In Touch with Wells Cathedral School

From Junior to Prep School

from the Head Master

Thanks to the generosity of a donor, we have recently been able to unveil a board detailing all the Heads of Wells Cathedral School from its foundation in 909 to the present day. As you might imagine the titles and responsibilities of the Heads of the School have altered dramatically over the last 1,113 years. It seems that the founding Heads, who were called Cancellarii, were also the Saxon bishops of Wells. Since then Magistri Scholarum, Ludi Magistri, Magistri Scholarum and most recently variations on ‘Head’ have all successively been responsible for the running and prospering of our School which has changed dramatically in shape and size over the centuries.

Among the milestones in the School’s long history was the establishment of a dedicated Junior or Prep School for younger pupils. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the creation of what has until recently been called our Junior School, and which now has been re-named as the Prep School. It’s wonderful that this anniversary year gives us a particular cause to focus on this vibrant and ever so important part of our School, and celebrate all that it has to offer and all that its staff and pupils have achieved over the years.

Wherever you look in Wells there are reminders of our history. The Prep School was founded by the Revd. Alastair Ritchie and his wife back in 1948, and their memory lives on now in that they have given their names to both Ritchie Hall and Ritchie House. Similarly, all but one of our Senior School Houses are named after people who have played a significant part in the evolution of the School and of Wells more widely. In addition, many of our other buildings bear the names of

people who have come before us and who have, each in their own way, moulded, developed and enhanced the School and helped to make it what it is today.

But more importantly there are countless other ‘unnamed’ pupils, parents, staff and friends of the School who have also helped shape the School we know and love today. And that work continues to take place right here and right now. We are all, whatever our role, part of one enormous community who are both sustained by that community and simultaneously helping evolve that community.

As always, I hope this latest edition of In Touch is a record of who we are as a School and what we have done recently. But I hope too that it is a testament to the part each and everyone of us is playing in building on the legacy of those who have come before us while simultaneously nurturing a legacy that those who come after us will be proud to inherit.

Wells Cathedral Prep School Introducing…

We are pleased to announce that the Junior School has now been renamed “Wells Cathedral Prep School”.

The new name has been agreed by the School Governors after hearing from prospective families who reported being confused by the name “Junior School”, and didn’t know if it was a maintained school or independent school. The fact that there already was a “Pre-Prep” also caused some confusion, with one perceptive pupil memorably asking during an assembly: “howcanyouhaveaPre-PrepwithoutthePrep!?”

Finally, given that the vast majority of its pupils are “prepared” for entry to the Senior School - all part of the through-nature of Wells Cathedral School - the new name better represents the aim of a “School within a School”.

The structure and governance of the School remains as it currently is, with pupils attending the Prep School until the end of Year 6, before progressing to the Senior School.

“Aswecelebrateour75thbirthday,it’sthrillingthatwe havethenewnameofWellsCathedralPrepSchool.

"NothingelseabouttheSchoolwillchange!Wewill remainthesamewarm,family-friendlySchool,bursting withcreativityandjoy,andinspiringourpupilstogreat academicandpersonalsuccess.

"WhatWILLchange,wehope,isthatitwillbeeasier thaneverforprospectivefamiliestodiscoverusandbe abletoenjoythesheermagicthatisWellsPrep.Here’s tothenext75years!”

Jody Wells, Head of the Prep School, comments:

A happy birthday to the Prep School!

This year, the Prep School is celebrating its 75th birthday. Here are ten key moments in the School’s history:

1948

The Prep School was founded by the Revd. Prebendary A. F. Ritchie. Mr Ritchie was Headmaster of the Senior School, but ran the Prep School separately as his own private school. The School was for boys only, and was situated at No.9 New Street.

1955

After Mr Ritchie’s death in 1954, his widow took over the School for a year before handing it over to Wells Cathedral School in August 1955, with William Webb-Jones as its First Master. It was at this point that the choristers joined the School.

1969

In September 1969 Wells was among the first independent schools in the country to become coeducational, welcoming 29 girls (including 12 boarders in Polydor) into the Prep School for the first time.

1977/78

The School was honoured to receive visits from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during her Silver Jubilee tour, and from HRH The King, Charles III, then HRH The Prince of Wales, who planted the Blue Atlas Cedar tree on Cedars Field which still stands to this day and is now affectionately known as ‘The King’s Tree’.

