The Report 2015 - 2016

The Report 2015 - 2016
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The Governing Body of Oundle School 2015 - 2016
* Mr J G Tregoning, Chairman
+ Mr D C L Miller, Vice Chairman
*+ Mr J H Cartwright
The Countess Howe DL
+ Mr D A Hutchinson
Mrs J C Kibbey
Mrs R Lawes
*+ Mr R H Ringrose
Dr P J Rogerson
Mr M C B Spens
Lady Stringer
* Mr T W Stubbs
* Mr J N Whitmore
* Mr P J Woodhouse
Ex-Officio
*
*
*
Mr C G McAndrew, Master of the Grocers’ Company
Mr O Wise, Second Warden of the Grocers’ Company
Mr A R Gavin, Third Warden of the Grocers’ Company
Mr J H O’Hare OBE, Bursar and Secretary
+ Old Oundelian
* Member of the Court of the Grocers’ Company
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At the end of the Trinity Quarter 2016, two members of the Governing Body retire. Mr Charles
McAndrew stands down from the Governing Body after his tenure as Master of the Grocers’ Company
having served on the Estates and Laxton Junior School Committees. Dr Philippa Rogerson joined the
Governing Body in 2006 and has served ten years on the Education Committee (formerly the Planning
Committee) and was Chair of the Committee for the last four years. Both are warmly thanked for their
contribution and distinguished service to the School.
Salvete: The following members of the academic staff joined the School from September 2015: Mr JM
Baker (Head of Design Technology), Miss A Barton (English), Miss RA Blacknell (Modern Languages),
Mr ORC Butterworth (Head of Economics), Miss EAC Byatt (Biology), Mr JP Crawley (History, Head
of Cricket), Mrs A Larter (Educational Support), Mr IC Sheppard (Mathematics), Mr RJ Smith (Head of
English) and Mrs ZJ Thomas (Educational Support). Miss KR Hoskins and Miss S van der Walt joined
as Sports Fellows. Mr M Jux (German), Miss R Perez Deito (Spanish) and Mr A Rey (French) joined as
Language Assistants.
Valete: Four long serving teaching staff leave following many years of distinguished service to the
School. Dr WF Holmström (Biology, Crosby Tutor, previously Housemaster of The Berrystead) retires
after thirty years. Mrs MA Holmström (Biology, Wyatt Tutor) retires after twenty-two years. Mr MJ
Meatyard (Physics, Electronics, Laundimer Tutor) retires after fifteen years. Mr TP Hipperson (Director
of Co-Curricular, English (Previously HoD), School House Tutor) leaves after thirteen years.
Other departures include Mr MA Case (Art, Bramston Deputy) after nine years, Mr GJPA Maître (Head
of Rowing, Crosby Tutor) after eight years and two Quarters, Mrs NS Guise (Mathematics (Previously
HoD), previously Head of Laxton) after seven years, Mr BJ Evans (Director of Studies, Chemistry,
Fisher Tutor) after six years and two Quarters, Mr AGD Furnival (Mathematics, Deputy Housemaster
of Grafton) after six years, Dr MR Parry (History, Sidney Tutor) after six years, Miss AJ Drake (Modern
Languages, Sanderson Tutor) and Miss C McDonnell (Classics, Kirkeby Tutor) after four years, Mr R
Garvey (Chinese, Grafton Tutor), Father A Searle (Biology, Chaplain, Laxton Tutor) after three years,
Miss CH Ormseth (Yale Fellow, Dryden Tutor) after two years and Mr SL Ge (Chinese Assistant)
after one year and two Quarters. Miss A Barton (English, Wyatt Tutor), Mr D Webb (Acting Head of
Geography), Mr IC Sheppard (Mathematics, Bramston Tutor), Mr M Jux (German Assistant) and Miss
R Perez Dieto (Spanish Assistant) leave after one year. Sports Fellows leaving are Miss RR Griffiths after
one year and two Quarters, and Miss SC Brivio-Stone, Mr DJ Cox, Mr JP Ellis, Miss KR Hoskins and Mr
BD Kirkpatrick after two years.
Several long serving Support Staff leave following distinguished service to the School: Mrs M Ives
(Domestic Assistant, Laxton) after thirty-one years; Mrs S Franklin, (Rehabilitation Therapist) after
twenty-six years; Mrs C Black (Domestic Assistant, New) after twenty-four years; Mrs S Lewins
(Archive Assistant and Departmental Secretary) after nineteen years; Mr J Holmes, (IT Manager) after
sixteen years; Mrs A Smith (Domestic Assistant, New) after thirteen years; Mrs S Langham, (House
Friend, Crosby) after ten years; Mrs S Brewer (Careers Administrator) after nine years. Miss H Wilson
(Matron, Wyatt) after six years and Mrs A Jackson (Matron, Berrystead) leaves after three years and two
quarters, all are thanked for their contribution to the School.
The Support Staff led by the Bursar continue to provide an excellent service to the School community.
Whether maintaining the grounds or buildings; providing welfare support as Matrons, medical staff,
catering staff and House teams; sound administration; or technical support to teaching, all have
contributed to the School’s success and the pleasant environment and community in which pupils learn
and thrive.
One of the most notable occasions in Chapel this year was the Service of Thanksgiving held on
Saturday 14th November for David McMurray, Headmaster of Oundle School 1984 - 1999. The
Service was attended by members of his family, friends and many former colleagues and pupils from
his time at Oundle and before that when he was Headmaster of Loretto School. Also present were
representatives from Fettes School, where David had been Chairman of Governors. David Sharp
(formerly Second Master of Oundle) gave the address and the Service closed fittingly with Highland
Cathedral being played by the School’s pipers.
Thoughts of the First World War have not been too far away from our minds this year as the short early
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morning ceremonies in the Cloisters have continued to commemorate the centenary of the deaths of
the Old Oundelians in the war. Among other events this year were two School Confirmation Services.
On Saturday 5th March, Bishop John Flack confirmed sixty-one pupils into the Church of England,
while on Saturday 6th February, the Bishop of Northampton confirmed twenty pupils into the Roman
Catholic Church. Both Services were attended by many parents, family members and sponsors. Visiting
Sunday preachers this year have included Dr Denis Alexander (Emeritus Director of the Faraday
Institute), Rev (Wg Cdr) CA Mitchell (Senior Padre, RAF Marham) at Remembrance and the Very
Reverend Mark Bonney (Dean of Ely Cathedral).
This year we say goodbye to the Reverend Anthony Searle who, for the past three years has made a
huge contribution to the life of the School community. We thank him for all that he has done and wish
him well as he moves to the Parishes of St Peter and St Andrew, Corby and St Michael, Great and Little
Oakley.
Performance in A levels was outstanding, with 65.2% of all results graded either A* or A, the highest
A*/A % since 2010. 25.8% of results were at A* level and seven pupils scored four A* grades or
equivalent, with one pupil scoring five A* grades or equivalent. Almost half of Oundelians achieved
three A grades or better and over forty pupils secured four A grades or better.
From the 146 Pre-U entries in 2015, 39.7% of all Pre-U grades were awarded at D2 level or above (D2 is
equivalent to A*), with 76.7% of all grades awarded at A*/A equivalent. These are both School records
by some distance. All major Pre-U subjects scored over 30% of grades at A* equivalent level, with the
exception of Physics at 29.4%!
Mathematics, Latin, Music and Religious Studies all achieved over 30% of grades at A* level, with Art,
French, Latin and Religious Studies securing 70%+ grades at A*/A.
