Trinity 2012 - Alleyn`s School

Transcription

Newsletter Trinity Term 2012
Alleyn’s School
Right: Isabel Evans,
Antonia Sawyer and
Amber Coulthard,
members of the U14
girls’ water polo
team training in
preparation for their
ESSA National Water
Polo tournament,
where they were
crowned as National
Champions (below).
IT’S
GOLD
FOR
ALLEYN’S
The Alleyn’s U14 girls’ water polo team have
been crowned national champions at the English
Schools’ Swimming Association Water Polo
Championships held at Oundle School.
After victories against Manchester High School for Girls
(current holders) and Bedford Modern School, the girls
rallied from 1-2 down in the second half of a fiercely
contested final against Bedford Modern to secure a
4-3 score at the final whistle to become champions.
The relentless rise of Alleyn’s water polo was
attested to by our being the only school in the country
to have teams in five out of six national finals for both
boys and girls (U14 girls – gold medallists; U18 girls –
bronze medallists; U16 girls – 4th; U14 boys – 5th;
U16 boys – 6th; along with the U18 boys being
National Plate Champions). Head coach, Neil Green,
(who is himself a former national team coach) said,
‘I am thrilled and very proud to see so many boys and
girls enjoying their water polo and for them to achieve
so highly is an added bonus’.
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Co-educational,
academic excellence
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7
This performance sets the seal on a brilliant sporting
year in terms of achievement and participation.
The success of the 1st XI footballers in reaching the
semi-finals of the ISFA cup broke new ground and
along with our basketball players’ perennial success
in the LISBA tournaments in every age group, Alleyn’s
is demonstrably the one co-educational school that
can beat the largest single-sex schools.
Participation rates in all sports remain aptly
impressive in this Olympic year – in 2011–12, three
out of four pupils took part in co-curricular sport, and in
over 1000 sports fixtures, 144 teams competed across
14 different sports. Our own Olympian, former-pupil
and former-governor, Lord Higgins, spoke this term
to the current Alleyn’s generation of sport-loving pupils
about his own athletics career, which began on the
School’s cinder track and also took him to the Olympic
Games of 1948 and 1952, including a Silver medal in
the 1950 Commonwealth Games.
See Archives on page 11 and Sport on page 12.
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12
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Charity
Events
Ickle Pickles
On Friday 11 May
the Lower School
Charity Committee
made a collage out
of coins in the Lower
School quad to raise
money for this term’s
charity, Ickle Pickles.
The event was a
great success and
we would like to
thank everyone who
contributed to it.
The Ickle Pickle
Partnership turns
gifts and donations
into specialised
equipment such
as incubators and
ventilators to help
care for the smallest
and sickest babies
in Neonatal Units.
Diamond Jubilee
Lunch with The Queen
Last March I received a phone call from The Clerk to the
Saddlers’ Company inviting me to a Diamond Jubilee lunch
with The Queen, given by the Livery Companies. And so it
was that, having been asked by the Lord Chamberlain to arrive
at Westminster Hall at an hour that in the school holidays
I normally associate with breakfast, I was clear of the airporttype security and standing at my table before The Queen had
even set out for her morning Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s.
When the time came for the royal party to arrive they
processed into the hall and, much to my surprise, peeled off
to sit at different tables. It seemed to me that not only was the
Duke of Edinburgh absent but so was the Duke of Cambridge.
So as we all sat down I remarked upon his apparent absence to
my fellow diners – a case of Where’s Willy, perhaps – only to be
told in an excited whisper by the woman on the opposite side
of the table that he was in fact present and sitting right behind
me. Lawks.
‘Why was I there?’, I hear you ask: a good question. I had
been invited because the Worshipful Company of Saddlers has
been supporting the School since 1972 and, as I had been the
link between the Company and the School for the last 10 years,
they felt that they could now, at long last, trust me to behave
well enough (and for long enough) to allow me to represent
Alleyn’s on a table of all the different charities supported by
the City Livery Companies. Even so, it was humbling to chat
to all my fellow diners – The Master of the Saddlers’ Company,
a representative of Riding for the Disabled, a practising saddle2
ALLEYN’S SCHOOL NEWSLETTER TRINITY TERM 2012
maker, the founder and director of a saddlery training centre
where apprentices can go to be trained, and a librarian from
a previously failing school in Islington who, thanks to the new
library for which The Saddlers had provided funds, was clearly
doing wonderful work with children who are far less fortunate
than ours at Alleyn’s,
The occasion was made even more memorable by the
presence of the National Children’s Orchestra (pictured below)
who played non-stop for almost the entire time. One of the
violinists in the NCO was Alleyn’s Music Scholar Penny Young
(9JS) and I was so proud of her.
I was honoured to represent the School on this wonderful
occasion. It was an unforgettable lunch which will provide me
with countless opportunities to bore fellow guests at dinner
parties until the day I die.
Stephen Smith, Headmaster of Lower School
and a member of the Modern Foreign Languages Department
here for the past ten years.
From the
Headmaster
As I write these words of introduction, the end of the
Trinity term hoves into view even more rapidly than usual,
a consequence of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and an
especially late Easter. I hope you will enjoy the details of a
fast, fun-packed term which the newsletter contains, and
share my pleasure and pride in the depth and variety of
an Alleyn’s education.
None of this would be possible without our excellent pupils
and the colleagues who guide and inspire them every day.
Some of the latter are sadly moving on at the end of this term,
to fresh challenges and new horizons. Miss Katharine Lynch
(Girls’ PE), Dr Vincent Piccio (Chemistry), Miss Rachel Barnes
(RS), moving over the road to JAGS, and Mr Roger Skidmore
(also Chemistry, and returning to help out after thirteen years
as a full-time member of staff) have all covered recently for
maternity and sabbatical leave, and move on with our thanks
and best wishes. Mrs Kirstin Guy (English) and Ms Vivienne
Penglase (Drama) both leave us after eight years, Mrs Guy
to full-time motherhood and Ms Penglase to a new role at
Channing School. Mr Chris Perez (Biology) is leaving after
almost six years to travel and to explore new opportunities,
while Miss Annabelle Marriott (Biology) is moving on to a life
outside London after two years here at Alleyn’s. Both Mr Scott
Milne (Economics) and Mr Nolan Price (Art) are moving on
to well-deserved promotions, as Head of Economics at Eltham
College and Head of Art at University College School
respectively. We wish all these excellent colleagues all the
very best for the future.
As many of you know, Mr David Morton, Assistant Head
(Head of Middle School) has been appointed Deputy Head at
the King Henry VIII School, Coventry, and leaves us after four
years of outstanding work in this very demanding position.
We wish David every success in this exciting and deserved
new role, and his family every happiness in their new life in the
Midlands. David’s successor on the Senior Management Team
will be Mrs Melanie Joel, current Deputy Head of Middle School
Once again, several long-serving colleagues are retiring this
year. They will leave a huge hole in the life and work of the
School as they depart with our thanks and best wishes. For
the past seven years, Ms Suzan Dury has been a hard-working
and effective Head of Psychology. Ms Chris Symes leaves us
after fifteen years, during which time she has been Head of
Computing and IT; Academic Assistant to the Deputy Head,
and most recently Director of ICT. Mr Neil Kinnear AOB has
made an enormous contribution to the Mathematics
Department over the past twenty-four years, and to the RAF
Section of the CCF. He has also been on hand at innumerable
School occasions to take expert photographs, and will be
greatly missed. So too, after an extraordinary thirty-nine years
of service, will be Mr Paul Sherlock, who has taught Boys’ PE
and Games, Geography, been a House Tutor and, for the past
nineteen years, Housemaster of Tulley’s. Alleyn’s through and
through, I am pleased to say that Mr Sherlock will return next
year to take some additional games sessions.
As ever, I am hugely grateful for all the help and support of
the teaching and support staff, parents and former pupils. None
of what we achieve would be possible without you. My especial
thanks to Mrs Robin Tottenham and to the ever-enthusiastic
and hard-working Alleyn’s Parents’ Association committee
which she Chairs; and to Mr Chris Heayberd, this year’s
President of the Edward Alleyn Club whose Executive Officers
work tirelessly on behalf of the alumni and their School.
May I take this opportunity to remind you all that we are
celebrating the School’s Victorian heritage on Friday 12 October
with an inter-disciplinary day of lessons for the pupils, and an
evening of entertainment, Townley’s Transformation, for parents,
alumni and friends. Tickets are £10, and are available via the
MCT box office. I hope to see you there!
Natalie and I have enjoyed our second year in Dulwich and
at Alleyn’s just as much as the first, and that is due in no small
part to the warmth and encouragement which so many of
you have provided. I hope that you all have an enjoyable and
enriching summer, and I look forward to seeing many of you
back at School for the new academic year in September.
Headmaster’s Book for outstanding achievement
Albert Harrison
Alice Rea
Alice Russell
Anna Bullard
Anna Dighero
Annabel Bainbridge
Ben Chandler
Ben Griffiths
Ben Kirwan
Christopher Dunn
Claire Potter
Clara Mallon
Daisy Bourne
Ella West
Fergus Neve
Freya Lister
Harold Bright
Harvey Dennis
Hazel Acheson
Imogen Davies
India Kakkar
Issy Wood
Jamie Savage
Joe Hurman
Josephine SolowiejWedderburn
Kate Wilson
Kieran Lewis
Lara Tritton
Laura Carlsson Metcalf
Laura Channing
Lohita Allen-Aigbodion
Louis Gawin
Lucinda Newton
Magda Feddersen
Mimi Fletcher-Curran
Molly Hunt
Niamh Carr
Oliver Scott
Romy Leonard-Parsons
Saskia Hewitt
Scarlett Pylkkanen
Tom Geekie
Tristan Holmes-Anckle
Zoë Macleod
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the exquisite St Basil’s Cathedral
and on to see the tombs of Ivan
the Terrible, Boris Yeltsin, Raisa
Gorbachev and Anton Chekhov.
Then we travelled on the ethereal
Moscow metro, with its stations
of marble and chandeliers.
On the third day, we boarded
the overnight sleeper and
travelled north to St Petersburg,
which was even colder, but simply
magical. Braving the beetroot
breakfast, we toured the city,
seeing the warship ‘Aurora’,
which fired the first shot in the
Revolution and visited the tombs
of Tsar Nicholas II and his
murdered family. Next was the
wonderful Hermitage Museum:
surely one of the world’s most
beautiful museums. Then we went
to Prince Yusupov’s house where
the notorious Rasputin was
mysteriously murdered. Finally,
there was time for some lastminute shopping in the local
market before reluctantly heading
back to the UK.
We flew home exhausted, but
exhilarated – it was a wonderful trip!
