Term 4 2022
Dear Parents, Carers and Students
A big thank you to Mr Wilcock and his team of students for contributing such varied articles of interest in ‘The Barton Press.’ I hope that you, like me, enjoy reading the articles and gain an insight into some of the normality of school life and appreciate the rich diversity of interests expressed. Schools are great places to be because they are filled with young people who bring the place to life. ‘The Barton Press’ gives us all a reminder that we are all different and have something to offer that is unique. Enjoy reading it and perhaps next time there will be a contribution from you!
Mr Hopkins
Cover Artwork by Isabela Marcu 2
Contents Hello Readers! I am excited to present the latest edition of the Barton Press. We have had some excellent new contributors who can be found within the pages of this edition, as well as some of our usual budding journalists. Articles range from school news and events to interviews with interesting personalities and fascinating real-life stories. I am always proud of the team of writers who take part in the newspaper, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as the team has enjoyed making this edition. Wishing you all continued success this term at school.
MFL A Level Languages Conference— p4 MFL Scrabble Club!—p5 Dungeons and Dragons—p6 My Titanic Uncle—p8 Marvellous MFL Club Community—p13 Teacher Jokes—p14 Call to Action—p15 Year 8 Football—p18 Interview with Jack Driver—p20 The Wars of the Roses—p24 Microbiology Club—p28 A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof—p30
Mr Wilcock
Teacher Interviews—p32 3
MFL A Level Languages Conference by Masami Iliffe The MFL conference was a very enriching experience that refuelled my drive to learn a lot about languages and cultures! Each session brought a different perspective to the table, and I especially enjoyed Dr Hornsby's talk about the similarities between Cockney and French! I went away from it discussing the topic with friends and family which sparked some really interesting conversations! A reoccurring theme throughout the day was how learning languages equips you for basically any path you take in life. It reminded me of the abundance of transferable skills one gains when learning a language!
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MFL Scrabble Club! by Rémi Shah, Isabela Marcu and Emily Stewart Have you ever played a game of scrabble and desperately desired to let the words of a foreign language flow across the board? Well, this is your moment! Come to room 30 every Tuesday lunch to test and improve your language knowledge. Every single person is welcome, and every single language can be used – as long as it is legitimate! Play with anyone and everyone, make new friends and mix with different year groups. Furthermore, Ms Croft, will always be there to help and support the games (and to be the referee!). Even if you think that you are not the greatest fan of languages – be sure to attend our club. We are sure to attend our club. We are confident that your views will very soon be changed! Listen to the views of some of the regular attendants of the club: ‘It is a wonderful place to meet new people and make new friends from different form groups,’ exclaimed one. ‘I go to the scrabble club as it is a place where I can use my love of languages and combine it with my love of using new and interesting vocabulary. In this club, I get to not only use the words I know but also learn new words in different languages. I also get to talk to GCSE students about their language experiences. Yay!’ ecstatically expressed another. ‘I always look forward to attending the language club each week, I love languages, and this allows me to have great fun and experiments using my vocabulary. I also really enjoy meeting new people who share my enthusiasm!’ joyfully articulated a final attendant. We really hope that this article feeds an increase in an already thriving super scrabble club community. (Every new attendant will receive a ‘Goethe Insitut’ brand pen and weekly attendance BCGS points). Exciting prizes for every week’s winner!
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Dungeons and Dragons by Alfred Kirchin, Dungeon Master in Chief Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy game where you use your imagination to battle evil monsters, cruel Tyrants, or a minotaur named Ted with an accounting degree. Anything can happen in D&D, as it is wholly focused on people’s ideas. A typical session is normally made up of the first 8 minutes during which everyone eats their lunch and catches up, with any announcements from the DMs. Then, we pick up from where we left off last time, and try not to be killed off by various monster/killer plants. You can do nearly anything in D&D as it is limited only by your imagination and by practical concerns, such as if can we do it in under an hour. In my time as a player and then DM, I have heard suggestions to set up a business in the local city to sell catches from a forest, trying to blow up a local parliament like Guy Fawkes, and to go back in time to fight the Nazis. This gives an idea of what it is possible to do in a campaign. In D&D, we use a Middle Earth setting for most campaigns, but we can alter it to fit player preferences, time constraints or just if you want a change of scenery. I myself have many campaigns planned including Greek Mythology with Percy Jackson themes, 2 Tolkien-themed ones, and a futuristic dystopian world. D&D is a great social activity, and we currently have 12 members and 3 Dungeon masters involved. You can make friends if you are new to the school, or if you want to experience a new world beyond what you know. It is also a great confidence builder, as you are able to engage with many people
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Dungeons and Dragons by Alfred Kirchin, Dungeon Master in Chief who have the same interests as you. If you want to join in, just contact Mrs Scott.
