prizegiving 2015 - The Portsmouth Grammar School

Transcription

prizegiving 2015
Monday 21 September 2015
Incorporating the Headmaster’s Report
Please stand for the Governors’ procession and hymn
The Founder’s Hymn
words by Robert Bridge (1844-1930)
based on the German of Joachim Neander (1650-1680)
music by Herbert Howells
A
ll my hope on God is founded;
He doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
Only good and only true.
God unknown,
He alone
Calls my heart to be his own.
Pride of man and earthly glory,
Sword and crown betray his trust;
What with care and toil he buildeth,
Tower and temple, fall to dust.
But God’s power,
Hour by hour,
Is my temple and my tower.
God’s great goodness aye endureth,
Deep his wisdom, passing thought:
Splendour, light, and life attend him,
Beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore,
From his store
New-born worlds rise and adore.
Front cover image:
the sculpture at the
entrance to the Sixth
Form Centre, unveiled
earlier this evening by
our Guest of Honour,
inspired by the poem,
“Come to the Edge”
by Christopher Logue.
Sculptor, Stephen Hitchin.
2 The Portsmouth Grammar School
Daily doth Th’ Almighty Giver
Bounteous gifts on us bestow;
His desire our soul delighteth,
Pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand,
At his hand;
Joy doth wait on his command.
Still from man to God eternal
Sacrifice of praise be done,
High above all praises praising
For the gift of Christ his Son.
Christ doth call
One and all:
Ye who follow shall not fall.
PRIZEGIVING
Monday 21 September 2015
Guest of Honour:
Dr Rosemary Hill
Programme
Founder’s hymn
Welcome and introduction by the Headmaster
Address by the Chairman of Governors
Presentation of Prizes
Address by the Guest of Honour
Vote of thanks by a Senior Prefect
Final prayer and blessing by the Chaplain
You are warmly invited to drinks in the nave after the conclusion of Prizegiving.
Prizegiving 2015 3
Headmaster’s Introduction
Governors, Parents, Pupils and Guests,
W
elcome to this year’s Prizegiving and a particularly warm welcome to our Guest of Honour,
Dr Rosemary Hill.
I am grateful to the Dean and Chapter for permission to hold this evening’s ceremony in the Cathedral
Church of St Thomas. My thanks also to David Doyle for his expertise in overseeing the arrangements
for this celebration of the school year, and to John Sadden for all his work with David in compiling this
splendid programme.
A number of awards have been made in advance of this evening and are noted in the first part of the
programme. We continue to observe the guideline that only in very exceptional circumstances will a
pupil win more than two academic prizes.
Many congratulations to all our prizewinners. This evening is an opportunity to reflect on the
extraordinary achievements of the last academic year and to celebrate all that makes this school such
a special place in which to learn and grow.
James Priory
Headmaster
Guest of Honour,
Dr Rosemary Hill
O
ur guest of honour at Prizegiving this year is no stranger to picking up awards herself.
Dr Rosemary Hill is a writer and historian. She is a contributing editor to The London Review of
Books, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Society of Literature, and a Quondam Fellow
of All Souls College, Oxford. She is the author of the prize-winning books: God’s Architect, a life of the
Gothic Revival architect, A W N Pugin, and Stonehenge, a history of one of Britain’s greatest and least
understood monuments. Her current work in progress is a study of antiquarianism in the Romantic
period, to be published by Allen Lane, and her next book, to be published on 5 November, is Unicorn,
a study of the poetry of Angela Carter.
In the 1980s, she met the celebrated poet and Old Portmuthian, Christopher Logue, who was attracted
by her “beautiful smile”, her “openness, friendliness and scepticism”. They were married for 26 years
until his death in 2011. Logue became known for his short, pithy and often political poetry,
but it is his retelling of The Iliad in modern verse for which he is most celebrated. In 2005, he won
the Whitbread award for poetry for Cold Calls, the fifth instalment of Homer’s epic. He was appointed
CBE two years later.
Logue visited Portsmouth Grammar School as part of the celebrations for World Book Day in 2002.
He later wrote, “My, how the school has changed. Lucky who go there today.”
Logue is celebrated at the school with a permanent display of two of his original manuscripts in
the library, and a school monograph on his life and work (which is available free from the school).
And, today, Rosemary Hill unveiled a low relief carving in Portland stone at the entrance to the
Sixth Form Centre, inspired by one of Logue’s poems, Come to the Edge.
Prizegiving 2015 5
Headmaster’s Report
Introduction
The Portsmouth Grammar School has enjoyed a
vibrant and exciting year in 2014-15.
It has been a year in which significant strides have
been made in realising the aspirations first set out in
our Strategic Plan two years ago, the most striking of
which has been the opening of the new Sixth Form
Centre by HRH The Earl of Wessex.
It has also been a year in which we have had to
embrace complex changes nationally whilst remaining
clear-sighted about the principles to which we are
committed at PGS. From sweeping reform of public
examinations at A Level and GCSE to fast-moving
regulatory changes in safeguarding, there has been
much to negotiate in a year in which political hustings
in the David Russell Theatre and Pupil Council
elections have contributed towards the excitement of
a General Election year.
The interests and aspirations of the girls and boys
who come to PGS remain at the heart of our decisionmaking as a school. We wish our pupils- and our
staff- to be happy and successful, in that order; and
we continue to encourage pupils to think about where
they will be at 25 and not only at 18.
There has been much activity, enterprise and
achievement throughout the year to demonstrate that
these principles are alive and well. I hope to be able
to highlight some of the key moments in this report,
aware that a more comprehensive record of the year
can be enjoyed in the pages of The Portmuthian,
written, as ever, with far greater articulacy and
humour by the pupils themselves.
Given the importance of the Strategic Plan in directing
our energies and imaginations throughout the year,
I have deliberately structured this report, in part,
in relation to some of the Plan’s key themes.
Excellent Teaching and Learning
Public examination results should be the outcome
rather than the purpose of all that has been taught
and learned in any one academic year, and yet they
are of critical importance in opening doors to new
opportunities and destinations.
We were delighted therefore to receive record-breaking
results at IB and A Level. First to open their envelopes
in the summer, the 2015 IB cohort achieved an average
of 39 points per candidate, equivalent to just over
AAA at A Level. Two pupils secured a historic first for
PGS in being awarded maximum scores of 45 points,
a feat achieved by only 160 students worldwide:
Charlotte Kent, winner of the Ithaka Prize for her
extended essay, is now reading English and Italian
at Somerville College, Oxford; and Jemima Carter,
Deputy Senior Prefect, is studying Medicine at King’s
College, London. Rhiannon Lasrado, one of 11 pupils
across IB and A Level who secured Oxbridge offers, is
now reading Modern and Medieval Languages at St
Catharine’s College, Cambridge.
It was excellent to see A Level students adding further
to the summer’s good news in August, with a record
25% of all subject entries graded A* and 87% A*-B.
Amongst many outstanding individual achievements,
congratulations were due to Cameron Roberts- veteran
actor, Prefect and Black Belt - who achieved 5 A*s
to send him to Imperial College, London to read
Engineering, having previously turned down the offer
of a place at Cambridge. Gemma Liu, the recipient of a
significant bursary in Year 7 from a local state primary
school, also performed impressively, achieving 4 A*s
and progressing to Newnham College, Cambridge
to read Economics. Exactly 90% of pupils achieved a
place on a university course of their choice, the large
majority to their first choice destination.
At GCSE, there was similar celebration with 69% of all
subject entries awarded A*/A grades and 90% at A*-B.
Forty eight pupils achieved straight A*/A grades,
including Sebastian Chapman and Grace Goodfellow
who each enjoyed a clean sweep of 11A*s. Ashleigh
Dekker, Vice Captain of the U17 England Netball
team, travelled down to Portsmouth from the National
training camp in Manchester to discover that she had
been awarded 10A*s. Aspirant Olympic fencer Devlin
Stigant, meanwhile, heard the news that he
had achieved straight A*s by phone, calling from a
GB Talent Pathway Camp.
It is tempting to connect the summer’s success
with the opening of the new Sixth Form Centre, a
major development at the heart of the school which
completed the Bristow Clavell Science Centre and
extended the building to provide a superb library, café,
university and careers area, as well as an attractive
suite of seminar and class rooms. The atmosphere
generated by the new building has been both
welcoming and aspirational, whilst the exhilaration
of walking along the bridge into Cambridge House
remains undimmed- at least for me- twelve months on.
It has been wonderful to see the impact the centre has
made on the experience of everyone involved in Sixth
Form life.
There has been a cultural and intellectual buzz to the
school as a whole this year, stimulated by a range of
events and speakers, such as Professor John Stein on
Neuroscience; Sir Anthony Seldon on the First World
War’s impact on schools; Professor David Wands on
Cosmic Inflation; Dr Peter Vardy in Socratic mode;
Dr Graham Giles on being invited to the White House
twice; Dr Nick Lowe on tickling Aristophanes’ funny
bone; sailor Mike Golding averting tragedy on the
high seas; and National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke,
planting daffodils in our imaginations at the start of the
Portsmouth Festivities.
Pupils and staff share an enthusiasm for the
continuation of learning beyond the laboratory and
lecture hall, evident in some extraordinary trips
and outside activities. Following the Economics
and Business Studies trip to China in the autumn,
for example, it was very good to see Sixth Form
economists speaking to a Chinese delegation
about their experience of visiting our link school in
Pingxiang. IB students travelled to Ockero island in
Sweden to meet their counterparts from the school that
sails into Portsmouth each year aboard TS Gunilla.
The Hispanists forged a new partnership with the
Agora Sant Cuga International School in Barcelona,
whilst historians reminded themselves of a time
when international relations were on the cooler side,
spending time in KGB cells and the interior of a Soviet
nuclear missile launcher in Latvia and Lithuania.
This year also saw the introduction of Enrichment
Week to provide further stimulus to pupils’ learning.