School Trips
Religious Studies
Trip to Russia
Trips don’t get much more
exciting than a visit to Moscow
and St Petersburg and our intrepid
band set off from Heathrow on a
chilly April morning, bound for
Russia. But nothing could have
prepared us for the cold…
Our first stop was Moscow
and a tour of the sites – we
walked through the very impressive
Red Square and on to Lenin’s
tomb. We were so lucky that it
was open and we walked gingerly
through the dark labyrinth to see
Lenin himself, lying there. It was
a strange experience.
But it was so cold! We sought
some warmth in a Moscow
shopping precinct and had an
interesting Russian lunch of salad,
cold meats and beetroot, which
seemed to crop up in every
Russian meal.
From there we went on to visit
China
Rome
Having arrived in Rome, and
after stowing our luggage in
the hotel’s ‘vaults’, we went
on a walking tour of the
beautiful monuments of Rome,
including the Pantheon, the Trevi
Fountain and the Spanish Steps.
We experienced our first taste
of Italian gelato; the task of
choosing flavours proved
arduous for some. The next day,
we wandered the cobbled
streets of Rome to the Palatine
Hill, the Colosseum, and the
Palazzo Massimo, a museum
with a treasure trove of mosaics,
sculptures, coins and frescoes.
The following day, we made our
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way to the excavated ruins
of Herculaneum and Pompeii,
with labyrinthine, winding
paths and dusty avenues.
The climb up Vesuvius was
a struggle, but well worth it
since the view at the top
was simply awe-inspiring.
At Paestum, the three
Graeco-Roman temples we
visited were amazingly well
preserved. The last few
nights of the trip we stayed
in Sorrento, where the trip
ended, as per tradition, with
a toga party and quiz, which
revolved around everything we
had learnt on the trip. The trip
was a triumph! Alfie Fabian,
13KA and Karen Vezie, 13DH
In April this year, 14 Alleyn’s
Economics students journeyed to
China. The trip took us to Beijing,
the capital, first. We got off the
plane at 9.00 am local time and
began our first visit straight away,
going to a milk factory owned
by the largest supplier of milk in
China, a state-owned business,
where there were a number of
motivational messages on the
walls. This was an interesting
contrast to visiting a Volkswagen
factory in Shanghai three days
later, where the factory was a
clean white in the visiting areas.
We also visited popular tourist
destinations such as the Great
Wall (as Chairman Mao said ‘Only
true men have climbed the Great
Wall’), Tiananmen Square, the
Pearl Tower and the emperors’
Forbidden and Summer Palaces.
In many of these destinations it
seemed we were as exciting to
some of the locals as the
attractions themselves. In the
Forbidden City particularly, one
of our group was asked to hold a
baby for a picture! We also heard
a lecture on China’s future
prospects on the world stage in
the coming years, from a professor
of the Shanghai University. The
trip was an incredible experience
and the whole group enjoyed
themselves greatly. Will Durgan,
12SD
Buxton 2012
Buxton was amazing, fun and all
about facing your fears. The best
part of Alleyn’s. Billy Sawyer 7JS
Buxton was a great social
experience. My favourite part was
Alton Towers. Jack Wilkins 7JS
Buxton was a lot of fun, and meant
a lot to me because everyone was
friendly and there was always
something to do, whether it was an
activity or being with my friends.
Alton Towers was the best bit as
there were loads of scary and wet
rides. Isabella Washbourne 7JS
Buxton was amazing, fun and
awesome! Everything we did was
brilliant: Alton Towers, caving,
climbing, archery and lots more.
Arthur Seymour 7JS
Buxton made me get more
friends than I could think of!
I loved everything but Alton Towers
allowed me to understand that
I can withstand more than my mind
thinks. Daniel Monakhov 7BA
My favourite part of Buxton was
Ariel Extreme because I will always
remember the feeling when I looked
down when I was really high up and
realised that I was not afraid of the
height I was at. Also, when I was
struggling a bit on the logs, Mr
Smith said to me ‘keep going Olivia,
remember you could be at JAGS
right now’. That made me laugh!
Olivia Houlihan 7BA
In Buxton there is something for
everyone, whether you are an
adrenaline junkie or just someone
who likes the outdoors. These were
the most fun few days of my life
and I wish I could do it again.
Matthias Barker 7BA
Buxton was an extraordinary trip.
It showed me what Alleyn’s is all
about: fun, friendship, hard work
and commitment. I enjoyed it so
much and I hoped I could go again.
Tomi Ojo 7BA
When I looked at the rock I
thought that I would never be
able to do it, but when I reached
the top I realised that I did it.
That was the best moment for me.
Hannah Shattock 7BA
It was an energetic, full-of-fun
adventure. Climbing in the trees and
caving in the dark, abseiling down
the sheer drops was an exhilarating
experience. Claudia Grace 7JS
Music Notes
Right Royal Musicians
While many of us watched
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
events with great interest, three
pupils were considerably closer
to the action. Chris Dunn
and Jacob Rowe both had
the honour of performing on the
Mayor’s Barge during the River
Thames Pageant playing
specially-commissioned music,
and Penny Young played with
the National Children’s Orchestra
entertaining Her Majesty during
lunch in Westminster Hall, after
which they received a standing
ovation (see picture on page 2).
Cast of hundreds perform
to capacity audiences
Around 260 pupils (over a
quarter of the School) took part
in the two concerts in the first
half of term. Both concerts
displayed the usual balance
of detailed musicianship and
exuberant enthusiasm that we
have come to expect of our
musicians.
The concert programme
at St John’s, Smith Square
(pictured right) had the regular,
wonderful ingredients all mixed
and cooked to usual perfection.
Symphony and Chamber
Orchestras, Chamber Choir and
Jazz Band again pulled great
performances out of the bag,
providing many moments of
real quality as well as energy.
Special mention should go to
Ethan Meade (cello), Laura
Channing (violin) and Lucy
Newton (oboe) for their
wonderful solo concerto
performances, and to Chris
Dunn for conducting Symphony
Orchestra with such skill in three
movements of Tchaikovsky’s
ballet Swan Lake. Jazz Band’s
repertoire provided the
opportunity for three singers
(Hannah Meldrum, Rebecca
Duncan and Ruth Eliot) to
Left, top to bottom: Young musicians
aboard the Mayor’s Barge; Sinfonietta
at the Lower and Middle School
Concert; the Barbershop Singers and
Saximus Maximus at ‘A Lot of Hot Air’
and Jacob Rowe at an Alexandra
Dariescu Masterclass.
convey the raunchiness of a
medley of songs from Chicago
and then Archie HendersonCleland wowed us with a
scintillating saxophone solo.
The Lower and Middle School
Concert in the Michael Croft
Theatre again displayed the
depth of talent emerging from
the younger ranks. No one in the
audience could be disappointed
with the range of music on offer
– a very Grand March from
Aida and an energetic William
Tell Overture from Sinfonietta, a
crisp pair of pieces from Clarinet
Ensemble, sumptuous singing
from Chorale, a mesmerising
medley of music from Shrek 2
by Concert Band and more
toe-tapping jazz from Swing
Doctors. Wow!
‘A Lot of Hot Air’
Mr Bennett again coordinated
(and hosted with characteristically
gentle wit and flair) the directors
and players of the growing
number of small chamber
groups for woodwind and brass
instruments (ranging from
beginner to advanced). In a
Jools Holand-style staging, five
performing ‘platforms’ were
created, utilising all three floors
of the EAB Atrium. As ever, the
evening had an air of informality
as the audience stood and moved
around, with drinks in hand.
There was great consistency in
the level of performance with
some very impressive intonation
and ensemble.
Alleyn’s International
Concert Series –
Alexandra Dariescu
On Wednesday 20th June,
Seamus Conlon, Oscar Chen,
Mimi Dew, Lizia Tow and myself
were each treated to a half-hour
masterclass with pianist
Alexandra Dariescu in the
Michael Croft Theatre. After
listening to everyone play, she
offered us helpful advice from
her wide experience of repertoire
and performance. In particular,
she asked us all to think about
the mood and character of each
melodic line, and to consider
what the composer might have
been thinking at each point in
the music.
The evening got off to a flying
start with Schumann’s Abegg
Variations – lively and virtuosic,
allowing Dariescu’s flair to
shine through. Her grand sound
(of which we were all secretly
envious) was emotive, vibrant
and extremely polished at all
times. Unusually, she introduced
all the pieces herself, explaining
a little about each one and why
she liked them. Dariescu said
that she had fallen in love with
the Scarlatti’s F minor sonata
after having heard it on YouTube.
She certainly showed this,
exposing a wonderfully delicate
side to her playing. After that,
she played an early Beethoven
sonata, excellently demonstrating
what she had said earlier about
characterising the music and
crafting the melodies into
conversations. The highlight of
the evening for me was Debussy’s
Estampes, in which each
movement inhabited a different
sound world, using a wide
variety of techniques and effects.
The second half of the
concert consisted of the
complete Chopin preludes.
Dariescu pulled off this feat with
perfection, giving each prelude
its own personality – from the
slow, sorrowful ones depicting
death and desperation, to the
fast flights of semiquavers
evoking the fluttering of a
night moth and a dragonfly.
Throughout the cycle, Dariescu
commanded the audience’s
attention, right up until the
last note.
Overall, everyone had a
great day, coming away feeling
inspired and encouraged to go
home and practise like crazy.
Jacob Rowe, 11RJ
Sprinting to the end
of term….
As a rousing musical finale to
the year, in the last two weeks
of term we had: a Pupils’ Recital;
Jazz Band and Three-and-a-Half
Men (one of the Barbershop
groups) performing at the Going
for Gold event held in conjunction
with the Dulwich Picture Gallery
and the Herne Hill Velodrome;
choirs sang at the Chapel
Services; ensembles playing at
Founder’s Day; the Year 9 pupils
completing their KS3 musical
curriculum with the vibrant Year
9 Music Festival; and there was
the Leavers’ Concert in the
Michael Croft Theatre, at which
we said a fond goodbye to the
Year 13 musician leavers.
Calling All Singers
The programme for next year’s
Choral Concert, in February
2013, will include excerpts
of Handel’s famous and
exhilarating oratorio, Messiah.
We are keen to create a large
Alleyn’s community choir,
which will combine the staff
and pupils in Choral Society
and parents in Parents’ Choir.
The Music Department warmly
invites all parents, pupils and
staff to come and be part of
this wonderful event. Parents’
Choir will rehearse on a
number of Thursday evenings
from mid-September to
early February. Come and
give it a go, whether you
count yourself as a strong
or hesitant singer. Further
details will be on the School
website at the beginning of
next term.
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Drama
Treasure Island
This term the Lower School
presented Treasure Island to
packed audiences in The Michael
Croft Theatre. In a wild and
riotous evening, the audience
were bombarded by a wildly
physical, lively and loud
adaptation by Phil Willmott of
Stevenson’s classic novel.
The performance was launched
by a crowd of pirates roaring on
to the stage, bellowing ‘Fifteen
men on a dead man’s chest’ and
the pace barely relented. This
was a far from reverential take
and the tone was set by the
wonderful Lower School musical
ensemble led by Cameron
Jacobs and Albert WaymanScarlett of Year 10 with original
music composed by Cameron.