1983

The Pre-Prep was founded in 1983, led by Kathleen Thomas (now Davidson), who remained Head until her retirement in 2004. It began with one small class in Ritchie Hall which doubled to two within a year and soon saw the construction of a new facility in 1984, for which the Queen Mother visited the School.

1994

Actively encouraged by John Baxter and Angus Watson - the School’s Headmaster and Director of MusicWells became one of the first cathedrals in the country to accept girl choristers, and the Girl Choristers’ Choir was formed in 1994. The girl choristers have since enjoyed the patronage of the Countess of Wessex, who has visited the School on numerous occasions.

1996

The Nursery opened in September 1996, taking in 12 children. This has expanded over the years, acquiring the name “Little Wellies Nursery” and taking two yearolds from 2018.

1998

The Prep School celebrated its 50th anniversary with a tea party, a dinner dance, the creation of a wall mosaic that still stands today, and the burial of a time capsule in the garden of No. 8 New Street.

2004/6

In 2004, the Prep School established its “Arts Week”, with pupils from the Nursery to Year 6 taking part in workshops, collaborative art, dance and music on an annual theme. Two years later, the Prep School was awarded an Arts Mark Gold by Arts Council England in recognition of its exceptional creative opportunities, including trips to the Edinburgh Fringe and a drama exchange involving European schools.

2022

The Pre-Prep’s commitment to creative learning was recognised by two major accolades: being Highly Commended in the “Pre-Prep School of the Year” category of the Independent School of the Year Awards, as well as being a finalist in Muddy Stiletto's Best School Awards 2022 for “Most Creative Learning Through Play”.

My Prep School

Five current members of the Upper Sixth share their memories of their time at Wells Cathedral Prep School, and how it has prepared them for their life since…

Who were your favourite teachers?

Mimi: Mr Ward, Mrs Edmonds, and Mrs Warner because I used to get homesick at school and she would look after me.

Oskar: My favourite teacher was Mr Bratt. He got me into sport which is what I love to do now and he was there the whole way through Years 3-6, being a legend!

What was the best trip you went on?

Mimi: Skern Lodge! It was the first time we went away from home without our parents.

Florrie: Yes, Skern Lodge because it gave us our first sense of independence.

What is your favourite memory?

Mimi: It would probably be the Christmas Celebration when I had to walk up the aisle and I sang a solo with a candle in the dark. That was fun!

Florrie: It was with Mr Ward or Mr Gibson, we had a Designyourown House; you had a million pounds and you had to design your dream house in a pair - it was really fun.

Oskar: We used to do a thing called Rock School which was just a big group of us smacking tambourines, playing guitars and stuff. We got a snack lunch, which was great, and we’d sing Guns N’ Roses and AC/DC.

Charlie: In English class, Journey to Beravia, which was a creative writing story. Everyone could make their own story, within guidelines. That was good!

What was the biggest thing the Prep School taught you?

Florrie: Discipline more than anything. Going to the Senior School is a big change, but I’m better behaved, I think, because I learned all of my values in terms of behaviour there.

Oskar: The biggest thing it taught me was how to build relationships with adults and teachers especially. There was some proper closeness between teachers and pupils and I think that connection across all subjects was what made it such an enjoyable experience.

Seb: That it’s okay to make mistakes. You can try again and nothing bad will happen.

How did the Prep School prepare you for life in the Senior School and beyond?

Charlie: It kind of gradually gives you more and more independence through the years until Year 6, and that continues through Senior School, so by the time you reach Sixth Form you have pretty much full rein to be able do what you see fit, really.

Did you take part in any memorable performances?

Florrie: The two that spring to mind are the Christmas Celebration - because I was really into knitting in Year 5 so I stood in front of the Cathedral and knitted and sang - and WeWill RockYou, which was the School production. I was obsessed with Queen’s music for years afterwards because of it!

How have you been involved with the Prep School since leaving?

Florrie: I listened to people read in Prep Club and I also helped out with the gymnastics display, helping them out with poses. That was really nice and it is one of my most fond memories!

