitter
@oundlesoc
Website oundleschool.org.uk/society
Old Oundelian Club
Facebook facebook.com/oldoundelian
Twitter
@oldoundelian
Website oundleschool.org.uk/Oundle-Society-OO-Club
15
COMMUNITY ACTION / CHARITY
Record Numbers at ‘Have a Go Days’
Horse Ride for Cancer Research
Each week, Rupert Warre (B), Ruth Palethorpe (L), Bronwen
Thomson (N) and Felix Morris (B), take Sam Sherwin (10),
a young disabled boy, riding. Sam has Cerebral Palsy (CP),
caused by damage to his brain following his premature birth,
which affects his control of his muscles. Sam, who wanted
to undertake a physical challenge to raise money for Cancer
Research having met several young cancer patients during
a spell in hospital, rode five miles, from Glapthorn village to
Oundle, to finish, appropriately, at the Have a Go Day event
which pupils were hosting that afternoon for adults and
children with physical disabilities and/or learning difficulties.
Despite the weather, on the afternoons of Sunday 24th and
Monday 25th April, over 500 visitors to the School, hosted by
over 200 pupils, took part in various activities at HAGDs. This
year the School’s photographers and Theatre Wardrobe team
set up a Photo Booth which enabled visitors to take away a
photograph, framed in a photo frame they had decorated at
the art table, as a memory of their day.
Sam commented ‘I wanted to go on a long ride on Charlie to
prove I could do it. Sometimes people don’t think disabled
people can do things but with the help of others, often we can.
I wanted to raise some money to help the boys with cancer
who I met in hospital and to help cure cancer.’
Sam raised £550 for Cancer Research – considerably exceeding
his initial target.
‘Our pupils were, as always, great ambassadors
for the School, and without a doubt put a lot
of smiles on a lot of faces over the weekend!’ Liz Dillarstone, Head of Community Action
Stahl Kenya Update
In October, Theatre Director, Naomi Jones visited Kenya with a group of pupils spending time with the children at Ngecho
School in Gilgil, considered one of the best schools in the Naivasha District. Since 2006, classrooms, science labs, and toilet
blocks have all been constructed, but one project remains incomplete: the construction of an assembly hall. Funds have now
been secured to start work on a 25-metre hall where assemblies, exams and dining will take place and building is due to start
at the end of January. Since October, the Stahl Theatre has been raising money to build a new performance space, complete
with backstage facilities – a mini Stahl in Kenya! To make such a facility a reality £33,000 needed to be raised. Customers have
been able to donate money when buying their tickets or ‘buy a block’ of Stahl Kenya. The names of people who have bought
a block can be seen in the wall of the Stahl in Oundle. Thanks to the huge generosity of pupils, parents and members of the
wider community the target is now in sight. To date we have raised £32,445 and a trip is planned to take a production over to
Kenya in 2017 to open the new theatre space.
16
‘The Volunteer’
Over Field Weekend, Community Action pupils were inspired
to volunteer by a visit from The Volunteer, Hugo Chittenden
(www.the volunteer.com), who recounted life changing
stories, memories and anecdotes, teaching pupils the lessons
of endurance, teamwork, leadership and humanity, as well as
providing some handy tips to answer the ‘who, what, why and
how’ of volunteering. An interactive croquet session took place
in the Great Hall with pupils and residents from Abbott House
24 Hour Swim
Residential Home taking part in a demonstration from
Jiminy Wicket (www.jiminywicket.org)
Head of Community Action, Liz Dillarstone commented ‘Pupils
at Oundle are already very active volunteering and in fact
between them did over 16,000 hours of volunteering last
year alone.’
Hugo returned in June to speak to Fourth formers who have
opted for Community Action next year.
Fashion Show in Chapel. Special mention must be made of the
support Mr John Coleman has given OCV since its inception
– and his retirement from his voluntary capacity is marked by
the presentation of an award in his name.
Meningitis Now
Over the weekend of 27/28th February, Magnus Jeffery (StA),
Ryan Ho (C), Annabelle Barker (N), Charlie Jacobson (C),
Olivia Davies (L), Eliza Dundas (D), Jamie Fulcher (C), James
Alley (G), Maddy Farley (L), and pupil organiser, Hugo Beazley
(StA) swam in pairs in thirty minute shifts throughout the
night, swimming 3314 lengths which is 114,159 metres – the
equivalent of crossing from Dover to Calais almost 3.5 times
and nearly double their target.
For eight years now, Sixth Form girls have joined together to
play a game of rugby in memory of former pupil, Thommy
Purbrook. Thommy’s career at Oundle was tragically cut short
when she died from meningitis whilst on a School trip to St
Petersburg in December 2008. The money raised this year
will go to Meningitis Now, a charity dedicated to helping
those affected with Meningitis providing vital support into
the research for its treatment. This year’s match took place
on Sunday 20th March and so far has already raised £4,100.
1st XV Captain, Honor Murison (Sn) and Vice-Captain Catie
Gilchrist (D), each organised a team with Honor captaining
a team from Sanderson and Kirkeby Houses and Catie
captaining a team from Dryden, Laxton, Wyatt and New
Houses. The end result of the match was a 21-17 win to Catie’s
team who proudly received The Thommy Purbrook Plate
from Mr and Mrs Purbrook. Hugo commented ‘We are raising money for ‘The Anthony
Nolan Trust’ in memory of my father, Nicholas Beazley, who
sadly passed away in 2013 from a specific type of Blood
Cancer. ‘The Anthony Nolan Trust’ was the first charity in the
world to be set up to help find a suitable, lifesaving donor
match for those suffering from Blood Cancer, and they now
help three people every day find their life-changing donor
match. It is a true mark of friendship that this group were
willing to sacrifice their weekend, strength and temporary
sanity in order to help me do my bit in memory of my father.’