Highlights of the evening
included a mass fight scene
between the pirates as the band
played Song 2 by Blur and a
bizarre dream sequence in
which Ed Lyness’ delightfully
bonkers Ben Gunn fantasised
about cheese. Ukeladies
Georgia Bowen and Lydia
Calman-Grimsdale created a
wonderful medley of classic
cheese songs such as Rolling
in the Cheese, All You Need
is Cheese and of course I Will
Always Love Cheese. In an
evening packed with lively
performances, James Gillie’s
Long John Silver cut a suitably
alarming villainous figure as
he hobbled on one leg and a
crutch on to stage. He was ably
matched by James Crick’s Jim
Hawkins, mixing wide-eyed
innocence with a sense of
mischief. But with 46 wild and
rumbustious pirates, one parrot
puppet, a bunch of skeletons
and a towering ghost of Captain
Flint on stage, by the time the
audience were bombarded with
chocolate gold coins at the end
of the show it took a while to
work out what had just
happened. As ever, the on-stage
action was richly complemented
by an outstanding backstage
crew, who transformed the
pristine theatre into the good
ship Hispaniola and turned a
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group of well-turned out mildmannered and well-behaved
Lower School pupils into a mob
of scruffy, wild buccaneers and
brigands.
Year 11 GCSE Drama
Dahling You Were
Marvellous by Steven
Berkoff and Blood
Wedding by Federico
Garcia Lorca
While the theatre was being
over-run by corsairs, the Old
Gym was witness to the final
performances of the Year 11
Drama cohort. Miss Baxter’s
group presented Berkoff’s wittily
acerbic attack on the vanities
and vagaries of the theatre
community in a characteristically
physical and funny show
showcasing the impressive
talents and inspirations of the
group. In the second half,
Mr Piper’s crew presented
Lorca’s tragic Blood Wedding
in a weird and wonderful reading
of the play, influenced by
Kneehigh Theatre complete
with guitars, songs and weird
grave creature death minions.
All standard behaviour in the
world of GCSE Drama.
Bear Pit Edinburgh –
The Mermaid of Zennor
From the depths of the ocean to
the ragged peaks of the Zennor
cliffs, the mermaid seeks the
boy who sings. Devised around
the classic Cornish myth, this is
a show about love, desire and
sacrifice, told with laughter,
Top: Treasure Island.
Above: Blood Wedding.
Above Left: Dahling, You Were
Marvellous.
music, heart and simplicity by
a company of sea-loving landdwellers. This summer Alleyn’s
School’s Bear Pit theatre
company will once again be
heading to the Edinburgh
Fringe Festival. We’re taking
our original adaptation of the
Cornish myth, The Mermaid of
Zennor and will be performing
in the venue C Too from 20th
to 27th August, so if you’re
north of the border this summer
come along and see Alleyn’s
on tour – tickets are available
via the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe box office.
Enrichment
Colin Freeman
Nobody knew what to expect at
the beginning of Colin Freeman's
speech about being kidnapped in
Somalia, but everyone left his talk
truly inspired by the stories he told
such as being held in the middle
of a shoot-off between rival
groups. He managed to tell these
stories in an amusing way and
to hold everyone‘s attention
throughout. The story of his
captivity was shocking. Not only
did he speak of his time as a
hostage but he also talked of his
career in journalism. His talk was
a great way of opening our eyes
to the deep-rooted problems in
places such as Somalia and
Afghanistan.
India Kakkar, 12AL
Anita Lasker Wallfisch
It is incredibly difficult to summarise
the life of Anita Wallfisch in 150
words and not feel you have done
Beyond the
Classroom
Lunch club scratchers
The computer room is crowded
and noisy at lunch time, packed
with excited pupils from 11 to 18
working together, solving
particularly difficult problems,
drawing upon a variety of skills
including mathematics, physics,
art and computing to create a range
of interactive programs. At first
glance there appears to be chaos,
this is unstructured pupil-driven
learning at its best.
The pupils are working on
creating gravity simulators,
interactive stories and games
in Scratch: a freely available
education tool created by the
MIT Media Lab team. Scratch is
referred to as ‘low floor, high
ceiling’ meaning it is frequently
taught in primary schools and it
is even used for first year computer
science students at Harvard.
The instructions can be simple
or complex. Though pupils are
certainly learning complex
programming and maths skills the
aim is to develop basic problem-
her an incredible injustice. Born the
daughter of a distinguished violinist
and growing up with a passion for
music, Mrs Wallfisch is a survivor of
both Auschwitz and Belsen. She,
in part, survived through a quirk of
fate – she played the cello, and the
camp orchestra was short on
cellists.
Mrs Wallfisch eventually settled
in Britain, her son attending
Alleyn’s. She remains passionate
about the Jewish cultural identity,
and her belief that she outlasted
her ordeal because of a personal
instinct to survive. However, her
overwhelming legacy to those of
us who met her is her belief in the
individual – the need to stand up,
be counted, be a voice.
Jack Myers, 12AM
Oli Broom
Year 12 had the pleasure of
listening to a talk from Oli Broom
about his experiences on a bike,
as part of Enrichment. Oli recalled
how, over 14 months starting in
October 2009, he managed to
solving skills that will have many
practical applications, not just in
the area of computing.
An exciting addition to the
Scratch environment has been
the introduction of Kinect, a
motion-sensing device developed
for Microsoft’s X Box. The Kinect
enables the pupils to track their
skeleton and program Scratch to
respond to body movements. The
Kinect also has voice recognition,
therefore one might say that our
computers now have eyes and ears
that can monitor our instructions
and movements and respond
according to pre-set programs.
Other activities include
programming Robots to roam
around the room, interact with
the environment and solve mazes.
With the recent release of the
Raspberry Pi, a £25 computer
the size of a credit card, we look
forward to working with these
devices as soon as they arrive.
Everybody jam! Reading
group rocks the Library
This term a dedicated team of
pupils from Years 7 to 9 have
been meeting to enjoy smoothies,
brioche and the finest fiction in the
land – the Carnegie Medal shortlist.
cycle from London to Brisbane in
order to watch The Ashes cricket
series, leaving behind his settled
life in the City and his family.
He cycled 15,500 miles during
which he visited 23 countries and
managed to raise over £30,000.
It was refreshing to hear from
someone who had taken a different
path in life and clearly had no
regrets about it. Similarly, it was
fascinating to hear how he had
not gone back to the City but was
working on his latest project,
constructing a new cricket stadium
in Rwanda, and relishing it.
Sam Redmayne, 12AL
Shaun Attwood
One of the first things I saw as
I walked into this week’s instalment
of Year 12 Enrichment was the
soul-penetrating stare of a thickset
gentleman apparently named
‘T-Bone’. He advised me that
I should ‘Take care out there’,
advice that I heeded lest he might
somehow force his way out of
Shaun Attwood’s business card
We have been testing the quote
‘the Mind is a place of Wonder!’
travelling to 1941 Siberia, the
Outback and Manila rubbish
dumps, exploring ‘glibbertysnarks’,
cow-surfing, secret codes and
‘everybody jam’ along the way.
The shortlist included novels
with amazing illustrations and
quirky fonts. Hard-hitting topics
like war, poverty, bereavement,
racism and gulags meant we were
glad for some whimsy too.
Monsters and talking animals,
black humour, satire on SATs
exams, unexpected plot twists
and some sappy reconciliations
kept things fun and varied.
Pomona
The Alleyn’s Young Enterprise
team, Pomona, has been Alleyn’s
most successful, winning two
rounds to compete in the
YE London Finals. We began the
year pursuing a concentrated fruit
juice product, and by early Lent
term decided instead to develop
an ‘app’-based product, designed
to hold school resources for pupils,
called ASAPP (Alleyn’s School App).
We had half the time of other
teams to perform market research,
develop the app, advertise our
and demand my undivided
attention more forcefully.
As Shaun explained in his
engaging account of his life,
business can corrupt. Shaun told
us of the horrors he experienced
when, after falling victim to
financial-success-induced
arrogance, he was convicted in
Arizona of a drug charge and was
thrown into the US prison system.
Tales of intolerable conditions,
gang warfare and corruption had
us all gasping. Equally moving was
his mention of those who fought
to preserve some goodness.
Sam Browett, 12JC
successes in the South London
Press and initiate talks with other
schools for product expansion
which just goes to show what
a dynamic, enthusiastic and
determined team we became.
Unfortunately, we did not gain
a place in the National Finals.
However, we are thrilled with the
progress we made in this year’s
competition. Jack Myers 12AM
Modern Languages
Concert 2012
Singing live on stage in front of
an audience is always a daunting
task, but singing in a foreign
language makes this challenge
even more thrilling. Luckily, Alleyn’s
pupils are not fazed by this, and
put their musical and linguistic
talent on show again in this year’s
Modern Languages Concert. We
were treated to a performance by,
amongst others, the magnificent
German Babes, the ridiculously
talented Ukeladies (this time singing
in Spanish) and Archie HendersonCleland who not only performed
The Girl from Ipanema in
Portuguese, but also worked
tirelessly as musical director for
the concert.
continued on page 11
9
Speech Day and Founder’s Day 2012
Art
The Moderator from the Exam
Board was impressed by the
quality of work produced by this
year’s crop of pupils, saying that
it was ambitious and skilful.
Appreciation of the works on
display at the Summer Show was
also evident among pupils and
parents as they showed each
other around.
The work was even more varied
this year, with more 3D and digital
10
art being produced. We also set
up an Art cinema to show
students’ films.
The Summer show exhibited
examples of 65 pupils' Art work
from Year 11 to Year 13 and once
again it was clear that there is no
‘House style’ which can sometimes
be seen in schools. We endeavour
to open pupils to many ways of
making Art so that they can
choose how best to communicate
their ideas and respond to their
coursework and exam themes.
Sketchbooks this year displayed
a huge variety of work and ideas,
and we hope everyone has
enjoyed the fruit of all the pupils’
hard work during the academic
year.
Design Technology
A wide variety of products from
Graphics and Resistant Materials
GCSE and the Product Design
A Level were on display in the
Summer Show. Products ranged
from new band promotions and
CD packaging to portable BBQs,
space-saving storage and ‘TABE’
a rucksack that turns into a
picnic table!
Beyond the Classroom
continued
pupils are rising stars in Debating
Society and thoroughly deserve
our hearty congratulations.
Debating Finalists
On Saturday 5th May, Tara Kakkar,
Matthew Hankin, Rosa Thomas
and Anna Myrmus were finalists in
the International Competition for
Young Debaters. The tab featured
teams from Canada, Greece and
the Republic of Ireland, alongside
the very best teams from the UK.