Pupils visited Hampton Court, Fishbourne Palace, the
Houses of Parliament, London Zoo, the Mary Rose and
Hardy Country. Former pupils returned from across
the UK to talk about their experience of university.
Aspirant medics donned scrubs for a Casualty Day,
which was just as well given the Field Gun challenge
underway in the Sports Hall.
Innovative Use of ICT
Digital technology provides yet another range of
opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning, and this year
has been something of a watershed for ICT in the
classroom. Having achieved national accreditation
for e-safety last year, extended the use of MyPGS
as a virtual learning environment and invested in
a significantly improved Wi-Fi network, we felt ready
to begin moving towards increased use of tablet
devices as a learning tool.
This decision was helped by the Digital Council,
which has provided valuable advice as a pupil and
staff forum in which to bring together the digital
native and not-so-native generations. Teaching staff
have undertaken extensive training and parents have
also been involved, with nearly 250 parents attending
workshops in the use of iPads and educational apps.
From this September, pupils in Years 9 and 12 are
expected to have a tablet as part of their standard
school equipment, whilst the availability of class sets
in younger year groups will also encourage pupils
to become more familiar and creative with their use
in school.
No wonder, then, that a PGS team was inspired to
win the IBM Website Challenge, spending a day at
Portsmouth Naval and Gliding Centre where they
soared freestyle at 1,500 feet as a prize for their
ingenuity; or that a Year 12 Raspberry Pi team took
part in a challenge to devise and code an experiment
for British astronaut Tim Peake’s forthcoming mission
to the International Space Station.
The ‘IT Crowd’ might have been the TV sit-com
of choice for the 2015 House Drama competition,
but crowd-sourced data is now populating Biology
experiments, whilst in Music crowd-funding is helping
to make possible professional CD recordings for the
Chamber Choir and the London Mozart Players. If the
world is fast becoming new, then our pupils, teachers
and parents are proving themselves ready to be brave.
Pupil Engagement
A key goal of the Strategic Plan has been to develop a
culture in which pupils feel empowered to be involved
in the life and leadership of the school, and just as the
Scottish Referendum mobilised young people north
of the border, so too did the excitement of a General
Election here in Portsmouth with pupils readily taking
part in a whole series of school-based elections.
The launch of the Senior School Council, bringing
together voices and ideas from the individual
Year Group Councils, was a particularly exciting
initiative. The Senior Prefect team helped to chair the
meetings, adding their own momentum to the debate.
Some council members were even invited to give a
presentation to the Full Governing Body to provide
further insight into pupil experience; others joined a
city-wide network of school councils concerned with
improving opportunities for young people locally.
A whole school pupil survey identified issues for
consideration in some lively meetings, such as
the value of homework and priorities for facility
development. It was great to see pupils influencing
the summer refurbishment programme as they made
the case for the school to prioritise the Sports Hall
changing rooms and to install water fountains in
House bases, all of which have now been completed.
The national Election proved a source of inspiration
in its own right too. Candidates from the four main
parties vying for the seat of Portsmouth South took
part in a hustings expertly chaired by Head of History
and Politics, Mr Lemieux. Sir Ivor Crewe, election
pundit and Master of University College, Oxford,
poured light on the history of Government blunders
in an entertaining talk. With uncanny foresight, the
pupils’ Mock Election even delivered a triumph for the
Conservative Party. On Election night itself, Politics
students staged a sleepover in the Sixth Form Centre ‘one-sie, one vote’- and during the night were invited
to watch the counting of votes in the Guildhall where
Portsmouth South’s new MP, Flick Drummond, even
gave them a mention in her speech of acceptance.
How fitting it was, therefore, that a team of Sixth Form
pupils should win the Political Studies Association’s
national video competition with their witty
documentary about the local elections, later screened
at a glittering awards ceremony in London.
As well as casting votes, pupils have been identifying
causes to support in fundraising activities from cake
sales and soaked sponges to circus skills, zorb football
and musical soirees, raising around £15K for local and
international causes this year.
Much of the motivation for this good work has
come from building direct relationships with the
communities involved. The trip to Kikaaya College
School in Uganda in the summer of 2014 was
inspirational for those pupils and staff who took part,
and we now look forward to welcoming teachers
from Uganda to PGS this autumn. Following trips to
Buenos Aires to support the work of Voluntario Global,
who provide education to street children, it was our
privilege to host two of the organisation’s volunteers,
Ximena and Nicolas, on a travel bursary to the UK.
Two Sixth Form pupils- Holly Govey and Katie Twisteven had the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka in
memory of Yasmin Caldera (OP) to work with a variety
of young people in need; thanks to the support of the
Caldera family and the OP Club Travel awards, other
PGS pupils will be able to build on this relationship
over the coming years.
Prizegiving 2015 7
Pupil voice and action have been especially evident
in the work of PGS Pride this year, a school society
dedicated to issues of identity and equality. As well
as providing a forum for influential speakers such as
Peter Tatchell, the group took part in Portsmouth’s
Pride Parade, leading the colourful procession from
Guildhall Square to Southsea Common alongside civic
dignitaries and local community groups.
The Co-Curriculum
It is in the co-curriculum that pupils have particular
opportunity to develop personally and enjoy the
roundedness of life at PGS. There have been breathtaking achievements in music, drama and sport this
year, but also enormous satisfaction from seeing so
many pupils becoming involved and taking part in the
activities available.
We were delighted to become a fully licensed centre
for the delivery of the Duke of Edinburgh Award
Scheme, a popular programme in Years 10-13 with a
strong emphasis on personal development, service and
adventure. HRH The Earl of Wessex was particularly
keen to meet pupils and staff involved in the scheme
when he visited in September. Outdoor pursuits saw 35
and 55 mile teams successfully completing the Ten Tors
in Dartmoor and a Sixth Form walking team tackling
the 100km South Downs challenge. It was excellent to
see the introduction of the John Muir Award scheme
in Year 9, which introduces pupils to bushcraft skills
and wild camping; whilst the Combined Cadet Force
received flying colours- literally- when they were
inspected by Group Captain Andrew Battye at Hilsea
Playing Fields in June.
Music
From the specially-commissioned fanfare by young
PGS composers for the royal visit, to Sixth Form
musician Ella Beard’s carol What Child is This at the
Cathedral Carol Service, it has been an extraordinary
year for PGS music. Over 250 pupils took part in a
hotly contested House Music competition, adjudicated
by the Director of Music at Brasenose College, Oxford,
whilst Isaac Waddington (Yr 11) enjoyed a meteoric
rise to fame in the televised finals of Britain’s Got
Talent, emerging as the highest placed solo singer
in a finale eventually won by a pair of tightrope
walking dogs. The Chamber Choir released Hodie, a
CD of contemporary carols so atmospheric it almost
generated snow showers in Old Portsmouth at its
launch in September.
The Remembrance Concert was one of the most
ambitious for years with Portsmouth and London
premieres for Jonathan Dove’s moving Cantata
For an Unknown Soldier performed by the Chamber
Choir and children of Castle Primary School alongside
the London Mozart Players. The concert included a
virtuoso flute concerto performed by Phoebe Pexton
and a thrilling rendition of Holst’s St Paul’s Suite by our
most promising string players alongside the LMP who
returned to PGS in the spring to work with 100 pupils
in a series of chamber music masterclasses.
PGS musicians had the chance to share the stage again
with a world-famous ensemble when we welcomed
the Black Dyke Band to Portsmouth to perform in a
packed St Mary’s Church in Fratton. Buttons literally
burst from waistcoats and blazers in a lyrical and
supercharged concert- an event matched only in
ambition by taking a 60-strong Junior and Senior
School Brass Band down to Barcelona for a summer
tour (#Brasselona on the PGS Twitter feed) where La
Orquesta de Metal did PGS proud in the squares of
Costa Brava.
Drama
Drama provided even more highlights in the cultural
year. Shakespeare himself, on the cusp of his 400th
anniversary, would surely have enjoyed a compact
and stylish version of Taming of the Shrew devised
for the Shakespeare Schools Festival in Winchester,
followed by the knockabout hilarity of Kiss Me Kate
at the Kings Theatre in Southsea as our major musical
production of the year. The Middle School provided a
bewitching journey into the sea in the premiere of Jo
Harper’s play Whalesong, featuring Finn Elliot (Yr 7)
who made his own television debut in the BBC film of
Sadie Jones’ novel, The Outcast, this summer. Years 9
and 10 drew us dreamily into the world of Under Milk
Wood, whilst our touring production to the Avignon
International Drama Festival thrust into nightmares
in a dark portrayal of Hansel and Gretel. The Sixth
Form’s The Importance of Being Earnest was a gem
of a production, stylishly staged in the Royal Naval
Club and beautifully observed in its comic timing.
The future for Drama looks particularly bright following
news that all 47 pupils taking LAMDA awards in
Years 7 and 8 achieved distinction in the summer.
Sport
For the second consecutive year PGS was named as
one of the top co-educational schools for sport by
Schools Sports Magazine, a wonderful reflection of the
commitment and enthusiasm shown by pupils and
their coaches. By way of illustration, around 90% of
the girls and boys in the Middle School represented
the school in sport this year. It would be impossible
therefore for me to capture all the achievements
in detail here, so let me pick out just some of the
highlights of an impressive year.
The cricket nets at Hilsea had to be resurfaced for
the summer to cope with the demands of county and
national competitions. The U13s reached the national
quarter final stages, whilst the U17s went even further,
winning the National Schools’ Cup Final against
Sedbergh School by one wicket with one ball to spare
in their 40-over final in Oxford.
In netball our U14, U16 and U18 teams all reached the
regional finals, and in rugby there were notable wins
in the Hampshire Sevens for the U14 and U15 teams.
The 1st XI boys’ hockey reached the last sixteen of the
National Cup and there were impressive performances
at county and regional level by the U14 boys’ and U16
girls’ and boys’ teams. No fewer than twenty pupils
were selected to play hockey for Hampshire. Rounders
is a sport close to Mr Dossett’s heart, and he was thrilled
therefore to see the U18 girls- national champions back in
Year 10- enjoy an unbeaten run this summer, whilst the
U15 girls became national semi-finalists.
