Bromsgrovian 2023

bromsgrovian

Editorial

Adios, Farewell, Goodbye –A Valediction from the Editor

How do you say ‘goodbye’ so that it is a meaningful interaction? On Commemoration Day, we use ‘Call Over’ as a signifier for the end of term, the final time that the Upper Sixth are Bromsgrove pupils. Then, at Graduation, we throw our caps in the air as a symbolic act to end that chapter of university life. When going on a Gap year or leaving the family home, we carry mementos that will remind us of those times. In some ways, the Bromsgrovian is a farewell to the academic year that has been and gone, and a way of documenting a new chapter in our lives –whether that be Year 2 pupils leaving PrePrep behind and starting their new journey at the Prep School, Senior pupils finishing their GCSE years and starting afresh in the Sixth Form, or simply the rotation of Bromsgrove Service activities each term –when one activity ends, we have to find a way of finishing it off so that someone else can pick up where we left off.

When writing this editorial for the past twelve years, I have often thought that the Headmaster has summed up the year better than I have, and I habitually end up revising what I have written. This year feels different, I am writing this before I have received any other write ups and 2023 will be my final time as Editor of the Bromsgrovian. Throughout that time, I have read more than 1,500 articles and edited hundreds of photographs, each one telling a different story for that particular year. So, as you look through the Bromsgrovian this year, don’t rush through the pages – let the ink and images sink in and remember those times fondly.

As I sign off for the last time, it just leaves me to say…

Enjoy this 2023 edition.

M Griffiths Editor

Headmaster’s Introduction

Surely all schools fulfil the same role; teachers teach, and pupils learn, and, therefore, one school should be much like another? As we know, it is not as simple as that. Schools are complex organisms which evolve over time. Their setting, their history, their facilities, size, shape, curriculum and co-curricular opportunities all play a part in making a school what it is, and then, of course, there are the people.

The pupils and staff in their various roles are crucial, indeed, they, along with parents, guardians, friends, alumni and other partners form a school community. Bromsgrove School is a very special place with amazing facilities, a sense of tradition balanced with a drive to evolve to meet the needs of the modern world; there is excellence in teaching and learning, pastoral care and the cocurricular programme but, above all, I have been struck by the sense of ambition and common purpose across the community, the warmth, good humour and kindness. However, perhaps the greatest strength of Bromsgrove School is the dedication of the people who are so committed to this community and particularly the pupils.

As a family, we were delighted to make the move from Essex to Worcestershire to make our home at the School. We have enjoyed the beautiful setting, the excellent facilities and the extent of the opportunities available to pupils of all ages… but most of all, we have enjoyed getting to know staff and pupils across the School who have been so kind and welcoming. Bromsgrove School, it seems, has a real energy and apparently never sleeps; there is always something going on here.

It is difficult to condense the highlights of the past twelve months into a few paragraphs because there have been so many. The pages which follow attempt to cover the main events, but undoubted readers will have their own personal favourites. I hope the Bromsgrovian of 2023 provides a flavour of the year with a reminder of all that has happened, the richness of the educational offering and the cheerfulness with which the vast majority of pupils approach their time in School.

As I outlined at Commem, we anticipated that we were going to be inspected and indeed, in May, teams of ISI inspectors visited to examine all aspects of School life and to make their judgements. To have been found to be excellent was very pleasing and the report, which is published on the website, makes very good reading. Of all the plaudits my personal favourite is that pupils show a distinctive degree of self-confidence without any hint of arrogance; they are able to be themselves within the caring environment of the School. Once again, people and the way in which they conduct themselves is core to the School.

No sooner had the academic year begun, we then had the sad news of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Such a rare event in our history impacts us in different ways, especially in such a diverse community. However, the School came together to mark the occasion and to celebrate a remarkable life lived with a clear sense of service. Over the course of the Queen’s reign, the world has changed a huge amount and undoubtedly it will continue to do so. As a School we strive to develop in pupils the skills that they will need to thrive in the world beyond here because we want them to be the young adults best able to flourish in whatever field they choose. Equally, we seek to instil values including a sense of service and I have been very impressed at how well the School works in partnerships with organisations beyond our gates, and supports charitable causes. Even in a world where artificial intelligence is impacting human lives more and more, the values that we instil in young people are vital and the way in which we treat others says a great deal about who we are ourselves. It was ever thus and, arguably, the School motto Deo, Regi, Vicino (for God, for King, for neighbour) continues to hold true and really does reflect what makes Bromsgrove School so special.

M Punt Headmaster

Prep and Pre-Prep Headmaster’s Overview

When asked to provide this introductory summary for the review of 2022/23 at the Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory Schools, my immediate thoughts turned to how it would be consumed; would parents enjoy the physical hard copy and feel the highquality photographic paper flicking through their fingers, the smell of a magazine filling their senses as they reminisce over the child’s achievements and experiences. Would it instead be clicked through digitally, the immediacy of the search function enabling a focussing in on the year groups that mattered most to each individual family.

Our children are growing up in an everincreasing digital age and we, as parents, can find it hard to keep pace with the strides they make as we begin to feel old – I can remember my own disdain for my mother’s lack of understanding of how to work the TV remote decades ago; now it is my turn to be on the receiving end of such visceral condescension as I admit that I just don’t have a clue how to navigate certain social media.

Those of you who attended our Prep Prizegiving Ceremony may recall my final words to our Year 8 Leavers:

“In a world that increasingly sees us market ourselves online, with a constant wave of expectation to post the perfect picture, to present the image of living your best life or to gain as many likes / loves / shares as possible, please stop and take a moment to realise that you probably spend far too much time focussed on how you don’t compare to the image that someone else presents of themselves. In other words, you judge your insides against someone else’s outside. Stop it. Put the phone down. Let ‘TikTok’ tick away, snap ‘Snapchat’ shut, do something instantly instead of ‘Insta’, actually be real rather than logging in to ‘Be Real’.”

It is easy to be sucked into a life online, without appreciating the life that goes on around us. That’s why I am so fond of an archive such as this very magazine – you will see contributions that demonstrate the joy of a digital addition, but they are there to supplement and enhance rather than takeover wholesale.

Our children thrive when they are in the moment, embracing their creative and curious minds – see the smiles of joy in Forest School, the critical eye cast over prose, the elaborate and decadent setting for awesome acting on the stage – a device capturing these timeless memories is great, but will never be a replacement for the experience itself.

Experiences are at the heart of our ethos for education – children learn by doing, by playing, by thinking, and most importantly by engaging. They, therefore, need to be stimulated by the environment around them and there are few environments quite like Bromsgrove. Having the courage and resilience to learn from mistakes and have another go is part of our broad provision – owning your mistakes is integral to demonstrating the humility and integrity that we aspire to show. Although this magazine may proudly highlight the successes, don’t be fooled into thinking that they came about without trials and tribulations beforehand.

So, I may not know all there is to know about each and every social media platform – I don’t claim to be an influencer! I do, however, know a thing or two about what an all-rounded, broad, and enriching curriculum looks like, and I witness it every day within the PrePreparatory and Preparatory Schools. Our inspection team noted such breadth and enrichment - this edition of the Bromsgrovian serves as a superb reminder of many of the achievements that have taken place this year. I sincerely hope that it brings as much joy and satisfaction to you as it does to me.

M Marie Headmaster of Prep and Pre-Prep

Nursery

In the Michaelmas Term, the children were taught about the meaning of Harvest Festival as a celebration of the harvest in Britain. We looked at the seasonal changes that take place in Autumn and the children particularly enjoyed going on nature walks and collecting autumnal objects. We celebrated Nursery Rhyme Week by memorising rhymes and enthusiastically making nursery rhyme characters.

Nursery pupils commemorated Remembrance Day with a poppy display and celebrated Diwali by making rangoli patterns, flower garlands and clay diva lamps. We enjoyed a visit from a parent who shared some wonderful stories surrounding Diwali, including special family celebrations.

We finished the term by making some lovely natural Christmas crafts, a visit from a magician and decorating our beautiful Christmas tree. The children also enjoyed a roaring campfire and tasty s’mores in Forest School.

We began the Lent Term studying different habitats and this incorporated Penguin Awareness Day. The children took part in a penguin hunt and relished exploring the process of melting toy penguins in blocks of ice.

The children enjoyed celebrating Chinese New Year by sampling Chinese food and participating in expressive dragon dancing. We also dressed up for World Book Day and Children in Need. The children thoroughly enjoyed parading around the School grounds in their fantastic costumes.

The Lent Term ended with pupils celebrating Nutrition and Hydration Week as well as Oral Hygiene Day. The children created their own healthy snacks and fruit flavoured water. We were visited by our School Nurse who talked to the children about the importance of oral health.

In the Summer Term, Nursery pupils celebrated World Bee Day and World Ocean Day. We looked at a real honeycomb and dressed up in a Beekeeper suit to demonstrate how Beekeepers stay safe around the bees. As part of World Ocean Day, the children discovered ways they can protect the ocean for the future.

Sports Day was enjoyed by all in the Summer Term. The children had a wonderful time participating in a variety of activities including an egg and spoon race, hurdles, javelin and an obstacle course. The children were thrilled to be observed and encouraged by their families.

This year, the children have taken pleasure in participating in Forest School, Cooking, P.E., French and Music. They have enjoyed exploring our Forest School and taking part in outdoor activities, which include den building, weaving, using the mud kitchen, digging and campfires. Cooking has also been popular, and the children have made many healthy treats. P.E. sessions have involved the children using apparatus and developing their gross motor skills.

We all wish our Rising 4 pupils a very happy and productive time as they move into their new Reception classes.

J Townsend

Reception

The Michaelmas Term gave us the opportunity of performing an array of songs for our Harvest Festival Service. The children sang with enjoyment and enthusiasm in the School Chapel. The children also took pleasure in celebrating Diwali and created some tricky Numicon Rangoli patterns. Wellbeing Week was a chance to raise awareness of the importance of wellbeing. The children made sensory shakers and participated in mindfulness and yoga activities. The term ended with Christmas celebrations, including a visit from Father Christmas and a performance in the Chapel for our Whole School Christmas Service.

The Lent Term began by celebrating National Storytelling Week. The children made book covers and retold favourite stories in our ‘Book Nook’ using costumes and our puppet theatre.

During Nutrition and Hydration Week, the children learnt about the importance of staying healthy. They made healthy treats, which included fruit kebabs and smoothies. We also had a visit from our School Nurse who demonstrated to the children how to clean their teeth properly and discussed the importance of oral health.

As part of our ‘Understanding of the World’ area of learning, Reception pupils visited Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings. They investigated different materials and construction techniques of three Avoncroft buildings and enjoyed a guided tour around the open-air museum.

Summer Term involved us all being active! Reception children participated in ‘The Childhood Day Mile’ which included moving a mile in the swimming pool and the School mile track to raise money for NSPCC. The children also enjoyed Sports Day, participating in an array of activities including an egg and spoon race, hurdles, javelin and running races.

This year, children have received specialist French, Music, P.E. and Forest School sessions each week. The children have learnt French vocabulary through practical activities and songs. During music sessions, the children have delighted in learning many songs and can play various percussion instruments in time to music. Mrs Webley has taught P.E. ensuring pupils have developed their co-ordination and gross motor skills. Everyone started swimming in September and we are pleased with the progress and confidence the children have gained throughout the year. Our Forest School sessions have been a firm favourite. Children have enjoyed digging, making dens, balancing on the beams, playing on the rope swing and enjoying hot chocolate and toasting crumpets on the Camp Fire. Many Reception children have participated in after-school activities of ballet and football this year.

Well done to everyone in Reception for a successful and enjoyable year of learning.

J Townsend

Year 1

During the Michaelmas Term, Year 1’s Creative Curriculum topic was ‘Into the Woods’. They began with a Hedgehog Day, engaging in various activities such as learning hedgehog facts, creating animations with their clay hedgehogs, making pastel hedgehog pictures, baking hedgehog-shaped bread, building hedgehog dens in Forest School, and conducting their first scientific experiment.

In November, the children invited their parents to join them in Forest School for a morning of exploration, creation, and outdoor enjoyment. The children demonstrated resilience, teamwork and creativity during this time.

To conclude their learning journey, Year 1 had a woodland party. They invited their hand puppets to join them, spent a joyful morning collecting and identifying special treasures in Forest School, singing songs around the campfire and they created a beautiful class wreath.

Our Creative Curriculum topic for the Lent Term was ‘Voyages of Discovery’. Year 1 became intrepid explorers as they imagined they were climbing Mount Everest. The journey started when the children were clipped into their safety harnesses ready for their adventure. They showed courage, strength and perseverance to reach new heights, cheered on by their friends. Pupils enjoyed a range of travel-themed activities, including a dance using prayer flags. The children arrived safely back from the summit of Everest (‘Clip n Climb’ in Bromsgrove) exhausted but elated.

Pupils held a cake sale and enjoyed counting different amounts of money as well as discovering more about food from around the world.

Parents were invited to an end of topic assembly where the children shared facts about the different explorers they had studied, many wonderful songs, the favourite being Higher and Higher and the parents even had tour guides to show them around the seven continents.

Year 1 enjoyed a glorious day exploring wildlife and plants at Lower Smite Farm as part of their ‘Food, Glorious Food’ topic in the Summer Term. The highlights of the many activities were grinding wheat and making seed bombs, which the children were excited to take home and plant in their own garden. The sun and the smiles beamed all day long!

Following on from our trip where the pupils learnt all about wheat, Mr Giles delivered a bread making workshop. They had a great time creating various shapes with the dough and were excited to taste their freshly baked bread rolls.

Pupils and staff enjoyed a lovely morning at Pre-Prep with some of our Year 1 grandparents. They made hand-print pictures, took part in a Maths quiz and wrote profiles about themselves as a six-year-old. The morning finished with an assembly full of songs and a beautiful poem. The grandparents were delighted to take home portraits which were painted by the children.

The children enjoyed learning rugby, cricket, hockey and tennis skills throughout the year with specialist teachers at the Senior School.

Just before half term, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 enjoyed a theatre performance from Shooting Star Entertainments. The show reminded the children of how to stay safe online, and there was soon a chorus of ‘zip it, block it, flag it’ echoing around the School hall. We continually reinforce the message of online safety in School and this was a lovely way to share that message in a different way with the children.

Year 1 enjoyed taking part in the various disciplines during sports day, running down the track, jumping the hurdles and navigating the obstacle course.

During the Pre-Prep Musical Bonanza, we were serenaded by Violin, Drums and Percussion, P-Buzz, Cello and Toot Clubs. It was a joy to see all of the children involved perform with such confidence and pizazz, not to mention the appreciative audience joining in in all the right places. There was something for everyone, from the Hokey Cokey to the Beatles and with everything in between. No wonder there were smiles all round! Well done to our children and to their fabulous music teachers for all their help.

C Cattell

Year 2

Famous Five was the first Creative Curriculum topic for Year 2. When learning about J.K. Rowling, the children became trainee wizards, entering the world of Wizardry and Magic on Wizard Day and making magical potions and wands in a specially themed Forest School activity.

The next famous person they studied was Neil Armstrong. After learning about the Space Race, they became rocket scientists for the day and delighted in launching their own air-compressed rockets to great heights over the School garden. Another highlight was the Space Lego Challenge where the children worked together to build rockets and their own versions of the International Space Station.

The children also learnt about Mary Seacole, particularly how she overcame prejudices, built her ‘British Hotel’ and helped soldiers during the Crimean War. One of our School Nurses visited Pre-Prep for a Teddy Bear First Aid workshop. They were taught how to put their arm in a sling, how to put on a plaster and how to bandage a large wound.

It was poignant to learn more about the incredible 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II and recognise her achievements during our Famous Five Assembly on the Cobham stage in November.

In the Lent Term, Year 2 embarked on a virtual journey through Africa, exploring the diverse habitats. They loved meeting many of the animals they learned about during an African Safari at West Midlands Safari Park (in the snow!)

After learning how drums were used as a form of communication between tribes based far apart, for both storytelling and entertainment, the children enjoyed exploring African rhythms in their drumming workshop and learning African dance moves.

Art and DT projects linked to the topic created some fabulous results, such as the 3D giraffes built during the KAPLA workshop, paintings and 3D models and the colourful tie dye t-shirts which they wore when they performed their African-themed assembly so confidently in Cobham theatre. During the assembly, they shared facts about what they had learned whilst on their learning journey, with wonderful talks from camel and elephant ‘experts’ along the way. The songs were a real highlight. The children sung in different African languages, performed a Lion King Medley, and finished on a poignant note with Labi Siffre’s Something Inside So Strong

At the start of the Summer Term, Year 2 were intrigued when they found a ransom note pinned to a tree in Forest School demanding a ransom for Princess Arabella. This was the start of their learning journey of Turrets and Tiaras. The children learnt about the history of Castles and what life was like in Medieval times. They watched birds of prey swoop over their heads during their falconry display and loved the Medieval Banquet which was a Fantastic Finish to this topic.

A final flourish was the Year 2 Performance of Roald Dahl’s Cinderella, which was outstanding. The children sang, danced and acted with such enthusiasm on Cobham Stage. Congratulations to all of Year Two for putting on such an amazing show.

The academic year ended with our pupils being celebrated during Prizegiving, beaming with smiles on stage and sharing in their successful journey at Pre-Prep with their families.

K Western

Cast List for the Year 2 Production of Cinderella

Cinderella Aiylah Khan

Prince Ted Snelling

Ugly Sisters Jacob Savvides

Alfred Thompson

Fairy Arthur Silcock

Jam Man Bertie Bainbridge

Clock Theodore Dwenger

Rats/Horses Phoebe Knight

Evelyn Knight

Rats/Footmen Zachary Holland

Hussein Saigar

Cleaning Props Layla Dickens

Nico Foster

Rosie Kimbley

Lyra Hawksby

Maddox Matthews

Nancy Morgan

Heather Tennant

Esme Tyler

Ball Guests

Evelina Abel, Arjun Athwal, Bertie Bainbridge, Frederick Braddon, Annika Chawathey, Hunter Coates, George Cox, Olivia Cox, Layla Dickens, Theodore Dwenger, Adalyna Dyal, Nico Foster, Alice Goodfellow, Lyra Hawksby, Timothy Heneghan, Zachary Holland, Ollie Hughes, Thaliana Hulse, Rosie Kimbley, Evelyn Knight, Phoebe Knight, Rosa Maciej-Clarke, Carter Marsden, Maddox Matthews, Gurkeerit Maumi, Lulu Molloy, Nancy Morgan, Holly Moxon, Nathaniel Newland, Samuel Pell, Rohan Roberts, Hussein Saigar, Sterling Scriven, Charlotte Smith, Sebastian Speers, Heather Tennant, Zachary Thomas, Esme Tyler, Harry Walker, Jake Wanoa, Jake Webley, Nancy-Jayne Wood, Sebastian Yiend

Year 2 Prizegiving

Year 2 Awards

Progress in English

Arjun Athwal

Frederick Braddon

Ollie Hughes

Charlotte Smith

Harry Walker

Attainment in English

Timothy Heneghan

Maddox Matthews

Nancy Morgan

Jake Wanoa

Progress in Mathematics

Adalyna Dyal

Carter Marsden

Sebastian Speers

Nancy-Jayne Wood

Attainment in Mathematics

Hunter Coates

Zachary Thomas

Hussein Saigar

Attainment in Humanities

Gurkeerit Maumi

Attainment in Science

George Cox

Theodore Dwenger

Samuel Pell

Sterling Scriven

Attainment in Performing Arts

Evelina Abel

Layla Dickens

Rosie Kimbley

Jacob Savvides

Heather Tennant

Alfred Thompson

Esme Tyler

Attainment in Creative Arts

Zachary Holland

Thaliana Hulse

Attainment in Physical Education

Holly Moxon

Rosa Maciej-Clarke

School Prizes

Boys’ Games Cup

Jake Webley

Girls’ Games Cup

Lyra Hawksby

Powell Cup for Music

Nico Foster

Clegg Cup for Performing Arts

Ted Snelling

Thorne Cup for Art

Alice Goodfellow

Stuart Davis Cup for Humanities

Rohan Roberts

Joanne Lemon Cup for English

Aiylah Khan

Pinfield Mathematics Cup

Nathaniel Newland

Rodgers Cup for Science

Annika Chawathey

Jubilee Cup (engagement across the curriculum)

Arthur Silcock

White Cup (participation and effort)

Evelyn Knight

OHS Merit Cup (attitude to learning)

Phoebe Knight

Nigel Fedden Progress Cup

Lulu Molloy

Pickering ‘Young Bromsgrovian’ Cup

Bertie Bainbridge

Deval-Reed Cup ‘Bromsgrove Values’

Olivia Cox

MacDonnell Cup (best all-round work)

Sebastian Yiend

Pre-Prep Activities

Charity Walks and rambles, such as the one Pre-Prep children took part in for Children in Need (with a surprise visit from Pudsey Bear) and the ‘move a mile’ initiative in support of NSPCC Childhood Day, to Year 2 making Kindness cards with the Charity ’52 lives’, Pre-Prep activities are always fun and rewarding, whether inside the classroom as part of a year group topic or as an extra-curricular or after-school club.

The children in Nursery and Reception enjoyed a wonderful day celebrating Chinese New Year. Their role-play area became a Chinese Restaurant and they enjoyed an array of creative activities which included making Chinese lanterns, lucky envelopes and dragon dancing.

As part of our Pre-Prep Wellbeing Week, the PA kindly funded a KAPLA Workshop for the children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. This exciting day saw the children using small wooden planks to build large collaborative structures together.

The theme of our Wellbeing Week was ‘Let’s Connect’ and this was perfectly encapsulated during the workshop as, by the end of the day, thousands of pieces had been connected to build an impressive riverside village, complete with a giant snake, giraffes and a lighthouse. An enjoyable day was clearly had by all, staff and pupils alike.

The children in Nursery and Reception participated in some calming activities including making pom poms, sensory bottles, fruit kebabs and smoothies, exploring a sensory den and yoga. Our Wellbeing Nurse, Mrs Henderson, also came to paint stones with the pupils.

Cat Weatherill, author and storyteller, visited Pre-Prep as part of our World Book Day celebrations. She enthralled each year group with different magical stories and activities. Cat also brought some wonderful musical instruments to accompany the stories and bring them alive.

Year 3

This has been a busy and exciting year in Year 3. The children learned to “Dig!” in the Michaelmas Term. Our learning journey began with a trip back in time when they were visited by an early human, which led to a very engaging day of activities, including mammoth hunting and cave painting. The children especially enjoyed dressing in their Stone Age costumes. Later in the term, we ventured to the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre to try out some daily-life activities from the Stone Age, Iron Age and Bronze Age and to meet a real mammoth (thankfully we didn’t have to hunt it!). During the term, the children wrote some beautiful stories and some instructions for how to wash a pet woolly mammoth. Pupils performed a fantastic show for their parents, where they sang and acted their hearts out and enjoyed inviting them to visit their classrooms to share their work afterwards.

The Lent Term saw Year 3 taking a trip around the British Isles with their ‘Cool Britannia’ topic. They began with a delicious Afternoon Tea, featuring different treats from across the regions. During the term, pupils looked at the Geography of the United Kingdom, who has lived there before us and discovered why Britain is called Britain. They also delved into important historical characters who impacted some major societal changes and debated whether or not they were true ‘historical British heroes’. Year 3 also studied L.S. Lowry and created some fantastic pieces of their own. The term closed with the children running their own ‘Britannia Café’ including cakes they had baked themselves, and an open classroom event.

During the Summer Term, Year 3 ventured to North America to study their “YeeHa!” topic. The children received a very mysterious plea for help from a Wild West sheriff who was having trouble with some pesky outlaws who had stolen his keys. The pupils, of course, set out to help him immediately by making lots of wanted posters. They then found out about some real people who had lived on the Great Plains and what it would have been like in the C19th. The children enjoyed a delightful Native American themed day at Bodenham Arboretum, honing the skills they had learned in their Forest School sessions throughout the year. The term culminated with a rootin’ tootin’ Wild West Fun Day and - you’ll never guess - Sheriff Clancy’s keys turned up. They had been on our corridor display all along, hidden in plain sight.

R Ivision

Year 4

Year 4 began the academic year with the topic, ‘Extreme Earth’, where the children were fascinated to learn more about extreme weather and the depths of the ocean. We were visited by Andy from The Whale Workshop, who brought with him a life-sized Juvenile Blue Whale and, later in the term, we created our own exploding volcanoes, which we erupted en-masse outside.

The Lent Term saw Year 4 stepping back in time to the Viking era and exploring the fantastical myth of dragons through the study of How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Our Stunning Start was a Viking activity day where the children, garbed in Viking costumes of their own, engaged in an archaeological dig, handled real Viking weapons and armour and learnt some traditional Viking games. The term was rounded off with a hugely successful performance of the musical Dragon Days in Cobham Theatre.

Our final topic was ‘Pathways to the East’. Exploring the culture and geography of India, the children also studied the art of verbal storytelling prior to the writing of their own traditional tale with an Indian setting. The pupils spent an unforgettable day in the kitchens at Little Bangla restaurant in Oldbury, cooking and eating their own starter and main dishes, whilst learning more about Indian cuisine. Many children who were previously unsure about spicy food, were curry converts by the end and thus keen to share their experiences with their parents.

R Laurenson

Year 5

Throughout the academic year, Year 5 pupils have enjoyed trips and activities that enrich their classroom learning. During the Michaelmas Term, they were delighted to visit a local theatre to watch the Pantomime, Beauty and the Beast. They danced and sang along to familiar tunes, which heightened their excitement of the festive season ahead.

A visit to Warwick Castle to investigate life in Medieval England and the development of castles was much enjoyed by the children. Visiting historical sites is an inspiring part of history that enriches their knowledge and love of the subject. With spectacular views of the castle and being transported back in time with many of the organised events, the children took full advantage of this wonderful experience.

The academic year came to a close with an enrichment trip to the Go Ape Adventure Centre in the Forest of Dean. This was a day filled with lots of fun activities where children could enjoy England’s largest oak woodland and one of the most beautiful adventures from the treetops or the forest floor. The children were thrilled with the different challenges, and with great teamwork and support from their peers, they were able to complete all stages. The children had a superb time and once again represented the School exceptionally well.

V Sitlu

Year 6

Year 6 have had a wonderful year. I am forever amazed by their various talents, work ethic and enthusiasm, and above all, their kindness.

We saw the return of the French Trip in the Lent Term. An unforgettable experience where they learnt about French food, paid their respects at the WW1 and WW2 Military cemetery, and visited the Nausicaá Sealife Centre.

In the Michaelmas Term, Year 6 watched a Pantomime at the Palace Theatre in Redditch. The way in which the children joined in with the singing at the end of the show really did convey exuberance. They also enjoyed a trip to Hartlebury Castle to learn about the Victorians as part of their history topic.

The Summer Term arrived with the promise of the Year 6 Residential. A chance to learn new skills from kayaking and raft building, to camping and cleaning. This year, we also paid a visit to the Etches Fossil Museum where the children were able to share their knowledge from their science topic. The trip finished with some well-deserved fun on the mud run.

The Year 6 Buddies, led by Mrs Grove, have again been a credit to the year group, offering advice and support to those in lower years. Being Play Leaders for Years 3 and 4 has been valuable in helping the children form healthy friendships.

It has been a thoroughly enjoyable year and I look forward to hearing about their future successes. We are all extremely proud of Year 6.

H Worton

Year 7

Year 7 have had an active and exciting year, from being involved with the staging of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat to participating in teams during The Crystal Maze event.

Flourishing Fivers, an integral part of Year 7, raised over £20,000 for Primrose Hospice this year; pupils made items to sell or participated in other fundraising activities to total this donation.

At the end of the year, pupils explored the world outside of School during their Geography and History field trips, which saw them pond-dipping at Bishops Wood and exploring the ruins of Warwick Castle.

J Balkham

Year 8

Year 8 have proven to be excellent role models for the rest of the Prep School pupils and they have taken on positions of responsibility around the School. Mrs Webley, Mr Kippax, Mrs Leather, Mrs Judson, Mr Grumball, Mr Turner, Mr Wilkinson and Miss Watson are very proud of the maturity and dedication that the Prefects, Form Monitors, Buddies and Subject Helpers have shown this year. In November, all Year 8 pupils travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon to undertake their Geography fieldwork on tourism and enjoyed a History trip to The Commandery museum. The pupils were a credit to the School; they worked extremely hard and it was pleasing to have members of the public comment on their manners and conduct.

As the Michaelmas Term came to a close, Year 8 enjoyed some festive fun; wearing Christmas jumpers and contesting the annual inter-form dodgeball competition.

All the teachers are proud of the Year 8 pupils’ achievements this year, whether in the classroom, on the sports pitches, in the concert hall or during extracurricular activities. We have enjoyed celebrating the variety of successes in assemblies; including national success in sport, winners in art exhibitions and music festivals and the announcement of Music, Art, Academic, Drama and Sports Scholars. Additionally, Mr Amphlett and Mr Liqurish are hugely proud of the cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat for their outstanding performance in the Lent Term.

After all their hard work preparing for end of year assessments, Year 8 fully deserved their trip to the Outward Bound Centre in Aberdovey. The weather was beautiful and the pupils embraced the challenges. They tested themselves physically and emotionally when climbing mountains, building rafts, navigating gorges and jetty jumping. Above all, they enjoyed the chance to be with their friends and have fun; sliding across canoes into the sea, playing hide and seek in the sand dunes and eating ice cream on the beach. The memories that were made will last a lifetime.

In the final week of term, Year 8 enjoyed two enrichment days. Enterprise Day involved the year group working in teams to develop a business plan for a new garden centre for people with disabilities. The Year 8 pupils worked alongside the charity Sense and the day culminated in presentations and pitches to a panel of judges. Year 8 impressed with their teamwork and eloquent presentations. On their Life Skills Day, Year 8 participated in a carousel of activities; learning about how to give a good first impression, understanding the importance of their well-being, developing an awareness of etiquette around the world and enjoying a group waltz dance.

A special thank you must go to our Heads and Deputy Heads of School who have graciously performed their duties throughout the year– Sophia Bhardwaj, James Hoare, Neave Colley and Ethan Masterson. I wish all the Year 8 pupils every success as they leave the Prep School, we will miss them.

S Webley

Year 8 Prize Winners

Subject Prizes

Lynch Cup - Mathematics

Joanna Liao

Cockin Cup - English

Lola Broadhurst

Lee-Smith Cup - Science

Adam McClure

English as an Additional Language

Ken Liu

Geography

Isobel Boardman

History

Amelia Fox

Sumner Cup - Religious Education

Iseoluwa Odugbesan

French

Alexander Bennett

German

Celina Borkowska

Spanish

Olivia Faber

Talbot Cup - Latin

Nahum Benjamin

Dual Linguist

Tatiana Ho

Llanwrtyd Wells Cup - Art

Dayven Wong

Haslam Cup - Design Technology

James Hoare

Warne Cup - Textiles

Rowan Reijmer

Cuckson Cup - Music

Grace Laurenson

Holland Cup - Performing Arts (Drama)

Ethan Masterson

School Prizes

Walford Cup - Social Awareness

Lydia Greaves

Webber Bowl - Endeavour

Jess Gallimore

Wingfield Cup - Outstanding Academic

Sophia Bhardwaj

The James Young Bromsgrovian CupBest All-Round Contribution

Caitlin Pridden

Donovan PlateHead of Boys’ Boarding

Samuel Critchley

Donovan PlateHead of Girls’ Boarding

Celina Borkowska

Deputy Head Boy Prize

Ethan Masterton

Deputy Head Girl Prize

Neave Colley

Head Boy Prize

James Hoare

Head Girl Prize

Sophia Bhardwaj

Headmaster’s Prizes

Ben Conroy

Rhys Palmer

Emily Meese

Sport Prizes

Bentley Cup - Greatest contribution to Boys’ sports throughout the year

Samuel Brown

Staff Cup - Greatest contribution to Girls’ sports throughout the year

Natalie McNeil

Pritchard PlateCommitment to Boys’ Sport

Beau Langford

Pritchard PlateCommitment to Girls’ Sport

Neave Colley

Year 8 Valete

ADCOCK, CHARLIE, 8MT. House Captain, IAPS Hockey. I’ve most enjoyed playing sports during my time at the Prep School.

ALEKNA, WILL, 8CL. Most Improved Junior Cricket Player, Vice-Captain of Cedar, Drama Colours, French Linguist of the Month, Junior Cricket Half Colours. I have enjoyed breaktimes with my friends, some after-school clubs and sports matches on Wednesdays.

APPERLEY, DAISY, 8CK. Librarian, Monitor, Subject Helper, Junior Cricket Full Colours, Junior Tennis Full Colours. I’ve most enjoyed going to Bushcraft in Year 4.

BABAR, AAYAN, 8SW. Grade Tea Party invitation. I have enjoyed the lessons I’ve had and all of the sport I’ve taken part in.

BAILEY, MALAKHI, 8SW. Music, Athletics, ESAA, Cheltenham Festival. I have enjoyed the sport and the trips away to different schools.

BAKER, TORI, 8CL. Prefect, Wellbeing Monitor, Chapel Choir, Music Badge, Drama Badge, Eisteddfod Semi-Final, Year 6 Poetry Festival Winner, U12A Cricket, Cheltenham Music Festival, lighting help for the School musical, Chamber Choir, District Hurdles, two Headmaster’s Commendations. I’ve most enjoyed making friends, the trips, the own clothes days, Jubilee celebrations, plays, afterschool activities and matches.

BELCUORE, LOUIS, 8GJ. Athletics County Championship 2021 and 2022, second place at Sports Day 2022, third place at Sports Day 2021. I’ve most enjoyed taking part in athletics competitions.

BENJAMIN, NAHUM, 8JG. Form Captain, U12 County Cup, Cricket Full Colours (Year 6). I enjoyed playing cricket as part of the A team and being captain for one of the games.

BENNETT, ALEX, 8MT. Prefect, Vice-Captain, artwork exhibited in two exhibitions. I have had kind, funny, caring teachers.

BETIKU, PRINCE, 8CK. Prefect. I have enjoyed watching the productions of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat and There is a Leak. Spending time with all my friends was a great experience. I have also enjoyed boarding with Mr Jenkins and Miss Salt. My form tutor, Mr Kippax, has been a very helpful person and always looked out for everyone in form. The teachers around me have really helped me this year and I’m glad I was able to learn from them.

BHARDWAJ, SOPHIA, 8GJ. Head Girl, Monitor, third place in IAPS netball (U13 and U12), Swimming Scholarship, Warwick 50s (U12/U13) 50m Butterfly Champion, U12 High Jump record holder, qualified for IAPS Swimming (four years), qualified first place in 50m Butterfly (2023), played for the U15 girls’ Cricket team, Swimming Colours, Netball Colours, Art Colours, Academic Colours, Eisteddfod Finalist, part of the ESSA and IAPS Athletics team (2022 and 2023). I have enjoyed all the sports opportunities I have been given and spending time with my friends.

BILLINGS, SIENNA, 8JG. Form Monitor. I have enjoyed the sports and trips.

BOARDMAN, ISOBEL, 8SW.

BORKOWSKA, CELINA, 8JG. Head of Page House, Form Captain, Pupil Voice, Academic Colour. Throughout my time in Prep School, I have most enjoyed the many opportunities we were given, I always tried to use as many of them as I could.

BRETTELL-ELOWE, BEN, 8SW. Prefect. I have liked the sport and some of the lessons.

BRIDGE, EDWARD, 8GJ. C team Cricket. I have enjoyed trying new sports and meeting new people.

BRIDGEWATER, COOPER, 8CK. Prefect, French Linguist of the Month, German Linguist of the Month, Engagement Grades Party (Year 7), Engagement Grades Party (Year 8), Academic Commendation for English (Year 7), A team Cricket. I have enjoyed my time in the Prep School playing sports, learning in lessons and spending time with my friends. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing sports over the last two years.

BRINKMAN, IMOGEN, 8GJ. IAPS Hockey, Buddy, Cheltenham Festival, Hockey Half Colour, Choir, Orchestra, String Group. I have most enjoyed Form competitions, the sport and making amazing friends.

BROADHURST, LOLA, 8SW. Prefect, Subject Helper, Librarian, Pupil Voice, Drama Scholarship, Drama Prize, Academic Prize, Art Prize, Music Prize. I have most enjoyed the plays and the sports matches/tournaments.

BROCKIE, STRUAN, 8MW. Word Millionaire, House Captain for Cedar. I have enjoyed the amount of sport and activities in the School.

BROWN, SAMUEL, 8MW. Monitor, A team Rugby, Rugby Sevens, Hockey, Cricket and Athletics, Rugby and Athletics Full Colours, Victor Ludorum (Year 8), The Jones Cup for Outstanding Contribution to Rugby Sevens, The Bently Cup for Greatest Contribution to Sport (Year 8), Sports Scholarship (Rugby), Linguist of the Month Award (German x2, Year 8).

BYRNE, GEORGINA, 8GJ. Prefect, IAPS Netball, Jazz Band, Netball Half Colour. I have made lifelong friendships and great memories, including the many Form competitions.

CHAHAL, KARTAR, 8MT. Cricket team. I have enjoyed all of the sports.

CHAN, DOUGLAS, 8MW. Tennis, Table Tennis. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends.

CHAN, EUGENE, 8SW. Orchestra performances, Basketball matches. I have most enjoyed the School trips.

CHONGBANG LIMBU, NINGSO, 8JG.

COLLEY, NEAVE, 8CK. Deputy Head Girl, Hockey, Netball. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends and going on the Northern Ireland trip.

COLLIER, GEORGE, 8MT. Pupil Voice, Form Captain, A team Athletics, A team CrossCounty, ESAA Cross-Country Finalist, Most Improved Cross-County Runner Award (Year 8), Athletics Senior Half Colours (Year 7), Cross-Country Senior Colours (Year 8), Form Monitor (Year 8). I have most enjoyed the sport.

CONROY, BEN, 8SW. Prefect, Pupil Voice, Scholarship. I have enjoyed everything about the Prep School.

CONSTANTINOU, ALEXANDROS, 8JG. Monitor. I have enjoyed the History lessons I have received at the School and all of the sports.

COOTE, EDWARD, 8MT. Buddy, House ViceCaptain, IAPS Swimming National Finalist. I have enjoyed being given responsibilities and being trusted with them.

Year 8 Valete

CRITCHLEY, SAMUEL, 8CL. Head of Page House, Buddy, Form Monitor, Eisteddfod, Drama Colours, Music Colours, Table Tennis Zonal Finals Runners-up, Table Tennis County Finals Winners. I enjoy seeing and catching up with my friends after the holidays.

CURLEY, AVA, 8CL. House Monitor, helping to take care of Page House, Academic AwardsHeadmaster’s Commendation. I have enjoyed seeing my grades improve massively compared to when I first joined the School and learning new skills that I might have not been able to do in other schools.

DANG, YUNKAI, 8GJ. Monitor.

DAWSON, ALEX, 8CK. Prefect, Most Improved Senior Rugby Award, Half Colours Senior Rugby, Junior Full Colours Academic, Junior Full Colours Art, IAPS Semi-Final Hockey (Year 7), second in Rosslyn Park Rugby 7s (Year 8), French Linguist of the Month. I have enjoyed all the opportunities in sports and academics.

DEAN, AYDIN, 8JG. Subject Helper, Form Captain, Art Scholarship. I have enjoyed the sporting events and all of the opportunities given to me.

DEMETRIOS, VALENTINO, 8CK. Form Monitor, Drum Concert, Orchestra, Academic Commendations. I have enjoyed learning about things that will come into use in the Senior School.

DEWAN, DELISHA, 8JG. Prefect, Page House Prefect, Vice-Captain for Beech, Art Colour Badge, Form Captain for the first term. What I have enjoyed about the Prep School is the opportunities and events that have taken place, as well as the time with my friends and teachers.

DUGGAN, DARCY, 8JG. Commendations. I have enjoyed making new friends and going on trips.

FABER, OLIVIA, 8CK. Prefect, Academic Colour, Netball Senior Full Colour, Drama Colour, U12 and U13 A team Netball - IAPS Semi-Finalist, Grade Tea Party Invitations, Academic Commendations, Year 7 Play, Spanish Linguist of the Month. I have thoroughly enjoyed making memories with my favourite teachers and friends.

FICKERT, JENSON, 8MT. Eisteddfod, Music Scholarship, Academic Scholarship. I enjoyed spending time with friends and getting to know the teachers to make me grow and mature in the best way possible.

FLINT, CHARLOTTE, 8MW.

FLINT, POLLY, 8CL. Cross-Country. I have enjoyed making friends.

FOX, AMELIA, 8GJ. Third place in IAPS Netball (2023), third place in Midlands Hockey, IAPS Hockey, Hockey Colours, Hockey Scholarship, Form Monitor, U13A Hockey, U13A Netball, Athletics (Discus), third place in IAPS Netball (2022), first place in the Plate competition for Hockey, Netball Colours, French Linguist of the Month (twice), finalist in the Eisteddfod (Years 4, 5 and 6). I have enjoyed making friends that I know will last a lifetime, as well as my Form, and all of the sports opportunities.

FU, ZACHARY, 8GJ. Snacks Monitor, Squash National Finals. I enjoyed the football activities in Prep School.

GALLIMORE, JESS, 8CL. Prefect, Vice House Captain, Choir, Orchestra, Wellbeing Monitor, Linguist of the Month, Academic Badge, Music Badge. I have played my instrument in many concerts. My time in the Prep School has been amazing, especially the wide range of music options and musical activities.

GILBERT, WILF, 8GJ. Form Monitor, Hockey 7s Tournament, Cross-Country, A team Cricket and played year above, Hockey 7s and played a year above. I have enjoyed the trips such as Bushcraft.

GILES, FREDERICK, 8SW. A team Hockey (goalkeeper), Worcestershire U13 Hockey, Worcestershire U15 Hockey, Mercia Marauder Hockey, running - 1500m, 800m and 300m races, Prep Schools Championships (first place as a team), National Grammar Schools Championships (third place as a team). I have particularly enjoyed science and maths this year. I am looking forward to my time in the Senior School, and I am very grateful to all the teachers and staff for their support during my four years at the Prep School.

GLAZE, AMELIE, 8SW. Drama Prize. I have enjoyed the trips and I’ve gained interests in new things.

GREAVES, LYDIA , 8CL. Head Captain of Cedar, Prefect, Eisteddfod Dance (triple finalist) , Cheltenham Music Festival Winner (twice), IAPS Hurdles Regional Finalist, School Buddy, Wellbeing Monitor, Eisteddfod Poetry Finalist (four times), Reading Word Millionaire, Pupil Voice, Junior and Senior Orchestra, Flute Grades 1-3, Chapel Choir Cheltenham Competition Winner, 2023 School Play - Lead Narration role, Junior and Prep Choir, artwork exhibited at the SATIPS Exhibition, EcoCommittee. My time at the Prep school has been both enjoyable and memorable - from being welcomed in Year 3 to saying a fond farewell at my Year 8 leavers’ service.

GROVE, OLIVIA, 8MW. Prefect, Drama Colours, Netball Colours, Tennis Colours, U11 Most Improved Tennis Player, Music Colours, End of Year Engagement and Attainment Prizes, Tea Party, selected for the Art SATIPS Competition, lead role playing Joseph in the musical, cast in the There’s a Leak drama production, Eisteddfod Winner for Poetry, IAPS Netball U13, IAPS Hockey U12, Netball Scholarship, A team Athletics, Tennis, Netball, Grade 3 and 4 Singing, Cheltenham Festival. I have absolutely loved my time in the Prep school. It is a very happy place to be. Whilst being here, my confidence has developed massively. The teachers have inspired me with interesting lessons, which has made my learning fun and enjoyable. The Prep School has allowed me to experience many different learning opportunities and enabled me to find out what I’m good at. One of my highlights was the Outward Bounds trip which was great fun. I will always remember my time spent at Prep School fondly and I will miss it very much.

GURUNG, NISH, 8JG. Page House Monitor, Rugby 7s, Junior NBA, Celebration Concert. I have enjoyed playing football.

GURUNG, PREKSHYA, 8MT. Deputy Head Girl of Page, Vice-Captain of Willow, Most Valuable Hockey Player, Hockey Scholarship, Senior Hockey Colour, Senior Art Colour, French Linguist, County Hockey Champions (Years 7 and 8), Midlands Qualifier, Years 7 and 8 Play, 11x Commendations, 4x Academic Commendations. I enjoyed playing sports as I made many new friends by playing other schools and improving whilst I play each time.

GURUNG, AVANTI, 8JG. House Monitor, Form Captain. I have enjoyed the events and opportunities in this School. I liked the staff and the friends I’ve made.

GURUNG, MYLES, 8CK. Pupil Voice (Year 6 and Year 8), Librarian, Form Monitor, Subject Helper for ICT, Finals of Maths Olympics (Year 8), B team Hockey.

HALL, GEORGE, 8MT. Hockey Full Colours, Snack Monitor. I have enjoyed sport and making new friends.

HAPGOOD, WILL, 8CL. Page House Monitor, Athletics Scholar, Academic Scholar, Athletics Full Colour, Cross-Country Full Colour x2, Academic Full Colour, Most Outstanding Senior Cross-Country Runner x2, ESAA National Cross-Country Cup - eighth place individual and third place as a team, Prep School National Cross-Country Championships - third place individual and first place as a team, IAPS National Athletics - 800m Winner, 800m U13 National Champion. I have enjoyed making friendships, studying and training.

HAQ, AMAAR, 8CL. French Linguist of the Month, Form Monitor, Form Captain (Year 6). I enjoyed going to Bath for the History trip in Year 5 because it was very educational and fun. Another thing I have enjoyed was spending time with my friends.

HARRIES, SAM, 8MW. Deputy Head of House, fourth place at Sports Day (Year 3), second place at Sports Day (Year 4), U12 IAPS Hockey Nationals - fourth place, Year 8 Hockey Regional - fifth place, Year 6 Swimming Gala - first place, Year 6 Cricket Best Bowler and Full Colours, Year 8 Hockey Scholarship, Year 8 Eisteddfod Art, Year 8 Art - entered for many competitions, Rugby 7s (Year 7), Academic Commendations, 1x Headmaster’s Commendation, Deputy Head Commendations. I have enjoyed all of the trips this year, especially Outward Bounds trip.

HARRISON, MAX, 8MT. Chapel Choir (Years 7 and 8), Music Badge. I have enjoyed the people, the atmosphere and most sports.

HAY, LISSIE, 8MT. House Captain of Willow, Half Colour for Hockey, Football team, German Linguist. I’ve enjoyed all the sports that I was able to take part in and the Geography trip in Year 8.

HEAD, EDWARD, 8MW. Year 8 Monitor, winner of the U13 and U14 Cricket County Cup, Half Colours for Rugby, Hockey and Athletics, Full Colours for Cricket and Swimming, winner of the U12 Cricket County Cup (Year 7), winner of Sports Day (Year 3 and Year 4), Sports Scholarship (Cricket).

HEAD, ELLA, 8CL. Form Monitor, Snack Monitor. Throughout the Prep School I have enjoyed making new friends.

HIPKINS, MILLIE, 8CK. District Netball Champions, House Monitor, Buddy. I have enjoyed spending time with friends.

HO, PUI CHING TATIANA, 8MT. Form Monitor, House Prefect, Form Captain, Academic Badge, two French Badges. I have enjoyed going to my classes and being with my friends.

HOARE, JAMES, 8GJ. Head Boy, Rugby 7s (Rosslyn Park), competed in multiple Eisteddfod Finals, Cheltenham Festival (drums), U13A Rugby, IAPS Athletics (Javelin), Monitor, Junior Orchestra, Art Scholarship (Year 6), U13 and U12 Athletics, Swimming team (Years 3-8). I have especially enjoyed all the sport and events that I have competed in.

HUGHES, YASMIN, 8CK. Prefect, Junior Art and Music Colours, Senior Music Colour, Athletics, Cross-Country. I enjoyed the Northern Ireland trip and spending time with my friends.

HUNTER, TIA, 8CL. Monitor, Vice-Captain of Cedar. I have enjoyed making friends, getting good grades and doing sports.

JILKA, SHAYAN, 8JG. I mostly enjoyed playing cricket matches and I also enjoyed all my ICT lessons with Mr Grumball.

JONES, DAISY, 8MT.

JONES, LOLA, 8GJ. Subject Helper (Astronomy), Eco-Committee, Eisteddfod second round. I have enjoyed all the subjects, especially the drama and science lessons.

JONES-ELLIOTT, OLIVER, 8SW.

KHAJUM LIMBU, SESEHANG, 8CK.

LAI, ZIV, 8GJ. Maths Subject Helper. I enjoyed playing football.

LANGFORD, BEAU, 8MT. Most Outstanding Hockey Player, Hockey Colour, Prefect, House Captain. I have enjoyed learning about new things and making new friends.

LATIN-SMITH, ZARA, 8MT. Vice-Captain of Ash, House Monitor, Form Captain, Most Improved Hockey Player. I enjoyed the Crystal Maze event and the trip to Stratford upon Avon.

LAURENSON, GRACE, 8CK. Year 7 and 8 Grades, Tea Party, Eco-Committee (Year 3), Music and Drama competition (Year 3), Eisteddfod Winner of the Poetry Plate, Eisteddfod Music Finalist, Orchestra, Choir, Academic Colours (Year 6 and Year 8), Music Colours (Year 6 and Year 8), Cheltenham Festival (Years 5, 7 and 8), Eisteddfod Finalist (Year 7 and Year 8), Chair of Pupil Voice (Year 8), Commendations, two Headmaster’s commendations, Music Scholarship, School Play (Year 7 and Year 8). I have loved my time at this School and have enjoyed making new friends along the way.