Charity and OCV Summary
Once again, the School community has continued to be
brilliantly charitable, with over £53,000 raised so far this
year. In addition to the regular annual events the Bramston
Brew stands out – a group of Fourth Form Bramston boys
putting themselves out in order to raise funds for Africa
Build by simply selling break time tea! The OO Committee
has generously backed the Big Give project again in June,
donating £2,000 to encourage informed philanthropy in the
Fourth Form. Oundle Charity Ventures has seen a great new
development this year, supported by a Funding Den, where
the pupil groups had to ‘pitch’ for seed capital and project
approval. Highlights have included playing cards and pyjamas,
through silent discos and balls, to the wonderfully impressive
Longest Day Golf Challenge
In June, Oundle’s Sports Shop Manager, Stuart Fox took part
in Macmillan Cancer Support’s Longest Day Golf Challenge - a
charity golf event with a difference - no corporate niceties or
sedate pace for eighteen holes but no fewer than seventy-two
holes in a single day! The aim of this golf day was to raise
awareness, and more importantly money, for the work that
Macmillan Cancer Support does. Please donate by visiting:
www.justgiving.com/TimboChubseyNoddyBraco or simply
text: BCTN72 £5 to 70070 to donate £5 to the cause.
17
Make A Wish
Last summer, Dylan Vincent (L 14) ran the 2016 Barcelona
Marathon raising £1245 for the Make A Wish Foundation - a
charity which helps children with life-threatening medical
conditions by providing them with an experience that they
could never forget.
Books2Africa
Education rarely stands still, and reflecting the decision of the
Government’s education policy to change from a modular exam
system (where pupils sit a set of exams over a period of two
years) to a linear system of assessment (all exams are sat in the
final term of the Upper Sixth), the start of the academic year
of 2015 saw this occurring with a selected number of subjects.
In line with this, exam boards themselves have been forced to
revise their syllabi. This has given departments an opportunity
to reconsider their choice of exam board and syllabus. Due
to this change, a large volume of textbooks are starting to
become obsolete. Traditionally, these textbooks would have
been collected and then ‘pulped’. However, the School has set
itself a goal to collect as many of the old textbooks and donate
them to Books2Africa – an international NGO that collects and
distributes books and educational materials to equip pupils and
establish libraries within classrooms, schools and communities
in Africa. The aim is that the School will send its first delivery of
books in September. At the time of publication, it is estimated
that at least twenty 20kg boxes of textbooks have been
collected. To raise the funds for the transportation costs, a silent
disco was run in May raising £637.
Neil comments ‘I have lost family members and very close,
dear, friends to this indiscriminate disease, and anything I can
do to help fight it is a necessary endeavour. As many of you are
only too aware we lost the delightful Donna Taylor (DTL Fisher,
Oundle School) last year and it is particularly with Donna in
mind that I will be embarking on this trek in the mountainous
region of Romania. The sooner we beat Cancer......the better….’ Please donate at: www.justgiving.com/neil-donaldson5
Heartfelt Fundraising
During the Summer, Emma Mallett (N) plans to run the York
10K in aid of CHSF. In December, Emma underwent major
heart surgery at Leeds General and CHSF and Take Heart were
charities which supported her recovery supplying everyday
comforts to the wards alongside recliners in ITU for her mum
to stay during the first night. Emma’s fundraising page is:
www.justgiving.com/Emma-Mallett2
CA Round-Up
Marathon Fundraising
Harry Vestey (Sc) ran the London Marathon in a time of 3
hours 49 minutes raising just over £2,700 for the Outward
Bound Trust. Tristan Tusa (S), who finished with a time of 3
hours 44 minutes commented ‘I was very happy with my time.
I wasn’t expecting the last few miles to be as tough as they
were but I would love to do it again. The crowds were amazing,
bringing a buzz in London that really carries you through.’
Tristan was running for the PSP Association (a cruel brain
degenerative disease) and between him and his brother, Seb
Tusa (S 13) managed to raise just over £6300. Over 320 pupils were involved in Community Action
activities over Field Weekend which in addition to HAGDs,
the sponsored horse ride and talks, involved pupils out and
about at over fifty external venues in Oundle, Kettering,
Corby, Wellingborough, Peterborough and surrounding
villages as well as internal full day activities at the Stahl/Sign
Language and Chronicle. On Monday, a group of CA pupils
and Beekeepers helped out at a Community Allotment (The
Green Patch) in Kettering and the CA Drama pupils took their
play out to three different schools for special needs children
in Peterborough and Corby. The CA year finished with a rainy
‘Garden Party’ relocated to Two Acre with prizes awarded for
service in the community. This year’s CA Speech Day prizes go
to Peter Christianakis (F) and James Stock (B), who have visited
the elderly and worked in a special needs school respectively
for the last three years.
Team Lentil
Mountain Trek in Memory of DTL Donna
Over the years, Oundle Porter, Neil Donaldson, has raised
funds for charities dear to him and his family. His next
fundraising event is to join a trek in the Carpathian mountains
in August to raise funds for Macmillan.
18
On Saturday 4th June, Director of Marketing Rachel Vicary and
her partner Toby, along with over thirty friends and family,
completed a seventy-eight mile bike ride in aid of Leicester
Royal Infirmary Neonatal Unit. They raised £8,000 for the
hospital, which saved the life of their son Sebastian who
was born unconscious following complications at birth. The
money will go towards kitting out an ambulance with cooling
incubator equipment which helps protects babies’ brains if
they suffer from lack of oxygen at birth. For more information
visit: www.justgiving.com/team-lentil
COMBINED CADET FORCE
CCF Field Weekend April 2016
The first weekend of the Trinity Quarter saw the CCF deploy in
all directions around England. The Senior Service headed south
to Portsmouth where the Upper Sixth Cadets took charge
of a Royal Navy yacht and spent the weekend sailing around
the Solent, the high point being a chilly swim off the Needles
during sunset on Sunday evening. Coxswain Lawrence WardLilley (B) commented that the weekend had been the highlight
of his CCF career and a fitting way to end. The remainder of
the Navy Section were based upon HMS Bristol and spent the
time completing Leadership training and learning more about
the heritage of the Royal Navy in this the centenary year of the
Battle of Jutland.