Seb: I help with the coding club for the Prep School pupils that come up; supervise them, teach them, give them any help, talk to them.

Charlie: I do quite a lot with them! I have done a few direct things such as coaching sports; hockey sometimes and I’ve done a little bit of rugby every now and then. I also get quite a lot of interaction with them, just walking past.

What piece of advice would you give to a Prep School pupil?

Mimi: Try everything that the School has to offer; every instrument, every sport, every club. You never know when or where you may find a newfound passion or hobby. I have been lucky enough to maintain a love for music and sport all the way through my time at Wells, and I have developed many skills and interests along the way. There are so many amazing opportunities in the Prep School and all the way through the Senior School, so you should make the most of them!

Seb: Take every opportunity you get given, don’t say no to anything.

Charlie: Value the time you have. Enjoy your time because it goes very quickly!

Mimi

Oskar

Seb

Charlie Florrie

Professor Ronald Hutton gives Bernard Society talk

The Bernard Society hosted the first speaker of the academic year in September.

Professor Ronald Hutton of the University of Bristol came to speak to a substantive and mixed audience of pupils, staff and parents on Alfred the Great. In addition to a distinguished academic career, the professor has appeared on over 40 different documentary television series as a historical expert and has been on the governing body of English Heritage. The engaging talk produced numerous questions from the pupils, and the professor remarked on the pleasant interactions he had with the pupils and the standard of their queries.

The Bernard Society, a staff and pupil group who bring in interesting people to talk, welcome all pupils, staff and parents at their events.

University destinations 2022

Following an excellent set of exam results last summer, in which more than 50% of our A level pupils achieved at least one A*, and a number of pupils achieved a clean sweep of 3 or 4 A* grades, we are very excited for our most recent cohort of Sixth Formers. They have gone out into the world and are settling into their new lives, whether at work, travelling the world, or at one of the following universities:

Bath, Birkbeck, Bristol, Cardiff, Chichester, Coventry, Durham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Hartpury, Imperial, Kings College London, Keele, LAMDA, Lancaster, Loughborough, Manchester Metropolitan, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary, Royal College of Music, Royal Holloway, Sheffield Hallam, Southampton, St. Andrew's, St. George's, Surrey, Swansea, East Anglia, University College London, Urdang Academy, University of the Arts, Warwick, Worcester and York.

Heads of School Conference

In September, we welcomed a number of local schools to attend our Heads of School conference hosted by Mr Norris, Director of Coaching, Mentoring and Student Leadership. The demanding and exciting programme got off to a fast start with a couple of energisers before the pupils engaged in aspects of their new role for the year ahead, including stepping up into the role and being visible, managing meetings, safeguarding responsibilities and aspects of leadership.

Prestigious Highly Commended award

We are delighted that our Pre-Prep has recently been awarded Highly Commended in the Independent Pre-Prep School of the Year category of the Independent School of the Year Awards 2022.

The Awards, which are hosted by the Independent School Parent magazine, consist of 22 categories celebrating the Independent School sector. The Independent Pre-Prep of the Year Award is for PrePreps which offer an “outstandingly rich experience for young students” with provision meeting educational, emotional and societal needs, supporting a successful transition to the next stage of pupils’ educational careers and introducing impactful new initiatives.

Rebecca Perdrix, Head of Pre-Prep, and Valerie Hancock, Nursery Manager, travelled to London to attend the Awards ceremony after the School was narrowed down to one of five finalists among hundreds of entrants. As the ceremony began, they were informed that the judges had awarded commendations to a couple of schools in instances where two finalists were deserving of an award and the decision to choose one over the other was exceptionally tough. To their surprise, they were called to the stage at the announcement of the Independent Pre-Prep of the Year Award having been Highly Commended for the School’s fun, inspiring and engaging curriculum.

Reflecting on the event, Mrs Perdrix described feeling a great sense of pride for her work in education. She remarked:

Pre-Prepreallyisamagicalplace.Childrenlearnmore inthefirstsevenyearsoftheirlifethanatanyother time,whichillustrateswhataprivilegeitisforusto workwiththeseyoungchildrenandhelptoshapetheir minds, theirvalues, and theirfutures.”