LAW, MATTHEW, 8MW. Vice House Captain of Rowan, Buddy, Senior Hockey Full Colours, fifth place at IAPS Hockey, Most Improved Senior Hockey Player. I have enjoyed the sports opportunities at Bromsgrove Prep School.

LEN, OSCAR, 8MW. ESAA Cross-Country Finals, Full Colours for Cross-Country, County Cross-Country, Year 7 Rugby 7s, Year 8 Rugby 7s. I have enjoyed making friends, going to the Rosslyn Park 7s competition, the outward bound trip and sport competitions.

LEWIS, ERICA, 8GJ. Prefect, Vice-Captain of Rowan, Wellbeing Monitor, Eisteddfod, Cheltenham Festival, Senior Football. I have made good friendships at the Prep School. I have enjoyed the lessons and breaktime.

LIAO, JOANNA, 8SW. House Monitor, Maths Olympic Final. I have enjoyed solving maths questions during my lessons.

LIMBU, SESEHANG, 8CK. Vice-Captain of Ash, Badminton, U14 Badminton County Winner (twice). I have enjoyed the boarding experience and hanging out with my friends.

LIU, CHANG, 8CK. ICT Monitor. I have enjoyed the trips, my life in the Boarding House and making friends.

MARIE, LEAH, 8CL. Prefect, Wellbeing Monitor, Drama Colours, Music Colours. During Prep School I have enjoyed preforming in There’s a Leak and Joseph, as well as taking part in the Piano and Voice Concerts.

MASTERSON, ETHAN, 8CL. Deputy Head Boy, Form Captain, Buddy, Eisteddfod, Year 8 Play, Chapel Choir, Drama Colours, Music Colours. I enjoyed making strong friendships and performing on stage.

Year 8 Valete

MCCLURE, ADAM, 8R1. Form Monitor, Head of Pupil Voice, Eco-Committee, U13B Hockey, U13B Cricket, U13C Cricket. I have enjoyed most my time at the Prep School, learning about new things and making new friends.

MCCORMACK, ADRIENNE, 8SW. Form Captain, A team Athletics, Athletics Colours, A team Cross-Country, IAPS, ESAA, County Athletics Championships, dancer in the production of Joseph, AEO Grade award.

MCNEIL, NATALIE, 8MW. Monitor for 3SG, U13 IAPS Hockey, U14 IAPS Athletics, Athletics District Competitions, A team Hockey, A team Tennis, A team Athletics, A team Cricket, Hockey Plate Winners, Hockey Scholarship, Art Exhibition Finalist. I have had a great year at Bromsgrove and hope to achieve more success in the future. I have enjoyed many experiences, including representing the School. Many of my great opportunities have been from sports competitions and the trips, such as the Northern Ireland trip in Year 7 for hockey and netball and the Outward Bounds trip in Year 8. The latter trip taught me to mix with different people and to work together. It also taught me to get out of my comfort zone and become more confident in trying new things. I know that I will be proud of all of this when I look back on it in the future.

MEESE, EMILY, 8MW. Hockey Scholar (Year 8), U13 County Hockey, U13 County Cricket, Mercian Marauders player, Midlands Hockey squad, Grade 5 Singing, Grade 4 Singing, Grade 3 Singing, U13 IAPS, House Captain, Prefect, Most Outstanding Cricket Player (Year 6), Cricket Full Colours, Tennis Full Colours, Hockey Full Colours, Music Full Colours, U12 IAPS Hockey, Girls’ PE Monitor, U14 Superleague Player, Dance GradesDistinction, Academic Commendations. I have enjoyed the time dedicated towards our future by the teachers, as well as the sport and the memories i have made.

MIHNEV, DANI, 8GJ. House Monitor, Subject Helper. I have enjoyed all of the activities in the Prep School.

MIURA, KENSHIN, 8GJ.

MOORE, ELANA, 8JG. House Monitor. I have enjoyed all the sporting opportunities on offer here.

MULDASHEVA, AMINA, 8CK. Prefect, Buddy, Subject Helper, Junior Music Colours, Senior Music Colour, Music Scholar, Fencing, Choir, Orchestra. I enjoyed the Northern Ireland trip and Bushcraft in Year 4. I also enjoyed spending time with my friends.

NEMBANG, TANCHHO, 8MT. Page House Monitor.

NINGSO CHONGBANG LIMBU, 8JG. Page House Monitor, Junior NBA. I liked playing football, basketball and other sports but I have also enjoyed making new friends.

NORTON, CURTIS, 8CK. Form Monitor, Drums Concerts, Art Competitions. I have enjoyed learning new things that I can now use in the Senior School. I have also enjoyed being involved in sports fixtures and learning new instruments.

ODUGBESAN, ISEOLUWA, 8JG. Buddy, Form Captain, House Captain, Netball Prize, Athletics Award, Commendations, IAPS Swimming Award, Cricket Award, Eisteddfod Finals. I have enjoyed making new groups of friends and going on the Northern Ireland trip.

O’NIONS, SAM, 8MW. Monitor. I have enjoyed DT the most.

PALMER, RHYS, 8GJ. I have enjoyed the trips.

PANWAR, ARYAN, 8JG. Page House Monitor, Librarian. I have enjoyed the opportunities to play matches and being in Page House in the summer.

PETROVA, ZARIYA, 8MT. House Captain of Rowan, Midlands Hockey Finalists, County Hockey Winners, Half Colour for Hockey, Art Colour, Spanish Linguist. I have enjoyed sports with my friends.

PHILLIPS-GIRLING, ELSA, 8CL. Page House Monitor, Subject Helper for Spanish. I have enjoyed all the sports opportunities and the languages choices.

PHILLIPS-GIRLING, OSCAR, 8CL. House Monitor, Cheltenham Cup. The opportunities in the Prep School were amazing.

PRIDDEN, CAITLIN, 8MW. Form Monitor, Full Colours in Swimming, Cross-Country, Athletics, IAPS Swimming Finalist, Sports Scholarship (Cross-Country), Finalist in the Eisteddfod, a keen Triathlete qualifying for the British National Championships and representing my region. I have enjoyed my time at Bromsgrove Prep School. I will miss the School but I can’t wait for the next adventure.

PRITCHARD, MONTY, 8JG. Form Captain, Eisteddfod Art Competition. I have enjoyed School trips, making new friends, and the hockey and cricket.

RAI, CHENMI, 8MT. House Monitor. I have enjoyed the football activity every Tuesday and Saturday.

RAI, VICKY, 8MT. Prefect, House Monitor, Maths Subject Helper, Librarian, Academic Badge. I enjoyed spending time with my friends at School and in Page House.

RAI, NAMSONG, 8CL. Pupil Voice, Page House Monitor, Word Millionaire, County Hurdles Winner, High Jump, Eisteddfod, Athletics Club. I have liked the food and the staff were very helpful and caring towards me.

REID, JAMES, 8MT. Form Monitor, Rugby Colour, Most Outstanding Rugby Player, Outstanding Contribution to Rugby. I have enjoyed the sport.

REIJMER, ROWAN, 8CK. Buddy, Librarian, Page Monitor, Senior Art Colours, Winner of Malvern Art Exhibition. What I have enjoyed most about my time in the Prep School is spending time with my friends.

REYNOLDS-DENNIS, SAMUEL, 8CL. Sycamore House Captain, Music Badge, Gold Badge for Drama Production, A team Rugby, Performer in Rock Band at Summer Music Concert.

ROUND, ABIGAIL, 8CL. Prefect, Wellbeing Monitor, Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, Winner of Eisteddfod Poetry Writing, Drama Colours, District 1500m Cross-Country, Athletics, Music Colours, Drama Productions, Cheltenham Music Festival, Arts Competition, Orchestra, Pupil Voice, Word Millionaire, Headmaster’s Commendations, Textiles. In the Prep School I have most enjoyed the amazing Performing Arts and music opportunities as well as the facilities we have access to. I also love the vast range of after-school activities and sporting competitions.

Year 8 Valete

SANIKOP, AANIKA, 8GJ. Monitor, Tea Party. I have most enjoyed the House and Form Competitions.

SIMON, JOE, 8SW. Full Colours for Rugby, Music and Drama. I have enjoyed everything about the Prep School.

SIU, LAP YAN, 8CK.

SIVITER, WILL, 8MW. House Captain of Willow, second place at Sports Day (Year 3), third place at Sports Day (Year 4), U12 IAPS Hockey Nationals - fourth place, Year 8 IAPS Hockey Regionals - fifth place, Hockey Senior Full Colours, Year 8 Hockey Scholarship, A team Cricket, Hockey, Rugby, Rugby 7s, Cross-Country, Rugby Senior Half Colours, Rugby Junior Half Colours, Cricket Junior Half Colours, Academic Commendations, Headmaster’s Commendations, Deputy Head Commendations, Year 7 and Year 8 Top Scorer. I have enjoyed the sport at the Prep School.

SLATER, ALFIE, 8MW.

SOMARE, SABESTIEN, 8JG. Page House Monitor, Rugby 7s (Rosslyn Park), Eisteddfod Artwork, Word Millionaire. I have enjoyed playing football.

ST GEORGE-RUSSELL, WILLIAM, 8CL. Finalist in Eisteddfod (Poetry), A team Rugby, A team Cricket, Half Colours for Cricket.

SUNUWAR, NEELOH, 8SW. I have enjoyed the English and Art lessons.

TAYMAZ, DAGHAN, 8SW. I enjoyed my time in lessons and being with my friends.

TUKUR, FAISAL, 8CK. Monitor, Rugby Captain (Year 7), Rugby Captain (Year 8), Hockey Captain (Year 7), Drama Production - There’s a Leak, Page House Monitor, World Millionaire. My time at Bromsgrove Prep School has been an absolute learning curve. It has taught me many life lessons and I appreciate everyone. I like the opportunities that we are given to express ourselves in both education and sports. I have really enjoyed the boarding experience as we get to hang around with friends and go on trips.

TUNG, WINSTON, 8MW. House Monitor, Orchestra, Cheltenham Music Festival. I enjoyed studying with my friends.

WANG, HAOTIAN, 8CK. Pupil Voice, ICT Monitor. I have enjoyed everything since I joined, especially the trips and making friends.

WARD, SIENA, 8MW. Prefect, IAPS Netball (U12 and U13), Eisteddfod, Sports Scholarship, Grade 4 Singing, Grade 5 Singing, Grade 4 Piano, Grade 5 Piano, County Netball, Netball Full Colours, Cricket Full Colours, Musical in Year 8, Play in Year 7, Girls’ PE Monitor, Academic Commendations, Grades Award. I have enjoyed making memories and all of the sporting opportunities.

WHITE, FREYA, 8CK. Form Monitor, Art Colours. I’ve enjoyed making new friends in various year groups. I’ve also enjoyed competing in netball and cricket against other schools. I’m going to miss my time at the Prep School.

WIGG, MARCUS, 8GJ. Monitor, B team Rugby, B team Cricket. I have enjoyed spending time with my friends because it is so fun.

WILSON, ARCHIE, 8MW. Choir Competitions, Plays, Musicals, Fencing Competitions, Cricket Matches. I have enjoyed meeting new people who will be my friends in the future.

WONG, DAYVEN, 8SW. 2023 Eisteddfod, Art Scholarship. I have enjoyed the various types of lessons taught here.

WONG, KIKI, 8MW. Wellbeing Monitor. I have friends who are always there to help and chat with me.

WOOD, DELILAH, 8JG. Pupil Voice. I enjoyed the geography trip.

WOOLMORE, IMOGEN, 8MW. Form Monitor, Academic Commendations. Throughout my time at the Prep School, I have most enjoyed spending time with my friends and making new friends along the way. I have also enjoyed learning in my lessons such as Maths, History, Science and Religious Education.

WORTON, ZACHARY, 8JG. Form Monitor for 5MM. I have enjoyed rugby, the food and the people.

WU, ANYA, 8SW. Wellbeing Monitor, Drama Production - Joseph, Choir, Coronation Choir, Cheltenham Music Festival, St John’s Wellbeing Presentation. My time at Bromsgrove has been very memorable and I really enjoyed making new friends and memories.

XIANG, TOM, 8JG. Page House Monitor. I have enjoyed the time to play sport and talk with my friends.

ZHU, ZOE, 8JG. House Monitor. I have enjoyed having own clothes days.

ZHU, STEVEN, 8CL. Page House Monitor. I enjoyed being with my friends.

Page House

With Heads of House, Sam Critchley and Celina Borkowska at the helm, it has been a truly magnificent year for Page. With Deputies, Rhys Palmer and Prekshya Gurung and a sterling team of Prefects and Monitors for support, they have been superb role models. We could not have asked for a better team of students to inspire and guide our boarding community.

We have appreciated our calendar of events with our ‘Page House Tree’ once again, which has changed with every special occasion. As new seasons and festivals have come into focus, our boarders have been given time to reflect and thrive morally, spiritually and culturally. We have continued to promote and prioritise our ‘Page House Values’, with ‘Kindness’ underpinning all other qualities. We were not surprised to read in the ISI Report that, “Muslim boarders explained how, during Ramadan, they were positively encouraged by their peers during the fast. They said that they felt appreciated and supported by their nonMuslim peers and described how the community celebrated with them at Eid.” This illustrates perfectly our House ethos, ‘We are all different, but we look after each other.’

New to Page this year has been the introduction of a guest speaker during our Thursday Awards and Celebration Evening. Mr Punt’s visit gave a lasting impression, and the children made the most of asking a variety of weird and wonderful questions including “where did you meet your wife?” This welcome addition to our weekly routine has given the children the opportunity to listen to inspirational stories in the comfort of their ‘home from home’.

Our boarders have again been given the opportunity to explore life away from campus every Sunday without fail. Beginning with a trip to Oxford for our new starters, we have visited a whole host different venues including Blackwell and Umberslade Adventure, Aztec Adventure, Waterworld, Cadbury World, Planet Ice, No Limitz Trampoline Park, Cheltenham, Worcester, as well as Touchwood and Merry Hill Shopping Centres. The trips have been a huge success and could not have happened without the commitment and support of our Prep School teachers and Housemothers.

It has been another extremely busy sporting year in Page, with regular fixtures for every boarder. There has been a notable increase in the number of children taking part in more fixtures and events and, in particular, with badminton, squash, table tennis and basketball.

Wilfred Yu (table tennis), Sesehang Limbu (badminton), Zachary Fu (squash) and Douglas Chan (tennis) have all played their respective sports for the senior teams. Nish Gurung, Ningso Chongbang Limbu and Reeyaz Gurung have all played basketball at senior level too.

It has been another successful year for cross-country runner William Hapgood who has competed at National level. He represented Hereford & Worcestershire in the Mason Trophy, as well as competing in the South of England and Yorkshire crosscountry championships. We have seen the sacrifices, hard work and commitment that goes into all achievements made here.

The commitment of our in-house musicians has continued throughout this year, and we have been more than happy with the standard of entertainment during evenings and weekends, with a repertoire of both modern and classical favourites. This has been inspirational for the younger boarders, giving them just a little insight into the reward of what hard work and determination can achieve.

Thanks to Joanna Lao, Zoe Zhu, Arun Chawlia, Wilfred Yu, Jeremy Chan, Eugene Chan and Winston Tung who gave up their time to play during our Mother’s Day Service in Chapel. Thank you to the Page children who also attended this service and made up a large proportion of the congregation. Your presence was noted and greatly appreciated. We will continue with this tradition next year.

We will not forget the budding actors and actresses who have shown their commitment to drama at the Prep School this year. Rhys Palmer, Jack Liu, Sam Critchley and Elly Hall all shone on the stage in the School production of Joseph. The Year 6 productions of The Witches and Fantastic Mr Fox in the Summer Term were also outstanding, with many boarders filling roles here.

Isaac Chinnadurai, Jyanas Gurung and Arun Chawlia raised over £700 for Primrose Hospice, hosting an event for Page during the World Cup. This was most definitely a highlight of the year and a night we will not forget. Thank you to Mrs Leather for co-ordinating the ‘Flourishing Fivers’ project and inspiring our boarders to make a difference and be part of this successful initiative.

Mrs Bowett has successfully co-ordinated our regular ‘Page House Voice’ meetings, giving our boarders the opportunity to ‘voice’ their opinions on life in Page. This has enabled us to make necessary adjustments and improvements where possible and it has been open to all. As a result of these meetings, we have improved the choice of snacks in House, made reasonable adjustments regarding ‘tuck’, created more opportunities for our boarders to have ‘quiet time’ and be ‘still’, given boarders greater flexibility in trip choices, there has been even ‘more’ baking with Mrs Bacchus, and we have considered sensitively the issue ‘fairness and equal opportunity’ for all boarders.

The ‘Academic Menu’ for boarders was reinvented and relaunched this year, with the welcome addition of basketball club and brand new iPads and laptops for Prep.

We continued to offer music in Routh, Page Swimming classes, as well as many other sports. The ISI report states, “Boarders explained that the additional help received in the boarding house from teaching staff gave them the confidence to develop and build upon prior learning.” and “Boarders strenuously praised the support given with their sporting or academic scholarship programmes during boarding time.”

Thank you to our Page Tutors for the excellent provision and master classes given during Prep time. Mrs Hill, Deputy Academic, has been a consistent source of advice and support, and she has worked tirelessly to support all boarders with their learning programme, be it academic scholarships or extra provision in preparation for school exams.

Prizegiving was once again a special and most memorable day. Subject prizes were awarded to many of our Year 8 leavers. Joanna Liao received the Lynch Cup for Mathematics, Ken Liu was awarded for English as an Additional Language, Celina Borkowska was awarded the trophy for German, Tatiana Ho was recipient of the the Dual Linguist Award and Rowan Reijmer received The Warne Cup for Textiles. In addition to this, Rhys Palmer received one of the Headmaster’s Prizes for showing resilience during his time at Prep School. Sangmu Lama, Celina Borkowska and Tatiana Ho all received prizes for the highest attainment in their year. Eden and Elly Hall were both awarded prizes for the highest engagement.

Well done to Tatiana Ho who received The Bond Salver and Myles Gurung who received The Edwards Cup, both for consideration in boarding.

The Summer Term was made even more special by the visit of our Friends from Bromsgrove Mission Hills, China and Bromsgrove International School Thailand. We very much enjoyed spending time and getting to know Richard, Oscar and Bosco. We hope that they will come back and visit us again.

We would like to thank everyone who has made this year a happy and successful one. Heartfelt thanks to Mr Jenkins and Ms Salt for their commitment, compassion and enthusiasm in ‘Conway Page’ and to Miss Smith for her instrumental role in the smooth running of both Houses. We give thanks to Mr Wilkinson and Miss Guest who have assisted throughout the past year and Housemothers Ms Gregory, Mrs Bacchus, Ms Travell, Miss Moore-Harbach and Mrs Townsend who have given our boarders the very best pastoral care. We would also like to thank Mrs Taylor for keeping us updated with everything regarding School life, Rebecca Gilbert and her team at the health centre, the estates team, the ladies in the laundry and the housekeepers who have done a wonderful job of keeping the House looking wonderful. Mr Lee, Head of Boarding, has given a phenomenal amount of guidance, love and support to the children and staff of Page over the past two years. He will be missed by us all, but we wish him all the very best in his next venture.

A final thank you to Mr Punt who has greeted our boarders every morning at breakfast and without fail has taken the time to talk to all of our children. His warmth, positivity and time has inspired us all.

We anticipate another great year in Page House and we look forward to making many more happy memories.

R and Z Lawton

Year 8 Leavers

Elmshurst

Just as the English Elm stands tall, its sturdy trunk and branches reaching for new heights, the 2022-2023 academic year within Elmshurst House has proven to be a testament to the enduring spirit, resilience and growth of our students.

The boys, as always, promote the family ethos of the House, supporting each other and welcoming newcomers. Ever the enriching setting for our students to grow and mature.

A busy year of House trips, activities and successes, including Coronation celebrations with cucumber sandwiches and cream teas, a charity fundraising sweep-stake for the football World Cup, a trip to support local Bromsgrove Sporting FC, many birthday celebrations usually based around pizza and cake, the annual Elmshurst Christmas Party - this year at the Stone Manor Hotel, the much anticipated upgrade in entertainment of the PlayStation, an exciting and highly charged Casino Evening, wall mounts for a new House guitar collection, a hugely successful Charity Football Match between Elmshurst and Wendron-Gordon (2-1 to Elmshurst!), a House Quiz and Pizza evening, and all culminating in the summer Hog Roast and Tug ‘o’ War. Notable achievements this year include Louis Gabard running in the ESAA crosscountry cup finals, Alvin Chui working up the placings at each race meeting to finish third in his last race in the National Karting League, Merrick Yeung and Shawn Wong winning the County badminton championship, and JJ Reijmer and Jack Wilkinson being key players in the U16 rugby team who finished runners-up in the prestigious Rosslyn Park Sevens tournament.

Keeping the trophy cabinet well stocked this year, we won the Senior badminton, football and volleyball competitions. Our many musicians have put on some superb performances; Alvin Chui directed and conducted the largest group in the Ensemble competition, Aarush Thapa was a finalist singing in the Solo competition, and many have performed in events such as Pop and Jazz and the Cultures Connect concert.

Our departing Upper Sixth have been a tremendous group, setting fine examples and leading Elmshurst with commitment and pride. All thirteen members have learned much and each one has found success on their own unique journey through Bromsgrove School. Hamish Schulze, wise beyond his years, has consistently served as a source of guidance and inspiration to his peers. His unwavering commitment to School is evident not only in his impressive academic achievements, but also his active participation across the sports, describing himself as ‘the third team warrior’. Despite his multitude of commitments, Hamish remains composed and determined. Teachers cherish his positive attitude and consistent contribution, while peers respect his knowledgeable discourse on world politics and sport. His charisma and confidence are undeniable. He has been a superb Head of House in Elmshurst, natural leader and public speaker, and has inspired and encouraged all. Justly awarded the Paul Saltwell Trophy at Commemoration for being a ‘true Bromsgrovian’, yet another fine achievement to finish off his Bromsgrove career.

Joseph Hong has been an exemplary figure - from his resolute dedication, as evidenced by his impressive contribution to the Orchestra and Concert Band, to his tireless pursuit of excellence in academia. Joseph is a testament to what can be achieved with tenacity and perseverance. As a fantastic Deputy Head of House and School Monitor, he proved himself to be an irreplaceable pillar of our community, a beacon of reliability and guidance for his peers. His ambitious aim of achieving a perfect 45 points in his IB diploma is nothing short of inspiring.

Elmshurst Leavers

CHAU, W.M.A., Elmshurst, 2019.

CHOI, M.S., Elmshurst, 2018.

GABARD, L., Elmshurst, 2020. House Monitor, 1st tennis, 1st football, 1st table tennis, Senior House Drama, Bee Keeping Club.

HONG, S., Elmshurst, 2018. School Monitor, Deputy Head of House, House Monitor, 1st tennis, 1st football linesman, tennis minor colour, T. E. Godwin trophy (2022), Upper Fourth Prizes for Endeavour and Progress (2019), Senior Physics Challenge (bronze 2022), British Physics Olympiad Round 1 (silver 2022-2023), Intermediate Maths Challenge (gold 2019-2021), Senior Maths Challenge (gold 2020-2022), Maths Challenge Best in the Year (2019, 2021), Intermediate Maths Olympiad and Kangaroo Certificate of Merit (2019), The Maths Senior Kangaroo Certificate of Qualification (2020), British Maths Olympiad Round One Certificate of Participation (2021-2022), Clarinet ABRSM Grade 7 (2022), Music Grade Theory Grade 5 Distinction (2021), drama minor colour, Best Technician (2022), Drama Productions as Actor (2018-2019) and Lighting Technician (2019-2023),

His undeniable intellect and drive, vibrant character and invigorating sense of humour have been constants, illuminating our School and enriching our experiences. Receiving his cap for Drama, Joseph carried with him the same spirit that has seen him through every endeavour at Bromsgrove. For an individual of Joseph’s calibre, the road ahead is nothing but a new opportunity to excel.

The House Monitor Team has been pivotal in steering Elmshurst. They’ve built respect through their unique characteristics, teamwork and empathy. Jason Choi, with his humour and sports skills; Louis Gabard, excelling academically and in sports; Rafig Nuriyev, displaying warm authority; Eugene Nwanonye, exemplifying hard work in academics and sports; and D-Gun Pulsirivit, always cheerful while maintaining academic ambitions. Their efforts have earned Elmshurst’s gratitude.

Orchestra (2018-2023), Concert Band (2018-2023), CREST Gold, CCF (2019-2023) - Lance Corporal, Bronze DofE (2020), Silver DofE (2022), Gold DofE (2023), Academic Scholarship (2021-2023).

LEITE DE MELO CHAMPALIMAUD, M., Elmshurst, 2021.

LO, G., Elmshurst, 2019. Senior Boarder, UKMT Gold Award.

NAKAMIZO, K., Elmshurst, 2019.

NURIYEV, R., Elmshurst, 2021.

NWANONYE, E.T., Elmshurst, 2021. House Monitor, 1st football, football player of the year, cap, 2nd rugby, 1st basketball, major colour.

PULSIRIVIT, D.G., Elmshurst, 2017. House Monitor, 2nd badminton, basketball, 2nd tennis, CCF.

SCHULZE, H.M., Elmshurst, 2014. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, Head of House.

TANG, Y., Elmshurst, 2017. YEREMEYEV, O., Elmshurst, 2019.

In addition to those with House titles, others have made a significant impact in Elmshurst. Amos Chau, Manuel Champalimaud, Gavin Lo, Kai Nakamizo, Steven Tang, and Oleksii Yeremeyev have all been instrumental to the life of Elmshurst. We wish them luck as they embark on their university journeys. Our Honours Boards not only record the Head of House, but also the winners of the four House awards. This year’s winners to be recorded on the walls of Elmshurst are as follows:

Best Newcomer - Idriz Bin Nik Rizal Endeavour Award - Eugene Nwanonye House Spirit Award - Louis Gabard House Contribution Award - Joseph Hong

Elmshurst House remains a ground of fertile soil, fostering the growth of sturdy, resilient ‘Elms’ within our student body. Yet another fantastic year we are all proud of, developing robust and enduring young people, just as the English Elm.

M Giles

Hazeldene

As I write this at the end of my first year as Houseparent of Hazeldene, I have to commend the girls first and foremost on a fantastic year. The smiles, laughter and experiences had by all cannot be explained in words.

Our eighty-six girls are witty, incredibly bright and kind beyond words – they are a diverse group in their interests, but they come together as a House perfectly.

There were House competitions galore this year - our biggest achievement has to be bringing the House Song trophy back to Hazeldene. Eleanor Dunn did a fantastic job of leading the girls in a beautiful rendition of Best Day of My Life by American Authors, and it certainly was one of the best days of the year. Our performances in House Drama also need a special mention for a thrilling depiction of The Fall of the House of Usher from the Fourth Form and an excellent Orlando performed by members of the Sixth Form. Whilst we may not have brought too many trophies home in sport, the teams we have put out have been plentiful and it has been lovely to see the girls come together across the studies to enjoy some fierce competition on the courts and pitches. Academically, we have had many students achieve countless commendations for their efforts and AE grades throughout the year.

With a renewed PA, we have been able to host more events and treat the girls in House this year. Bringing back some old traditions and starting some new ones with a House Quiz, a Hallowe’en Party, chocolate hunt at Christmas, Easter eggs for all the girls and the Summer Party. During the Summer, a new tradition of an inter-House rounders game was superbly won by Hazeldene, a trophy made by tutor, Mr Matthews, now sits proudly on our fireplace. The PA have played an integral part of getting parents involved in Hazeldene events and I am very grateful for the support and time they have given me.

The Monitor Team have been invaluable to me in my first year, their support has been unwavering. They have been fully committed to the House, whether encouraging students to get involved in competitions, cheering them on from the sidelines or helping Zöe and I to get their studies looking tidier. I would particularly like to thank my Head of House, Izzy Rusling and Deputy Heads of House, Jemima Vaughan-Hawkins and Ella Kershaw-Crombie for their leadership and support. I am looking forward to the new Monitor team stepping up to the mantel and helping me to make even further improvements to the House and the girls’ experiences. The team who will be integral to this are: Charlie Atkinson, Katie Harding, Amy Pinfield and Millie Hodgson as House Monitors, with Head of House, Olivia Garrett, and Deputy Head of House, Izzy Keavney at the helm.

I would like to thank our Housekeeper, Zöe Paling, for all her support and for the work she does in looking after the girls on a daily basis. The tutor team have been brilliant at encouraging, cajoling, and supporting their tutees through what has been the busiest year most of us can remember for a while. We, sadly, say farewell to Miss Powell who leaves us to take on the helm at Ottilie Hild House, she will not be far, and I am sure her tutees will still drop in to see her on occasion. We wish her luck in her new endeavours.

Hazeldene Leavers

BOND, T., Hazeldene, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep Survivor, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, Sgt in CCF leader, Volunteer Helper at Lower Fourth Camp, Residential Homes, Chapel Choir, Chamber Choir, National Fencing.

BOONNAK, T., Hazeldene, 2007. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, 1st netball, 2nd netball, Flourishing Fiver.

BREITHAUPT, G., Hazeldene, 2007.

DUNN, E.D., Hazeldene, 2018. House Monitor, 1st netball, House Music solo advanced winner, Drama Productions, Music Scholar.

FLEMING, P.F., Hazledene, 2018. House Monitor, Art Scholarship in Years 9-11, CCF, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, volunteer helper at Lower Fourth Camp, Residential Homes, Nursery, Chemistry mentor to Fifth Form, Biology Olympiad (AS Level), Biology Olympiad (A Level), Chemistry Cambridge Challenge, Grade 6 in clarinet, Grade 2 in piano.

JAMES, A.J., Hazeldene, 2018.

KERSHAW-CROMBIE, E., Hazeldene, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Deputy Head of House, 2nd hockey, entered RSE Young Economist of the year and the John Locke Essay Competition for Economics, entered the Biology Olympiad twice and the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, EPQ Prize, Gold DofE, CCF.

Hazeldeneans, you make me proud every single day, you fight for what you believe in, you work hard, and above all else you are a family that support each other through thick and thin. Have a brilliant summer break, and for those who are returning, come back ready for new challenges and more excitement. Those leaving us; go and spread your wings, show the world what you are about, and most of all, enjoy it, you will be brilliant.

A Linehan

ODONNELL, N.O.D., Hazeldene, 2016. 2nd hockey, Drama Production, CCF, DofE, Chapel Choir, Orchestra.

RUSLING, I.R., Hazeldene, 2013. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, Head of House, 1st hockey, Drama ProductionsGuys and Dolls and The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Drama Scholar.

SLATER, V.S., Hazeldene, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, CCF Army, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE and Gold DofE.

SMITH, S.S., Hazeldene, 2021.

SPITTLE, S.A., Hazeldene, 2018. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st netball, 2nd hockey, CCF, School Monitor.

THOMPSON, L.T., Hazeldene, 2007. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, 2nd hockey, CCF, Flourishing Fiver, Residential Homes, Nursery group.

VAUGHAN-HAWKINS, J.V.H., Hazeldene, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Deputy Head of House, 1st hockey, 1st netball, 1st athletics, runners up in the National Hockey Plate, Hockey Scholarship, Big Band.

Housman Hall

The beauty and the challenge of running a House like ours is the fact that half of the students are new each year.

This can lend itself to creating a slightly chaotic atmosphere at the start of the year - boundaries are pushed, and arriving at morning roll call promptly becomes the greatest challenge that many students have faced so far in their lives.

Fortunately, our House and School Monitors quickly set the tone for others to follow, and in no time at all, the new Lower Sixth pupils settle into the routine of School and boarding life.

It quickly became evident that they would add a great deal of value to Bromsgrove and to Housman Hall. Many were eager to buy into the opportunities available to them, signing up to Chapel Choir, Flourishing Fiver, the School Production, Orchestra, CCF, Duke of Edinburgh, as well as a range of sporting activities. Not content with this, it has been wonderful to see so many pupils also volunteer to be involved in all of our House Competitions. So many individuals stepped out of their comfort zone to try something new, and Imaan Mould became so committed to representing the House that I think he would have happily entered every competition if he could!

As a House, I am proud to say, that Housman Hall were often the best represented in all competitions and rarely did we need to cajole or bribe pupils to get involved. Not only did we represent, but we also showed up – Dexter Cheng must have watched more House competitions than I have this year! House Song was certainly the highlight for me as it is a competition that brings the House together and very much reflects the cohesiveness of the community. What song could be more apt for a mixed Sixth Form Boarding House than Summer Nights from Grease? Many staff and students with no affiliation to Housman commented that we were unlucky to walk away with no awards.

My highlights from this year are the events that the Monitors have planned and delivered for their peers. Hallowe’en saw some impressive costumes, and some even more disturbing karaoke – never let a lack of musicality stop you from singing your heart out to a room of 100 people. The Christmas party at Stanbrook Abbey filled me with immense pride. The atmosphere was one of togetherness and community, with everyone able to feel relaxed in the beautiful setting they found themselves in.

The Upper Sixth have really done themselves proud in the build up to the end of their Bromsgrove careers. Personal struggles along the way have not impeded their ambition nor used as an excuse for mediocrity. Evenings became increasingly professional, filled with diligent work and the generous assistance of peers. With a mixed cohort of IB, A level and BTEC students, the exam season seemed to go on forever, and the feeling for many was that they were well and truly ready to leave Bromsgrove to face new challenges and meet new people outside of B61. However, the shared experience of life away from campus on the Kidderminster Road has created a tightknit group of friends, and the allure of one last hurrah meant that all but one were present for Commemoration Day.

I have always enjoyed Commem. The pomp of the procession to St John’s Church in a gown, the boater etiquette, the heat and excitement of Prizegiving, the laps of the cricket pitch to spot the familiar faces of OBs, and the simultaneous chaos and ceremony of call-over appeal to the traditionalist in me. This year, however, the day took on new meaning for me. This was my first as Houseparent of Housman Hall; something that was meant to be a temporary position has become my passion. The Upper Sixth’s efforts and dedication over the last two years deserves this type of send-off. The enormity of reaching this point in life, where limitless possibilities stretch out before the leavers, should be celebrated with gusto. As we gathered as a House for Call-Over, the finality of the occasion started to sink in. Each handshake a representation of effort and collaboration. Each kind word a mark of respect and appreciation. Each tear a realisation that this familiar way of life was coming to an end. Ascending the steps towards the flagpole behind so many exceptional students, dedicated tutors and caring Housemothers filled me with so much pride. Housman Hall is a special place to call home.

G Tasker

Housman Hall Leavers

ABOUL GHEIT, T., Housman Hall, 2021.

AKINRELE, A., Housman Hall, 2021.

ARMSTRONG, Z.A., Housman Hall, 2016. Prep School Survivor, Rugby Scholarship, 1st XV rugby.

ARTOMOV, I., Housman Hall, 2021.

AUREL, A.G., Housman Hall, 2021.

BABAEKO, L., Housman Hall, 2021.

BACARDIT FLOTATS, A., Housman Hall, 2021.

BIASONI, S.V., Housman Hall, 2021. Athletics, Flourishing Fivers.

BOUAOUDIA, S., Housman Hall, 2021.

BÜCHEL, M., Housman Hall, 2020. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st squash, 1st tennis, 2nd tennis (2nd captain), Young Enterprise Regional Finalist, Innovation Award (Young Enterprise), Head of Eco-Committee, Sales Director (Young Enterprise), Tennis Coaching (Prep), Boarding Helper (Page), Young Archivists’ group, Residential Homes, PPE society, Investment Club, Debating.

CAI, Z., Housman Hall, 2016.

CHAN, T.Y., Housman Hall, 2021.

CHAN, Y.C., Housman Hall, 2021.

CHU, J.C., Housman Hall, 2021. 1st tennis, tennis performance squad, tennis captain, tennis leader scheme, Prep School tennis coaching assistant, Greenpower Racing - Best Kit Car Award, Greenpower Racing - Best Presented Team, Maths Challenge (silver), Chemistry Cambridge Challenge (bronze), Residential Homes, Prep Readers.

CHUNG, A., Housman Hall 2021. Music Major Colour, Senior String Orchestra, Senior Symphony Orchestra, Main Production - Guys and Dolls, Music Group.

DAJEE, R.D., Housman Hall, 2021. Flourishing Fivers, Drama Production.

DAMINOV, M., Housman Hall, 2021.

DANUS BALLESTER, N., Housman Hall, 2021.

DUMITRESCU, M.C., Housman Hall, 2021. First Aid, Deaf Culture and Communication, Crafting for Charity, Prep Crafts, Astronomy.

EDWARDS, O.G., Housman Hall, 2015. School Monitor, House Monitor, Prep School Activities Helper (reading, Page House, cookery), 2nd hockey, netball, athletics, swimming, debating, winner of Best Theory of Knowledge exhibition award, CCF, Bronze DofE, Silver practice before covid, House Music (conductor).

GALLAGHER, R., Housman Hall, 2010.

GLATTER, R.G., Housman Hall, 2021. House Monitor, Stubbings Cup, Wattell Prize for German, Prize for the Extended Essay, Young Archivists’ Club, Model United Nations, Debating, PPE.

GUEORGUIEVA, A., Housman Hall, 2020.

GUEORGUIEVA, J.J., Housman Hall , 2020.

GUPTA, S., Housman Hall, 2021.

HAGAN, O., Housman Hall, 2021.

HIBBERT, J., Housman Hall, 2021. House Drama, House Rugby, presented and performed in the Cultures Connect concert. HU, Y., Housman Hall, 2021. British Physics Olympiad Round I (gold), British Maths Challenge (gold).

KIM, H., Housman Hall, 2020. School Monitor, House Monitor, Senior Boarder, 3XI football, 16A football, UKMT British Maths Olympiad (distinction), UKMT Senior Maths Challenge (gold x2), Grade 8 Singing with merit (Trinity), School Orchestra, Big Band, Concert Band, Impulse (student-led band) - vocalist and pianist, Boys’ Choir, Debating, MUN, Academic Exhibition Scholarship, Academic Honorary Scholarship.

KLEIN, H., Housman Hall, 2021.

KWOK, H.L.J., Housman Hall, 2021. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st athletics, Young Enterprise 2021-22 - Best Company of the Year, Innovative Award, Best Presentation Award, University of Cambridge Homerton College Engineering Residential, Highly Commended Award and Runners up Award for Best Design, Head of Cultures Connect Committee 2023.

LAM, T.C., Housman Hall, 2021.

LEE, C.H., Housman Hall, 2021.

LISITSKAYA, M., Housman Hall, 2021.

LUI, P.K., Housman Hall, 2021.

MAURI, B., Housman Hall, 2021.

MÖBIUS, E.J.A., Housman Hall, 2021. Senior Boarder, 1st hockey, Debating, Gold DofE.

MUSAT, M., Housman Hall, 2021. Chapel Choir, Main Production - Guys and Dolls, swimming squads, House Song winners 2021, LAMDA (gold), squash, Deaf Culture and Communication, School Gardens, Girls’ Choir, House netball 2022, Crafting for Charity, badminton, House Debating 2022, House Music 2022, House Drama 2022, House athletics 2022, ‘Mia’s Children’ Charity Fundraising, Investment Club, Prep Readers, Fitness Suite, House Song 2022, House Music Solo Competition 2023, House netball 2023.

NASA, N.N., Housman Hall, 2021.

NGÔ, P.C., Housman Hall, 2022. 1st football, Chess Club, Basement Project, Greenpower Racing, 2nd place in the Homerton College Design Programme by Cambridge University.

NKWOJI, N., Housman Hall, 2021.

OPARINA, P., Housman Hall. 2021

PANG, T.Y., Housman Hall, 2021. 1st badminton, Biology Olympiad (bronze).

PAUL, E., Housman Hall, 2021.

PUMAPANICH, S., Housman Hall, 2021.

REBOUL, S.G.M., Housman Hall, 2021. House Monitor, Head of House, athletics, Gold DofE, Flourishing Fiver.

SARAIVA DE BARROS ALVES CASEIRO, A., Housman Hall, 2021. 1st athletics, DofE, Page Helpers, Crafting for Charity, badminton, Prep Science Club, Nursery, Cooking Helpers, Prep Reading, athletics.

SIJUWADE, A., Housman Hall, 2021.

STANKUS, J.S., Housman Hall, 2020. House Monitor, Head of House, 1st volleyball, 3rd football, British Physics Olympiad.

SUNSANEEYACHEVIN, P.S., Housman Hall, 2021. 1st badminton, School Cap.

TAHER, R., Housman Hall, 2020.

TANG, C., Housman Hall, 2021. Biology Olympiad (bronze)

TODOROV, T., Housman Hall, 2021.

TSAO, C.E., Housman Hall, 2021.

TURNER, P., Housman Hall, 2021.

VON LOEPER, J., Housman Hall, 2021.

WAN, W.K.C., Housman Hall, 2021.

WANG, T.W., Housman Hall, 2018. 1st basketball, UKMT (gold), BPhO AS Challenge (silver), Greenpower Racing - 1st Senior team captain.

WILLI, L., Housman Hall, 2019.

WONG, Y.M., Housman Hall, 2020. UKMT 2022 (gold), UKMT 2023 (gold), Cambridge Chemistry Challenge 2022 (gold), Biology Olympiad 2022 (bronze), Biology Olympiad 2023 (silver), Maths Modelling Challenge participant.

WOOD, A., Housman Hall, 2021. House Monitor, 1st football, 1st athletics, Deaf Communication and Culture Society.

ZAAZOU, I.Z., Housman Hall, 2021. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st football.

ZHELYABOVSKYY, D., Housman Hall, 2021.

Lupton

As another School year ends, I reflect once again on the dedication shown throughout the year by the eighty-seven students in Lupton. I am extremely privileged to watch each and every one of them grow a step closer to manhood.

This year, the Monitor team - William Bayliss, Edan Blyth, Oliver Bullock, Zachery Chattin and Elliot Evans - and led by Cameron Owen and James Humphries, assisted by Owen Alekna, have worked tirelessly to keep the Lupton House spirit alive, and I thank them sincerely for their efforts.

On the academic front, Gabriel Brown received awards for the best performances at GCSE level for Biology, French, Music, Physics and Religious Studies. Seth Benjamin received the Lower Fourth Prize for French and Oliver James was awarded the Upper Fourth Academic Prizes for Classic Civilisation and for the Best Year’s Work. Cameron Owen was presented with the Sportsman of the Year trophy for his attitude and commitment to School sport and the Wattell Prize for Physical Education. Edan Blyth was presented with the Wattell Prize for Art.

Highlights of the Michaelmas Term included Gabriel Brown taking a leading role in the School’s production of The Hampstead Murder Mystery, and in the Junior House swimming competition Monty Cooke and Mackenzie Jones both won their respective races. The Upper Sixth cohort selected Waiting for Love by Avicii for this years’ House Song competition. The performance on the day was outstanding. Edan Blyth was a brilliant conductor, and Benjamin Hornigold was once again fantastic on the keyboard. In the Junior House rugby competition both teams finished in a creditable third place, while Edan Blyth worked his magic to produce a masterpiece in the pumpkin competition. In the Senior swimming competition, we won two races. Frazer Jones was victorious in the 25m freestyle event, and Owen Alekna won the 50m butterfly race. To round off the term, Charlie Fielding finished second in the Junior table tennis event.

In the Lent Term, the Senior badminton players of Brendan Colley, Oliver Glaze, Maximillian Jehan and Archie Stone finished in third place, while the ‘A Question of House’ team of Edan Blyth, Thomas Astle, Tobias Schroeder, Oliver James and Temi Adenopo won the competition. The 1.2 relay team finished in a commendable third place, and the Junior hockey players finished runners up. The Senior hockey team went one better, winning the final 3-0. In both Junior and Senior House Drama competitions neither group won, but both were applauded for their efforts. In the Senior House debating competition, Edan Blyth, Finbar Dinnen and Archie Stone argued against the motion that ‘This house believes that the UK is in terminal decline’ against Lyttelton, the Senior volleyball players finished in a commendable third place, and the Junior team ‘spiked’ a second-place finish. Finlay Harvey-Gilson co-ordinated a seven-piece ensemble rendition of High Ho Silver Lining! in the House Ensemble music competition and Gabriel Brown was brilliant on the Oboe in the Solo section.

In the Summer Term, a busy exam season meant that House competitions were limited. However, Lupton did have time to take part in the Senior tennis competition and the ‘Bake-Off’.

Lupton Leavers

ALEKNA, O., Lupton, 2021.

BAYLISS, W.P., Lupton, 2018. House Monitor, 2nd cricket, 2nd football, golf team, CCF, Bronze DofE.

BHANDAL, T., Lupton, 2007.

BLYTH, E.R.S., Lupton, 2021. House Monitor, cross-country, Greenpower racing team 2x race winner and National Finalist, House Debating winner, House Quiz winner, House pumpkin carving runner-up, House Song conductor, architectural modelling, Prep Science, Crafts for Charity, swimming, debating, DofE Gold.

BULLOCK, O., Lupton, 2018. House Monitor, 1st rugby, 1st athletics.

CHATTIN, Z.C., Lupton, 2018. House Monitor, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, 3rd rugby, backstage crew for 2021 Senior Production.

Edan Blyth and Elliot Evans received their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and Finley Bamford was presented with his runners-up medal for the U16 team at the Rosslyn Park Rugby Sevens tournament. Golf captain James Humphreys collected the Webb-Cavill trophy, and School caps were presented to Elliot Evans (for hockey and cricket), James Humphries (for golf), Samuel Grimmett-Bate (for rugby) and Cameron Owen (for hockey and tennis). Cameron Owen was also awarded ‘The John Downey Cup’ for his contribution to hockey. Oliver Bullock (for rugby and athletics), Sonny Morgan and Jacob Stirk (both for rugby) received major School Colours, whilst Isaac Bridge was given Major Colours a year early in recognition of his achievements on the international hockey scene. Matthew Bevins (for hockey and athletics) and Frazer Jones (for rugby) received their Minor School Colours. Henry Foster received the U14 shield for swimming and Charlie Fielding was presented with the trophy for winning the U16 boys’ county tennis doubles title.

EVANS, E.G.D., Lupton, 2018. Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, 1st cricket, 1st hockey, CCF, Gold DofE, cricket scholarship.

GRIMMETT-BATE, S., Lupton, 2018. 1st rugby, 2nd cricket, awarded major colours and School cap for rugby, Sports Scholarship (2018).

HUMPHRIES, J., Lupton, 2008.

MORGAN, S., Lupton, 2018.

OWEN, C., Lupton. 2014

PURVIS, S., Lupton, 2015.

STEELE, J., Lupton, 2005.

STIRK, J., Lupton, 2012.

WEEKES, O., Lupton, 2013.

As always, I must give a special mention to the Lupton PA and thank them publicly for their efforts. They give so much of their time in organising a calendar of events that helps raise money for various charities (this year, our main charity being the Matt Hampson Foundation) and for supporting the Lupton students in evenings, including the Football and Pizza events that happen throughout the year.

The Lupton PA Ball was, as always, a fantastic event. The Lupton race night, casino evening and summer party were well attended and great evenings to be a part of.

The Lupton Tutor team have continued to provide outstanding pastoral care to the students this year. Ms Bradbury has been an excellent addition to the team, and we look forward to welcoming back Mrs Talbot and Mr Barfield when they return. Mr Clinton and Mr Pardoe have also been added to the team from September. As always, Angela Cotterill has been our rock in maintaining the best kept House in Bromsgrove School.

G Evans

Lyttelton

2022/23 has been a fantastic academic year for Lyttleton, with individual, team and House achievements; all the boys have played their part in making it a success. From World Challenge expeditions to Costa Rica and charity events at School, to countless concerts and sporting fixtures.

In October, the entirety of Lyttelton House undertook an incredible twenty-four-hour challenge by completing the distance of the Race Across America event; the distance from Oceanside, California all the way to Annapolis, Maryland, a total of 4828km.

The boys worked in four hourly year group shifts and each brought energy to build towards the goal distance. They even ended up exceeding this to achieve 5216km. The enthusiasm, dedication and resolve shown by the Lytteltonians was amazing and something they will remember for years to come. The House raised a total of £4000 for the Matt Hampson Foundation, with the money directly benefitting the beneficiaries.

There is a spectrum of sporting ability in the House, from those who simply enjoy running around with their friends to those who enjoy the pressure of competition. The Hockey team - including Archie Greaves-Hall, Henry Scott, Robbie Bayliss and Edward Kerton - helped the team win a National Final in April. In rugby, Tom Ashton, Jack Gilbert and Henry Parsons were part of the squad that got to the final of the Rosslyn Park VIIs competition. George Hadley was part of the team that were crowned tennis County champions in the summer. Jasper Page and George Ascough, both Upper Fourth, finally ended up facing each other in Fencing at the English Youth Championships. Their contest was point for point, with Jasper eventually emerging victorious - both boys enjoyed the high standard of competition. The boys also went on to compete in the Hereford and Worcester County Championships finishing as the top two.