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My Titan by Amelia Rowe, 7A Many people have been taught about the Titanic and heard about the people on it, but I have the honour in saying my great great great uncle was on the Titanic. George Thomas Rowe was one of eleven; the eldest son and second eldest child of Richard Rowe; a plumber and Annie Groves. By the 1901 census George was recorded as a member of crew (able seaman) aboard the Royal Naval Ship Vindictive. On the 1911 census he was also recorded as absent from the family census so we assume he was still away on a boat somewhere. Mr Thomas Rowe joined the Navy on 10th September 1895 aged just 14. He was described as standing at 5' 6½", having dark brown hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion, his first ship was St Vincent. He rose to become an able seaman and went on to serve aboard a host of other ships, including: Victory III, Majestic, Vernon, Raleigh, Duke of Wellington, Excellent, Vindictive, Firequeen I, Goliath and Exmouth, before his final voyage with the navy from 8th May 1909 to 19th March 1910 aboard Dreadnaught following which he was discharged as a petty officer (lowest ranking senior officer). After he was discharged from the Navy he joined as a merchant service and began work with the White Star Line, he served upon the Majestic and Oceanic. Rowe first signed up for the Titanic in Belfast, on its delivery trip and served aboard as lookout. He signed up again in South8
nic Uncle ampton on 6 April 1912, this time as a quartermaster though. His monthly wages would be £5 a month. When the collision with the iceberg happened Rowe was on the poop deck as part of his duties. He had described the night as fine, he felt a slight jolt as they hit the iceberg and immediately checked his watch; the time was 23:40. Then he glanced to the starboard side of the ship and saw the iceberg, he estimated it to be around 100 ft in height and so close to the ship he feared severe damage to the aft-bridge, which stood proud of the railing, if it clashed with it. He remained at his post by the telephone to await further orders but no instructions were relayed, at 00:25 he saw a lifeboat be lowered from the starboard side of the boat. As soon as he saw the lifeboat he rang the bridge and asked the person who answered if they were aware that the boat had been lowered; they responded by asking if Rowe was the third officer but Rowe confirmed his identity as a quartermaster and was instructed to bring rockets to the bridge ready to fire. Doing as instructed he carried the flares to the bridge where he was met by the 4th officer; the pair began firing off the rockets until what Rowe estimated to be 1.25am. He also began to send morse code using the ship’s bridge lights; he noted at this time the crew had begun This article continues on the next page >>>
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My Titanic Uncle
My Titan by Amelia Rowe work releasing the forward starboard collapsible lifeboats. The Chief officer found himself in need of a seaman and Rowe asked Captain Smith if he should continue firing off the flares; Smith ordered him to stop and help man the collapsible C lifeboat. Rowe was seemingly late to arrive at the collapsible C as he only had time to help 6 women and children into the boat before the order was given for it was lowered. Before it was lowered the chief officer called for more women and children but none came forward, Rowe noted that two men jumped onto the bow of the boat, without invitation, before it was finally lowered. Rowe estimated there were thirty-nine people on the lifeboat including himself, three firemen and one steward, two male passengers and the rest being women and children. Later on in the proceedings four interlopers revealed themselves one of whom had been hiding in the bottom of the boat; he later identified one of the men who jumped onto the boat earlier as Ismay (the only person to have a car on the titanic, he was also a world-famous businessman). Through the media of the time he found out the second man was William Carter; a wealthy businessman. In the wake of the disaster George Thomas Rowe was asked to testify at both the US and British inquiries into the sinking. Following the disaster George did return to the sea; he also married in 1914 and had 3 children, one daughter and two sons. When the outbreak of WW1 was announced George joined the 10
My Titanic Uncle
nic Uncle Plassey, a hospital ship, and served as part of the Grand Fleet.In 1960 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for his tenure. He witnessed the reintrest in the Titanic in the 50s and he corresponded with Walter Lord during his writing of A Night To Remember; he was also a part of television interviews on the subject and in 1957 was reunited with some survivors. Sadly George died on 14 February 1974 aged 92.He left behind his wife, daughter and three grandchildren. This all came about when I looked into my family tree over lockdown and now I can say My great great great uncle was on the Titanic and survived.