There were no prepared motions –
all were ‘short prep’ – and included
such controversial topics as ‘This
House would punish the parents of
children who bully’, ‘This House
would prohibit the payment of
ransom’, and ‘This House would
make voting compulsory for 18 to
25 year-olds’. Tara and Matthew
were placed 21st in a competition
which involved hundreds of teams
across a range of countries, and
Tara collected 307 speaker points,
placing her 34th in this international
competition. Rosa and Anna came
first in the regional round and,
as one of the younger teams in
the competition, also performed
brilliantly with 305 and 298 speaker
points respectively. These four
History Society
Professor Steinberg arrived on
20th June to a packed lecture
theatre filed with students from
both Alleyn’s and JAGS, as well
as many teachers. After an
informal lunch, Professor
Steinberg delivered a lecture that
spanned a range of historical
questions, from his fascination
with the dark and charismatic
Bismarck to the fine line between
biography and history. The
History Society talk provided
a brilliant opportunity for all
students to examine the issue
of both defining one’s work as
a historian and ensuring its
accuracy as history continues to
be re-evaluated against changing
social and political standards,
and in light of fresh evidence.
Delivered with the incredible
wealth of literary and historical
comparisons that Professor
Steinberg drew upon, this was
an intellectually engaging and
thought-provoking lecture.
Bike Factory, The Design Museum
and recently to the Great British
Designs 1948–2012 exhibition at
the V&A. As always, we would
like to thank the pupils for their
consistently positive ‘can do’
attitude, for their unstoppable
creativity and commitment and
for their stunning projects. It has
been another vintage year!
Media Studies
It has been a great year in DT
with pupils producing some of their
most innovative and high-quality
work yet, outstripping even last
year. Apart from the hard work in
the studios and workshops we
have been lucky enough to be able
to organise some excellent trips to
the Morgan and Jaguar Car
Factories, Curtis Graphic Design
and Packaging, The Brompton
Archives
Year 12 and 13 Media students
exhibited their film openings, film
trailers, posters and magazine
designs. A wealth of research,
alongside creativity and intellectual
engagement, was evident
throughout the exhibition. A row
of Macs showcased the top-grade
work and were a popular feature
of the Show. Parents and guests
remarked on the high standard
of the films. Congratulations are
due to all the students on their
achievements and to the
department for their delivery of
a stimulating and wide-ranging
course which inspires pupils to
produce such excellent work.
‘The enduring legacy of the
Modern Olympic Games is
the encouragement of today’s
youth in the participation and
enjoyment of sporting events.’
Terence Langley Higgins, Baron Higgins KBE DL PC (b.18 January 1928)
was a pupil at the School and a member of Dutton’s House from 1942 to
1946. As a successful school athlete – Captain of School Athletics in
1946 – he went on to enjoy further athletic success over the following
two years during National Service with the RAF. He was soon elevated to
the national athletics team – culminating in his membership of the 1948
London Olympic Games team and the 1952 team in Helsinki. He was a
4 x 440 yards Silver Medal winner in the 1950 British Empire (now the
Commonwealth) Games, held in Auckland, New Zealand.
Neil French, the School’s Honorary Archivist spoke to Lord Higgins
after his recent talk at the School. He began by asking him about his
time there in the 1940s. He was suprised to learn that there was
little hardship to be endured as a budding athlete in those early days.
Training – such as it was – was carried out in the evenings and was
its own ‘entertainment’. ‘Kit was little different from standard clothing,
and was, in any event, still rationed following World War II. Spikes
were obtained while evacuated at Rossall School from their stock of
old and discarded ones!’
Asked about his success on the track, there was no doubt that
he thought it was a great achievement to win the 440 yards at the
RAF Athletic Championships in 1948, but he added that beating the
Jamaican 400m world record holder Herb McKenley over that
distance the same year was perhaps his greatest success!
The strongest opponent and rival that he ever faced was
another Jamaican and world record holder Arthur Wint. He was also
his greatest friend and went on to become the Jamaican High
Commissioner in London. Another good friend was Harold Abrahams,
100m Gold Medal winner at the 1924 Paris Games. It was Abrahams
who, as an accomplished BBC commentator, did much to promote
and stimulate the public, and a young Terry’s, interest in athletics.
Lord Higgins concluded that the lasting benefit from his involvement
in athletics was the joy and experience of meeting those people with
whom he competed – and from his lifelong adherence to the motto
of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the architect of the Modern Olympics,
that in life ‘it is not the winning, but the taking part’.
Lord Higgins with the Headmaster,
(top), beating the 400m world record
holder Herb McKenley (above) and
sprinting in 1948 (right).
11
Sport
Athletics
• After a term with very few
fixtures played due to the
extremely wet summer it is good
to report that the sport least
affected by the rain and wind was
athletics.
• We are delighted to congratulate
Freya Cooper upon her selection
for the London team at the English
Schools’ Athletics Association
(ESAA) in the Senior Girls’ Pole
Vault, having qualified with a
height of 2.85m. We wish her the
best of luck as she makes her
way to Newcastle on the last day
of term to compete in the famous
Gateshead stadium. Freya is also
one of the Olympic Torch carriers.
• Six boys have been selected
to represent Southwark at the
London Championships: Toby
Femi-Ola (Year 8 High Jump),
Chinedu Nwokoye-Ameke (Year 7
200m), Sam Wattles (Year 8 800m),
James Gillie (Year 8 1500m),
Kaspar Senft (Year 8 Shot Putt),
Louis Mugerwa (Year 9 Javelin).
• Sam Wattles has also enjoyed
success with Pentathlon GB and
was recently ranked 2nd out of
260 competitors from six countries:
a fantastic achievement.
• Congratulations to the following
pupils who have set new School
records in the following events.
They were part of a Southwark
team that set seven out of
eight new Championship Best
Performances (CBP) on the
day of the London Junior
Championships at Mile End:
Saskia Millard U12 Girls’ 1500m
with a time of 4:55.4. Saskia also
set a new London Schools’
Year 7 CBP at the Junior LSAA
Championships with this time
before breaking her own new
record the following day in the
Regional Track and Field Cup
12
competition with a time of 4:54.8.
Sam Wattles U13 Boys’ 800m
with a time of 2:07.2. Sam also
set a new London Schools’ Year
8 CBP at the Junior LSAA
Championships.
Lohita Allen-Aigbodion U12
Girls’ 70m Hurdles with a time of
11.8 seconds. In the Track and
Field Cup competition Lohita was
also our highest scorer with a
total of 42 points across her two
events.
Elena Rodham Cooke U15
Girls’ High Jump: she also set a
new School record with 1.56m.
• Junior and Intermediate
teams both qualified for Regional
Finals in the Track and Field Cup
competition although on the day
both teams were missing crucial
members due to exams and
Buxton visits.
Basketball
• The U19 team also reached
the London Independent Schools’
Basketball Association (LISBA)
Cup Final and defeated City of
London School by 65 points to
63, in a highly-competitive
encounter.
• The U19 team finished the
season with a record of 16
matches played, 14 won 14, and
only 2 losses. They were led by
a most inspirational captain in
Caleb Azumah-Nelson.
Top: Sam Wattles
(black vest)
Left: U19 London
Independent
Schools Basketball
Cup Winners.
Below: 1st XI
Captain Adam
Senn bowling in
the win against
Emanuel.
Biathlon
• Alleyn’s entered an U13 team
in the National Biathlon
Championships for the first time.
Sam Wattles, James Gillie and
Harvey Dennis qualified through
two rounds of the competition
and reached the National Final at
Crystal Palace. The team finished
2nd which is a tremendous
achievement
• Individually Sam finished
5th and James 6th, again a
tremendous result.
Cricket
• It has been a very difficult term
for cricket with adverse weather
curtailing so much. Of 61
matches scheduled so far this
season we have only played 25.
• The U12, U14 and U15 teams
have reached the quarter-final
stages of the London Schools’
Cricket Association (LSCA) Cups
and are hopeful of reaching the
finals in the last week of term.
• The following boys have played
representative cricket:
LSCA : Benedict Clinch
(Year 7), Ewan Goddard, Robbie
Matthews (Year 8), Ben TinklerDavies, Josh Keeling (Year 9).
Surrey Regional District:
Benedict Clinch, Nicky West
(Year 7), Robbie Matthews, Ewan
Goddard (Year 8), Jonty West,
Dylan Brook, Alfie Sealy, Josh
Keeling (Year 9).
• The highlight of the season was
the First XI’s victory over the MCC
by 10 wickets. Charlie Glen finished
the match unbeaten on 72 not
out and Captain, Adam Senn
finished the game on 34 not out.
Fives
• At the National Championships,
Julian Hanton reached the
quarter-final of the main U14
singles competition (he is only
U13). Tom Dawber won the
Singles Plate and Isaac Jagger
won the 2nd Plate competition.
• Andrew Hubbard reached the
final of the U16 Singles Plate
competition.
• Zach Brubert reached the
quarter-final of the Senior Singles
and Zach and Charlie Williams
reached the semi-final of the
Senior Doubles competition.
Football
• Having been highly commended
last year, the School football
1st XI went one further this year
and won the ISFA National Fair
Play Award, serving to highlight
the emphasis placed on good
sportsmanship across all of our
co-curricular sport at Alleyn’s.
Hockey
• Alice Handy selected for the
England U16 team.
• Hi-Pac: Alice Mines, Emily
Naylor, Josephine SolowiejWedderburn.
• Junior Regional Performance
Centre: Kate Sullivan, Phoebe
Wyburd,
• Junior Academy Centre:
Kent – Millie Parry and Georgie
White. Surrey – Hannah Close
and Emmy Pollock.
Netball
• Congratulations to the
following girls on their individual
netball achievements.
County Academy Squad:
Megan Crawford.
Surrey Elite Netball Training Squad:
Niamh Cahill.
U16 Surrey training squad:
Laura Kelly, Honor Myers and
Lara Redmayne.
Surrey Satellite Squad:
Lucy Jardine, Jo Murray
Holly Highfield and Millie Parry
have qualified for final trials in
Kent netball.
Swimming
• It has been a successful
swimming season for all ages
this year. There has been a
mixture of friendly galas, as well
as London Schools’ competitions
and championships.
• Boys from Year 7 through to
Year 13 have competed in over
fifteen galas throughout the year.
Very well done indeed to our
senior team which competed at
the Bath Cup this year: James
Hayden, Jack Myers and special
mention to Nick Moore, James
Gillie and Sam Wattles who were
swimming against boys five years
their senior. The boys came 37th
out of 62 schools in the Bath Cup
and 12th out of 28 schools in the
Aldenham Cup. This is a fantastic
result considering the side are
very young; this is looking very
positive for future competitions.
Congratulations to this year’s Year
7 and 8 teams who both came
4th out of 13 schools in the
Grand London Final this year.
• Congratulations must go to
James Hayden, Sam Wattles,
Nick Moore and James Gillie for
making the Southwark swimming
team this year.
• James Hayden broke the U19
school butterfly record by 2
seconds which had been held
since 1992.