In the Lent Term, the House held a Krispy Kreme doughnut sale to raise nearly £300 for the Support Ukraine initiative, with some entrepreneurial Sixth Form supporting the event. Josh Graesser also undertook his own endurance charity event with a twelve-hour piano playing marathon, in support of St Richard’s Hospice and raising £2000. Complementing the sporting and charity success, the arts have also yielded success. The Fourth Form production of Witch Hunt, including Ewan Head and Noah Bradford-Gibbs, was incredible and showed clear commitment to the performance. The Senior production, the 1920s crime thriller, The Hampstead Murder Mystery, saw Fred Hanson and Theo Gilbert-Birch working together on their final School production. Equally fittingly, the pair, accompanied by the enthusiasm of Edward Kerton, won the Senior House Drama competition with their portrayal of The Birthday Party Their presence as Goldberg, McCann and Stanley was excellent, delivered with precision, humour and great timing. The musicians have also had an excellent year with some highlights of the ensemble performing Use Somebody by the Kings of Leon, with the Thunder of Zeus, Alex Holroyd on the drums and in the solo competition, Darcy Dines became the first bassist to perform in the final with his entry, Time Limit

The end of term Mark Reading assemblies continue to be a fantastic showcase of all that is accomplished each year, demonstrating the excellent commitment of everyone. This year, major colours were awarded to Edward Kerton, Henry Scott, Noah Hanke, Cyrus Passman, Fred Hanson, Alex Holroyd and Morgan McKinley.

Caps were awarded in four areas for Lytteltonians. In hockey, for Archie Greaves-Hall and Finlay Shaylor. Fred Hanson and Theo Gilbert-Birch for drama. Josh Graesser and Henry Scott for music. Finally, in cricket, for Archie Greaves-Hall and Fred Hanson. Other extra-curricular awards were as follows - The BernardHall Mancey Cup for the Most Improved Musician was awarded to Joshua Graesser, The Page Cup for Drama went to Fred Hanson and for the CCF, the Kieran Brinn Trophy was given to Sergeant George Eccles.

Lyttelton Leavers

BROWN, W., Lyttelton, 2010. Pre-Prep Survivor, House Monitor, A team rugby, rugby sevens, hockey, cricket up to Fifth Form, 2nd team rugby.

CLARK, B.C., Lyttelton, 2018. 2nd hockey.

FLETCHER, H.F., Lyttelton, 2018.

GILBERT-BIRCH, T., Lyttelton, 2014. House Monitor, award for Best Play in Senior House Drama 2023 alongside Edward Kerton and Fred Hanson, director of the 2022/23 Junior House Drama for Lyttelton, involved in English Lit Society and Politics, Philosophy, Economics Activity, involved in the Junior Drama Production The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and the two Senior Productions Guys and Dolls and The Hampstead Murder Mystery.

GRAESSER, J.G., Lyttelton, 2012. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, Black Belt Taekwondo, 2019 3rd in Midlands Championship, Top Geography and DT scorer in GCSEs, 1st place in Senior House Music solo competition in 2022, 1st prize for Hereford Police Choir Bursary 2022, pianist in Senior School Orchestra, pianist in Concert Band, accompanist for Boys’ Choir, Senior helper for the Middle School’s Orchestra, wrote the music for the Drama Scholars’ Concert 2022, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE whilst in the process of completing Gold, Honorary Academic Scholarship for GCSE results.

GREAVES-HALL, A., Lyttelton, 2016.

HADDADIN, F.H., Lyttelton, 2021.

HANKE, N., Lyttelton, 2021.

HANSON, F.L.M., Lyttelton, 2014. Deputy Head of House, 1st cricket - National U17 finalist, 2nd football, House Drama winner 2023, Drama Productions: Great Expectations, Guys and Dolls, The Hamstead Murder Mystery, Big Band, Chapel Choir, CCF, Cricket Scholarship, Drama Scholarship.

Archie Greaves-Hall was awarded the 1st XI Cricket batting award and Seth Rogerson, the fielding counterpart. Finally, having participated in almost 200 fixtures across his time in the Senior School and leading by example, Archie Greaves-Hall was awarded The Ben Dudley Award for Outstanding Contribution to Boys’ Games.

Thank you to the PA for all that they do to organise events throughout the year and in their support of the boys, especially giving of their time and resources.

HOLROYD, A.G., Lyttelton, 2008. Pre-Prep

Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Head of House, 1st rugby, 1st athletics, 1st squash, 2nd hockey captain, U14A cricket, County Cup finalists, Maths Award (bronze), Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, minor colours, individual House Music final, Big Band for three years, played in the Upton Jazz Festival for two years, Percussion Group, Guys and Dolls ensemble, CCF for four years, Academic Scholarship, Music Scholarship, Head Boy at the Prep School.

KERTON, E., Lyttelton, 2021.

LUSCOTT-EVANS, K.L.E., Lyttelton, 2021.

MCKINLEY, M.M., Lyttelton, 2016. Prep School Survivor, 1st rugby, rugby scholarship, 1st athletics.

MOBERLEY, J., Lyttelton, 2008.

PASSMAN, C., Lyttelton, 2014.

SCOTT, H.F., Lyttelton, 2006. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, Academic Scholarship, Music Exhibition, Junior Staff Reading Prize, Senior Staff Reading Finalist, 1st XI hockey, hockey Senior colour, hockey minor colour, Junior and Senior house colours, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, CCF Company Sergeant Major, Cornet Grade 8, Brass Group, Orchestra, Big Band, Concert Band, Last Post, Debating Society, EcoCommittee, Research Competition, House Endeavour Awards, School Endeavour Award, Biology Olympiad, Chemistry Olympiad, Senior Maths Challenge.

SHAYLOR, F., Lyttelton, 2015. House Monitor, 1st XI hockey - Tier 3 National Champions, Senior Colour (hockey), hockey cap, Worcestershire County hockey, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, CCF, World ChallengeLeadership Expedition in Costa Rica.

Thank you also to all those who support Lyttelton and its endeavours, including all families, and most importantly to the boys themselves. Finally, we continue to be grateful for the input from the experienced tutors and support staff. Without all of you, Lyttelton would not be the community that it is.

Best wishes to all for the year ahead.

J Holdsworth

Mary Windsor

It is the people within it that make a House a home and Mary Windsor is no exception. Home to sixty-three boarders from twenty different countries, at the heart of our House is a wonderfully diverse group of young people and a dedicated and caring team of staff.

For those who called Mary Windsor home, 2022/23 proved to be a year to remember for many reasons. As always, the year flew by, but there was time for rest and relaxation, and the hard work was interspersed with fun and laughter.

There were many achievements throughout the year, both as a whole House and for individuals, and I would like to congratulate each of our Mary Windsor girls on the successful completion of the year – they all have reasons to be proud of themselves. Our new pupils settled quickly under the kind and mature guidance of the Upper Sixth, and over the course of the year, fully immersed themselves into all that boarding life at Bromsgrove has to offer.

It was a joy to see the girls so well integrated, particularly at events such as the Christmas Party and Summer Party, alongside numerous pizza and movie nights. Inter-House competitions reflected the girls’ camaraderie and teamwork and Mary Windsor’s House spirit was evident on each occasion. I commend all the girls for their willingness to participate and represent their House regardless of ability, and even from the side-lines, their support for each other has always been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The House Song Competition allowed the whole House to come together, working hard to produce a spectacular performance. Drama was strong this year with many girls involved in both Junior and Senior House Drama, as well as the Fourth Form production and the main School production. We were delighted by our prize for Best Performance in Junior House Drama.

Sporting achievements were numerous. Serena Cai (swimming) and Laura Floricic (fencing) deserve a special mention for being awarded their School Caps for their performance and commitment to sport at a consistently high level. Throughout the year, many Mary Windsor girls were commended for their contribution and commitment to numerous teams in all sports, and on a weekly basis it was wonderful to see so many girls representing the School and, indeed, their House with commitment, enthusiasm and talent.

Academically, the girls remained focused on their progress, showing much determination, and AEO grades over the course of the year were excellent. Headmaster’s Commendations were awarded to Sophia Tong, Elina Quito, Maria Militaru and Rukhsang Tamang.

We are very proud of the following Fourth Form pupils who were awarded Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth Subject prizes at Mark Reading on the final day of term: Kate Ignatiuk (Art, Craft and Design), Elina Quito (Latin and Spanish), Alpha Li (Geography), Jenny Tang (Biology), Lucy Nguyen (French and Art, Craft and Design) Irina Popovici (Endeavour and Progress).

The following Fourth Form pupils were Highly Commended - Angel Balogun (U15 Athletics), Irina Popovici (U15 Tennis), Alpha Li (Music), Sophia Tong (Music and Drama), Audrey Wu (Drama), Elina Quito (Drama), Kiara Stoycheva (Drama). The following Fifth Form pupils were awarded their Minor Colours: Hailey Li (Music), Christina Bai (Music), Cherry Tang (Music and Athletics), Iruoma Onwuka (Athletics and Drama), Rukhsang Tamang (Drama) and Anastasia Luca (Drama).

In our final House assembly, we celebrated the day-to-day achievements of the girls who have embraced opportunities both at School and in the House this year. I was delighted to present the House Sports Award to Tiffany Fan and the House Music Award to Hilary Siu. Academic awards for the Best Engagement Grades (Senior) went to Rukhsang Tamang and Maria Militaru and Best Engagement Grades (Junior) went to Elina Quito.

Mary Windsor Leavers

CAI, S.C., Mary Windsor, 2019. House Monitor, 1st swimming, swimming team captain, swimming cap, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Prep Science Club, Prep Readers, School Blog.

CHAN, M.W., Mary Windsor, 2018. House Monitor, Intermediate Maths Challenge (silver), Chemistry Challenge (bronze), Senior Maths Challenge (bronze).

FLORIČIĆ, L., Mary Windsor, 2019. House Monitor, 1st fencing team, 3rd place in the Warwick Foil competition, climbing, RAF, tennis.

HODGSON, C.F.C., Mary Windsor, 2015. Head of House, Senior Production, CCF CSM, Biology Olympiad (bronze), Chemistry Olympiad (copper), House Drama runners up.

The award for Commendations was awarded to Lucy Nguyen. The Senior House Cup was awarded to Iruoma Onwuka and the Langdale Junior House Cup to Sophia Tong. The Wallis Bowl for Upper Sixth effort and contribution to the House community went to Charlie Hodgson. The Upper Sixth Spirit of Mary Windsor Fazel Cup was presented to Eve Sewell.

The leaving Upper Sixth, who contributed so much to Mary Windsor during their time here, will be hugely missed. Congratulations to Charlie Hodgson, who led the House so well this year as Head of House, ably assisted by Deputy Head of House, Eve Sewell and House Captain, Laura Floricic. Our House Monitor team were strong leaders and role models and I would like to thank them for all they have contributed to the House both this year and during their time with us. I am confident that their successors, led by Bia Wang as Head of House, Moyosore Sheidu as Deputy Head of House and Maisie Lyons as House Captain, will make an equally valuable contribution. We are also very proud of Lily Wigglesworth who was selected as a School Monitor for the year ahead, and it was wonderful news to hear that Arianna Okemuo will be Head Girl next year.

REIJMER, C.N.B., Mary Windsor, 2017. School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st swimming, CCF Sergeant, Mary Windsor House boarding representative, girls’ basketball team founder, Eco-Committee, School Newspaper.

SEWELL, E., Mary Windsor, 2015. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House.

SMEYS, A.L.B., Mary Windsor, 2021.

We are grateful as always to our wonderful team of housekeepers, tutors and Assistant Houseparent Miss Limbrick for their hard work, support and kindness. Special mention must go to our wonderful Housemother Mrs Astill (Maz) as she retires after twenty-five years of superb service. Mrs Astill will be fondly remembered by many generations of Mary Windsor and Oakley girls, and she will be missed next year and beyond. We wish her all the very best for a well-earned retirement.

It has been a privilege to have led Mary Windsor for the last four years and I thank the girls for the many moments of joy and the team for their unwavering support.

T Helmore

Oakley

Once again, Oakley House has pulled together to support each other through the successes and challenges of Bromsgrove life.

This year, the Monitors chose Bone Cancer Research as their House charity, in recognition and support of one of our own. Through a charity run, bake sales and a raffle, they have managed to raise over £1500. We were thrilled to welcome back a special Sixth Former in the New Year to continue her studies with us; that has been our highlight.

Katie Chan and Clara Lau won the Bromsgrove School Research Competition, presenting their case for vertical farming in response to the question ‘How should global agricultural practices change to prevent further biodiversity loss?’. Katie and Clara also joined with Sophia Mills to create a company called Monito for the Young Enterprise competition. They have been crowned National Champions and competed in the European Finals in Istanbul over the summer.

Many girls performed on the Routh and Cobham Hall stages in dramatic and musical endeavours. Bernice Tse was the Assistant Stage Manager for The Hampstead Murder Mystery. Another collaborative effort was our entry to the House Music competition. Clara Lau, Alvina Chui, Bernice Tse, Karis Cheng and Trissie Wong took on a very challenging number, Belle from Beauty and the Beast They were awarded with the Runner up prize, placing them second out of eleven Houses.

Both the Junior and Senior House Drama competitions were led by Selai Boginisoko who brought her quiet leadership to the role to manage two large companies. The adjudicator commended the Seniors’ original interpretation of the J.B. Priestley classic with its strong feminist undertones. With Sophia Mills giving a strong and confident presentation of the Inspector, she was ably supported by Lidia Belcuore as Eric, Hanna Dambon as Mr Birling, Sasha Kichaikina playing Sheila and Vidushii Saha as Gerald; this was a collaborative effort and a truly mesmerising performance.

Although we did not win any House sporting competitions this year, the enthusiasm and team spirit made up for any disappointment. Thank you to all our girls who volunteered. We were also very proud of Jess Monthe who was selected to play for the England U19 netball squad.

I would like to thank Dr Felstrom and Miss Cunningham for their work as Oakley boarding tutors for the past three years. As well as their busy day jobs in the Spanish and Chemistry departments, they have each brought their unique teaching styles and individual experience to their roles. Dr Felstrom has worked all over the world and embodies a kind nature and fierce intelligence; we were thrilled when he gifted a signed copy of his fourth book to the Oakley Library. We will miss Dr Felstrom and his family in Oakley House and wish him every success and happiness at the British School of Jakarta.

Miss Cunningham has also made her mark here and she has brought uncompromising high standards to her tutoring role. Whether it’s leading a yoga session, hosting an impromptu Chemistry revision session or sitting down for a chinwag with the girls, her youthful energy will be missed and we wish her well when she returns to King Norton Girls’ School. I would also like to thank Miss Popescu for her hard work with the Lower Sixth this year; her attention to detail and straight talking has motivated her tutees to aspire to great things. We wish her all the best next year when she moves to Housman Hall as Assistant Houseparent.

Oakley Leavers

KAN, K., Oakley, 2019. House Monitor, Debating.

MAANHA, S.Z.M., Oakley, 2021. House Monitor, Merit for LAMDA.

MAK, J.W.G., Oakley, 2021. House Monitor, Head of House, winner of the April 2023 Staff Reading Prize, Debating.

MITROFANOVA, N., Oakley, 2019.

PUN, N., Oakley, 2016. House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, School Magazine, Basement Project, Bronze DofE, Debating Society.

RAI, T., Oakley, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, Senior Boarder, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Debating Society, The Basement Project, World Challenge Costa Rica 2022.

Mr Snelling, Mrs Linfield, Mr Vice and Miss Farrell will continue to tutor and guide our future cohorts in Oakley and I would also like to thank them for their loyalty and commitment to the role. All four run their own large departments in School and yet manage to find the time to be active members of the Oakley community. Mr Terry and Mrs Pugh complete the boarding team and I know the girls would join me wholeheartedly in appreciation for their hard work.

Mrs Pugh, in particular, has not slowed down once this year. She continues to be the backbone of Oakley House and a kindly ear for those who might need a quiet moment or place of sanctuary during a busy day, staff included! She is nearing her thirtieth year at Bromsgrove and eight years in Oakley House. A more loyal and trusted colleague would be hard to find; we think Mrs Pugh is one in a million.

The Monitor team were led by Jane Mak who received her own special award for debating at Commemoration. She brought that confident voice and gentle persuasion to her role as Head of House, ably supported by Nitya Pun. Tamika Rai was recognised at Commemoration for her role as Senior Boarder this year, something she has taken very seriously and approached with her usual decorum and commitment. We wish them and Sally Sun, Katie Kan, Maanha Maanha, Emily Shen, Nadia Mitrofanova and all the very best.

SHEN, E., Oakley, 2016. Prep School Survivor, House Monitor.

SUN, Y., Oakley, 2017.

TAMANG, S., Oakley, 2015. House Monitor, British Biology Olympiad 2023 (bronze), The Basement Project.

YONG, R.M., Oakley, 2017. House Monitor, 1st athletics, United Kingdom National Finals 100m (4th 2017), United Kingdom National Finals 100m (8th 2018), District athletics 100m (2nd), Hereford and Worcester County Champ, ESAA 1st Round, ESAA Midland Finals, Internal ESAA, multiple home fixtures against other schools, The Basement Project, Debating, Residential Homes, Young Archivists’ group, Deaf Culture and Communication, Model UN.

Next year’s Head of House will be Hatty Owen, with Nina Renouvel and Selai Boginisoko supporting her as Deputies. We wish them and the rest of the new Oakley Monitor Team luck for the coming year. We also support Clara Lau and Caro Roos as School Monitors, with Caro Roos taking over from Tamika Rai as Senior Boarder. What a fine set of leaders we are blessed with in Oakley House.

I am very privileged to live and work alongside strong, capable young women from all over the world. I know that Oakley girls are proud of their House and its high standards. It really is a family made up of many different characters and personalities that keeps me on my toes and I wouldn’t have it any other way. As one year closes, we look back on lessons learned and quite rightly congratulate our shared successes but we are already looking ahead with anticipation to what next year will have in store for us. One thing is for sure, Oakley girls and staff will rise to the occasion.

V Adams

Ottilie Hild

It is with both immense pride and sadness that I write my last ever Bromsgrovian entry for Ottilie Hild House, and what a year to end on! As ever, the girls of Ottilie Hild have thrown themselves into a variety of activities and competitions, achieving some of our greatest successes to date.

This year has been a challenge for many, particularly with regular examinations back in full swing. Despite this and the inevitable obstacles that come with life, the girls have continued to impress, improve and impel themselves.

As a team and a community, we have yet again shown the rest of the School that we excel across the board. It is no coincidence that this House has consistently achieved the best average attainment and engagement grades all year; has been awarded over 1500 commendations and have won or come top three in almost every House competition. I was asked by one member of staff “How do I do it?” which would have been a great opportunity for me to give some boastful response and explain that it’s down to my excellent example and leadership; but that would be a total lie. I simply said, “It’s who they are.” Never satisfied with mediocrity, the girls strive for greatness. I could write a thesis on the individual and collective achievements from this year, but with only 800 words, I’ll have to pick some highlights.

House Song was fantastic. I can’t tell you how many emails I received from parents, teachers and support staff exclaiming how much they loved our entry. The song choice, arrangement, dance moves and overall energy worked exceptionally well- I still can’t quite believe we didn’t win. However, second place is nothing to be sniffed at. As ever, the girls came together beautifully and created a memorable performance. Evie Derbyshire (Upper Sixth) needs special mention here for leading the charge, organising rehearsals, and, of course, conducting on the day. And let’s not forget Ffion Wrights’ (Fifth Form) brilliant accompaniment on the piano. Though I am a somewhat competitive person, the prize didn’t mean half as much as the pride I felt.

One of my favourite moments from this year was watching our Senior House netball team led by Alanna Pullen (Upper Sixth) raise the coveted House Netball trophy, finally beating Thomas Cookes in an extremely tense final match. After missing out on several top spots in sporting competitions this year, it was an incredibly sweet victory, and one I know the Seniors worked incredibly hard for.

In the House Ensemble competition, we chose a Harry Styles song with some interesting added elements. With Flora Blower on flute, Edie Page on violin, Rose Davenport and Ffion Wright on keys, Xanthe Matthews (Lower Fourth) and Olivia Whitfield (Upper Sixth) on guitar, Sammy Riley (Lower Fourth) on bass, Tilly Richardson (Fifth Form) on drums, and Olivia McKelvey (Fifth Form) and Ilerioluwa Odugbesan (Upper Fourth) singing. Oh, and who could forget our two maracas’ players/backing dancers Evie Derbyshire and Sophie Pover (Upper Sixth), which, of course, gained special commentary from the adjudicator. In the House Solo Music, we had many superb entries. From Flora Blower’s (Lower Fourth) excellent flute recital, Tilly Richardson’s (Fifth Form) superb musical number and of course Ilerioluwa Odugbesan’s (Upper Fourth) soulful number. All three received excellent praise from the adjudicator with Tilly and Ilerioluwa awarded prizes in the final.

Ottilie Hild Leavers

ARMSTRONG, R.A., Ottilie Hild, 2021. House Monitor, Drama.

BARKER, A., Ottilie Hild, 2014. 1st hockey, 2022/23 Girls’ Hockey Player of the Season, hockey cap, Sports Scholar for hockey, finalists in the 2022/23 National Plate for hockey.

BOARDMAN, E.G., OttIlie Hild, 2014. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, Music Scholarship, runner up in the House Music solo competition, CCF, Gold DofE.

DERBYSHIRE, E.D., Ottilie Hild, 2012. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, 1st hockey, Equestrian team.

MOORE, D.M., Ottilie Hild, 2019. House Monitor, 2nd netball, tennis, Drama Productions.

POVER, S., Ottilie Hild, 2012. Prep School Survivor, Development netball, Drama - ‘old woman’ no. 4 in the Lower Fourth play and ‘Avocatori’ no.3 in Upper Sixth play.

Our Junior and Senior House Drama teams were also utterly brilliant. The Juniors kicked off with a challenging yet exceptional scene from Macbeth. Well done to: Anila Atkins, Flora Blower, Freya Bradley, Phoebe Dinnen, Abigail Lamb, Xanthe Matthews, Ilerioluwa Odugbesan, Edie Page, Lucy Porter, Sammy Riley, and Harriet Williams. Also, a big thank you to Fiona Singh and Emily Johnstone for their direction. No prizes this year for the Juniors but the Seniors had a bit more luck. Their performance of Womberang had the audience in stiches - Olivia McKelvey, Tilly Richardson, Fiona Singh, Emily Johnstone and Olivia Whitfield wowed the audience with their excellent comic timing and superb northern accents. Special mention, of course, to Olivia Whitfield who received a prize for best actress. These mentions only scratch the surface of the many accolades, awards, caps, colours, and commendations that the ladies of Ottilie Hild have been awarded.

PULLEN, A., Ottilie Hild, 2018. Head of House, Netball Scholarship, 1st netball, winner of three National Final titles.

SANGHERA, A., Ottilie-Hild, 2009.

SFRANTZIS, P., Ottilie Hild, 2009.

THOMAS, I.S., Ottilie Hild, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, Latin Cup (Year 8), Textiles GCSE and A Level Scholarships, Drama ProductionGuys and Dolls, House Drama, Prep Drama - 1001 Nights, Corporal in CCF, Literature Society and BYWSTB Book Club.

WHITFIELD, O.D.U., Ottilie Hild, 2012. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, tennis leaders qualification, Junior Drama colour, runner up best actor, Drama Productions - Caucasian Chalk Circle, Guys and Dolls, The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Director of Senior and Junior House Drama, House Music and House Drama, Girls’ Choir, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, Drama Scholarship.

It only leaves me to say one final thank you. It has been an honour to have been Housemistress of this incredible House, and an even greater privilege to have been a small part of the lives of its students. I am left in no doubt that Ottilie Hild will continue its legacy of excellence and its ethos of compassion, commitment, and community for many years to come. I wish every member of the Ottilie Hild House family love and happiness for the future.

G Hanson

School House

The last twelve months have been a truly exciting time to be in School House. Whether a new starter to Bromsgrove, or a stalwart Pre-Prep Survivor who has made it to the end of the Upper Sixth, it has been a hugely satisfying year to be their Houseparent, and the boys’ commitment, as ever, has been second to none.

Our Upper Sixth have led with pride, dedication and truly embodied the ethos of the House. The first (and arguably most fiercely contested) competition was House Song, where the team of Monitors and their fellow Upper Sixth did not disappoint, creating an impressive arrangement with the flair and range that School House is now renowned for.

The creativity of the House continued to shine through, and this year has clearly been one for the Performing Arts. With a win in House Music ensemble, Best Senior Actor for Jake Wingfield and Runner up Best Play for the Seniors, the ambition and talent on stage this year has been truly astounding.

On an academic front, the boys continue to succeed; with a diversity of subjects studied, it is no surprise to see such great university offers, including Imperial and Exeter, in the Upper Sixth’s future. A number of these leavers were invited on stage on the day of Commemoration for academic recognition, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following pupils again: James Box for winning the Wattell Prize for Latin; Jake Wingfield who was awarded the Turner Memorial Prize for Music; Harrison Philpott who won the Jeffery Lewins Prize for Design & Technology; and not content with one award, Jake Wingfield was invited back on stage for a second time to receive the prestigious Ben Showell Memorial Rose Bowl for his incredible commitment to Performing Arts over the years.

This is a year group that has not just performed in the classroom, but also in a huge amount of extra-curricular disciplines, and whether through the CCF, Sport, DofE or other service activities, this band of Upper Sixth have offered so much to the School community.

The Lower Sixth are in the throes of their university applications, and with the most impressive attainment grades I have ever seen, they are clearly destined for great things. Not only academic, the Lower Sixth have a huge breadth to their extra-curricular talents – whether on stage, in a concert, on a pitch or offering time to a service, they are routed in every imaginable facet of the School. A particular mention should go to Owais Iqbal and Charlie Wasley who are part of the Young Enterprise team and have been crowned National Champions. Their dedication and passion to the project is evident in everything they do and they should be proud of their achievements. Whilst being busy with study and activities, the Lower Sixth have also made themselves a real presence in the House – friends with all year groups and already natural leaders of the House, next year will be a great time to see them flourish.

Since September, the Fifth Form have been laser focused on their GCSEs, and whilst the pressure has been on, they have tackled their exams with maturity and commitment. They will now be revelling in a well-deserved holiday after months of hard work, whilst preparing themselves for the step up to Sixth Form. Alongside their studies, the Fifth Form have committed vast efforts towards School House and there have been notable performances in House Drama, House Hockey and House Quiz.

School House Leavers

ABRAHAM, A.A., School, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor.

ABRAHAMS, D., School, 2019.

BOX, J.C., School, 2009. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, Latin GCSE prize, Bronze DofE, CCF Company Sergeant Major, A team swimming.

HAYRE, K., School, 2016.

HOBBS, W.D., School, 2016. Head of House, 1st squash, 2nd hockey, CCF, Gold DofE.

KHAIRA, K., School, 2016.

LEWIS, J.L., School, 2017. Prep School Survivor, School Monitor.

MITCHELL, H., School, 2014.

NICHOLSON, T., School, 2018.

PHILPOTT, H., School, 2016. Prep School Survivor, Deputy Head of House, House Monitor, athletics (hurdles), cross-country, ‘Impressive Biologist’ x2, CCF as CSM, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, Greenpower Racing for both The Chicken and The Egg kit cars.

PUNT, B.P., School, 2022. 1st hockey, 2nd hockey, cross-country, Eco-Committee, Chemistry Olympiad (bronze).

The Upper Fourth have had a great year, and it is clear how strong their bond is with the House community. They have all done their part to represent the House, and every single young man has seen an increase in academic performance. They have received Headmaster’s Commendations, represented numerous sporting teams, and many have completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.

The Lower Fourth have settled into School House in no time, they have great comradeship and have thrown themselves into every opportunity. On an academic front, they have really impressed - James Barnett, Marcus Ho and Leo Chan all being congratulated in the final assembly of the year.

RANGER, A., School, 2010.

SINGH, D., School, 2014.

SMITH, C.S., School, 2009. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Deputy Head of House, CCF, DofE.

SPURGEON, J., School, 2007. Lighting Technician for the School Productions (20172022), 2nd rugby, Company Sergeant Major CCF, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, member of the Greenpower kit car racing team.

WINGFIELD, J., School, 2018. School Monitor, House Monitor, Music and Drama Scholarships, Intermediate House Music Solo: Winner, House Music Ensemble: Winner, Fourth Form House Drama: Best Actor runner up, Fifth Form House Drama: Best Play, Sixth Form House Drama: Best Actor x2, Best Play runner up, Chapel Choir, Boys’ Choir, Chamber Choir, Big Band, Brass Group, Orchestra, Concert Band, Drama Productions - Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, James Hill in The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Flight Sergeant in CCF.

It has been an incredibly successful year, and as my eighth and final year as Houseparent, I have spent considerable time reflecting. I have so many fond memories of the achievements and personalities that have belonged to School House throughout my tenure, and this year is an excellent one to finish on – thank you School House.

T Clinton

Thomas Cookes

I have now been Houseparent of Thomas Cookes for over ten years and throughout that time, the House has not won or been highly commended as many times as we have this year.

The victories have been prolific in sport, drama and music, which shows the wealth of talent we have in Thomas Cookes. Enthusiasm has been another trait that has been very strong this year. Thomas Cookes’ girls enjoy taking part on the sports field and on the stage.

Strength and depth in terms of talent has also been amazing. The House has won the hockey, tennis, 1.2 relays, Junior netball, Senior plate netball, rounders, swimming and House debate. We were also given the special adjudicators awards in both the Senior House Drama and the House Music Ensemble.

Music has consistently been a strength in TC. This year with Sophia Meadows, Jessica Whitlock, Emily Miskin, Izzy Oakley, Charlotte James and Anya Sanikop leading the House, we have been excellent. We sang well in House Song and were fantastic in House ensemble. Don’t stop Believin’ was the best performance Thomas Cookes has ever performed in the Ensemble. There were also many younger pupils who supported this endeavour. It was lovely to see the camaraderie.

In Junior House Drama, the musical Annie was chosen. It was fun, entertaining and a little wacky. Senior Drama was very mysterious. Our friend Jack written by Paris Siviter was very well put together and performed staggeringly well to receive the special adjudication award.

We have won many sporting trophies this year. Ottilie Hild had an advantage in the 1.2 relays and put-up strong competition, but Thomas Cookes worked well together and Lucy Hatfield brought home the trophy during the final leg and with the fastest girls’ time of the competition. To win all four hockey trophies is rare indeed. We have strength and depth in our hockey teams in a similar way to our swimming and netball teams. Rounders was great fun, and even though Imogen Marsh was injured, we still won. Finally, in tennis, Paulina Jurkowska (Upper Sixth) is so skilful and powerful on court. With her help, guidance and considerable enthusiasm, we won the Senior tennis. I know Paulina has also inspired some of the younger years, and Gina Obrey and Farah Croce not only won the Junior House tennis but also the U16 County Championships.

Debate also deserves considerable recognition this year. Charlotte James, Olivia Spittle and Martha Cross prepared very well for their debate on ‘This house would ban key workers from going on strike’. They used particularly persuasive language and formulated a plan of attack. This plan was put together so well that they not only won the debate but the Whole School competition as well.

In Thomas Cookes, the girls work hard and play hard. There are many other areas of School life where they stand out - Flourishing Fiver, Young Enterprise, crafting, the School Production, Bromsgrove Badge, CCF, DofE, girls’ football and eco-committee. Many of the girls have also been involved in teams such as athletics and cricket. As we move into a new academic year, I hope the girls can maintain this outstanding representation.

I would like to offer a big thank you to the tutors. They give of their time to the girls without any complaint. They are the most professional of people and I would like to thank them for their support and kindness throughout the year.

A particular thank you goes to our staff leavers. We say farewell to Mr Young who is leaving to become the Houseparent of School House. He obviously received some excellent training and experience in Thomas Cookes! I would like to thank him for the time he has spent in the House, for his guidance and support of his tutees. Secondly, I would like to thank Ms Harte who is leaving to get married, change jobs and move house – she has boundless energy and warmth. She has been like a friend to her Upper Sixth tutees and I know they have really appreciated her.

I would like to say thank you to Lorraine who is retiring. She has been a wonderful housekeeper for over eight years. Always caring and very considerate of the girls’ needs. The whole of TC wish her the most peaceful, restful and fulfilled retirement. Thank you, Lorraine.

Finally, I must also thank Grace Richardson for her support in the House this year. The role of the Head of House sometimes goes unnoticed but I know she has consistently supported Thomas Cookes.

The awards given out at the end of term are as follows –

House Honours Boards

Junior Music and Drama – Evie Hastings

Senior Music and Drama – Paris Siviter

Junior Sport – Georgia Hay

Senior Sport – Paulina Jurkowska

Junior Academic Prize – Amelia Wise

Senior Academic Prize – Sophia Meadows

Sixth Form Prizes

Endeavour – Freya McLean

Best Sportswoman – Grace Richardson

Commitment to Thomas Cookes –Jessica Whitlock

Fulfilling potential – Heidi Fryer

Care and Compassion – Isabelle Oakley

Senior All Rounder – Charlotte James

Junior All Rounder – Tilly Wilkins

Best Newcomer – Winnie Padmore

School Monitors

Drama – Serisha Sunner

Sport – Amelia Rowe

Music – Ruby Raine

Peer Support – Simran Bahra

Committees – Teagan Chan

Deputy Heads of House – Lucy Hatfield and Jaime Stirk

Head of House – Nancy Broadhurst

K Hannah

Thomas Cookes Leavers

FRYER, H., Thomas Cookes, 2014. House Monitor, B team hockey, top 5% academic AEO grades, Charity Monitor.

JAMES, C.M., Thomas Cookes, 2018. House Monitor, Minor drama colour, Minor music Colour, Housman Verse Prize 2022, String Orchestra, Orchestra, Big Band, CCF, Drama - Caucasian Chalk Circle, Great Expectations, Guys and Dolls, The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Volpona, Academic Scholarship, Music Exhibition.

JONES, F.O., Thomas Cookes, 2016. 2nd hockey, Silver DofE, CCF, Drama - Caucasian Chalk Circle.

JURKOWSKA, P., Thomas Cookes, 2021.

MCLEAN, F.M., Thomas Cookes, 2007. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, Bronze DofE.

MEADOWS, S., Thomas Cookes, 2007. PrePrep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, 1st hockey, 1st cross-country, major colours in Orchestra, Big Band, Chapel Choir, grand opening of Routh, band for Guys and Dolls, runner up for House Music in 2021, Academic Scholar, Music Scholar, CCF, Gold DofE, Grade 8 trumpet and piano, performed with CBSYO.

MISKIN, E.M., Thomas Cookes, 2014. Deputy Head of House, 2nd hockey, Honorary Academic Scholar, Gold DofE.

MONTACER-SHILVOCK, N., Thomas Cookes. 2018.

MURRAY, K.L., Thomas Cookes, 2009. Pre-Prep Survivor, House Monitor, 1st hockey, Sports Scholarship, Honorary Academic Scholarship.

NIROUMAND, N., Thomas Cookes, 2009.

OAKLEY, I.J., Thomas Cookes, 2016. House Monitor, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Cadet Warrant Officer (RAF) in CCF, House Music ensemble 2020, 2022 and 2023.

RICHARDSON, G.R., Thomas Cookes, 2018. Head of House, 2nd hockey, 1st netball, 2nd tennis, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, Sports Scholarship (netball).

SANIKOP, A.S., Thomas Cookes, 2009. Pre-Prep Survivor, School Monitor, Deputy Head of School, Honorary Academic Scholar, Drama Productions - Caucasian Chalk Circle, Guys and Dolls, The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, Best Actor in House Drama, Sgt in CCF, Prep Readers, Peer Mentor.

SIVITER, P.B.W., Thomas Cookes, 2009. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, Drama Scholarship, Best Actor runner up award in House Drama, Best Play runner up award in House Drama, Adjudicator’s Special Award in House Drama, Scholars’ Concert, Drama Productions - Guys and Dolls, The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Chapel Choir, House Music ensemble, Debating, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, CCF.

WHITEHOUSE, E.A., Thomas Cookes, 2019.

WHITLOCK, J.B.W., Thomas Cookes, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of School, 1st hockey, Vice-Captain, ISHC Plate Final (silver), U18 athletics team, best actor in Junior House Drama, Flourishing fiver, CCF, Bronze DofE, Silver DofE, Gold DofE, House Music ensemble, House Drama (acting and directing), Chapel Choir, Girls’ Choir, Drama Productions - Caucasian Chalk Circle (Fourth Form play), Guys and Dolls (played Miss Adelaide), Great Expectations, The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Pop and Jazz concerts, Evensong, Romeo and Juliet (Sixth Form helper), Drama Scholarship, Academic Scholariship into Sixth Form.

WILLIAMS, E., Thomas Cookes, 2018.

Walters

As the Housemaster of Walters House, I could not be prouder of my boysthey are a credit to not only the House name but to Bromsgrove as a whole.

In true Walters tradition, this year has been summarised by the outgoing Head of House below:

We have had a tough year and there have been challenges, but we have overcome these together, bringing us closer and ensuring that the House grows stronger and better.

2023 has seen successes across the board, from the muddy sports pitches to the inviting stages. Five years ago, when the now-departing U6 joined Walters, was certainly a sports-heavy House, with less connections to the creative side of School competitions. However, as the years have gone by, Walters has grown stronger in its creative capabilities, whilst staying committed to the sports pitches.

This year, the B team in Junior hockey dominated their bracket, with only the A team suffering a narrow defeat. Whilst victories in the House sport competitions were admittedly limited, the Walters Boys showed commitment and pushed themselves to their limits in volleyball, cross-country, 1.2 relays and rugby. Whilst this year may not have been as triumphant as in previous years, it was by no means less glorious. Walters is, and has always been, a proud House - never letting their losses quell their spirit, and taking it on the chin, knowing that they tried their best.

It is this spirit in which all the boys applied themselves to the House Song competition, where despite their occasional lack of enthusiasm for rehearsals, or lack of confidence in our collective singing ability, the boys demonstrated trademark Waltonian perseverance, and put their hearts into a strong and committed performance. From a creative side, Walters has had a strong year. Jack Hobson (Upper Fourth) won Best Actor in this year’s Junior drama for his role as Gail in the boys’ adaptation of Teechers, directed by Charlie Cooper (Upper Sixth). Whilst the Senior boys were not as successful as their younger peers, their adaptation of Leaving Tommy left much of the audience in tears, with a stoic performance of Cpt Andrew Short by Harry Bradley (Fifth Form), and a cameo appearance from the dutiful Corporal, played by Morgan Black (Upper Sixth). It is safe to say that the future of drama in Walters House is safe in the hands of the boys who I am sure will excel with whatever play they tackle next year. Musically, Walters was highly commended for their performance of Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke, with much credit to Ed Thompson (Lower Sixth) for his work on the arrangement and selection of the piece.

The Lower Fourth settled into the House quickly, making many friends and connections in the years above, and (as ever with Walters) bonding over the pool table, particularly during the House’s annual pool competition. This swift integration displays one of Walters’ many strengths, showing how welcoming the boys can be when the time calls.

This year, the PA continued to support and improve House life, arranging Christmas drops ins, quizzes and paintball matches where we went head-to-head with School House in a friendly match - an event I know all the boys looked forward to, never missing the opportunity for a sneaky shot at their peers, too.

Thanks must, of course, go to the beloved Lez – who is as important to the House as the very bricks which make up our walls. Lez’s brief absence this year did not go unnoticed, and I remember the boys asking me if I knew when she’d return, or commenting on the slight difference in how things were being run in her absence. Whilst that is not to say her temporary cover (Jo) did not do a remarkable job, swiftly tackling all the challenges that came with hungry and energetic boys. Lez is the hallmark of Walters, and has been a delight to be alongside for five years. I often compare her to Ms Hudson, from the Sherlock Holmes novels, on account of her importance to House life, much akin to the role of Ms Hudson for Watson and Holmes.

Additionally, Walters’ tutor team have supported all the boys collectively and individually, now that we are finally free from the chaos left in the wake of COVID-19, which impacted the learning experiences of everyone in the House. Thanks to them, we have made it through another year, emerging stronger and better than when we started.

The 2022/23 academic year would not have been as successful without the devout leadership of our Houseparent, Mr Bell, who keeps a steady helm and has always done his best to support us in everything we’ve tackled, guiding us to become better pupils and better men. Especially due to his signature humour, Mr Bell has left an impact on every one of the boys this year, not just those who are leaving. Mr Bell juggles the responsibilities of ensuring the younger years are integrating into the House, chasing up sports team-sheets and overseeing many of our House events with pride, demonstrating the virtuous mentality of a true ‘Waltonian’, which the boys should all strive to follow.

It is with great sadness that I will be leaving the School after sixteen years of Bromsgrove life – five of those being in Walters. But they have been an unforgettable five years, with memories, people and events I will never forget. The Upper Sixth this year have been a pleasure to have by my side, as we’ve made our own unique journeys through the School, and whilst we have our differences, the boys have never let each other down. From Joe Morgan’s last-minute agreement to help out in House debating, to Henry Jink’s humble, but involved, approach to House life – Walters is a truly unforgettable group, and I wish every one of the leavers the best, as well as wishing the greatest fortune to those who will continue to do our legacies proud.

Harrison Brown (Walters Head of House 2022-23)

Not much more can be added to that of what Harrsion has eloquently mentioned above. Under his leadership, the House has made huge strides, both culturally and academically, bringing a much-needed balance to the House. Walters is a House going in the right direction and with the support of my fabulous tutor team and the invaluable role of Lez beside me, this will continue. I look forward to many more at the helm of Walters House. Thank you.

H Bell

Walters Leavers

BLACK, M.T., Walters, 2016. House Monitor, CCF, DofE Gold, DofE Silver, Greenpower racing team - Bromsgrove Chicken and The Egg, U14C hockey, U18A cross-country.

BROWN, H.H., Walters, 2007. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, Minor Colour (Drama), participating in a team for World Scholars’ Cup, Classics Award, various House events including, House Drama (2018-2023), House Music (2018, 2022-3), House Debating (2019, 2022-3), CCF (Rank: Warrant Officer), DofE Gold, Drama (Caucasian Chalk Circle, Guys and Dolls, The Hampstead Murder Mystery [playing Montague Crewe]), Big Band 2.

COOPER, C.C., Walters, 2016. Drama Scholarship (from Prep School to 2023), Best Actor - Fifth Form House Drama, Drama Prize - Commemoration Day, Year 8 Adjudicators Award, Senior House Drama 2022, Adjudicators Award Junior House Drama 2019 , involved in all Junior and Senior Drama Productions, Adjudicators Award House Music 2022, Senior LITSOC, Chapel Choir (2019).

HEPTINSTALL, L., Walters, 2013.

JINKS, H.A., Walters, 2016. Prep School Survivor, Debating, Hockey Scholarship, 1st football, 1st hockey, 1st tennis, 2nd rugby, football cap.

LAMB, G., Walters, 2012. Prep School Survivor, 1st team Hockey - Tier 3 National Champions, 1st squash, 2nd cricket, Gold DofE.

MCDONOUGH, B.M., Walters, 2008. Pre-Prep Survivor, Sports Scholarship, The Tony Limbert Trophy, 1st rugby, 1st XV rugby captain, 1st XII rugby captain, 1st athletics, 1st athletics captain.

MITCHELL, L.J., Walters, 2008. Pre-Prep Survivor, Prep School Survivor, House Monitor, 2nd hockey, cross-country.

MORGAN, J.L., Walters, 2016. 2nd rugby, 2nd football, athletics, medal and School record in athletics National Finals.

UPTON, L., Walters, 2013.

WALKER, M.W., Walters, 2018. 1st XV rugby, Rugby Scholar, Sollihul 7s, K.E.S Stratford 7s, Oakham 7s.

WARNER, J., Walters, 2016.

Wendron-Gordon

The boys returned in September to a beautifully refurbished Wendron-Gordon –with the second stage of works having been completed over the summer. With all rooms now ensuite, and a stunning day room, the House’s interior now matches its beautiful exterior.

We welcomed some thirty new pupils, as well as three new members of staff, with Miss Bates and Miss Elwood-Adams joining, as well as Mr Barnett, who took up residence in Webber House as Assistant Houseparent – and all have proven to be superb additions to the team. Dr Morris began his role as Assistant Houseparent of Wendron-Gordon and has made a huge contribution to the House over the year.

In sporting competitions, the boys have been competitive, as ever, with some outstanding performances in Junior hockey, Senior badminton and Senior football, which saw W-G just lose out in the final after an extremely tense penalty shoot-out. The boys managed victories in Junior table tennis and in Junior basketball, where they retained the trophy they had won last year. The sporting highlight of the year was undoubtedly the victory in the historic 1.2 relays. Lester Ng, Hriyaj Gurung, Yui Cheung, Lockey Wigglesworth and Bob Tse managed to give Callum Wilkinson a slender lead going into the last lap; Callum did the rest, gaining the quickest lap of the competition and sealing the win. This is the first time in many years that this special trophy has come to our House.

The boys had another great year on stage. The Unison Song competition’s theme this year was ‘Days, Months, Years’ and the W-G entry was Daydream Believer. Lots of practice and a great performance on the day saw David Corcoran accept the Conductor’s prize on behalf of the boys, who responded brilliantly to his lead, and to Larry To’s excellent piano accompaniment. This was followed up in the Lent Term with a version of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now in the House Music competition, which saw an eighteenstrong ensemble perform brilliantly.

In Drama, the Senior competition saw W-G’s epic and magnificently chilling version of 1984 by George Orwell. But the Junior cast were simply magnificent with their dazzling The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The adjudicator was duly impressed, awarding ‘Best Play’ to the boys, with Shusank Nembang also picking up the ‘Adjudicator’s Special Award’ for his powerful portrayal of Hyde.

In the final assembly of the year, we said goodbye to three long-serving members of staff. Mr Pothecary leaves boarding after nine years of dedicated and utterly professional service to the boys, to join Thomas Cookes. Miss Bayliss, whose enthusiasm and positivity have brought much to the House over two spells, is also joining TC to become Assistant Houseparent. Mr Tamplin leaves to join Walters House. His seven years as resident AHP and eighth as a tutor have seen him bring brilliantly calm, thoughtful and practical support for the House. All three have given unwavering support to the boys over a number of years and will be much missed.

We said goodbye to a superb cohort of Upper Sixth at Commemoration. They have led the House exceptionally and have contributed to a staggering number of successes over the years. There was a very pleasing number of green W-G leavers’ ties on show on stage at the Prizegiving on Commemoration Day. Armstrong Dong and Larry To received the Wattell Prizes for History and Mathematics respectively, whilst Noah Rogers was the recipient of the John Hedley Memorial Prize (CCF). Head of House Callum Wilkinson gained one of the Special Prizes – the Kelly Bicknell Award, presented to someone for an outstanding contribution to the community. Thando Best also gained a Special Prize in recognition of his superb work as Head Boy this year.

We wish next year’s leadership team the very best of luck; Bob Tse will be Head of House, with Shahaar Selim taking on the role of Deputy Head of House. They have a fine team of House Monitors to support them, including two School Monitors, Bowen Cheung and Nikolay Kovalikhin, who was also announced as Senior Boarder in the final Mark Reading of the term.

Wendron-Gordon Leavers

AU YEUNG, M., Wendron-Gordon, 2017. House Monitor, 1st volleyball, winners of volleyball National Finals 2021-22, 2nd football, 3rd rugby, 1st basketball, 2022 House Music winner, 2022 House Drama winner, 2020 Junior House Drama winner, 2019 Junior House Drama winner, volleyball cap 2023, Main Production - Guys and Dolls 2022, Main Production - The Hampstead Murder Mystery 2023, Drama - Caucasian Chalk Circle 2020, Pop and Jazz 2023 x2, Pop and Jazz 2022, Boots for Bennett charity.

BEST, T.A., Wendron-Gordon, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of School, 2nd football, 2nd cricket, 1st squash, 2021 House Drama Runners Up, 2021 Best Supporting Actor, 2022 House Drama Winners, Main Production - The Hampstead Murder Mystery, Main Production - Guys and Dolls, Editor of 201 Magazine, CCF SNCO Flt Sgt, Gold DofE, Honorary Academic Scholarship, 13+ Academic Scholarship, 16+ Academic Scholarship.

CHEUNG, J.C., Wendron-Gordon, 2019. CCF, House Music Competition 2023.

CHEUNG, S.Y., Wendron-Gordon, 2019. House Monitor, 1st football, Cultures Connect concert, Senior Maths Challenge (bronze).

CHUNG, M., Wendron-Gordon, 2018. 1st badminton.

DONG, Y.J., Wendron-Gordon, 2020. Deputy Head of House, 1st basketball, T.E. Godwin Cup, History Society, debating, DofE, Junior House Drama.

KEDEM LIMBU, A.K., Wendron-Gordon, 2018. House Monitor.

LAM, C., Wendron-Gordon, 2018. 2nd rugby, 3rd rugby, School Productions (most notably Guys and Dolls), Music Concerts, House Drama Awards.

LI, O., Wendron Gordon, 2018. House Monitor, Academic Scholarship, Cambridge Chemistry Challenge (gold).

MILITARU, M., Wendron-Gordon, 2019.

MO, J.H.S., Wendron-Gordon, 2018.

MOHAMMED, A., Wendron-Gordon, 2021.

ROGERS, N., Wendron-Gordon, 2014.

TO, L.Y., Wendron-Gordon, 2019.

WILKINSON, C.J., Wendron-Gordon, 2015. School Monitor, House Monitor, Head of House, 1st cross-country (captain), 1st athletics, competed at National Finals, cross-country cap, Drama Production - The Hampstead Murder Mystery, CCF, Gold DofE.