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Marvellous MFL C By Emily Stewart, Isabela Marcu and Rémi Shah, 8S Our marvellous MFL club is open every Friday lunchbreak – and everyone is welcome to attend! Even if you do not enjoy your everyday language lessons, our MFL club is likely to change your views. Timidity is unnecessary since there is no formality and you can simply be yourself and, most importantly, have fun! Furthermore, our activities do not consist plainly of the learning of the words of languages – but about the rich culture behind them and how this links to your fellow club members’ experiences – particularly with Mr Wilcock’s funny stories! Some of our fellow members have agreed to share their high-quality experiences of our MFL club. One club member stated, “I find the club a great way to socialise and find new friends from other year groups; it is also a great excuse to get out of the cold winter weather!” Joyfully, another one said, “In my opinion, the language club is a great place of fun and laughter, and my favourite part is that you do not need to have any previous knowledge about the languages which we learn, and it is quite informal – meaning that you can build your confidence upon any previous language learning without fear of judgement. Also, our activities enable you to become more aware of how languages influence our peers in their everyday lives, and the powerful influence of languages and their cultures around us.” A final student believed that “The MFL club is an incredible place, where people with a love of language meet, and communicate to each other, about their passion! But we take more than just people with a passion for language, but also people who want to discover more about history, geography, culture in general, etc. In the MFL club, we socialise with people who are doing G.C.S.Es, and who can tell us about past experiences! I personally love languages, but the MFL is perfect for others
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Club Community! By Emily Stewart, Isabela Marcu and Rémi Shah, 8S too!” If you are yet unaware of which language is perfect for you, then the language club will be the optimum experience of personal discovery and you will soon thank yourself for grasping hold of this opportunity. You will discover the basic structure and culture of a different language every week. However, there is no lesson plan! The activities flow with the topic of conversation – giving a diverse range of information. Every single student within our friendly school community is welcome to attend – no matter their background level of language learning or level of attainment within lessons. The only pieces of equipment you are required to bring along is a willing attitude and an enthusiastic heart! This experience is completely free of charge to attend, yet, in return you will receive a universally vital cultural awareness and sensitivity of the peers within all communities: you will receive a life skill. All subjects require the skills needed in language learning, for example, long-term memory. This will, therefore, have a huge impact on all other subjects which you take within your school life and some outside of school, which require memory and mental skill, benefiting your life all round. In the MFL club, we have looked at several languages, from all ranges, from languages such as Dutch to others such as Braille! This is a fantastic experience, as we get to understand more about how the world has developed! If you have any further questions or queries, see Mr Wilcock in room 34. We hope to see a huge increase within the Marvellous MFL Club Community!
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Teacher Jokes By Kirsty Moody
Why do cows wear a bell? --- because their horns don’t work Mr Walker: what do you call a clown in jail? Silicon Mr Wilcock: what is the difference between a post box and an elephant? – I don’t know—I won’t let you post my letters then. Mr Lowe: I walked in a bank and a lady asked if I could help her check her balance, so I pushed her over.
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Call to Action! Presented by the English Department Katie Chan
Somewhere on earth, the first of what we call a living thing is opening its eyes and seeing the world for the first time. A picturesque world. Can you see the emerald green trees standing tall, flowing rivers, maze of rainforest filled with animals of all kinds? Would you believe me if this world were transformed into a wasteland of grey, a graveyard for the creatures that once roamed this planet? See through the illusions and witness the true reality: this is the crisis we are soon going to face. This is the drastic change we have caused. Due to our own hunger for wanting more in ways that are harming our surroundings, we are causing CO2 emissions to rise to record-breaking levels. Time is running out. We are on the brink of a 6th mass extinction. But there is something we can do. Change. We can change the way we eat, the way we think and the way we are being too lazy to act. Can you hear the thud of the last tree falling to its fate? This is what is going to happen if we don’t act now. Fight for what you believe is right, fight for a better future and fight for our planet. Together we can make a change. Meredith Jackman The wind gliding smoothly over the dazzling sapphire skies. A hiss from the fresh forest green revealed a long creature, its beady eyes opening in focus and fascination. Now, the earth is stunningly beautiful, however close your eyes and imagine this. The once happy creature within the grass, now surrounded by a desolate plain, vulnerable to everything and everyone. The earth dry, crops gone, money stocks falling rapidly and heavy air pollution that we would be forced to accept over time. There is a shocking 35% of our wilderness left and one This article continues on the next page >>>