The Army and Royal Air Force Sections deployed to Thetford
and Barnham training areas to conduct a series of low level
training exercises in chilly conditions that tested the resolve
and determination of many of the cadets. For the Diving
Section the conditions in Portland could optimistically have
been described as testing: low water temperatures, poor
visibility and a biting northerly wind when on the surface
made the weekend challenging. The Fire and Rescue Section
was given the opportunity to conduct a range of advanced
rescue techniques which included cutting the roof from a
crashed vehicle. Finally, and in their last of fifty-two Field
Weekends, Captains Walter and Margaret Holmstrom led the
Adventure Training Section on a range of activities including
climbing, mountain biking and kayaking in the local area. Fourth in National Finals
Over Easter, having won the Regional Finals back in November,
the RAF section’s Ground Training Squadron competed, and
came in 4th place, in the National Finals of the Air Squadron
Trophy Competition, competing against the winners and
runners up – nineteen teams in total - from every region
across the UK. There were stellar performances from all the
team, with particular mention to FS Jemima Burgess (L) for her
astounding score of 20/20 and a grouping size of 81mm in the
Shooting Competition. This sharp shooting won Jemima the
shield for best shot at the awards parade.
L/Cpl Maddy Farley (L) commented ‘Huge congratulations have
to go to all the teams who participated in the competition.
Their efforts and success have inspired all of us to be the best
that we can be. They are not only our fellow competitors but
they also are part of the CCF and this is something that we all
have in common and our friendly rivalry will continue to spur
us on in years to come. Fourth place is higher than Oundle has
ever placed in this competition and this success is attributed to
the hard work of cadets and Flt Lt Kirk.’
CCF Inspection and Passing Out Parade
The annual Passing Out Parade for all Fourth Form Cadets was inspected on 19th May by Brigadier Felix Gedney OBE. The Brigadier
conducted a tour of training and saw a selection of the activities enjoyed every week by cadets from the three single Service
Sections and the two Joint Service Sections (Adventure Training and Fire and Rescue). The activities included Shooting, Diving,
Kayaking, Fire Fighting, a Section Attack, Leadership training and a display by the RAF Drill team. At one point the Brigadier was so
enthused by the displays that he took command of the Royal Navy Section’s four man scull and set off downstream in the stroke
seat, exhorting his crew to work harder.
At the end of the afternoon the Passing Out Parade took place on the Parade Square under the Command of Cadet Warrant
Officer 1st Class (RSM) Alastair Taylor (L) and Warrant Office Hamish McLay (F) commanded the Colour Party. The parade was
greatly enhanced by the CCF Marching Band under the leadership of the Drum Major Cadet CSgt Angus McRae (StA), and the
Band Captain, Cadet LCpl Bethany Peck (L).
19
SPORT
Playing for the County
On Sunday 24th April, eight Oundle hockey players
represented Northamptonshire County at the regional
tournaments. At the U16 tournament in Wolverhampton,
Maya Nicholson (K) and Ella Johnsrud (Sn) played a tough set
of matches both contributing to the team finishing 4th. Six girls
played for the county U18’s at Burton on Trent; Issy Myers (Sn),
Fran Aldridge (K), Alice Wilson (W), Miranda Joicey (W), Lara
Chapman (D) and Kara Kimber (K). Coach and Head of Hockey, Gareth Terrett commented ‘It
was a very impressive achievement to come 2nd in the U18
regional tournament and receive a medal.’ ECB Disability Weekend
Over the weekend of 14/15th May, Oundle hosted the England
Learning Disability Squad, alongside the ECB Lions physical and
learning disability cricket teams. The Lions teams trained on
the Saturday, with a mixture of theory and practical sessions
including a spell in Oundle’s new nets.
Enterprise Coordinator, Ollie Rees said ‘A huge thank you
to all departments who assisted in making these games a
success - all feedback was extremely positive with the visiting
players and officials able to see at first-hand how Oundle is
promoting cricket development both for its pupils and the
wider community.’
New Director of Sport
Oundle is delighted to
announce the appointment
of Mr Daniel Grewcock as
Director of Sport from the
start of the next academic
year. Mr Grewcock comes
to Oundle from Bath Rugby
Academy prior to which
he enjoyed a distinguished
career as a professional
rugby player, with Coventry,
Saracens and then Bath. He
has sixty-nine England caps, was selected for two British Lions
tours and was awarded the MBE for his services to rugby. Mr
Grewcock will take up the position of Director of Sport as the
School progresses to the next stage with its Sports MasterPlan.
The Plan incorporates the building of a new Sports Centre
housing a fifty metre swimming pool, an eight court sports
hall, a high-quality fitness suite and dance studios, hospitality
suites, cafeteria and car parking. The current athletics track
will be relocated and there will also be the installation of
two additional astro-turf pitches (making a total of four), ten
natural grass and ten artificial cricket nets, twelve netball and
twelve tennis courts. The facilities will provide a very visible
statement about the genuinely all-encompassing provision of
Sport at Oundle and will enhance links further within the local
community.
Mr Grewcock commented ‘I am looking forward to the new
challenge that Oundle has to offer with its well-established
programme and considerable investment in facilities. I will be
ensuring that sport continues to be an exciting, enjoyable and
20
vital part of the balanced programme. I feel strongly about
helping develop young athletes, and am thankful that I have
the opportunity to continue doing this at Oundle.’
Working alongside the Director of Sport as Assistant Director
of Sport and Head of PE will be Richard Finch. Richard is
currently Director of Sport at Harrow International in Hong
Kong, and was previously Head of Physical Education at St
Benedict’s Ealing. A Remarkable Feat
Kitty Petrides and Flo Garnett have achieved the remarkable
feat of winning the House Tennis cup four years in a row for
Dryden. In fact, Kitty can go one better because she has won it
five years in a row, playing in her first year with Eliza Dundas,
since Flo, her usual partner, was the narrator in the Third Form
production of Julius Caesar, and had been excused sport for
the afternoon! In 2013, they did not lose a single game in the
event. This year they generously allowed Laxton and Sanderson
each to get one game off them. Oundle tennis will miss them
greatly when they leave this summer, but at least another
House will have a chance to win the cup! Oundle Girls Tennis
1st VI have enjoyed one of their best seasons ever, being
unbeaten in all matches. First pair Flo and Kitty did not lose a
single set all season, showing a mixture of impressive skill and
guile. They were ably supported by second pair Lucie Baker (Sn)
and Pippa Bourne (L), and third pair Grace Easterbrook (Sn) and
Lily Craven (Sn). They beat Uppingham 6-3, Rugby 8-1, Oakham
9-0 and Stowe 7-2, showing total dominance in all three pairs.