CORCORAN, D.R., Wendron-Gordon, 2016. School Monitor, House Monitor, GCSE Art Scholarship, Sixth Form Art Scholarship, House Drama best performance, House Drama runners up best performance, performed in five House solo music competitions, Senior School Boys’ Choir, Senior Main Production - Guys and Dolls, Big Band, Chateau Impney Big Band Charity Fundraiser, High Merit in ABRSM Grade 5 Singing exam, ABRSM Grade 8 Singing exam, ABRSM grade 5 Music Theory, House Rugby, House Hockey, House Song, House Song Conductor, House Song Conductors Prize, CCF, Illustrator for poetry competition, Wendron-Gordon Junior House tie, WendronGordon Senior House tie, Wendron-Gordon award for most extra-curricular activities, Cultures Connect concert, painted many of the Bromsgrove School buildings for staff, A level Art Exhibition, Senior School Music minor colour, Senior School Drama minor colour, Senior School Music major colour, Senior School minor colours tie, Senior School major colours tie.

Huge thanks to all House tutors and especially to Mrs Courtney, Dr Morris, Mrs Hibell, Mrs Deverill-Skelding and Mrs Wilkins for their superb care of the boys of W-G this year.

We send Mr Farnfield, the new Houseparent of Wendron-Gordon from September 2023, every best wish for his tenure in the House – may he and his charges have many years of success, and a very happy home.

I would like to thank all of the staff and young men of Wendron-Gordon, for all that they have contributed to make the House such a special place over the past seven years – it has been a huge privilege to live and work alongside you.

D Wilkins

Upper Sixth Leavers 2023

Wattell Prizes Senior Prize Winners 2023

English and Spanish

Sophie Pover

History

Yujie (Armstrong) Dong

Religious Studies

Chi Hang Lee

German

Richard Glatter

French

Sibylle Reboul

Mathematics

Lok Yin (Larry) To

Business Studies

Angelina Sanghera

Physical Education

Cameron Owen

Politics

Rita Caseiro

Economics

Emily Miskin

Art

Edan Blyth

Art (Textiles)

Olivia Whitfield

Physics

Sophia Meadows

Latin

James Box

Geography

Tamara Kamal Aboul Gheit

Other Academic Prizes

William Ledbrook Prize for Biology

Alison Bramley

Memorial Prize for Mathematics

Tamara Kamal Aboul Gheit

Demian Zhelyabovskyy

Chaytor Pepper Prize for Classics (Classical Civilisation)

Harrison Brown

Amphlett Prize for Chemistry and the Turner Memorial Prize for Music

Jake Wingfield

Philip Denham Cookes Prize for Drama

Sophie Pover

John Hedley Memorial Prize (CCF)

Noah Rogers

Jeffery Lewins Prize for Design & Technology

Harrison Philpott

Housman Verse Prize

Imogen Thomas

Staff Reading Prize

Wing Ga (Jane) Mak

Special Prizes

Senior Boarders

Hyuntae (John) Kim and Tamika Rai

Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl

Cameron Owen and Anya Sanikop

Head Boy and Head Girl

Thando Best and Jessica Whitlock

Special Prizes

Tony Limbert Trophy

Billy McDonough

Tony Limbert was a pupil who made the most of the sporting opportunities available to him at Bromsgrove and the trophy is dedicated to his memory, being awarded to someone who has endeavoured to do the same during their time here. Throughout his time in the Senior School, Billy has embraced every sporting challenge presented to him. He has strived to better himself with every training session, and desired to learn from every victory or loss. Although not being the loudest voice in the room, teammates would listen and follow his outstanding attitude as captain. Leading by example, as a role model on and off the pitch, Billy has shown others how to train and compete in an exemplary fashion. He has always given his utmost, been incredibly determined and demonstrated a huge amount of endeavour to help captain his team to success. He has represented the School in multiple sports through the Fourth Form before narrowing his focus in his final years. Billy has captained School teams to multiple successes in addition to captaining the regional rugby team, and throughout all of this, he has retained their characteristic humility. This year’s winner of the Tony Limbert award is Billy McDonough.

Paul Sawtell Trophy

Hamish Schulze

The Paul Saltwell Trophy winner embodies the true essence of a Bromsgrovian. Those who know Hamish will recognise that he is wise beyond his years and has consistently served as a source of guidance and inspiration to his peers. His unwavering commitment to Bromsgrove School is evident not only in his impressive academic achievements, his encouragement of others but also in his active participation in School sports, including rugby, hockey and cricket. Despite his multitude of commitments, this individual remains composed and determined, tirelessly navigating his educational journey with grace and humility. Teachers cherish his positive attitude, steady progress, and consistent contribution in the classroom, while peers respect his knowledgeable discourse on world politics and sport. His charisma and confidence are undeniable, whether he’s directing younger pupils, leading a meeting, or addressing an audience. As an accomplished debater, Hamish displays a natural knack for leadership and intellect. His forthcoming studies in History and International Relations at King’s College are fitting for a young man preparing to make significant contributions to the world. He is a trustworthy friend to many a School Monitor, and head of Elmshurst House; his contributions have been invaluable. Congratulations, for embodying the very best of Bromsgrove School and earning this well-deserved honour. The Paul Sawtell Trophy is awarded to Hamish Schulze.

Ben Showell Memorial Rose Bowl Jake Wingfield

The Ben Showell Memorial award this year goes to someone who has shown outstanding commitment to both Music and Drama throughout their time at Bromsgrove School. A scholar of both branches of the arts, and always wholly dependable, Jake has been willing to devote countless hours beyond the curriculum to hone his own craft and mentor and lead others, not least by the fine example they have set. He has played and sung in almost every concert in Routh Hall in recent years; an outstanding Tenor, a gifted trumpeter; a member of the Boys’ choir – sometimes even its conductor – and an utterly stalwart member of the Chapel Choir, orchestra, Big Band, Concert Band, Brass Group as well as Worcester Youth Orchestra: in short, a most gifted young musician both academically and on the concert platform. As an actor, Jake was an enthusiastic juvenile performer, appearing in the Senior production of Great Expectations while just in the Upper Fourth year as the young pugilistic Herbert Pocket; but he will perhaps be best remembered for his role as the forever anxious, slippery Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, a fantastic foil to the equally brilliant Jessica Whitlock as Miss Adelaide. Winner of the best actor award in the last two Senior House Drama competitions, there is no question that we have in this young man a very talented, dedicated, all-round performing artist. This year’s Performing Arts Award goes – of course – to Jake Wingfield.

Special Prizes

Kelly Bicknell Award

Callum Wilkinson

The Kelly Bicknell award goes to a pupil who has been genuinely outstanding in terms of their contribution to the life of the Bromsgrove School community. However, throughout, they have also been utterly humble in the way that they have carried themselves. Ever willing to help out, despite having lots of responsibilities of their own, Callum is a first class role model, a team player, and one who leads by example. An excellent guide to visitors, he is equally happy helping at School events, be that front of house or behind the scenes. He has been a shining example for younger pupils to follow and look up to. A hardworking academic, good humoured, involved and inclusive, Callum has always set the highest of standards for himself and for others. Although particularly talented in sport, he has also immersed himself into the other extra-curricular opportunities afforded to him. A stalwart of CCF, and someone who has completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh award, Callum has been heavily committed to House and School drama. As a School Monitor, he has demonstrated the highest of standards and embodied the ‘servant leader’ ethos. An extremely talented athlete, he has committed, with distinction, to cross-country and athletics throughout his time at Bromsgrove, captaining the cross-country team in the Sixth Form, whilst also getting involved in a host of other sports, volunteering to get involved in rugby teams, for example, when fixture-free on any given weekend. His Houseparent simply says that he could not have wished for a finer leader, or ambassador, for Wendron-Gordon House. The Kelly Bicknell prize goes to Callum Wilkinson.

Housman Trophy

Demian Zhelyabovskyy

Predicted to achieve 7s in all Higher level subjects, the winner of the elite Academic Award is an outstandingly talented Scientist and Mathematician. Demian has achieved Golds in the Physics Olympiad and UKMT Mathematical Challenge, qualifying for the next round in the latter. Whilst invariably keen to invest time into pursuing academic success, he has at times needed encouragement to make his life slightly easier; the usefulness of using a calculator in Mathematics tests has been discussed at great length. Joining the School in the Sixth Form, Demian already had a phenomenal grasp of Newtonian mechanics, well beyond that of most first year undergraduates. As a way of describing the physical world in a purely mathematical way, he has inevitably developed a love of quantum physics. Involved in postgraduate research, he has spent time at Birmingham University, were he supported a team investigating fluid dynamics. He has also worked at Imperial College London studying the movement of a bacteria in a fluid vortex, ultimately writing a report for the university on how to optimise the bacteria’s trajectory. His peers in Housman Hall have benefitted from his generosity and patience, his room serving as a clinic to triage problems encountered with their Physics, Maths and Chemistry prep. But he is so much more than an advisor on vectors; his kind, authentic approach has made him a popular figure in House with both staff and students. He is looking forward to continuing his studies in Physics at Oxford. The winner of the Housman Trophy is: Demian Zhelyabovskyy

Cookes Prize

Jessica Whitlock

The Cookes Prize is awarded each year to someone who has had an outstanding School career, making a significant contribution to many areas whilst maintaining a top academic profile. Jessica sings in the Chapel Choir and has been an enthusiastic performer at many concerts such as the Pop & Jazz evenings, as well as a stalwart of House musical entries in the House Song and House Ensemble competitions. Why stop there when one can add Athletics and First XI Hockey (including a National Final) to the list of accomplishments, as well as a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award and record fund raising for the local Primrose Hospice as part of the successful Flourishing Fiver group? Many here will associate Jessica more with Drama in which she has performed in countless productions whether for the House (and that incudes encouraging and directing younger members of the House), for examination pieces, or throwing herself into major School productions as a number of memorable and larger than life characters, most recently as an often-flustered sweet shop owner in the Hampstead Murder Mystery or as the forceful Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, both of which commanded every scene in which they appeared. The secret may now be out for some, but what sets this student apart is that, for all her impressive accomplishments, there is simply not a hint of arrogance or superiority, but a personality that is clearly fun-loving, infectious and inclusive. Not content with merely accepting the accolade, she thrives on being proactive, whether that has been filling a gap in a duty rota, helping to launch the Bring Your Whole Self to Bromsgrove initiative or, brimming with wide-eyed enthusiasm, urging Open Day pupils and parents just how exciting Bromsgrove can be.

Jessica is a natural leader because others want to follow her and her example, which is selfless in wanting others to enjoy life as much as she does. When speaking to the new School Monitors last week, she cut through all the theory and offered a simple piece of advice to them - to remember the small things in making a difference for others: she recalled a moment when she was a Lower Fourth Former, when a School Monitor simply said hello to her on campus, yet it had made her day and she felt ten feet tall - priceless. When the Leavers’ hoodies arrived at the School Shop, she was no doubt so excited herself that she did not want her peers in Housman Hall to have to wait for delivery the next day by our Estates team - far easier to put them in the boot of her own car and she could drive it round so they could have them there and then - that is so typical of her. This year’s Cookes prize fittingly goes to a member of the House named after the man himself - the recipient is, of course, Jessica Whitlock.

Senior Prizewinners 2022

Mark Reading Michaelmas 2022

GCSE Prize Winners

History, Latin, Chemistry and English Language

Bowen Cheung

Combined Science and Classical Civilisation

Ivan Lepskyi

German and English Literature

Katherine Sutherland

French, Music, Biology, Physics and Religious Studies

Gabriel Brown

Business Studies and Physical Education

Emily Dyer

Art

Nutcha Sirithunyanont

English as a Second Language

Alvin Chui

Economics

Nikolay Kovalikhin

Geography

Amelia Barnes

Design & Technology

Clara Lau

Mathematics

Yanbo Dong

Textiles

Emma Dunnaker

Drama

Poppy Schutt

Spanish

Charles Wasley

Mark Reading Summer 2023

Lower Fourth Subject Prizes

Latin, History and Physics

Anna Ludwig

Design and Technology

Emily Jones

Business

James Barnett

Drama and Religious Studies

Ella Kenyon

Music

Marcus Ho

English

Edie-May Page

Classic Civilisation

Lily Costello

Biology and Art Textiles

Jennifer Kerton

Spanish

Moses Kwong

English as an Additional Language

Adrian Ha

French

Seth Benjamin

Mathematics and Computer Science

Leo Chan

Spanish and Physics

Matthew Hill

Art, Craft and Design

Kate Ignatiuk

Upper Fourth Subject Prizes

Physics and Business

Arion Cheung

Chemistry and Design and Technology

Nikki Liu

Physical Education

Riana Hunt

Music

Aarush Thapa

Geography

Alpha Li

Latin and Spanish

Elina Quito

Drama

Phoebe Dinnen

Religious Studies

Emily Appleton

German

Farid Ibrahimov

Mathematics and English as an additional Language

Joshua Chan

History

Hannah Osborne Biology

Jenny Tang

English Literature

Rebecca Woolmore

French and Art Craft and Design

Lucy Nguyen

English Language

Kalash Rai

Art - Textiles

Isabelle McDougall

Physical Education

Gina Obrey

German

Khai Nguyen

Chemistry

Sheldon Mou

Photography

Yasmin Gurung

Lower Fourth Prizes for Endeavour and Progress

Jarry Xing, Samantha Riley, Jay Lo, Frances Ginns, Frederick Tao, Frances Clifton

Lower Fourth Prize for the Best Year’s Work

Freya Bradley

Classical Civilisation

Oliver James

Upper Fourth Prizes for Endeavour and Progress

Jai Singh, Sai-Nam Panyasiri, Josh Turk, Trissie Wong, Yannis Marinas, Irina Popovici

Upper Fourth Prize for the Best Year’s Work

Oliver James

Mark Reading Summer 2023

Academic Awards

IB Language A2 Russian A

Maria Lisitskaya

IB Language A2 Spanish

Rita Saraiva De Barros Alves Caseiro

IB Creativity, Action & Service

Charlotte James

Theory of Knowledge

Alex Ranger

Environmental Systems and Societies

Tamara Kamal Aboul Gheit

Extended Essay

Richard Glatter

Extended Project Qualification

Ella Kershaw-Crombie

The Martin Sykes Award for the Best Year’s Work in DT (Lower Sixth)

Ming Satithamajit

Extra-Curicular Awards

The Bernard-Hall Mancey Cup for the Most Improved Musician

Joshua Graesser

The Vivian Anthony Cup for Musical Contribution

Sophia Meadows

The Janet Cockin Debating Cup

Jane Mak

The T.E. Godwin cup for the most Improved Speaker

Emilia Mobius

Most Improved Drama Award

Olivia Whitfield

The Page Cup for Drama

Fred Hanson

Staff Junior Reading Prize

Xanthe Matthews

Outstanding Contribution to Bromsgrove Service

Jessica Whitlock

Best Army Cadet Company Sergeant Major Morgan Black

Best RAF Cadet

Cadet Warrant Officer Izzy Oakley

Kieran Brinn Trophy

Sergeant George Eccles

Overall Contribution to the Extra-Curricular Programme

Harrison Brown

Sports Awards Mark Reading Summer 2023

1st XI Cricket

Batting Archie Greaves-Hall

Bowling Jack Warner

Fielding Seth Rogerson

The Cosier Cup

This award is presented to the U16 netball team who finished as runners up in the National School’s competition.

The Swatkins Trophy (Girls)

This award is for someone who is always willing to do things out of her comfort zone, particularly in netball. She gets stuck in, has a great attitude and always has a smile on her face. This year’s Swatkins Trophy is awarded to Alanna Pullen.

Outstanding Contribution to Girls’ Games

The winner of this award has represented the School in hockey, netball, athletics, swimming, rounders, cross-country and tennis – a total of 167 fixtures whilst in the Senior School. The Outstanding Contribution to Girls’ Games goes to Jemima Vaughan-Hawkins.

Sportswoman of the Year

The winner of this award goes to someone who has a World Tennis Association doubles ranking, the first Bromsgrove pupil to achieve this. She is classed as a professional in the doubles competitions and plays in professional competitions. She also has a Junior World Tennis singles ranking. Our sportswoman of the year is Paulina Jurkowska.

The Swatkins Trophy (Boys)

This year’s winner has represented Bromsgrove in five different sports but more than the amount of fixtures, it is how he has represented the School. The commitment he has shown to his two main sports has never been questioned and he has been a huge contributor to success in both cricket and hockey fixtures. This year’s Swatkins Trophy goes to Jack Warner.

Sportsman of the Year

This pupil has not only represented the School to the highest of level but has continuously set the standard, in attitude and commitment. He has proven to be a talented individual in multiple sports but has particularly excelled in hockey and tennis, and captaining the hockey team to their National Plate success. The sportsman of the year trophy is awarded to Cameron Owen.

The Ben Dudley Award for Outstanding Contribution to Boys’ Games

After participating in a multitude of sports in the Lower Fourth, this pupil has been focused on progressing in three main sports and has taken part in almost 200 fixtures. He has led from the front in both attitude and ability, being selected as the captain in one of his sports and has driven his fellow players to reach multiple team success. The Ben Dudley Contribution to Boys’ Sport is awarded to Archie Greaves-Hall.

Additional awards during the final Routh assembly of the academic year were given to:

Bromsgrove Badge Award (for outstanding commitment, teamwork and leadership throughout the year) Xanthe Matthews and Spike Bloxham

Bromsgrove Service Award

Sibylle Reboul has been highly commended for her hard work and commitment to Bromsgrove Service this year.

The Hong Kong Salver for the winner of the Senior Boys’ 50 metre Backstroke Krystof Wood

Swimming Challenge Shields for commitment to swimming throughout the year

Girls:

Eve Hetherington (U14), Maya Wingfield (U16)

Lucy Hatfield (U19)

Boys:

Henry Foster (U14), Krystof Wood (U16)

Nikolay Kovalikhin (U19)

Salvete

Elmshurst

Mase Anannit

Linus Bachmann

Gebi Delchev

Yurii Fedorovych

Jan Fellmann

Jasper Geiger

Gil Holman

Kanta Koizumi

Ryan Liang

Rammy Liang

Nicholas Lo

Jasper Man

VIktor Manolov

Agha Samad Samad-Zada

Nestor Shulzhik

Isaac Siu

Nikita Vorobev

Jeongwoo Yang

Andrey Zarezov

Hazeldene

Isabel Oswald-Ball

Laiba Rashid

Kara-Rose Welborn

Housman Hall

Derin Adeosun

Mic Audemars

Solin Aziz

Daulah Bello

Ben Benson

Roman Borisov

Antonio Borra Cerruti

Derekson Chan

Jacie Chan

Daniel Chan

Henry Clark

Agneya Dhingra

Isabelle Dingerkus

Paul Du Pontavice Du Vaugarny

Camille Duchenne Burckel

Dmytro Dyrdin

Dariia Dyrdina

Stanley Firouzian-Chun

Arthur Foo

Fuad Gasimov

Dennis Geng

Harald Høgset

Guy Holman

Abubakar Ibrahim

Luca Iliescu

Sofia Karicheva

Gachie Kimathi

Jakob Kreidl

Marcus Law

Charlotte Lee

Basti Lengler

Ariel Mo

Fedor Nurtaev

Boss Rattanaprechavej

Toby Roberts

Theresa Rohwedder

Carlo Saibene

Jesse Sarpong

Henry Schmid

Mica Seon Holukoff

Juliana Sochor

Nick Tymoshenko

Laurenz Übel

Célia Vanderweyen

Elias Weichselberger

Leila Wood

Greta Zaleski

Mariami Zhgenti

Viktor Zhulikov

Lyttelton

George Dufty

Haytham Patwary

Gian Samra

Jan Van Schalkwyk

Mary Windsor

Maria Asimaki

Charlotte Birch

Colleen Guo

Jin Han

Fiona Hettich

Yejin Kim

Letitia Ko

Hangma Limbu

Marla Schwalbe

Alina Sinenkova

Diana Skurtu

Oakley

Daniella Balint

Maria Chumak

Alice Dahan

Charlotte Dahan

Eseovwe Emakpo

Kotryna Grigonyte

Tanvi Gurung

Carlotta Haas

Sophia Høgset

Melody Ip

Veronika Koretckaia

Maya Kramer

Jessica Lam

Molly Lau

Petya Lazarova

Ada Li

Darya Martsynkevich

Sophia Niemann

Kerron Reddy

Lina Sievert

Jette Stolte

Yana Verkhoturova

Koey Yeung

Hailey Yun

Winnie Zhuang

Ottilie Hild

Thierri Cooke-Fleming

School

Connor Carter

Sahil Hussain

Thomas Cookes

Holly Carter

Grace Healey

Megan Humphries

Nelly Len

Ella Moxon

Stella Nygard

Walters

Broden Bick

Alex Edwards

Kristian Husbands

Jama Iman

Ayan Khan

Abaan Kiyani

Joe Walton

Ollie Whiles

Arron Wills

Wendron-Gordon

Charles Anyadiegwu

Ben Bamberger

Max Borisevich

Kiril Domuschiev

Sasha Felman

David Gamaris

Abhay Gurung

Nathan Ho

Jason Huang

Konstantin Iliev

Manato Murakami

Robert Negodyuk

Marcus Ongsrikul

Ethan Pang

Peter Pavlov

Wesley Sham

Gleb Sovetkin

Runo Syrimis

Hangar Thammarat

Hayden Tsang

Frank Xu

Qichun Ying

Matthew Yu

Jack Zou

Destination of Leavers 2023

University Subject

Aston University Pharmacy

Bath University

Bath Spa

Birmingham City University

Birmingham University RG

Brighton University

Bristol University RG

Brunel

Accounting and Finance

Business Economics (2)

Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering (with Manufacturing & Management) Sports/Sports Performance

Business and Management (Festival and Events)

Fine Art Real Estate (3)

Business Management

English Literature and Creative Writing

Physiotherapy

Science and Engineering Foundation

Aeronautical Engineering

Biomedical Sciences

Economics with Finance Physics with Astrophysics

Physiotherapy

Buckingham Medicine

BUWE

Cambridge RG

Business and Management

Computer science Mathematics

Cardiff Metropolitan Sports Performance Analysis

Cardiff University RG

City University, London

Business Economics

Geography

Geography and Planning

International Relations and Politics Law

Mechanical Engineering

Actuarial Science

Mathematics, Finance and Economics

University Subject

Coventry University Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management

Durham University RG

Combined Honours in Social Sciences Criminology Physics

Edinburgh University RG Biomedical Science

Essex Biochemistry

Exeter University RG

Glasgow University RG

Gloucestershire

Harper and Keele

Harper Adams

Imperial College London RG

Kent University

King’s College London RG

Exercise and Sports Science Law

Marketing and Management (3)

Mathematics with Accounting Medicine

Psychology

Psychology with Sport and Exercise Science Sociology and Anthropology

Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Finance and Mathematics

Agriculture

Veterinary Medicine and Surgery

Rural Enterprise and Land Management

Biomedical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Business Information Technology Economics

Business Management (2)

History and International Relations

International Relations

Political Economy

Kingston Chemistry

Lancaster University

Leicester University

Lincoln University

Cybersecurity Finance (2)

Business Economics

Product Design

Destination of Leavers 2023

University Subject

Liverpool John Moores Drama

Liverpool RG

Loughborough University

Accounting and Finance

Biological and Medical Sciences

Marketing Psychology

Architecture

Art and Design Foundation

Business Economics and Finance

Industrial Design

Material Science and Textile Design

LSE RG History

Manchester University RG

Metropolitan Film School

Nottingham University RG

Nottingham Trent University

Oxford Brookes

Biomedical Sciences History

Management

Master of Planning with Real Estate Mathematics Music

Screen Acting Newcastle Combined Honours

Ancient History

Chemical Engineering Classics

Geography

Geography with Business (2)

Management

Medicine (Lincoln)

Animal Biology

Business Management and Economics

Fashion Management

Accounting and Finance

Business and Management

Economics, Finance and International Business

Furniture: Design and Make

Interior Architecture

Motorsport Technology

Real Estate

Sport and Exercise Science

University

Subject

Oxford RG Physics

Queen Mary University RG

Reading University

Royal Holloway University

Sheffield University (RG)

South Wales

Southampton RG

St Andrews

Surrey University

Swansea University

UAL

Biomedical sciences

Computer Sciences and Mathematics

Economics and Politics

French with Business management

Law

Neuroscience (2)

Accounting and management

Building Surveying

Business and Management (3)

Business and Economics

English literature

Film and Television

Law

Pharmacology with a year in industry

Philosophy and Politics

Real Estate (5)

Theatre and Performance

Biology

Criminology and Sociology

English and Creative writing

History, Politics and International Relations

Law(2)

Materials science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Medicine

Sociology with Social Policy

Community Health and Well Being

International Relations

Computer Science

English

Biological Science

Veterinary Medicine and Science

Mathematics and Sports Science

Fashion Management

Destination of Leavers 2023

University Subject

UCL (RG)

University of East Anglia

University College Birmingham

Warwick University (RG)

Westminster University

York (RG)

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

Archaeology

Arts and Sciences

Biochemistry

Biomedical Sciences

Economics and Statistics

Management Science

Mathematical Computation

Mathematics with Economics

Media

Nutrition and Medical Sciences

Physics

Politics and International Relations

PPE

Sociology

International Development with Politics Physiotherapy

Digital Marketing

Economics, Politics & International Studies

English and Classical Civilisation

Management

Sociology

Business Management

Business Management

History

University Subject

Columbia University (Ivy League)

Political Science

Copenhagen Business School Business

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Esade Business School, Spain

HVHL – Van Hall Larenstein Netherlands

Economics and Business Economics

Global Governance, Law and Economics Management

Food Science

University Subject

IE, Madrid

Business Administration & International Relations Economics & International Relations

Maastrict University Netherlands Business

McGill University Canada BA Arts

Nova Southeastern University Golf Scholarship

University of Toronto Chemical Engineering

Toronto Rotman Commerce

UC Santa Barbara Physics

Universita Unicamilla Rome Medicine

University of Colorado, Boulder USA Chemical Engineering

University of Delaware, USA Tennis Scholarship

University of Southern California Social Sciences Arts and Sciences Economics

Leiden University

Vernona Italy

WHU, Germany

APPRENTICESHIPS AND WORK

Savills Degree Apprenticeship

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Dentistry

Business and Management Economics/ Business

Chartered Surveyor

Armed Forces Officer, Royal Marines

Academic Review

Most schools claim they nurture their students to become effective academic learners with broad extra-curricular interests, with the confidence to succeed in these areas being built on a warm foundation of pastoral care. But how does one know if schools are any good at creating happy renaissance citizens of the future? Will they be ready to participate in the inter-connected world of the 2030s? Quantifying a successful education is a tricky business. There are so many league tables and measures that one could use. One school claims to be demonstrably the very best co-ed day/boarding school in East Sussex, another claims to have a unique and undefinable magic that comes from its location in Oxford, another that it tops the league table for leavers’ achievements thirty years hence.

With many wise sages looking into an AI future where current knowledge is obsolete and when most current jobs will be redundant, Yuval Harari predicts that a new useless class will emerge of people who are both unemployed and unemployable. It is, maybe, increasingly unclear what education should even be aiming to achieve as our children face an uncertain future, whether this be due to AI or global warming. However, truth be told, all children always have faced uncertainties, but also a world of wonder and opportunities. We aim for Bromsgrovians to have grown up in both a civilised and civilising environment and that, after they have left School, we hope that they continue to learn, question, grow and be kind.

We are delighted that so many of our leavers this summer have moved on to challenging courses at competitive universities. Over 100 made their undergraduate offer of a place at a research heavy Russell Group University – indeed, for a brief moment, there was the possibility of at least one Bromsgrovian accepting a place at each of the twentyfour RG universities - it was so close but ultimately the decision by an individual not to accept an offer from Ulster meant a full house was not achieved. As has now been the case for many years, the most popular destination remains the competitive London Colleges of UCL and KCL, with Exeter, Bath and Cardiff also being commonly desired targets. A tenth of leavers will start their undergraduate studies abroad. The most popular courses remain in the areas of Economics and Business, with large cohorts also looking towards Politics/International Relations, Geography, Medicine, the Natural Sciences, Engineering and Law.

To enjoy these opportunities, Bromsgrovians compete against the best, not just in Britain, but across the world. The results achieved by the Upper Sixth were excellent and should be a source of immense professional pride for all the School’s staff as well as pupils’ parents. This summer, IB students gained the School’s highest ever proportions of 7s and 6s in their Higher Level subjects and averaged 38.0 points overall. Likewise, in BTECs the overwhelming majority of grades were in the top two bands of Distinction* and Distinctions. With twofifths of A Level entries achieving at least an A, overall, over a half of all Sixth Form qualifications saw students gain an least an A or an equivalent grade.

These results reflect all the sheer graft, self-discipline and rigour that had gone before. It is humbling that pupils have the maturity to take examinations seriously, but also in their stride whilst maintaining a sense of intellect inquisitiveness. The School’s largest ever entry of 128 Extended Projects saw many Sixth Formers undertaking a piece of significant independent research, in many ways matching the challenges faced by the fiftytwo students who undertook an Extended Essay.

Despite having had a couple of years of Covid disruptions during their secondary schooling, our 2023 cohort of leavers, our thespians, debaters, musicians, CCF Cadets, rugby and netball players suggested this summer that first and foremost they have developed into serious students who deserve to be taken seriously.

P Ruben

Commemoration Day

The Headmaster welcomed all those present at Commemoration Day but also expressed his thanks to the community for the warmth of the welcome that had been shown to him and his family over his first year at Bromsgrove.

For the School, a significant event from the past year had been our inspection. All three schools were found to be fully compliant with the many statutory requirements that apply to day and boarding schools. Moreover, inspectors judged both the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements, as well as the quality of pupils’ personal development, to be excellent. This is the highest judgement that can be given and the Headmaster shared some of the inspection report.

He also paid tribute to the pupils and staff who work so hard in all aspects of life at Bromsgrove, especially those colleagues who were leaving at the end of term, either to begin new roles elsewhere or because they were retiring. Like all staff, they have encouraged, supported and inspired; they have contributed to the activities programme and nurtured young people in their care to enable them to achieve the most possible.

Following the excellent inspection reports, the Headmaster suggested that it might be tempting to relax for a while but that is not going to be our approach. Rather, staff and Governors have been considering how the School can further evolve and enhance the educational experience that is offered so that pupils are best prepared for the world in which they will be playing their part. Friends from Bromsgrove Mission Hills, China and Bromsgrove International School, Thailand were with us and the Headmaster explained that he was keen to take more opportunities to collaborate with partners across and beyond the family of Bromsgrove Schools.

At this point, the Headmaster praised the Upper Sixth leavers who had contributed so much to the life of the School during their time here but who were now poised to move off to university in the UK or overseas, to take gap years or to begin degree-level apprenticeships. The Headmaster suggested that they will have created a host of memories and friendships whilst developing interests and talents and regardless of what they do next, they should know that we care deeply about them as individuals. ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’, said Eleanor Roosevelt. Pupils, the Headmaster said, should be creative, ambitious, live as fully as possible, taking and making opportunities as they go and bring their dreams to life. Although they may no longer be Bromsgrove pupils, they would always be Bromsgrovians and we will always be pleased to see them.

The Sir Thomas Cookes Sermon

The annual Sir Thomas Cookes Sermon on Commemoration Day was preached this year by The Reverend Anthony Buckley, City Rector of Oxford. He suggested that while Commemoration Day offers the chance for Bromsgrove to reflect on its long history and benefactors, so too it may provide an emotionally charged personal moment for some, particularly those reflecting on past chapters and looking to new ones.

Picking up on the reading (Luke 19: 1-10), he reminded how the arrival of Jesus (becoming known for the extraordinary things he had been doing and saying) at the capital of Jerusalem for Passover would have been just such an emotionally charged moment for all present, the sort which even the unpopular tax collector Zacchaeus wanted to witness for himself, even if it meant climbing a tree. Just as for School leavers, every encounter and word mattered, with every moment potentially remaining vivid for those present. And yet, in that moment, Jesus noticed the least likely individual and addressed him by name. Rev Buckley encouraged all, whether in the same place next year or somewhere new, to know we are valued and to give the same value to others, learning their names, stories, hopes, fears and dreams. Just as the conversation with Jesus transformed the tax-collector Zacchaeus to become generous-hearted, a sign of good things happening in us is when good things happen from us – in the words attributed to Pericles: “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

Equally, just as in the Zacchaeus incident, there may be murmuring voices who misunderstand or even wish to bring us down and yet, a few weeks later on the first Easter Sunday, Jesus proved that Hope is stronger than despair, love is stronger than hate, and life is stronger than death.

Rev Buckley finished by using a favourite moment from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and Blake’s words of the hymn Jerusalem (which had just been sung in the service) to challenge us, as individuals in a congregation from different nations who will find ourselves in different communities, to be willing to be a part of building the true Jerusalem representing love, compassion, justice, peace and reconciliation; to encourage generous behaviour by knowing others’ names and stories and by being encouraging and kind rather than murmuring voices; and to recognise the reality of hope.

A G McClure

Prep School Activities

Activities Overview

This has been another exciting year of Prep School Activities. Some old favourites like badminton, karate and football have been consistently popular and there have been many new pursuits for children to try. Odd-ball music for pupils with an interest in making digital music with a difference; lacemaking; electronics and paper-quilling to name a few. Reasoning has posed conundrums every Tuesday and Rubik’s Cube Club was so popular we had to put on two per week! The speediest Cubers attended the World Cubing Association regional event in Chippenham.

The Fencers continue to take part in national competitions and the Goblin Car team had fun at a racetrack in Staffordshire. LAMDA is going from strength to strength and Minimus: Starting out in Latin is stretching our younger pupils. Finger knitting has made us smile every Saturday morning – the joy and laughter coming from the room has been contagious. We are blessed to have wonderful facilities and staff who go above and beyond to give our pupils these extra experiences.

C Leather

Coronation Challenge

To mark the historic occasion of King Charles III’s Coronation, pupils in Years 3-6 were invited to participate in a Coronation Crown Challenge.

Pupils completed activities from a range of ‘crystals’ - Creative, Competition, Cuisine, Curiosity, Curriculum and then up to two additional challenges from any ‘crystal’. A large number of pupils took part, baking cakes with a Union Jack theme, creating Forest School-style crowns, growing sugar-crystal ‘Crown Jewels’, creating ‘Corgi Chase’ obstacle courses and visiting Royal palaces, castles and gardens and much more. The array of activities was varied, designed to stimulate curiosity and learning and to simply have fun to mark the occasion in style.

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 were invited to create a living time capsule for their challenge, a project in any chosen format or media and packed with information that was eye catching and colourful, as well as being historically and factually accurate. Some pupils wrote messages wishing the King and Queen good luck on their Coronation Day. It was wonderful to see the beautiful responses and cards received from Buckingham Palace, signed by Charles R and Camilla R.

T Hill

Eco Committee

Sustainability continues to be a focus throughout the School, and the Prep School Eco Committee have continued to lead the way. This year, we have fronted such initiatives as ‘Sustainability Week’, ‘Switch Off Fortnight’ and ‘Earth Day’. The committee have continued to show their commitment to keeping our local environment tidy by undertaking half termly litter picks, as well as working collaboratively with St John’s Middle School to collect litter in Sanders Park. We have worked closely with the grounds team to enhance the School grounds, planting fruit trees and encouraging wildlife by building bird boxes and erecting insect houses.

Holroyd Howe (our catering company) have worked closely with the Eco Committee to launch the ‘Sustainable World’ initiative to encourage pupils to think about the food they are eating and the carbon footprint of transportation. Throughout the year, we have undertaken Eco/Gardening sales where we have sold products made by the committee including beeswax candles, eco-friendly pencil cases and stationery, and seedlings.

Our dedicated committee have worked with enthusiasm and commitment to support our School’s sustainability pledge and for that I would like to thank them all.

S Dakin

Flourishing Fivers (Prep School Team)

I quote a letter from the Primrose Hospice, thanking the Year 7 pupils for the money raised through their PSHE lessons:

‘Thank you for your dedication and support. Your hard work and enthusiasm has been inspirational. It was lovely to meet you, excited to reveal your fundraising enterprises from cycling, triathlons, chutney making, cold showers, crafts…. the list goes on.’

Over the past four years, we have raised over £44,000 for the Hospice, which is enough to run the Day Hospice for several weeks, from nursing care to occupational therapy for over seventy patients. The Flourishing Fivers initiative also had a wonderful effect on the pupils who felt a deep sense of accomplishment, happiness and fulfilment.

C Leather

Forest School continues to provide the pupils with the opportunity to spend time in the natural world where they witness changes in seasons and weather. This year, we have been particularly pleased to find out that the wildlife has been enjoying our patch of wild within the busy School grounds. Badgers and buzzards have been seen making this area their home, along with many other insects and mammals.

Pupils from Year 3 and 4 have benefitted from their weekly sessions, developing their skills and building upon what they have learnt. A highlight for me this year was witnessing one pupil make a wooden mallet from a piece of wood using a bow saw and an axe proficiently.

The fire remains a focal point of the sessions with pupils showing competent fire building and lighting skills (some even using the flint and steel). They have undertaken a range of cooking activities including fruit kebabs with melted chocolate, elderflower cordial and, of course, pancakes.

Forest School allows pupils the chance to reflect, socialise, work as a team, build confidence and self-esteem. Pupils are in charge of their own learning, deciding which tasks they want to undertake and assessing and managing their own risks, all key skills in life.

S Dakin Forest School

Gardening Club

Gardening Club participants were thrilled to return to School after the summer break to see what produce had grown. Harvesting our runner beans, leeks, potatoes and pumpkins gave us the opportunity to make some soup with Chef Steve Giles’ help.

As autumn turned to winter, we decided what winter vegetables we wanted to grow and planted onions, garlic, Brussel sprouts, parsnips and cabbages. During the winter, we spent some valuable time enhancing the soil with our home-grown compost, adding much needed nutrients ready for the spring.

With a late spring we needed to work quickly to get seeds germinated and planted in the ground. This year, the pupils decided to grow runner beans, courgettes, potatoes, spring onions, and popcorn to name but a few. We also decided to plant some herbs so that we could use these in our future cooking activities.

During the Summer term, pupils used the strawberries to make jam, again with the help of Mr Giles. Mr Devereux (Senior Gardener) taught the pupils how to prune the fruit correctly including the grape vine, apple tree and red currants. We were also delighted to achieve the RHS Level 4 School Gardening Award.

S Dakin

Kindness Week

The Prep children enjoyed a heart shaped doughnut provided by the kitchen staff to mark the beginning of Kindness Week which has a focus on online safety.

The children in Year 3 and 4 worked with their Special Friends to think of qualities that they think are important in a friend. Year 3 enjoyed writing thank you cards to people who have shown them kindness. The recipients were thrilled to receive them.

S Grove

Pupil Voice

One of the first jobs for our Pupil Voice Chairs was to deliver assemblies to the Pre-Prep pupils and our youngest Prep School children about the role of the Pupil Voice within the Prep School.

Each Form in the School elected a representative whose job it was to take ideas from their Form for discussion at Pupil Voice meetings. The minutes of the meetings were then taken by our Chairs to a working lunch with Mr Marie and all comments were then posted on the Pupil Voice notice board. There have been extra meetings with the Heads of Catering in the Senior School and Prep School, with Dr Barron relating to Wellbeing and with Senior School pupils to help with their IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) project. My thanks to the Pupil Voice representatives 2022-2023.

C Leather

Sustainability Competition

Following on from our Sustainability Week, the Prep pupils brought in their entrants to the recycling competition. We had a huge range of animals made from all sorts of recycled items. Miss Read had the challenging job of judging the models and she was delighted to choose Max Morgan’s snake in first place, Freya Singleton’s pig in second place and Oliver Lee’s shark in third place. The pupils were delighted to hear that they had won some points for their Houses. Thank you to everyone who took part.

S Dakin

Wellbeing

We have had a wonderful year in Zen activity. Pupils from Year 3, 4 and 5 have enjoyed learning how to generate their feelings of wellbeing. Every week we have mats on the floor, blankets and cushions out and we start with a relaxing mindfulness story. The stories help the children focus just on sounds and let them know that noise does not necessarily require interaction. This calming start leads to a discussion about gratefulness. Each session we talk about all the things we feel so grateful for - Mums, Dads, the roof over our heads, friends, teachers, the School, our food, holidays, and many more reasons to be grateful are all brought to the pupils’ attention. Emotions, expression and how we can interact with one another are all topics up for discussion in our very special, calming group.

V Barron

Prep School Chapel

The Body

‘If one member is suffering, all the members share its suffering.’ (1 Corinthians 12:26)

Kieran Brinn

8th January 2001 – 23rd December 2022

On December 23rd, 2022, Kieran Brinn, a former member of Bromsgrove School and aged only 21 left this world. I had both the honour and the privilege of officiating at his funeral, but the family also requested that his life be celebrated with a memorial service in the School Chapel, and once again, I was asked if I could arrange and lead it.

In his first letter to the Corinthians. Saint Paul describes the Church as the body of Christ, made up of many different parts. Yet no one part was any more important than any other, each was vital for the body to live and thrive. Equally, if one part of the body suffered, then the whole suffered as a result. Looking back now I can see how this applied to Kieran’s memorial service. Before we got anywhere near Chapel, the Bromsgrove family responded to the loss of one of its own, with what I can only describe as acts of love.

Mr Punt, the Headmaster, immediately gave his permission for the service to go ahead, whilst Rachel Scannell, the Assistant Head, organised the grounds staff, the ICT department, hospitality, and other members of the Bromsgrove community to come together and provide their support. It was, indeed, like a body, whereby each member had a role to play in making up the whole. What did Saint Paul say? ‘When one part suffers, all the members share its suffering.’

When the day of the memorial service arrived, I remember looking out at the assembled congregation coming together to celebrate Kieran’s life. Some would read, whilst others gave tribute, there would be poems, music, and hymns. Tears were shed but the emphasis was on remembering, with joy, the life of a young man who meant so much to so many. The courage and bravery of Kieran’s mother, Claire and his sister, Aisling stand out for me, but they were surrounded by a community who put their arms around them and offered the most precious gift of all, love. The service, therefore, encapsulated what Bromsgrove School stands for, family and how when one member of the community suffers the rest will be there for them. It was a most fitting service for a young man for whom Bromsgrove School meant so much.

Reverend Dr Sean Loone

Assistant Chaplain, Bromsgrove School

Prep Parents’ Association

Another busy year for the Preparatory School Parents’ Association where we have organised and assisted in a wide range of School events and coordinated various fundraising initiatives. These include the Macmillan Cake Sale (raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Support), pre-loved book sales, Christmas Shopping for Years 3 and 4, Christmas, Easter and Summer Raffles, new parents’ welcome coffee morning, the PA Fun Day (Crystal Maze activity for all children across the School), Sustainability Week (to show what the Uniform Exchange can provide in both Prep & Pre-Prep), guided & tidied children for School photos, coordinated the Year 8 leavers’ hoodies and liaised with parents and School regarding the Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS).

Thanks to the support from parents and hard work from the Committee, we have been able to fund a wide range of School requests and have also worked together to jointly fund some with the Pre-Prep and Senior PAs. These include:

• Language Link scheme for Curriculum Support across Prep and Pre-Prep

• 550 Easter eggs donated to Starting Well Partnership (voted for by pupils)

• Flourishing Fivers initial funding for Year 7 PSHEE

• Stressbox programme for Year 8

• Pantomime for Years 3 and 4

• Overlocker for Drama department (with Senior School)

• Commemorative shield for each Year 8 leaver

• Benches for children

• Theatre Sound Deck (with Pre-Prep & Senior School)

• Teen Tips (with Senior School)

• Crystal Maze fun day across the whole school

• Outdoor play equipment for Years 3 and 4

• King’s Coronation badge for each child

• Ice cream for all pupils at Sports Day

The Prep PA continue to work closely with the Uniform Exchange who have had a hugely successful and busy year helping families across all three Schools with uniform requirements. We thank them for their regular significant financial contributions.

Funding requests are already in place for September, as are plans to raise money and put on fun events for our children. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and family members that have supported us. After six fun years on the Prep PA, four as Chair, it is time to hand over to your new Chair, Harriet Coates. I wish both the PA and Harriet continued success. My personal thanks go to all the children, staff and especially Mrs Taylor and Ms Bowett who go above and beyond to support our fundraising antics.

K Gallimore Preparatory PA Chair

Senior School Activities

Boarders’ Activities and Trips

Our boarders have enjoyed a wide and varied programme of activities and trips outside of the School curriculum this year. Boarding tutors have accompanied off-site visits and hosted in-House events to ensure that boarders have been able to access a range of opportunities.

In the Michaelmas Term, boarders enjoyed a day out at Alton Towers, a theme park in Shropshire and paintballing at a local venue also proved very popular. We offered a trip to a climbing wall and nearly eighty Senior boarders visited a local cinema for some escapism one Saturday night. A number of boarders also enjoyed a gokarting excursion at the start of December. Each term, boarders can visit Birmingham for a shopping trip or for the excitement of the German Christmas Market at the end of December. On site, staff ran an exuberant Sixth Form Pub Quiz with a highly competitive atmosphere and there was also a disco just before we broke up for the Christmas holidays. Equally competitive, the Gingerbread House decorating competition drew a number of interesting entries.

In the Lent Term, in addition to the published list of events, we organised a supporters’ coach to Coventry Stadium so that students could cheer on their peers in the prestigious final of the Siviter Smith Cup. We have also taken boarders to Bromsgrove Football Club to watch two local matches, cheering on Bromsgrove Sporting FC. The term began with a well-attended trip to London and students also enjoyed an exciting visit to a Peaky Blinders themed Escape Room in Birmingham. In a break from trips out, House Treat night was very well received with goodies delivered to Houses for boarders to make their own ice cream sundae concoctions.

During the Summer Term, a visit to Bath was an opportunity to mix shopping with culture, and the sun shone over this historic University city as students enjoyed visiting the salt baths and Jane Austen locations. A similar trip to Cheltenham, a visit to a trampoline park and a local bowling excursion were also on offer. Guardians of the Galaxy and Fast 10 drew a coachload of boarders back to the cinema for a break from their studies.

Over the Coronation Weekend, boarders were able to watch the event live and enjoy a typically British Afternoon Tea, complete with a spot of drizzly weather. In the evening, they continued the celebrations at a special Boarders’ Coronation Disco.

With something offered every weekend, there has been no shortage of opportunities for our boarders to step outside of their comfort zones, discover a new place or skill, and enjoy some down time from their studies. Whether with old or new friends, it has been a jam-packed year.

V Adams

Astronomical Society

Bromsgrove School Astronomical Society welcomed twelve eminent visiting speakers, including Michael Frost and Gary Poyner of the British Astronomical Association, and Stephen Tonkin and Peter Williamson of the Royal Astronomical Society. Within our chosen theme of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, we explored opportunities for dark-sky tourism and responsible lighting, the value of indigenous knowledge and international partnerships.

A select cohort of able, gifted and talented pupils read for the Edexcel GCSE in Astronomy (1AS0) qualification. Using high-quality, digital resources, each student completed two seminal independent learning assignments in complement to their academic timetables. Subject Support sessions were held to fulfil practical coursework requirements in naked-eye and telescopic astronomy and to facilitate examination preparation.

Eighteen pupils from our Preparatory and Senior Schools were joined by Bromsgrove Astronomical Society members to celebrate ‘International Observe the Moon Night’ at the Matthew Taylor Observatory on the Prep School site. Another highlight of our outreach and engagement activities, we were delighted to invite pupils and staff from our Pre-Preparatory School to visit the Matthew Taylor Observatory for an introductory talk about constellations.

Our congratulations go to Aiden Shing, Alpha Li, Henri Klein, Jim Yang, Kim Pumapanich, Konrad Berg, Maksym Gorevych, Nicholas Kwok, Vicky Hu and William D’Andilly who progressed to the pre-final round of this year’s International Astronomy & Astrophysics Competition. A European Space Agency initiative, the Cooperation through Education in Science & Astronomy Research project equipped pupils with professional tools and techniques to discover the Sun’s differential rotation, to determine Jupiter’s mass and to reveal galaxies’ ‘secret’ structure.

Looking ahead, we are excited to share in the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s observing programme, ‘Explore the Universe’, made possible by our continuing investment in astronomical instrumentation. In addition, we look forward to working with University of Birmingham students and researchers at ‘Astronomy in the City’ events and with Institute of Physics members at public masterclasses on contemporary topics in astrophysics and cosmology.

Clear skies!

P Prouse

Bake Off

The annual House Bake-off competition was held in the last week of the Summer Term with the theme of ‘Re-creation or Recreation’. Some Houses concentrated on one or the other, whilst others combined the two ideas, including the winners who were Housman Hall. Their cake demonstrated both the making of a snowman and the problem of global warming and the need to look after the creation.

About their creation. the Housman Hall team write, “Our inspiration came from earlier in the wintertime when building snowmen was our recreation activity. We destroyed the home-baked cake and immediately reconstructed it with the notion of re-creation. This is when the word “recreation” enters, as Housman Hall unites to reproduce the cake, much like how we work together to create and sculpt snowmen in the winter. We put cream on the snowman’s base to illustrate that “life is never perfect” and to depict the reality of muddy snow. We also think that every creation needs a message. In today’s dazzling sun, the melting chocolate represents climate change and conveys the need for immediate action.”