Other achievements to savour included the girls’ ski
team winning the British Schools Championships in
Edinburgh; closer to home, twelve PGS boats competed
in the Itchenor Schools’ Regatta winning the overall
team trophy; the Year 9 and 10 athletics team won the
Millfield Super 8 competition for the second time in
three years, Thomas Miller performing with particular
aplomb in English Schools this season; George Charlton
and Huw Thomas won the U15 Junior Doubles Real
Tennis national title, and Robert Weekes qualified to
represent GB in the European Triathlon Championships
in Lisbon. There was also a moment of history as PGS
won the Dunelm Cup in the 4x50m relay for the first
time at a national schools swimming event in the
London 2012 Olympic pool.
Dynamic Development Office
This has been an equally dynamic year for the
Development Office with the launch of the
William Smith Fund for bursaries and the inaugural
‘Where are you at 25’ reunion. There have also been
moving anniversaries marked by the wider PGS
community, including the centenary of the start of
the First World War.
The William Smith Fund was launched, fittingly, on
Founder’s Day with our final service of the year in
St Thomas’s Cathedral. Over the summer holiday, a
team of young OPs and recent leavers took part in an
extensive telephone campaign which, thanks to the
wonderful generosity of alumni, parents, staff and
friends, attracted over £130K in pledges and donations
towards our bursary programme. Further donations,
including a gift of £20K from the OP Charity, mean that
the campaign has raised over £200K in this opening
phase, enabling us to support more pupils who will
benefit from a PGS education regardless of their
financial background.
The OP Club and School worked closely together in
commemorating the First World War Centenary with
the ‘Honouring the 131’ campaign to visit the graves
and memorials of all those former pupils and staff who
lost their lives in the 1914-18 conflict. A new Book of
Remembrance has been created, also available online, showing images from the visits made by pupils,
parents, staff and OPs, and a copy was presented to
the school by the OP Club on 11 November. As OPs
gathered at Hilsea for the traditional sports day on
13 December, it was also poignant to remember OP and
submariner Lt Norman Holbrook whose exploits in the
Dardanelles had taken place exactly one hundred years
ago to the day, earning him the first Victoria Cross ever
awarded to a submariner. Norman had enjoyed success
as a young sportsman at Hilsea, and a new plaque has
been mounted on the front of the Upper Junior School
to commemorate his time in the school.
It was great fun in the summer term to welcome back
former pupils who had reached the age of 25 and were
now establishing themselves in their professional lives
but who, as was evident in an entertaining evening
here at school, had lost none of their enthusiasm for
PGS and clearly enjoyed catching up with old friends’
news. We look forward to making this an annual event
in the future given our commitment to prepare pupils
for where they will be at 25.
Valete
At the end of the autumn term we said farewell to
Mrs Resouly and Mrs Quail, both of whom have played
a significant part in the life of the school as parents
and governors. We look forward to their continuing
association and support as Governors Emeritus.
We also bade farewell to a number of staff in the
summer. Miss Cunningham and Dr Gilbert (Maths);
Mr Ives (now Head of German at Tormead School);
Mr Clayton Shepherd (Head of Rugby); Mr Chalk
(Head of Computing); Mrs Hammal (History and
Politics); and Mr Crénel (French), all made significant
contributions in their time here and we wish them
well in their new adventures, which for Dr Gilbert
and Mr Chalk involve moves to schools in Turkey
and Sri Lanka respectively.
We also expressed our thanks to Mrs Stephenson and
Mrs Bates, both of whom retired from the Biology
department; to Mr Rutherford (Head of Hockey) who,
happily, continues to coach part-time with us; and
Mr Earley, who has been a dedicated rugby coach
for 24 years, introducing countless generations to his
beloved sport at Hilsea. We also saluted the Deputy
Bursar (Facilities), Mr Lowe, who retired after 15 years,
having played a prominent role in the development of
the school’s estate since the acquisition of Cambridge
House in 2000.
Mr Elphick-Smith enjoyed a well-earned promotion as
Deputy Head of Mayville High School, having taught at
PGS for 27 years where he will be fondly remembered
as the scholarly and sartorial Head of both Latter and
Smith Houses. As he was fond of quoting from William
Smith’s thesis on human conception: ‘factotum extra
uterum vivere est possibile’, which he liked to translate
as, ‘Go forth from the womb and thrive!’
And finally, we said farewell to Mrs Giles who has
spent her entire 37 year teaching career at PGS where
she has been Head of Geography, Senior Teacher
(Learning) and a dedicated member of the Middle
School pastoral team. We wish her a long and very
happy retirement as she puts her geographical skills
to use in travelling the globe.
Come to the Edge
It was a strange experience at Prizegiving last year to
have a guest of honour whose identity we were unable
to reveal in advance for security purposes. Former
Director-General of MI5 Baroness ManninghamBuller, had a clear and compelling message: “There are
fantastic opportunities for you to change the world for
the better,” she said, “much more than our generation
had. Make sure you take your share of them.”
This year, in the company of Dr Rosemary Hill, the
award-wining historian and, until his death in 2011,
wife of the poet and Old Portmuthian Christopher
Logue, it is exhilarating to be revealing a different
secret- the beautiful new sculpture inspired by Logue’s
poem Come to the Edge which has been under cover at
the entrance to the new Sixth Form Centre, waiting for
this very moment. As I hope this report amply shows,
it is with confidence and excitement that we accept
Logue’s invitation and look forward to all that is to
come in the year ahead.
Prizegiving 2015 9
Staff and pupils take part in a game of Zorb Football, one of the many charity events during the year
Postgraduate qualifications
Long Service Awards
Mrs A Casillas-Cross
MA in Learning and Teaching from the
University of Portsmouth
Mr G Likely
Mrs S Tyacke
Mr S Lockyer
MA in Learning and Teaching from the
University of Buckingham
Mr S Taylor
MA in Education from the University of Bath
These staff have all successfully completed their
postgraduate qualification in the last year.
Long service awards are made to PGS support and
teaching staff who have served 25 years in the school.
1. Scholarships, Exhibitions and Grants Already Awarded
Philip Barrett Choral Scholarship
Melissa Talbot
Year 7
Foundation Scholarships
Oliver Durrant
Alice Ren
Oliver Jameson
Benjamin Millard
Dinura Ranmandala
Dulcie Langley Adam Tahri
Roseanna Sambles Olivia Spink Foundation Exhibitions
William Hartridge James Stephenson
Honorary Foundation Exhibitions
Finn de Trafford
Flora Sprague
These awards, made on the Foundation, nominally
represent the enduring bequest of the Founder,
William Smith MD, Mayor of Portsmouth and
Physician to its Garrison. The Grand Jury of
Portsmouth had lamented in 1717 that residents were
sending their children far afield, and at great cost, for
their schooling. The first requirement, they felt, was
however a common pound for animals; and so it fell
to Smith, on his deathbed fifteen years later, to remedy
the educational situation – or at any rate to bequeath
the land on the Isle of Wight that would provide the
income to allow a school to be started, under the
auspices of Smith’s adopted college, Christ Church
Oxford. This the college eventually did, in 1750.
All Rounder Awards
Charles Drummond
Josh Fawcett
Florence Wassenberg
Governor Presentation Awards
Lucy Albuery
Todd Riddington
Giordano Avondo
Daniel Smith
Henry Buckle Oliver Kettle
Prizegiving 2015 11
Year 9
Alastair Hornby Exhibitions
Chelsea Liu
Isla Sligo-Young
Alice Taylor-Smith
Alastair Hornby was Head of Physics for many years,
Common Room Cricket XI. A loyal and firm citizen,
PGS as well as introducing A Level Electronics. A keen
received a civic funeral on his death. The awards were
and consolidated the development of the subject at
sportsman, he was an especially potent member of the
he became a city councillor on retirement in 1984 and
first made in 1988, donated by his family after his death.
Nock Scholarships
Felix Johnson
Honorary Nock Scholarships
Dominic Ager Sophie Mitchell Nikhila Behari Amanda Rees-Frometa Georgina Haslam Victoria Toh Joshua Tunstall
Poppy Wright
Georgina Lewis
Jonathan Yang
Nock Exhibitions
Miranda Gent
Arthur Darby Nock (PGS 1912-1919) won a scholarship
In 1937, Nock returned to PGS to present the Prizes and
of Clare College aged only 21. Aged only 28, he was
was not short on advice. Parents should realise that
to Trinity College Cambridge and was made a Fellow
elected to the Frothingham Chair of Comparative
Religion, the youngest ever election to a Harvard
Professorship. Nock was a much loved eccentric, at
all times and in all weathers carting with him a rolled
umbrella. A noted polymath, he was the author not only
of several works on philosophy and religion but also of
the Oxford Classical Dictionary.
his address, though witty and refreshingly spontaneous,
the quality of education they could obtain for their
children at PGS was of equal breadth to that in the top
boarding schools yet remarkably inexpensively priced:
they should rejoice in the nationally high standing of
PGS and in their ‘unique opportunity’. In his will he
bequeathed the majority of his estate to PGS, where it
remains held in trust.