Also unbeaten so far are the 3rds, 4ths, U16B and U15C teams
– an excellent season across the board.
County Badminton Champions
Four Fifth Form badminton players became School Games
county badminton champions on Thursday 25th February,
playing in the first group round against three other schools.
Winning nine out of their ten games in this round, the boys, Teck
Chow Cheah (Ldr), Sam To (S), James Clayton (L) and Yatlong Tse
(G) progressed to the next round in Loughborough where they
performed well but lost out on a place in the Finals.
Elite England Selection
Identical twins Ben (S) and Tom (G) Curry have been selected
to represent the Elite England U18 rugby side. Tom was
selected to play against France, in Nantes, and Ben and Tom
both played against Scotland. As well as representing Cheshire
and North of England at U16s, both were capped for England
U16s, Ben with England U16 Saxons and Tom England U16s.
SPORT
Tom was also awarded
England U16 Player of Year
(The Trevor Watton Cup) in
that season.
Head of Rugby (and former
England player), John Olver
commented ‘Oundle has
had a rich run of fortune
at the Elite England level
over recent years. Together
with Ben and Tom, Sam
Olver (F 13) (Tom and Ben’s
cousin) and Josh Peters
(G 14) also represented
England U18s. All four
players have signed professional contracts post Oundle, with
Ben and Tom Curry signing for Sale Sharks, and Sam Olver and
Josh Peters already fully professional at Northampton Saints.’
Fives Champions
Two Oundle pupils, Jeremy Manger (L) and Tom Barlow (S)
won this year’s Midlands Schools senior doubles Fives title at
Bedford, overcoming Rugby School’s first pair 15-5 in the final.
Jeremy also took the singles title, beating Tom two games to
one in an all-Oundle final.
Lomax Cup
There was an amazing atmosphere on poolside from the
swimming teams and supporters in the Laxton v Berrystead First
and Second Form Lomax Cup competition which saw 100% of
swimmers achieving personal bests. Going into the relays it was
close between the boys with Laxton on 26 points and Berrystead
on 22 points but Laxton came out winners. A special mention to
Collin Ng (By) who on the last leg of the freestyle relay caught up
with Laxton’s swimmer making it a tight last race.
and Manas Sethi (Ldr), in which the Third former eventually
ran out a comfortable winner. Sidney and Laundimer had
straight-forward passages to the semi-finals, but Crosby (Brian
Cheng) and Fisher had to work hard to secure their semi-final
berths. Both Bramston (Harry Evett) and Grafton (Will Gaynor)
put up good fights. The semi-finals and final were e-streamed
live. Julian Fong (S) emerged the winner of a tense encounter
with Varun Sethi (Ldr). The second game was particularly close
with the players locked in battle at 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6,
7-7, 8-8 and 9-9… Fong then pounced. Stanton found himself
in the final and fought hard throughout, but he found Fong’s
service difficult to handle and wasn’t quite able to contain his
opponent’s attacking game. Many congratulations to Sidney,
winners of the inaugural Cobthorne Cup!
Sport at Elite Levels
Sixth Form A level PE pupils enjoyed a visit to Loughborough
University where they had the opportunity to have a tour
of the facilities, undergo a variety of lab and field based
fitness tests and watch a number of elite badminton players,
swimmers, the England U20 rugby team, as well as some of
GB’s top athletes who were training at the time. Douglas Stark
(B 11) and Frankie Hall (N 13) have had the chance to make
full use of the academic and sporting opportunities while
at Loughborough. Douglas is the current BUCS decathlon
champion and has recently competed for U20 England in this
event. Frankie is now a member of the triathlon/duathlon high
performance set up, aiming for GB age group qualification, and
is also competing for the university cross country team.
Berrystead girls had a little more work to do going into the
relays and in the medley relay Laxton girls swam a strong race
taking the lead and securing 1st place. With both Laxton girls
and boys winning, Laxton won overall taking the cup this year
from previous winners Berrystead who have held onto the
Lomax cup for the last three years. Along with personal bests,
three Lomax records were broken in the competition:
2L Freestyle was broken by Archie Parkinson (L) with a time
of 1.06.34
1L Backstroke was broken by Evie Simpson (L) with a time of
34.67
1L Breaststroke was broken by Lucy Hembury-Gunn (By) with
a time of 38.28
The Cobthorne Cup
The recently refurbished basement in Cobthorne provided the
venue for a new knock-out inter-house table tennis competition,
with players battling it out for the Cobthorne Cup. First round
highlights included the Berrystead’s fine victory over Kirkeby,
with Beanie Milne (By) eventually wearing down Mya Onyett
(K); a clash between Daisy Stanton (W) and her younger brother
Hugh (F), and a high class encounter between Charlie Field (Sc)
Black Belt
Twelve year old Black belt, Marcus Raudnitz (L) started
Karate whilst at Laxton Junior School and trains in
Kettering every Thursday in a class specifically for
black belts.
21
SPORT
Sports Day
Sports Day provided a sunny afternoon of hotly contested inter
House athletics. The good conditions ensured that six records
were broken. Laxton won the 1st and 2nd Form boys’ and girls’
competitions with Sanderson winning the girls’ overall and
Fisher the boys.
has produced some scintillating matches and the two semifinals were nerve-wracking affairs – Laundimer just managed to
hold off St Anthony and Fisher narrowly beat Sidney to set up an
exciting final scheduled for July. Squads are being selected for
the OSCC’s major cricket tour next Easter to Sri Lanka.
History has been made recently with the first Oundle girls’
cricket team taking the field against OTCC ladies and girls.
After numerous girls attended voluntary sessions on Monday
evenings, it was a very proud moment for all when they took
part in a closely-fought match which was narrowly won by the
Town side.