• James Gillie has qualified for
the ASA Age Group National
Championships, scheduled for
July and has recently been
selected to represent the London
team.
played over 100 fixtures and we
reached five out of six National
Championship Finals (we are the
only school in the country to
have achieved this).
• Congratulations to Ben TinklerDavies who has been selected for
the England Talent Development
squad for his age group.
Right: ESSA Water Polo National
Finals Trophies and Medals.
Below, from top to bottom: ESSA
Water Polo National Finals U14 Boys;
ESSA Water Polo Finals U16 Boys and
ESSA Water Polo Finals U16 Girls.
Water Polo
• The U14 boys qualified for the
ESSA National Finals and finished
fifth.
• The U16 boys qualified for the
sixth.
• In the English Schools’
Swimming Association (ESSA)
U14 Girls’ National Finals we
finished as champions.
• The U16 girls qualified for
the ESSA National Finals and
finished fourth.
• The U18 girls qualified for the
third.
• This is the first time that
Alleyn’s water polo teams have
13
DofE Round-up
Bronze qualifying
56 Bronze participants completed
their qualifying expedition in the
New Forest. It was a perfect two
days and all participants passed
with flying colours. They are now
busily completing their other
section of the award to complete
their Bronze. Many of them are
keen to join at Silver level next year.
Well done to everyone and many
thanks to all the staff who helped
on the expedition.
Silver expedition
During the first few days of the
Easter break, 40 Year 11 students
travelled up to Derbyshire to
embark on the daunting task of
their Silver D of E practice
expedition. After a day of routeplanning and micro-navigation on
the Kinder Plateau in the Peak
District they spent the next three
days walking 48 kilometres.
Silver Field Day –
Mountain First Aid
On Field Day, pupils were split
into three groups for lessons on
different aspects of first aid. These
involved learning some general
information about the aid they
might give, performing CPR on
‘Little Annies’, bandaging wounds,
and having a chance to practise in
pairs – dealing with unconscious,
but breathing, casualties. After
lunch, these skills were put into
practice with role plays. Everyone
soon realised that first aid is not as
easy as it seems in a classroom
environment. Nevertheless, the
role-plays were great fun and gave
an opportunity to identify any
mistakes so that, hopefully, on
expeditions pupils will be prepared.
14
All was going well and the
weather had been kind until the
final evening. At 6.00pm the tents
were smothering them and on
opening the entrance everyone
realised they had about eight
inches of snow and that several
tents had collapsed under the
weight of the snowfall. Our pupils
managed to dig themselves out
(as well as helping several members
of the public). They had to spend
the next day at the campsite as the
teachers were also snowed in at
the Youth Hostel and could not
come out to check on the groups
at the campsite. They were
fortunate to spend the evening in a
camping barn instead of having to
camp out in the snow and the trip
certainly tested their training and
character. What an experience!
Gold practice expedition
36 participants took part in their
practice expedition in the Peak
District for the first five days of the
Easter holidays. The expedition
proved extremely successful and
all 36 participants are ready for
their qualifying expedition in the
Brecon Beacons at the start of the
summer holidays. All participants
did extremely well and escaped
the sudden snow fall but had to
suffer an extra day and night in the
hostel as the coach was snowed
in 15 miles from the Youth Hostel.
Everybody got back to school
safely only a day late. Well done to
all those who took part and to all
the staff who gave up five days of
their Easter break to help run the
expedition.
Top, left and right: Bronze DoE in the
new Forest. Right: Silver expedition in
Derbyshire and Gold practice pupils
endure contrasting weather conditions
in the Peak District.
CCF Round-up
In April, 60 cadets and seven staff
returned to Napier barracks in
Folkestone for our Easter Camp.
The staff ran a varied programme
which included the traditional threeday field training test exercise for
the JNCO Cadre. Ms Chandler and
Mr Faccinello had a taste of CCF
life when they joined the camp
towards the end of the week and
presided over the Cadre Pass-Out
parade and the Unit drill
competition.
Our Biennial Inspection took
place on a working day at Hythe
Ranges while on Easter Camp.
The reviewing officer, Air Cdre
Colin Smith (AOB), was full of
praise for what he saw. Describing
our CCF as a strong and happy
unit, he commented that every
cadet that he spoke to was,
without exception, articulate,
enthusiastic and highly motivated
to do their best and most
importantly they were all enjoying
themselves. After the holidays,
JNCO Cadre, led by Company Sgt
Maj Ben Cannell did a repeat
performance of their Pass-Out
parade and received their stable
belts in the presence of the whole
contingent, parents and teachers.
Flying and Gliding: this year we
managed to get flying and gliding
places in excess of our annual
allowance with five gliding days,
including 28 cadets, on 37 Gliding
Induction Courses and with four
flying days.
CCF Regimental Dinner 2012:
this was an apt way for the CCF
to begin the Diamond Jubilee
Celebrations. Departing NCOs are
presented with leaving gifts as a
token of their time in the CCF, and
all involved in the CCF are thanked
for their efforts throughout the year.
Our guest of honour was Mr John
Merrill, a former Alleyn’s OTC
(as it was called then) member. He
has donated the Merrill Hewitson
award in recognition of the efforts
of the NCO in the Army section
who has made the most progress
during their time as an NCO, this
year awarded to Jamie Fryer.
Other presentations at the
dinner were to Sofia Greaves
(for outstanding service to the
CCF), and the Scrase, Wiggs and
Wrench Trophy (for the cadet who
has made an outstanding
commitment to the RAF section)
was presented to Katie De Salis.
The CCF also said goodbye to
Flt Lt Neil Kinnear, who joined
Alleyn’s CCF in 1964 and has
been with the CCF as a member
of staff for 21 years, 10 of which
he spent as OC RAF section.
The Annual Spitfire March:
13 cadets and three staff marched
42km around Folkestone and
passed the Battle of Britain
Memorial. This year they raised
money for St Christopher’s Hospice.
Annual Year 9 Recruits Camp
at Napier Barracks: during their
four-day stay, among many other
activities cadets fired on a live
range, experienced a pyrotechnic
display and completed the assault
course.
Exercise Self-Reliance
on day one took approximately
eight and a half hours due to an
unexpected miscalculation which
involved a 6km detour leading them
off of the map. The nine groups
then consolidated at the MOD site
of Mereworth Woods for the evening
and a warm welcome from the
front groups. Having completed a
navigation/first aid and observation
questionnaire on the route, the
evening was spent cooking their
own planned dinner, relaxing and
recuperating from the aches and
pains of the long walk. Thus
refreshed they then moved on to
the second day. The southern leg
of the route contained a stroll along
the River Medway and through the
lovely green farmland and orchards
of Kent. There were five teams that
went North to South and four teams
that completed the route South to
North. The staff were split between
a minibus in the North and another
in the South, with two members of
staff remotely supervising along
the route, popping up from time to
time to remedy major navigational
errors. The groups were given
plenty of scope to take the wrong
route and thus gain valuable
lessons from their mistakes. After
a long few days for some (39km
instead of the designed 32.5km)
all groups arrived at their respective
pick up point within 20 mins of the
planned cut-off time and a good
leg stretch was had by all.
Sixty-six members of the Alleyn’s
Combined Cadet force took part in
the above-named exercise over the
recent Field Day. The weather was
kind for the groups who had to
navigate their way across the Kent
countryside. The northern section
comprised of 17.5km with a fairly
steep hill in the middle and an
ancient Mesolithic monument from
3000 years BC as part of the route.
The last group to complete this
Top left: gliding.
Above: JNCO Pass-Out Parade, Spitfire
March and Exercise Self-Reliance .
15
Development
and Alumni
news
Alleyn’s in 125 objects
As part of the 125th anniversary
celebrations of Alleyn’s taking
residence in Townley Road, we
are creating an online museum
of Alleyn’s School artefacts.
Borrowing unashamedly from
the British Museum’s director Neil
MacGregor’s highly successful
project, A History of the World in
100 Objects, we are creating our
very own history of Alleyn’s in
125 objects.
We have begun by posting
25 objects onto the School’s
website. We very much want this
to be owned by all members of
the Alleyn’s community and
welcome nominations for other
objects resonant to pupils, staff,
parents, former pupils and staff.
If there is an object which
represents Alleyn’s to you, please
email us your nomination. We will
post the remaining 100 objects
over the weeks running up to
Friday 12 October, the date of our
Townley’s Transformation (music
hall) entertainment (see below).
Medics’ Reception at
the House of Lords
On 2nd May, 180 medics from
the Alleyn’s community – parents,
alumni, governors, staff – came
together under the Advancing
Alleyn’s banner at the House of
Lords to mingle, network and
hear news from their host
Professor the Lord Kakkar
(Roper’s 1977–82), chairman of
Alleyn’s Board of Governors, and
Headmaster Dr Gary Savage.
The occasion was a splendid
one with gasps of recognition
being heard all around the
Cholmondeley Room as guests’
recognised each other from all
walks of life. It would have been
an intriguing exercise to work out
the Venn diagrams of formal and
informal networks which were
being recognised as the evening
drew on. Of the throng there were
no fewer than ten professors,
12 medical and veterinary
16
Alleyn’s biggest reunion yet – some of the 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982 and 1992 leavers gather together in the Upper Quad.
Lord Kakkar speaking at the recent
Medics’ Reception at the House
of Lords.
students, two postdoctoral
students, eight nurses, 28 GPs,
two vets, 34 consultants –
of whom eight were consultant
anaesthetists, six dentists,
three consultant opthalmologists/
opthalmic surgeons, three
consultant psychiatrists. Sixty-five
of our guests were parents of
current and former pupils, and
70 were alumni.
Headmaster Dr Gary Savage
then outlined the support Alleyn’s
receives from the City through
the Saddlers’ Company and
gave details of his plans for
the School.
The whole evening was, in
the words of one AOB, ‘wonderful
and very worthwhile’. Guests
all enjoyed comparing (and outdoing) each other’s City stories
and several have asked for a
repeat of the occasion.
Leavers’ barbecue
We are holding a welcome
barbecue at the Clubhouse for
this summer’s Year 13 leavers,
to take place on Saturday
8th September, from 3pm. It will
be an opportunity to find out
about the variety of activities
offered by the Edward Alleyn
Club as well as an excellent way
to relax amongst friends just
before our leavers’ embark on
their next chapter.
Summer reunion
City reception
Elizabeth Holden (Brown’s
1978– 85) of Slaughter and May
generously hosted a reception for
alumni and parents who work in
London’s Square Mile. Elizabeth
told the assembled group of
bankers, lawyers, IT-consultants,
traders and management
consultants about her family’s
connection with Alleyn’s, a
connection which embraces an
impressive three generations of
the Chandler family.
The School’s corridors teemed
with alumni one June Saturday
morning as 143 former pupils
joined a reunion of 1952, 1962,
1972, 1982 and 1992 leavers.
They were ably guided by 16
current pupils who took them
on a tour of their old haunts as
well as showing them the latest
developments of the School site.