For the first time, the judge - the Headmaster, Mr Punt - not only asked the bakers to describe what they had made, the meaning of their cakes but also talk about the actual cake mixture/recipe, and he bravely tasted each one. It was, as always, a very difficult decision but the winning cake was very much a ‘hands-on’ from all the team.

P Hedworth

Bebras Challenge

Eighty-one Bromsgrove students took part in the Bebras Challenge, a Computational thinking and problem-solving competition, with 360,000 students competing nationally. Following the results, seventeen students achieved a score in the top 10% in the county (fourteen from the Lower Fourth and two in the Sixth Form). A particular mention should go to Jarry Xing (Lower Fourth) who scored 100%, one of 207 across the UK who received full marks (0.1% of entries).

Fourth Form:

Jarry Xing

Moses Wong

Spike Bloxham

Leo Chan

Xanthe Matthews

Ethan Woo

Wesley Chan

Nathan Limbu

Matthew Hill

Matilda Neal

Andrei Titov

Jay Lo

Edgar Cheuk

Samuel Chan

Sixth Form:

John Kim

George Hastings

Biology Olympiad

The British Biology Olympiad was completed by over 13,000 students in 800 UK Schools. At Bromsgrove, Upper Sixth A Level Biology students took part, along with a small selection of Lower Sixth students attending Extension Biology on Thursday evenings.

The Bronze Award, which is only given to the top 15% of students, was awarded to:

Eleanor Dunn

Charlie Hodgson

James Humphries

Zoe Pang

Henry Scott

Kaitong Sirisukhodom

Suani Tamang

Claudia Tang

The Silver Award, achieved by the top 10% of students, was awarded to:

Sophia Meadows

Katie Murray

Jake Wingfield

Ethan Wong

Marcus Au Yeung

And the Gold Award, which is only achieved by the top 5% of students, went to Casey Wong.

Book Club

A new student-led book club has been meeting every week in the Library. Led by Imogen Thomas (Upper Sixth), the pupils read and discuss YA fiction.

Tying into the ‘Bring Your Whole Self to Bromsgrove’ initiative, discussions centre around how the concerns of the characters mirror their own in their lives at School.

T Barfield

Bring Your Whole Self to Bromsgrove

Heads of School, Thando Best and Jess Whitlock, worked incredibly hard to launch their initiative, Bring Your Whole Self to Bromsgrove (BYWSTB). What started as a conversation during Lockdown developed into an incredible project that aims to encourage everyone to feel at home whilst at School.

The key aim is to educate on equality, diversity and inclusion – raising awareness and celebrating the rich community we are so lucky to have. Jess and Thando realise that this is a long-term project with their aim of laying the foundations in their final year and to then hand the baton on to other pupils and eventually stretch the ethos to the Pre-Prep and Early Years sections of the School, manifesting a whole School ethos.

The BYWSTB project has been approved by the Governors, and work has begun on issues such as mental health in the lead up Childrens’ Mental Health Week, an LGBTQ+ Society and a topical issues book club for all year groups. Jess and Thando are encouraging open conversations in safe spaces to counter the concerns of ‘cancel culture’ and embrace the concept of the ‘positive bystander’.

Z Leech

Bromsgrove Badge

The Bromsgrove Badge Award is a programme undertaken by all Lower Fourth pupils. It provides participants with a wide range of extra-curricular activities and a taster for the outdoor education pupils can expect later in the School, such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

In September 2022, students began learning IT skills which are beneficial for their use of devices within lessons. They then prepared for the Malvern Walk, including learning how to read a map and planning their walking route. The students then applied their skills to the 17km walk over the Malvern Ridge. The students were in great spirits despite wet and windy weather conditions. All groups successfully completed the walk, enjoying the now traditional Mars Bar handed out halfway by Mr Matthews.

During the Lent Term, pupils enjoyed a rota of activities. This involved orienteering around School, campcraft skills and decision making at Upton Warren. In June, the students embarked on the Lower Fourth Camp where they applied all of their skills from the course of the year. Here, they took part in walking and waterbased activities in the Wye Valley.

H Harte

Bromsgrove Service

Another year has flown by and I always find it difficult to do justice to the enormous range of volunteering and service activities that our students have taken part in. As always, the students have strived to make a positive impact, learning from their experiences and logging many hundreds of hours supporting and giving back to their local community.

It has been wonderful to resume our twiceweekly visits to local residential homes –including adding some new venues to our schedule. From their Dementia Friends training in September, the students learned how to support those living with dementia, showing kindness and empathy to everyone they encountered. We were very pleased to welcome friends from local homes to Routh Hall at Christmas for our Tea and Carols event, which was great fun. We hope to do more tea parties next year and strengthen our relationship with the residents.

Bromsgrove Service has also had another hugely successful year for fundraising; with the Flourishing Fiver team achieving record breaking totals yet again from a range of events through the year. Our Crafting for Charity group frequently sold out of their beautiful hand-made cards and, unsurprisingly, the Basement Project Krispy Kreme sale was a popular fundraiser - greatly enjoyed by students and staff alike.

A new and exciting activity this year has been our Chadsgrove Science Outreach group who have been partnering with students from Chadsgrove School to teach them about science; from colour changing indicators to heart and lung dissections. This has been a real highlight of the year and I would like to thank all the students and staff at Chadsgrove for teaching our students so much in return.

The students of Bromsgrove School are generous; with not only their money but more importantly with their time. So many go above and beyond to make a difference. The memories that they have made this year will stay with them and the positive impact that they have made on the lives of others will be felt for a long time. I would like to thank all the students and staff involved in service this year for their dedication and generosity.

P Woolley

BTEC Business

Students undertaking BTEC Business worked with the School Shop to learn about different visual merchandising and display techniques. Window and internal displays, product positioning and effective promotional techniques are all important aspects of visual merchandising designed to increase store traffic and sales volume.

In the School Shop, pupils tried out product placement, the use of mannequins and props, and discussed the legal and safety aspects of visual merchandising.

The various techniques vary according to the type and size of a retail business and the products it sells. In the classroom, students investigated the various techniques that different businesses use as part of their research into creating an effective display.

The unit content provided students with an insight into the elements used to create attractive displays, including product information, colour, light, space, touch and sound.

The displays created in the School Shop form part of their assessment for Unit 16, demonstrating some of the practical skills and techniques that retailers use to tempt customers into stores.

D West

Chapel Matters

Students in the Senior and Prep Schools continue to attend one regular ‘Chapel’ a week and main School services during the year which include Harvest, Christmas and end of year Leavers’ and Commemoration services. The Pre-Prep have their own special services too.

In the Senior School, there is a Whole School Eucharist and a Choral Evensong with two year groups. Other noncompulsory services include those on Advent Sunday (candle-lit), Mothering Sunday and Confirmation. Each of the Boarding and Day Houses also attend Holy Communion on a Friday morning in turn. A significant number of students receive the bread and wine or a blessing. Chapel matters.

In September, in both the Senior School and the Prep School (with some PrePrep children) we held a special service of Thanksgiving for the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and then in May, the Prep School held a service marking the Coronation of King Charles III. Chapel matters.

In terms of a sanctuary, holy or quiet space, Chapel is an important place to come. Following our peace vigil in March 2022 when the conflict in Ukraine began, we held another one year on. Every Tuesday lunchtime this year there has been ‘Open Chapel’ for anyone to come and quietly think, consider and pray. Chapel matters.

As a place for weddings and baptisms –for some Old Bromsgrovians and some staff families, Chapel is the place where different rites of passage occur and where new beginnings have been celebrated. No wedding has taken place this year but several baptisms. Sadly, we also held a Memorial Service for one of our Old Bromsgrovians, who when he died was only in his twenties. At Remembrance, we remembered all those who were members of our School community who lost their lives in time of conflict in the world. Chapel Matters.

Chapel Matters – and so does everyone who is part of the Bromsgrove family: students and staff; parents and Old Bromsgrovians. All are special and loved.

Reverend Hedworth School Chaplain

Charities

I have heard it said, that ‘charity begins at home’. I’m not sure that I agree with the sense in which this is sometimes meant – but in the case of Bromsgrove Senior School, it is probably true, because in each of our Houses, students have raised awareness of and collected for their chosen House Charity. These have included: Bone Cancer Research, the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Matt Hampson Foundation, all of which have directly involved some of our own students and the help they or their families have received due to their own medical needs.

Our Whole Senior School charity events have raised money for charities ‘at home and abroad’. This year we have supported: SENSE, helping the deafblind with complex disabilities; the Matt Hampson Foundation; the Be Free Campaignworking to promote good mental health, especially through their schools’ work; and the Basement Project, working locally with young people under 25 in our wider Bromsgrove community with any issues or problems they are experiencing.

We supported those affected by the floods in Pakistan, money being sent to Save the Children who were working there; we sent numerous shoe-boxes with Christmas gifts for children and families in Eastern Europe; and we also raised the money to build a home for a refugee family in the Ukraine. Many staff and students took part in sponsored events for their own chosen charity during the year.

So much has been achieved and so much has been done to help others by so many people, and my thanks are also the thanks of all those in need who have been helped by those who gave their time and money.

P Hedworth

Chemistry Olympiad

The Sixth Form took part in the annual Chemistry Olympiad, with over 10,000 competitors across the county.

The following pupils achieved a Bronze award, which places them in the top 40%.

Adryan Man

Amelia Baker

Ben Punt

Bowen Cheung

Hamza Suleman

Henry Scott

Clara Lau

Jake Wingfield

Yanbo Dong

The following students received a Silver award, which places them in the top 20% of the country, and what is more impressive is they are both in the Lower Sixth when the vast majority of entrants are in Year 13.

Casey Wong

Serisha Sunner

CCF

The Michaelmas Term started with a glorious influx of Cadets into the CCF, not only new Upper Fourth recruits, but many of our older cadets choosing to stay with us. As the dust settled, we discovered that we were the second biggest CCF contingent across the UK. Standing with the rest of the country, we were saddened by the passing of Her Majesty The Queen as Head of the Armed Forces. As a School, we came together to remember Queen Elizabeth II’s life and honour her loyal service.

In September, the Upper Fourth visited Peck Wood for their introductory field day. They ate Army rations, fired paintballs, got covered in camouflage paint and made survival fires.

The Fifth Form field day was delayed until February, but the Army Cadets stayed at Swynnerton and involved themselves in advanced field craft, and the RAF Cadets learnt survival skills, including cooking trout. The year continued with gusto as we held our Biennial Inspection. An afternoon of training was laid on for all 420 Cadets, and our inspecting Officer, Col Hodgson, was suitably impressed with the commitment and attitude of the staff and the Cadets.

The academic year ended with an enthusiastic gun run competition during Commemoration Day. Two teams of volunteers gave up their free time to train and take part in the competition, and it was a close-run event. I think the staff may have been more competitive than the Cadets. We are now looking forward to growing in numbers even more and trying new initiatives during 2023/24.

J Farnes

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)

CAS was designed to strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning and to educate and develop the whole person, rather than purely an academic experience. By engaging in Creativity, Activity and Service experiences, students use self-initiative, determination, seek opportunities for themselves and reflection on their learning and growth.

As the ever-beating heart of the IB Diploma Programme, it is always my pleasure to celebrate students’ achievements and this year is no exception. The cohort of fifty-six CAS students participated in 1,120 unique experiences and dedicated 20,160 hours to CAS. Students have raised tens of thousands of pounds for charities and helped people in local and global communities when undertaking their CAS Projects, which focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The wealth of varied experiences spanning residential homes, eco committees, School outreach programmes, sports coaching and much more, students humbly reflect that their CAS journey has helped them to develop skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. I am proud to advocate that Bromsgrove offers and provides a wholesome programme of exciting and valuable opportunities for students to fulfil the CAS requirements of the IB Diploma Programme that allows them to ultimately improve their own lives as well as the lives of others.

D West

Deaf Communication and Culture

Led by Dr Rimmer (Master of Scholars), students continued appreciating the language and culture of Deaf/deaf communities. In Prep School, Imogen Lewis learned the National Anthem in BSL then taught her class some of the signs: each morning students show their teacher, Mrs Billig, what they have learned. Additionally, our Sign Language Café sessions restarted in Café 1553 with students and local community members coming together to practise BSL and develop a deeper understanding of the complexities of living with a sensory loss. These sessions offer an important opportunity to build connections with our neighbours: several people travelled from quite far away to attend, such is the need for spaces where people can use a preferred language.

Finally, as part of their transition to Senior School programme, Year 8 students spent a day learning about multisensory impairment with the charity Sense, working collaboratively to create a business plan for an accessible garden centre. Students drew designs, made logos and advertisement posters, and drew up a finance outlook to request a loan from the expert judging panel. Senior School staff were very impressed with the students’ understanding of access needs, and their ability to cooperate and communicate as teams.

D Rimmer

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to thrive at Bromsgrove School. Over 100 Upper Fourth pupils enrolled onto the Bronze Award this year and they have enjoyed weekly sessions building their navigation skills, ready to successfully navigate through the Peak District over a weekend in May.

Seventy Fifth Form pupils were navigationally challenged in September for their Practice Expedition to the Long Mynd, and after a long period of examinations, were treated to some spectacular views, albeit in some ‘varied’ weather conditions over the moors and coast in Exmoor.

Forty-Five Lower Sixth enjoyed a remarkably dry Practice Expedition to the Lake District in April and everyone successfully completed their qualifying expedition in Snowdonia at the beginning of July. We all need to practise how to pronounce its new official Welsh name, Eryri!

Pupils’ engagement in their other sections remains superb. With physical activities ranging from School sports to club training and individual pursuits, our pupils remain committed to maintaining their health and well-being. So too they are keen to develop their skills with participation in drama, music, chess and learning to drive. And finally, their volunteering in community service varies widely with real successes in charitable ventures through the Bromsgrove Service programme. Collectively, Bromsgrove pupils completed 3718 hours of community service over the last year – equating to a social value of over £17882.

Finally, huge congratulations to the twenty-three Upper Sixth pupils who have completed their Gold Awards.

We were also very proud to see thirty-one current students and Old Bromsgrovians invited to receive their Gold Awards at Buckingham Palace shortly after The King’s Coronation.

A Baker, R Short and J Farnes

Economics Competitions

Lower Sixth pupils Shahaar Selim and Juliet Woolmore successfully advanced to the final round of the Great British Economic Olympiad. Their exceptional performance placed them among the top twenty-five economists in the country. The Great British Economic Olympiad has been an intense competition, showcasing the brightest minds in economics. Their dedication, hard work and impressive knowledge has set them apart from numerous participants.

Later in the Summer Term, Fin Dinnen, Owais Iqbal, Nikolay Kovalikhin, Isaac Chan and Shahaar Selim were selected as the 2023 WGS Economics Competition National Champions. The students had to present recommendations on what the Monetary Policy Committee and Government should do to achieve target inflation (2%) and 3% growth by q4 2024.

The team produced a sharp, well researched and bold presentation ultimately suggesting that:

• The bank rate should remain at 4.5%

• The government should subsidise renewable energy innovation and development

• Corporation tax should be raised to 30%

• The top rate income tax rate of 45% should be applied from £100,000

• And that there should be a real terms cut in Universal Credit, increasing it by 6.7% in line with average wage increases rather than in line with inflation.

They ultimately found that the target was not achievable within the time frame given.

They faced some incredibly challenging questions from the judging panel, which they fielded in a considered manner. The team ultimately impressed with their consideration of the complexity of the challenge and their bold suggestions. They also enjoyed a presentation from Dr Alistair McCauley (Oxford University) on ‘Behavioural Macroeconomics’ and Mo Tanweer (Cambridge University) on ‘Artificial Intelligence; friend or fo’

During the Summer Holidays, Shahaar Selim’s team won the British Economics Olympiad, making him one of the top eight Economists in the country. This is the first time Bromsgrove have entered the British Economics Olympiad and we were pleased to have two students in the final and one in the winning team. A truly outstanding performance.

F Linfield

Enrichment

You know when someone says ‘You should have seen what I did today…’ well that’s Sixth Form Enrichment in a nutshell. Packed full and overflowing with experiences to guide and develop skills, some of which our Sixth Form students did not even know they needed. Providing deeper and broader personal development experiences, Enrichment prepares students for the exciting life which awaits them through the range of activities provided by our School community and outside partners.

Whether it be the carousel of interactive seminars and activities or year group lectures, each experience helps our Sixth Form to prepare for life after Bromsgrove.

This year, Sixth Form Enrichment opportunities have included cultural orientation and awareness in preparation for moving to university, self-defence (which taught students to avoid, deescalate and control conflict), teambuilding in preparation for working with other people, healthy relationships for strategies to build and navigate positive relations, car safety and maintenance, employability and work skills, water safety for themselves and life saving techniques for others in trouble, healthy eating with quick and easy meals and food intolerances, resilience and leadership supporting our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others, safer driving, budgeting and saving, flat-sharing and finance, as well as lectures from Old Bromsgrovians and universities.

E Densem

Flourishing Fivers (Senior School Team)

The Flourishing Fivers team started the year following a record fundraising year in 2022, but they did not let that daunt them. The hospice, once again, provided the students with £5 each to start their enterprising initiatives and the students had a tour of the hospice to understand how important their fundraising efforts are. Having had six students continue the activity from last year, they were quick off the mark to make plans and start to increase the value of their £5s.

Throughout the year, amongst other enterprising endeavours, the students have created Christmas Eve activity boxes, sold and delivered Valentine’s Day roses, upcycled Chapel candles into wax melts and sold them with burners, ran a hot chocolate sale and sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

In total, the team managed to raise just under £1,500. Whilst this is less than the record set last year, it is the most any team have raised without having an Own Clothes day for the cause. This is an outstanding achievement, which I am proud of as are the rest of the Bromsgrove Service team and most importantly, the students themselves. Staff from the hospice have expressed their gratitude and are keen to work with the School again next year. Some of the team members have already made the decision to continue with this activity and they have already started making plans.

Whilst Flourishing Fivers does run during an activity slot, many of the events take place outside of that time and it is heartwarming to see how the students are always willing to get involved. This year, there have even been students voluntarily attending the sessions once on exam leave. Primrose Hospice is an incredible charity, and it is fantastic that our students are able to support what they do and the community.

J Holdsworth

House Debating

The annual House Debating competition took place over three weeks before halfterm. Three representatives from each House engaged in spirited, but goodnatured, debate on topics ranging from: whether anything of what is learned at School today will be of use in the future; to whether the UK is in terminal decline. For many of those who took part, it was their first experience of debating, and they showed impressive imagination, rhetorical skill and courage as they spoke in front of a roomful of their peers. After careful consideration, the judges decided that this year’s winners were Thomas Cookes for their opposition to the motion that key workers should be banned from striking.

E Densem

Kit Car

After two complete full rebuilds of both Greenpower race cars over the past few months, Team Chicken and The Egg were in action at Lotus in Norfolk at the end of June 2023, where we were treated to some excellent racing and amazingly hot weather.

It was a very early start for our teams and after their long four-hour trip across the country, they arrived and set both cars up ready for scrutineering. Both passed well and comments were made about the quality of the workmanship, which is always a bonus after spending every spare School minute building them.

Race one saw Team Chicken set a fair pace and settled into a mid-pack placing of about 25th. As the race progressed, we slowly started making our way forward as our team tactics and sportsmanship really helped kick the car on. Unfortunately, the wind picked up, which did cause our batteries to lose power, and after finding ourselves in 2nd place kit car momentarily, we ended the race worn and in 4th place Kitcar, which was still a great result. This allowed us to have fully tested our new freewheeling system (thank you to Owen Matthews and Steve Kingston for their engineering skills). The new system proved that it worked and gives us hope that with further development, we can get the car back to its winning ways.

Race two saw The Egg out on track for the first time this season after a major rebuild, sporting its new Candy Apple Red Frame and graphics. The F24 Category is slightly different in that we only race for one hour and there are no driver changes. We used our smallest driver and saw the car set the lap record in a Kitcar just shy of 46kph along the back straight. We were easily first for the majority of the race but as the wind picked up, it slowed our car towards the end, and we ended as 3rd place Kitcar. This was a real shame as we were doing so well, but a better choice of gearing would have meant that we would have easily won, even on a slower ratio. We were so proud that the car achieved another podium place (four in total with three wins) in only its second season.

Race three saw Team Chicken back for a second go, and we decided to go faster as our incrementally slower gear ratio didn’t fit like it should have. This, however, turned out to be a mistake as after only one lap, we came to a halt with a gearing issue. This meant that our race day was over. Team Chicken came a very respectable 4th overall and The Egg came 3rd. We will need to await confirmation, but I think that now means we both qualify for the world finals in October 2023.

I would like to thank both teams for their efforts on the day: Fredrick Danby-Norman Jonnie Parker, Thomas Shaw, Rex Cao, Logan Ingram, Steven Chen, Wennqing Tan, Alex Li, Konrad Berg, Ming Satitamajit, Yanbo Dong, Kaan Erdem, Maksym Gurevych, Felix Meng and Aaron Chan.

I would also like to give a special mention to this year’s sponsors who have provided the team with numerous discounts, funding and expert advice: Point S, A Plan insurance, Washford finishings, Eagle Plastics, 4QD, Cycle Studio Redditch, Aston Air Conditioning and Paul Mullan (Bromsgrove School).

Special mention should also go to my right-hand men Owen Matthews, Steve Kingston and Martin Heard who have supported both teams with help, advice, and an unflinching enthusiasm to make both teams world beating again.

S Broadbent

Life Skills

Two years ago, in collaboration with our local branch of Nationwide Building Society, we trialled some sessions on Finance and Financial Awareness to our Upper Fourth students. This was so successful that the programme has been rolled out nationally and the feedback has been used for training in branches around the UK. The sessions for Bromsgrove pupils will also continue going forward.

Money and financial awareness is important at any age but young people need to be aware of the basics, such as bank accounts, savings, the implications of borrowing, debt, and being safe with online shopping and transactions.

Growing independence and maturity make this the perfect moment to consider broader aspects of money – it is all more tangible especially as they get closer to university and the world of work.

Feedback from our pupils has been very positive and they enjoyed the opportunity to have an expert in the room with real life stories and knowledge.

In addition to financial awareness, the notion of staying safe was a key topic. PC Neil Sharpe of West Mercia Police joined Fifth Form pupils in Life Skills lessons as part of a partnership to tackle some important issues for young people. These sessions aimed to look at laws, safety and prevention in a safe learning environment.

G Farrell

Marmite Society

Der duh… Der duh….

Der duh, Der duh, Der duh….

You think there’s a shark in the water now, don’t you? That iconic theme, written by John Williams for Steven Spielberg’s movie Jaws, originated because the animatronic shark was rather more rubbery and unconvincing than had been hoped. The movie makers had to imply rather than show what lurked beneath the surface. Serendipitously, that made a far more frightening movie. With imaginations engaged, the audience generates a terrifying projected narrative assuming complexities, infinite outcomes and depths. Which is how Marmite Society works.

We rounded off a wonderful year with an event for More Able students from Year 8 to Sixth Form. Mr Phillips gave a fascinating lecture on how one of the worst sequels, Jaws 4, viewed at a tender and impressionable age, lead to a lasting obsession with sharks. This, as an adult, took him (violently seasick) to a boat off the coast of South Africa, photographing fin patterns at very close quarters in order to track sharks.

Students then watched the original movie with pizza and homemade cake (a crucial Marmite component) – for some scary, for some hilarious.

And there you have the heart of Marmite – love or hate, terror or hilarity, agreement or disagreement – we all belong. For those students who are especially able, engaged and scholastic, Marmite continues to be a home and a forum for their supercurricular expertise.

Theme and content in seminars act as a stepping stone for those interests and abilities. The Lower Sixth contemplated ‘Nature and Culture’, Years 6 to 8 discussed ‘What’s more important –feelings or knowledge?’, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, ‘Cartoons: Just for Kids?’ and ‘That’s Not Appropriate’. Meanwhile Fourth and Fifth Form studied courses entitled ‘What Remains?’, Are You Joking?’, and ‘That’s So Random’. In addition, there were many one-to-one sessions encouraging and extending individual academic passions.

Movie and Pizza nights continued to draw students for an intelligent evening off –Apollo 13, Dr Who and The Green Death, and of course Jaws

Many thanks to all the interested and interesting students who brought their voices to Marmite this year. Please return if you can, or join us for the first time, and enjoy a home for those who value hard work, kindness and fascination.

M Ruben

Peer Mentors

Our newly formed Peer Mentors provide valuable support to Year 8 pupils. We also have a group of students working in the Senior School.

We know that our Sixth Form are an outstanding set of people and great role models for the younger pupils. Research shows that young people are more likely to go to peers with concerns or worries, as they find them more relatable. In general, mentoring aims to build confidence and relationships, develop resilience, and character, and raise aspirations.

During their training, the mentors discussed what their role is, understood who they are supporting and where they themselves can access support and guidance.

The mentors were taught key skills and then assessed on listening, communication, body language, effective questioning, bullying and confidentiality, but most importantly safeguarding and understanding the limitations of their role.

They made individual pledges and understood that they held a position of responsibility and privilege. They have made themselves available on a rota basis to cover lunchtimes for drop-in sessions, they have meetings face to face with pupils, as well as answering anonymous email worries.

The Peer Mentors have given their time selflessly to offer support to others, making a valuable contribution to individuals and to the School.

N Langford and Z Leech

Physics Olympiad

This year saw 6000 students, a significant increase on previous years, sitting a very challenging Physics Olympiad paper, All our students did exceptionally well and developed important problem-solving skills for the future. The average score on this first round was 25%, with only 8.7% of students achieving Gold.

Vicky Hu Gold

Demian Zhelyabovskyy Gold

Joseph Hong Silver

Sophia Meadows Silver

Yanbo Dong Bronze II

Justinas Stankus Commendation

Robotics

Bromsgrove’s roboticists have enjoyed another great year, and in several cases have pushed themselves to achieve more than any group before. The impressive powerhouse duo of Larina and Kim geared up their robot to beat the all-time record on our in-house speed challenge, completing the course in two minutes and fifteen seconds. Following on from this success, they maturely and independently set themselves an even greater challenge: build a robot that can go upstairs. This is significantly more difficult than it sounds (humans make it look so easy), and they have teamed up with Auguste to continue working on possible solutions. I am sure they will get there, one step at a time (sorry).

Meanwhile, Konrad and Kaan are working towards building a robot that can sense its environment, measuring and reacting to walls using an ultrasound sensor. Jim and Maksym have been using tank tracks to make a robot capable of navigating difficult terrain. All-in-all these teams have enjoyed working on self-driven collaborative tasks, learning teamwork, coding and project management along the way.

D Atkinson

Scholars’ Programme

Master of Scholars, Dr Rimmer, hosted the Eighth Annual Bromsgrove School Research Competition themed on how global agricultural practices should change to prevent further biodiversity loss. Teams identified one case study and explained why that project models an approach which should be globalised. The winning senior team was comprised of Lower Sixth students Katie Chan, Clara Lau, Adryan Man and Bob Tse. The winning junior team included Lucy Porter, Frances Ginns, Edie-May Page and Belle Davies, a group of Lower Fourth students from Ottilie Hild and Hazeldene.

In the Summer Term, Fourth Form Academic and Foundation Scholars began their Higher Project Qualification, to be completed independently over the summer break. Research questions included methods of escaping black holes, the effectiveness of hexagons in nature and industry, the ideal material for hip replacements, and coding an AI environment to learn whether species evolution will correlate with real world predation. In the final week of the academic year, fifty-five students accompanied Dr Rimmer and Mrs Ashcroft (Head of UCAS) to the University of Oxford Open Day. Students attended various department lectures, including learning why medium sized buildings are more prone to collapse. Feedback from the day: stay for longer!

D Rimmer

Staff Reading Prize

This year’s Staff Reading Prize was again extremely competitive, and the standard of entries was, as usual, incredibly high. In line with the national Poetry By Heart competition, this year’s theme was ‘Nature’ and, in a change from the norm, the English Department suggested a range of extracts and poems for the entrants to choose from.

Xanthe Matthews was crowned this year’s Junior Winner and read her prose extract from Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and poem (Rachel Plummer’s Being True to Yourself) with confidence and elan. Equally, our three senior finalists – Ricardo Cruz Pinto, Marvellous Daniel-Umoh and Jane Mak - delivered polished performances of all their extracts, leaving staff with an unenviable decision concerning this year’s Senior Winner. Ultimately, Jane Mak won the most staff votes for her quietly powerful reading of Ted Hughes’ The Thought Fox and also from The Remains of the Day. It was especially interesting to see how different pupils interpreted and read the same words (as was the case of the prose reading for both winners).

An enormous well done to all those involved, there is no doubt they have all gained something immensely valuable from this experience.

R Unterhalter

Sustainability

The Senior and Prep Eco-Committees have been very active this year promoting the sustainability message across the School. This focus of the Bromsgrove’s development strategy was to increase awareness of environmental sustainability and to develop short and long-term plans to reduce our carbon footprint. The EcoCommittee have worked hard to support this aim.

The Michaelmas Term commenced with our annual Sustainability Week. Holroyd Howe, our catering partners, supported the week with a range of initiatives, including the roll out of the Nutritics tool in the dining hall. Pupils can now select their meal based on the impact it has had on the environment. This is a groundbreaking development in monitoring carbon emissions and empowering students to make informed decisions. The committee ran a pop-up shop stocked with high quality recycled clothes and also worked in collaboration with the School’s exchange shop to promote this excellent source of School uniforms. Our sales of School Scarves was definitely helped by the wintry weather that week.

We welcomed Mr Tchakotine to Bromsgrove to talk about the environmental principles of Danone and how this major corporation promotes and supports the environment, and we finished the week with a delicious Vegan bake sale. The proceeds allowed us to support the Twinning Toilets charity, which provides toilets to deprived communities around the world. If you visit the School café, you will see pictures of the locations of these facilities that we have supported.

Throughout the year the committee have met every Friday morning and have supported schemes to promote recycling in School and also taken part in practical activities such as tree planting, planting sunflowers and re-establishing Crocus walk with a new supply of bulbs. We are also working on a sustainability walk around our amazing grounds and we are particularly looking forward to working with the Grounds staff and Worcestershire Wildlife trust on this project.

We enjoyed the presentation given by Mrs Brookes, the Bursar, who showed us some of the innovative ways that the School is addressing the commitment that it has made to Net Zero. We would love to hear from OBs who have an interest in Sustainability and might be willing to talk to our students, many of whom are keen to work in this sector.

We are really looking forward to this coming year - the PA have purchased an Apple Press and we are planning on starting production of our own zero food miles apple juice at the start of term.

J Holden

Time Capsule

A special time capsule, created for the Platinum Jubilee year, was buried in the School grounds by Mr Punt, Mr Marie and the Heads of School at the start of the Michaelmas Term. The capsule contains copies of pupils’ work and photographs, as well as information pertaining to Her Late Majesty The Queen’s death.

Two Zero One Magazine

A School magazine is not a necessity; a magazine can easily stagnate or become a closed medium for the fluffing up of a personal statement. These statements are not the product of cynicism but come from a genuine appreciation – and thank you - for the dedication and hard work that the Editors (Nitya Pun and Henri Klein) and the team have put in this year. They took a step back, made it their own, and have produced an issue, focused on memory and the past, of genuine interest and entertainment while not neglecting the brass tacks of School life.

There was something for every Bromsgrovian: a discussion on reminiscing penned by Thando Best and Chloe Reijmer, to a penetrating article by Neel Agrawal on the issues of judging the past by today’s standards, to a report on this year’s School plays. Unfortunately, my time with 201 ends this year, but I leave knowing it is in a healthy state and will continue as a key fixture of School life, and a place where any and every student can make themselves heard.

J Huckle

UKMT Maths Challenge

Well done to the eighty-nine pupils who completed the UKMT Senior Mathematics Challenge. In total, thirty-three Bronze, twenty-three Silver and nineteen Gold Awards were achieved.

The pupils who achieved Gold were:

Alexis Chiliment

Jethro Chan

Hailey Li

Aidan Swadling

Shawn Wong

Aaron Chan

Yanbo Dong

Arila Fu

Alex Li

Arina Makarina

Bia Wang

Joseph Hong

Yutong Hu

John Kim

Oleksii Li

Sally Sun

Larry To

Ethan Wong

Young Archivists’ Club

Young Archivists have brought their usual diligence and enthusiasm to the club this year as well as some excellent organisational and curatorial skills.

Students have worked on general archive maintenance of de-framing and repackaging photographs, re-organising shelving, and listing and labelling material. They have also interviewed an Old Bromsgrovan via Zoom for the oral history archive, devising their own questions based on their interest in his experiences at Bromsgrove School during the 1950s, a radically different experience than that of students now.

Two students also enjoyed ‘saving’ the beer mats from the WG basement which had been a student bar in the 1980s. The basement was recently refurbished and we accessioned the beer mats to the archive with a view to putting together a display of the collected beer mats to remind Old Bromsgrovians of the time when there was a Sixth Form bar and prompt recollections for the archive.

The five students we have had this year, from different year groups and Houses have curated three exhibitions of archival material. These have been displayed in the Headmaster’s Dining Room, in Routh Hall for the Coronation Concert and in the Heritage Centre for Commemoration Day. Exhibition themes, selected by the students, have been on a history of uniform, ‘Dress to Impress’, Coronation memories at Bromsgrove School and ‘Views Old and New’, for which one student took his own photographs of historical scenes of Bromsgrove School campus seen in the archive collection. All the exhibitions have required a lot of research to put them together, to caption them accurately and display them creatively.

N Thorpe

Young Enterprise

This year’s Young Enterprise team, Monito, has achieved remarkable success, making them the most accomplished team in the School’s history. They were crowned UK Company of the Year at the 2023 Company of the Year Final and they had the privilege of representing the UK at the impressive European Finals held in Istanbul in July. It was in Istanbul that one of the team’s Managing Directors, Owais Iqbal, received the JA Alumni Europe Leadership Award.

Leading up to this outstanding accomplishment, the students had collected several awards, including the Creativity Award at the Herefordshire & Worcestershire County Final, as well as the Best Company titles at both the County and West Midlands Area competitions. These awards are a testament to their exceptional abilities and dedication.

What the team has achieved and learned throughout the year is truly remarkable. Their primary objective was to make a positive impact on others during the UK cost-of-living crisis, prioritising the importance of financial education for young people over making a profit.

Their products, a ‘saving koala’ designed to reward 5–10-year-olds with tokens to save towards their wants, a ‘learn to save activity booklet’ and an accompanying storybook to facilitate conversations about saving money between parents and children, experienced tremendous success. They sold a substantial number of products at local trade fairs and to students and staff on the School campus. In addition to their innovative product, Monito also hosted the MoneySmart podcast series which aims to teach teenagers about more complex financial concepts through the use of guest discussions. This thoughtful approach demonstrated their commitment to promoting financial literacy among young people.

On returning from Istanbul, Owais Iqbal wrote “This year has been transformative for all of us, as we have developed invaluable skills in problem-solving, public speaking, teamwork, and communication – even overcoming our initial doubts. Moreover, this programme has unearthed hidden talents within us.”

Throughout the year, the students encountered numerous challenges related to communication and teamwork. However, the team persevered through these difficulties, ultimately forming a highly organised, efficient, creative and dedicated team. Each student should be immensely proud of their individual accomplishments and the invaluable transferable skills they have acquired on this transformative journey.

Well done to Katie Chan, Teagan Chan, Ilia Duda, Owais Iqbal, Lennart Kemper, Annika Koch, Clara Lau, Sophia Mills, Ming Satithamajit and Charles Wasley.

Following their success this year and based on the vital need for financial education in society, five members of Monito have now registered the company and intend the grow the business beyond the Young Enterprise Programme. We wish them luck with their venture.

J Holdsworth, O Matthews and A Webb

Housman Verse Prize

‘This year we aligned the theme of our Housman Verse Prize with that of National Poetry Day: ‘Nature’.

What shone through in all the entries was a sense of passionate connection with the subject matter. Some gave powerful voices to environmental concerns; others resonated more meditatively with their surroundings, and the winner combined both with echoes of an older tradition envisioning the natural world as a more mysterious and magical dimension.

My thanks to this year’s brilliant cover artist of the Bromsgrove Anthology, Alicia Wong (Lower Sixth) and congratulations to the winner of the Housman Verse Prize, Imogen Thomas (Upper Sixth).

P Dinnen

Darkness At The Heart Of Our Love

So earth once again compliments her beauty,

And its sun’s answering blush cascades the skies into a parting rosy glow

Before the night arms can clasp earth in his cold embrace,

Sending the soft songbirds of the day speed for their nests,

And manic mammals moving for shrubbery and hidey-holes.

An unspoken sign of the pitiless predators of the nights yet to come.

Not all recognise, though, and continue to run and fly free, Unaware.

Shrieks and yelping echo through the fields and mountains and forests, The barn owl stretching out its wings to hunt once more on the ignorant few,

Eyes gleaming at the prospect of the bountiful meal it will track down and chase.

The fox leads her cubs from her den, Stalking.

Unseelie fae scheme to trap foolish humans in their circles and traps under the Moon’s eyes, Redcaps succeeding in their murderous revelry, taking their prizes.

Little moths flutter through the cool air, seeking out the trees’ rotted fruits, Are seized viciously by the swooping and swerving bats.

Alert rabbits poking their heads

In Out

Cannot outrun the sharp talons and beaks seeking them out.

The treetops loom and bend over night time strollers,

Rubbing their withered and clawed hands together in the wind,

Their otherworldly equipment eternalising all it sees,

Sharing it to the others of their kind to view in their own bizarre shelters.

The ones destroying the open spaces and forests, tearing, destroying, endlessly taking,

Not all follow this path, crying out for the little ones they extinguish, the melting caps, and more.

But not enough.

Turning Death’s merciless gaze onto all they touch whilst seeking progression, He and Father Time cannot stop the destruction they wreak and speed along. Not when they love seeking more and more, using more and more they have taken to do so.

Only magnifying

The darkness at the heart of their love.

Imogen Thomas Upper Sixth

Scan the QR code to download a copy of the Creative Writing Anthology 2023.

Prep Trips

Year 6 Trip to France

A cool, overcast morning greeted the departure of the 2023 Year 6 French Trip to Etaples, N. France. With spirits high. All was very much to plan until it wasn’t! Upon reaching Dover, a problem with the bus cost us our place in the queue and meant for a lengthy delay added to our sailing time. We eventually made it to our centre after midnight (heure locale). Throughout our extended ‘parking’, our pupils were nothing but brilliant.

Two drizzly days that followed did little to dampen the spirits. This year’s sights and activities included a land art workshop, biscuit making shop, football, fun on the beach, bowling, a market trip in Le Touquet, some French goûter, a trip to Nausicaá (complete with sealion show) and a supermarket.

Even though small delays also confronted us on the return leg, the trip was a resounding success, due in equal measure to the care and diligence shown by the staff involved and the overall positive nature of the pupils. They were a pleasure to be abroad with. My sincere thanks go to the five accompanying staff members: Mr Sutherland, Mrs Finnegan, Mrs Boardman, Mrs Hathaway and Mrs Townsend who made taking the trip such a pleasure.

C Kippax

Geography Field Trips

Every pupil in Year 8 has enjoyed a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon this year to undertake Geography fieldwork. Their main topic of study has been tourism and the visit allowed pupils to collect some primary data to investigate various impacts of tourism in the town. Pupils gained experience of five different fieldwork methods including emotion mapping, pedestrian counts, land use surveys and environmental quality assessments. The pupils worked extremely hard during the visits and numerous members of the public came to speak to the teachers to say just how polite, well-behaved and generally lovely Bromsgrove pupils were.

In the final week of the Summer Term, Year 7 geographers enjoyed a trip to a local field centre to undertake a range of different activities. The day was designed to give a taster of fieldwork techniques and learning experiences outside of the classroom, with activities such as woodland ecology surveys, infiltration rate studies, pond dipping and sampling techniques. It was great to be outside in the sunshine enjoying some Geography outdoors and building skills for their transition to Senior School.

S James

Senior Trips

French Trip

Twenty-three Upper Fourth pupils and two members of staff set off for the longestablished Easter trip to Normandy. Pupils met a number of different animateurs and animatrices (activity leaders), all of whom consistently spoke French and encouraged pupils to do the same.

The first day began bright and early with a session of fencing at the Château de la Baudonnière, where some of our novice pupils gave the two veterans, George and Jasper, a run for their money.

Other activities included a visit to the 360° cinema, located on the clifftops of Arromanches, to watch a short film exploring the 100 days of the Battle of Normandy. Pupils were then able to learn even more about these events and see artefacts from the period when we visited the American Cemetery and Memorial centre which overlooks Omaha Beach.

Thanks to the audio guides at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, pupils were able to interpret the events of each of its fiftyeight scenes and the exhibition room gave pupils a wealth of cross-curricular information about the Normans. The history theme continued in our visit to the Bayeux War Cemetery. With almost 5000 headstones stretching out over its grounds, it provided a poignant reminder to pupils of the scale of the losses endured. That evening, we welcomed two representatives of a local environmental group who came to talk to pupils in French about the work they have done to preserve the flora and fauna on the eastern Norman coast.

In the market town of Villedieu-les-Poêles, pupils used their language skills to complete a quiz about the various stalls and products on offer at the market. In the afternoon, the group visited the La Saffrie goat farm in Montchamps, where they had the opportunity to interact with some young kids and to get up close and personal with “Soquettes”.

At Lycée Emile-Littré in Avranches, pupils were divided into groups and spent time with some French counterparts, either in lessons or with a tour of their school. They had a session of “speed-dating” where they were encouraged to discuss various aspects of their lives using French and English.

The last morning was spent in Avranches, where pupils were able to interview an employee of the Tourist Office about her work and hear about some of the attractions in the region.

As ever, the Grand-Ferme provided an excellent programme of activities which enabled our pupils to immerse themselves in the language, culture and history of France and, in particular, the Normandy region. Pupils also appreciated the excellent recreational facilities at the centre, which they could access during their down time. In their attitude and behaviour, they were excellent ambassadors for the School and they came back to Bromsgrove feeling more confident linguists than when they left.

G Tyrrell

German Trip

Just before the Easter holidays, a group of Upper Fourth and Lower Sixth pupils set off on a Modern Languages trip to Potsdam and Berlin. This was the first trip back to Germany since the pandemic.

The first full day was spent in Potsdam, the state capital of Brandenburg, made famous by Frederick the Great of Prussia. The group visited his Sans Souci palace in the morning and the more modern Cecilienhof in the afternoon, the location of the 1945 Potsdam Conference and where the fate of post-war Germany was decided. They were also able to visit our partner school, Gymnasium Hermannswerder, and have lunch with its pupils, as well as a “friendly” football match. The Lower Sixth were pleased to see their partners who had visited Bromsgrove back in September. The evening was spent bowling with their German counterparts, which was less competitive than the football.

The first day in Berlin started with a tour of The Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building. They were able to ascend the glass dome built by British architect Lord Norman Foster, and they witnessed stunning views over Berlin. Later, they visited Stasi prison Hohenschonhausen and had an excellent guided tour. The pupils also just missed King Charles III who was staying in the Hotel Adlon nearby.

The group learned more about former East Germany at the museum in the Kulturbrauerei, which deals with everyday life in East Germany. The pupils got to sit in a recreation of an East German factory, restaurant, and supermarket to get a real understanding of what life must have been like. They also had the opportunity to see a genuine remaining section of the Berlin wall along with death strip and watch towers, as well as the world-famous Checkpoint Charlie. The new permanent exhibition at The Jewish Museum provoked conversation as it took them through two thousand years of GermanJewish history in Daniel Libeskind’s unforgettable building.

As a final treat, the group went to a planetarium where they had a 3D explanation of different planets. Fortunately, everyone had headsets with the English translation! The trip was a fantastic experience and the pupils enjoyed all the interesting things that the city had to offer, including meeting some German pupils of a similar age.

M Beet

Geography Trip

When we departed shortly after midnight on Tuesday, 4th July from the School, little did we know just how spectacular Sicily’s volcanoes would be during our visit. Our first long travel day centred around the astoundingly beautiful cliff top town of Taormina where students and staff feasted on pizza, pasta and some of the best ice cream they’ve ever had. After some shopping and a quick visit to the stunning Roman Amphitheatre perched at the top of the cliff with views all the way over to the Italian mainland, we headed back to the King’s Hotel. With a glorious view of Etna from the poolside dining area, we enjoyed the warm hospitality of the hotel owners.

On the second day, we scaled our first volcano. Etna had erupted earlier in the year, and with fresh tephra covering the winter snows, an eerie landscape awaited us at the summit. Having taken a coach, cable car, 4X4 truck and our own feet to get there, the views up to the crater and down onto the plains were stunning. Following a visit to a local honey producer where many wild and wonderful gifts were purchased, we returned to the hotel in preparation for the long ferry journey to Stromboli the following morning.

The weather was warm and dry on the third day, making the trip northwards through the Aeolian islands a relaxing and enjoyable experience. On arrival, we spent time relaxing before beginning our ascent of Stromboli at dusk. Disappointed only to be reaching a viewing platform some 400m below the erupting craters, we soon forgot this as Stromboli repeatedly erupted spectacularly, highlighted against the night sky. The following day was hot and many struggled climbing the nearby volcano on the island of Vulcano. The volcano had been closed for some time due to dangerous emissions. Skirting the Solfatara and their noxious gasses, we were rewarded with a stunning view of the enormous crater and of the surrounding islands. Cooling off with ice creams, water and a swim in the sea for some, we then returned to the main island for our final night in the Hotel San Pietro.

A nighttime quiz on the beach tested many students’ ability to remember just who had had the most pizza on the island of Stromboli, amongst other crucial facts. The entire group visited Etnaland on the planned final day. An overcast sky and mercifully mild conditions made the waterpark a great experience for all. Leaving as late as possible to cram in those last slides and rides, we arrived at the airport to find our flight delayed by four hours. The time passed quickly with copious amounts of good will, food, drink and a whole host of games. Returning to School the following morning meant parents could get a full night’s sleep, leaving the tour party fatigued but content, happy and with cameras full of the memories that will last a lifetime.

J Snelling

Hockey Tour

In the Michaelmas Term, a group of pupils took part in the hockey tour to Barcelona. The students spent their first day training at the local Hockey Club in Castelldefels before taking a trip to the Hard Rock Café in the Place de Catalunya. The second day saw another light training session and an afternoon tour of the Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona. This was one of the final times you could go to the stadium before the rebuild begins.

Our first matches of the tour followed with the girls drawing 2-2 with the local Castelldefels team and the boys winning 3-1 against Iluro HC. The following day, the group had time to visit the Port Adventure Theme Park, which boasts the tallest roller coaster in Europe. After a day of rides, pupils headed in to the Catalan mountains to Terrassa. The second matches of tour followed with a 0-0 draw for the girls against CD Terrasa and an exciting 5-5 draw for the boys against Athletic Terrasa. The atmosphere was great as the girls were able to watch the game and support the boys.

The final day saw the pupils spend the morning at the beach with a game of volleyball. In the afternoon, the group headed to the Gothic Quarter to experience the history of Barcelona dating back to the Roman period.

After a short visit to La Ramblas and a trip to Montjuic, the teams headed to their final games. A hard fought 1-0 win for the boys against a strong Egara and the girls beating Athletic Terrasa rounded off a great unbeaten tour for all. The final evening saw a celebration pizza night and awards ceremony back at the hotel.

A Gooderham

Rugby Tour to South Africa

On Saturday, 8th July, Mr Windo, Mr Holdsworth, Mr Bell and Dr Short, along with thirty-nine boys, assembled for their departure on a two-week rugby tour to South Africa.

After arriving in the country, the first training session took place, followed by an excursion to Voortrekker Monument, which symbolises and honours the Cape Colon settlers.

After their cultural experience, the boys prepared themselves for their first game against the Harlequins. The Bromsgrove side got the tour off to an outstanding start with convincing wins for both the A and B teams. The squad then enjoyed a two-day safari at the Ivory Tree Game Lodge where they were able to spot most of the Big Five. Following an enjoyable two days, the boys soon had their second game of the tour. The team travelled to Belville School to participate in a rugby festival where the B team took on the hosts and the A team were against a strong Strand School. The B team narrowly lost but the A team continued their early tour performance with a second victory.

The following day, the boy enjoyed the panoramic views from the top of Table Mountain before preparations started for their penultimate game. The A team played some of their best rugby of the tour to overcome a strong DF Malan High School squad.

The following day, the group took a ferry ride to visit Robben Island. There were more cultural highlights for the boys with a trip to the Langa township were they interacted with local children and played a game of football.

Their final game of the tour was against the world-renowned Paarl Boys’ High School. Both the A and B teams performed very well but, unfortunately, were not strong enough to secure victories. Mr Windo would like to thank all the boys for their outstanding conduct throughout the tour and to Mr Holdsworth, Mr Bell and Dr Short for their help.

T Windo

Performing Arts Overview

As we look back on another vintage year for Music and Drama at Bromsgrove, it’s certainly time to celebrate the huge impact that so many pupils have made to the creative life of the School over the past two, five, ten or more years.

A small band of hugely dedicated and talented Upper Sixth Music Scholars, alongside the first ever Bromsgrove Drama Scholars, originally appointed in 2018, bid us adieu this summer, it is with a great feeling of genuine pride and warmth that we look back on a most extraordinary legacy of memorable performances both in Routh Concert Hall, our Chapel and the Cobham Theatre.