Governor Presentation Awards
Thomas Beattie
Felix Talbot
Charles Hennessy
Art Scholarship
Thomas Beattie
Drama Scholarship
Finlay Elliot
Sacha Hemingway
Drama Exhibition
Alice Acklam
George Downing
Manohar Music Scholarship
Jonathan Yang
Music Scholarship
Phoebe Hiller
Music Exhibition
Benjamin Steggall
Sports Scholarship
Poppy Wright
Rebecca Stone
Ella McAvoy
Max Saint
Year 10
Art Scholarship
Alice Leonard
Sports Scholarship
Edward Drayson
Sixth Form
Alastair Hornby Scholarships
Elizabeth Greenfield
Samuel Rush
Layla Link
Ishaq Miah
Raunak Mukherjee
Alastair Hornby Exhibitions
Alexander Butler
Sam Caldera
Lloyd Morgan
Honorary Nock Scholarships
Thomas Cleary James Maddison Naomi White Johanna Horsman Thomas Rafferty Frank Xu
Sian Latham Henry Ling
Francesca Strongitharm-Cornell
Ashleigh Dekker
Laura Verrecchia
Cicely Podmore
Florence Wilcocks
Holly Baker
Joe Stirrup
Sainsbury Scholarships
Sebastian Chapman
Devlin Stigant
Chloe Spraggs
Sainsbury Exhibitions
Madeleine Bacon
These commemorate Norman Sainsbury (1910-1997),
linguist and librarian. Norman Sainsbury won a
scholarship to PGS and always felt that the school,
and in particular his Housemaster, H S Hawkey,
was responsible for his success in later life. He won
a Classical scholarship to Cambridge, where he
discovered an interest in oriental languages. He went on
to a distinguished career as a librarian, first at the School
of Oriental and African Studies and subsequently as
Keeper of Oriental Books at the Bodleian.
During the Second World War, Sainsbury was
seconded to the Foreign Office; he never spoke in
detail about the nature of his duties, but for a time he
was employed at Bletchley Park, where his keen and
analytical mind would certainly have been put to good
use. Sainsbury also possessed considerable managerial
skills, which he used to make major improvements
to the organisation of the oriental collections at both
SOAS and the Bodleian.
Mrs Evelyn Margaret Sainsbury endowed the PGS
Sainsbury Scholarships in memory of her husband and
left a further legacy to the school on her death in 2001.
Wilkie Scholarship
Lucy Burroughs
Faith Menkah
Mr Brian Wilkie, a successful businessman based in
the United Arab Emirates, attended Mayfield School
from 1960 to 1966, when it was known as Northern
Grammar School. He set up the scholarship in 2012 to
help young people from Mayfield School to continue
their studies in the Sixth Form at PGS in order that
they could achieve their potential at university and
beyond, no matter what their financial circumstances.
Prizegiving 2015 13
Father Michael Peters Award
Ananthi Parekh
Instituted in 2006. Father Michael Peters (PGS 19461955) explained the purpose of the Award as follows:
Parents make many financial sacrifices in order that their
children can experience the standard of education offered
by schools such as The Portsmouth Grammar School. Such
is our usual enthusiasm to get on that we can so easily
overlook their generosity until it strikes home much later
in our lives. When we arrive at this full realisation, we seek
ways to show our gratitude. Such is my reason for donating
to the PGS Development Fund in memory of my parents,
my Godparents and my young sister, Melinda, who suffered
much but is now at peace. RIP.
The award is given at the Headmaster’s discretion to a
pupil in Sixth Form.
Drama Scholarship
Rory Greenwood
Abigail Moss
Honorary Drama Scholarship
Emma Dorricott
Drama Exhibitions
Harry Dutton
International Baccalaureate Scholarship
Charlotte Phillips
Music Scholarship
Francesca Clayton
Samuel Gibb
Music Exhibitions
Michaela Clancy
Theodore Hornsey
Florence Wilcocks
Cameron Hopkins
Edward Jenkinson
Sport Scholarship
Ashleigh Dekker
Malindi Rowley
The Drew Gibson Sports Scholarship
Karl Evans
This prestigious scholarship has been established by the
Drew Gibson is remembered as a man of great
and in recognition of the impact that PGS sports had
He was a regular and keen supporter of PGS sports
Gibson family in memory of Drew Gibson (1926-2012)
on his three grandsons, Christopher (PGS 2003-2009),
James (PGS 1998-2011) and Robert (PGS 1998-2012).
Their mother, Rebecca (née Powell) (PGS 1980-1982),
was one of only six girls admitted to the Lower Sixth in
the early days of co-education.
generosity who passionately pursued his goals.
teams in which his grandsons played. His scholarship
is awarded to a Sixth Form pupil and will provide
similar outstanding opportunities to those his
grandsons enjoyed.
Other
PGS Leonardo Poetry Competition
Year 7: Abid Ali
Year 8: Alice Marchant
Year 9: Sam Harris
PGS Leonardo Poetry Cup
Abid Ali
Ron Vearncombe joined PGS as a Maths teacher in
1948. He became Head of Maths in 1954, and remained
at the school until his retirement in 1978. He combined
academic excellence with modesty, wit, compassion,
and common sense allied with a canny eye for the
physiognomy of his colleagues and the ephemera of
PGS décor. A selection of his paintings still hangs in
the Common Room and one was used as the front
cover for the Prizegiving programme in 2006 as a
commemorative gesture in the year of his death. Not
only was Mr Vearncombe an inspirational teacher,
but also a dedicated cricket coach, a talented artist
and a gifted pianist. He established the Leonardo
competition in 1958 to foster creative talent.
Ogden Scholars
Kendall Field-Pellow
Isabelle Reeder
These bursaries are provided by the Ogden Trust to
promote the study of the sciences and especially at
Sixth Form and beyond.
The Headmaster and Mr Richardson with Abid Ali and the other participants in this year’s Leonardo poetry competition
Prizegiving 2015 15
Prizegiving trivia from past years
T
he Bishop of St Albans was to have
presented the prizes in 1905, but
missed his train.
Future Prime Minister, Anthony Eden,
came in 1948. His speech emphasised
“the link between the spread of
education and the preservation of
world peace”. He hoped that the
boys would “take the view that their
school was certainly the best school in
England, and probably the best school
in the British Empire”. It was, he said,
“the independent quality of our British
schools and our British character that
had created and moulded our history.
If ever that were lost we should fall into
a drab, dull uniformity in which we
should not even care who won the
Test Match”.
In 1916, the Guest of Honour at the
prizegiving ceremony admitted to being
a superstitious old sailor and refused
to present prizes on the scheduled date
of Friday the 13th. It was agreed that
Sir Stanley Colville – the Commander
in Chief, Portsmouth - would present
the prizes on Thursday the 12th. After
doing so he urged pupils who had not
won anything to “cheer up”. Many of
them “had worked harder than the boys
who had won prizes; there were other
and nobler prizes to be gained in the
afterlife”.
Headmaster Canon Barton interrupted
proceedings when the phrase “quite all
right” was used at Prizegiving in 1932.
He explained that “All right is quite
right and quite right is all right, but
quite all right is all wrong”.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition and
Headmaster Canon Barton,
who ensured that everything
at Prizegiving in 1932 was
“all right”.
In 1918, the Guest of Honour was an
old soldier, Major General W Douglas
Smith CB. He was “struck by the
good tone of the school, the boys
always looking so cheerful and well
dressed”. He told the pupils that “the
object of schooling is not only to learn
Latin, etcetera, but to be trained to be
gentlemen – honourable, trustful and
Prizegiving at The Kings Theatre with the future Prime Minister Anthony Eden, 1948
Described as “cheerful and well-dressed” - PGS pupils in 1919
chivalrous”. He recommended the book Tom Brown’s
Schooldays as “giving a fine example of the qualities a
real gentleman should possess”.
Lord Charles Beresford, admiral and Member
of Parliament, was considered by many to be
a personification of John Bull and was always
accompanied by his trademark bulldog. When he
distributed the prizes in 1910 he exhorted pupils to be
“manly, sober and patriotic”.
In 1952, the Guest of Honour was Mr John
Wolfenden, Vice-Chancellor of Reading University,
who said that “the world’s future depended on boys
like those at the Grammar School” - it was up to them
to “clear up the mess left by the elder generation” and
“to pull the world out of its rut, and restore the old
standards, or set up new and higher ones.” Five years
later he famously authored a report recommending
the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the United
Kingdom.
In 2009, God made an appearance at Prizegiving.
The actor Robert Hardy, who had appeared in the
school’s 2008 Cathedral production of Noye’s Fludde in
the role of a vengeful God, returned to the Cathedral
to play a munificent God.
Prizegiving 2015 17
2. Progress Prizes and Other Prizes Already Awarded
Year 7 Progress Prizes
Grace Beardsley
William Davis
Emily Nelson Charles Walker
Claudia Bishop Haba Aimon
Edward Payton
Anna Caldwell
Jake Jordan
Grace Saunders
Alice Acklam
Alexander Downer
Alice Marchant
Victoria Toh
Dominic Ager
Georgina Haslam
Samara Materna
Oliver Wisbey
Henry Chandler
Rufus Hornsey
Amanda Rees-Frometa
Ryan Zhou
Eleanor Bolton
Max Hill
Fenton Murphy
Thomas Robertson
Thomas Coyle
Alexandra Lemieux
Finlay Parson
Codey Simmons
Alexander Gibson
Thea Morgan
Molly Renton
Nadia Vloemans
Thomas Baker
Thomas Crundwell
Fergus Gibson
Emma Priory
Lydia Buckeridge
Loren Dean
Kirsten Goves
Thomas Ross
Louisa Buckle
Alfred Edworthy
Thomas Leggett
Harry Wratten
James Brader
James Duff
Sophie Locke-Cooper
Jack Rockett
Naomi Brigg
Jonathan Entwistle
Harry Norton
Robert Schofield
Stephanie Choi
Madison Gould
Georgia Robertson
Alexander Young
The Le Breton Single Wicket Cup
Rory Prentice
The Le Breton Single Wicket Cup is awarded for
outstanding cricketing achievements during the year.
Prior to 2009, this trophy had not been awarded for
many years, in fact one of the last recipients was Mike
Wedderburn (now well known as a presenter on Sky
Sports News) back in 1982. Our very own Mr Gary
Payne, now retired from teaching in the Junior School,
also won the trophy as a sixth former in 1981.
Old Portmuthian Club Sports’ Prizes
Oliver Brown
Rugby
Boys’ Hockey
Roshun Laly
Girls’ Hockey
Anna Reynolds
Cricket
Andrew Gorvin
Girls’ Tennis
Georgina Milward
Boys’ Tennis
Benjamin Stainton
Netball
Florence Stow
The OP Club presents the Captain of each sport in
which there is an OP fixture, with a salver to mark
their contribution to sport at PGS.