This has been our biggest
reunion yet and the noise levels
as friendships were renewed
were deafening but gratifying.
Townley’s Transformation
On Friday 12th October, Alleyn’s
School will travel back in time to
re-live a day in 1887. 2012 marks
the 125th anniversary of the
School occupying its current
buildings on Townley Road. On
25 October 1887, 250 school
boys – no girls here until 1975 –
marched behind a fife and drum
band from its first home in the
original school building (the Old
Grammar School on the corner
of Gallery Road) to its new home
in Townley Road. This is the
anniversary that the Headmaster
will be inviting us to celebrate
together on the evening of
12th October. There will be a
night of Music Hall entertainment
where pupils and alumni will act
out extracts from Victorian
melodramas, sing excerpts from
Gilbert & Sullivan operettas and
perform ‘derring-dos’ from Penny
dreadfuls. This Music Hall
entertainment will take place in
the heart of the original Townley
Road building: the Great Hall.
If you would like to join the
celebration, you can book online.
Tickets are £10 each and
available to book via the
Michael Croft Theatre website
michaelcrofttheatre.org.uk
For more information about
alumni activities please contact
Mrs Susannah Schofield,
Head of Alumni Relations
on 020 8557 1466
[email protected] or visit:
www.edwardalleynclub.com.
Hello All,
Alleyn’s
Parents’
A brief break in the clouds that have thus far
water-logged our ‘summer’ term energises me,
in my final missive of the academic year, to
reflect upon what we have achieved over the
past ten months, as well as looking to the future
of what promises to be a very exciting second
half to the year.
Association
Perhaps you have noticed one of our
triumphs of the Lent term: we have renamed
our association and are now the Alleyn’s Parents’ Association. Aside
from dispensing with the uncomfortable jokes about ‘AA meetings’ in
everyone’s diaries, we really felt that it was time the name reflected
the ownership and aims of the Association; to paraphrase Abe Lincoln
‘...an Association of the parents, by the parents, for the parents’!
The name change will be formally ratified at our next AGM in the
Advent term, when we also hope to gracefully retire the old image
of Edward Alleyn from our logo and present the parent body with
a choice of new designs.
As signposted in my last communiqué, the first of our Pastoral
evenings took place in May, when we welcomed Dr Aric Sigman,
author of ‘Alcohol Nation’, to speak to us about teenagers and alcohol
use. Dr Sigman was an engaging, entertaining and informative speaker,
who left us with plenty of food for thought. The lecture was followed
by break-out sessions, brilliantly conceived and structured by
Deputy Head Jon Lilly and Events Manager Sue Miles, where parents
organised according to year groups were fed and watered and
encouraged to discuss the issues raised among themselves. Parental
feedback was excellent and the consensus was that further Pastoral
evenings would be most welcomed; the APA and Senior Management
Team continue to discuss future dates and subject matter and these
will be publicised as soon as they are confirmed.
Following on swiftly from the Pastoral evening was our annual
Second Hand Uniform Sale. Despite an earlier-than-usual date in
the diary (due to Jubilee half-term disruption), the sale was a
resounding success, with takings up 21% on last year and our
contribution to the Pupil Support Fund topping out at £522.17,
a 28% increase. Like most things that the APA promotes, the sale
is a multi-purpose event; in the words of June Brockbank, our tireless
and selfless organiser, it works in so many ways “shifting stock for
existing parents, helping new parents and generating funds for the
PSF”. There is a real community spirit that pervades the occasion,
with many new parents commenting on how helpful our volunteers
were with finding stock and sizes, as well as with general queries
about the School. A huge thank you must go to June and all her
helpers for all their hard work.
One of the highlights of the Trinity term, particularly for the APA,
is the New Parents’ Evening, which took place on the 29th May.
What a fantastic opportunity this is for us to show our newest
parental members just what we are all about: fun, friends, family,
fundraising ... before I go alliteratively crazy, I will simply say that it
is always a marvellously-run event which, with the help once again of
our stalwart volunteers, allows us to really welcome parents to the
Association and all that we do. I hope that those hanging on my every
word from the stage of the Michael Croft Theatre did not hear my
knees knocking behind the lectern; I was enormously grateful to
precede our eloquent Head of Lower School Steve Smith, whose
humorously metaphorical journey, this year with an Olympic theme
of course, would be an impossible act to follow! Special thanks must
go to Lucy Parry who has, for the past few years, done such a stalwart
job of organising and recruiting hosts for the Year 7 class parties,
and welcome to Trish Finnegan and Daisy Drummond who will be
donning her mantle from the Advent term; and, once again, to all
the volunteers who put on such a welcoming face on the night.
And so to things still to come; as we hurtle swiftly through these
final weeks of term and eagerly anticipate the end of both the exam
season and, hopefully, the inclement weather, we look forward to our
Founder’s Day celebrations (see above). The APA has a crucial
presence at this most important event, with the Year 7 classes running
the Barbecue and, this year for the first time, the Year 8 classes taking
responsibility for organising the APA Raffle. In a departure from
previous years, it was suggested that we channel our funds from the
raffle to a charity other than the Pupil Support Fund, which has already
benefited hugely from our fundraising activities this year. A swift
consultation of our charter revealed that we would not have to wait
until the next committee meeting to ratify this change, and a speedy
email vote amongst our committee members revealed overwhelming
support for the funds to be donated to the Manicaland Scholarship
Fund, a charity that was launched by the Diocese of Southwark and
Alleyn’s School with the direct involvement of our own Reverend
Buckley. I hope you have seen Sam Bourne’s beautifully colourful flyer
and, by the time you read this, will have donated generously by
purchasing many beer mats in aid of this worthy cause. Who knows,
you may even have won one of the spectacular prizes on offer, in
which case, congratulations!
Finally, as with all endings, we must say goodbye to some of our most
valued members: Lindsay McCausland, who has held numerous posts
over the past ten years including Class Rep and First Aid Coordinator,
Maralee Vezie our Holly Fair Committee Chair for the past two years
and Virginia Johnson, formerly APA Chair and my current Vice Chair
(what will I do without her?) are all leaving us at the end of this term.
We are enormously grateful for all the time, effort and love they have
poured into the Association – they will be sorely missed!
I have already listed some of the events to look forward to in the
new term, but an extraordinary, in the true sense of the word, occasion
to anticipate is undoubtedly the celebration surrounding the 125th
anniversary of the Townley Road site. Townley’s Transformation on
the 12th October will be a hot ticket, so please do join us for a multifaceted extravaganza in best Victorian fashion. With the excitement
to come very much in mind, I wish you all a restful and restorative
summer.
Robin Tottenham, Chair, Alleyn’s Parents’ Association
[email protected] 020 7274 3397
Membership of the Alleyn’s Parents’ Association is open to all parents
or guardians of pupils or former pupils, and to all others who subscribe
to the aims of the Association: to encourage communication and
relationships through social and educational activities and, by supporting
the parents and the School, to advance the education of the pupils
attending it.
17
to teaching part-time we were
delighted that Jenny was offered a
permanent post.
Rachel Barnes
Jenny ran (literally) the girls’
Rachel joined us
cross-country and was in charge
January 2011 as
of girls’ hockey – this season this
a maternity cover
included taking the 1st XI through
and she soon
two London and one South
became a muchtournament and on to the South
loved member of the RS ‘Happy
finals where they finished 3rd –
Team’. With her vibrant sense of
a fantastic achievement. All the
humour and emanating warmth
squad (and Jenny herself) got a
to her colleagues and pupils alike, huge amount of enjoyment as they
Rachel developed a reputation
worked together to really develop
for being a very competent and
as a unit. As a colleague Jenny
committed teacher. Rachel quickly was fun, reliable and just ‘got on’
settled into her new role as a
with anything that needed doing
fully-fledged member of the RS
without a qualm. Many pupils
Department and she demonstrated of all ages owe a lot to her
a passion and energy for her
enthusiasm and patience as she
subject as well as a talent for
encouraged pupils of all abilities
leading a girl’s football team within to come along to Running Club
her first term of being at Alleyn’s.
and improve their fitness and
Rachel’s talent for ‘talking RS’
enjoy their love of running.
has been spotted by JAGs where
Jenny has returned to her
she will be joining them to teach
beloved Scotland after only two
Religious Studies on a full-time
years with us. She is happy in
basis. We shall miss her lively
Scotland but misses Alleyn’s and
addition to the Department and wish is not the first to say ‘if only
her every success and happiness. Alleyn’s could be here’ – as in or
near Glasgow. We wish Jenny
much happiness and success in
Suzan Dury
the future and look forward to her
We are sad to
visits to ‘sunny’ SE London.
report that our
stylish Head of
Kirstin Guy
Psychology;
Kirstin joined
Suzan Dury is
Alleyn’s in 2004
retiring from her post this year.
from Egerton Park
She has been with us for seven
Arts College and
years and in that time has seen
this feisty and
the department go from strength
forthright Nottingham lass has
to strength with a healthy uptake
been an indispensable member
of enthusiastic students each
of the department and teacher
year. Always aspirational for her
of all Key Stages ever since.
students, Suzan has transformed
An organised, fair teacher and
the face of the department and
raised its profile with colourful and examiner with excellent subject
imaginative displays, enriching, fun knowledge and genuine interest
in the wellbeing of her pupils,
and interesting lessons, relevant
and educational trips and she ran as Key Stage Three coordinator
and Deputy Head of English
the Charity Committee and the
‘Fashion on-a-Budget’ Enrichment she has brought fresh ideas and
leadership to the department.
course. Suzan is a supportive
Kirstin’s number one interest
colleague and boss, whether it be
a quick chat and confidence boost has always been in promoting
over coffee or a series of meetings reading for pleasure – to the pupils
in her classes, in co-curricular
to work on schemes of work for
book groups, in organizing visiting
the department. As well as this
writers and she is a keen reader
she has made time to show her
of the Booker shortlist.
caring maternal side combined
Pupils past and present will
with her passion for couture by
recall her passion for all things
producing fantastic presents for
those in the department who have Romantic and ‘mad, bad and
dangerous to know’, which
recently had babies. Suzan’s
even extended to donning her
students and colleagues are full
of admiration for her and wish her trademark boots to get married
at Newstead Abbey, Byron’s
a long and happy retirement.
home. Her enthusiasm for
Gothic texts such as Dracula,
Jenny Fitzgerald
Frankenstein and Perfume as
Jenny joined us
well as feminist writers like Carol
at Easter in 2010
Ann Duffy and Angela Carter,
to cover Charlotte
knows no bounds. She also
Clift’s maternity
has a knack of using cultural
cover for a year.
references to illustrate and
Jenny fitted in to the department
illuminate discussion, with Buffy
very well right from the beginning.
the Vampire Slayer and Glee
When Charlotte decided to return
Leaving Us
18
being particularly apt favourites
to be woven into academic
discussion.