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Call to Action! Presented by the English Department half of what is missing is because of us and what we have done to the world. Our once bright and happy planet will be stained with our mistakes. Co2 levels are still rising. If you and I don’t make a change this could be it. The sixth mass extinction will take place and our planet will be overcome with illness that we started. We need change. Is this what you want for your planet? This radiant, blue, gorgeous planet we call ours is slowly fading away. We have to stop this. We need to come together because one person is not going to change the cycle we have started. We have to come together because there is hope, and we are going to seize every chance we have to keep it. Ellie Stubbs Devastation. Destruction. Decline. Only 170 years ago our first steampowered train was invented, humanity had discovered fossil fuels could be useful. Yet no one knew what a tragedy this would become. Climate change is no myth. I dare you to go to the Antarctica and witness the thawing permafrost obliterating communities and habitats; to go to Australia and witness the hillsides filled with amber and crimson; to look outside your window and notice the flooding and severe rainfall ruining hundreds of thousands of households. An image of the aftermath is gradually becoming clearer, transforming our universal wonderland to wasteland. So if not now, when? This change will have a drastic impact on our planet for your future, for your children’s future, for your grandchildren’s future. To eliminate the chances of the desolate hell- hole they will call home. By 2030 our Amazon rainforest, which was once undisturbed, will be ablaze, wiping out over half of our species. Our blind attacks are causing a global food crisis and our ecosystems to be insecure. Earth’s collapse is on the horizon and if we do not change now we will only This article continues on the next page >>>
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Call to Action! Presented by the English Department encourage our worldwide decline. This planet is run by the human race for the human race. It will only be until the last tree is cut, the last money is made, the last animal shot, the last snowflake fallen when our Garden of Eden will be no more. Our nightmare will become a reality. We must prioritise this to the top of our agendas before Earth diminishes and catastrophe strikes. We must take action to cure this environmental collapse, because if not now, then when? Evie Pottinger-Neame Ash covering the air like a whirlwind; scarlet flames dancing around the gentle ground; crackling in the distance; trees plummeting to the ground. Is this the new reality? We need to change, we need to make a difference, we need to speak up, we need to act now. This is what we have created. This is what we have done to our world. Within the last 10 years the environmental crisis has worsened and if we don’t act now there will be no future for our Earth, nowhere for humans to survive, nowhere to go. So now, this generation needs to make a difference. Past generations have damaged the environment but now it is our chance, our time, to put things right. Even you can make a difference, even if it is something as little as turning the lights off when you leave a room. We need to make a change. We need to make a difference. We will make a difference – together.
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Year 8 Football! by Morgan Maxfield For the first time since joining the school, the year 8s were given the chance to form a football team and take on the likes of Canterbury High, Herne Bay High, QE and the Langton. This was the first time in years that a 6th form student would take charge under the supervision of Mr White, and Morgan was left with a very difficult task to drop the numbers down to 14 for the first game away to Canterbury High. After multiple injuries and illnesses, a team of 14 went and battled hard against a very good Canterbury High team and then an even better Herne Bay High team, losing 7-3 and 7-0 respectively. But the lads never gave up, Will B scoring a hattrick against Canterbury High and Malachi and Ethan’s partnership at the back being the highlight performances. The boys then travelled to QE with the captain Will U finally (!) in the squad after injury. An exceptional comeback from 1-0 down to win 7-1 was the icing on the cake for the performance that was produced, with this game being labelled as “The Will Show” with goals from Will B (3), Will U (2) and Will D (2). The key performances came from those in the midfield, who won the game by winning the first, second and third balls when needed, so the good performances were from the following: George R (Year 7), Will D (Year 7), Will G and Oscar V. Playing school football is a different level to 18
Year 8 Football by Morgan Maxfield playing for a team outside of school, as these boys have been put through 5 hours of learning prior to each game, so everyone who has been a part of the team at any point should be proud of themselves.
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Interview wit by Gracie Murray I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak to an upcoming musician, Jack Driver, about how he began his music career, how he produces music and his preferences and his general thought son past events he has done and people he has collaborated with. How did you get into music? I first got into music at school when I was probably about eleven or twelve. My best friend, at the time, was playing guitar and I thought it was pretty cool and wanted to learn and we played at a school talent show. I think I performed quite quickly, like, I probably got a guitar and played for my school within about three or four months. I’m not saying we were particularly good but, we played ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana, because I absolutely loved Nirvana at the time, and it wasn’t that difficult to play. My friend played the solos and stuff, so I was mostly playing the rhythm. But I think I mainly got into music was just because at school I was quite introverted and then I had a taste of playing on stage and to be honest, at that age, we must’ve been playing for about four hundred people, at the talent show. So, it was quite a rush, and I was pretty hooked after that. When you say, ‘talent show’, were there winners? Yeah, we didn’t win, I think we came third. I believe that there was a dance group of girls who won, but that was my first taste of performing live. Where do you see your music career in ten years from now?