The various House Music and Drama competitions throughout the Lent Term were of a terrifically high standard and showcased not only the very best of our Performing Arts students as instrumental or vocal soloists; as great comic or tragic actors and directors, but also revealed the very great number of students that have taken a huge part in all branches of the performing arts at some point this year. Over a third of all students in the Senior school – nearly 400 pupils – have been seen on stage or on the concert platform since September, many taking to the stage for the first time, but all have achieved impressively high standards in plays, ensembles, choirs and orchestras.

There is no doubt that the excellent talents and experience of our best students has provided a benchmark for all those that have followed and worked alongside them. We shall indeed miss certain individuals as they move from Bromsgrove to the next stage of their education, but the talent here is constantly growing and being nurtured, so we can rest assured that the cultural life of the School will not grind to a halt, and our younger performers will very swiftly step into the vacant positions left by those moving on.

After the scholar’s performance, split between Cobham Theatre and Routh Hall, the Michaelmas Term was dominated by the House Unison Song competition, the concert on St Cecilia’s Day, the various celebrations of Woodwind, Brass, Piano and Percussion, as well as, for the first time this term (as well as in the Lent term), a Pop and Jazz evening. Drama culminated in The Hampstead Murder Mystery, this year’s Senior Play, performed in December by almost fifty students.

The Summer Term is traditionally a time for the younger members of the School, and after the success of the Year 7 and 8 Musical, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in February, the Year 6 performers produced two plays based on stories by Roald Dahl. In another first, Winterfold School came to perform Matilda just after the Summer Half Term, and Year 2 presented Cinderella in the penultimate week of term. If there were any doubts about the strength of the talent growing from the very earliest years of the School, the Fourth Form concert and the play Witch Hunt revealed a most mature and talented group of individuals, confirming that the Performing Arts will continue to thrive.

T Norton

Prep Drama

It has been a wonderfully full and fantastic year in the Prep School Drama department. Mr Licqurish continued to work in the department, teaching three classes of Year 8 Drama alongside his regular English timetable.

The year began with auditions for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, the first musical production in the Prep School for several years. It was a pleasure to work with Mr Martin as musical director and Mrs Corrie as vocal coach. This was open to Years 7 and 8 and there was a comprehensive audition process to enable us to get the right cast.

We had such a strong turnout for Joseph that we were able to give everyone the opportunity to sing solo lines within the show, and it was a genuine pleasure to see so many young people on the stage giving it their all. They had their work cut out as we performed for three evenings, and the auditorium was full for each performance. I am exceptionally proud of the cast and the final show was one of great quality.

The second half of the Lent Term saw auditions begin for the Year 6 Production. Never one to shy from a challenge, I decided to do two short productions this year, Fantastic Mr Fox directed by myself and The Witches directed by Mr Licqurish. This enabled us to include more pupils, and the extra work paid off as the Year 6 cast members pulled out all the stops to make the production a success.

J Amphlett

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Cast

Joseph Olivia Grove

Narrators Lola Broadhurst

Abi Round

Grace Laurenson

Riah Bailey

Lydia Greaves

Chloe Wilkinson

Jacob Henry Shirley

Reuben Ethan Masterson

Simeon Ethan Ford

Levi Rhys Palmer

Napthali Archie Wilson

Isaachar Roni Bansal

Asher JA Schirwing

Dan Noah Quinn

Zebulon Samuel Reynolds-Dennis

Gad Jack Liu

Benjamin Zak Sami

Judah Samuel Critchley

Potiphar Theo Lewis

Mrs Potiphar Sophie Glover

Butler Arthur Thompson

Baker Frazer McDougall

Pharaoh Siena Ward

Ensemble and Narrators

Merryn Bird, Isobel Boardman, Emmie Bond, Martha Blower, Hattie Jones, Freya Kettle, Elly Hall, Leah Marie, Anya Wu

Dancers

Amelie Glaze, Sneha Khan, Adrienne McCormack, Natalie McNeil, Ava Riding

Band

Violin Marcus Ho

Flute Isabel Gibson

Winston Tung

Clarinet Jarry Xing

Saxophone Ed Thompson

Trumpet Katie Harding

Cello

Electric Guitar

Amina Muldasheva

Mr Ali Gittens

Xanthe Matthews

Bass Guitar Spike Bloxham

Drums

Director

Linnea Dudfield

Mr James Amphlett

Assisted by Mr John Licqurish

Musical Director

Vocal Coach

Head of Wardrobe

Set Design

Mr Tom Martin

Mrs Michelle Corrie

Mrs Clare Whitfield

Mr Jamie Poxon and Sound

Lighting Design

Mr Tom Jude

Assisted by Tori Baker, Rumer Evans, Ella Kenyon

Fantastic Mr Fox

Cast

Mr Fox Samuel Collins

Mrs Fox Isabelle McAloon

Freya Zoe Foster

Frances Florence Martin

Freddie Freddie St George-Russell

Frank Leon Jewkes Aguirre

Farmer Boggis Zachary Noakes

Farmer Bunce Dylan Fry

Farmer Bean David Odinstov

Mrs Bean Avani Bhandal

Mabel Kristy Liu

Mr Badger Dexter Ward

Bertie Rowan Laurenson

Rat Nandi Panwar

Beaver Sam Ivison

Rabbit Harriet Barnes

Mouse Martha Fletcher

Mole Penelope Higgins

Weasel Eloise Warman

Ferret Amelia Hughes

Squirrel Lissy Gandesha

Directed by Mr James Amphlett

The Witches

Cast Boy Edward Sollars

Grandma Anna Hooton

Bruno Suleman Butt

Bruno’s Father Joshua Bhardwaj

Bruno’s Mother Prashamsa Gurung

Hotel Manager Freya Obrey

Hotel Porter Panashe Madzingo

Chef Roshan Kotekar

Grand High Witch Bella McCarthy

Witches Chloe Greathurst, Eden Hall

Tabitha Singleton

Gigi Gilbert, Harleen Bahra

Sophie Tang

Kusong Limbu

Lily MacCormick

Heily Boginisoko

Directed by Mr John Licqurish

Lighting Mr Tom Jude and Sound

Head of Wardrobe

Mr Jamie Poxon

Mrs Claire Whitfield

Senior Drama

It has been a very busy and productive year for Drama at Bromsgrove School with more productions and more students creating theatre within the department than ever before.

In the second week of September, our Drama programme began with Upper Sixth Drama students presenting Volpona, a gender reversed adaptation of Ben Jonson’s great Jacobean comedy Volpone With Paris Siviter in the title role, and her knowing sidekick Mosca performed by Olivia Whitfield dressed as a modern-day carer to her dissembling elderly mistress, this was a most provocative production which delighted and challenged audiences in equal measure.

Just two weeks later, sixteen Drama Scholars from the Fifth and Sixth Forms presented an hour of diverse, delicately crafted scenes in our Performing Arts Scholars’ Concert. From the charming romance of Isla Chattin and Joseph Boardman in The Shadow of A Gunman, through Olivia Whitfield’s hilarious cockney parlour maid, Lucy, in Richard Bean’s Jack Absolute Flies Again, concluding with the pitch perfect decadence of Fred Hanson and Jake Wingfield in Another Country, audiences were presented with a series of outstanding scenes. Jack Atkinson gave a most convincing portrayal of the broken schoolmaster in Rattigan’s The Browning Version, and there were sensitive, heartbreaking performances from Poppy-Grace Schütt and Phoebe Dinnen as the young mother and daughter in Kindertransport

In December, forty-eight students brought the Michaelmas Term’s theatrical endeavours to a sparkling conclusion with their witty, fast moving and wonderfully slick thriller The Hampstead Murder Mystery. Packed houses over all four nights witnessed some magical ensemble moments, and over fifty stunning changes of scene, from the opening images of a 1920s cinema audience gripped with terror, to the attempted escape of a petty thief from a third storey window while being chased by the entire Metropolitan Police force. Every imaginative and often hilarious moment was meticulously rehearsed by this well-disciplined cast who gave a most professional and polished performance. There were a great series of winning double-acts in the piece, from Amelia Rowe’s duplicitous and devastatingly glamorous Mrs Holymead with Olivia McKelvey as her outrageously volatile french confidante, to the wonderfully comic duo of Olivia Garrett and Olivia Whitfield as a series of star struck, gossiping cinema goers who commented frequently on the action. Harrison Brown was a devastatingly cool private detective, while Fred Hanson, the younger police detective, hung puppy-like on his every word. Theo Gilbert-Birch took the lead as the bumbling police inspector desperately trying to keep up with the many twists and turns in the ridiculous plot.

Less than a month into the Lent Term saw the Fourth Form House Drama competition: almost 100 students from the Lower and Upper Fourth appeared in eleven separate plays. The standard was extraordinarily high and the diverse range of plays on show ranged from Annie to The Fall of the House of Usher. Mary Windsor took the runner up prize, but WendronGordon won best play for their chilling production of Dr Jekll and Mr Hyde, while their leading performer, Shusank Nembang, also collected a special award. Runner up best actor was Charlie Collyer, and Jack Hobson took the best actor prize.

A Level monologues and GCSE performances took place after the Lent Half Term, and just days later followed a truly memorable series of House Drama plays from Fifth and Sixth Form students. Ninety-five actors took part - many of whom had never before been on stage - but all gave equally worthy and often outstanding performances. Special mention must go to the twelve novice performers in Housman Hall’s piece The Street of Crocodiles which concluded the competition, with a series of mesmerising vignettes and tableaux about regret and the recollection of things past. Best actor honours went to Jake Wingfield for the second time and Olivia Whitfield was a very worthy runner-up in her role as the outspoken blousy Rita in Sue Townsend’s Womberang

Paris Siviter received a special award for writing her own play for Mary Windsor; School House were runners up, but Lyttelton House won this year’s best play with a gripping version of The Birthday Party

The beginning of the Summer Term brought yet another transformation to Cobham Theatre. Working around the needs of the Prep and Pre-Prep plays as well as Winterfold’s annual production, the Fourth Form presented their intense drama Witch Hunt over two nights. With the audience arranged on three sides, the drama, set cleverly in both the 17th and 20th centuries, examined the themes of mass hysteria and oppression in Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible through the twisted lens of 1950’s McCarthyism and the Salem Witch trials. Tom Arundale, Ewan Head, Shusank Nembang and Ruby Foster stood out amongst a large, committed cast who convincingly tackled a range of mature roles and themes in this challenging and thought-provoking piece.

Using different performance styles, it was applauded by all that saw it for the commitment and maturity of the performances of the cast. Ms Bradford, Director of the piece, was overjoyed with the production and the praise for the students is well deserved. Indeed, some of the feedback from audience members highlights this sentiment:

‘I just wanted to say how fabulous I thought the performance was last night. The quality of the acting and direction was outstanding.’

‘You must be thrilled with the talent you have to work with and extremely proud of your team.’

‘[the] performances were truly impressive: such maturity, confidence and stage presence. Please accept my congratulations on such an outstanding production on behalf of the whole cast and support crew.’

T Norton with written contribution from J Bradford for the Fourth Form Play

The Hampstead Murder Mystery

Cast

Detective Inspector Chippenfield

Constable Flack, Mr Lethridge

Detective Sergeant Rolfe

Theo Gilbert-Birch

Josh Coyne

Fred Hanson

Newspaper Boy, Mr Bodyman, Jack Hobson

Petey Lemon

Newspaper Boy, Charlie Wag

Felicity Gosforth, Ruby Boracks

Cedric Gosforth

Veronica Cox, Dilys Palmer, Barrister

Winnifred Booth, Daisy Parker

Harry Dodson

Thomas Arundale

Izzy Rusling

Callum Wilkinson

Olivia McKelvey

Fiona Singh

Heston Matthews

Bert Harding, Omnibus Driver, Stork, Charlie Cooper

Cabbie, Policeman, Burglar

Muriel Wittering

Charlie Hodgson

Gladys Priestley, Barrister, Olivia Garrett

Gertie Winthrop

Lily Baker, Pauline

May Gibbons, Clara Hinch

James Hill

Mrs Holymead

Ruby Foster

Isla Chattin

Jake Wingfield

Amelia Rowe

Gerald Buckingham, Thando Best

Mr. Lethbridge QC, Hotel Guest

Elvira Manners, Old Judge, Paris Siviter

Morag McGooliecuddle

Gabrielle Chiron

Housekeeper

Reginald, Hawkins

Miss Mabel Fewbank

Montague Crewe

Joe Leaver

Mr. Hubert Holymead QC

Kemp

Fred Birchill

Mrs Evaans, Jane, Hotel Guest

Billy Smith

Daisy Pugh

Hanna Halfpenny, Newsvendor

Nosey George, Urchin, Burglar

Sally Carson

Charissa BrobbeySarpong

Emily Johnstone

Ethan Tong,

Anya Sanikop

Harrison Brown

Hugo Blackwell

Jack Atkinson

Joe Boardman

Boris Belov

Olivia Whitfield

Hamza Suleman

Emily Collett

Irouma Onwuka-Iwuch

Zeeman Woo

Phoebe Dinnen

Polly Smith

Mrs Hill, Hotel Guest

Daphne Hill

Doris Fanning

Sir Horace Fewbanks

Annabel Lucking

Jessica Whitlock

Matilda Richardson

Poppy-Grace Schütt

Harry Bradley

Mona Gold Drop, Hotel Guest Dannielle Moore

Hannah Starch, Mavis Owl

Serisha Sunner

A Drunken Parson, Hamish Schulze

Sir Henry Hodson KC

Mr Walters

Manager at Verney’s Hotel

Stage Manager

DSM

ASM

Lighting Operation

Sound Operation

Choreography of the Charleston

Additional Direction

Costume Design and Construction

(Head of Wardrobe)

Marcus Au Yeung

Gabriel Brown

Charlotte James

Rukhsang Tamang

Bernice Tse

Joseph Hong and Jared Spurgeon

Harvey Phillips

Mrs Verity Blair

Mr Tom Barfield

Mrs Clare Whitfield

Set Construction and Painting, Mr Tom Jude and LX Rigging and Sound Plotting

Production Design, Adaptation

and Direction

Mr Jamie Poxon

Mr Tim Norton

Witch Hunt

Cast

Reverend Parris Ewan Head

Betty Parris Rumer Evans

Tituba

Abigail Williams

Susanna Walcott

Ann Putnam

Thomas Putnam

Mercy Lewis

Mary Warren

John Proctor

Rebecca Nurse

Ibukun Okeowo

Elina Quito

Rosa Doyle

Ella Kenyon

Noah Bradford-Gibbs

Maria Christodoulou

Phoebe Dinnen

Tom Arundale

Annabel Lucking

Giles Corey Bertie Chandler

Reverend John Hale

Elizabeth Proctor

Francis Nurse

Ezekiel Cheever

Marshal Herrick

Judge Hathorne

Judge Sewell

Martha Corey

Jack Hobson

Ruby Foster

Raymond Betiku

Thomas Shaw

Emily Wiggins

Xanthe Matthews

Tanvir Biran

Evie Hastings

Deputy-Governor Danforth Shushank Nembang

Ruth Putnam

Sarah Good

Goody Osborne

Salem Girls

Villager/Dr Griggs

Villager/Juror

Kiara Stoycheva

Imogen Marsh

Amelia Lees

Phoebe Cottrell

Abigail Lamb

Ilerioluwa Odugbesan

Hannah Sutherland

Edie Page

Marcus Ho

Raymond Betiku

Lucy Porter

Sammi Riley

Esinam Adom

Aaryan Kang

Stage Crew

Light Operation

Sound Operation

Deputy Stage Manager

Set Construction, Painting,

Kate Ignatiuk

Uliana Pavlova

Isabel McDougal

Sophia Tong

Audrey Wu

Mr Tom Jude and Sound and Light Design

Costumes

Direction

Assisted by

Mr Jamie Poxon

Mrs Clare Whitfield

Ms Jill Bradford

Mr Paul Dinnen

Senior House Drama

Walters: Leaving Tommy by Mark Seaman

Directed by Harrison Brown

Morgan Black Corporal

Harry Bradley Captain Short

Harrison Brown Private D. Reece

Mary Windsor: Everyman

Directed by Charlie Hodgson and Arianna Okemuo

Lea Fellmann Friendship and Doctor

Charlie Hodgson Good Deeds

Anastasia Luca Knowledge

Arianna Okemuo Messenger

Iruoma Onwuka- God

Iwuchukwu

Abi Palmer Beauty and Angel

Moyo Sheidu Everyman

Anna Mariia Slesareva Death and Kin

Lupton: The History Boys by Alan Bennett

Directed by Gabriel Brown

Gabriel Brown Posner

Finbar Dinnen Irwin

Finlay Harvey-Gilson Timms

Henry Hoare Rudge

Maximilian Jehan Dakin

Archie Stone Scripps

Markuss Townsend-Ford Aktar

Herbert Warner Lockwood

Oakley: An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley

Directed by Selai Boginsoko

Lidia Belcuore Eric

Hanna Dambon Mr Birling

Sasha Kichaikina Sheila

Varvara Maslennikova Mrs Birling

Sofia Mills Inspector

Vidushii Saha Gerald

Thomas Cookes: Our Friend Jack

Written and Directed by Paris Siviter with Anya Sanikop and Jessica Whitlock

Isla Chattin Florence

Amelia Rowe Julia

Anya Sanikop Beatrice

Paris Siviter Elizabeth

Serisha Sunner Clara

Jessica Whitlock Mrs King

Lyttelton: The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter

Directed By Theo Gilbert-Birch

Fred Hanson Stanley

Theo Gilbert-Birch Goldberg

Ed Kirton McCann

Elmshurst: The Long And The Short And The Tall by Willis Hall

Directed by Aaron Chan

Jack Atkinson Mitchem

Radu-Andrei Bogdan Evans

Aaron Chan Bamforth

Mark Florov Johnstone

Artashes Khachatryan Prisoner

Joseph McLoughlin Smith

Amir Tukur Whittaker

Hanli Yang Macleish

Hazeldene: Orlando by Mike Bartlett (After Virginia Woolf)

Directed by Olivia Garrett

Gabby Breithaupt Virginia

Eleanor Dunn Virginia

Lydia Flynn Virginia

Olivia Garrett

Izzy Rusling

Queen Elizabeth I

Mrs G

Poppy-Grace Schütt Orlando

Jemima Vaughan- Virginia Hawkins

School House: Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

(Adapted by Steven Berkoff)

Directed by Jake Wingfield

Neel Agrawal

Hugo Blackwell

Joseph Boardman

Wendron-Gordon: 1984 by George Orwell

Adapted and Directed by Boris Belov and Joshua Coyne

Marcus Au Yeung Winston

Boris Belov Kinsman

Thando Best O’Brien

Isaac Chan Ensemble

Joshua Coyne Ensemble

Nukohma Gurung Ensemble

Chi Lam Alister

Jordan Nonyelu Big Brother

Hamza Suleman Policeman

Airan Thapa Ensemble

Callum Wilkinson Kent

Zeman Woo Parsons

Ottilie Hild: Womberang by Sue Townsend

Directed by Olivia Whitfield

Emily Johnstone Dolly

Olivia McKelvey Audrey

Tilly Richardson Mrs Lovett

Fiona Singh James

Olivia Whitfield Rita

Housman Hall: The Street of Crocodiles by Simon McBurney and Complicite

Directed by Paola Djarova

Technical Assistance

Ally Yuen

Rohan Adams Father

Conrad Boto German Officer

Manobal Limbu Leon

Ecaterina Luca Mother

Imaan Mould Emil

Ming Satithamajit Adela

Wennqing Tan Agatha

Ethan Tong

Casey Wong

Greta

Mrs Samsa

Mr Samsa

George Hastings The Clerk

Jake Wingfield

Gregor

Joseph

Maria

Florentine Zimmerman Theodor

Technical Support

Joseph Hong

Charlotte James

Rukhsang Tamang

Mr Tom Jude and Mr Jamie Poxon

Head of Wardrobe

Mrs Clare Whitfield

Fourth Form House Drama

Elmshurst: Amadeus by Peter Shaffer

Directed by Jack Atkinson

Raymond Betiku Salieri

Wesley Chan Venticello

Bertie Chandler Venticello

Khai Nguyen Venticello

Kian Tai Venticello

Aarush Thapa Venticello

Hazeldene: The Fall of The House of Usher (After Edgar Allen Poe)

Directed by Izzy Rusling

Phoebe Cottrell Chorus

Harriet Cutter Chorus

Rosa Doyle Chorus

Ruby Foster Usher

Izzy Glover Chorus

Amelia Lees Chorus

Annie Lucking Friend

Annabelle Morrall Chorus

Hannah Sutherland Madeline

Lupton: The Frogs by Aristophanes

Directed by Gabriel Brown

Charlie Collyer Dionysos

Freddie Lees Xanthius

Luca Phipps Herakles

Lyttelton: Unman, Wittering and Zigo by Giles Cooper

Directed by Theo Gilbert-Birch

Noah Bradford-Gibbs Headmaster

Rosco Dines John

Dominic Neale Carey

Mary Windsor: Women Centre Stage by Rose Lewenstein

Directed by Charlie Hodgson and Angel Balogun

Angel Balogun

Kateryna Ignatiuk

Elina Quito

Kiara Stoycheva

Sophie Tong

Oakley: Face by Benjamin Zephaniah

Directed by Selai Boginisoko and Ibukun Okeowo

Esinam Adom Form Teacher

Jeanine Canacoo Dad

Ashlina Gurung Natalie

Greycious Gurung Mum

Rozelyn Gurung Ensemble

Yasmin Gurung Ensemble

Clara Kapricheva Vikki

Maanabi Limbu Past Martin

Eva Mikalonyte Mark

Ibukun Okeowo Present Martin

Nam-oun Panyasiri Ensemble

Kalash Rai Narrative Martin

Tajvy Thapa Ensemble

Rainie Wong Ensemble

Trissie Wong Ensemble

Katharina Zhang Matthew

Ottilie Hild: Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Directed by Fiona Singh and Emily Johnstone

Anila Atkins Murderer

Flora Blower Murderer

Freya Bradley 1st Lady

Phoebe Dinnen Macbeth

Abigail Lamb Lennox

Xanthe Matthews Murderer

Ilerioluwa Odugbesan Lady M

Edie Page Fleance

Lucy Porter Banquo

Sammy Riley Ross

Harriet Williams 2nd Lord

School House: The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan

Directed by Joe Boardman

Tom Arundale Captain Rivers

Marcus Ho Ralph

Beau Vaughan-Hawkins Private Hopkins

Thomas Cookes: Annie by Thomas Meehan

Directed by Evie Hastings and Jessica Whitlock

Maria Christodoulou Kate

Rumer Evans Annie

Evie Hastings Miss Hannigan

Darcy McCormack Tessie

Ella Kenyon

Immy Marsh

Maiyla Danby-Norman

Walters: Teechers by John Godber

Directed by Harrison Brown and Charlie Cooper

Tanvir Biran

Spike Bloxham

Jack Hobson

Aaryn Kang

Yannis Marinas

Wendron-Gordon: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

(After Robert Louis Stevenson)

Directed by Boris Belov, Josh Coyne, Hamza Suleman and Zeman Woo

Wise Boginisoko Poole

Alvis Luk Devlin

Shusank Nembang Mr Hyde

Sammy Kofi Ntodi Chorus

Thomas Shaw Hamish

Aiden Shing Chorus

Jordan Wong Bancroft

Jarry Xing Chorus

Andile Zulu Dr Jekyll

Theatre Technicians Mr Tom Jude and Mr Jamie Poxon

Head of Wardrobe

Mrs Clare Whitfield

With grateful thanks to Mr Tom Barfield

Prep Music

In November 2022, pupils from Years 5 and 6 took part in a Barnardo’s Charity Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a wonderful experience to perform in such a prestigious venue accompanied by the world class Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A collective £60,000 was raised to help vulnerable children and young people.

Prep School musicians have always enjoyed success at the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts and this year was no exception - they won their class for the second year running. The adjudicator commended the children for their spirit and energy.

This year, the Chapel Choir choristers were kept busy preparing a wide variety of repertoire for the Prep School’s calendar of services and festivals. They have worked hard to tackle often challenging works and particularly enjoyed performing Coronation music composed by Handel and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange in the School’s celebration of The King’s Coronation.

At Christmas, the Prep School enjoyed a collaboration with the Senior School brass group who accompanied the choir in a performance of Colin Mawby’s rousing setting of Psalm 150. We now say goodbye to our Year 8 singers but look forward to watching their development as they continue to sing in the Senior Chapel Choir. We anticipate welcoming our new contingency of Year 6 singers who will be joining us in September.

The Prep Jazz Group have enjoyed a successful year, with a flurry of new members giving the band an exciting new dynamic. Notable performances this year were at The Upton upon Severn Jazz Festival where Prep School pupils collaborated with the Senior School for an exciting one-hour set including music such as Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock and Gershwin’s Summertime

At the end of the Summer Term, Prep brass group excitedly boarded two mini buses to visit the Pre-Preparatory School to perform during their morning assembly. Many of the students had attended the School themselves and were looking forward to seeing their former teachers and to demonstrate their work on brass instruments. Each type of brass instrument was represented; Tuba, Trumpet, French Horn, Tenor Horn, Euphonium and Trombone, performing seven rousing pieces, which they had learnt and performed in different concerts throughout the year.

Our pupils also treated parents, teachers and friends to variety of performances in their annual summer concert. The occasion gave several ensembles a valuable opportunity to play to an audience and share their musical talents.

This year’s House Music Competitions were held in Routh Hall and proved to be a wonderful day of quality music from our most talented musicians. Mr James Jones, adjudicator, commented on the variety of music performed and the achievements of the pupils, which clearly demonstrated how much time and hard work they had put into their music practice.

Years 3 and 4

Highly Commended Matilda Wilkes Winner Chloe Heath

Years 5 and 6

Highly Commended Anna Hooton Winner Nico Fickert

Years 7 and 8

Highly Commended Theo Lewis Music Winner Fraser McDougall Henry Shirley

M Corrie

Senior Music

Michaelmas Term

An Orchestral Day led by the English Symphony Orchestra, assisted by our own staff, started the year with children from Bromsgrove Prep, Catshill, Aston Fields, St John’s, Parkside and Hallfield schools. The day culminated in a wonderful concert in Routh Hall for parents and friends.

GCSE and A Level musicians enjoyed an evening concert trip to hear the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performing works by Vaughan Williams, Haydn and Britten. They had great seats just behind the orchestra so they had a super view of everything going on. We were also delighted to see our Performing Arts Scholars on stage for a joint evening of Music and Drama.

The much-anticipated House Song Competition took place in October, with guest judge Mr Wil Gee awarding prizes to Hazeldene (Winners), Ottilie Hild (Runner Up) and Elmshurst (Most Creative). Congratulations to all students for another brilliant display of singing and teamwork.

The first major ensembles’ concert of the year took place on St Cecilia’s Day in late November, featuring standout performances from the Orchestra, String Orchestra, Concert Band, Brass Group, Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs and Big Band.

A new venture this year saw the emergence of Pop and Jazz at Christmas with lighter – and festive – musical performances from soloists, bands and larger ensembles in a cabaret evening enjoyed by a packed crowd who even joined in the singing on occasion. A superb evening set to return next Christmas. The main event of Pop and Jazz in March was a further success, with truly sensational performances by Ilerilowa Odugbesan, Joseph Boardman and Olivia

Garrett accompanied by the Big Band and String Orchestra, amongst many other highlights.

Lent Term

The five Upper Sixth A Level musicians performed a high calibre recital of music and delighted an invited audience in the process. Congratulations to Neil Cai, Amelie Chung, David Corcoran, Eleanor Dunn and Jake Wingfield for a sensational evening.

The Senior House Music Competitions were an opportunity taken up by a good deal of the School, with 114 musicians on the stage in the Ensemble Competition. Highly commended were Thomas Cookes and Walters; Oakley as runners up; and School as the winning ensemble with their rendition of Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears. Sixty musicians auditioned for the final of the Solo Competitions (in Intermediate and Advanced categories), seventeen of whom battled it out on the night. For the Intermediate category, the winners were as follows - highly commended singer Chi Lam (Wendron-Gordon); runner up singer

Tilly Richardson (Ottilie Hild) and the winning trophy went to singer Jack Hobson (Walters).

For the advanced category, the winners were - highly commended, Marcus Ho (School) and Ilerioluwa Odugbesan (Ottilie Hild); runner up on the piano Larry To (Wendron-Gordon) and the winner’s trophy to singer Eleanor Dunn (Hazeldene) for her outstanding performance of the song Somewhere from West Side Story

Three concerts - Celebrating Strings, Wind and Brass, Percussion and Guitar - were well attended this year. Those taking part were either stalwarts of the concert platform or experiencing their first performance. We look forward to more frequent Lunchtime Concerts in the next academic year.

Chapel Choir have had another busy year supporting all services within School and returning to Coventry Cathedral to sing Evensong. This wonderful building encouraged the very highest quality of singing in music by William Mathias and John Stainer, with Jake Wingfield cantoring the Responses.

Summer Term

The second ensembles’ concert of the year fell a few days before the Coronation of King Charles III, so it was a great opportunity to present music with a Royal connection. The string orchestra accompanied a joint Prep and Senior Chamber Choir with a rousing rendition of Handel’s Zadok the Priest (performed at every British Coronation since 1727). We were treated to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March no.4 by the Orchestra, as well as a new piece entitled King Charles Serenade written – and conducted – by Upper Sixth musician Josh Graesser. String Orchestra performed music by William Walton from his incidental music for Henry V; Concert Band gave us British folk arrangements and the Big Band ended the night with glorious Duke Ellington with a standout piano solo from Spike Bloxham.

Just before May half term, we invited the Fourth Form to present performances which included the combined GCSE groups as well as solos and small combos. The future is in safe hands.

The Big Band took to the stage once more at the Upton Jazz Festival, performing an hour set in the Baptist Church, warmly received by a full house of parents, staff and Upton jazz afficionados.

It was a swan song for many core members of the band, with a feature tune taken by Charlotte James on bass - a fine rendition of Jaco Pastorious’ The Chicken. Jake Wingfield gave everyone a taste of Glastonbury with Elton John’s I’m Still Standing, and Alex Holroyd was the anchor throughout with reverent drum solos taken from the church’s pulpit.

The afternoon climaxed with a jazz arrangement of Holst’s Jupiter from The Planets suite, giving the audience an opportunity to stand and sing out the hymn I Vow to Thee My Country

This was the final event in Upton Baptist Church before beginning some extensive renovations, and so the band look forward to a return performance in this beautiful and unique venue next year.

A professional-standard recital was given in the final week of the year by some of the departing Upper Sixth musicians. David Corcoran, Eleanor Dunn, Josh Graesser, Alex Holroyd, Chi Lam, Larry To, Jess Whitlock and Jake Wingfield wowed the audience with a genuinely moving and uplifting concert, revisiting some performances of the past as well as delighting us with new pieces. We shall miss their contributions hugely and wish them – and those unable to perform on this occasion – all the best for their musical futures.

Individual successes this year include Gabriel Brown winning a composing competition organised by the Carducci String Quartet; Marcus Ho who was invited to perform during the interval of the annual Coach House Piano Competition held in March, and also performed the organ at the St John’s Commemoration Service; Lauren Baker, Tilly Richardson, Aarush Thapa and Jack Hobson taking part in the National Children’s Choir; Charissa Brobbey-Sarpong and Olivia McKelvey completing another year with the Worcester Cathedral Girls’ Choir; Katie Harding, and Sophia Meadows and Jake Wingfield performing in concerts with the Worcester County Youth Orchestra. Many other individual successes took place in the series of graded music examinations too. Congratulations to all involved.

If you missed it, you didn’t miss out! Performances can be seen again on our YouTube channel.

J McKelvey

Prep Art

This year has been a wonderful start to my journey as Head of Art at the Preparatory School. It was an academic year that saw us being inspired by all things oceanic and the pupils amazed us with their responses to each creative brief set.

Since March, and thanks to the continued support of our Art Technician, Amanda Elliott, 286 pupils have seen their work displayed at various exhibitions. We entered into five exhibitions, including SATIPS at the Royal Masonic School for Girls. We have enjoyed visiting the venues hosting the exhibits and seeing so many Bromsgrove families in attendance as well. We witnessed success at Malvern St. James with Rowan Reijmer winning ‘Best in Exhibition’, as well as succeeding in the Year 8 category, along with Samuel Middleton also receiving the accolade of winner of Year 6. Many other pupils received Highly Commended certificates.

Excitingly, Year 8 became the first academic year group to undertake a kiln fused glass project. We closed the kiln for each firing with intrigue on how they would turn out. To our relief and wonder, the gleaming seascapes delighted us all.

Years 6 and 7 created wonderful collaborative pieces based on shells and a coral reef, building unity and a sense of community as they moved towards a common goal.

We were also delighted to welcome Mark Lippet, landscape artist, into the department. He spoke eloquently to Years 7 and 8 about his journey from GCSE to present day as a professional artist. He then delivered three inspiring and engaging workshops on the art of drawing in pen to some of the pupils in Years 5-8. The pupils were astounded by what they could achieve using just an ultra-fine pen.

We are very much looking forward to the next academic year and the creative adventures it will take us on. A Read

Prep Art

Senior Art

“We strive to equip pupils with the skills and qualifications to go on and become the next generation of creative practitioners in their chosen field” - I can say this with confidence and pride.

Whether watching students in my own classroom or observing others on Learning Walks, it never ceases to amaze me how topics and themes are interpreted by our young artists. From the more skillsbased workshops in Lower Fourth, Lower Sixth and IB1, to the fully independent components in Fifth Form, Upper Sixth and IB2 classes, pupils are willing to take risks, try new media and use teachers as facilitators rather than instructors.

Our Scholars are integral to the success of the department and seeing them thrive, develop, and lead workshops for other students during the Friday activity sessions has been a real joy to observe. We look forward to welcoming our new cohort of Scholars in September to see what enthusiasm and flair they bring.

All Arts students were provided with access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite this year. We hope this will see an exciting development in portfolios as the digital aspect of any creative profession is becoming increasingly important. We are excited to be able to teach our students with industry standard software to equip them with the practical experience for their future creative careers.

The end of the IB2 course culminated in a final exhibition held in the Old Chapel. Their written rationale supporting their practical work allowed us, as the viewer, a real insight into their mature concepts and at times humorous works of art. The Private View event was a successstudents invited the Senior Leadership Team, Houseparents, friends and family to help them celebrate their achievements. The Headmaster was so impressed he attended twice. Firstly on his own but then returned with Mrs Punt.

Our Fifth Form and A Level students have seen the return of their full course postCOVID meaning the return of the Externally Set Assignments, or Exams as we like to call them. Students really impressed, and many exceeded their coursework standard which is rare considering the extremely tight turnaround expected by the exam board. The exhibition to complete this academic year for GCSE and A level students opened at the end of June and continued until Commemoration Day.

L Blakeley

Senior Art

Senior Art

Sport

Sports Overview

This year we saw 304 teams represent Bromsgrove in twenty different sports across more than 1,867 fixtures. Across the board, 1,287 pupils represented the School, including 100% of all pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7. Our congratulations go to the pupils who have gained international honours in netball, hockey, alpine sports, pentathlon, golf and equestrian events, and to those who are training in the performance pathways in a wide range of sports.

The 2022/23 academic year saw more pupils than ever participating in badminton, basketball, volleyball, squash and table tennis, with highlights being the U16 basketball team reaching the National semi-finals and the U17 basketball team winning the regional YBL league. The boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams entered the National Cup competition, with the boys narrowly missing out on the finals day. Squash is growing in popularity and the School side reached the National Plate final this year. In table tennis, the U18 boys and U16 girls reached the regional final, and Wilfred Yu reached the individual National Final. In addition, the Senior boys’ and girls’ badminton teams only lost one fixture each all year.

The Senior boys’ cross-country team reached the National Final of the ESAA Cross-Country Cup, with pride of place going to the Prep School boys’ team who finished 3rd at the event. The Prep School finished the 3rd best school overall at the Prep School Cross-Country Championships with the boys crowned National Prep School winners.

The U18 boys’ football team reached the County semi-final and the U18 girls’ football team reached the ISFA National semi-final. The cricket teams won the county cup at U10, U12, U13 and U14 age groups.

In hockey, the U18 boys had a particularly good season winning twenty-two out of twenty-six games and being crowned Tier 3 National Champions. Before Christmas, the girls’ 1st XI reached the Independent Schools’ Plate Final, no doubt helped by their October half term tour to Barcelona.

The U13 A team reached the National quarter final and the U12 team finished 8th at the IAPS tournament.

After a very good regular season for the rugby teams, the Sevens circuit brought several tournament wins and, at the prestigious Rosslyn Park event, the U18s lost in the semi-final and the U16s narrowly lost in the final against Harrow School.

Our netballers continue to impress, with a particular mention to the U14 team who finished 8th in the National Finals and the U16 team who narrowly lost in the National Final. The U13 team finished 3rd at the IAPS competition. It was an outstanding season for the U12s who reached the quarter finals of the National Cup and won the IAPS competition.

The Summer Term has not only provided some sunshine, but with it the opportunity for more pupils to represent the School in cricket, and that includes more girls’ cricket fixtures than ever before. A number of our cricketing sides have won county competitions.

Tennis continues to be played at a consistently high level and we won the Midlands Championships for the third year running, as well as hosting an LTA Open Tournament. A record number of athletes qualified to represent Hereford & Worcestershire in the prestigious Mason Trophy.

Our equestrians have continued to excel in events around the country, and our fencers and golfers have competed in regional and national competitions. And a deserved final word to our swimmers, many of whom have already put in countless lengths before everyone else’s day has even begun – in return for that commitment, the inter-boys as well as the Junior and Senior girls made it to the Olympic pool for the National Finals, with the Senior girls finishing as one of the top ten schools in the country.

P Mullan

Prep Boys’ Athletics

Having hosted the County round of the competition, the team qualified for the Midlands Final of the ESAA National Track and Field Cup at Tipton. The team were hopeful of winning the competition and qualifying for the National Final. There were a number of pleasing performances on the day with boys running, throwing or jumping personal bests to help the team score.

Well done to the fourteen Junior boys who came second in the Midland Final. Their final score finished a close second overall.

Congratulations to all the Year 5 and 6 boys who participated in the District Athletics Championships at The Abbey Stadium, Redditch. Many of the boys were making their athletics debut for the School and all of the pupils performed superbly well.

Medallists were as follows:

Toby Kippax - 1st in 150m

Monty Yiend - 1st in 600m and Long Jump

Austin Stiley - 2nd in 75m

Thomas Reid - 2nd in Shot

A large number of pupils competed at the Year 7 and 8 District athletics competition to be selected to represent Bromsgrove and Droitwich and the Minor Counties event. All of the pupils performed well, with the boys listed below chosen as the event winners or runners up.

The summary of their results is as follows:

William Hapgood - 1st in 800m

Buster Reid - 1st in Relay

Namsong Rai - 1st in Relay and 2nd in Long Jump

Malakhi Bailey - 1st in 1500m

James Longworth - 2nd in 800m

Freddie Giles - 4th in 300m

James Hoare - 5th in Discus

Harry Helmore - 3rd in 1500m

Once more, there were several Prep School athletes qualifying to represent the District at the Hereford & Worcestershire County event, competing against Year 9 pupils. The following were the standout performances:

Malakhi Bailey - 2nd in 1500m

William Hapgood - 3rd in 800m

James Hoare - 3rd in Hammer

It was a superb day of athletics for fortyfive of our best Preparatory School male athletes at the Mercia Area Championships at Stourport. Congratulations should also go to all the Years 6, 7 and 8 boys who took part in the National Prep Schools’ qualifier, also at Stourport. There were many personal best performances with the athletes who finished 1st and 2nd being selected to progress on to the National Finals. Some of the boys were representing the School in their first athletics fixture.

Following this, there were some very good performances in the National Finals at Nuneaton:

Lucas Ashurst - 8th in High Jump final

Malakhi Bailey - 6th in 1500m

Louis Belcoure - 12th in Long Jump final

William Hapgood - 1st in 800m

Harry Helmore - 3rd in 1500m

James Longworth - 2nd in 800m

Namsong Rai - 17th in Long Jump final

William Hapgood, Buster Reid, Namsong

Rai and Lucas Ashurst - 4th in the 4 x 100metres relay

The highlight of the event was William Hapgood being crowned National Champion in the 800 metres, which caps off a great summer of results for this pupil.

Congratulations to all our pupils over all of the competitions this summer and many thanks to all the parents who came to support.

L Mullan

Prep Girls’ Athletics

We have had a very successful athletics season seeing our Years 7 and 8 team crowned ESAA County Champions. This team then went on to be regional runners-up, narrowly missing out on a place in the National Final by five points. Congratulations to Neave Colley who set new School records in both shot and javelin, Eva Thorpe in discus, Sofia Neale in the 800m and Sophia MacCormick in the 75m.

Our top Year 8 athletes also took part in Invitational meetings, hosted by the Senior School, which gave them valuable experience competing against (and often beating) pupils much older than them.

In the District schools’ competitions, we had record numbers of pupils being awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Congratulations to all of our Years 5-8 athletes who took part in the Mercia athletics regional finals at Stourport Athletics track. We had a huge number of girls who qualified for the National Finals competition.

Congratulations to our athletes who came first and qualified for the National Final:

Hollie Walker - 70m hurdles (13.2 secs)

Neave Colley - shot (9.10m)

Sophie Jones - discus (16.42m)

Martha Blower - 1500m (5.27 mins)

Caitlin Pridden - 1500m (5.11 mins PB)

Iseoluwa Odugbesan - LJ (4.75m) and 100m (13.2 secs)

Eva Thorpe - javelin (19.24m) and discus (19.34m)

Daisy Jones - TJ (9.41m)

Sofia Neale - 800m (2.34 mins)

Merryn Bird - in HJ (1.30m)

Olivia Grove, Lissie Hay, Daisy Jones and Iseoluwa Odugbesan - U14 4 x 100m relay

Emily Meese - discus

In second place and qualified through to National Finals as they reached the qualifying standard are the following athletes:

Charlotte Ascough - 1500m (5.40 mins PB)

Neave Colley - javelin (25.95m)

Yasmin Hughes - 300m (47.2 secs)

Riah Bailey, Sofia Neale, Isabelle Ballard and Kayla Nwigwe - U12 4 x 100m relay

Well done to Darcy Sutton who came second but did not quite make the National qualifying standard in the javelin (18.04m).

Pupils who came third were:

Natalie McNeil - Javelin (22.80m)

Sophia Bhardwaj - HJ (1.40m)

Adrienne McCormack - (8.15m)

Daisy Jones - 300m (48.5 secs)

On the first day of the summer holidays, pupils from Years 6-8 took part in the Mercia National Finals. We had a huge number of pupils who qualified for this event and this was the girls’ most successful year for results.

Pupils who achieved an impressive podium finish were:

1st

Sofia Neale in the 800m (2 mins 28 secs)

2nd

Iseoluwa Odugbesan in LJ (4.60m)

Olivia Grove, Lissie Hay, Daisy Jones and Iseoluwa Odugbesan in the U14 4 x 100m relay (54.44 secs)

3rd

Neave Colley in shot (8.83m)

Daisy Jones in triple jump (9.61m)

Eva Thorpe in discus (21.18m)

Other results include:

Eva Thorpe - 4th in javelin (23.43m)

Iseoluwa Odugbesan - 2nd in her heat 100m (12.74 secs) and 4th in the final (12.69 Secs)

Hollie Walker - 10th in 70m hurdles (13.77 secs)

Sophie Jones - 7th in the discus (15.65m)

Martha Blower - 11th in the 1500m (5 mins 33 secs)

Neave Colley - 7th in the javelin (21.09m)

Caitlin Pridden - 8th in the 1500m (5.15 mins)

Merryn Bird - 14th in HJ (1.15m)

Emily Meese - 9th in discus (16.05m)

Charlotte Ascough - 14th in 1500m (5.38.43 mins PB)

Yasmin Hughes - 8th in the 300m (45.6 secs)

Sofia Neale, Ella Cunningham, Eva Thorpe, and Kayla Nwigwe - 5th in the U12 4 x 100m relay heat

It was wonderful to see all of our pupils’ hard work be rewarded in such a high level of competition.

J Danks

Senior Athletics

Another summer of athletics demonstrated the strength of our athletes across all of our age groups. The exceptional results achieved highlight each student’s dedication and commitment to training both in the Summer Term and during preseason training.

As the summer was slightly reduced in terms of weekend matches, there were five Saturday fixtures and multiple midweek competitions. Our teams were raring to go and began the season with a home fixture before travelling to Rugby School. Results were excellent across the track and field, pushing both the girls and boys to the top of the points table. Half term finished with a fixture at Stowe School with a large number of pupils, again, performing well in all areas.

The first round of the ESAA Track and Field Cup was hosted at the Ryland Centre with both the boys’ and girls’ teams progressing to the Midlands Final. Our Junior and Intermediate teams also took part in the District trials and many pupils qualified to represent the District at the Hereford and Worcestershire Championships.

At the Championships there were numerous positive and strong performances. A record number of athletes were selected to represent Hereford and Worcester at the prestigious Inter-Counties Schools’ Championship, otherwise known as the Mason Trophy: Oliver Dieppe, Krystof Wood, Shusank Nembang, Suyash Sunuwar, Evie Hastings, Darcy McCormack, Tyanna Semper, Riana Hunt, Iruoma Onwuka-Iwuchukwu, James Hackett, Benjamin Hilton, Oliver Cattell, Connor Allen, Charlie Nash, Diego Guzman, Isabella Davies, Daisy Atkins and Winnie Padmore.

After half term, there were two more home fixtures as well as the ESAA Midlands Final. The Intermediate boys and girls put in strong performances but missed out on the National Final.

Overall, our athletes have had a very successful season, and we look forward to even more success in the years to come.

L Mullan

Senior Badminton

The badminton season is an exciting time of year for many students who are passionate about the sport, enabling them to showcase their skills and compete against other schools. Once the School team has been selected, students practice regularly to develop and refine team strategies. Training may involve a combination of drills, conditioning exercises and game situations.

We have had a strong array of Saturday and mid-week fixtures this year, including the School Games District and County tournaments hosted at Bromsgrove. The District tournament saw all four of our teams win the competition and progress to the County rounds. The U16 boys and girls played well in the group stages, progressing to the final and being awarded the title of County Champions. The U14 boys and girls had a more difficult group round but still progressed to the final with the boys becoming County Champions and the girls finishing as runners up.

The 1st team has enjoyed a successful season, containing a group of talented players who are committed to the sport and dedicated to achieving success. Across the programme, the boys have a 84% win rate across thirty-four fixtures, and the girls have a 93% win rate across twenty-two fixtures, and the mixed team has a 92% win rate across nineteen fixtures.

Overall, every team has achieved great success with Colours and Caps being awarded to individuals at the end of each term. We wish the outgoing Upper Sixth players all the best in their future aspirations and we hope they continue to play the game.

L Brown

Prep Basketball

For the first time in a number of years, Prep School was able to form an U13 basketball team. They played several fixtures across the Lent and Summer Terms, taking on sides such as Loughborough Grammar, Bishop Challenor Catholic College and St Georges, Edgbaston. The fixtures were designed to give pupils an experience of a sport they might not have played before and they were seen as a stepping stone into the Senior School teams.

Over a short period of time, the boys have developed with great success. Despite not always being the best team on the day, it has been fantastic to see the sport grow in the Prep School. Special mention must go to Ningso Chongbang Limbu and Nish Gurung who performed exceptionally well in all matches. Eugene Chan and Faisal Tukur showed that their continued commitment to training had helped them to improve their ability. This was especially the case in the last game of the season where they were both big contributors.

With the success of reviving a basketball team in the Prep School, it is hoped that this will continue to grow as we move into next year. The aim is for more pupils in Years 7 and 8 to have the opportunity to play in basketball fixtures.

W Colson

Senior Basketball

Basketball has enjoyed a hugely successful year in terms of both results and participation across all year groups. The School entered the YBL at U17 level for the first time and the team won their regional league. This meant that they qualified for the play offs. After winning all of their matches, they reached the final where they beat a strong West Bromwich side to become U17 YBL Champions. The team also reached the YBL Cup Final, narrowly losing in overtime.

The U16 team made School history by reaching the semi-final of the National Schools’ Cup. Led by captain, Day Yu, the boys won all of their group games, beating Alcester Grammar and a tight encounter against St Peter’s, Wolverhampton. This meant progression to the knockout stage. After winning against Moseley Park, the team travelled to Nottingham to play Ellis Guildford. Despite the significant size difference, the boys showed their high skill level and were transported into the next round.

The team travelled to Harrogate to play St Aidan’s. Despite the long journey, once again, the cohesion of the team proved too much for the opposition with Erik Padeja, Matthew Lau and Evan Zhou standing out. In the quarter finals, the team beat Carre’s Grammar with Jordan Nonyelu demonstrating his improvement across the past two years. This meant a semi-final tie with Orminston Park. Despite the boys coming second to the eventual winners of the competition, they were a credit to the School throughout the whole competition.

Basketball at Bromsgrove has gone from strength to strength, I would like to thank Mr Jon Miller for his hard work across the year. We hope we can replicate the success of the 2022/23 season next academic year. The School plans to enter two teams into the YBL, which will, in turn, give more pupils a chance to participate in competitive basketball.