Twenty-six of the twenty-seven pupils holding offers were able to secure places at Oxford or
Cambridge Universities. This figure is the second highest of the last dozen years. The top destinations
of last year’s Upper Sixth formers were, in order of popularity: Newcastle, Bristol, Oxford, Durham,
Edinburgh, Cambridge and Manchester.
Ninety-two pupils in the Lower Sixth submitted an AQA level 3 Extended Project (effectively an
additional AS) and 43% were graded A*, with 82% of pupils gaining at least an A grade. Several pupils
from the Second and Third Forms submitted a level 2 Extended Project, equivalent to GCSE level work,
with the vast majority graded at A* or A level. Around twenty pupils in the Fourth Form and Lower
Sixth completed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) which are offered by many top universities.
The number of A* grades at GCSE topped 50% for the fifth year running: the value of 53.3% was a
record for results day and the final figure was 54.4%. The proportion of grades awarded at A*/A was
84.8%, which is a new record. Fifty-three pupils (over a quarter of the year group) achieved at least
nine A* grades and are made Senior Academic Exhibitioners; this is a new record. Twenty-six pupils
achieved at least ten A* grades, which is also a record. Girls have now scored over 60% A* grades for
five years running (having never broken this figure before) and boys have achieved 50% A* grades for
four years running.
The Trivium course, which was launched in September 2014, and is taught to all Third Form pupils
for four lessons per fortnight, has cemented its place in the Third Form curriculum. The main thrust
behind Trivium is to ensure that Oundelians remain intellectually and culturally stimulated and
curious, and this should have academic benefit well beyond the classroom. It has been most successful
thus far and a higher level version of the course, to be called Quadrivium, will be expanded into the
Sixth Form from September 2016, to continue the theme of academic breadth in the upper years. All
pupils in the Sixth Form are now offered a choice between EPQ (depth/expertise) and Quadrivium
(breadth/knowledge) as their extension course in the Lower Sixth.
September 2016 brings the second phase of the switch between modular and linear Sixth Form courses.
The Humanities and Language subjects must be taught linearly from next academic year, with the
first examination in summer 2018. This change is welcomed: teaching time will increase and pupils
will benefit from a full two-year programme of study through which to develop their knowledge and
understanding of the subjects.
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Many of the School’s pupils have enjoyed academic success at national level. Some highlights across
the subject range include: Emilia Broadbent (L), Laura Woodrow (N) and Isaac Uwins (G) were
awarded Gold medals in the Biology Olympiad. In the follow-on rounds of the UK Maths Challenge
George Garber (S) was awarded a Gold Medal for being in the top fifty of all entries. Olivia Buchan (W)
scored 89.1% in the UK Linguistics Olympiad (Advanced Level), missing the Gold medal by 0.1%.
A group of Oundle Sixth Form Germanists won First Prize in the Business Language Champions
journalism ‘SCOOP!’ competition, beating nine other teams to win a day at UEFA HQ in London
working in the Journalism Department.
Ed Pryor (Sc) was one of six winners of the Tower Poetry competition in the awards ceremony held
at Christ Church College, Oxford. This is the UK’s most prestigious poetry competition open to
16-18-year-olds, with the winners chosen from over 11,000 entries nationwide. The theme of this year’s
competition was ‘wonder’.
Rebecca Siddall’s (L) iMEDIVAC project won the top prize for the 15-16-year-old category in the
National Engineering Competition for Girls.
This year the prestigious Nicholson Engineering Award has been given to Cory Flanagan (Sc) for his
work with the CANSAT project. This involves a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the
volume and shape of a soft drink can. The challenge was to fit all the major subsystems found in a
satellite, such as power, sensors and a communication system, into this minimal volume. The CANSAT
was launched to an altitude of a few hundred metres by a captive balloon with a mission to carry out a
scientific experiment whilst making a controlled descent to a specific predetermined GPS co-ordinate.
During the first half of the academic year, four of our strongest Economists: George Chatterton (F),
Nico Lethbridge (S), Charlie Law (S) and Alistair Mason (F) represented the School in the annual Bank
of England Target 2.0 competition. The competition, which the School won in 2014, is a rigorous test
of the pupils’ understanding of Macroeconomics – in particular, monetary policy. The team’s role was
to present their monetary policy decisions relating to the Bank rate of interest, quantitative easing and
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forward guidance, to a panel of judges who would follow up the presentation with some challenging
questions. Beyond an understanding of fundamental Economics, the team needed to be confident
in their ability to communicate effectively; thoroughly research various aspects of the economy’s
performance; work well as a team and cope with quite significant pressure. The four boys excelled in
all of these areas, winning the first round in style. However, they were unfortunate not to make it past
the national semi-finals. For the effort and dedication put in, the Economics department is extremely
proud.
Arts Exhibitions are awarded for contributions to the intellectual and cultural life of the School beyond
the limits of exam syllabi and any Scholarship Awards already held. The successful candidates have a
record of reliable effort and have displayed the attitude and commitment that make them stand out as
examples to others – in particular by taking a lead in encouraging and developing the participation of
others in the intellectual and cultural life of the School, or by making an outstanding contribution over
a long time and at a very high standard. Undoubtedly, Oundle is a much richer community because of
their considerable efforts.
The following pupils received awards: Rebecca Baker Munton (D), Coco Brown (W), George Cobb (L),
Amelia Cookson (W), Alice Etheridge (K), Nicholas Ho (G), Hetty Hodgson (D), Satoshi Oshima (StA),
Alice Park (N), Charlie Rogers (S), Anneka Shah (L), Alexander Speechley (L), Damson Young (Sn),
George Carmichael (Ldr), George Mitchell (B), Adam Oliver (StA), Ian Ostojic (C) and Harriet Pymont
(Sn). The range of activity in which they showed leadership included acting, backstage work, charity
events, debating, journalism, music, photography, public speaking and radio presenting.
Risking the wrath of her pro-Brexit peers in the School and elsewhere, Cara Nicholson (Sn) accepted
an invitation to assume the role of one of five delegates representing the interests of the United
Kingdom at the Model European Parliament held in Budapest during the Easter holidays. The MEP
is a biannual replica in miniature of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, with the brightest and
best of pre-university pupils across Europe donning the responsibilities and offices of their respective
nation’s representatives, to prepare, debate and pass resolutions on matters of pan-European policy.
Throughout committee meetings and the General Assembly of the parliament, Cara carried herself with
such distinction as to achieve the rare honour of being elected to return for the next session, to be held
in Copenhagen in November, in the role of President of the MEP. The Brexiteers have cause to tremble.
Trips continue to excite Oundelians and they have been as busy as ever in this area. Over one hundred
and fifty day trips have taken place to every cinema, theatre and sports venue in easy reach. Activities
ranged from a Classics visit to the Globe Theatre to a specialist visit to the College of Arms for those
interested in heraldry and a bagpipe convention near Oxford.
Residential visits included several History trips to various parts of Europe, an Art trip to Madrid, a
Classics trip to Greece and a German Winter Wonderland trip to the Christmas markets for a group
of Third formers. Visits to schools and orphanages in Gilgil, Kenya took place in October where
Oundelians worked to improve life for those less fortunate than themselves. Dr and Mrs Holmström
have led more trips than most, and in their retirement year they led their last junior ski trip to Italy.