The House Trophy
The Ithaka Prize
Latter and Eastwood
Charlotte Kent
To celebrate the centenary of the House system at
PGS in 2010 – 2011, the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth
commissioned a new trophy, complete with the Lord
Mayor’s Coat of Arms, to mark the close bond between
the school and city of Portsmouth. The trophy, awarded
across a calendar year, incorporates all the House
competitions, individual academic successes and cocurricular achievements. It is unique in that the trophy is
awarded jointly to the Senior and Middle School House.
The Prize is awarded annually for the best PGS
submission or IB Extended Essay. Year 12 pupils
complete these independent research projects to enhance
their study skills and knowledge and understanding of a
subject of interest to them.
PGS Extend Commended Pupils
Joshua Arnold
James Campkin
Roxanne Goacher
Alexander Harding
Alice MacBain
Ben Priory
Edward Rose
Hugh Summers
James Baker
Jemima Carter
Aaron Gough
Parinaz Hosseini-Ashrafi
Agatha Newton
Peter Rapp
Phoebe Shepherd
Nicholas Ward
Alice Bennett
Nathaniel Charles
Holly Govey
Eleanor Jewell
Philippa Noble
Anna Reynolds
Lara Spirit
Dominic Waters
Oliver Brotherton
Michaela Clancy
Sally Hall
Rhiannon Lasrado
Jamie Parker-Jervis
Cameron Roberts
Harry Staley
A Commendation is awarded to those pupils whose PGS Extend projects are judged outstanding by the marker.
Charlotte Kent receiving the Ithaka Award from Dr Graham Giles
Prizegiving 2015 19
Pupils Attaining Outstanding Results in GCSE
The following pupils gained at least 9 A* grades at GCSE – an asterisk indicates those who gained all A*s:
George Andrews
Sam Caldera
Ashleigh Dekker*
Ishaq Miah
Samuel Rush*
Joe Stirrup
Madeleine Bacon
Baldev Chahal*
Grace Goodfellow*
Lloyd Morgan
Imogen Scheel
Joshua Titley*
Holly Baker*
Sebastian Chapman*
Harriet Hammans*
Raunak Mukherjee*
Jack Silver*
Laura Verrecchia*
Alexander Butler
Oliver Clark
James Harper
Cicely Podmore*
Devlin Stigant*
Gemma Webb*
Pupils Attaining Outstanding Results at A Level
The following pupils attained 3 A grades or more – an asterisk indicates those who gained at least 3 A*s:
Hugo Andrew*
Dominic Baker
Alice Bennett
Oliver Brown*
William Dekker
Roxanne Goacher*
Philippa Harris
Benjamin Jackson
Gemma Liu
Harry Purcell
Geoffrey Sherwood
Katherine Tobin
Harrison Whitworth
Mustafa Ahmed
James Baker*
Samuel Betteridge
Harry Colley
Christopher-James de Wilde
Callum Grealish
Charles Henderson
Jemima Lawson*
Anastasia Manuel
Cameron Roberts*
Lara Spirit
Alexander Todd
Joshua Arnold
Maxwell Bazley
Alexander Boden
Alice Cornier
William Evans*
Thomas Griffiths
Philip Horton*
Oliver Ling
Max Matthews
David Robjohns
Florence Stow
Nicholas Ward
Jeevan Athwal
Ella Beard
Bethany Bridgen
Isabella De Guisa
Samuel Gardener
Alexander Harding*
Parinaz Hosseini-Ashrafi
Anni Liu
Phoebe Pexton
Rory Sellwood
Jonathan Titley
Dominic Waters
Pupils Attaining Outstanding Results at IB
The following pupils attained Level 6 or above in at least 4 subjects – an asterisk indicates those who gained
at least 4 Level 7s:
Julia Alsop
Louisa Dassow*
Joseph Muir
Yasmin Bappoo
Holly Govey
Shivani Patel
Some of this year’s successful cohort of IB pupils
Oliver Brotherton Jemima Carter*
Charlotte Kent* Rhiannon Lasrado*
Caitlin Taylor Benjamin Webb
Jemima Carter and Charlotte Kent
who scored the maximum 45 points
in their IB Diploma
Results Day Joy
A Level and GCSE pupils celebrating their success
Prizegiving 2015 21
3. Year Prizes
Year 7 Subject Prizes
Art
Computing
English
Geography History Mathematics Physical Science
PRS
Technology Sports Felix Barr
Sarnaz Hossain
Habina Seo
Manas Harish
Oliver Thomas
Robin Cavusoglu
Abid Ali
Sophie Martin
Megan Latham
Rory Buckeridge
Poppy Herbert
Biology Arya Gowda
Drama
Honor Mitchell-Brock
French
Megan Latham
German
Benjamin Nash
Latin Manas Harish
Music
Benjamin Nash
Portsmouth Curriculum Sebastian Sharpe
Spanish Sarnaz Hossain
Art
Computing English
Geography History Mathematics Physical Science
Spanish Sports 22 The Portsmouth Grammar School
Liberty Forbes-Lane
Ben Priory
Robert Mitchell
Daniel Kirwan
Cameron Clarke
Vishvesh Mehta
Daniel Kirwan
Frederick Wood
Jack Pearce
Rosie Harfield
Biology Drama
French
German Latin Music
PRS
Technology Thomas Lees
Finlay Elliot
Robert Mitchell
Johannes Luckmann
Sacha Hemingway
Matilda Goldman
Merlin Cross
Sophie Mitchell
Middle School Prizes
Vallum Cup
Peter Wren Chess Cup
Nadine Hugec
Eastwood House
The Vallum Cup is awarded annually to an outstanding
Modern Languages and Classics pupil in the Middle
School. It was donated by Mrs Barfield and Mrs Seely in
1991, in memory of their father, Harold Wall, who was a
pupil at the school between 1918 and 1925.
This prize was established in memory of Peter
Wren, a Middle School pupil who died in 1978. Peter
particularly enjoyed chess and natural history, and so
in addition to this prize a new fresh-water pond was
created on Farlington Marshes, known as Peter’s Pond.
Anne Stokes Middle School Recognitions Cup
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Short Story Prize
Barton House
Abid Ali
Anne Stokes was a relation by marriage to Tony
Stokes, Head of the Lower School. This cup was
presented in 1959, the year in which her older son,
Richard, concluded his career as a PGS pupil and won
a place at Queens College, Cambridge. This cup is
awarded annually to the Middle School House that has
attained the highest number of recognitions.
Middle School Music Cup
Jonathan Yang
This prize is awarded to a pupil who has contributed
to Music throughout the Middle School.
The William Smith Chorister Medal
Elliot Robinson-Randell
Anna Caldwell
Part of the Portsmouth Curriculum course and taught
by the Headmaster, this prize is awarded by him to the
best short story based upon a new mystery involving
Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.
Middle School Service Prizes
Alice Acklam
Sophie Jennings
Samara Materna
Adam Stokely
Sebastian Algieri
Louis Johnson
Sophie Mitchell
Theo Wilson
Middle School Prize for Best Overall Pupil
Matilda Goldman
The medal is presented in memory of Mark Alexander
Ready (PGS 1988–1998) who was a chorister at the
Cathedral from 1988-1993. After his time as a chorister,
he returned to the Cathedral choir as a tenor whilst in
the Sixth Form at PGS. Mark gained friendship and
purpose from the choir and he relished the challenge
of making beautiful music for the glory of God.
The medal is awarded each year to someone who
relishes the same challenge every bit as much as Mark.
The William Smith Chorister Medal
Prizegiving 2015 23
Art Chemistry Drama Enterprise
French German History Mathematics Physics Spanish Sports Alice Leonard
Philippa Noble
Douglas James
Dominic Roberts
Carolina Avondo
Natasha Palfrey
Nicholas Ng
Thomas Groves
Alice Leonard
Emily Whitehead
Nicholas Walters
Charlotte Dean
Biology Computing English Food and Nutrition Geography Greek
Latin Music PRS Technology Philippa Noble
Katie O’Flaherty
Nicholas Ng
Abigail Wood
Sam Harris
Trinity Goacher
Natasha Palfrey
Patrick Kirwan
Emma Watkins
Jake Griffiths
Art
Business Studies Classical Civilisation
English French German History Mathematics Physics Spanish Sports Ella Howard
Charles Ogden-Wallis
Hector Bonnin
Fenella Johnson
Samuel Houlberg
Katie Sharp
Samuel Houlberg
Shafi Ahmed
Katie Sharp
Nicole Hugec
Sam Drayson
Megan Dossett
Biology Chemistry Drama Food and Nutrition
Geography Greek
Latin Music PRS Technology Isabella Ingram
Biology Chemistry Drama English Literature
French German History
Mathematics Physics Spanish Sports Lloyd Morgan
Frederick Sligo-Young
Julian Davis
Marisja van Nieuwkerk
Josh Cant
Benjamin Ward
Finley Bacon
Elizabeth Howe
Isabella Ingram
James Taylor
Art Business Studies
Classical Civilisation
English Language
Food and Nutrition Geography
Greek Latin Music PRS Technology Imogen Scheel
Lloyd Morgan
Edward Mitchell
Frederike Radermacher
Oliver Pidden
Samuel Rush
Raunak Mukherjee
Baldev Chahal
William Futcher
Ashleigh Dekker
Oliver Gent
Devlin Stigant
Emma Dorricott
Baldev Chahal
Grace Goodfellow
Alexander Butler
Samuel Rush
Joshua Titley
Alexander Butler
Gemma Webb
Joe Stirrup
Isobel Stancliffe
Year 9 - 11 Extra Prizes
Tudor Prize For Theatrical Promise
Dominic Roberts
Drama was introduced to the PGS curriculum whist
John Tudor (PGS 1986-1999) was a pupil at the school.