Elite Training Day
ESCCC
Four Oundle pupils were selected to represent
Northamptonshire in the English Schools Cross Country
Championships held in Nottingham on Saturday 5th March.
Whilst unfortunately George Roberts (L) was unable
to compete due to injury, Archie Parkinson (L), Eleanor
Macintosh (K) and Harry Evett (B) travelled to Woolaton Park.
The standard was very high and with each race counting
over 300 of the country’s best runners. Archie, who was a
relatively young competitor within the Junior Boys age group,
had an amazing race and came 20th. In the East Midlands
Independent School Cross Country League Oundle teams did
very well, with the Senior Boys coming 3rd and the Girls 1st
overall after a series of five fixtures throughout the season. Former England International and NatWest Schools Cup
Ambassador Mark Cueto selected thirty of the best players
from the U15 and U18 NatWest Schools Cup competition to
experience a day in the life of an elite player. Edward Crowe
(S) was amongst those selected to take part in the elite
training day. Edward and the other players gathered at the
official training base for England Rugby, Pennyhill Park Hotel,
on Sunday 22nd May, where they were treated to a training
session with three current England players. After the training
session, Academy Day players gained an insight into the
analytics behind the game by studying video footage of the
session with the England players and a leading sport scientist. Representing the County
On Sunday 8th May, Lucy Hembury-Gunn (By), Amy Ratcliffe
(L), Georgina Pringle (W) and Orla McMenamin (Sn)
represented Northamptonshire at the Midlands County
tournament. Their first game was against Shropshire which
was won 2-0. Both Amy and Orla scored, resulting in a positive
start to the day. After losing to Derbyshire, Oundle drew
against Worcestershire and went on to play Staffordshire to
battle it out for 5th place overall.
Cricket in all Weathers
Oundle’s cricketers have been in excellent form winning well
over two-thirds of games played from U14 to U18, whilst
enjoying the new artificial net complex and bowling machines
which have allowed coaches to deliver excellent sessions in
all weather conditions. The 1st XI, led by Tristan Tusa (S) have
achieved some notable victories. Simon Fernandes (Ldr) has
been in superb form with the bat and has been supported
ably by Ben (S) and Tom (G) Curry. Outstanding individual
performances have also come from Freddie Heaton (Ldr), who
scored an excellent century for the 2nd XI against Stamford and
Doug Russell (Ldr) who took seven wickets for twelve runs for
the 2nd XI against Uppingham. The senior House competition
22
Oundle’s Riders
Oundle boasts a number of proficient horsemen and women.
Lucy Varley (N) is continuing to compete with her horse Hugo
having qualified for the Novice and Open JAS finals held at
Hartbury College in February. They are looking forward to
competing in the Pytchley Hunt Pony Club teams, the Open Likit
League (recently winning at Aston in April), and in the British
Equestrian U18’s with the aim to represent the Midlands team
in the Championships held at Frickley Park in July. Lucy has
trained with International event rider Emma Forsyth and Nigel
Taylor who has previously competed on the British Team.
Alice Smith (D) competes with her horse Damien at British
Dressage Elementary Level, winning BD competitions at Novice
level and winning the Dengie Dressage Qualifier with just
under 70%. She is part of the British Young Riders Development
Scheme and hopes to be chosen to represent Central Region
at the Inter Regionals at the end of June. She has been training
with Nikki Herbert, who is a UKCC L3 Dressage and List 2 Judge,
since September 2015, and this summer has been selected to
SPORT
ride for England at the BYRDS Home Internationals and also to
qualify for the Pony Club Championships at Open level which
take part at Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire in August. Maddie Price (L) competed at British Eventing Novice level this
season and at her last event went double clear to finish 5th on
her horse, Moss. She rode at Burghley Horse Trials team showjumping last summer and also won at Equifest in the novice
championship. During half term she was part of a team that
won a 1.15 metre show-jumping team qualifier, and now heads
to Hickstead in August. She is hoping to compete at British
Eventing Novice level this season and also Pony Club Open level.
At the end of the last eventing season, Richard Coney (L) began
riding his six year old horse Kananaskis who hadn’t evented
before and won his 1st Novice (1.10m) U18 at Oasby. This
year’s season started well, winning the U18 at Lincoln, 2nd at
Belton Horse Trials and then winning Weston Park 1 at the end
of April. The summer has been incredibly busy as he has been
selected to ride at Millstreet in Ireland for England at the end
of August and for the Midlands U18 team at the National U18
novice eventing Championships, Weston Park in October. At
Weston Park he helped the team win the overall competition.
Next year he hopes to be selected for the British U18 European
eventing team. At the recent National Junior Championships,
Richard finished 2nd, just 2 points behind the leader and has
been long listed for the GB U18 European team for this year. Matilda Lanni (L) has been to Hickstead and the Horse of the
Year Show as well as Blue Chip with her horse Boots. At the
Royal Windsor Horse Show she went clear in the RI qualifier,
and next year she is going to try out for the British Children on
Horses Team.
Martha Craggs (K) has been riding two horses this season
(Garrybritt Coole Park and Corbett). She came 2nd and 4th in
the ONU18 at Burnham Market both on double clears and 1st at
Little Downham on Garrybritt Coole Park. She has also just been
long listed for the U18 National championships at Frickley Park
for the Eastern region with both horses.
Charlotte Fray (L) has had a good year achieving huge personal
goals and improving her performance coming within the top
fifteen in every British Eventing competition. Her highlight was
coming 12th out of forty at Rockingham Horse trials in the BE100.
Rowing Success
the J16 Quad and excellent races for the Womens’ J15 and
Mens J18 finished the season off on a positive note. Later in
the year saw the beginning of the regatta season following
a training camp in France attended by thirty rowers. The J16
Quad started the season representing the Eastern Region at the
Junior Inter Regional Regatta followed by races at Wallingford
and Nottingham where the Boat Club accrued further wins
from Egan Pashley (S), Tom Dudley (L), Jamie Hembury-Gunn
and Jonas Volkwien (L) and a Womens’ Novice crew consisting
of Florence Twiate (N), Georgia Croxford (D), Daisy Glover (N)
and Holly Kunzer (N). A Fourth Form Girls’ crew consisting Alice
Gadsby (Sn), Imogen Peckett (K), Poppy Stopford (D), Harriet
Spencer (L) and Lizzie Martin (N) came an impressive 2nd place.