The Modern Languages Department celebrated the European Day of Languages by taking their
inspiration from a visit by hyper polyglot Richard Simcott who has studied forty languages and
uses twenty of them on a weekly basis. Throughout the year pupils enjoyed lectures from prominent
academics on subjects including Charles Baudelaire, Spanish and Linguistics, the Maya, Bertolt Brecht,
and the one child policy in China. Ten Lower Sixth Form pupils passed the rigorous DELF B2 French
examination, and two pupils were entered for the prestigious DALF C1 level, which is undergraduate
level and usually taken by adults for professional or academic purposes. The Chinese department also
celebrated the prestigious award of Confucius Classroom status. Oundelians continue to travel far
and wide to learn languages, with Sixth Form trips to Paris, Argentina, Salamanca and Berlin offering
linguistic and cultural immersion, while the ever-popular exchanges with partner schools in Orléans
and Hamburg, and the over-subscribed trip to Tarifa in Andalusia, challenge the younger pupils.
From a plea for cross-cultural understanding of Afghanistan, where Tommy Wide (S 02) provided
insight into its historical background, to a commentary on political cartoons past and present from
Professor Vic Gatrell, Sixth Form Lectures again covered a broad spectrum this year. The Chaplain7
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General, Rev Dr David Coulter, delivered the annual Concept of Remembrance talk in Chapel with
some lively personal stories; the following week, Rev Andrew Studdert-Kennedy challenged us by
asking After War, Is Faith Possible?. Dr Tess Little, Fellow of All Souls (What Do We Mean By Gender?)
and Dr Clementine Beauvais, author and researcher into the nature of children’s literature (The Efficacy
Of IQ Testing) paid Oundelians - most of them only five years younger than these two speakers - the
compliment of delivering complex ideas in an uncompromisingly academic manner. An enthusiastic
Professor Mike Berners-Lee gave this year’s Sir Peter Scott lecture (Challenges Facing Your World),
exhorting Oundle to set up conditions for change. Other highlights included Professor Jane Hutton’s
subtle analysis of the ethics of statistics which revealed some unexpected links. Peter Woolf and Sir
Charles Pollard (Sc 63) presented the views of convicted criminals and the need for constructive
solutions to crime, while Sir Matt Baggott and Andy Coles provided different viewpoints on the nature
of policing, the latter with regard to radicalisation. From a different perspective, Dr Asad Sadiq then
reminded us of the often ignored contribution of Islam to world history. Perhaps the best received
lectures, though, were from a brace of medics. First, Professor Sir Michael Marmot discussed the thesis
that social determinants choose who is to die and reminded us that ‘people in public life don’t always
tell the truth’. Next, Major General Professor Alan Hawley, in speaking about Humanity and Conflict,
recollected his time in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Bosnia, and his shock at our ‘capacity as a species to
inflict suffering on each other’. Members of the public joined pupils in an appreciation of the speakers’
inside information and astute analysis.
The Senior and Junior Debating Societies have been active throughout the academic year. The focus
for both societies has been the School’s inter-House competition. Senior and Junior debaters began
the year with technical skills workshops and then the debating commenced in earnest with the Senior
debaters holding the floor in the Cecil Lewis Room while the Juniors debated vigorously downstairs
in the AMR. Topics ranged across a spectrum of moral and ethical considerations to political and
social issues. While the Juniors thrashed out whether violent video games should be banned and
contemplated the possibility of money indeed making for happiness, the Seniors considered whether
Britain had a moral obligation to accept more refugees and the desirability - or not - of a university
education being free. The Junior Mather Cup was won this year by New House debaters Isabella Wythe
and Olivia Groom, who proposed the controversial motion This House Would Rather Be Educated In A
State School. The Senior Humphreys Gavel was awarded to the Fisher debating team of Alastair Mason
(F) and Anthony Orr (F), who persuasively argued that the House would not be voting to leave the
EU. What the country will decide remains yet to be seen! The Senior Debating Dinner was pleased
to be addressed this year by His Honour, Judge Peter Morrell. Sessions for practising parliamentary
debating and for honing public speaking skills have been held on a regular basis throughout the year.
Competition teams have participated in the ESU and in the Oxford and Cambridge Union fixtures.
This year, the ESU Public Speaking team won through to the regional final held at Magdalen College,
Cambridge where they were runners-up, with William Slinger (B) taking the prize for the most
accomplished speaker.
The programme of Colloquium, which exists for the purpose of encouraging intellectual curiosity
and a spirit of inquiry in all realms of the imagination in the brightest and best throughout the School,
has seen its participants stimulated by the customary, but never predictable, papers, speakers and
activities that mark it out as a special forum for debate. Topics have included Bitcoin and the Block
Chain, gender inequality in the UK, MR James’ The Mezzotint (or how to tap into fundamental human
fear), The Holocaust from personal and oral history, what we can learn from Eliot’s The Waste Land and
whether terrorism is the fault of the West, to name but a few. There has been much to inform curiosity,
to embolden young minds to swim against the tide and to challenge received wisdom.
The AQA Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a stand-alone qualification where pupils are allowed
to choose an area of personal interest. It is the only extension course where you can get an A* at AS
level. Pupils have to identify, design, plan and complete an individual or group project, applying a
range of skills which rely on an increased commitment to independent learning and research. Pupils
opt for a 5,000 word research-based report or an artefact which is followed by a report of at least 1000
words. For example, one pupil this year has investigated How Oratory Has Changed Since The Classical
Age Of Cicero while another pupil opted to build a parabolic trough to answer the question Is A Private
Home-made Parabolic Trough A Feasible And Justifiable Solar Collector? These are just two examples from
the ninety-three research projects submitted this year. The AQA Level 2 research projects continue to
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develop, and these are based on the same principles as the level 3. However, they are equivalent to half
a GCSE for which candidates can still gain an A* grade. Nineteen level 2 projects were submitted from
the Third Form and three from the Fourth Form. The grades are encouraging and reflect the increased
commitment to independent learning and research. This is supported by the excellent supervision
pupils receive over the year from their teachers.
With a significant concert in Symphony Hall, Birmingham looming large in our early 2016 Music
Diary, one might have assumed that this event would be our sole point of focus. But with 870 budding
musicians, fifty-four music teachers and forty-six ensembles to exercise, there is never a dull moment to
be had in the Gascoigne.
The Michaelmas and Christmas Quarters were punctuated by such highlights as our String and Brass
Prep Days, the Scholarship Training Day, our first Music Scholars’ Concert for many a year and
a memorable rendition of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. The Chamber and Symphony Orchestras
delighted with Sibelius’ Finlandia, Dvorak’s New World Symphony and Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano
Concerto before the approach to Christmas with carol services galore and the effervescent Into Christmas.
In addition to the many eminent professors visiting to adjudicate numerous competitions, we were also
joined by pianist Alexander Ardakov, the Bardolino Trio from Prague, Schola Cantorum from Oxford,
the British Trombone Society and Simon Smith from the Royal College of Music. Organ Recitals were
given by Ben Horden, James Parsons, John Arkell and Elizabeth Barter, and Andrew Reid.
Our Hepburn Competition this year encompassed well over 300 performances, culminating in
a typically stunning final and an exemplary adjudication from John Moore, Director of Music at
Shrewsbury School. Rebecca Baker Munton (D) won the hallowed prize, having intoxicated her
audience with magical pulsations and vibrancy delivered on marimba and snare drum.
The wind players helped launch 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. Three string quartets represented
the School again this year in the National Young String Quartet Weekend at Chetham’s School of Music
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in Manchester.
The Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum gave many a fine rendition of choral delights, providing music
for worship each Sunday morning in addition to carol services, Evensongs at Worcester Cathedral and
in the Chapel, confirmations and concert appearances. Most commendable were Haydn’s Missa Sancti
Joannis de Deo in a Choral Mass, and a performance of Lauridsen’s Sure On This Shining Night from
memory in concert.