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th Jack Driver I think my expectations are a little more humble now that I’m older, I just would like to make a steady living doing it which would probably just involve working with other people who are younger. But as an artist, ii would just like to be releasing stuff more regularly and, you know, grabbing a bit of a fanbase and sort of doing a tour, every year or so. Do you prefer working more collaboratively or as a solo artist? Its different, actually. I like the process of making music more with other people, rather than by myself, but I think its more rewarding writing your own music. It’s just not as fun because you could have this amazing breakthrough and get really excited and then realise, you’re just in a room by yourself. When you’re with other people it’s just more exciting. What is your proudest achievement as an artist? I think working on my EP is the thing I’m most proud of. When I’ve worked with other people in the past a lot of it is helping other people advancing or enhancing their ideas. Working by myself, it’s sort of been more of an inward journey, in terms of finding what it is that I want to say as an artist and having the creative control to do whatever I want. Sometimes when you’re collaborating or in a band situation its quite democratic, so you have to, you know. I’ll have an idea I think is great and the other guys in the band will hate it. So at least I can do whatever I like. I’ve always been into pop music, from Nirvana and thinks like that. A lot of their stuff is quite rooted in pop melodies and sometimes with DAMSAN and other acts that I’ve been in it’s been a little bit more like ‘that’s too obvious’. Sometimes there’s a bit more of a process to working on ideas but when I’m by myself I can get that all done rather quick. Is DAMSAN your band? What is happening with it? Well, DAMSAN is still technically together but were taking an extended break. I’m working with the keyboard player from the band still and he’s helping me with some of my stuff so I think when I get my thing rolling, we might start writing stuff for the band and hopefully do some stuff next year. But its not really anyone’s focus at the moment. What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist? This article continues on the next page >>>
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Interview with I think I’m better at writing than anything else really. Guitar was my first instrument, so singing is still quite new for me. But I would say my strength, having been working on my own for some time now, is what you would call ‘arranging’. It’s when you look qat the whole song and you put an arrangement to it such as the balance of the instruments. You’d figure out what’s happening at each moment of the song and that’s the bit that I really like, I like looking at the song as a whole rather than the little bits. It took a while because when I was in bands, I used to be a little bossy and tell people what to play and you kind of have to learn when you can actually do that. Is it only in lockdown when you started doing stuff on your own? Yeah, so I sort of had a few attempts before at writing songs, but I never really found anything that I was really wanting to write about and then during the lockdown, when my life you a little turned upside down, a lot of the songs started to come. So, it was mainly though the lockdown but before that I had been doing cowriting with other people and producing so I kind of had some of the skill but I had never done it completely independently. There wasn’t really an option to do it with other people at it was at the time I wanted to have full control. Like I said before, collaborating is amazing but you kind of need to let go of the outcome, and you can have an idea of what you want to do. Sort of like writing by yourself, you can have an intention, but you have to let go at a point and see where the song wants to go by itself. Have you taken events from your lifetime and/or the Covid-19 pandemic to create these songs? It has helped on a practical sense because there wasn’t anything else to do so I logistically didn’t have any excuses. But from an inspirational point of view, I was just emotionally going through a lot at the time, and I found writing about it quite cathartic. It was helpful and coming up with musical ideas was not too hard it was the lyrical thing I found 22
h Jack Driver challenging and that’s because I wanted them to be authentic and real for me. When I was in that place when I felt really confused and really lost it was quite easy for me to write about that. What has been some of your best performances? I did my first acoustic show about a month ago when I did some songs off the EP, which was really great but also daunting because I’d never really sand live that much but since then I’ve been playing some open mic nights to get my voice up to scratch and also some vocal coaching. What collaborative work would you like to do in the future? Well, I would like to work with producers and maybe people who are not so well known. There’s a guy called Rick Ruben who’s got an insane history who has an insane record or productions, he’s done Red Hot Chilli Peppers and some, you know, Johnny Cash and all sorts of stuff. He’s kind of like, known for sort of bringing stuff out of the artists and at this point, I would want to enhance what I’m doing. I think there’s a lot of thought that you don’t know who you’re going to have chemistry with. Have you ever worked collaboratively and how was it? I’ve worked with John Newman in the past and it was a really exciting time to me because Id played with john for about eighteen months before he got signed and there was about a year of development for him before he got really big. But overall, it was a brilliant time in my life. Through John I played a little bit on the first Rudimental track, so I knew peers through that. I played with a guy called Rob Skipper and he was in a band called The Holloways who were quite big but yeah, it was amazing.