The boys’ J16 Coxless Quad, following a hugely impressive 5th
place in the A final of National Schools’ and a silver medal at
the Junior Sculling Regatta, now turn their focus to Marlow and
Henley Royal Regatta Qualifiers. The standout result of the day
for Oundle was the Mens’ Junior U16 Coxless Quad who finished
an excellent 5th just seven seconds away from a National Event
Bronze medal. Oundle Netballer Selected for England
Sienna Rushton (Sn) has been selected for the England U17
National Netball Academy Performance Programme, following
a screening at the Institute of Sport in Sheffield. After joining
Oundle in September 2015 as a Sport Scholar, Sienna was
selected to represent Northamptonshire County Performance
squad, moving up to East Midlands Regional Performance
where with hard work and dedication she was nominated
for the England Netball National and was successful in being
selected into the National Performance Programme. Sienna
is currently attending training at Loughborough University
with both East Midlands Regional Performance and England
National U17 Performance Squad.
Sienna’s School coach, Mrs Washington said ‘Sienna is the
most conscientious and self-critical player I have worked with
here at Oundle - she puts a lot of pressure upon herself - 90%
shooting stats are not good enough for her!’
Sienna was part of the U14A team and with her help the team
had a very successful season managing to win all their games at
the County finals and Regional finals. Unfortunately the team
was unable to sustain their winning ways at the National Finals.
The Boat Club entered eight crews of varying experimental
combinations at the Boston Head on the 24th January with wins
coming from the Junior U16 Double Scull, Junior U16 Coxless
Quad and a 3rd place in the Women’s Intermediate single from
girls’ captain Anna Van de Braak (L). Late in February, OSBC took
a handful of crews north to the River Trent Head where they
had another two wins with an outstanding row by the Women’s
Junior U18 Coxless Quad of Alanna Gilmartin (L), Billie Hickson
(N), Lucy James (L) and Anna van de Braak (L). The second win of
the day came for the Junior U16 Coxless Quad of James Duckitt
(G), Oli Chapman (Sc), Zac Freij (L) and Cosmo Davis Gimeno (F)
also winning comfortably. Two of these crew later combined
with Boys’ Captain Anthony Orr (F) and Jamie Hembury-Gunn
(C) to race in the Junior U18 Coxless Quad event and came 2nd.
The final event of Easter Quarter saw OSBC take three crews
to the National Junior Sculling Head in March. 5th place from
23
BEYOND OUNDLE
Umoja – Adventure with Purpose
Skiing in Cormayeur
In mid-January, Head of Community Action, Liz Dillarstone and
Maths teacher, Nicola Guise embarked upon an Adventure
with Purpose through Africa, visiting eleven projects, most
of which are already supported by International Needs UK
and/or Canada, as well as enjoying travel through Kenya,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Botswana and finishing at Cape Point in South Africa.
In mid-December, seventeen First - Third formers enjoyed a
skiing holiday in Cormayeur. In addition to skiing pupils enjoyed
ice skating, a pizza night, and shopping at a Christmas Market.
David Marshall, Executive Director of International Needs
Canada commented ‘The journey was designed to engage and
inspire people in communities around the world to embrace
the idea of unity that is reflected in Umoja. People who wish to
participate in the Umoja Journey will, in addition to receiving
the adventure of a lifetime, find new frontiers of personal
accomplishment and gain new perspectives on matters of life,
legacy and other issues of social significance.’
For further information about the Umoja journey, including
Umoja Africa 2017, visit www.umojajourney.com
Global Science Engagement
Over February half term, twenty-two Sixth formers took part
in the 15th annual trip to the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference this year held
in Washington DC. The theme of the conference was Global
Science Engagement and the focus was on international
collaboration in science and with society.
Undermaster, Physics teacher and trip organiser, Anthony
Burrows commented ‘Every year the AAAS Conference never
fails to impress, but the announcement of T Cell Therapy and
the confirmation of Gravitational Waves made during this
year’s conference, were very special and put the conference in
the news across the world.’
24
Orléans Exchange
Emily Horrocks-Taylor (L)
commented ‘My exchange
partner, Anne-Flavie’s
family went out of their
way to make this the best
experience I could have.
We did many exciting
activities during the week,
the highlight of which
was definitely our trip to
Paris. We also went to
Center Parcs, on a high
ropes adventure course,
ice-skating and finally
shopping in the beautiful
and historic city of Orléans.
This experience has vastly improved my French and by the end
of the week I was even dreaming in French!’
Winter Wonderland
During the Christmas holidays, the German department
took a group of Third Form pupils on a tour of Germany that
combined all aspects of German culture, including visits to die
Autostadt where Volkswagen makes its cars, the town hall of
Hanover and Hamelin where the group enjoyed a tour around
the old city led by the Pied Piper himself.
BEYOND OUNDLE
Immersion
Immersion has been scientifically proven to be the best way to
learn a foreign language. This is exactly what happened on the
German Exchange to Hamburg where pupils practised their
German whilst living with a host family. Excursions included
a visit to central Hamburg and Bremen as well as going to
Miniatur Wunderland (the largest model railway in the world)
and Dialog Im Dunkeln.
Westminster, and from Westminster Abbey, after passing
Cleopatra’s needle, they arrived at the National Portrait Gallery
for a scavenger hunt to find Jane Austen’s portrait. The British
Library offered fascinating insight into Alice in Wonderland,
Handel, and the Magna Carta.
Ruben Sector (S) reflected ‘My German has vastly improved
from the experience and with GCSEs only a year away I feel a
lot more confident about the exam.’ Danila Mikhaylov (C) added ‘This exchange provided me with
a fantastic opportunity to have a glance at Germany from a
truly German perspective. Furthermore, it gave me a chance to
encounter Hamburg not as a tourist, who would only visit the
beautiful locations ignoring those densely populated outskirts,
but as a German. This was unforgettable.’