Twenty-six Lunchtime Concerts, six Musical Opportunity Concerts (for the younger performers), A2
recitals, Piping Competitions in Edinburgh and at Radley, a superb Take Two concert for our many
younger ensembles and the CCF Passing Out Parade (the band will be travelling to perform at the
Menin Gate and at the Thiepval Memorial in October) provided challenging and fulfilling outings
for many pupils and audiences alike. Mr A Hone and Mr QP Thomas enthralled audiences with their
annual get-together: Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Stravinsky’s Firebird resembled a flurry of
fuzzy hand movement to the delight of quite a few.
If classical music was not quite the drink of choice for some, Guitar Madness was unleashed in a
perfectly kitted Stahl Theatre before the February Long Exeat – a fresh, more intimate and stimulating
environment for our bands to perform in. The Jazz Bands delivered sparkling performances at St
Peter’s, Titchmarsh and Polebrook. It has been a moving year in many ways with it being ‘one of those
years’ that sees the migration of many long-serving Upper Sixth pupils.
Our ‘music for all’ ethos was somewhat definitive in the Easter Quarter with the entire School and
extended community being shipped out to the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Effusive emails and
letters were testimony to the triumphant success with many picking out different performances and
ensembles as their favourite. One treasured moment was the entire audience, singers and orchestra
united to sing Keep the Home Fires Burning in memory of John Young Alexander Line (L 1914), killed in
action on 13th March 1916.
The House Singing was a typically zestful experience with accomplished Part-Singing of particular
note. The high-quality singing, adjudicated by Joanna L’Estrange, saw trophies being earned by St
Anthony for Part-Singing, Sanderson the House Song, and Laxton the Forbes Trophy and overall
winners. It was especially lovely to hold a separate event for our younger years in The Berrystead and
Laxton Houses this year: a tactical ‘dead heat’ was ultimately declared, with copious praise for all of the
pupils’ preparation and execution.
Music for a Summer’s Evening and the Concerto Opportunity offer the leaving pupils and the more
advanced the chance to play the year out. It has been an astonishing year for achievement, purpose and
endeavour and we await the next instalment of the Gascoigne’s refurbishment this summer with real
excitement.
Congratulations to our pupils who gained diplomas this year: Chalotte 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.
This year’s Stahl season began not in the theatre itself but on ‘walkabout’. Charlie Rogers (S) and Tom
Younger (G) directed and starred in a tremendously accomplished production of Beckett’s seminal
work Waiting for Godot, beautifully staged beneath the lonely tree of the School Cloisters. Back in the
Stahl, Hetty Hodgson (D) directed a hugely imaginative reinterpretation of William Golding’s Lord of
the Flies. The all-female Dryden House production forced the audience to question issues of gender,
civilisation and brutality. Christmas was ushered in by Miss NM Jones’ inventive production of Alice
by Laura Wade. This modern version of Lewis Carroll’s childhood classic was brought to theatrical
life by Mrs JG Henderson’s fabulous and outrageous costumes and an ingenious set design from Mr
PE Laughton. The gifted company of performers was expertly led by Molly-May Keston (Sn) in the
title role. Other notable performances came from Lily Tyler (Sn) as the impetuous Queen of Hearts
and Hugo Beazley (StA) as the brilliantly sage White Rabbit. In the new year Beazley was back in the
building, this time in the role of director, leading St Anthony House in a triumphant performance of
Alan Bennett’s The History Boys. Adam Oliver impressed as the contentious, non-conformist teacher,
Hector, whilst Magnus Jeffery delighted as the riotously funny Headmaster. In February the UN
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Inspector came to town (or did he?!). Mr M Burlington’s pacey production featured some glorious
swan-songs and some thrilling debuts. Tom Younger (G) and Adam Oliver (StA), both leaving this
year, gave two powerhouse performances as Martin Gammon and the President respectively, whilst
making exciting first appearances at the Stahl were Araminta Kunzer (N) and Sunny Woodend (N) as
faithful sidekick Sammy and Maria the President’s defiant daughter. The rapier-like wit and rhetoric
of the text was skilfully handled by this immensely talented ensemble cast. Miss R Desmond created
a striking set design which featured an impressively intricate, hand-painted floor mosaic. 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 Dressed ‘til After Dark on Sundays (directed by Miss Jones,
Mrs Hopper and Mr Hipperson) depict the full gamut of Williams’ experimentation with form and
style but what all have in common is a damaged and yet formidable female character at the heart of the
narrative. Coco Brown (W), Catherine Winterton (D) and Hermione Coke (D) played these three female
leads with great power and emotional weight. In April, Olivier Award-winning director Robert Icke
led the annual Wontner Masterclass. A group of the School’s most promising actors and directors were
invited to take part in a discussion-based session in which Robert demonstrated some of his fascinating
directorial techniques. The Stahl season was brought to a chilling end by a brilliantly staged production
of Scary Play performed by the First and Second Forms. Director Mr 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. Mr Laughton designed and created some
amazing puppets for the production which included a twelve-foot clown!
Professional work continues to be a highlight of the Stahl’s eclectic programme. This season has seen
the return of the much-loved Blackeyed Theatre Company with The Great Gatsby as well as some awardwinning productions performing at the Stahl following critically acclaimed runs in London and at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Paines Plough’s production of Every Brilliant Thing was a truly remarkable
piece of interactive theatre which challenged perceptions of mental illness. In What I Learned from Johnny
Bevan, the highly energetic performance poet Luke Wright brought the recent history of the Labour
party into sharp focus and in a performance lasting under an hour, vividly depicted a lifetime of
idealism and despair, hope and cynicism. Sweetshop Revolution, Theatre Alibi and Pentabus Theatre
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Company all made their first visits to the Stahl this season with productions that featured dance,
puppetry, physical theatre, new writing and multimedia. The communities of both Oundle School
and the town have enjoyed a great range and quality of work this year in both School and professional
productions.
Over three hundred pupils continue to be involved in a rich tapestry of Community Action (CA)
activities over six days of the week. Activities are focused on benefiting people in the local and wider
community and between them pupils have clocked up over 16,000 hours of volunteering this year.
Highlights over the two Field Weekends’ were the annual St Basils Sleepout, which raised over £8,000
to support the homeless in Birmingham, and hosting over 500 adults and children with physical and/
or learning difficulties at three Have a Go Days. This year’s programme of talks included speakers from
International Needs Ghana, Canada and UK, Jiminy Wickets, Oxfam, Lepra and The Volunteer, Hugo
Chittenden.
New initiatives included a Maths and Reading Mentoring Scheme at Oundle Primary School, painting
the bathrooms at Abbott House Residential Home, working at a community allotment, The Green
Patch, in Kettering and working with the Digital Strategy group delivering IT workshops to children
with special needs. Back in November, staff and pupils attended the annual Independent Schools
Council CA Conference in Birmingham, where they heard inspirational talks from speakers including
Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue. Head of Community Action, Mrs EJ Dillarstone, spoke on
community outreach at the annual Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference in St Andrews in
November.
From the sales of CA tops this year, the pupil committee chose to sponsor two children – Kaveri in
India through Supporting Dalit Children, and Susan at Gilgil Special School in Kenya through the
Kivuli Trust. The Crafts for Charity group has raised £148 for The Royal British Legion selling Poppy
Flowers, £100 for Shelter making Christmas tree decorations and puppets, and £120 for St Christopher’s
Children’s Home making felt roses for Valentine’s Day, pencil pots and Easter bunny baskets.
The Oundle Chronicle has once again been nominated for awards in the Shine Media Awards including
‘Best Cover Newspaper’, ‘Best Feature Article’, ‘Best Business Strategy’, ‘Best Community Initiative’
and ‘Best Newspaper’.