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The Wars of the by Emily Stewart The Wars of the Roses became one of the greatest civil wars in English history, yet it is not commonly known by many today. It was the means by which the Plantagenet era ended, and the Tudor period was born, changing the course of English history as we know it today. Its story was one of great blood loss, secrets, mystery and betrayal. Dates: 22nd May 1455 (The Battle of St Albans)-16th June 1487 (Battle of Stoke Field), (it lasted 32 years,3 weeks and 4 days in total) Belligerents: House of Lancaster and House of York Other names: The Cousins’ War. This name was used to reference the wars of the roses due to the fact that the House of Lancaster and York were, in fact, the two branches of the royal Plantagenet dynasty which had been ruling England for the past c.301 years (assuming that Henry II was the first Plantagenet king of England, which is considered to be true by most), before the Wars of the Roses began in 1455. The royal members of the Houses of York and Lancaster were all descended from Edward III. However, The House of York was descended from his son Edmund Langley, 1st Duke of York, and founder of his house, whereas the House of Lancaster was descended from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. This is considered to be the initial split of the Plantagenets and, therefore, as the initial split of the royalty between these two royal houses was between the decedents of two brothers, the houses are - in a sense - ‘cousins’ of one another. The first time that the throne went to a member of the houses of either Lancaster or York was when Henry of Bolingbroke (who was from the House of
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Roses: Fact File Lancaster) usurped the throne from his cousin Richard II in 1399 and became Henry IV - thus - Richard II was the last natural Plantagenet king. Therefore, when the Wars of the Roses began between the Houses of York and Lancaster, the war was between two cousin houses – hence the name ‘The Cousins’ War’. Key figures:
York Richard III Edward IV Richard, Duke of York Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth of York.
Lancaster Henry VI Margret of Anjou Henry VII Margret Beaufort.
There were also multiple key figures whose loyalties fluctuated from York to Lancaster and vice versa over the course of the war, however, they are still crucial to the events and final outcome of the war. These included: Richard Neville, 16th Duke of Warwick ‘The Kingmaker’ (who famously betrayed the House of York and was later on killed whilst fighting for the Lancastrian cause) and the Stanley brothers (Lord Thomas Stanley and Sir William Stanley) (who changed their loyalties on several occasions, but helped hugely to contribute towards a final Lancastrian victory). Outcome: Lancastrian victory. Henry Tudor of Lancaster defeats Richard III of York at the Battle of Bosworth Field (on the 22nd August 1485), meaning that he claims the throne of England, later being crowned Henry VII on the 30th October 1485. He then married Elizabeth of York on 18th January 1486, uniting the two conflicting families and creating the infamous Royal House of Tudor – starting a new dynasty. However, the last true action of the Wars of the Roses was the Battle of Stoke Field, an uprising against Henry VII. This was also a final Lancastrian victory. Despite this, the Yorkist faction did win 11 out of the 17 battles of the Wars of the Roses (65%).
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The Wars of the Kings in control during the Wars of the Roses: Henry VI (r. 1422-61) Edward IV (r. 1461-70) Henry VI (r. 1470-71 – he was twice overthrown by Edward IV) Edward IV (r. 1470-83 – retook the throne from Henry VI) Edward V (r.1483 – ascending at the age of only 12, the throne was usurped from him by his uncle, Richard III) Richard III (r.1483-85) Henry VII (r. 1485-1509) Key battles: The 1st Battle of St Albans (22nd May 1455) This was the first battle of the Wars of the Roses. This was a Yorkist victory, with the Yorkists having 5,000 more men than the Lancastrians – there were 2,000 Lancastrians vs. 7,000 Yorkists. It was a rivalry for the control of the throne, five months after Henry VI’s first bout of mental illness – many of which weakened both him and England during his reign and made him quite an ineffective king. The Battle of St Albans lasted a mere half an hour and was described more as a ‘skirmish’ through the streets of St Albans, rather than a true battle. It had negligible casualties and helped to shape the reputation of the Earl of Warwick ‘The Kingmaker’. The Battle of Wakefield (30th December 1460) The Battle of Wakefield took place in Sandal Magna, near Wakefield in Northern England. It was a Lancastrian victory, with 18,000 Lancastrians vs. just 9,000 Yorkists. The battle began as Margret of Anjou refused to accept the fact that her son had been disinherited by Richard, Duke of York, so raised an army. Despite having an army only half the size of the Lancastrian, rather than waiting for reinforcements, the Duke of York attacked the Lancastrian army after leaving Sandal Castle and was very soon slain on the battlefield. Richard Duke of York’s death at the Battle of Wakefield is, in fact, believed to have inspired a famous mnemonic which children often use to help learn the colours of the rainbow ‘Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain’. There were 200 Lancastrian casualties vs. 700-2,500 Yorkists. The Battle of Towton (29th March 1461) The battle of Towton was described as ‘probably the largest and bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil’. This was also a Yorkist victory, with c.40,000 Lancastrians vs. c.40,000 Yorkists and c.28,000 killed – over ¼ of the total soldiers fighting the battle. It was fought during a snowstorm on Palm Sunday – which diso-