Economic Travels
On Friday 22nd April, during an inspiring day in London,
the Lower Sixth Economists visited the Office for Budget
Responsibility (OBR), The Bank of England, The Adam Smith
Institute and Deloittes. The OBR is an independent monitor of
UK public finances, created in 2010 to avoid any possible bias
within the government on producing analysis of finances.
Anneka Shah (L) commented ‘The time we spent at the OBR
was fascinating and showed us how some of the economic
theories which we study are put into practice, highlighting the
importance of forecasting in helping the government to make
decisions about the economy we live in.‘
Adventure Awards
Each year travel scholarships are awarded to Lower Sixth Form
pupils to encourage a spirit of adventure, exploration and
physical challenge. This year the School’s Adventure Awards
Committee considered applications and presentations made
by twelve different groups who proposed an astonishingly
wide variety of exciting, inspiring and sometimes quite quirky
travel adventures. Six winners were chosen and these ranged
from the most physically and technically demanding trip to
the Dolomites to independently undertaking some tough and
challenging climbing routes to a politically-inspired journey
through London.
Thomasin Harris, commented ‘The group that impressed us
the most was the Science trip to Amsterdam where the boys
will be cycling around some of the city’s science centres. All
are real science enthusiasts and spoke very passionately
about their desire to study science at university as well as to
approach science from a perspective beyond the classroom.’
Literary Tour of London
With Christmas a matter of days away, the English
Department’s literary tour of London at the end of the
Christmas Quarter began at the home of Tiny Tim’s creator.
After exploring the rooms in which Charles Dickens composed
the staples of English literature, Shakespeare awaited
them. From the Globe, Chaucer drew them in to the City of
Prague
Early in the morning of 12th February, forty one Third formers
set off to Prague to immerse themselves in the wondrous
history of the beautiful city.
Alice Broadbent (L) commented ‘As we walked, we saw so
many beautiful buildings and glorious architecture including
the Cyril Methodius Church, the clock tower in Old Town Square
and Castle Konopiste. In Lidice, a small town outside Prague
that was destroyed after Heydrich’s assassination, we saw a
memorial, dedicated to the children who lived and died, as well
as to all the children who have died in war. The city holds deep
secrets and sins, but it is resilient and beautiful.’
Berlin Trip
Isabella Wythe (N) commented ‘It is difficult to do anything
more than blunder through the modern world without an
awareness of the recent past. The Berlin trip gives a harsh
physicality to studying the Holocaust and the Cold War.
It carries an atmosphere that a comfortable, well-heated
classroom can hardly convey. On foot and ruthlessly efficient
public transport, we visited a combination of tourist and
more off-the-beaten-track sites, each with its own ambience.
The acknowledged climax of the trip was the visit to
Sachsenhausen, the Nazi, and later Soviet, concentration
camp. We were faced with the seemingly incomprehensible.’
Paris 2015
That a School trip was allowed to go ahead less than a month
after the Paris attacks of 13th November is testament to the
bravery of the History department, holding its nerve whilst
almost every other school cancelled their visits on Home
Office advice, which was rescinded barely a week before
departure. Fifteen Upper Sixth formers stayed next to the
Gare du Nord. Their first day alone encapsulates the varied
approach taken during the visit, beginning in the Royal Chapel
of Sainte-Chapelle and finishing beneath the Louvre pyramid.
The visit was historical in its focus, and was greatly aided by
Mr Mather’s near encyclopaedic knowledge of the fine arts.
25
BEYOND OUNDLE
Building Blocks of Matter
Spanish Immersion
At the end of March, twenty four Pre-U Physicists visited
CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider. During the visit, they
discovered how CERN is helping to answer some of the most
fundamental questions; how did the Universe begin? What are
the basic building blocks of matter? Scientific breakthroughs
such as the discovery of the Higgs boson require experimental
machines on a large scale, and pupils gained an appreciation
of the technical and engineering challenges that the
multinational experimental collaborations at CERN face. Whilst
in Geneva the group also had a tour of the Red Cross and
visited the United Nations where they were provided with an
in-depth look into the latest issues on the UN’s agenda.
During the June Exeat, a group of Fourth Form pupils
headed to Spain to improve their speaking skills and acquire a
greater knowledge and appreciation for Spanish culture. Pupils
had Spanish lessons at the villa, with lessons focussed on
conversation provided by La Janda Institute. In the afternoons
they enjoyed activities such as surfing, walking to Bolonia
beach and a beach Olympiad, whilst spending time in their
spectacular villa, the infinity pool and on the stunning beach
below. They also went on day excursions to Sevilla visiting
important monuments and the water park.
CCF Ski Trip 2016
Exploring Wales
February Exeat saw sixty-three cadets, eight staff and ten
instructors head under the Channel to the Swiss resort of Siviez
for the annual Alpine Ski Development Camp. Snow conditions
were superb and the Cadets enjoyed six days of skiing in
sunny weather on the wide range of testing runs offered by
the Four Valleys region. Skiing in groups of six or seven, the
Cadets received excellent instruction from an enthusiastic
group of BASI instructors; some Cadets started as complete
beginners, whilst Finn Moore had to be kept on short leash
to prevent him trying ever more adventurous acrobatics off
whatever jumps he could find. On and off the slopes the focus
remained on senior Cadets to provide leadership of the group,
and on younger cadets to work with each other as a team.
The evenings were filled with a range of activities including
a spectacular torch lit descent into Siviez on the penultimate
night, and a trip to the thermal baths in Sion, which provided
a refreshing and relaxing break from the slopes. The trip is all
set to run again in 2017, and although all places are currently
filled there is a reserve list for anyone interested. Laundimer and New House Third Form visited north Wales to
explore the underground slate mines at Blaenau Ffestiniog,
using a series of zip wires, cargo nets and swing bridges. In the
evening, they enjoyed marshmallows over a roaring fire on the
expansive Black Rock Sands near Portmadog. The group also
climbed the beautiful Mount Snowdon via the Pyg and Miners’
tracks, and endured the full range of weather. On their final
day they rode The Titan, a four-lined zip course which covers
over 2km.