This year’s Community Action Speech Day prizes were awarded to Peter Christianakis (F) for his threeyear support of elderly hosts in Oundle together with his charity climb of Kilimanjaro in support of
Niamh’s Next Step, and James Stock (B) for his work at Wren Spinney Community Special School over
the last three years, where he has become a key member of staff on a Wednesday afternoon.
Once again, the Oundle School community has continued to be impressively charitable, with over
£53,000 raised so far this year, and another wide range of pupil-created opportunities. On top of the
annual cornucopia of events, including the CA Sleepout, 24-hour swim (brilliantly organised this
year by Hugo Beazley (StA)), pupil marathons and staff walking and golfing epics, Wyatt carnations,
poppies, balls and disco 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!
Emma Mallett (N) deserves special mention too, not only for last year’s Christmas Jumper Day, but for
opting to run in a 10k race this summer having recently had major heart surgery. The OO Committee
has generously backed the Big Give project again in June, donating £2,000 to encourage informed
philanthropy in the Fourth Form. Last year’s winner was Wyatt, for their support of MIND, and the
presentations for the 2016 award this week were just as remarkable and uplifting. Miss Jones has
masterminded the raising of enough funds to allow the building of Stahl Kenya, a drama and music
facility at our long-term partner school Ngecho Secondary, in which Oundle pupils hope to perform
soon.
Oundle Charity Ventures has seen a great new development, a Funding Den, where the pupil groups
have 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 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 today by the presentation of an award in his
name.
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After such a successful Rugby season last year, there was much expectation as the 1st XV assembled
at Soustons, near Biarritz for the annual pre-season training. After some fairly intense training they
acquitted themselves well against Bayonne and Biarritz, in some typically French encounters! Thus
it was in eager anticipation that they played Stamford who had beaten them the year before, and the
season got off to a flying start with a good win in a closely fought game. Given the unrelenting nature
of the Oundle fixture list, it was a tough season, but having narrowly lost to Harrow and Bromsgrove
the team won all the rest of their matches including notable wins against Radley, Oakham and Stowe.
Special mention must go to Ben (S) and Thomas Curry (G), who have been magnificent throughout
their time at Oundle. They have both played U18 England rugby this season and have been selected for
the England tour of South Africa later this summer. They should also be congratulated on both signing
professional contracts for Sale Sharks next season.
The Girls’ Rugby club had a great season, commendably led by Honor Murison (Sn). 362 points
were scored over twenty-six matches against experienced sides from a growing local fixtures list and
opposition further afield in the Reigate Charity Sevens. The Thommy Purbrook charity match raised
over £4,000 for Meningitis Now and won the attention of England Rugby in the process. The match was
very well supported and won by Dryden, Wyatt, New House and Laxton.
The Boys’ Hockey club ended the season with a respectable record of forty-one wins and seventeen
draws out of ninety-three matches, scoring 214 goals. The Third Form boys had many close matches
against all the local opposition. A mention must go to the U14F team who gave Mr A Sherwin his first
win in the hockey club during the final match of the season against Uppingham. Congratulations also
go to the D team for an unbeaten season. The Fourth Form A team worked hard throughout the season
improving individually and as a team and achieved a very impressive nine out of ten wins. They scored
thirty goals and only let in fifteen. A special mention must be made of James Esler (C) who scored an
amazing five hat-tricks during the season. The 1st XI, under the captaincy of Charles Field (Sc) assisted
by Francis Perumatantri (C) and Alec Bruce-Gardyne (Ldr), produced some outstanding hockey against
the top teams in the country. Draws against Perse and Worksop as well as victories over Stowe, RSG,
Uppingham, Stamford and internationally star-studded Trent show the levels that this group achieved.
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1st XI Captain Charles Field (Sc) has played in the 1st XI since the Fourth Form, achieving a recordbreaking number of 1st XI caps. As well as gaining his International Cap for England he has been an
excellent role model on the pitch for all of the club, winning the player’s player award as well as being
top goal scorer at the end of the season.
The Girls’ Hockey Club has won well over 50% of its matches scoring 335 goals. Special mention must
go to the U15C team who did not lose a single match through their season and only let in a couple of
goals. The U16 cup squad were crowned County Champions, but in the Regional semi-final, despite
being the better team, they lost out on sudden death penalty strokes and missed the chance to reach
the National Finals. The 1st XI, led by Esme Wishart (W),and Vice-Captain, top goal scorer and players’
player, Anna Hodgkinson (N), scored fine victories over Stamford, Gresham, Perse and Stowe.
The Football 1st XI, led by Francis Hunt (Sc), won the Rugby pre-season tournament and went on
to win ten matches in the season, as well as reach the semi-final of the LB Cup. Particularly pleasing
results included victories over Loughborough Grammar School and Malvern College. The other senior
sides also impressed and the 4th XI managed an unbeaten season. Four U16 players represented the 1st
XI but special mention should go to Freddie Goddard (G) who played in every game.
Oundle’s Cricket teams have been in excellent form, winning well over two-thirds of games played
from U14 to U18. The senior 2nd XI, U16A and U14A have been the best performers thus far losing
just four games between them and winning fifteen. The cricketers have also been enjoying immensely
the new artificial net complex which has allowed coaches to deliver excellent sessions in all weather
conditions and full use is also being made of the two bowling machines. Grass facilities have also been
superb throughout.
The 1st XI have been led superbly by Tristan Tusa (S) and 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 on more than one occasion. Consistency has been a problem but the attitude of the team and
their togetherness have been notable assets. Outstanding individual performances have also come from
many below 1st XI: Freddie Heaton (Ldr) scored an excellent century for the 2nd XI against Stamford;
Doug Russell (Ldr) took seven wickets for twelve runs for the 2nd XI vs Uppingham and other fivewicket hauls have been recorded by Jack Harrison (F) for the 3rd XI vs Wellingborough; Freddie Turner
(StA) for the U16As against Uppingham and Will Connellan (L) - including a hat-trick – for the U16Bs
against Oakham; Oliver Jervois (Ldr) for the U14Cs v Uppingham and Will Reyner (F) for the U14Bs
against Rugby – well done to all! At junior level, the going has been somewhat tougher but two wins
out of three against Oakham and a cup run for the U12As show that rapid improvements are being
made at that level against some very strong cricketing prep schools.
History has been made recently with the first Oundle Girls’ team taking the field against Oundle Town
Cricket Club 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
edged by the town side.
It has been another very positive year for the Boys’ Tennis Club with impressive wins over Bedford,
Haileybury and Stowe and a rare win over Rugby, traditionally the strongest team on our circuit. Preseason this year included indoor training at Corby and a match against The Leys with boys involved
from the First Form to the Upper Sixth. A superb example has been set in training and matches by the
departing Upper Sixth with Harry Evett (B) particularly impressive as Captain, and the club seems to
be in good hands with some promising juniors coming through.
The Girls’ Tennis Club has had an excellent year, led by the 1st VI who have had an unbeaten season.
The first pair of Flo Garnett (D) and Kitty Petrides (D) have not lost a single set in their matches, and
leave this year after being an outstanding pair throughout their time here (and winning the Inter-House
Tennis five years in a row for Dryden!). The 2nd VI lost a tight first match against Uppingham 4-5, but
have won the rest comfortably. Other teams unbeaten so far are the 3rd VI, and the U16B and U15C
teams. The U14 teams have improved rapidly, and had a clean sweep against Stowe. A similar story
is true of the U15 teams, and perhaps the most encouraging thing is to see how much the girls have
improved in a few short weeks. The Senior House Tennis Cup was won by Dryden, and the Junior Cup
went to Sanderson.