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Roses: Fact File rientated those fighting the battle and contributed to the final number of deaths and the field on which it was fought became known as ‘Bloody Meadow’ due to the carnage it once beheld. The Battle of Tewkesbury (4th May 1471) The battle of Tewksbury is where Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick was killed whilst fighting for the Lancastrian cause – believed to be, by many, a result of his treachery to the House of York. Furthermore, it is considered to be the last serious threat to Edward IV’s reign. This was also a Yorkist victory and there were 6,000 Lancastrians against 3,500 Yorkists. In terms of casualties, there were 2,000 Lancastrians, however, the figure for the Yorkists is unknown. The Battle of Bosworth Field (22nd August 1485) The Battle of Bosworth field is one of the most famous battles in English history and was Richard III’s last stand. There were famously three armies of men within this battle, compared to the usual two armies in previous ones. There was the Yorkist army (c.10,000-15,000 troops – led by Richard III) and the Lancastrian army (5,000 troops, including c.2,000 French mercenaries – led by Henry Tudor). However, the third army which influenced Henry Tudor’s final victory was the army of Lord Thomas Stanley and Sir William Stanley who shared c.6,000 men between them. They, after much indecision, finally decided to support Henry Tudor who was actually Lord Stanley’s son-in-law as his wife was Henry’s mother, Margret Beaufort.
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Microbiol by Thomas Nolan Since the start of September, seven keen biologists have regularly been meeting after school on Wednesdays, to carry out a range of fascinating - ‘beyond the curriculum’ investigations. Our first few sessions involved learning correct aseptic technique, this means, using many practices and procedures to prevent contamination from pathogens. In short, we must work safely to prevent us from growing any dangerous bacteria. Most recently, the microbiology team investigated the bacterial content of milk. When milk is secreted by a cow, it contains bacteria. Different variants of milk go through different processes to remove some of this bacteria, such as pasteurisation. The aim of our investigation was to find which one of these processes was most effective at removing this bacteria. We added a solution called resazurin to samples of: fresh pasteurised blue top, old pasteurised red top, old pasteurised blue top, lactose free, UHT semi-skimmed, and filtered milk. After 30 minutes in a water bath, we observed the colour of each sample, the resazurin changes colour depending on the bacterial content. Readers may be 28
logy Club by Thomas Nolan interested to know that the filtered milk contained the least bacteria, closely followed by UHT semi-skimmed. The worst sample by far, was the out of date blue top milk, so certainly don’t risk drinking yogurty milk!
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A Cat on a H Review by Oliver Rosenberg In the early days of October, the drama classes of year 11, 12, and 13 went on an evening trip to the theatre to watch the Marlowe’s rendition of A Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, originally written by Tennessee Williams. The play we watched was brought to life by an excellent director, Anthony Almeida. Staring Sienna Kelly as Maggie, Oliver Johnstone as Brick, Teresa Banham as Big Mamma and Peter Forbes as Big Daddy. Every one of the actors worked together to perfectly capture the playwright’s dramatic intentions. This play was nothing short of intense as we follow alongside Maggie, witnessing her romantic struggles and Brick, desperately struggling and falling to Whiskey and Liquor as his coping mechanism. The play tours us through the everyday life of a hopeless family battling to keep it all together, constant arguments and fights between them all. The inability for the family to progress highlighted the play as a cyclical narrative, which I found to be very effective, especially after seeing the director’s choice of setting. By this, I refer to the cylindrical curtain that surrounded the characters. Each actor was incredibly talented, expressing a wide and effective range of acting skills to perform a convincing portrayal of their characters. Throughout the play, the actors kept the tensions high and left the whole audience feeling shocked and amazed with their performance. I am very grateful for the experience and thankful that the Curve Theatre company were able to use the Marlowe, allowing us to see this outstanding play. 30
Hot Tin Roof
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Teacher In by Rémi Shah, Emily Stewart and Isabela Marcu We interviewed 3 new teachers, and asked them a few questions, we found out about hobbies, first impressions, and more! Here is what we found!