Field Weekend Trips:
Fun in France
Laxton Junior School recently took their forty Year 6 pupils on
a five day residential trip to Étaples in La Cote Opale, France.
Over the course of the week their itinerary included learning
about sea fishing, making model fishing trawlers, visiting a
snail farm and tasting their produce (with mixed reactions!),
visiting a wheat farm in stunning countryside where they made
beautiful wheat-plaited hearts. Pupils were very respectful
when they visited Étaples Military Cemetary. They also visited
a bee-life education centre where they were treated to honeytasting under a stunning wisteria-covered patio area after
having made beeswax candles.
‘Backyard’ Experiences
Over Field Weekend, the Third Form Crosby boys acquitted
themselves across a wide range of challenges: camping
riverside at Wadenhoe, mountain biking through Fineshade
Woods, cooking in the embers of their backwoods fires,
go-karting near Weldon, day-trekking from Oundle overland
to Fotheringhay to climb the ancient tower and ring the
bells, then touring the chambers and playing a somehow
both traditional and impromptu rugby match in the ruins of
Kirby Hall, visiting the splendid Burghley House, competing
in night wide games in the woods each night and enjoying
a final dinner at the King’s Head, Wadenhoe. Plenty of new
experiences alongside deeper experience of their own
Oundelian ‘backyard’.
Team Work in York
Mia Stanton and Millie Trotter (D) reflected ‘In York we
discovered elements of team work through ghost walks, ferry
rides, photo challenges, rock climbing and many other fun
activities. The memories that we made on this trip we will
treasure and remember forever. Even through the harder
26
BEYOND OUNDLE
times, for example those who were scared of rock climbing,
there was always so much support from everyone and we
really came together as year.’
Bushcraft and PGL
The Second Form
Berrystead pupils
enjoyed a ‘bushcraft’
adventure over Field
Weekend, involving
teepees, tribes, open
fires and plenty of
activities.
Katakanuing and Camping
Grafton and Kirkeby Third Form gathered at the School Boat
House for an adventure of katakanuing and overnight camping.
The River Nene was thankfully in benign mood and the troops,
who remained admirably enthusiastic (and dry), even after
six hours paddling, managed to put up their two-man tents,
mostly unassisted, at Sacrewell. Abigail Slade (By)
said ‘We learned a lot
including how to light a
fire and cook our lunch,
build shelters, and
practise first aid and
rescue.’
Meanwhile, Berrystead First Form went on a trip to PGL
Caythorpe, which involved abseiling, rafting, the High Swing
and the terrifying jump from a trapeze bar.
Hilltop Challenges
Fisher, Bramston and St Anthony House Third Forms went
to Hilltop Outward Bound Centre in Sheringham, Norfolk
for Field Weekend and had a great time doing the Airdrop,
obstacle courses, mountain biking, zip-wiring and having fun
on local beaches.
Adventures in the Peak District
Third Form pupils from Sidney and Wyatt set out to the
Peak District for a residential weekend at the Hollowford
Centre. Team building exercises focused on communicating,
coordinating and cooperating. A hill walk was followed by
charades and ghost stories around the campfire. High ropes
and the leap of faith, as well as the zip wire over a lake
were amongst the highlights. Pupils also enjoyed caving
and abseiling, shopping in the picturesque market town of
Bakewell, and a visit to Chatsworth House.
Villa and Towers
Lots of Exercise
Laxton First formers enjoyed a trip to the South Coast and
the Isle of Wight, visiting Salisbury Cathedral and riding the
Swanage Steam Train. Fish and chips on the beach were
followed by Mr Hammond’s rounders match. Sunday saw
the pupils along the coastal path to Old Harry’s Rocks, and
enjoying the chair lift and a boat ride out to see the Needles
at close quarters. A visit to Brading Roman Villa’s mosaics
rounded off a trip full of new experiences and a lot of exercise.
The Second Form went seal spotting, swimming and on a
steam train to Sheringham in Norfolk. Laxton Third Form
headed to Derbyshire and Tallington Lakes for paintballing rock
climbing, abseiling, windsurfing, kayaking and tobogganing.
The first activity for School House was a trip to Villa Park to
see relegated Aston Villa take on Southampton. The Villa fans
protested loudly at the lack of quality demonstrated by the
team over the course of the season but it was an entertaining
game in which Southampton secured a high scoring win. The
major obstacles during a long walk along the River Nene were
avoiding a herd of cows and enduring some significant heat
when the sun came out. It would be fair to suggest the staff
dominated the ten pin bowling match later that evening. A trip
to Alton Towers followed on the Monday. The park was quiet
and the boys were able to go on the rides as many times as
they wanted.
Culture and Fun
Sanderson Third Form began their adventures at Chatsworth
House exploring the gardens on a bright and sunny afternoon
and enjoying Pride and Prejudice after a supper of pizza and
dough balls. A wet and windy cycle ride was followed by an
enjoyable day trip to Alton Towers.
27
OUNDLE IN PICTURES
Chinese New Year
Oundle Beekeepers
Community Action 660 Club
Cricket Nets
Sock Puppets for Kenya
LJS Eclipse
SciTec in Spring
SciTec Mummy Duck and Ducklings
About Oundle is edited and published by Liz Dillarstone, email [email protected]
To keep up to date with the latest news visit the School website www.oundleschool.org.uk
Photos by School Photographer, Ivan Quetglas, Team Captain, Lucy Purnell (D), Tally Carter (L), Lizzie Lee (Sn), Anna van de Braak (L),
Bella Cholmeley (Sn), Pavel Lipskiy (B), Stefan Rogers-Coltman (Sc), Alex Barker (N), Minna Dundas (Sn), Clara Goodman (W),
Natalie Peckett (Sn), Flora Smith (N). Image of Best Newspaper on page 5 by Sophia Panteli.
28
Printed on
FSC paper

academic - Fluency CMS

Transcription

Similar documents

Eenie Meenie “Uni” Mo.

Loburger Summer school 2016

Page 1 Name and address of School: Contact Teacher: Email

biographies CD flyer

trisha waters - boingboing.org.uk

Présentation PowerPoint

Gear-up with Halfords this June!

April 16 - Science2U