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The Netball Club had a fantastic season with many wins and a total goal score of over 3,500. The U14,
U16 and 1st teams all qualified for the Regional Finals in January, and U14A team won all their games
to become Regional Champions, going on to the National Finals at which they came joint 17th in the
country. In October, Sienna Rushton (Sn) was selected into the England Netball Regional Performance
Programme at Loughborough University, and in March she was selected for the National Performance
Academy. The 1st VII won the Bedford Modern pre-season tournament.
Four Oundle pupils were selected to represent Northamptonshire in the English Schools Cross Country
Championships held in Nottingham on Saturday 5th March. The standard, unsurprisingly, was very
high and Archie Parkinson (L), who was a relatively young competitor within the Junior Boys age
group, had an amazing race coming 23rd out of over 300 runners. In the East Midlands Independent
Schools Cross Country League our teams did very well, with the Senior Boys coming 3rd and the
Girls 1st overall after a series of five fixtures. In the Midlands and Northern Independent Schools
Championship, the boys came 1st and girls 3rd. The School is looking forward to hosting this event next
year. Fisher and Sanderson showed great strength, winning both the Gale Mile and whole School Cross
Country overall trophies, despite a good show from Laxton and Laundimer.
Squash remains in good health, with the pupils making the most of excellent coaching. Leading the
Boys’ lst V in his final year, Dylan Martens (L) took his own game to an exceptionally high standard,
setting a fine example for his teammates. Once again, he represented Northamptonshire at U19 level,
and gave a very good account of himself in many tournaments. In the autumn, the 1st V lost just
one match. Mollie Schofield (K) led a capable Girls’ lst V with enthusiasm and a generosity of spirit
throughout the year. Colours were awarded to Dylan Martens (L), Jack Murphy (B), Mollie Schofield
(K) and Daisy Stanton (W), with Bramston and Kirkeby emerging as Inter-House champions. Olivia
Groom (N) was the deserving winner of the Carol Abbott trophy for the Most Improved Player.
Members of the Rugby Fives Club have had an excellent year. Senior players trained hard throughout
the Michaelmas and Christmas Quarters, and performed strongly in pre-season matches against
Cambridge University, Rugby and Bedford. During the Easter Quarter, the 1st IV coped well with
a challenging list of fixtures. Wins against Merchant Taylor’s, Derby Moor and Bedford Modern, as
well as inclusion in the National U25s, set them up for a thrilling performance in this year’s Midlands
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Schools tournament. Club Captain Jeremy Manger (L) and Tom Barlow (S) won the senior Doubles title
in a gripping final against a strong pair from Rugby. Jeremy also took the Singles title, beating Tom in
an all-Oundle final. The team performed strongly at the National Schools tournament during the Easter
holiday.
Ably led by Xander Wienand (L) and Winnie Liu (W), the star performers in Badminton were the
5th Form Boys’ team of Teck Chow Cheah (Ldr), James Clayton (L), Samuel To (S) and Yatlong Tse
(G) who reached the Regional Finals of the National Schools Championships. The second team was
crowned champions of the Local League. Winnie was undefeated in her singles matches and performed
admirably for the boys’ first team on several occasions.
This has been another successful year of Swimming with 85% of personal bests and 35% of School
swimming records broken. Captained well by Annabelle Barker (N) and Charlie Jacobson (C), Oundle
has secured its place as a leading school for swimming, making five out of eight finals in the multischool gala at Stowe Relays. Finn Clarkson (Sc) swam for the senior team along with Benjamin Amps
(L), James Alley (G) and Ryan Ho (C), securing bronze for the medley relay. Stanislav Glimbovski
(C), Ryan Ho (C), James Alley (G) and Magnus Jeffery (StA) also won bronze in their freestyle relay
team. We have seen exceptional progress from the lower years, with Emily Horrocks-Taylor (L) and
Madeleine Terrell (W) achieving multiple School records and improving their personal bests on many
occasions. This year’s 24-hour swim in aid of the Anthony Nolan trust raised an outstanding £9,000.
Water polo has shown great improvement, and there have been good wins throughout the year,
ensuring a good foundation to develop next year.
The Athletics season started with the Oakham relays which saw sound runs from the Boys’ 4x100m
teams against some strong competition. The Bromsgrove and Rugby matches brought success for
Charlie Forbes-Leith (Ldr) with the U17 javelin, and Mia Derrick (K), who set a new School U17 Girls
100m record. A large number of athletes qualify for County schools. The Inter-House competition was
keenly contested and near perfect conditions saw seven records being broken. Charlie and Mia broke
records, as did Zak Atta (G) in the Senior Boys’ 200m. The Junior Boys’ and Girls’ competitions were
both won by Laxton, with Sanderson retaining the girls’ overall title and Fisher winning the boys’
overall competitions.
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During the Autumn Head Races, the Boat Club won four key races in the first three events. This success
continued at the 3km Boston Head course with wins from the J16 Double Scull, J16 Coxless Quad and a
3rd place in the Women’s Intermediate Single. At the River Trent Head, the Women’s J18 Coxless Quad
and the J16 Coxless Quad won their events over the 6km course. The Olympic rowing course at Eton
College saw impressive sculling from the Women’s J15 Coxed Quad, Men’s J18 Coxless Quad and the
Men’s J16 Coxless Quad. At the Nottingham City Regatta, the Intermediate Men’s and Women’s Novice
crews both won with the Women’s J15 Quad coming second, and a commendable race for the Men’s J15
Quad. Bedford Star and York Regattas saw success for a large number of the crews participating. The
highlight of the year has been the Men’s Junior 16 Coxless Quad, consisting of James Duckitt (G), Zac
Freij (L), Oliver Chapman (Sc) and Cosmo Davis Gimeno (F) who have had many successes, and came
an impressive 6th out of twenty-eight at the National Schools Regatta. The Club has been well led by
Anna van de Braak (L) who has been Girls’ captain for three years, and Anthony Orr (F).
The Sailing club underwent major change this year, moving all operations from Middle Nene Sailing
Club in Thrapston, to Rutland Sailing Club. This has provided the opportunity to sail on a much larger
stretch of water with more reliable wind, and to train and compete with a number of other schools
at the club which hosted the World Team Racing Championships last summer. The difference in the
quality of sailing has been appreciated by all, and the sailors have displayed much enthusiasm. The
team has had a busy year with several fixtures and varied results.
The Junior Boys have all worked very hard to improve their sporting skills throughout the year.
The Rugby teams have had wins against Kings Cambridge, Wisbech, Spalding and Thomas Deacon
Academy showing there is a lot of potential to produce results against some very tough prep school
teams. In Hockey, the A team had fine wins over Maidwell and TDA, and the C team had a mighty 9-1
victory over a tough TDA side. In Cricket, the highlight of the U13A’s early season campaign was the
superb 50 off 64 balls by Will de Capell Brooke (L), supported by the consistent Arnie Gough (L), who
helped himself to 34 off 54 in an 89 run partnership.
The Junior Girls started the year with some strong performances in Hockey, showing that they can
be competitive at the highest level against our opposition, whilst in Netball they asserted their status
once again as one of the strongest teams in the county. The addition of further professional coaching in
tennis and in hockey also helped with player development.
The development of leadership skills amongst senior Cadets, and teamwork and self-discipline
amongst younger Cadets, remains the focus of Combined Cadet Force training. For the second year
running twenty-eight Lower Sixth pupils have completed a Level 3 Award from the Institute of
Leadership and Management.
A wide range of activities has been conducted during two Field Weekends and Wednesday afternoons.