Ms Buckley Q: How have you found this year so far? A: ‘I have enjoyed the new challenges here at Barton Court. I have particularly enjoyed meeting my form group, 8S. People here have made me feel welcome.’ Q: How many schools have you taught in before teaching here? A: ‘This is my 3rd school. My first school was in Northampton, and my second school was an all-boys school in Paddington, so it’s nice to be able to teach girls again.’ Q: How many ducks have you seen in the pond so far? A: ‘I have seen about 5 ducks so far!’ Q: What was your first impression of this school? A: ‘I really enjoyed the fact that there is a pond, and I found that this school was a kind and caring atmosphere.’ Q: Do you like milk tea? A: ‘Yes, I do, but with no sugar!’ Q: Why did you decide to teach English? A: ‘I’ve always loved reading, and I love getting lost in books. I also have amazing childhood memories of being read to by my parents. I have a Not32
nterviews! by Rémi Shah, Emily Stewart and Isabela Marcu tingham university degree in English. I also find that in English, you can discuss very diverse subjects. I also find that English is a very important subject (hence why it is a core subject), and I enjoy History, and there is lots of History discussed in English.’ Q: ‘Do you have any other hobbies that you would like to share?’ A: ‘Yes, I enjoy music, I play the piano and enjoy singing too!’ Q: What is your favourite part of the school? A: ‘I really quite like my classroom, actually! I really like my displays and it feels like a little home! I also like the English corridor especially with all the lovely people here! I also like anywhere where you can see the squirrels!’ Q: What do you look forward to when you come into to school? A: ‘I look forward to seeing students’ smiley faces, and talking to different people!’
Ms Williams Q: Have you enjoyed this year so far? A: ‘Yes! I have enjoyed the new challenges so far as well as the new routines!’ Q: Have you worked in any previous schools? A: ‘Yes, but this is my first time in a grammar school, I have worked in other non-selective schools before.’ This article continues on the next page >>>
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Teacher In Q: How many ducks have you seen so far? A: ‘None so far.’ (One was seen during the interview when the question was asked) Q: What was your first impression of the school? A: ‘My first impression of the school was how many friendly students and staff members there are.’ Q: What is your favourite part of the school? A: ‘I think that Ms Breed’s room is my favourite room.’ Q: Why did you decide to teach R.P.E? A: ‘Well, I think that a teacher is a very worthwhile job, and I chose R.P.E as I find ultimate questions interesting, and I really enjoy philosophy.’ Q: Do you have any other hobbies that you would like to share? A: ‘I enjoy cycling, spending time with family and I like to crochet!’ Q: What do you look forward to when you come into school? A: ‘As I’m still new, I look forward to getting to know students.’ Q: Do you like milk tea? A: ‘No, I don’t really like milk tea, or tea in general, I prefer coffee.’
Ms Hogan Q: How have you found this year so far? A: ‘I have really enjoyed it, the students and staff are lovely, but it’s also been quite challenging with all the new challenges and things to learn.’ 34
nterviews! Q: What was your first impression of the school? A: ‘I found that students work is very purposeful and calm environment, with happy students who want to learn!’ Q: Have you worked in any other previous schools? A: ‘Yes, I have worked in a non-selective school in Maidstone as well as a school with extra emotional, social and mental needs.’ Q: How many ducks have you seen in the pond? A: ‘I see roughly 8 ducks every day.’ Q: What is your favourite part of the school? A: ‘I like the pond as I find that it is quite unique and peaceful.’ Q: Why did you decide to teach English? A: ‘I chose to teach English as I think that it is very important to equip young children with autonomy, as I think that the more words you know, the more your voice can be heard.’ Q: Do you like milk tea? A: ‘Yes, but I like it when it’s not too milky.’ Q: What do you look forward to when you come to school? A: ‘I look forward to seeing students’ smiley faces. Q: Do you have any other hobbies that you would like to share? A: ‘Yes, I like to go to the gym, going to my mum’s to walk her dogs, reading, and, also, I really enjoy maths and science!’
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Important dates for academic year 2021-2022 Autumn Term 2021 Finish: Christmas Holiday begins Christmas Holiday ends
17 December 2021
20 December 2021 04 January 2022=
Spring Term 2022 Start:
04 January 2022
Finish:
31 March 2022
Half Term:
14 February 2022 to 20 February 2022
Summer Term 2022 Start:
21 April 2022
Finish:
22 July 2022
Half Term:
30 May 2022 to 05 June 2022 Monday 06 September 2021
Staff Development Days:
Friday 22 October 2021 Monday 25 July 2022 Tuesday 26 July 2022 Wednesday 27 July 2022
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