His parents funded this award in order to stimulate
dramatic endeavour and reward theatrical talent. John
Tudor subsequently became a Gap Year Student at PGS
and went on to a career in Arts Administration.
John Braun Award for Creative Writing
Emily Whitehead
John Braun (PGS 1924-1934)
was born a few days after the
Battle of Jutland and joined
PGS in 1924 at the age of eight,
where he developed a love of
both reading and writing poetry
and his first published poems
appeared in The Portmuthian.
He took a full and active part in
school life, served as a librarian
and Prefect and was a formidable opponent in the
Debating Society. He remembered the opening of the
former Cambridge Barracks as the senior school in 1927
and the visit of the Prince of Wales the following year.
Alongside his remarkably varied career as a solicitor,
in Army Intelligence, in the advertising industry and
finally with the EEC in Brussels, he wrote poetry and
librettos for operas under the nom de plume John Cromer
and was a consultant in the publication of several
anthologies of poems of the Second World War.
Following his death in March 2014 John’s daughter,
Philippa Grier, instituted this prize for a Year 9 pupil
whose creative writing shows promise. The Award is
being presented for the first time this year.
Chris Suter Prize for History
Canon Grant Prize for Philosophy
and Religious Studies
Lana Watt
This prize commemorates Christopher Suter (PGS
2001-2003) a keen historian, who got the top mark at
History GCSE, but did not live to see his result. The
prize was donated by his mother in 2007.
Lesley Spofforth Prize for Mathematical Promise
Imogen Davies
Lesley Spofforth, Maths teacher, Examinations
Officer and Senior Teacher at PGS (1999-2007) was an
outstanding teacher and much-loved colleague. The
Spofforth family – husband Mark, son Peter (PGS
2000-2007) and daughter Gemma – have generously
donated this prize in Lesley’s memory.
Marcus Young Computing Prize
David Danso-Amoako
Marcus Young (PGS 1956-1961) went on to become a
distinguished financier. He donated the prize in 1982
on his retirement as Chairman of the Governing Body
Finance Committee.
Jordan Gibson
Originally established by Canon Robert Grant,
father of Canon EP Grant, the Chairman of Governors
and re-founder of PGS. Governors’ Minutes include
the following letter from Robert Grant, dated
8 February 1879:
Gentlemen, Having received the rudiments of my education
at The Portsmouth Grammar School, I have much pleasure
in offering with your permission two annual prizes of the
value of £2 and £1 respectively to the Boy in the Upper and
Lower School who passes the best examination in Scriptural
Knowledge.
Mike Reynolds Memorial Prize for Sport
Ashleigh Dekker
Donated by the parents and friends of Mike Reynolds
(PGS 1950-1958) in 1971. It was to be awarded annually
to both a Sixth Form and a Year 10-11 pupil for
promoting the good name of the school, by playing a
school-taught sport, outside of PGS.
Prizegiving 2015 25
From the top: The winning House Drama cast and crew; the opening song from this year’s Prefects’ assembly in the cathedral;
pupils taking part in the Lockheed Martin Challenge Day; an excerpt from this year’s musical at The Kings theatre, “Kiss Me
Kate”; the visit of HRH, The Earl of Wessex to open the Sixth Form Centre; the South Coast 7s tournament at Hilsea; pupils
writing in Mandarin during the Year 8 Languages’ Day and part of the jazz band performing at the Spring Concert
Art
W H Hore Geography Prize
Ella Davis
Lucy Tyler
Business Studies Alexi Paxman
Sir Peter Carey Classical Civilisation Prize
James Duff
Sir Peter Carey GCB (PGS 1933-1941) became
Senior Prefect in his final year. He went to Oriel
College, Oxford and then attended the School of
Slavonic Studies at London University. He served
in the Second World War alongside Evelyn Waugh
with the Partisans in Yugoslavia before joining
the Civil Service, where he worked in various
departments before becoming Permanent Secretary
to the Department of Industry. In 1995 he opened
the PGS Sixth Form Centre, and in the same year
gave the prize for the most deserving Classicist.
Drama and Theatre Studies
Anna Sykes
J D Hopkinson Prize for Earth Science
Harrison Edwards
J D Hopkinson taught Geography at PGS between
1949 and 1990. A distinguished coach of many
sports as well as being Housemaster of Eastwood
House, then Grant House, he also introduced
Geology to the curriculum.
Moores Rowland Economics Prize
Oliver Wratten
This prize was first awarded in 1990 to the most
promising Economics pupil at PGS and was
funded by Moores Rowland International.
Electronics Michael Rollins
Godfrey Green Memorial Prize for English
Dorothea Charles
Morris Godfrey Green (PGS 1948-1956) joined the
Lower School in 1948. He played for Nicol House
cricket team and was also member of the House
boxing team. In the senior school he excelled at
English Language, and this prize was established
to celebrate the subject in his memory.
W H Hore served in the Second World War where
his skills as a Geographer were employed in
mapping the beaches of Northern France. He taught
Geography between 1945 and 1956 and awarded
this prize on leaving the school. He subsequently
became Headmaster of Bec School, and of RGS
Guildford.
Peter Forster Prize for
Geography Fieldwork Studies
Adam Blunden
Peter Forster (PGS 1996-2006) became Senior Prefect
in his final year and went on to study English at
Oxford. Peter’s family established this annual award
for the pupil producing the best A Level Geography
coursework, to commemorate his time in the school.
Government and Politics
William Dry
Greek
Thomas Rafferty
J S Cox Memorial Prize for History
Anna Sykes
John Salisbury Cox was a pupil of PGS for only one
year, but no alumnus could prove more proud or
more loyal. He was a lifelong member of the OP
Club, serving as both Treasurer and President, and
initiated outreach programmes for disadvantaged
young people. The OP Club funded the prize in
1938 to commemorate his devotion to the Club and
school and his philanthropy in the city.
Arthur Darby Nock Prize for Latin
Thomas Rafferty
Sir William Crossman Memorial Prize for
Mathematics
Reetobrata Chatterjee
Major General Sir William Crossman was MP for
Portsmouth from 1885 to 1892, firstly as a Liberal
and then as a Liberal Unionist. He died in 1901.
The prize started as the Crossman Prize for English
in 1928. In 1937 it became a Memorial Prize for
Mathematics, for reasons no longer known: it is
almost certainly a coincidence that the Prizes were
given away by the eccentric polymath A D Nock in
that year.
Prizegiving 2015 27
Allison Prize for Mathematics and Science
James Campkin
Philip Allison (PGS 1933-1940), won a King’s
Scholarship in 1937. He then returned to PGS as
a member of staff from 1947-1952, teaching both
Maths and Science. The prize was donated in 1984
by Mrs Allison in memory of her husband. The most
prestigious of the prizes available to a pupil on the
Maths and Science side, it is awarded by the Head of
Science to the outstanding pupil in the year group in
either or both of these subjects.
Bryan Gardner Modern Languages Prizes:
Ciara Dossett
French
German
Katherine Lemieux
Spanish
Madeleine de Vere
Music
Physical Education
PRS
Psychology
Francesca Strongitharm-Cornell
Emily Walters
Alexander Sligo-Young
Robert Weekes
Hawkey Memorial Prizes for Science
Aisling Hicks
Biology
Chemistry
Matthew Roberts
Physics
Elliot Ebert
David Simmonds
Henry Symons Hawkey, Science Teacher between
1906-1937, died in 1959. He achieved a 1st class degree
in Natural Science and a 1st class degree in English.
The Housemaster of Grant House, he was also a
PGS football coach and referee. This prize was first
awarded in 1960.
Some mystery surrounds this prize. The efforts
of Bryan Gardner’s Year 9 biographer seeking a
photo of Gardner as Captain of the 2nd XI are to
a certain extent symbolic: “I looked all around
the school but this was to no avail”. Bryan
Gardner, who left school as Captain of Latter
House on 31 July 1943 was the youngest in his
year but was nonetheless the best at German
(and President of the Gramophone Society). He
went to Oxford for a short course, and joined
the RNVR whilst there. He died of pneumonia
in the spring of 1944, aged only 18, but he
does not have an official memorial, probably
because he died whilst training. He is, however,
honoured on the PGS War Memorial and the
Headmaster, Donald Lindsay, readily acceded
to the request of Gardner’s parents that he
should be commemorated by a prize for Modern
Languages. The prize was first presented by
Mr and Mrs Gardner to Dennis Dangerfield at a
ceremony in the theatre on Southsea Pier in 1946.
Bosworth Wright Memorial Prize for Science
Pall Europe Prize for Modern Languages
First awarded in 1997, and sponsored by Councillor
Brian Read, Lord Mayor and Governor.
Catriona Ellis
A link between Pall Europe and PGS was established
because a former President of Pall Corporation,
Jeremy Haward-Surry was the father of Paul HawardSurry (PGS 1976-1986). Following a visit by Upper
Sixth scientists to Pall Europe in 1989 “to explore
opportunities in industry”, a gift was made – the Pall
Europe Prize – for “projects linking commerce or
industry with a modern language”. The award was
made by the Managing Director, Maurice Hardy. It
is now a general prize for the outstanding language
pupil of the year.
Edwina Bishop
Alderman Dr Bosworth Wright became the City
Council’s representative on the Governing Body
between 1909-1938 and the Chairman of Governors
for the last of these years. He was the first President
of the OP Club. The Portmuthian remembered him as
follows: He was to this school more than a distinguished
and well-beloved citizen. His fine blend of geniality and
dignity, his tolerant but shrewd judgements made him at
once a respected leader and a warm friend. None of its sons
could have served this school better. None can have more
endeared himself to all who have been associated in its work.
The Bosworth Wright Prize was first awarded in
Autumn 1939 in his memory, presented by
Mrs Bosworth Wright. It was originally a cup for
inter-house football. It is now awarded by the
Head of Science to the best scientist in the year.