These include sailing and rowing for the Naval Section; infantry exercises, orienteering and shooting for
the Army; flying for the RAF Section; diving, kayaking and climbing in the AT Section; and fire-fighting
for the Fire and Rescue Section.
The holidays have been busy too; after Speech Day 2015 five RN Cadets sailed to the Channel Islands,
eighty Army Cadets completed their annual camp at Barry Buddon near Dundee, and twelve RAF
Cadets went to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. In February, sixty-three Cadets attended another
successful Alpine Ski Development Camp in Switzerland, and over Easter, twelve Cadets went to Capel
Curig on an Adventure Training Camp, and twelve flew to Egypt for the Red Sea Diving Expedition.
The annual Passing Out Parade for all Fourth Form Cadets was inspected on 19th May by Brigadier
Felix Gedney OBE, parent of two boys at Oundle. The Parade Commander was Cadet Warrant Officer
1st Class (RSM) Alastair Taylor (L), and Warrant Officer 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).
Shooting retains strong support from Cadets and the OOs. The .22 Recruits Cup was won by Cadet
Flora Stocks (W) and the Inter-House .22 cup was won by Laundimer.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has continued to be popular throughout the School. Over seventy
Lower Sixth Form pupils have embarked upon their Gold Award, with participants choosing a variety
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of different options for their Expedition, including walking, katacanoeing and sailing, as well as
accessing other expeditions, mostly water-based, through Award Scheme Approved Activity Providers.
Over fifty Fifth Form pupils have been working towards their Silver Award, with walking Expeditions
taking place in the Peak District, and many pupils completing and certificating their Award before the
end of the academic year. 174 Third formers completed their Skill, Physical and Volunteering sections
of the Bronze Award by Easter, thereby progressing onto their Expedition in the last week of the Trinity
Quarter. In this 60th year of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Oundle School, as a Directly
Licensed Centre, was invited to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace, where Mrs TE Raftery, the
School Award Manager, was presented with a Licensed Centre plaque.
Oundle continues to enjoy notable interaction with other communities through a number of different
pathways. The School has worked hard to enhance the already flourishing cultural life of a vibrant
town with performances at the Stahl Theatre and stimulating art exhibitions, lectures and musical
performances to which the general public are warmly welcomed.
Outside the classroom, Oundle has welcomed sporting teams to many tournaments, hosted
masterclasses, welcomed local communities to activity days and continues to support local associations
through providing subsidised facilities.
OSCAR Radio continued in its position as the foremost pupil-run radio station in the UK. The station
has continued to flourish both on FM and via internet broadcasting. Managing Directors for the autumn
broadcast were Alice Park (N) and Hetty Hodgson (D), who handed over to the current Managing
Directors, James Stringer (Sc) and Mercedes Bannister (N) in January. The Managing Directors have
led their teams through two broadcast sessions, which included a record number of pupils taking part
in the programme schedule. A highlight of the year was a chance for those Sixth formers that took part
in OSCAR to meet former CEO of Sony and current Non-Executive Director of the BBC, Sir Howard
Stringer (Ldr 60) at the annual OSCAR Awards Dinner in January. Sir Howard has been a major
benefactor to OSCAR since its inception in 1998, and we were delighted that he agreed to be our guest
of honour. OSCAR was also delighted to receive a donation from Mr John Timpson which was used to
have our studio acoustically treated, and we now have a studio that would grace any professional radio
station. During the past eighteen years, OSCAR has been on the air for 746 days, and over 1,900 pupils
have been involved as directors, broadcasters or technicians.
In the Library, every Third Form set spent a fortnight researching the OOs who died in WWI. These
pupils will be travelling to northern France in September as part of the School’s centenary observations,
and many will have the opportunity to visit the memorials or grave sites of the OOs they researched.
Another project was conducted by Sixth Form Classicists Adithya Menon (L) and Henry Sleight (L),
who examined the School’s collection of antiquities and curated a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ for a library
display. In other activities, this year’s Kid Lit Quiz teams performed well at the annual reading
competition, elite readers in the Carnegie Medal Shadowing Club read and judged the eight shortlisted
books, pupils practised the craft of bookmaking during Thursday afternoon Vols, and bestselling writer
Holly Bourne engaged over 400 pupils at a packed-out author event. The Library announced plans for
the 2016 Great Read, with the selected titles to be revealed and distributed in September.
Dr MJ Bessent continued in the role of Sanderson Fellow and initiated a new collaboration with
Imperial College, London and their Head of Outreach, Dr Annalisa Alexander. The visit was followed
up with an Inaugural Event in April. The Space Challenge saw Year 7 and 8 Thomas Deacon Academy,
Northampton Academy and Oundle pupils challenge each other in designing and building a rocket.
Imperial College will use the new SciTec development as a STEM hub for local schools. The STEM
residency programme continued for a third year with the arrival of Dr Lisa Collins from Lincoln
University. Dr Collins, a reader at the School of Life Sciences, visited Oundle in February to discuss
ideas around food supply to various year groups. Dr Bessent also organised the 2016 Oundle Lecture,
which this year was given by Mr Edward Troup (B 72). The lecture titled Tax, War And Democracy: A
Perspective On The Current Politics Of Taxation took place in the Stahl Theatre.
It has been a significant year for Engineering. In June, the Design and Technology department moved
into the redeveloped and extended Patrick Engineering Centre. This new facility houses the most-up-todate equipment in terms of manufacturing, from high-end 5-axis CNC machines to the most advanced
3D printing and rapid prototyping systems in the world. The centre boasts three impressive design
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laboratories where a number of activities will take place from materials testing to high end computer
aided design strategies. There has also been a significant investment in providing new equipment to
continue with the more traditional techniques the department is renowned for amongst OOs. This
new bright and spacious centre of excellence puts Oundle at the forefront of Design, Engineering and
Technology education in the UK.
The development of SciTec has progressed well. The demolition of the old workshop and microelectronics buildings has made way for the extension to the Patrick Engineering Centre and the new
Maths department attached to the first phase of SciTec. Work is due for completion during the summer
holidays and the new facilities will be fully operational for the start of the next academic year. This
SciTec project completes the School’s vision to unite Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) in one location.
In February, we were granted Outline Planning Consent for the Sports MasterPlan. A feasibility study
has been carried out and Governors have given their approval to proceed. Full planning consent was
granted to build two additional AstroTurf pitches. Work commenced immediately, but was hampered
by inclement weather. The pitches will create the opportunity to take hockey off grass altogether, thus
freeing up the grass pitches for other sports. An additional cricket facility has been added adjacent to
the new cricket pavilion , with the construction of ten artificial bowling nets and ten natural turf nets.
Oundle cricket is now fully provisioned for the immediate future.
A major part of the Sports MasterPlan is the building of a new Sports Centre, with construction
commencing at the end of next year and completion in 2019. With a fifty metre swimming pool, an
eight-court hall, fitness suite, dance studios, changing rooms and hospitality suite, this exciting and
ambitious new building will provide excellent facilities for the pupils and create an opportunity to offer
public use too. Externally there will be new netball courts as well as car parking.
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Designs are currently being drawn up for additional new hard tennis courts on Pavilion Drive and for a
new athletic facility adjacent to the new astroturf pitches.
The Oundle Society has consolidated the arrangements by which it works in harmony with the
Old Oundelian Club, and provides a range of services and activities to all parts of the wider Oundle
community in the UK and across the world. A busy year has seen the team organise or support over
forty events in ten countries across three continents, as they have sought to facilitate connections, raise
the School’s profile and acquire the necessary funds for the completion of the SciTec project. They will
be continuing their efforts into the summer, focusing especially on promoting Bursaries. The School’s
ability to widen access depends in large part upon the generosity of hundreds of donors whose
munificence is the bedrock of Oundle’s charitable foundation.