Kirstin leaves us to devote
more time to husband Ben and
son Jamie. Alleyn’s will greatly
miss her as a teacher and much
loved colleague and we wish her
and her family all the very best
for the future.
Neil Kinnear
Neil Kinnear retires
as teacher of
Mathematics after
24 years and two
months service
to the School and exactly 49
years and two months after he
started at Alleyn’s as a pupil
himself (1963–1969). Neil read
Pure Mathematics at Caius
College, Cambridge, prior to
taking up his first teaching post
at Catford Boys’ School where
he taught for two years. Enticed
by his love of India, Neil travelled
to Chennai (then Madras) where
he taught in a government school
for two years, before moving to
Northern India to become one
of the founder members of the
Tibetan Children’s Village, a school
set up by the Dalai Lama’s sister.
Neil stayed for eight years and
saw the school grow from strength
to strength. With an initial cohort
of thirty students, the school now
has a roll of over two thousand.
Political unrest in India
brought Neil back to the UK for
brief a teaching spell in Merton
but it was not long before he was
back on the road again; this time
travelling to Lhasa. He spent an
unforgettable year wandering
freely in Tibet, a country where
few have travelled and he made
the very most of the opportunity
to see as much as possible of
Tibet before restrictions were
brought in again and he had to
return to England.
In January 1987 Neil took
up the position of teacher of
Mathematics at Alleyn’s School.
During his twenty-five years at
the School he has supported
countless pupils through their
Maths education. The School
has benefited not just from Neil’s
excellent teaching but from his
love of photography. He has
been the School’s designated
photographer at many hundreds
of events. As Flight-Lieutenant
Kinnear, Neil dedicated many
years to running the RAF section
of the School CCF and, although
he stepped down from this post
officially in 2008, he remained
a committed helper.
Neil is looking forward to
dividing his time when he retires
between writing Mathematics
software and extended visits to
India. We wish him well in his
future adventures, of which there
will no doubt be many.
Annabelle
Marriott
In her first year at
Alleyn’s, Annabelle
worked towards
gaining a teaching
qualification with the University
of Buckingham on top of a full
teaching timetable. It was obvious
from the very beginning that
Annabelle would make an
excellent teacher and, furthermore,
one that suited Alleyn’s perfectly.
Her relationship with her pupils
has always shown that elegant
balance of ease and strict
professional attributes that turns
people into inspiring teachers that
pupils remember for a long time.
Annabelle leaves us to join
her husband in Germany where
she intends to continue teaching
and building up her knowledge
of Biology. As the hard-working,
intelligent person that she is
she will do exceptionally well in
anything she sets her mind to.
We wish Annabelle and Matt all
the best in their life together and
can only hope that she will
remember us as fondly as we
shalll remember her.
Scott Milne
Hailing from the
Granite City,
Aberdeen, Scott
has meandered
south finding the
warmer climate appealing
and he joined Alleyn’s five years
ago. Scott is an enthusiastic,
intelligent and conscientious
teacher, as well as a considerate
and reliable Exam Board examiner,
given revision lectures across the
country and most recently was
on the judging panel of the
Royal Economic Society Essay
Competition. The folder entitled
‘Fun Friday afternoon Economics’
had a permanent place on his
desk and he gave a lot of thought
to how to get the best out of
his pupils.
His genuine enthusiasm for his
subject is evident in the running
of many study visits and he will be
remembered for leading the first
visit to BA, where the students
met the CEO Willie Walsh. It was
during the time of the volcanic
ash cloud, when all flights were
cancelled, that Scott had his finest
hour, as he safely repatriated
everyone from the beer kellers
of Prague to London by bus.
Young Enterprise was pioneered
by Scott; he has overseen many
fledgling ‘businesses’ including
concentrated orange juice,
Christmas wreaths and most
recently the Alleyn’s App,
with which they reached the
London and South-East finals.
Pastoral work was of almost
equal interest and he enjoyed
being part of Spurgeon’s, devoting
considerable time to his Middle
School tutor groups. He has been
a valuable and respected member
of the senior football programme,
well-loved by both staff and pupils
alike, and he leaves a legacy of
fantastic results for the 4th XI.
An accomplished choral singer,
he joined the Chorale Society and
one of our tougher Year 13 boys
said with some sense of awe,
‘Mr Milne; he’s got the voice of
an angel!’ We wish him every
future happiness as Head of
Department at Eltham College.
David Morton
David Morton
joined Alleyn’s in
September 2008
from Kingston
Grammar School,
where he had been Head of
Middle School (Years 10, 11)
and a member of their Senior
Management Group. Prior to that,
he was at Bedford School where
he was an Assistant Housemaster,
Sports Coach and teacher of
Geography, deploying his expertise
from an honours degree in
Geography from Exeter and a
PGCE from Cambridge.
Although he arrived at Alleyn’s
with considerable experience,
the role of Head of Middle School
here is rather larger, with twice
the number of pupils (440) and
membership of the Senior
Management Team with particular
responsibility for 13+ admissions.
In addition, David took on the
hugely important responsibility
of Designated Person for
Safeguarding and Child
Protection, which includes
delivering annual training to
new and existing staff.
This is a vast and complex
array of responsibilities, and
David has fulfilled them all with
efficiency, good judgement and
unflappable professionalism.
He has been a stalwart support
of the manifold activities of the
Middle School over the past four
years, regularly seen at plays,
concerts, and on touchlines, often
with his young boys Joe and,
latterly, Nicholas in good-natured
tow. He has also made a big
contribution to the co-curricular
life of the School as a whole,
coaching the boys’ 2nd XI Hockey
team with precision and passion,
and initiating and leading the
Geography Society Expedition
to Morocco in October 2010.
David has been an innovator,
developing new strategies and
initiatives further to improve the
experience of all the boys and girls
in the Middle School, for whom
he has a genuine interest and
concern. His leadership has
inspired confidence in pupils
and parents, and his ability has
inspired confidence in me, as
Headmaster, that anything I
asked David to do would be
done, swiftly and well.
David has been a first-rate
colleague on the SMT and in the
Common Room. We shall all miss
his good sense, good humour and
appetite for hard work. As he
leaves us to take on a new
challenge as Deputy Head of the
King Henry VIII School in Coventry,
we hope that David, Annie, Joe
and Nicholas will enjoy their new
life in the Midlands, but look back
on their time in Dulwich and at
Alleyn’s with affection – and come
back to visit us again soon.
subject knowledge, richly
complemented by her continuing
work as an A-level moderator for
practical work with AQA, but more
importantly by the warmth and
care she demonstrates towards
all her students. Vivienne will be
much missed at Alleyn’s and we
wish her all the best for her new
role at Channing’s.
Christopher
Perez
Chris joined
Alleyn’s in January
2007 as a
replacement for
Edith Fowler. Those who knew
Edith would all agree that Chris
could not be more different from
her, but in five years with us he
managed to build a relationship
with his pupils that most of us
are envious of (as we are of all
Vivienne
the cards he has been receiving
Penglase
from his students at the end of
Vivienne Penglase
this year).
has been at the
Chris studied Palaeontology
heart of Alleyn’s
at Leicester University and has
Drama for eight
years bringing her unique brand of brought to the department
passion for an area of Biology
energy and enthusiasm to all her
projects. She has worked tirelessly that most of us were not familiar
to expand the Drama Department with. His knowledge of Fossils
and to bring the spirit of theatrical and Evolution has been invaluable
when teaching these topics. Most
invention and collaboration to
importantly, Chris’ questioning of
a huge number of students.
everything made sure that all of us
In the last two years, Vivienne
were far more critical of our own
has launched LAMDA lessons
work and, in that way, he has
and examinations at Alleyn’s and
made us all better teachers.
already we have over 80 pupils
Children, on the other hand,
across Years 7 and 8 participating.
will remember Chris for the air of
Vivienne was also responsible
mystery that envelops him to this
for the Associate Directors
day. I have often heard comments
Programme, bringing established
about his MI5 past and various
professional directors into School
secret service posts in the Middle
to work with our students, most
East. On several occasions he
notably bringing in Celia de Wolff
to direct radio play Joe’s Kingdom impressed the pupils with the
ability to jump on the lab bench
in the MCT.
from the spot and his passion for
During her time at Alleyn’s,
running has been witnessed by
Vivienne has directed a great
multiple pupils who live in the
range of shows from the
Dulwich vicinity. But, more than
grotesque satire of this year’s
anything, Chris’ genuine care for
The Visit to Dickens’ Children
what his pupils learn, how much
and Silas Marner (complete with
they improve and what people
working loom!), and all the way
they become has made him one
back to Talking Portraits, devised
of those teachers that pupils value
theatre from Year 10s and 11s
for a long time and the fondness
in 2004. In the midst of all this,
with which his pupils talk about
Vivienne was central to the
him is rarely witnessed in Sixth
opening of the Michael Croft
Formers.
Theatre, producing the Gala
Chris will be greatly missed by
Fringe Festival and transforming
all of us and we wish him the best
the rooms and corridors of the
EAB into myriad dramatic worlds. of luck in everything he does.
Amid the whirlwind of dramatic
Nolan Price
productions, Vivienne has always
Nolan Price leaves
had an eye on posterity,
Alleyn’s School
maintaining an impressive archive
after four fantastic
of photography and production
years as a
materials over the years. Vivienne
Teacher of Art and
will principally be remembered
Photography. He started working
here, though, as a wonderfully
when the Art Department was
dedicated and focused Theatre
Studies A level teacher. Over eight under the leadership of Robin
years, pupils have benefitted from Sutton and taught Ceramics
the range and depth of Vivienne’s successfully to all ages.
Under Clare Marie Goldsworthy,
Nolan Price started teaching
AS Photography as well as Art
throughout the school. His GCSE
student’s work was always
personal, thoughtful with
wonderful sketch-books and his
A level students have contributed
some experimental and
contemporary work to the
Summer Shows. These pupils in
particular will miss his expert
advice and guidance. He was a
popular teacher who was diligent,
professional as well as being
impeccably well-dressed! His
enthusiasm for the subject and
his nurturing of each students'
individual talents, made him an
inspirational teacher. As well as
initiating an Art trip to New York,
Mr Price was also a caring and
much liked Sixth Form tutor. Mr
Price leaves to be the Head of Art
at University College School. We
wish him well in his new job and in
his journey to the other side of the
river.
Richard Randall
Richard joined
us late in 2008
after the most
understated
interview possible
and carried on in the same vein
throughout his time here at
Alleyn’s. Asked if he could handle
a set of tools he neglected to
mention that he once built a house!
Never one to blow his own
trumpet Richard immediately
proved his worth in helping to
organise the EAB opening gala
to which he bought a wealth of
experience and helped make it
the success it proved to be. It is
easy to forget now how much
work went in to setting up of
some of the early productions in
the EAB but Rich’s calm approach
and long experience in theatre
and shows helped the School to
maintain a professional edge at
all times. He made life much
easier for lots of us.