Brian Read Design and Technology Prize
Alexander Young
IB – Creativity Action Service
Edward Guy
IB – Extended Essay
Charlotte Kent
IB – Theory of Knowledge
Jadon Buckeridge
Sports Prize
Benjamin Caldera
Naomi Brigg
Other Sixth Form Prizes
Ivan Nelson Memorial Prize for Medicine
Ayling String Prize
Jemima Lawson
Brandon Choi
Dr Ivan Nelson was Medical Officer of Health for
Gosport 1963-1974 and Area Community Physician
for Hampshire Area Health Authority 1974-1979.
Dr Nelson would often be seen at Hilsea during
autumn and winter terms, administering to the
bruises, bumps and sprains of various Rugby XVs.
The prize was established in his memory by his sons,
Bob and David, to give financial assistance to a pupil
from PGS who is going on to study medicine.
First awarded in 1991 the award was to encourage
string playing at a time when the Music department
was heavily dominated by brass players. Mrs Mary
Ayling, Vice Chairman of Governors, was a key figure
in the introduction of co-education. Though the
family had considerable prowess at cricket (husband
Christopher (PGS 1950-1956) was on the Hampshire
Committee, and son Jon (PGS 1975-1985) spent several
seasons with Hampshire) the family were always keen
supporters of school music.
Jaya Gunatillaka Engineering Prize
Hannah Males
Jaya Gunatillaka (F.I. Chem E.) was the Chairman of
the Portsmouth and Southampton branch of IChemE
who originally donated this prize and, as a former
parent, is kindly continuing to support the award.
The prize recognizes a Year 12 pupil studying science
with a strong academic record who has also shown
an all-round interest in the co-curriculum and other
opportunities for personal development.
Sarah Quail Prize for History
Louisa Dassow
In the last decade, PGS has won a national reputation
for the quality of its partnership projects in History.
These have often involved close co-operation with
local museums. No one assisted the school more in this
regard than Mrs Sarah Quail, mother of Hugh (PGS
1991-2004), Governor (from 1999) and Head of Arts,
Libraries, Museums and Records for Portsmouth City
Council until 2004. Mrs Quail is a much published
authority on local history matters. The prize was first
awarded in 2007 and is a competitive essay prize. It
seeks to give extension opportunities to any member
of the Sixth Form who wishes to research an original
History project.
Ron Holley Woodwind Prize
Phoebe Pexton
Ron Holley (PGS 1946-1949) lived in South Africa until
1946 when his family moved to Portsmouth. He played
an active role in the debating society and training
corps and left to pursue a highly successful career in
the Royal Navy. He maintained links with the school
and served as President of the OP Club from
1996-1997.
In 1987, Ron retired from the armed services as a Rear
Admiral, having worked as Director of Helicopter
Procurement at the Ministry of Defence with
responsibility for all three armed services. Later, he
advised Shell on aviation safety after 45 of its staff
died in a Chinook crash near Shetland in the North
sea in 1986. He was notable as being the most senior
former military figure to criticise the RAF’s findings of
gross negligence against the pilots of the Chinook Mk2
which crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994.
Ron was married to Dorothy and they had four
children. Music was an important part of their lives
and Ron and Dorothy were active friends of the Royal
Philharmonia. Ron died in 2010 after a long battle with
cancer. He left his bassoon to the school which is now
used regularly by pupils.
Simon Gray Prize for Drama
Emma Read
Simon Gray (PGS 1945-1947), the famous playwright
and diarist, attended PGS before going to Westminster.
His wife, Victoria Gray, created this prize, first
awarded in 2011, in his memory to recognise the pupil
who does the best writing, creative or critical work, in
Drama during the year.
Bassoonists performing at the Gala concert in May
Prizegiving 2015 29
Parsons Prize for Music
Alice Bennett
Originally established as the Parsons Music Prize
for cathedral choristers in 1969, this soon became a
general music prize and is now awarded to a pupil
in recognition of their overall contribution to music
during their time at PGS.
Michael Nott Prize
Phoebe Pexton
look into streamlining the Private Finance Initiative
and his subsequent reports became cornerstones of PFI
development in the UK and internationally. Sir Malcolm
was knighted the following year. He died in 2009.
This prize is awarded to the ensemble that has made
the most progress and contribution to music at PGS.
John Roberts Prize for Sculpture
Brandon Choi
Paul Walker
The prize commemorates the Very Revd Michael
Nott, Provost of the Cathedral Church of St Thomas,
Chairman of Governors and friend of the school. The
Rotunda is named after him, and his portrait hangs
there.
Established in 2000 by John Roberts (PGS 1943-1948)
a ceramics teacher, the prize is awarded to an older
pupil involved in more advanced work. The prize
may be given for interest, enthusiasm or personal
achievement.
Penri-Evans Composition Prize
Model United Nations Prize
Ella Beard
Adam Blunden
Dr David Penri-Evans taught music at PGS from 19871992 and was a Lay Clerk at the Cathedral. He did
much to encourage composing by pupils and members
of the local public, as well as being a skilled conductor.
A colleague recalled that when Dr Penri-Evans
conducted the Chamber Choir in works by Palestrina
in Santa Maria Maggiore, the most favourable acoustic
for which the works were written, ‘David could hardly
see to conduct and we could hardly see to sing, so
moving was the experience’.
Willcocks Singing Prize
Hugh Summers
Established by Jonathan Willcocks, PGS Director of
Music 1975-1978, and still an important figure in the
musical life of Portsmouth as well as a distinguished
composer. His composition ‘My Hope is in Thee’ was
commissioned by the school for performance by the
Chamber Choir and London Mozart Players at the
Remembrance Sunday Concert in 2003, and was
subsequently recorded.
Sir Malcolm Bates Prize for Chamber Music
PGS Big Band
Sir Malcolm Bates was commended for his all-round
ability and varied interests. He excelled at music and
languages and passed the School Certificate with
credit, before leaving in 1950. His report suggested that
he might pursue a career in music, but this was not
to be. He was second in command at General Electric
Company (GEC) for twelve years and, from 1999
to 2003 he served as Chairman of London Regional
Transport. In 1997, he was asked by the Treasury to
The MUN was introduced into PGS in 2007 and
has quickly become one of the most well-attended
societies in school, hosting an annual conference with
delegations also involved from other schools. This
award is given to the pupil who has made a significant
contribution to the MUN throughout the year
Ernest Edmonds Memorial Prize for
Public Speaking and Debating
Ross Watkins
Ernest Edmonds was one of the first pupils to be
educated in the new school building of 1879, now the
Upper Junior School. He trained as a solicitor. He died
in 1943 and this prize was first awarded in 1945.
Roger Harris Award
Alexander Harding
Established to recognise the outstanding life-long
contribution made to PGS by Roger Harris, as a pupil
between 1943 and 1951 and teacher between 1958 and
1993. First awarded in 1996, it is awarded to a pupil
who has a particular focus for outdoor activities.
OP Masonic Lodge Prize for
Outstanding School Society
PGS Pride
First awarded in 1987, and intended to promote cocurricular endeavour.
Mike Reynolds Memorial Prize for Sport
Benjamin Stainton
4. School Cups and Trophies
Combined Cadet Force Cups
Richard Bishop Cup for Engineering
Awarded to the best Cadet in the respective
armed service
Cameron Roberts
Peters Cup: Navy
Clark Jervoise Cup: RAF
Wessex Cup: Army
Charlie Henderson
Thomas Cleary
Timothy Shannon
The Le Patourel Shield
Serena White
The Le Patourel Shield was presented in 2006 by the
Royal Hampshire Regiment Comrades Association,
Portsmouth and District Branch, in memory of Major
HW Le Patourel. In the battle of Tebourba in North
Africa in 1942, the Hampshire Regiment found
itself outnumbered 4:1. Major Le Patourel led four
volunteers through heavy machine gun fire to the
German positions on high ground. They silenced
enemy fire, but the four volunteers died. Le Patourel
pushed forward alone with a pistol and grenades and
did not return. He was posthumously awarded the
Victoria Cross. On the day the official announcement
was made, news was received that Le Patourel, who
had been wounded and taken captive, was still alive
and he was eventually able to receive his medal.
He died in 1979, aged 63. The Le Patourel Shield is
awarded annually to the most promising CCF cadet.
School Charity Cup
Cambodia Committee
First presented in 1991, and donated by Old Portmuthians
Graeme Jeffery (PGS 1985-1990), Robert Clay (PGS
1983-1990) and Jonathan Vincent (PGS 1982-1990), to be
awarded to the member of the Sixth Form who, over the
year, has made the greatest contribution, not necessarily
financially, but in effort, in the field of charity work or
fundraising or organisation of charity events.
The Senior School Chess Cup
Smith House
Decided over three hard-fought rounds in the Autumn
Term, the Chess Cup is one of the first House competitions
of the calendar.
Richard Bishop was Professor of Engineering and Vice
Chancellor at Brunel University. His son John Bishop
was a pupil (PGS 1968-1976) and the family initiated
this prize in 1990 to recognise PGS’ long tradition in
sending pupils to University to read Engineering, and to
give recognition to the pupil annually considered by the
Head of Science to be the most promising of these.
Marconi Cup for Technology
Bethany Bridgen
First presented in 1990 and established by Marconi
Space Systems Ltd as a competition for the best piece
of original work concerning a new industrial product
or process.
Audrey and Malcolm Foley Prize for
Creativity and Innovation
Imogen James
Geoff Foley (PGS 1955-1965) was House Captain
of Grant House and Captain of Hockey, Tennis,
and Badminton. After leaving PGS he went up to
Oxford, gaining a BA in Physics in 1968 and he was
a Badminton Half Blue. He studied for an MSc. in
Physics at the University of Pennsylvania (1969),
a PhD. in Solid State Physics at the University of
Pennsylvania (1975) and was awarded a Postdoctoral
Fellowship in Materials Science, also at the University
of Pennsylvania (1975 – 1977). He also undertook a
period of Executive Education at Harvard Business
School. Geoff is the author or co-author of more than
80 U.S. patents. He lives in Fairport, NY state, USA.
This Prize, established in 2013, came from Geoff’s
continued strong interest in his prior career in
fostering innovation and creativity and is named after
his parents. The focus of the Award is innovation and
creative problem solving as it relates to the application
of science and engineering concepts to solving real
world problems.