This year’s Old Oundelian (OO) activities have built on the successes of the previous year and three
networking events in the Drinks and Links series have been held for those in Engineering, Media and
PR and Insurance sectors. These were all well attended and have supported OOs by introducing them
to others within their industries.
Several regional dinners have been held, including events in Birmingham, Taunton, South Wales and
West Sussex. The London Dinner, attended by over 180 OOs of all ages, was held at the Hurlingham
Club. OOs overseas have also been active and have attended events organised by the School in Hong
Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Dubai.
Sport continues to play an important part in the OO calendar and this year the Multisports Weekend
trophy changed hands, with the OOs winning the majority of matches played against School teams
over the weekend of 5th and 6th March.
In October, the first Open Archive morning was held very successfully in the Great Hall with a wide
range of visitors coming to see the historic film, audio, photographs, books and documents on display.
The Archive leaflet and website continue to receive positive feedback, and now a wonderful audio tour
of the Chapel Windows and a recording of the School song, Carmen Undeliense are available online.
Over 200 pupils, staff, OOs and members of the public have requested information, and social media
has also been used to increase awareness of the School’s rich history. The Archive has continued to
support many local and national World War 1 commemorations as well as the OO reunions, the OO
magazine and several authors. The Archive has had a busy year, continuing to catalogue and digitise
the many new acquisitions that have been gratefully received from OOs and other sources.
This year the fiber optic infrastructure for the School has been upgraded as we move towards a faster
network backbone. A new server room built as part of the SciTec project is due to come into service
over the summer. Server upgrades have continued as we ensure the School’s systems meet security
requirements. The new media system (Planet eStream) installed last summer has been well adopted
and has grown significantly in use. Pupils in two boarding houses have been part of a trial that allows
them to use their own equipment to connect to the wired infrastructure. This has proved popular,
particularly where the wireless signal is weak, and we anticipate the facility will be rolled out across
other boarding houses over the coming year.
Interest from prospective parents remains high, with pupils coming from 120 different prep schools
throughout the UK as well as from schools in twenty-four different countries.This academic year the
Admissions Office has organised 455 individual visits, and 215 families attended the three Open Days.
The School has continued to be regularly featured and profiled in sector magazines such as School
House, Independent School Parent, Independent Schools Magazine, Independent School Sport, Conference &
Common Room and Attain as well as articles in local publications and interviews on local radio.
My arrival as new Head generated considerable interest from the media, and I have given a number
of interviews to journalists. A visit from England Ashes-winning Cricket Captain Alastair Cook to
Oundle’s new Cricket Pavilion for the NatWest U13 Cricket Championship Finals was attended by
radio and TV. Mr G Phillips opened Oundle’s admission doors in an article Confessions of a Registrar
featured in School House magazine in the summer. Head of German, Miss E Wagstaffe has given
regular interviews on Radio 5 Live and Head of Modern Languages and Interim Director of Studies
Ms S Davidson, has been blogging for the Independent Schools Council and The Guardian. The School
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received a visit from County Life and Tatler magazines in advance of the publication of their educational
supplements.
Sector magazines are showing a keen interest in Oundle’s new SciTec facilities, and the anticipated
arrival of Mr D Grewcock as Director of Sport for September is already attracting interest from the
media as the Sports MasterPlan moves to the next stage of development.
The Marketing Department welcomed Mrs NM Valentino this year as Interim Director of Marketing
and External Relations, whilst Miss RJ Vicary has been on maternity leave. The department has been
busy, producing impressive publications conveying what has happened over the year and what events
are coming up in the near future. The success of last year’s first edition of The Review secured the
publication’s return this year. The Review presents the School’s prior year performance from strategy to
operational performance in an engaging and attractive way.
During the year the School undertook market research led by Mungo Dunnett Associates. We are
thankful to all parents, past and present, and prep school heads who gave time to voice their opinion
on a variety of areas. The outcome of the research will provide valuable insight to support the School’s
onward development.
The relationship between Oundle School and Laxton Junior School (LJS) continues to develop and
strengthen, and this year has seen some significant changes in the way in which the two schools work
together for the benefit of all pupils across the four to eighteen age range. From a sporting perspective,
every child at the Junior School from Reception through to Year 6 went swimming every week, and
this year, for the first time, we have been able to ensure that all children from Years 2 to 6 have played
hockey on AstroTurf. In addition to this, the U11A team played some of their home fixtures at Pavilion
Drive, and the School sports Staff’s support for LJS has been invaluable. This will, of course, continue to
develop with Mr Grewcock’s arrival as Director of Sport in September.
Children in Reception, Year Four and Year Six have had the opportunity to visit SciTec throughout
the course of the academic year to learn about reptiles, crime scene investigations and to experience
afternoon sessions in the three main sciences respectively.
Years Five and Six at Laxton Junior School were very privileged to be invited to the whole School
Concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall, and the highlight for the Junior School children was in joining
the First Form and the Chapel Choir in Adiemus by Karl Jenkins, a really sweeping and emotional piece.
In the second half, we joined in the Mass Singing of Keep the Home Fires Burning, in memory of John
Young Alexander Line, an Old Laxtonian killed in action on 13th March 1916, and Jerusalem.
Staff from Oundle School once again led a number of activities with our Year Five children to raise
awareness of the human impact on the world’s climate during Climate Week. Mrs M Turner led an
Assembly, and Year Six children were treated to a Skype conversation with Everton Fox, the weather
forecaster from the Al Jazeera network. The whole School was also very excited about the Virtual
Balloon Race, and even had two pupil winners: Will Gilbert (R) and Naomi Bould (Y1).
Several Oundle pupils visit Laxton Junior School regularly to support the children’s learning. On
Wednesday afternoons, and as part of their Community Action work, Mathavan Sreimevan (L) assists
with Games, Natasha Mason (L) supports teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage
and Alexander Hobill (Ldr) supports teaching and learning in Year One. Alongside the Community
Action pupils, Adithya Menon (L) leads the Latin After-School Club for children in Years Four to Six,
Samuel Herring (L) teaches one-to-one chess to younger children, Jake Barford (F) and Toby Smith (L)
assist with the smooth running of the Debating Club and Anneka Shah (L) and Winnie Liu (W) assist
with the running of the Mandarin After-School Club.
Mrs Gascoine, Head of Laxton House, visited Laxton Junior during the Parent Conferences and was
available to talk with Year Six parents about the First Form at Oundle School. Mrs James, Head of
Lower Years, lunched with all of the Year Six children and then spent some time with the thirty children
who will move into Oundle in September to discuss various aspects of their transition into their new
school.
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There are also Oundle pupils, most often ex-LJS children, who are given permission by their teachers
to assist in the smooth running of Laxton Junior’s Sports Day and Summer Fair. This is particularly
wonderful as the pupils often end up cheering for their old House and spending time with some of
the younger children that they used to look after. It further strengthens the terrific sense of community
between the two schools.
The leadership teams across the two schools are now working together more closely than ever before
and this will continue as we begin the new academic year in September. These are very exciting times
for The Corporation of Oundle School with the proposed development plans promising to deliver an
even higher standard of teaching and learning for all pupils in the coming months and years.
A Report such as this can never cover everything of note and interest in a lively community such as
ours. It gives more than a snapshot, however, of the range and ambition of what is achieved by and
with our pupils.
Sarah Kerr-Dineen
Head
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Oundle School
The Great Hall, New Street
Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4GH
Tel 01832 277122
[email protected]
www.oundleschool.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 309921
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