During the rest of his time
here, Richard’s experience of
audio, electrics, lighting and video
systems, projectors and virtually
anything attached to a plug was
invaluable and he made many
friends around the School with
his cool and collected attitude.
He made the job of AV Technician
much more than it was on paper
and will be missed by many of his
colleagues and by the pupils.
Paul Sherlock
For a man who
has been at
Alleyn’s School
for 39 years this
summer, it is fair
to say that Paul Sherlock deserves
the sobriquet ‘legend’ which is
often uttered in conjunction with
his name.
It is abundantly clear that the
passing of the decades has
neither dimmed his passion for
sport nor his delight at imparting
that passion to pupils. It also
became clear that Paul is a
walking encyclopaedia of a whole
host of eras and events at Alleyn’s.
Paul has been Housemaster
of Tulley’s since 1993 and it is a
task he carries out with diligence,
care and, if anyone has seen him
cheering Tulley’s from the wings,
with gusto.
Paul went to grammar school
in Stoke-on-Trent where, he
confesses cheerfully, ‘I was
immediately put in the D-stream’.
Paul’s sporting prowess was not
so lowly. A junior international
javelin-thrower and a county
school boy-cricketer, he quickly
realised that he wanted a career
in sport. He went on to teacher
training college where he qualified
to teach PE and Geography.
Paul joined the Boys’ PE
department in 1973, ‘I don’t know
how we did it – just the three of
us teaching PE to all the boys.
And I had to teach 18 periods
of Geography as well.’
Paul has been involved in
every sport going at Townley
Road.… and When Paul isn’t
teaching, refereeing matches or
arranging practices during the
day, he’s keeping an eye out for
his House members, cheering
them on for a performance they
have just pulled off for any of the
co-curricular activities, such as
CCF, drama, music, DoE or
volunteering.
After nigh on 40 years here,
his life has inevitably been rooted
in Alleyn’s; it was through an
Alleyn’s connection (former Deputy
Head Chris Liffen) that Paul met
his wife, Judy and he has had
two daughters at Alleyn’s: Laurie
(Tulley’s 1994–2001), and Chloë.
Both went to university and Chloë
(1996–2003) was House Captain
of Tulley’s.
He tells the story that he was
once mistaken by a headmaster
for a pupil: ‘I was waiting in
Fanner’s study and remember him
looking down his half-moon
glasses exclaiming, ‘where’s your
uniform, boy?’ Can you imagine
that now?’
Chris Symes
Chris joined Alleyn’s in 1997 as
Head of Information Technology
having been first a Head of Music
at Kidbrooke School and then a
Head of Computing and ICT at
Holy Trinity College. Chris came
with glowing references from her
own university tutors who had
taken the unusual step of inviting
her to deliver a lecture on her
research paper to subsequent
undergraduate year-groups;
former-headmaster Dr Niven
quickly recognised what a firstclass IT and computing specialist
and natural teacher he had before
him at interview. In 2004 Chris
was appointed Academic
Assistant to the Deputy Head,
with specific responsibility for
leading and managing the
development of IT across the
school. Chris’ enthusiasm for
the new age of school computing
helped Alleyn’s to develop
electronic resources across a wide
range of functionality: website,
internal electronic communication,
electronic displays, and the
increasing use of computers in
the classroom. As the pace of
change accelerated further, the
focus of her role evolved and she
became Director of ICT, with an
expanded brief which included
overseeing all aspects of ICT in
the Senior School as well as
liaising with the Junior School and
the crucial role of acting as the
key link between teaching and
support staff. She is equally at
home discussing the finer points
of programming with her A Level
students, the intricacies of
electronic registration, admissions
and assessment and reporting
with her colleagues or the
deployment of hardware with
the IT support staff. Chris’ energy
and vision drove the successful
innovations such as the new
whole-school database and
Alleyn’s Post email communication
with parents, along with delivering
all the necessary in-house staff
training. Chris has been
instrumental in leading the IT
Development Committee and in
establishing and sharing good
practice across the teaching and
support staff. Throughout this
time she has continued to teach
both IT and A Level Computing.
Her love of the subject and
commitment to high academic
standards have inspired students,
many of whom have gone on to
study computing at university.
We wish Chris a happy retirement
and when she is not avidly
following cricket, we will look out
for her in the Roland Garros
crowds.
Also leaving after
spending the Trinity
Term as cover
teachers with us,
are Vincent Piccio
(Chemistry) and
Katharine Lynch
(PE). They have
both made a vital
contribution to their
departments and
we wish them well
in their future posts.
19
Confirmation
‘Lord Behold Us’
See page 16 for more
details or visit the School
website. Tickets are £10
each and available to
book via the Michael
Croft Theatre website
michaelcrofttheatre.org.uk
On Saturday 12th May I travelled to
Brighton to record ‘Lord Behold Us’ for BBC Radio 4. I had auditioned
a few weeks earlier for the radio play about a school boy Michael, his
sister and a dramatic incident that happens at Michael’s school. The
director cast several Alleyn’s pupils as boys in the school and me in
the central role. I received the big script in the post and practised a lot.
On the train journey to Brighton, I was feeling very anxious but looking
forward to what was ahead. At the production company, Pier Productions,
I was shown to The Green Room to meet all the other actors. There was
a range of different voices and the actors could also change their voices
very easily. It was amazing to see.
The next day recording was ‘on location’ at Alleyn’s! We used The
Great Hall to record the assembly scenes, using other Alleyn’s pupils and
the parents present as omnes, (group scene actors), and we used
a hallway to record the relevant scenes there. The other actors were
really encouraging and I think that we worked very well as a team.
I learned many things including the importance of holding my script
still so that it cannot be heard on the radio, how to put a lot of colour into
my voice and how to bring the character to life on the radio and that
there is a lot of waiting around involved in the life of an actor.
I LOVED the whole experience. George Hill 7VS
The play, directed by Celia de Wolff (mother of Tom Glenister 11DT)
was broadcast on 27th June. Also cast in the play were Cara Baker
10MN, Nick West 7BA and James Anderson 8SK.
៑ DATES
FOR YOUR DIARY
SCHOOL DATES
៑ New pupils/Years 12 & 13:
Tuesday 4th September
៑ Term begins: Wednesday 5th September
៑ Half Term: 22nd October – 2nd November
៑ Term ends: Friday 14th December
៑ Year 12 Welcome Evening:
Tuesday 11th September
៑ Year 9 Housemasters’ ‘At Home’:
Thursday 13th September
៑ Year 11 Options Evening:
Monday 12th November
៑ Year 7 Parents’ Consultation Evening:
Wednesday 14th November
៑
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
MUSIC
• Wednesday 19 September tour guides
to be all Year 13 students (11+ and 13+
open afternoon)
៑ Alleyn’s International Concert Series
• Saturday 6 October, morning of obligation
for all pupils Years 7–13 (whole-school
open morning)
• Tuesday 6 November tour guides to be
Year 12s and Year 13s with afternoon free
periods (16+ open afternoon)
• Wednesday 7 November, tour guides
to be all Year 11 pupils (11+ and 13+
open afternoon)
៑ Pupils’ Recital
Wednesday 10th October 7.00pm
Monday 1st October
៑ Instrumental Scheme Parents’ Evening
Concert Monday 26th November 6.00pm
៑ Orchestral/Choral Concert
Tuesday 4th December 7.30pm (MCT)
៑ Lower & Middle School Concert
Thursday 6th December 7.30pm (MCT)
៑ School Carol Service
Thursday 13th December 7.30pm
CCF
៑ Remembrance Day Sunday 11th
Tuesday 27th November (including students)
November 10.50am (Christ’s Chapel)
ALLEYN’S PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
៑ AGM:
Our Open Days will be taking place next
Monday 8th October 7.30pm
term when we shall once again rely on
the goodwill of our pupils to show visitors ៑ Education Evening (PE): Monday
round the school and talk to them about
19th November 7.30pm
life at Alleyn’s. We consider our pupils our
៑ Holly Fair: Saturday 1st December
finest ambassadors and cannot manage
such events without them, so we ask
parents’ help in avoiding any other outside
commitments, doctors’ appointments, etc,
on these dates:
20
FOR YOUR DIARY
• Tuesday 18 September tour guides to
be Year 12s and Year 13s with afternoon
free periods (16+ open afternoon)
៑ Year 12 Parents’ Evening:
៑ Open Days
៑ DATES
DRAMA
៑ Bear Pit
29th – 30th November
Visiting Productions in the
Michael Croft Theatre:
៑ Dr Faustus Saturday
15th September 7.30pm
៑ The Seagull Effect Saturday
6th October 7.30pm
៑
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
៑ Mary Stuart Saturday
20th October 7.30pm
៑ Home Truths Saturday
1st December 7.30pm
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
៑ Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Dinner
Friday 7th December 7.00pm
៑ Bronze Field Day, Headley Heath
Friday 19th October
៑ Silver Field Day, Leith Hill
Friday 19th October
MICHAEL CROFT THEATRE
៑ Dominic Holland Saturday
15th December 7.30pm
៑ Dulwich Film Club
t
M he
C ic
Th ro ha
ea ft el
tre
Richard Alldrick, Nick Beagin, Anthonly Buckley, Janet Carlsson, Sue Chandler, Charlotte Copeland, Felicity De Salis, Antony Faccinello, Neil French, Clare Marie Goldsworthy, Neil Green, Steven Hawkins, Catherine Horan, Christina Hughes-Onslow, Gwyn Jenkins, Mick Keates, Stephen Kelly, Tim Kermode,
Neil Kinnear, Gemma Kirby, Antonia Legg, Angus Macmillan, Susan Miles, Scott Milne, Rob Ody, Kate Owens, Vivienne Penglase, Jeremy Piper, Stephanie Redmayne, Annie Reeve, Clare Robertson, Susie Schofield, Paul Smith, Stephen Smith, Andreas Tober, Marilyn Walker, + Parish Print
On 20th May 2012 Daniel Arthur, Ellie Pettem, Ginny
Davies, Alinka Rowe, Emily Butler, Ian Kegler and Kate
Shipley were Confirmed by Bishop Michael Ipgrave
at St Faith’s Church, North Dulwich, alongside pupils
from Dulwich College and people of all ages from the
local community. They have been an excellent group,
courageously taking on the Chaplain’s biscuits,
discussions and film clips for several weeks as they
pondered Christian faith and what it might mean for
them. Fiona Kegler could not be with them on the day,
and will be Confirmed in July.
Sunday 9th September, Sunday
7th October, Sunday 4th November,
Sunday 9th December
All at 4pm and 7pm
Information about ticketing for the concerts and
plays mentioned here will be sent via Alleyn’s
Post and placed on the Parents’ page on the
website prior to each event. Please remember
to book online via the Michael Croft Theatre
Box Office www.michaelcrofttheatre.org.uk

Trinity 2012 - Alleyn`s School

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