W

Colson

Prep Boys’ Cricket

U13A

There have been many successes on the cricket front this season with favourable weather allowing most fixtures to be played. There have been 137 fixtures with some fantastic individual and team performances on show.

The U13A team have played some brilliant cricket against tough opposition – they have won ten out of their eleven fixtures including wins against Dean Close, RGS Worcester, Repton, Trent College and Warwick. A special mention to George Hall who scored 410 runs in nine innings including three 50 and a 101* against Repton. Will Alekna, Ed Head and Will Russell have led the bowling attack taking 27 wickets between them. The squad enjoyed competing in the County Cup and played some brilliant cricket to beat a strong RGS Worcester team to win the final.

It has been fantastic to see the A team come out on top in numerous games that went right down to the wire which has made for some very exciting cricket including a last ball win vs Magdalen College, Oxford and a 3 wicket win against Prestfelde. This has shown that the team can defend and chase a total in the second innings. The whole squad can be proud of their efforts and the collective maturity they have shown after a challenging set of fixtures.

All of the U13 cricket teams have competed against the strongest schools in the region and have had many successes, with notable wins against RGS Worcester, King’s Worcester, Repton, Trent College and Warwick. The favourable weather at the start of the season allowed for competitive cricket to be played and the boys across the A, B, C and D teams quickly settled into winning ways. It has been great to see so many different pupils represent the School, and all four teams only lost four games between them. The B team had some brilliant results with lots of individuals performing well throughout the summer. The C team didn’t lose a game and the D team also managed to win their fixtures.

I wish all of the boys every success as they continue to play cricket in the Senior School.

J Thornely

Prep Cricket Teams

Congratulations to the all the Year 7 cricketers who showed that there was tremendous depth in the year group and huge success all round. The A team, captained by James Longworth, won eight out of eleven fixtures. The B team, captained by Will Jones, won nine out of eleven fixtures and the C team, captained by Ed Temple, won seven out of eight fixtures.

The A team finished the season in style winning the County Cup and thus qualifying for the Bunbury Cup National Knockout next year. James Longworth was this season’s leading run scorer with an impressive 375 runs. Jyanas Gurung topped the bowling stats with 11 wickets whilst Dan Duffy set the tone in the field with his excellent wicket-keeping throughout. Memorable victories were against King’s Worcester, Trent College, Clifton College and Repton School. Well done to the whole squad for their commitment during a hectic season - the boys were focussed during training and worked hard to improve both their skills and their tactical knowledge creating plenty of competition for places.

The U11A team had a very good season, displaying great sportsmanship and talent on the field. Throughout the season, they played a total of eight matches with five wins and three losses. The boys also managed to finish second in the County Cup, marginally losing to RGS Worcester in the final.

The U11As showed their skills in both batting and bowling. Throughout each fixture, there was at least one player who retired on 30 runs in each game, displaying the depth in the team. The boys worked hard throughout the season and took each loss as a valuable lesson where they needed to improve their game. This determination to improve and recover is what really made the team shine.

The pupils can be proud of their achievements and growth throughout the season. They exhibited resilience and teamwork whilst securing impressive wins. With continued hard work and practice, the team has great potential to achieve greater success in future seasons.

The U10A cricket season has been a very successful one. The boys have shown desire, commitment and enthusiasm towards their cricket and represented the School brilliantly throughout the term. The campaign began with comfortable wins vs Dean Close, Bilton Grange and the Elms School before travelling to Repton for their fourth fixture of the season. Captain, Theo Siviter won the toss and elected to bat first resulting in Bromsgrove putting up 119 runs on the scoreboard. A notable mention goes to Ed Sutton for an outstanding batting display scoring 34 runs off 26 balls. The Repton chase was strong but the boys responded well to restrict them to 95 within the 20 overs. Well done to Josh Langton for a fine bowling performance taking a hat trick of wickets. The boys continued this form in their final match before half-term winning convincingly against Cheltenham College.

In our next fixture against Clifton College, we restricted the opposition to just 71 runs through some excellent fielding. There were dominant bowling performances from Freddie Helmore and Oli Alekna, and skilful batting from Theo Siviter and Monty Yiend with 23 and 22 runs respectively. Unfortunately, the unbeaten run ended the following week which saw Bromsgrove lose by a single run to a strong Kings Hawford team.

We were on the road again in our final match of the season, this time visiting Beaudesert Park School. Due to availability and injuries, a number of players from the B team were called up, which gave them an opportunity to test themselves against a high quality opposition. Despite a valiant effort, Bromsgrove were beaten heavily bringing a close to the season. Other mentions go to Zak Butt, Louis Kitching, Alfie Webley, Remi Mais and Conrad Hoskins for their valuable contributions.

It was also pleasing to see the U10B and C teams get a chance to play regular fixtures throughout the season. The Bs played seven games (winning four), while the Cs won two of the six they played. Although the results weren’t always positive, the boys showed clear signs of improvement and should be proud of their efforts.

C Munn, J Harris and S Connor

Prep Girls’ Cricket

Girls’ cricket continues to flourish at Prep School. For the second year running, the U13A and U12A teams played hardball matches competitively. We now look forward to more hardball games for our younger age group ‘A’ teams next year.

We were delighted with how much enthusiasm, commitment and engagement the girls demonstrated throughout the term and this led to extremely good results. Rain stopped play too many times for our junior teams this season, however, with the games they played, the pupils enjoyed great success, namely over Warwick Prep, The Downs and RGS Worcester.

Highlights of the season include our U11s winning the Hallfield Invitational tournament, the U10s winning the U11 County hardball competition and the Years 7 and 8 girls producing four teams against other schools with a superb win against Denstone College.

J Danks

Senior Cricket 1st XI

The Summer Term got underway with a pre-season trip to Denstone College followed by a home fixture vs Warwickshire CCC. This allowed the squad to get back to the familiarities of playing on grass after a long winter of working hard indoors and on artificial surfaces. Even with the adverse weather, the season commenced at home to Magdalen College, with the opposition coming out on top after a good bowling display from the Bromsgrove attack. Due to the shortness of the term, games started to come thick and fast against strong opposition. The 1st XI played two T20 fixtures against Worcestershire CCC and Shrewsbury School, with the team winning and losing one respectively. The final fixture before half term saw the 1st XI finishing strongly against local rivals RGS Worcester. Bromsgrove chased down 282 to finish with confidence and momentum.

There would be no let-up in the second half of the term in terms of the strength of opposition nor the number of games. Solihull would be the next opponent in a high scoring T20 fixture with the opposition narrowly winning by 2 wickets in the last over. The following day saw an even closer battle with Clifton. However, the weather intervened in what would have been a thrilling finish. Two closely fought fixtures provided learning opportunities for the National T20 Cup, where Bromsgrove reached the regional final after convincing victories against Wycliffe School by 119 runs and Kings’ Worcester by 4 wickets. Sadly, the team narrowly fell short against Malvern. The final weeks saw the 1st XI play a number of touring sides from Australia, giving the squad a chance to test their skills against other cricketing cultures - all three games were close, competitive encounters with Bromsgrove finishing the 2023 Summer Term on high with victory over Canberra Grammar School by 9 runs.

Boys’ Cricket

The 2023 season commenced against KES Birmingham, giving the U14 and U15 sides a chance to play some matches after the damp weather had halted most other cricket in the area. The first block fixture against Magdalen would see victories for the U15A side by 3 runs, with narrow losses for the U14A and B sides.

The next fixtures from the U14 and U15 teams would be the County Cup, with the U15As beating Prince Henry’s School by a convincing 112 runs and the U14As beating King’s Worcester by 50 runs, seeing both teams progress to the next stage and providing confidence going into a strong block with Shrewsbury. This was a fixture that has always provided a stern test and this year was no different with Shrewsbury getting the upper hand. All teams would bounce back the following week and produce strong results against RGS Worcester with victories for all the U14 and U15 sides to finish the first half of the season on a high note.

The second half of the term started off with the U14s and U15s continuing their cup success with victories for both teams against Old Swinford Hospital School to see both teams progress into the County Final. The next two blocks produced mixed results across the board against Clifton and Malvern. However, the U14Bs produced their first victory of the season against Clifton along with the U15Cs who also won.

The final weeks of the season saw highs and lows – unfortunately, the U15s lost their Cup Final against a strong King’s Worcester side, whilst the U14s won their County Cup Final, meaning they progress to the National competition next year. In addition, the U15s also had the chance to compete against touring sides from Australia, with victory against Canberra School to finish off what was, on the whole, a successful year for the School, with Bromsgrove winning county cups at U12, U13 and U14 levels.

Girls’ Cricket

Preparation for the season got underway well before the Summer Term, with the girls competing in the County indoor tournament. Here, the squad finished as runners and provided them with the opportunity to get some competitive matches underway before a busy summer of cricket. Now playing in coloured clothing and having regular fixtures on Saturdays, the girls commenced the season with a well-deserved victory by 8 wickets against Rugby School, a victory which would give the squad the confidence to compete against some very strong upcoming opposition in Shrewsbury School, where they narrowly lost in the last over, and King’s High Warwick in the National Cup, where a competitive Bromsgrove score was chased down by the Kings High batters. Not deterred by two loses on the bounce, the Bromsgrove girls would show much courage to come out victorious against RGS Worcester by 7 wickets and would finish their season on a high after defeating South Bromsgrove by 39 runs. A well-deserved finish for the squad who worked hard all winter and held their own against strong cricketing schools.

T Milnes

Prep Boys’ Cross-Country

The Cross-Country season started when the School hosted the ESAA cross-country cup first round. The expectations were high going into the competition with a large number of runners having trained with Mr Jones during Tuesday activities. The squad of Freddie Giles, Malakhi Bailey, William Hapgood, Lucas Ashurst, Harry Helmore and George Collier ran well to win the first round. This meant that the team progressed to the Regional Final also held at Bromsgrove. The team ran brilliantly with William Hapgood finishing in 2nd place and Harry Helmore, Freddie Giles and Malakhi all finishing inside the top twenty. This meant that the boys’ team had qualified in 1st place for the National Finals.

At the Finals, held in Leeds, the team of Oscar Len, Freddie Giles, George Collier, Harry Helmore, Malakhi Bailey and William Hapgood all ran well in a race with 153 runners involved. The final results were: William Hapgood 8th, Malakhi Bailey 37th, Freddie Giles 49th, Harry Helmore 54th, George Collier 120th and Oscar Len 125th.

The team total meant that Bromsgrove finished as the third placed team in the country, an amazing result.

The School also hosted the District CrossCountry event with pupils in Years 5-8 involved. The stand-out performances were:

Year 5 – Monty Yiend 2nd, Austin Stiley 3rd, Theo Siviter 6th

Year 6 – Dexter Ward 4th

Year 7 – Harry Helmore 1st

Year 8 – William Hapgood 2nd, Malakhi Bailey 3rd, Freddie Giles 4th

The results meant that William, Malkhi and Freddie went on to represent the District at the County event, racing against Year 9 students. William finished in 2nd place, Malakhi in 7th and Freddie finishing in 9th.

The boys in Years 5-7 ran in the School Games event at Wolverley School, and there were some great results across the age groups: James Longworth 1st, Harry Helmore 2nd and Austin Stiley 2nd were the standout performances.

The last fixture of the season was the National Prep Schools event and the boys saved their best result for last. The team travelled to Malvern with confidence and they were outstanding. William Hapgood finished 3rd, James Longworth 12th, Malakhi Bailey 14th and Freddie Giles 22nd. This meant that, as a team, they won the competition.

Well done to everyone who has participated in a fixture or training sessions for the cross-country team. Thanks must also go to Mr Jones for all of his hard work.

L Mullan

Prep Girls’ Cross-Country

All runners relished in the experience to compete for the School after training hard throughout the season with Mr Skipp. We had very strong cross-country teams this year, many of whom were an academic year young for competitions, and we are hoping for even better results next year. Our U13A and U11A girls competed in the District and County Schools competition, the Prep Schools National Cross-Country Finals and the ESAA Cross-Country Cup.

In the District competition, our Years 5 and 6 girls did exceptionally well in their first competitive race for the School. Their final positions were as follows:

Year 6: Nandi Panwar 8th, Robyn Duffy 9th, Lissie Gandesha 10th, Chloe Greathurst 11th, Thomasine McCormack 14th, Amelia Hughes 21st, Sophie Jones 25th, Harriet Barnes 27th, Leah LuscottEvans 28th, Gigi Gilbert 29th and Eden Hall 31st.

Year 5: Sophia MacCormick 2nd, Evelyn Quinn 7th, Rose Thompson 12th, Lily Heath 16th, Connie Foster 19th, Summer Nicol 21st, Eleanor Ballard 24th, Bea Snelling 26th, Brooke Ryan 31st and Alana Fuller 33rd.

Our top Year 8 pupils competed with Year 9 for a place to run for the District at the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Schools’ Cross-Country Championships. Many congratulations to Caitlin Pridden 2nd, Isobel Boardman 7th and Yasmin Hughes 16th who qualified through to this event.

Other placings were: Sophia Bhardwaj 21st, Lola Jones 22nd, Iseoluwa Odugbesan 23rd, Polly Flint 25th, Charlie Flint 27th and Adrienne McCormack 32nd.

Huge congratulations to Sofia Neale (County Champion), Ella Cunningham, Martha Blower and Sophia MacCormick who qualified through to the Primary and Year 7 National Schools Cross-Country National Finals and very much enjoyed the experience.

Congratulations go to our U13 team who qualified through to the ESAA Midlands round and narrowly missed out on a place in the National Finals, coming 4th (individual results were Caitlin Pridden 4th, Sofia Neale 5th, Martha Blower 12th, Daisy Whitehouse 13th, Grace Hadley 15th and Charlotte Ascough 16th).

A highlight for all Prep teams was being announced as the third best school overall at the Prep Schools Cross-Country Championships. This was an extremely tough, hilly course that tested our pupils to their maximum but they gave their all to achieve the following positions:

U13 girls – (Year 8) Caitlin Pridden 17th, (Year 7) Sofia Neale 22nd, Martha Blower 48th and Isabelle Ballard 62nd. This team came an impressive seventh place overall.

U11 girls – (Year 5) Evelyn Quinn 116th, Lily Heath 130th, Thomasine McCormack 163rd and Rose Thompson 175th. The U11 girls were thirty-seventh from schools competing from all over the country.

J Danks

Senior Cross-Country

As I write this, the cross-country running season and the cold dark weeks feel like a long time ago now, and it’s time to reflect on the hard work and dedication of our running team. With training taking place throughout the Michaelmas Term, the team was able to build their endurance and skill, ensuring they were in good form for the Lent Term fixtures. We had a good turnout of runners, which added to the competitive spirit and helped to push themselves to new heights.

Travelling to various schools hosting races in the East Midlands Independent School Cross-Country League, the team raced at some great venues and areas, from golf courses, muddy school fields, boggy arboretums, to a forest on the shore of Rutland Water. The weather was relatively warm this year, no snow in sight. However, there was plenty of rain and mud leading to one of our runners finishing their race with only one shoe. The atmosphere at each race was as welcoming as ever and just as competitive at the front end of each field. This year saw several runners from the Prep School joining us and running well, showing much promise for coming years.

Over the season there was much improvement and lots of small successes. Most noteworthy are William Pridden, winning all his races and 1st individual in the U16 category, and his contributions to the team along with Jethro Chan, Joshua Chan, and Ernest Tang who finished as the third placed U16 team.

Set in the stunning National Trust grounds, we took two teams (U18 mixed and U18 girls) to race as a relay around the 2km off-road course at the Attingham Park Relays. The teams performed admirably, just narrowly missing medals, and William Pridden, Caitlin Pridden and Lucy Hatfield recorded some of the fastest lap times of the day.

Overall, our runners have had a good season and built strong teams for the future. Congratulations to all the pupils involved, including their departing captain, Callum Wilkinson, for their hard work and dedication.

M Giles

Equestrian

Chloe Chan finished the 2022 season in style, being placed eighth at the Horse of the Year Show. Chloe and the incredible Corries Jack In a Box jumped a perfect clear round and produced a beautiful show to enable her to be placed at this prestigious event.

Chloe and Monarch of The Glen finished fourth in their first Pony trials event at Norton Disney competing in the 1m10 cross-country and show jumping where she achieved a double clear.

Chloe’s season for 2023 was mapped out early – at the British Eventing Youth Championship in the U18 1m5 category, Chloe and Ruby had to finish in the top ten for selection. This was achieved and they headed to Bishop Burton in July.

The formidable duo of Chloe and Ruby jumped the only clear round in the 143 Plaited Working Hunter qualifier at Stoneleigh in August, securing their HOYS ticket. They achieved top marks all round to win and were placed overall Working Hunter Champion. This is Chloe’s fourth time at the show, a fantastic achievement.

More recently, Chloe took part in the Blair International FEI 2 star pony competition, representing Great Britain where she placed tenth overall. A fantastic achievement against the top ponies and riders across the country. Chloe and Ruby also competed at Burghley in the Gold Cup in September where she finished fifth nationally.

Chloe will train hard over the winter months to come out as a strong combination in the Spring as they are hoping to achieve European selection in 2024.

Amy Pinfield has also had a great year where she competed and won at NPS area XI show with Earnwell Elwyn, being crowned champion junior, 1st and reserve champion open. She was also reserve silver medal champion and reserve supreme. Amy qualified for the NPS junior final, NPS home produced Junior final, NPS home produced young rider final, NPS open final, NPS home produced open final, Area freestyle to music final and Area ridden championship final.

Well done also to Pre-Prep pupil Mia-Bella Long who, on her pony, Soldier, came third in the Horse of the Year Show qualifier.

E Buckingham

Prep and Senior Fencing

This year, we were finally able to leave COVID-19 behind and attend a full calendar of events starting with the Warwick Age Group Épée in October. Alvis Luk finished with a bronze in the U14 event, just ahead of Jasper Page 4th, George Ascough 5th, and Prep School fencer Archie Wilson in 8th. Meanwhile, in the U19 category, Kamilla Kartashkina received a silver in the girls’ event and Oliver Gowen finished 5th in the boys’ event. It was then the turn of the Junior competitors at Warwick. Amina Muldeasheva finished 6th for the U12 girls, with Priya Giles in 7th place, and Archie finishing 12th for the boys.

At the Cocks Moors Woods Épée Championships, the standout performance was Alvis Luk who made the last sixteen in the U15s. Also worthy of note were Jasper Page and Laura Floricic, both stepping up to the adult event.

December saw us fielding a wide range of teams at the RGS Worcester Gala. Taking 2nd in the U10 Foil, 2nd and 3rd in the U12 girls’ Foil, 4th in the U12 boys’ Foil, 4th in the U14 Foil, 2nd in the U16 Épée, and 5th in the U19 Épée.

In the Lent Term, the team travelled to King Edward’s School, Birmingham for an Age Group Foil and Épée Competition. In the Senior Épée, Laura Floricic finished 6th, Oliver Gowen 10th, George Ascough 11th and Kamilla Kartashkina 17th. George also participated in the Foil where he was joined by Alvis. They finished 10th and 9th respectively. Ted Nuttall and Archie Wilson fenced in the Junior Épée, finishing 14th and 15th, with Archie also taking 18th in the Foil.

February saw us competing at the West Midlands Championships in Solihull. Laura finished 7th in the Adult Épée event, whilst in the U16s Foil, Alvis finished just outside of the medals in 5th place, with George in 7th and Jasper, having had the misfortune to meet his teammate George in the last sixteen, finished 10th.

In the West Midlands Épée age groups, Jasper finished 5th with George in 7th and Oliver in 10th in the U16 category, whilst Ted Nuttall finished 3rd in the U12 event.

A squad of six travelled to London to take part in the Public Schools’ Fencing Championships. The squad included Laura, Kamilla, Oliver, George and Jasper and Alvis. All but Kamilla fenced at both Foil and Épée, with the standout performance being Laura making a last sixteen in the Senior Girls’ Épée.

May took us to Sheffield for the British Youth Championship Finals. Ted Nuttall finished 25th in the U12 Épée, Alvis and George finished 52nd and 54th in the U16 Foil. George then returned a day later to take part in the Épée, this time joined by Jasper. They finished 47th and 68th respectively.

June saw Laura competing at the GB Cup where she finished 7th in this National event. Next came the England Youth Championships with George and Jasper once again competing in both disciplines. They finished 21st and 39th respectively in the Foil and reversing order in the Épée finishing in 29th and 36th after Japer knocked George out.

We finished the academic year by running our own Épée competition at the Prep School with twenty-six fencers from fourteen schools taking part. Ted finished 3rd in the Years 7 and 8 event, with Archie in 4th and Joseph Albutt 5th in the Years 5 and 6 event. We are grateful to George, Jasper and Oliver who organised and refereed the event.

To top off the season, Jasper beat George in the final of the Hereford and Worcester County Championships U16 Épée.

It has been an incredibly exciting and varied competitive year and we look forward to doing it all again this coming season.

N Chapman

Senior Football

The 1st XI’s season covered the full gamut of footballing emotions: dramatic goal line clearances (vs RGS Worcester), the elation of a memorable team goal (vs Droitwich Spa High School), heartbreak to end a promising County Cup run (vs The Chase School), the electric joy of an individual screamer to beat Stowe School (courtesy of Adryan Man) and the laughter during some questionable awards at the end of season meal. All of the above are memorable snippets of a thoroughly enjoyable season that will be looked back upon fondly but also with a wistfulness that perhaps this squad should have achieved more.

After a promising pre-season, during which local rivals South Bromsgrove High School were dispatched 3-1, things were looking bright. A comfortable County Cup victory against Christopher Whitehead School was followed up with a 2-0 victory against Rugby School, during which it became clear that the defensive unit of Eugene Nwanonye, Aaron Wood and Charlie Wasley would be the rock that the rest of the team would be built around. Despite being beaten by an excellent Priory School side in the ISFA Cup (they went onto reach the semi-finals), the mood was optimistic for a highly successful season.

Unfortunately, frozen pitches meant that the Uppingham fixture was cancelled and momentum was lost: the next three matches (against RGS Worcester, Haberdasher’s Monmouth and Cheltenham College) were all narrow 2-1 defeats. As the scores indicate, all of these were close matches and - had Bromsgrove been more clinical in front of goal – were all winnable fixtures. Having endured a month without a victory, the character of the squad came to the fore with a fightback led by skipper Henry Jinks and his fellow Upper Sixth teammates Eugene Nwanonye, Aaron Wood, Ibrahim Zaazou and Louis Gabard. The team finished the season strongly, beating Stowe School and reaching the semi-finals of the County Cup.

Whether winning or losing, the way that the boys comported themselves throughout was outstanding and a real credit to the School. It was a mixed season when measured in results but rich in terms of memories made. Those players who have finished their time at School are big characters and will be sorely missed, but with a large proportion of current Lower Sixth players in the squad and some strong additions coming through from the U16s, the future is bright.

Football at Bromsgrove continued to grow during the 2023 season: we entered more competitions than ever before and, for the first time, fielded a fully-fledged 4th XI. As with the 1st XI, results were mixed across the board but the 2nd XI finished strongly after a tough start and the 3rd XI lost only once (by a solitary goal against RGS Worcester). The U16A and U16B sides both played some pleasing football, with hefty victories over Cheltenham College and RGS Worcester respectively being their highlights.

Girls’ football went from strength to strength with the 1st XI achieving the incredible statistic of scoring sixty goals and conceding only eight. Going away to a strong Repton School and winning 2-0 was a particularly pleasing result. Reaching the semi-finals of the highly competitive ISFA Trophy was an excellent achievement for this group – they have set the bar very high for future seasons, as girls’ football develops not just at Bromsgrove but across the country. The U15 side recovered from some tricky early fixtures to record pleasing wins against Shrewsbury School and Alcester Grammar. Competition for places next season will be fierce and only serve to drive up standards even further.

Boys’ House Football took place on the final Saturday of the season and was a tremendous success, being played in a competitive but friendly spirit. The final –between Wendron-Gordon and Elmshurst - ended in a dramatic penalty shootout, with Elmshurst prevailing on the day. The spontaneous photograph of both Houses mingling with each other and laughing at the end epitomised that the bonds that are forged in everyday life at School can be strengthened through competitive sport.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the coaches who have worked so hard to ensure a successful season, in particular Mr Stewart Brighton for his calm expertise, Mr Simon Matthews for his knowledge and advice, and Ms McCready who leaves Bromsgrove School with the girls’ football in rude health. I look forward to continuing to oversee the development of Football at Bromsgrove for the 2023/24 season.

R Unterhalter

Senior Golf

Golf continues to excel but, this year, we have to say goodbye to James Humphries (Upper Sixth) who has played to a high standard in virtually every match over the last five years. He is an exceptional golfer and a fine ambassador for the School and the game. He has led the team admirably to National Finals and his personal playing record is formidable, only losing twice in five years. He has been awarded his School Cap and we wish him all the best as he travels to America to pursue his golf career and a Business degree.

Whilst the results this year did not quite match last year’s successes, we won nine of our thirteen fixtures, twelve pupils represented the 1st team over the season, many more participated in the recreational golfing sessions and there was a keenly contested School Championship. Traditions were upheld with matches versus Old Bromsgrovians and School Staff.

In the ISGA Matchplay, good wins against Solihull and Warwick Schools led to the Midlands’ Final against Stowe. Both teams played extremely good golf, but we fell narrowly short. The HMC Foursomes was a similar story; Solihull, Monmouth and Ellesmere were defeated on the way to our second Midlands’ Final but, this time, Radley College proved too strong.

The School Championship was won by Lili-Rose Hunt (Lower Sixth). Although she was behind early on, a remarkable back nine of 32 shots and a gross score of one under meant she secured the title. Thomas Griffith (Lower Sixth) was second and Euan Choi (Upper Fourth) was third.

Regular driving range sessions were professionally coached by Rob Laing. His coaching was of significant benefit to many of our young golfers and thanks goes to Bromsgrove Golf Club for their continued support.

Looking forward to next year, the team has never been stronger and exciting times lie ahead.

N Riley

Prep Boys’ Hockey

U13A

The U13 hockey team made a slow start to their season with a strong fixture list and early cup fixtures. However, as the weeks went on, the boys’ drive and determination saw them make huge strides forward, both technically and tactically. The IAPS qualifier at Cheltenham started well, with the team finishing second in the group to Millfield on goal difference. The quarter final was against the defending IAPS U13 champions, and eventual winners, Taunton. The boys showed massive determination going ahead twice, but losing to a last-minute goal, meaning they would not qualify for the National Finals.

The season continued with the boys making huge progress as they went on a run in the ISHC Plate. With convincing wins during the rounds, the boys ended up at finals day. The standard was high, and the boys competed well and finished in the bronze medal match. In a game that swung both ways and back again over the thirty minutes, it ended in a 4 all draw after Bromsgrove scored a last-minute goal. This meant a penalty shootout to decide the winner. After a round of three penalties and sudden death, Bromsgrove prevailed and ended up winning the bronze medal to round off an excellent season for the boys. This year was full of ups and downs, but the improvements were massive and this is good news as they venture to the Senior School.

U12

The U12A Hockey team enjoyed a very successful season securing wins against Cheltenham College, Repton, Magdalen College, Oxford and The Dragon. The team also qualified for the IAPS Finals at King’s Taunton and played some tremendous hockey to beat Hazelgrove and Seaford College before losing out to St Faith’s, Cambridge. The boys worked very hard all season and made significant improvements with their skills and showed a lot of potential for next year. Lucas Ashurst, Dan Duffy and James Longworth led from the front whilst Isaac Chinnadurai showed his skill in goal frequently, especially with some phenomenal saves at key moments during matches. The B team also enjoyed a successful season winning six out of their ten fixtures with notable wins against Cheltenham College, Dean Close and Clifton College. The boys performed well all season – they played with great spirit and worked hard to develop their skills throughout the season. The C team also had a positive season winning six out of their nine fixtures with notable wins against Warwick, Clifton College and Dean Close. The D team improved their skills significantly throughout the season and were rewarded with four wins out of five for their efforts. Many thanks to the staff for leading the teams throughout the season.

U11

The U11A team had a mixed season, starting with a narrow loss against tough opponents Cheltenham. However, they quickly found their stride and won three consecutive games against difficult teams, showcasing their skill and determination.

Their momentum carried into the IAPS tournament, where they were placed in a challenging group. Despite the tough competition, the boys displayed true determination and finished the group stage with four points, securing a spot in the Cup competition. In the quarter finals, they faced a strong Dean Close team but, unfortunately, lost in a closely contested match.

Undeterred, the boys continued to impress as the season progressed. They finished in 2nd place in the County tournament, earning a spot at the Midland Finals. Although they started with a 1-0 loss to Bilton Grange, the team bounced back strongly, winning their next four games and qualifying for the semi-finals. Their opponents in the semis were RGS Worcester, the only team that had defeated them in the County round. The match ended in a draw, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Three boys stepped up and successfully scored their penalties, securing a place in the final against Bilton Grange, the team they had lost to earlier. Drawing confidence from their previous victory against RGS Worcester, the boys entered the final with a belief in their abilities. It was a courageous game, and in the end, Bromsgrove emerged victorious with a 2-1 score line, becoming Midlands champions.

Overall, the U11s experienced ups and downs throughout the season. They faced tough opponents, suffered close defeats, but also showcased their talent, determination and courage. Their resilience was evident as they bounced back from losses, qualified for important tournaments, and ultimately claimed the title of Midlands champions.

U10

The Year 5 hockey teams have enjoyed their first full season at School with much success on the pitch. The A team enjoyed positive results and only one loss throughout the season. Highlights of the season were two close wins against Cheltenham College and a great performance in the last game of the season against Repton School.

The other teams in the U10 age group didn’t always find successful results but all of the boys demonstrated a great attitude throughout their fixtures and had notable wins in each of the teams. Well done to all of the boys who played for the School and showed great progression throughout the term.

J Grumball

Prep Girls’ Hockey

Senior Teams

A big positive for the hockey season was the sheer number of girls that participated in a total of 134 matches played, with over 190 girls representing the School. Bromsgrove hosted their annual Invitational hockey tournament, which welcomed eleven schools, and lots of fun was had by all. In the end, King’s High Warwick won the U13 competition and Repton won the U11 trophy.

Our U13As had a great season reaching the last eight schools in the country in the Independent Schools National Cup competition and were very unlucky to lose in the quarter finals on penalty flicks. The same team in the IAPS competition did not concede a goal all day, but again, lost in the cruellest of ways on sudden death penalty flicks, which prevented them from progressing any further in the competition. Well done to our U13B team who won the Abberley Hall Invitational tournament which was an impressive achievement. The U13C and D teams both played eight matches each and only conceded three matches in total. A highlight for the U13E team was winning 7-1 against The Dragon School and our U13F team also enjoyed a victory over Cheltenham Ladies’ College.

Our U12A team had a tremendous term of hockey and a highlight for them was qualifying through to the Cup competition at IAPS National Finals, finishing 8th overall in the country. The U12B team played twelve matches, only losing three. Notable highlights include a 7-0 win against Denstone College and a thrilling 6-6 match against Trent College. The U12C team played nine matches, winning seven against Cheltenham College, Trent College, King’s Worcester, Dean Close, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Denstone College and Solihull School. The U12Ds had a great season playing seven matches, winning four, drawing two and losing just once to The Dragon School. The U12E team played five matches and won two. And last but not least, congratulations to the U12Fs who won two out of two matches played.

Junior Teams

Our U11A girls’ hockey team won twentytwo matches this season and their top highlight was coming 4th in the IAPS Regional Finals. The U11Bs had a superb term winning eight from ten matches played, drawing one and losing just one match against The Dragon. The U11Cs had mixed results but their highlights of the season were beating Warwick Prep, Cheltenham College and RGS The Grange. They also drew against The Dragon, Abberley School and Dean Close. Despite the U11D and E teams not winning any matches, they drew against Dean Close, RGS The Grange and The Dragon School. Our U10 teams played a total of twentyfive matches and only lost four in total; a testament to how strong this year group are. Many congratulations should also go to the D and E teams who had an unbeaten season.

J Danks

Senior Boys’ Hockey

The boys’ 1st XI worked hard at indoor hockey during the first term and made it comfortably through the Midlands Zone to the Midlands Final. After topping their group, the team won their semi-final v Ashby. In the final, they lost to a strong Repton team. Nevertheless, this is a great achievement for the boys.

After an early loss in the outdoor Tier 2 competition, the boys went on to compete in Tier 3. After winning five cup games comfortably, they made it to the semifinal v King Edward’s, Bath. A close 3-3 draw saw the boys win on shuffles and head to the final at Lee Valley. In the final, the team had a comprehensive 6-1 win over Bedford School. This was an excellent result for the team, which rounded off a great season. During their Saturday matches, the boys did not lose a fixture. They completed the season having played twenty-five games, winning twenty-one, drawing two and losing two. Well done to the boys who have put so much into hockey throughout their time at Bromsgrove School.

Boys’ Hockey Teams

The U16 boys had a mixed season during their regular matches. However, a good cup run followed. The team beat KES Birmingham and a strong Solihull team. Their match against Repton could have gone either way.

The U15 team went through to the ISHC Plate Final where they lost to a very strong Solihull team who had knocked them out of the cup completion in January. Between the two Solihull fixtures between the beginning and end of the season, the team went twelve games unbeaten, playing some excellent hockey in the process.

The U14 boys qualified for the Midlands Finals where, unfortunately, they did not make it out of the group. During Saturday fixtures, they had mixed results, but every game was close. The boys worked hard throughout the season.

The U15 and U14 B, C and D teams had a full fixture list this year, increasing the number of boys playing hockey each weekend. Certain weekends also saw U15 and U14 E teams grace the hockey pitch. They played a 6-game series v Rugby School. All of the boys performed well throughout the year, with the U15Cs (for the second year running) winning every game of the year. Many boys in the Fourth Form stepped out for the School, some playing in their first Saturday fixture.

A Gooderham

Senior Girls’ Hockey

The girls’ 1st XI did not have a season full of high-flying results and an early loss to RGS saw the team go into tier 3 where they were beaten on shuffles by King’s Worcester in the third round. However, the girls worked incredibly hard and showed excellent team spirit, which was helped by a tour to Barcelona at October half term. In the ISHC it was a little different. Losing early to Denstone saw the girls in the Plate competition. Here, they beat a strong Princethorpe team 3-2 in an excellent game of hockey with the girls putting on an excellent tactical performance. We then had to wait for our next round and when it eventually came, we had a week to play three games. A trip to Bryanston saw the girls win 3-1. A semi-final at home and a big crowd meant that the girls fought hard to a 2-2 draw after extra time. Shuffles followed and an excellent win saw the girls into the final against St John’s, Leatherhead at Surbiton Hockey club. A well-fought match ended in a 2-0 loss but the game could have gone any way with chances for both teams.

Girls’ Hockey Teams

The U16 girls lost in the last sixteen of the England Hockey Cup to Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School. During the indoor season, the girls missed out on a Midlands semi-final by one goal. Although disappointing for the team, this is an exceptional result and shows how far the girls have come with their indoor hockey. The U15s were again knocked out in the third round of the Independent Schools Hockey Cup. However, this was only one of their two losses throughout the season. It was an all-round excellent season for the girls.

The U14s enjoyed a successful season. It was a slow start as they got used to 11-a-side but they began to play some excellent hockey and produced some individual and team performances. The girls finished runners up in their zone after a last-minute short corner goal against Uppingham saw them edge a close game 1-0. At the Midlands Finals, the girls played very well to reach the semi-final where they were unlucky not to win in normal time and eventually lost on penalties.

Overall, the girls’ hockey season saw us regularly put out fourteen teams and we had over 200 girls playing hockey on Saturday afternoons. For the first time, we put out an U15D team and the coming year will see them have even more fixtures.

A Gooderham

Prep Netball

This has, yet again, been a hugely successful netball season for all teams.

Our U13A netballers became undefeated County Champions, IAPS Regional Champions and were 3rd at IAPS National Finals. We were very proud to see that many of these girls were selected for Worcestershire County.

The U13B team had a superb season losing just one match. The U13Cs and Ds played ten matches and demonstrated real progress throughout the season. The U13Es and Fs enjoyed matches against The Dragon, Cheltenham Ladies’ College and Dean Close. Despite not being victorious in all games, they thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.

Our U12A team cruised through the season, only losing once to a very strong Berkshamstead School in the quarter finals of the National Cup. This team were exceptional in the IAPS competition, becoming undefeated Regional and National Champions.

As our U12A team were so strong this year, naturally our B team in this age group were also exceptional. They won seven from ten matches played, but the three that they narrowly lost were against U12A teams.

The U12C and D teams had mixed results, but notable wins were achieved against Cheltenham Ladies’ College, The Dragon, Dean Close and Beaudesert School. The U12E and F teams enjoyed playing both home and away matches and improved throughout the season.

The U11s and U10s played a mixture of ‘Bee’ netball (5-a-side) and the usual 7-a-side game. Bromsgrove continued to play in the traditional 7-a-side format for inclusivity. The eight U11 and U10 teams played an incredible amount of matches, winning the majority of their games and demonstrated improvement throughout the season.

J Danks

Senior Netball

As in previous years, the 1st team participated in the Independent Schools’ Cup beating Oakham School in the first round. In round two, Bromsgrove beat Wrekin College 42-36. The third round saw a 63-42 loss against Berkhamsted Girls’ School, who then went on to win the competition.

The Sisters ‘n’ Sport Cup followed a similar trajectory, with Bromsgrove delivering strong performances in the initial rounds: In the third round, a win against Solihull School 35-33 and a 42-36 win against Wrekin College in the fourth. Bromsgrove narrowly missed out on the semi-finals with a defeat to Blue Coat School, Oldham. In the Saturday fixtures, the 1st team won all matches apart from a narrow loss to Oakham School 34-27 and a draw to King’s Worcester. The girls finished their season with a huge win against Millfield 29-21, which meant the Upper Sixth girls left Bromsgrove with a win.

This year’s 1st team was filled with an impressive calibre of girls who enjoyed a wide range of successes across England and franchise level. Two members of the team have been selected into the England Roses Academy at U17 and U19 level. And a large cohort of talented girls played across different Super League franchises such as Loughborough Lightning, Central Warriors, Team Bath and Severn Stars.

Alanna Pullen (1st team captain)

Senior Netball Teams

It has been another hugely successful netball year for our Bromsgrove teams, both in terms of success during matches and the sheer number of girls who have represented the School across the different age groups. At Senior level, we have competed at 1st, 2nd, 3rd, U16A, U16B and at Junior level, the teams range from A-D for the U15 and U14 age groups.

Our 16A team were particularly strong this year. Co-captained by Honey-Bo Luscombe and Liz Smith, they won all of their Saturday fixtures, they progressed through to the quarter finals of the National Sister’s ‘n’ Sport competition, narrowly losing to an extremely strong North Chadderton side, and they reached National Schools’ Finals as West Midland Champions. At the Finals tournament in March, the team reached the semi-finals where they faced North Chadderton once more. As the saying goes, ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’ and we won by one goal to reach the final. Redmaids School were ultimately too strong in the final but second best team in the country is quite an impressive title. We look forward to seeing some of the pupils compete for a 1st team place next season.

Mirroring the U16As, our U14A team also won all of their Saturday fixtures, only losing in the quarter final of the National Sisters ‘n’ Sport competition and reaching the National Finals, qualifying as West Midland champions. At the National Finals, the team were one goal away from reaching the semi-finals (such fine margins at top level). They ultimately finished 8th in the country – no mean feat, particularly as they had to do it all without their captain, Ruby Broadhurst, who sadly had a long-term injury.

Other highlights of the netball season include an exciting, close fought match against Millfield for our U15A team in the Independent Schools Cup – sadly finishing 31-33 in Millfield’s favour, as well as our 2nd Senior team winning all but two of their Saturday matches.

Special mention should go to Alanna Pullen and Jessica Monthe for their selection to the England U19 and England U17 squads respectively. We are very proud of them both.

S Franks

Prep Boys’ Rugby

U12 U13

The U13A team had a successful season, which was underpinned by the improvements in performance. Whilst the results did not always go Bromsgrove’s way, there was, however, some fantastic rugby on display. Sam Brown and Buster Reid led the way, showing much potential as they move through the School, whilst Ed Head, Jo Simon, Alex Dawson and Nish Gurung improved significantly as the season went by. The highlight was a hard fought 30-15 win against the Dragon School, Oxford. There was much success on the Rugby Sevens front as Bromsgrove attended the Winchester House and Rosslyn Park Sevens tournaments and played with discipline and flair, securing some fantastic wins in the process.

The B team also had a successful season, winning six out of their eleven fixtures, securing wins against Cheltenham College, Clifton College and Dean Close. The team worked very hard in training to improve their skills and performance, which led to some pupils moving up to the A team squad throughout the season. The boys played with great spirit and camaraderie, and they should be proud of their efforts.

The C team managed to win six out of their seven fixtures securing wins against The Dragon, Clifton College, Beaudesert and Dean Close. The boys improved significantly throughout the season and thoroughly enjoyed representing the School. I commend them for their efforts and wish them well for the next season. Many thanks to all the staff involved.

J Thornely

The U12A rugby team enjoyed a fantastic year - they had an unbeaten season at 12-a-side, scoring 250 points and conceding only sixty-five. In September, an influx of new sporty Year 7 pupils boosted competition for places, and, in fact, six boys, despite never having played any rugby, went on to play for the A team regularly. The whole squad benefitted from meaningful training sessions, which were focused and competitive with boys pushing themselves hard to increase both their skills and fitness. Notable wins were against Monmouth, Clifton and Sir Thomas Rich’s, whilst three matches all ended in draws against Millfield, The Dragon and Dean Close. Well done to the whole squad and, in particular, Captain, Elliot Hill who led by example regularly breaking the line and turning the ball over. Lucas Ashurst was the leading try scorer showing off his amazing footwork whilst Harry Helmore was consistently a strong runner and tackler. Jyanas Gurung was an outstanding all-rounder and was the most improved player of the year.

The U12B team also had a good season winning five matches and drawing one, whilst the U12Cs had three wins out of six. Notable victories for both teams were against Monmouth, Clifton and Dean Close. The large number of pupils who represented the teams who should be very proud of their efforts.

In the Lent Term, the U12A rugby team entered two Sevens competitions. At the first tournament hosted by KES Birmingham, the team won five games out of six, scoring twenty-two tries in total in just forty-two minutes. They finished as runners-up - a fantastic first effort bearing in mind many of the squad were new to rugby this year.

At the Bishop Vesey’s Sevens tournament, they showed off their excellent range of handling skills combined with some aggressive defence. They scored numerous tries and conceded none against BVGS and Manchester GS to win their group comfortably. Their good form continued as they managed to beat RGS Worcester 6-2 in a hard-fought semi-final and then KES Birmingham 5-1 to win the Cup Final in impressive style. Well done to all of the players on a fantastic achievement.

U11

The U11 season has been extremely pleasing. The boys have shown athleticism and commitment during training, and they have all been prepared to learn and listen. Early season highlights included a convincing win over Warwick and a successful trip to the Stowe Festival, where the boys exceeded my initial expectations, finishing among the top of the teams in the festival. We concluded the first half of term with all wins and just one draw. After the two week half term, despite playing well, we came unstuck in our two toughest games, losing to both Beaudesert and RGS Worcester. These were to be our only two losses of the season across the sixteen matches played.

Special mentions must go to Dexter Ward for the positive manner he has used to captain the side, leading by example at all times whilst consistently putting in good shots; Oliver Wheale, Thomas Reid and Harry Wilson for their commitment in contact, to Toby Kippax for topping the tries scored list (20), and to Roshan Kotekar, David Odintsov, Joshua Bhardwaj and Zach Trinder for the huge improvements they have made in their individual skillsets and for being strong team players. Finally, to George Barnes for getting stuck in and giving his best at all times.

There were positive performances and results for the other teams in the U11 age group. Although the results did not always go their way, some results were high scoring fixtures that the teams were very close to winning. The B team performed brilliantly at the end of the season with their best result coming against Clifton College. Well done to the C team who showed great progress over the course of the season - they ended up being unbeaten over the last three fixtures. The D team also got better and better as the season progressed and managed a draw against Monmouth School, 14 tries each, and scored a huge 65 tries across their games.

U10

The U10 season has been very positive in both results and effort. The boys have been great in training sessions and they have shown a brilliant attitude towards their fixtures.

The season started well for the A team as they won their first two fixtures followed by a successful afternoon at the Stowe School Festival. Their success continued with strong performances against King’s St Albans, Dean Close, RGS The Grange and Clifton. The team finished the season with a good performance against Abberley Hall School, which meant that they only lost one fixture.

There were positive performances and results for the other teams in the U10 age group. There were some high scoring fixtures that the teams were very close to winning, as well as lots of progress being made across the season.

G Jones

Senior Rugby 1st XV

The 1st XV had a season filled with ups and downs, winning five of the twelve games played. The team had a difficult first half to the Michaelmas Term, but it was pleasing to see them improve as the season progressed. Their NatWest Cup run started with a pleasing 20-7 victory over Solihull. The second-round match was a home game against a tough King’s Macclesfield side. After taking a controlling lead, it was disappointing to lose with the last play of the game. After half term the boys wanted to redeem themselves in their remaining games and secured some good wins against Rugby School, Bloxham and Warwick.

Arguably the best performance of the season came in the final game. On a frosty weekend, the team travelled to Warwick to take advantage of the game being able to go ahead on their 4G pitch. Warwick started well but the boys worked hard to finish on a high, winning 24-22. This match saw some very impressive handling skills from both forwards and backs.

In the traditional end of season match against KES Birmingham, the team retained the Siviter Smith trophy with a hard fought 12-5 victory.

1st VII

The 1st VII had an excellent season, winning twenty-five out of the twentyseven games played across tournaments. The team won the Rugby 7s tournament at Oakham School and retained the KES Stratford Cup for the fourth consecutive season. They were also runners up in the cup match at the Solihull tournament. At the Rossyln Park National Schools Rugby 7s tournament, the boys continued their recent good form before losing narrowly to King’s Macclesfield 14-17 in the semifinal.

U16

The U16 team enjoyed a successful Rugby 7s season, winning their first tournament of the season at Oakham. They continued their excellent form at the Rossyln Park 7s, where the team reached the final before losing narrowly 10-0 to Harrow School.

T Windo

Senior Boys’ Squash

The squash season has been a very rewarding two terms. The team showed great determination, which resulted in a commendable sixteenth place finish, out of over 200 teams, in the National Cup. This was undoubtably the highlight of the season - they worked together to overcome some tough opponents and displayed a high level of skill and strategy in their matches.

In addition to their Cup performance, the boys also competed in several fixtures against other schools. These matches were all extremely close with some fantastic individual results. The boys demonstrated remarkable skill and talent on the court.

Overall, the boys’ squash season was a great success. Their dedication to training, teamwork, and sportsmanship paid off in their impressive performance on the court. I am very proud of their accomplishments and look forward to seeing them continue to excel in the sport in the future.

J Harris

Prep Swimming

Swimming over the 2022/23 academic year has been very busy with friendly fixtures for many children across all year groups. Fixtures have Included friendly competitions scoring no points for the younger children to extremely competitive matches for the older children against the likes of Warwick, Bluecoat, Holy Trinity, Solihull and Newcastle-under-Lyme School.

In addition to friendly fixtures, the fastest swimmers in Years 4-8 were selected to compete in the regional rounds for the ESSA Primary School Relays and IAPS National Finals.

With the IAPS competition being the most prestigious event in the calendar, and with it taking place at the London Olympic pool, swimmers from Bromsgrove Preparatory School were not to disappoint.

• Rory Townsend, who qualified a year early, achieved a huge personal best time in the U10 25m Freestyle finishing 19th in the country.

• Aaliyah Jackson competed in the U10 Backstroke finishing 7th in the country.

• Caitlin Pridden achieved 17th in the country in the U13 50mt Backstroke.

• Evie Beckley competed in the U12 50mt Backstroke finishing 9th in the country

• Harry Helmore had an amazing swim finishing 9th in the U12 50mt Backstroke.

• Iseoluwa Odugbesan competed in the U13 50mt freestyle finishing 4th in the country, an amazing swim in what is perhaps the fastest race of the day.

• Finally, to top an already amazing day, Sophia Bhardwaj and Ella Cunningham had the swim of their lives. Sophia finished 3rd in the U13 Girls’ 50mt Butterfly, and in doing so, smashed the existing School record, setting a new time of 30.44 seconds.

Ella Cunningham competed in the U12 50mt Freestyle, achieving a new personal best time of 30.05 seconds and becoming the IAPS National Champion in the U12 Girls’ 50mt Freestyle, a monumental achievement.

With the ESSA Primary School Relays being a team event and including all UK schools, the competition was extremely strong.

The girls’ Relay team including Freya Obrey, Eloise Warman, Darcey Hackett, Aaliyah Jackson and Phoebe Lloyde finished 5th and overall 6th in the Midlands.

The boys’ team of Joshua Bhardwaj, Panashe Madzingo, Dexter Ward and Carsten Langlois finished 13th and overall 15th in the Midlands.

J Danks

Senior Swimming

The swimming season for Bromsgrove School has been filled with remarkable achievements and outstanding performances by both the girls’ and boys’ teams. With a combination of individual successes and team triumphs, the swimmers have made the School proud.

The girls’ team, consisting of Emily Bower, Maya Wingfield, Lucy Hatfield and Olivia Spittle, showcased their exceptional talent throughout the season. Their dedication paid off as they achieved remarkable results in the prestigious ESSA National Finals held at the iconic London Olympic pool. Competing against some of the best swimmers in the country, the girls displayed their skill and hard work. In the U18 girls’ Freestyle event, they secured an impressive 9th place finish. Additionally, in the U18 girls’ Medley, they achieved a commendable 15th place, demonstrating their teamwork.