Sir Lynton White Cup
for Work in the Community
Meljude Fajardo
Donated by Sir Lynton White MBE, TD, DL in 1986.
Sir Lynton was a School Governor from 1976-1987.
Awarded to the pupil who has promoted the good
name of PGS through community ventures.
Prizegiving 2015 31
Tim McDowall Prize
Henry and Lilian Stephenson Hockey Cup
Joseph Muir
David Simmonds
Cameron Clarke
Awarded annually to a Senior School pupil who
contributes to school sport and is involved in
adventurous activities.
Iliffe Family Cup for Rugby
Harry Webb
The Iliffe Family Cup for Rugby is presented for the
first time this year and is awarded to a player in any
year in recognition of their outstanding effort and
commitment to school rugby. It is being awarded
thanks to the generosity of the Iliffe family in memory
of Neil, for whom rugby, despite having two daughters
at PGS, remained a particular passion! Both Katy (PGS
1996-2010) and Natasha (PGS 2002-2014) represented
the School in sport, enthusiastically supported by their
parents Caryl, a teaching assistant in the Junior School,
and Neil, a former Governor.
As a young architect working for Seely and Paget, Lilian
Stephenson (née Durrell) was appointed to design new
science laboratories for PGS in the 1960’s. She made
innovative use of plastic piping; indeed the then PGS
science laboratories, were the first in the country to
use this material at that time. Lilian and her husband,
Henry, continue to be friends of the school and have
established this prize for a young Hockey player.
Evans Skiing Cup
Lily Godkin
Frederick Sligo-Young
Donated by S Evans in recognition of Peter and
Andrew Hopkinson and S Evans’ achievement in
winning the Public Schools Championship at Davos in
1973. It is awarded following the annual ski trip to the
pupil who shows the greatest improvement.
Tremlett Water Sports Cup
Henry Chandler
Donated by Mrs M D Tremlett in 1994 to congratulate
a pupil who excels at a water sport.
Neil Blewett Award
Sam Betteridge
This trophy is awarded in recognition of the dedication
of a pupil who is a true ambassador for the school and
whose achievements have been accomplished in the
spirit of the school’s values. This award is a legacy to
the memory of Neil Blewett, Surmaster and Senior
Teacher (1981-2010), his commitment to the school
community and the values and ethics that he imbued
upon every aspect of school life. It is the only award in
the gift of the Common Room.
The Iliffe family
Senior School Recognitions Cup
Doyle Cup for Athletics
Latter House
Edward Drayson
Presented by Mr and Mrs M J Doyle, in appreciation of
the education that their son, Matthew (PGS 1980-1991)
received at the school. First awarded in 1992.
Arnold Cup for Athletics
Sabrina Leung
Stephen Arnold (PGS 1976-1986) won the English
Schools 1,500 metres steeplechase in 4 minutes 15
seconds – a record, and went on to win the British
Schools 1,500 metres. The Arnold Prize is awarded
annually to the most improved athlete in Year 10.
This award was created in 2009 and recognises all
Senior School pupils’ achievements throughout the
academic year.
Lt Norman Holbrook Challenge Trophy
Robert Weekes
The Portsmouth Grammar School is proud of its
record of Old Portmuthians who have fought for
their country in every major conflict since the school’s
foundation in the eighteenth century. Amongst
those distinguished alumni are three men who were
awarded the highest and most prestigious award for
gallantry in the face of the enemy, the Victoria Cross.
One of them, Commander Norman Holbrook, was the
first submariner ever to be awarded the VC.
Holbrook was born in Southsea in 1888 and attended
Portsmouth Grammar School for two years, leaving at
the age of 13 when he passed the entrance examination
for HMS Britannia, where officer cadets were trained
on two hulks on the River Dart. Holbrook joined
the submarine service in 1910 and, three years later,
assumed his first command, the petrol-driven A13,
based at HMS Dolphin in Gosport.
With the outbreak of war a year later, Holbrook was
commanding the B11 which had been built in 1906
but was already considered old and obsolete.
On 13 December 1914, B11 dived under five rows of
mines in the Dardanelles and successfully torpedoed
the Turkish battleship Messudieh. Treacherous currents
and enemy torpedoes and gunfire did not prevent
Holbrook from bringing his craft and men safely back
to the Mediterranean. B11 surfaced off Cape Helles
after being submerged for an incredible nine hours.
This prize has been created thanks to the generosity of
Janey Cecil, a relative of Lt Holbrook, and is presented
to a pupil who shows outstanding leadership and
excellent teamwork.
Prizegiving 2015 33
5. School Prizes
Cathedral Head Chorister
Henry Davis-Marks
Oliver Nash
Cathedral Head Chorister of Cantate
Phoebe Pexton
Sophie Rose
Peter Lodder Prize
Ella Beard
Theodore Hornsey
Peter Lodder QC (PGS 1973-1976) is one of the country’s
leading criminal barristers. He established this prize in
2013 in honour of his late father and Ted Washington,
the PGS teacher who helped him through difficult times
when his father died and whom Peter described as
being “a model for coping with adversity”.
This prize is awarded to a pupil who demonstrates
fortitude - an inner strength in facing difficulty or
adversity - a quality which Peter describes as “an
important attribute in life, and one which an education
at PGS upholds”.
Reeve Prize for Perseverance
Samantha Gibb
Zoe Pallant-Sidaway
Maureen Reeve joined PGS as a French teacher in 1981
and also served as Head of Careers during her nineteenyear career at PGS. Her pastoral skills were legendary,
and put to good use as Deputy Housemaster of Latter
and as an outstanding House Tutor.
This prize was established in 2013 and is awarded
by Maureen and her husband Trevor to a pupil who
has demonstrated perseverance, possibly (but not
necessarily) in spite of adversity.
Kieran Keel Prize for Intellectual Curiosity
and Excellence
Rhiannon Lasrado
Alexander McKirgan
Kieran Keel (PGS 2002 – 2012) was a wonderfully
gifted and scholarly young man who contributed with
zest to the wider life of the school. He joined PGS in
Year 4 and was awarded a Foundation Scholarship on
entry to the Senior School in Year 7. In the Sixth Form,
he was proud to have earned a place as an opening
bowler in the 1st XI cricket team; he debated with
panache in the Model United Nations, found time to
write for the school magazine, The Portmuthian, and
was elected by his peers to become a School Prefect.
Kieran won a place at Brasenose College, Oxford, to
read History and Spanish. Unsurprisingly, he was
a popular member of the Junior Common Room and
loyal friend to many. He played for the University
American Football Club and was known particularly
for his love of Spanish literature and poetry.
Kieran was tragically killed in an accident during his
second year and this Prize was set up in his memory in
2014 by his parents, Dita and Barry Keel. Kieran enjoyed
a great scholarly curiosity in a wide range of subjects
and the prize rewards a pupil who is known for their
independent approach to learning and scholarly pursuits.
Ian Newberry Prize for Progress
Kathryn Lock
Jamie Parker-Jervis
First awarded in 1986 and established by Dr and Mrs
R Newberry in memory of their son, Ian (PGS 19751985) who died whilst in the Sixth Form. The prize
should not be related to academic performance and, as
far as possible, should be allocated to a pupil who has
not achieved, otherwise, positions of influence in the
school, but who has consistently contributed to school
activities.
Charlotte Loosemore Memorial Prize
Megan Grady
Thomas Upton
First awarded in 2002 and established by the parents of
Lottie Loosemore (PGS 1996-2001) following her death
from a rare virus while in South America on a GAP year
visit. It is awarded to pupils for showing character.
Samuel Hudson Memorial Prize
Benjamin Caldera
Sam Caldera
Samuel Hudson (1844-1931) was educated in
Portsmouth and qualified as a teacher in 1864. He
was appointed as a member of staff at PGS when the
school was re-founded in 1879. Hudson was master of
the First Form (the equivalent of today’s Year 4) and
Clerk to the Governors for forty-seven years. He was
also commandant of the Cadet Corps and coached the
younger boys in cricket. This prize was established in
Samuel Hudson’s memory by his great-granddaughter,
Mrs Elizabeth Dunne, who was also the mother of
one of the first Sixth Form girls at PGS; it is awarded
annually to a pupil who has triumphed over adversity.
Angus Gibson Prize
Robert Milne Trophy
Annabel Fuller
Alfred Perry-Ward
Mustafa Ahmed
Sally Hall
This commemorates Angus Gibson, a Pre-Prep pupil
of plucky spirit and boyish love of pranks, who was
diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in 1998
while still in Reception. He died in 1999 and the
prize was donated by his parents. It is awarded
annually to two Year 11 pupils with energy and
character who have made a significant contribution
to the life of the school.
Lt Robert Milne (PGS 1938-1942) Number 304035,
151 Ayrshire Field Regiment, was a member of Grant
House, Prefect, Platoon Commander in the OTC and
played in the school 2nd XI. He died 1 March 1945,
aged 21, during the battle to cross the Rhine and is
buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.
First awarded in 1999 as a recognition of service
to either the school or the wider community of
Portsmouth. The recipient should be of suitable
character and the award could be made either for
a single outstanding deed or for service over an
extended period.
Normandy Veterans’ Association Shield
Alice Bennett
Alexander Harding
Established in 1999 by the Normandy Veterans’
Association ‘for all round achievement. Such things
as loyalty, care for others, courage, comradeship etc
- the qualities that were expected from us during the
Normandy campaign.’
The Headmaster with the Senior Prefect team
Headmaster’s Prize for Deputy Senior Prefect
Headmaster’s Prize for Senior Prefect
Dominic Baker
Jemima Carter
Holly Govey
Peter Rapp
Florence Stow
Carl Wakeford
Prizegiving 2015 35
prizegiving
2015

prizegiving 2015 - The Portsmouth Grammar School

Transcription

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