The boys’ team, represented by Oliver Cattell, Henry Foster, Veron Samra, and Beau Vaughan-Hawkins in the U15 category also left their mark in the ESSA National Finals. Their performance in the U15 boys’ Medley event was exceptional, securing a commendable 30th place finish.

The girls’ team demonstrated their strength further in a thrilling competition against Cheltenham Ladies’ College, showcasing their skills across various age groups. With their outstanding performances, they earned a convincing victory. This accomplishment reflects the depth of talent and unity within the team.

The swimmers’ outstanding performance at the Bath and Otter Relays truly made for a thrilling watch. Both the U18 girls’ and U18 boys’ teams qualified for the finals, where they demonstrated their determination to achieve the results for Bromsgrove. Out of seventy-five schools, the girls were placed 7th in the 4 x 50m Freestyle Relay and 8th in the 4 x 50m Medley Relay. The boys were placed 12th in the 4 x 100m Relay. All excellent achievements.

There have been some other remarkable fixtures this season, such as the away events at Bloxham, Stowe and Marlborough. The swimmers have not only achieved spectacular results for Bromsgrove School, but also significantly improved their individual results, highlighting the hard training throughout the year.

The swimmers’ success is a testament to the unwavering commitment, relentless training and the guidance provided by their coaches. Their achievements not only bring glory to any Bromsgrovian but also serve as an inspiration for future generations of swimmers at the School.

The entire community congratulates the swimmers on their remarkable season. Their success in the ESSA National Finals and the convincing victory against Cheltenham Ladies’ College is a testament to their talent, hard work and team spirit.

Nikolay Kovalikhin

(Boys’ Swimming Captain)

Senior Table Tennis

The 2022/23 season was a superb year for the Senior pupils and an excellent season for the boys at the Prep School who were allowed access to coaching for the first time.

We started the season with three matches against teams from Littleton Table Tennis Club, Evesham, winning all three. We then focussed on the English Schools’ and external tournaments for some of our stronger and improving players. The season finished with a win in the Derby match v Prince Henry’s, and two friendlies against Stourport High School, which we also won, giving our beginner and improving players a chance to shine.

Howard Wong, Frederick Tao, Karis Cheng, Tiffany Fan and Cherry Tang formed a squad of players that were entered in the Junior National League at Bristol. The standard of play at this level is high and teams are mainly comprised from recognized table tennis clubs. The squad put in a tremendous display over the four weekends to win the B Division and receive champions medals. Frederick won an incredible thirty seven out of thirty-eight matches.

We saw tremendous success in the Graded Tournaments at Lillington Table Tennis Club. Merrick Yeung, Howard Wong, Karis Cheng and Aaron Ha all won trophies whilst others gained valuable match experience.

In the Butterfly English School Team Championships, the U19 boys, comprising of Frederick Tao, Ethan Tong, Teodor Todorov and Alvin Wu, were unlucky not to win the County Championship. We also thank Alvin who had to step in at short notice for Howard Wong due to illness. Finishing second, the team were still selected to go through to the Zone Finals, where, after welcoming back Howard, they came away as champions. At the regional finals, joined by Merrick Yeung, they faced some stellar teams, finishing in a credible third place.

The U19 girls of Karis Cheng and Tamara Kamal Aboul Gheit also faired extremely well, finishing as runners up at the County stage. Similarly, the U16 boys’ team of Alex Lau, Thomas Cheung, Ambrose Ho, Arion Cheung and Andrea Cosmelli were runners up at the County stage.

The U16 girls - Karis Cheng, Tiffany Fan, Cherry Tang and Bernice Tse - won the Worcestershire Schools County Championships. They were runners up at the Zone Finals, qualifying for the Regional Finals. At the Regional stage, they finished second to an extremely strong team from London Academy.

In the Butterly Individual Championships, Teodor Todorov finished as runner up in the U19 boys’ County Stage, as did Frederick Tao in the U16 boys category, with Merrick Yeung taking the third place spot.

For the first time in three years, Bromsgrove School won the Annual Derby Cup beating Prince Henry’s High School 12-10.

Arion Cheung, Yannis Raffael Marinas, Thomas Cheung, Arjun Hayre, Aayan Kang and Aayran Jilka all used table tennis as part of their physical/skill assessment to obtain their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Awards this year.

Over the October and February half term and Easter holidays, we held thirteen table tennis coaching/activity sessions for boarders who wanted to take part.

J McKay

Prep Table Tennis

The U13 boys’ table tennis team of Wilfred Yu, Aaron Ha, Sam Critchley, Reeyaz Gurung, Issac Chinnadural and Jeremy Chan won the Worcestershire Schools County Championships. Wilfred, Aaron, Sam and Jeremy were then joined by Douglas Chan in the Zone Finals where they exceeded expectations finishing in the runners up spot to qualify for the Regional Finals. Against older boys at the Regionals, they played well to finish in 4th place; a great achievement.

The standout performance of the year was by Wilfred Yu who qualified for the National Finals where he was crowned U13 boys’ Worcestershire Schools County Champion and Player of the Junior Tournament. He competed superbly well against high quality opposition.

L Mullan

Prep Girls’ Tennis

The U13 and U12 teams have enjoyed their fixtures, with, at times, forty-two pupils playing at once. The U13A team have finished the year with a good set of results, progressing well throughout the season. Our B and C teams represented the School (some for the first time), beating Trent College and Beaudesert.

Congratulations to the U13C and D teams who progressed throughout the term and were unbeaten all season.

The U12As and Bs have a very strong squad and they have demonstrated superb tennis skills in all their matches. Strength and depth in this year group is evident by the fact that our U12CS were also unbeaten.

Congratulations, in particular, go to Grace Hadley (Year 7) who represented the U18 Cup team and enjoyed a tremendous Area Cup run all the way to the final where they narrowly lost 6-7 to Repton School.

The junior teams also enjoyed matches against several local schools, with the U11A and U10A teams playing against Cheltenham College, Dean Close and taking part in an Invitational tennis tournament at Warwick Prep. The girls have worked hard on their skills and demonstrated a lot of power in their shots. They are thinking more about when to play different types of hit with excellent examples of smashes and volleys regularly seen in matches. They are also thinking carefully about moving to the best position for a hit and continuing to speed up their reactions. All the U10 girls are exceptionally strong this year and they show huge promise for the future.

J Danks

Senior Boys’ Tennis

It has, once again, been an exceptional year of tennis for the boys, supported by a wealth of midweek and Saturday fixtures. The success of these has been aided by the guidance and support from Mr Lawton and his team of coaches, providing the team with an array of countless opportunities to improve skills and performance.

The 1st team has had an excellent term of fixtures with impressive wins over Clifton and Bloxham, alongside the narrow loss to Cheltenham 4-5. Overall, the team has demonstrated their perseverance and strong aspirations to win in every fixture throughout the term.

The 1st team also participated in the Area Cup, with the team of Jason Chu, Damon Cheng, Felix Rhode, Lennart Kemper and Louis Gabard, winning matches against Uppingham and Old Swindon Hospital (both 6-0), meaning a place in the Area Cup Final. This resulted in a close match, ultimately ending in a loss against KES Birmingham. Nevertheless, the boys must be commended on their excellent achievement and determination. The team also went through to the quarter-finals of the Tier 1 National Cup. Although the boys experienced a narrow loss against The Chase School 4-8, the team has never been more determined for next year.

The U16A team has displayed brilliant teamwork and ability this term, particularly in their win against RGS Worcester 6-0. This was consolidated by their remarkable victory in the County Cup against Malvern College, as Charles Fielding and Alexis Chiliment won the doubles. Notable successes for our other teams include the U14As win over RGS Worcester, the U15As win over Warwick, KES Birmingham, Clifton College, Bloxham School, and the U18Bs win over Bloxham 9-0. The impressive results of the younger age groups foreshadows the great success and potential of the team as they progress.

The term also embraced the newly introduced Bromsgrove School May Half Term Grade 4 Tournament, which saw over 190 entries with a total of twenty-seven events. The initiation of the competition reflects the rising opportunities for individuals to focus on improving their abilities and expanding their skills in tennis.

To conclude the season, the School welcomed back a group of Old Bromsgrovians to play in the traditional annual competition against the boys’ and girls’ 1st teams. Following the nine matches, all intensely fought, the day ended in a narrow loss of 4-5 for the current pupils. It was wonderful to reunite with the OBs and discuss where tennis has taken them post-Bromsgrove.

Chun Chu (Boys’ Captain)

Senior Girls’ Tennis

The aim of the 1st tennis team this season was to emulate last year’s fantastic achievement of qualifying for the National Schools’ Competition and guaranteeing a top sixteen ranking as one of the best schools in the country. The format of the competition is for schools to select their top players (Years 7-13) with each playing a ‘best of three set’ match at both singles and doubles. The team comprised of captain Paulina Jurkowska (Upper Sixth), Josie Ward (Lower Sixth), Gina Obrey (Lower Fourth), Farah Croce (Lower Fourth) and, making her debut in the competition, Grace Hadley (Year 7).

The team breezed through the first few rounds of the competition and were then drawn against Repton School, with the winners cementing their place at National Finals. After an extremely long and tense match, and with the clock nearing 10.00pm, it all went down to a final championship doubles tie-break.

Games are won and lost on such fine margins and, sadly, it was not to be this year with Paulina and Gina narrowly losing the tie-break 10-6. The girls were bitterly disappointed but equally determined to come back next year and fight again for their place amongst the school-age elite.

Other highlights of the season include Paulina and Josie winning the prestigious and historic Midlands Girls’ Tournament and defending the enormous trophy that Paulina and Latesha won last season. Gina and Farah were crowned U16 County Doubles Champions (despite playing up in an older age category) and Josie Ward was the U18 County Singles Champion. The Fourth Form team finished as division winners in their Cup competition and will compete in the knockout rounds of the National Tournament for their age group.

In regular School Saturday matches, there were many promising performances from players in varying age groups. Matches were played against opposition such as Clifton College, King’s High, Cheltenham College, Repton, Rugby and, on the final weekend, a highly enjoyable ‘mixed doubles’ match against Shrewsbury School.

This has been a fantastic season and well done to all the players and coaches who contributed towards the success of Bromsgrove School tennis.

S Franks

Senior Volleyball

The 2022/23 academic year proved to be a success for the 1st boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams. Engaging in an U18 National competition and participating in friendly fixtures during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, both teams demonstrated dedication, teamwork and skill. Whilst the boys’ 1st team narrowly missed out on progressing to the final eight competition, their performance showcased their competitive spirit. The girls’ team, on the other hand, gained valuable experience despite not reaching the finals. These achievements reflect the growing popularity and success of Volleyball at Bromsgrove School.

Overall, the success and popularity of volleyball at Bromsgrove School is evident. The dedication and enthusiasm displayed by both teams has inspired other students to join the club and improve their skills. As the sport continues to thrive, it is clear that Bromsgrove School’s volleyball programme has become an integral part of the School’s sporting culture, fostering teamwork, camaraderie and a passion for the game.

Led by the passionate and enthusiastic captain, Marcus Au Yeung, the boys’ 1st team exhibited remarkable competitiveness throughout the Tier 2 National competition. Despite falling short of the Final eight, their performance left a lasting impression. Marcus’ leadership was instrumental in motivating the team and encouraging the growth of the club. His dedication to expanding participation and fostering skill development has positively impacted the volleyball community at Bromsgrove. Notably, standout performances from Benedikt Rast, Ricky Wan and Oscar Chow were crucial to the team’s success, showcasing their invaluable contributions and exceptional abilities on the court.

Boys’ 1st Team Girls’ 1st Team

Under the captaincy of Yuyu Chan, the girls’ 1st team embraced the challenges presented by the Tier 2 National competition. Although they did not progress to the final rounds, the girls emerged from the experience with newfound knowledge and a memorable journey. Lessons learned throughout the competition will undoubtedly contribute to the team’s growth and future successes. The girls’ enthusiasm, dedication and positive spirit were commendable, reflecting their commitment to upholding the values of Bromsgrove School.

S Bayliss

Honours Awards 2022/23

Academic

Prep School

Senior Colours: Will Alekna, Nahum Benjamin, Amelia Fox, Lydia Greaves, Olivia Grove, Avanti Gurung, Prekshya Gurung, Samuel Harries, James Hoare, Yasmin Hughes, Adam McClure, Natalie McNeil, Zariya Petrova, Monty Pritchard, Siena Ward

Junior Colours: Avani Bhandal, Suleman Butt, Zoe Foster, Eden Hall, Florence Martin, Isabelle McAloon, Freya Obrey, Amara Ratra, Tabitha Singleton, Vanshika Sopariwala, Sophie Tang

AEO Badge Winners: Eleanor Ballard, Avani Bhandal, Eva Busby-Mcvey, Florence Martin, Zoe Foster, Sam Inglis, Poppy Peevor, Alice Toye

Activity Awards

Prep School

Mixed Media with Textiles: Sophie Glover, Jess Holland, Chloe Wilkinson

Photography: Jess Gallimore, Lola Jones, Aryan Panawar

Minimus Latin Club: Aleah Abraham, William Morris, Franklin White, Sophie White, Oscar Wilson

LAMDA: Ethan Masterson

Goblin Car: Louis Albutt, Xander Dixon, Isaac Franklin, Noah Quinn, Harvey Williams

Karate: Rocco Gallagher, Hudson Lancaster

ODDBall: Nico Fickert, Zayd Rauf

Origami: Freya Kettle, Simon Kettle, Sangmu Lama, Anthony Park, Harrison Salisbury

Bullet Journal: Evie Harji

Inside Outside Art: Bosco Wu

Swim Squads: Phoebe Lloyd

Golf Activity: Jess Galimore, Kenshin Miura

Badminton Activity: Sesehang Limbu

Snack Monitors: Kimanni Best, Daniel Connelly, Jack Liu

Reasoning: Eilidh Bird, Anthony Park, Emily Round, Teresa Tian, Jake Wilkinson

Gardening Certificates: Priya Madhavan, Max Morgan, Henry Stones

Craft: Sebastian Buckle, Sienna Channa, Kimi Fickert, Anushka Giles, Sangmu Lama, Joanna Liao, Rowan Reijmer, Bodhan Sunuwar, Neeloh Sunuwar, Elodie Wallington

Buddies: Avani Bhandal, Samuel Collins, Edward Coote, Sam Critchley, Dylan Fry, Lydia Greaves, Millie Hipkins, Anna Hooton, Sam Ivison, Grace Laurenson, Matthew Law, Ethan Masterson, Adam McClure, Amina Muldasheva, Zachary Nokes, Caitlin Pridden, Rowan Reijer, Edward Sollars, Marcus Williams

Art

Prep School

Senior Colours: Georgina Byrne, Millie Hipkins

Athletics

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Charlotte Ascough, Malakhi Bailey, Louis Belcuore, Sophia Bhardwaj, Martha Blower, Isobel Boardman, Celina Borkowska, Sam Brown, Neave Colley, Ella Cunningham, Freddie Giles, William Hapgood, Harry Helmore, Millie Hipkins, James Hoare, Yasmin Hughes, Daisy Jones, James Longworth, Adrienne McCormack, Natalie McNeil, Emily Meese, Sofia Neale, Iseoluwa Odugbesan, Caitlin Pridden, Namsong Rai, Buster Reid, Joseph Simon, Eva Thorpe

Senior Half Colours: Lucas Ashurst, Struan Brockie, George Collier, Charlie Flint, Amelia Fox, Olivia Grove, Nish Gurung, Prisha Gurung, George Hall, Lissie Hay, Ed Head, Matthew Law, Oscar Len,

Elsa Phillips-Girling

Junior Full Colours: Sophie Jones

Junior Half Colours: Toby Kippax, Tyler Li, Tanaka Muchena, Thomas Reid

Most Outstanding Athlete: William Hapgood (Senior), Iseoluwa Odugbesan (Senior), Sophie Jones (Junior), Toby Kippax (Junior)

Most Improved Athlete: Yasmin Hughes (Senior), Namsong Rai (Senior), Chloe Greathurst (Junior), Harry Thompson (Junior), Ari Thorpe (Junior)

Bourne Cup for the Athletics Thrower of the Season: Neave Colley

Senior

Caps: Zach Armstrong, Billy McDonough, Callum Wilkinson

Major School Colours: Oliver Bullock, William Hobbs, Morgan McKinley, Alanna Pullen, Jess Whitlock

Minor School Colours: Matthew Bevins, Lucy Cattell, Joshua Haughton, James Hobbs, Joe Kippax, Ella Loftus, Harry Ingram, Henry Parsons, William Pridden, Jack Wilkinson, Iruoma Onwuka-Iwuchukwu, Cherry Tang

Badminton

Senior School

Caps: Marius Chung, Zoe Pang, Noon Sunsaneeyachevin

Minor Colours: Kaashif Ali Baig, Nathan Chan, Shivam Chawlia, Karis Cheung, Marcus Chung, Tiffany Fan, Sharon Mang, Cherry Tang, Bernice Tse, Shawn Wong, Henning Wu, Merrideth Young

Basketball

Prep School

Most Outstanding Basketball Player Award: Ningso Congbang Limbu

Most Improved Basketball Player Award: Eugene Chan

Senior School

Major Colours: Eugene Nwanonye, Chester Tsao

Minor Colours: Matthew Lau, Jordan Nonyelu, Erik Pedaja, Aidan Swadling, Devon Yin, Day Yu

Fourth Form Commendations: Kingsley Anyadiegwu, Noah BradfordGibbs, George Lau, Daniel Leung, Klement Man, Lester Ng, Ayush Sunuwat, Lockey Wigglesworth, Evan Zhou

Boarders’ Awards

Prep School

The Edwards Cup for Most Considerate Boy Boarder: Myles Gurung

The Bond Salver for Most Considerate Girl Boarder: Tatiana Ho

Cricket

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Sophia Bhardwaj, Neave Colley, George Hall, Ed Head, Emily Meese, Sienna Ward

Senior Half Colours: Daisy Apperley, Isobel Boardman, Amelia Fox, Wilf Gilbert, Olivia Grove, Prekshya Gurung, Lissie Hay, Lola Jones, Beau Langford, Natalie McNeil, William St George Russell

Junior Full Colours: Joshua Bhardwaj, Arjun Bhogal, Robyn Duffy, Gigi Gilbert, Sophie Jones, Roshan Kotekar, Freya Obrey, Zach Trinder, Dexter Ward

Junior Half Colours: Luca Grant, Leon Jewkes-Aguirre, Toby Kippax, Nandi Panwar, Avani Patel

Most Valuable Cricket Player: Emily Meese (Senior) and Robyn Duffy (Junior)

Most Improved Cricket Player: Siena Ward (Senior) and Chloe Head (Junior)

Paul Greetham Cup for Best Batsman: George Hall

Best Junior Batsman: Joshua Bhardwaj Haffner Cup for Best Cricket Ball Throw: Joshua Bhardwaj

Best Bowler Award: Will Alekna (Senior) and Rosha Kotekar (Junior)

Best All Rounder Award: Ed Head (Senior) and Zach Trinder (Junior)

Senior School

Caps: Elliott Evans, Archie Greaves-Hall, Fred Hanson, Jack Warner

Minor Colours: Thomas Ashton, James Batterley, Bobby Riley, Nathan Tidmarsh, JJ Whitlock

Cross-Country

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Caitlin Pridden, Sofia Neale

Senior Half Colours: Martha Blower, Ella Cunningham

Most Outstanding Senior Athlete: Caitlin Pridden

Senior School

Cap: Callum Wilkinson

Minor Colours: Jethro Chan, William Pridden

Major Colours: Sophia Meadows Halstead Cup: Ivan Lepskyi

Extra-Curricular

Senior School

Crest Bronze Award: Xanthe Matthews (awarded for a project on the comparison of the efficacy of abrasion methodologies)

IDEA Portal Digital Skills Platform Certificate: Evie Jones

Drama

Prep School

Senior Colours: Will Alekna, Tori Baker, Lola Broadhurst, Sam Critchley, Olivia Faber, Amelie Glaze, Lydia Greaves, Olivia Grove, Grace Laurenson, Leah Marie, Ethan Masterson, Monty Pritchard, Abigail Round, Joe Simon, Anya Wu, Siena Ward

Junior Colours: Dylan Fry, Freddie Gibbons, Chloe Greathurst, Eden Hall, Freya Obrey, Anna Hooten, Freddie St George Russell, Edward Sollars, Leon Jewkes Aguire,

Sam Collins, Penelope Higgins, Flo Martin, Isabelle McAloon, Keon Rana, Dexter Ward, Toby Kippax, David Odinstov, Tom Reid, Zayd Rauf, Suleman Butt

Senior School

Caps: Theo Gilbert-Birch, Fred Hanson, Joseph Hong, Charlotte James, Olivia Whitfield, Jessica Whitlock, Jake Wingfield

Major Colours: Marcus Au Yeung, Thando Best, Harrison Brown, Charlie Cooper, Charlie Hodgson, Chi Lam, Paris Siviter, Jared Spurgeon, Izzy Rusling, Anya Sanikop, Callum Wilkinson

Minor Colours: Neel Agrawal, Jack Atkinson, Boris Belov, Hugo Blackwell, Harry Bradley, Charissa Brobbey-Sarpong, Isla Chattin, Anastasia Luca, Olivia McKelvey, Irouma Onwuka-Iwuchukwu, Matilda Richardson, Rukhsang Tamang, Bernice Tse, Zeman Woo

Fencing

Senior School

Cap: Laura Floricic

Football

Senior School

Caps: Tamara Kamal Aboul Gheit, Yui Cheung, Henry Jinks, Eugene Nwanonye, Aaron Wood

Major Colours: Ibrahim Zaazou

Minor Colours: Louise Apuusi, Charissa Brobbey-Sarpong, Emily Collett, Kamilla Jumatova, Taiga Nakamizo, Shamip Rai, JJ Reijmer

1st XI Player of the Year: Eugene Nwanonye

Nicholson-Abraham Trophy for Player of the Year: Emily Collett

Golf

Senior School

Cap: James Humphries

Webb-Cavill Trophy: James Humpries

Honours Awards 2022/23

Hockey

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Isobel Boardman, Neave Colley, Amelia Fox, Prekshya Gurung, Emily Meese, Natalie McNeil

Senior Half Colours: Imogen Brinkman, Lissie Hay, Zariya Petrova

Junior Full Colours: Robyn Duffy, Gigi Gilbert, Penelope Higgins, Sophie Jones, Eloise Warman

Junior Half Colours: Kusong Limbu, Freya Obrey

Most Valuable Player: Prekshya Gurung (U13) and Sophie Jones (U11)

Most Improved Player: Zara Latin-Smith (U13) and Kristy Liu (U11)

Senior School

Caps: Abi Barker, Elliott Evans, Archie Greaves-Hall, George Lamb, Katie Murray, Thomas Nicholson, Cameron Owen, Finlay Shaylor, Jemima Vaughan-Hawkins, Jack Warner, Jess Whitlock

Major Colours: Isaac Bridge, Edward Kerton, Sophia Meadows, Emilia Mobius, Izzy Rusling, Henry Scott

Minor Colours: Neil Agrawal, Thomas Ashton, Finn Austin, Matt Bevins, Emily Collett, Ava Colley, Lily Falahee, Thomas Fullard, Hriyaj Gurung, Katie Harris, James Hobbs, Joseph Kippax, Honey Luscombe, Teah Petrova, Scarlet Preston, Jack Wilkinson

John Downey Cup: Cameron Owen Girls’ Player of the Year: Abi Barker

ICT

Prep School

Grumball Cup: Sam Inglis

Music

Prep School

Senior Colours: Malakhi Bailey, Tori Baker, Isabel Boardman, Imogen Brickman, Georgina Byrne, Eugene Chan, Winston Chung, Sam Critchley, Jenson Fickert, Jess Gallimore, Lydia Greaves, Max Harrison, Yasmine Hughes, Grace Laurenson, Erica Lewis, Leah Marie, Ethan Masterson, Amina Muldasheva, Iseoluwa Odugbusan, Aryan Panwar, Oliver Philips-Girling, Caitlin Pridden, Sam Reynolds Dennis, Abigail Round, Joseph Simons, Gethin Warpole, Archie Wilson, Anya Wu

Junior Colours: Harriet Barnes, Avani Bhandal, Samuel Collins, Nico Flickert, Dylan Fry, Anna Hooten, Amelia Hughes, Sam Ivison, Roshan Kotekar, Leah Luscott-Evans, Leon Jewkes Aquirre, Rowan Laurenson, Zachary Noakes, Panache Madzingo, Florence Martin, Isabelle McAloon, Lily McCormick, Freya Obrey, Nandi Panwar, Avani Patel, Beatrice O’Shaunessy, Amara Ratna, Vanshika Sopariwala, Marcus Williams

Davis Cup (Strings): Amina Muldasheva, Isobel Boardman

Page Cup (Woodwind): Joseph Simon

Egremont Cup (Singing): Siena Ward

Parnell Cup (Piano): Jenson Fickert

Percussion Cup: Samuel Critchley

Senior School

Caps: Eleanor Boardman, Joshua Graesser, Charlotte James, Sophia Meadows, Henry Scott, Jake Wingfield

Major Colours: Amelie Chung, David Corcoran, Eleanor Dunn, Fred Hanson, Alexander Holroyd, Joseph Hong, Jessica Whitlock

Minor Colours: Neel Agrawal, Christina Bai, Lauren Baker, Charissa Brobbey-Sarpong, Karis Cheng, Alex Cheung, Marco Lee, Hailey Li, Olivia McKelvey, Huxley Ngan,

Erik Pedaja, Tilly Richardson, Aidan Swadling, Cherry Tang, Bernice Tse, Shawn Wong, Merrick Yeung

Netball

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Sophia Bhardwaj, Siena Ward, Olivia Grove, Olivia Faber, Iseoluwa Odugbesan, Amelia Fox, Isobel Boardman, Daisy Whitehouse, Eva Thorpe, Sofia Neale, Isabel Gibson, Bella Wright, Maya Tindall, Riah Bailey, Hollie Walker

Re-awarded Full Colours: Neave Colley

Senior Half Colours: Georgina Byrne

Junior Full Colours: Sophie Jones, Gigi Gilbert

Junior Half Colours: Robyn Duffy, Freya Obrey

Most Valuable Player: Neave Colley (U13) and Sophie Jones (U11)

Most Improved Player: Elsa Phillips-Girling (U13) and Kusong Limbu (U11)

Senior School Cap: Alanna Pullen

Major Colours: Eleanor Dunn, Nissa Niroumand, Grace Richardson, Sophie Spittle, Jemima Vaughan-Hawkins

Minor Colours: Emily Bower, Ava Colley, Ella Loftus, Honey Luscombe, Jess Monthe (for her England caps), Liz Smith, Lexi Wright

Netball Player of the Year: Alana Pullen

Rugby

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Sam Brown, Buster Reid, Joseph Simon

Senior Half Colours: Alex Dawson, Ed Head, Will Siviter, Beau Langford

Junior Full Colours: Joshua Bhardwaj, Toby Kippax, Thomas Reid, Dexter Ward, Oliver Wheale, Harry Wilson

Junior Half Colours: Roshan Kotekar, David Odintsov, Zachary Trinder

Merit Certificate: George Barnes

Most Outstanding Player: Buster Reid (U13) and Dexter Ward (U11)

Most Improved Player: Alex Dawson (U13) and Thomas Reid (U11)

Senior School

Caps: Zach Armstrong, Rafferty Gallagher, Samuel Grimmett-Bate, Billy McDonough, Matty Walker

Major Colours: Oliver Bullock, Noah Hanke, Sonny Morgan, Cyrus Passman, Jacob Stirk

Minor Colours: Thomas Ashton, Edward Atkinson, Jack Gilbert, Josh Haughton, James Hobbs, Harry Ingram, Joseph Kippax, Henry Parsons, Jack Wilkinson

1st XV Player of the Year: Billy McDonough

Perrey Thompson Trophy: Rafferty Gallagher

Squash

Senior School

Cap: William Hobbs

Swimming

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Sophia Bhardwaj, Evie Beckley, Edward Coote, Ella Cunningham, Edward Head, Harry Helmore, Matthew Law, Iseoluwa Odugbesan, Caitlin Pridden, Buster Reid, Rowan Reijmer

Senior Half Colours: James Hoare, Benjamin Conroy, Jenson Fickert, Siena Ward

Junior Full Colours: Panashe Madzingo, Freya Obrey

Junior Half Colours: Avani Bhandal, Joshua Bhardwaj, Samuel Collins, Darcey Conroy, Seren Daly, Gigi Gilbert, Luca Grant, Amelia Hughes,

Sophie Jones, Toby Kippax, Samuel Middleton, Zachary Noakes, David Odintsov, Thomas Reid, Tabitha Singleton, Dexter Ward, Eloise Warman, Oliver Wheale

Most Outstanding Senior Swimmer: Sophia Bhardwaj and Matthew Law

Most Improved Senior Swimmer: Iseoluwa Odugbesan and Ethan Masterton

Most Improved Junior Swimmer: Eloise Warman and Panashe Madzingo

Senior School

Major Colours: Serena Cai, Julian Lui, Cyrus Passman

Minor Colours: Emily Bower, Lucy Cattell, Darcy Dines, Fraser Jones, Kamilla Jumatova, Huxley Ngan, William Pridden, Bobby Riley, Maya Wingfield

Table Tennis

Senior School

Minor Colours: Karis Cheng, Tiffany Fan, Ambrose Ho, Alex Lau, Cherry Tang, Bernice Tse, Howard Wong, Alvin Wu, Merrick Yeung

Player of the Year: Tiffany Fan and Frederick Tao

Most Improved Player: Tiffany Fan

Tennis

Prep School

Senior Full Colours: Daisy Apperley, Imogen Brinkman, Isobel Boardman, Olivia Grove, Grace Hadley, Natalie McNeil

Senior Half Colours: Douglas Chan, Lissie Hay, Beau Langford, Emily Meese, Iseoluwa Odugbesan, William Siviter

Junior Full Colours: Freya Obrey

Most Valuable Tennis Player: Daisy Apperley (Senior) and Freya Obrey (Junior)

Most Improved Tennis Player: Ava Curley (Senior) and Eden Hall (Junior)

Senior School

Caps: Jason Chu, Paulina Jurkowska, Cameron Owen

Major Colours: Louis Gabbard, Grace Richardson

Minor Colours: Oriol Sachez I Bosser, Ava Colley, Honey Bo Luscombe, Ale Schierenbeck Robles, Liz Smith, Lexi Wright

Volleyball

Senior School

Caps: Marcus Au-Yeung

Major Colours: Yuyu Chan, Amos Chau, Justinus Stankus

Pre-Prep Staff Leaver

Sharon Symonds (2003-2023)

Sharon is retiring this Summer after twenty years of teaching at Bromsgrove Pre-Prep, and she will be greatly missed by colleagues, parents, and children alike. Sharon established the Nursery department to be the thriving and successful setting that it is today, she understood what was needed, always led by example and was a respected Head of Early Years. Sharon was also a loyal member of the Senior Management Team, helping to drive forward initiatives, and her support, professionalism, efficiency and thorough knowledge of the EYFS were such an asset to the School.

The children have been at the heart of everything Sharon has done, and she has nurtured every single child in her care, always putting their needs above all else. In recent years, she has delivered engaging and enjoyable French lessons to every child within the School and has created a bespoke curriculum, focusing on conversation and culture. The songs, annual French café and outdoor boules in the garden have been firm favourites with the children. Sharon has also accompanied many School outings from theatre trips to visiting West Midland Safari Park (in the snow), being ‘evacuated’ on the Severn Valley Railway and accompanying Year 2 leavers on their Go Ape Treetop Adventure, where she kept her feet firmly on the ground!

Sharon is not just a colleague but a valued friend to so many at the School, she shows a genuine interest and care for others and will always go ‘the extra mile’ for someone in need. She also supports colleagues and families, long after they have left the School. She has a strong family focus and as well as being a highly valued member of the teaching staff at Bromsgrove School, she has also been a parent and most recently grandparent of young Bromsgrovians, always supporting every area of School life. Sharon will be missed by us all at Pre-Prep, but we wish her every happiness in the next chapter of her life.

K Western

Senior Staff Leavers

Jon Wingfield (1996-2016, 2018-2023)

We lose a talented, committed and esteemed Bromsgrovian as Jon Wingfield leaves us to take up the position of Vice Principal at the National Maths and Science College. Has there been a better, more versatile, contributor to Bromsgrove School in the past thirty years? I think not. Jon has served Bromsgrove School for a quarter of a century over two stints, with a brief sojourn in Thailand in between. His contribution to the School over the past three decades reads like a one-man Maroon Book. Since rejoining in 2018, he has headed up the Sixth Form, firstly as Director of A Level and BTEC, then taking on the additional role of Director of Tutoring before also taking responsibility for the Futures department as Deputy Head Sixth Form.

Prior to these roles, Jon had been Houseparent of no less than four Houses (Lupton, School, Housman Hall and Lyttelton) across Day and Boarding, before running Bromsgrove International School Thailand as Headmaster on a one year secondment. On his return, he held the position of Deputy Head of the Prep School, having also led the Economics department with distinction. At the very core of everything he has done at Bromsgrove has been the well-being, education, and progress of the pupil body.

One of Jon’s Sixth Form pupils was asked to sum up their thoughts of him as a teacher, to which they replied: “Approachable; kind; organised; always willing to help”; (and perhaps most tellingly) “he loves what he is doing.” Because at heart, despite all that he has done and the huge wealth of experience he has, Jon is an Economics teacher; indeed, one whom Mr Ruben describes as “quite possibly the best A Level Economics teacher of his generation” – and to be clear, he means the best in the country

Jon does not seek the limelight; he has a tremendous capacity for hard work and just gets on with the job. He is fiercely intelligent; an innovator and an ideas man who doesn’t sit still but will constantly seek to improve. One could say he is the ultimate professional. He is a man of immense talent and dedication; Jon has taken on the biggest jobs that the School could throw at him, and has mastered them all. As a colleague, Jon is warm, engaging, supportive and great fun. He will be hugely missed; we wish him every success and happiness for the future.

D Wilkins

Grace Hanson (2014-2023)

An exceptional teacher, Grace Hanson’s greatest contribution to Bromsgrove has been inspiring students to maximise their talents in all areas of School life. Many have described her as a ‘legend’ with her intellectual prowess, creative flair and cool persona, it is clear why this description fits.

Ottilie Hild has been a very happy environment for the girls who call it home, with Grace’s initiatives having seen her go the extra mile in order to create an enjoyable, welcoming and stimulating atmosphere in the House. As a Houseparent, she has been immensely caring, approachable and helpful to the pupils under her care, whilst her firm and fair dealings have left them in no doubt as to the expectations that their School and House has for them. She has also encouraged tutors to share their talents and skills with their charges.

First and foremost, Grace has always been a rock steady support for the girls in Ottilie Hild. As the leader, she is held in the highest esteem. Her willingness to lead from the front and her insistence to go above and beyond the call of duty has allowed everyone to develop creatively and academically.

The RS Department will miss Grace so much. She has been such a great colleague, as well as an incredible classroom practitioner. Her lessons have been amazing, and her students have not only learned so much, but they have been stimulated by a teacher who loves her subject. It is no surprise to her colleagues that she has moved on to heading up a department of her own, the only surprise being that she didn’t do this sooner. She is certainly more than ready to take this next step in her career.

In her time at Bromsgrove, Grace has shown what it means to be a true Bromsgrovian, involved in all aspects of School life, she has coached hockey, netball and athletics, led CCF sessions and been a regular on field days. She has volunteered for DofE expeditions, Lower Fourth camps and the Malvern Field day every year, always wanting the students to have the best experiences. What area of the School won’t miss Grace is hard to find, but she leaves richer for all that she has offered, showing the students in her care that the best way to enjoy Bromsgrove is to get involved.

We wish her the greatest success as she leaves us to embark on a new adventure. She will be sorely missed, but she leaves having made an impact on so many here and now ready to made an impact on new students in a new environment.

P Mullan

David Corns (2017-2023)

When David joined the Classics Department in 2017, we not only gained a first-rate Classics Teacher and Head of Department, but also a truly gifted academic; someone keen to promote the subject and collaboratively build the department. I remember Al McClure’s comment shortly after David’s appointment when he remarked that: “he’ll certainly keep us on our toes” – and how right he was. Put simply, David is the smartest person I know, a veritable ‘cornucopia’ of knowledge and someone I regularly refer to as ‘The Classics Teacher’s Classics Teacher’. And, in a subject where such intellect and IQ are usually coupled with a monogrammed briefcase, suede arm patches, and starting off every sentence with the phrase ‘well, actually’, David is mercifully normal, down to earth, and brilliantly funny.

It is always tough joining a new School and must be doubly so as a Head of Department; being both the new guy and the ‘gaffer’. Yet, right from the beginning, David was keen to get stuck in and has always remained kind, open and exceedingly generous with his time. Over his six years at Bromsgrove, he has accomplished so much: introducing a new Latin course at every level (authored entirely by himself), establishing Greek right the way through to A Level, setting up Sixth Form Enrichment as an activity, and even redecorating Millington with his own outstanding photography that showcases so many Classical sites - these are just a

few of his numerous achievements, and he has always forged on with Herculean effort no matter how Sisyphean the task.

The impact he has had on his students is clear to see; it is quite some going that his Elmshurst tutees from his first year still regularly came to visit him, even after he moved on to School House, and though they’ve now left the School, some still write to him to ask advice or seek a reference. In his second year, David moved on to be a tutor in School House, and Tom Clinton (Houseparent) states that: “David always gets the best out of every young man he encounters. He is a huge loss to the House, yet it is somewhat fitting that as he leaves, so do his tutees; the sixteen School House leavers are better prepared for the next step because of his patience and dedication to them throughout their time at Bromsgrove School.” His Classics students are particularly fond of him, and when asked, aside from the countless plaudits of his teaching, they had numerous anecdotes to relay, including Mr C being their inspiration to take or carry on with the subject, him gaining the moniker ‘castigor lacrimarum’ from a particular Sixth Form set, and his many impersonations in lessons. Indeed, impersonations were plenty with David, and done so well - from Donald Trump to Boris Johnson, accents ranging from Scots to Scouse and Irish to Italian, and even a few familiar characters closer to home. I don’t know if I should be relieved or insulted that in six years, I’ve never heard mine…

Perhaps it is inevitable that a first-rate academic such as David is leaving us to write his book, (though we might breathe a quick sigh of relief knowing we’ll be set for signed first edition resources for the next couple of years!) but he will be sorely missed by colleagues and students alike. It is a tough job to summarise David’s six years at Bromsgrove into a short Bromsgrovian entry, and I fear I have not done nearly enough to capture his impact on the School and Department, so I will simply summarise by saying that I consider myself very lucky to have had the privilege of working with one of the most dedicated, intelligent and principled teachers I have ever known.

We wish him all the best.

T Hinde

Joshua Huckle (2018-2023)

‘What do you think of Mr Huckle, sir?’ ‘I think he’s the teacher you will be telling your kids about in twenty years’ time!’ A heartfelt answer to a mutual pupil of ours who was taught History by Joshua for the first time this year; he went on: ‘when we went in today, he was playing monk music, and got really excited when I told him I had been to Durham Cathedral - he leapt out of his chair and said ‘ahh, let’s have an excursion, Mr T - you can guide for us!’’

Not only is the ‘monk music’ entirely appropriate for the new Head of History at Downside School, but in truth there is nothing unique about such anecdotes as this: Joshua, in his passionate, intellectual and inquisitive lessons and conversations, far surpasses even the young Irwin or old Hector of The History Boys. He is a living embodiment of the kind of history teacher ‘one’ reads about in 19th century novels: he spent his first few weeks at the School insisting on wearing his gown in class (which, the last time I was there, still hung in Harry Potter-esque fashion from a chair atop the rear unit of H18); his tweed, waistcoat and Elmshurst scarf define the iconography of a legend; and the Latin signs both on his door (disce aut discede: ‘learn or leave’) and above his board (Cicero’s historia magistra vitae: ‘History, the teacher of life’) leave no-one in doubt about the intensity of the man or the subject he loves.

Joshua has done his utmost to encourage students to ‘develop’ outside of History, too: in debating, in coordinating writing for the School’s Two Zero One magazine, and as a mainstay of Saturday morning sessions grilling would-be Oxbridge applicants. In Elmshurst, I am told that while his drinking to making ratio when it comes to teas is something like 100:3 (and that he might owe Dr West a brew or two), he makes up for it by playing the guitar - well - and engaging pupils in thoughtful conversation. And I haven’t even mentioned his eloquent, eccentric, and often endearing reports.

Of late, Joshua has exchanged his Elmshurst scarf for that of my own Brasenose College, Oxford, where he has (part time) studied an MA in Education; our conversations, not just on education but on history, politics, ethics and ‘the way the world is going’ (his repeated phrase) have genuinely given me heart in recent months. felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas reads another of the signs in his room: ‘happy one, who could discover the causes of things’ (Virgil on Lucretius). ‘I’m taking them with me’, he says of his signs, as well he might; but his pupils and former colleagues will need no signs to think of Joshua in years to come, and to tell their children of the History teacher who inspired them so uniquely.

D Corns

Antonio Alcoholado Feltstrom (2020-2023)

The Andalusian people are known to be among the most convivial, generous and hospitable in the world and Antonio is no exception. Born in Malaga to a Swedish mother, Antonio studied in Germany before flying further afield, working in Ireland and China.

Here at Bromsgrove, he joined the Spanish Department and Oakley House in 2020 from Nanjing University, although he has also lived and worked in Hong Kong and throughout Europe. Antonio and his family moved to Bromsgrove during the pandemic and he has spent the last three years nurturing the linguistic talents of his students while also offering exceptional pastoral care to his tutees.

A man with a great sense of humour (and singing voice), Antonio embodies a kind nature and fierce intelligence. Whilst working with us he has published numerous papers on phonetics, meter and meaning as well as original poetry, and his fourth book Ley De Oposiciones. Oakley House was thrilled when he gifted a signed copy of his work for our library.

As a tutor in Oakley House, our students value Dr Felstrom’s wisdom and patience. His colleagues in Oakley will miss his calm and kind presence. It was not uncommon for him to burst into giggles when recounting a tale from his day’s escapades. We even trained him on how to celebrate his birthday. Past pupils have described him as one of the most respectful tutors they have ever known; his grace, reliability and sharp wit have made him a valuable member of our community.

Antonio’s camper van and bicycle are recognisable additions to the Bromsgrove School campus and reflect his passion for travel. We will miss Antonio, his wife Mariona and his boys Pau and Tomás very much in Oakley House. Antonio is a family man in every sense of the word and his motto is ‘run for your life and never look back’. It was inevitable that he would look to pastures new before too long and we wish him every happiness and success at the British School of Jakarta, hopefully looking back fondly from time to time.

V Adams

Charlotte Cunningham (2020-2023)

In such a short space of time, Charlotte has made an incredible impact here and she has given her all to Bromsgrove School. Full of energy and drive, Charlotte’s work with the Chemistry Department and with Oakley House has been invaluable since she joined us in 2020.

Hailing from Bexley Heath, Charlotte studied at Birmingham University and decided to stay in the Midlands, accepting her role here. As an NQT, she was no wallflower and her approach to teaching is more akin with someone with years of experience under their belt. A born teacher, Charlotte’s work with young people extends beyond the classroom into her trampoline club. Here, she has coached and developed many young gymnasts to national level standards. Charlotte thrives on hard work and has filled her precious time away from Bromsgrove School focusing on her young athletes.

Many of the tales from the Chemistry Department needed to be censored for the purposes of this write up. It is safe to say that Charlotte’s ‘lack of filter’ has caused much hilarity, occasional sharp intakes of breath and stony silences at the odd Departmental meeting. But they are unanimous in their assessment of Charlotte as an amazing teacher and colleague. Her work with the Prep School Science Club has been one of Charlotte’s favourite parts of her week and her efforts have been deemed as ‘irreplaceable’ by her mentor, Ms Woolley.

As a boarding tutor in Oakley House, Charlotte has brought her uncompromising high expectations to all of the girls within her care. She has been the kind of tutor who is happy to spontaneously organise an extra activity or help out a colleague, all for the benefit of the students. Whether it’s leading a yoga session, hosting an impromptu Chemistry revision session or just catching up on the gossip, Charlotte’s youthful energy will be much missed.

It came as no surprise that Charlotte volunteered to be part of one of our first Guardian Angels offerings for boarders unable to get home during the pandemic. While most of us welcome a break from School life, in the holidays, Charlotte clearly didn’t want to leave!

We are unanimous in our appreciation of Charlotte’s many contributions to Bromsgrove. As she leaves us to return to her placement school, Kings Norton Girls’, we wish her well and look forward to hearing of her undoubted continued successes both inside and outside the classroom.

V Adams

Mariona Anglada Escude (2021-2023)

Mariona initially joined Bromsgrove School working within the MFL department but quickly expressed a desire to work in Curriculum Support where her qualifications, interests and skills were rooted. Mariona brought a profound depth of knowledge and experience to the department with her eye for detail, ability to cater to each individual child and passion for supporting on a holistic level.

Mariona completed her Level 7 Specialist Assessor qualification whilst at the School, which meant she was able to support the exam access arrangements of students at the Senior end of the School as well as co-ordinating the transition of younger students into the Lower Fourth. She worked incredibly closely with me to develop the Curriculum Support Department and her IT expertise has brought the department forward with its digital presence and organisation.

Mariona’s calming presence, alongside that of her husband Antonio, and their boys, Pau and Tomás, will be greatly missed across the School as they begin their new adventures in Jakarta. She has promised to keep in touch and offers a warm invitation to anyone travelling to Indonesia – I am off to book my ticket now!

J McCarthy

Sophie Burke (2021-2023)

Sophie is a determined professional who always strives to provide the best education for her students. She is the definition of an excellent practitioner and goes out of her way to understand pupil’s needs and struggles. Sophie has always shown a caring nature and she is a fantastic colleague. During her time at Bromsgrove School, she has developed good friendships and she has supported her Boarding House exceptionally. Sophie always speaks highly of the people she surrounds herself with and she has an easy-going character.

From the very beginning, Sophie set very high expectations for all her students, and she has overcome challenges with mastery. Her subject knowledge is second to none and her passion towards the French language is evident. Sophie has created a pen-friend exchange with France this year and her students have been thrilled, taking on this fantastic opportunity very seriously. She has also run a French ‘Pancake Day’, another great opportunity for her students to embrace the French culture. Sophie has also taken part in the French trip to Normandy during Easter this year.

Sharing my time with Sophie during Bromsgrove Badge has been invaluable as she is an organised and caring person who always thinks about everyone else’s wellbeing.

I wish Sophie all the best on her new adventure, I am certain her students will adore her, and she will be valued as much as she has been here.

L Real Perez

Hannah Harte (2021-2023)

Hannah joined Bromsgrove in January 2021 from Goldington Academy and was halfway through her second year of teaching. It was not the easiest time to join, right in the middle of lockdown when we were all based at home and on Zoom. Taking over classes whilst online and not meeting pupils in person is far from ideal but Hannah threw herself into her Geography teaching and got ‘stuck in’ to all things Bromsgrove; an attribute that she has shown throughout her time at the School.

The pupils have really appreciated her enthusiastic and practical approach to Geography; she is always keen to bring in her own experiences and particularly enjoys teaching ecosystems so that she can use her pet rabbit, Mabel as an example. Within the department she immersed herself in field work, coordinating the Lower Fourth field trip to the Lickey Hills and accompanying A Level field trips to South Wales and Devon. These experiences all stood her in good stead for this academic year when she took over the role of Bromsgrove Badge coordinator.

Away from the classroom, she has coached and umpired the U16C hockey team, the U16B and U15C netball teams, in addition to officiating at athletics home fixtures last year. In Thomas Cookes, she was a very caring, compassionate and thoughtful tutor to her Sixth Form tutees and always gave of her time freely, having their best interests at heart.

Hannah’s positivity and cheery approach will be sorely missed in the Geography department and around the School in general. Our loss is Kimbolton School’s gain, where Hannah is taking up the position of Geography teacher. We wish her and her fiancé, Jack, all the very best for their upcoming wedding in October.

F Diver

Josh Gothorp (2022-2023)

Josh has been an integral part of our EAL department, and his departure will be deeply felt by all. He has been an inspirational teacher, always encouraging his students to strive for excellence. His passion for teaching and his dedication to his students have been evident in everything he did.

Josh quickly developed a rapport with both staff and pupils, and his warm personality made him a favourite among all. He has been a vital part of EAL, bringing his unique perspective and expertise to the table. His contributions have been invaluable, and his absence will be keenly felt.

Aside from his teaching, Josh has provided the most amazing IT support to his colleagues, always ready to lend a helping hand. His patience and attention to detail have been exemplary, and we will miss his calming presence.

Josh has been a true asset to our School, and we are grateful for the time he has spent with us. His dedication, passion, and warm personality have left an indelible mark on our community, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.

R Parveen

Senior School: Pre-Prep Survivors

Senior School: Prep Survivors

Senior School: Monitors

Senior School: Winterfold Survivors

With thanks to The School Photography Company and Tempest for the team photographs. Designed by One Design.

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