Mrs Perdrix was also full of praise for the team she manages at Wells and spoke sincerely about her appreciation for them;

TheteamreallydeservestheAwardasourPre-Prep hasgonefromstrengthtostrengthoverthelastfew yearsandeverybodyissodedicated.Thewholeteam worksexceptionallyhardtomaketheprovisionin ourPre-Prepfun,inspiring,creativeandengaging,yet rigorousandofhighquality.Researchshowsthatthese arethethingsthatpredictgoodoutcomesforchildren, alongsideastrongunderstandingofchilddevelopment andexcellentrelationships.Everybodywhovisitsus orspendstimewithusinactioncommentsonwhata uniqueplaceitis.

"ThePre-Prepreallydoes bringthesparkletoWells!”

Black History Month

The School’s prefects gave a presentation in assembly to the Senior School highlighting the many and varied achievements of a range of black people as part of our efforts to mark Black History Month and our ongoing focus on celebrating inclusion and diversity. Entirely organised by the pupils themselves, they shared the inspiring stories of various people including Louis Armstrong and Usain Bolt. The prefect team are planning to maintain the momentum of Black History Month with a series of events across the remainder of the academic year.

Free and Equal conference

As part of their studies into the way in which Christian culture has regarded women throughout time, Lower Sixth pupils studying Philosophy, Ethics and Developments attended the Free and Equal Conference at Lytchett Minster School. They listened to a range of speakers who presented topics based on consent, domestic abuse, feminism and freedoms for women.

Mr Poxon, Head of Religion, Philosophy and Ethics, explained: “Wetrytobringall suchteachingtobearoncurrent dayissuesand21stcentury attitudes and behaviours. The talks at this national conference challenged,provokedand engagedthepupilstothink abouttheseissuesinnewways."

Food For Life Served Here award

We are very pleased to announce that our Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) award has been renewed.

To meet the FFLSH standards, which have been created with public health and the UN’s Sustainable Development goals in mind, the School is delivering more sustainable catering made from fresh, local, honest ingredients. Our food is purchased ethically and responsibly and we are proud to have a long-standing relationship with our local suppliers. All food is freshly prepared and cooked each day, the meat and poultry can be traced back to British farms, and we only use Red Tractor certified beef, pork, lamb and poultry. Our milk and cream is also 100% Red Tractor, plus our eggs have the British Lion mark. We use as many British fruits and vegetables as possible and our fresh fish supplier works closely with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to ensure sustainable fishing.

Alongside this, we were shorlisted for the ‘Innovation in nutrition or food’ award by Talk Education.

Catering Manager Trevor Phillips said; “Therecentsuccessesofthecatering teamaretestamenttotheirhardworkanddedicationtoprovideWells' pupilswithhealthy,balancedmeals,anditiswonderfultoseethisreflected insuchprestigiousacknowledgements.IknowthateveryoneintheWells communitywillfeelassuredtoknowthateverythingweserveinourdining halliscarefullyplannedtohaveaminimaleffectontheenvironmentanda maximalbenefitforourpupils’health;wereallystrivetoprovidetopquality mealswecanbeproudof.“

We’d like to extend both our congratulations and our thanks to the catering team who truly go above and beyond. The renewed certificate will be proudly displayed in the Dining Hall.

Sierra Leone

After a hiatus of two years due to COVID, we went back to Freetown with the School's Sierra Leone project. 18 pupils from the Sixth Form were selected to spend ten days working with both the J.T Reffell Memorial French Friendship School (JTR) and the Ballanta Academy of Music (BAMPA). Pupils delivered teaching sessions in the mornings and then in the afternoons offered outreach concerts in various schools and orphanages around Freetown. This year we performed at the home

of the British High Commissioner Mrs Lisa Chesney, a privilege for all of us. Her support has been very positive ,and we hope to be able to welcome one of the music teachers from Ballanta in the new year. Ms Desmarchelier, the Sierra Leone Project Manager, said on her return; "Wearesoproudofourpupilsforthe standardofdeliveryofthemusicandtheirteaching sessions,butmostlyforthewaytheyembracedthe experienceandtookeverythingintheirstride".

Each year, a series of fundraising activities helps to raise money for projects in Sierra Leone.

Money that we have raised has helped to pay for new school gates at JTR, contributed towards building a new mini auditorium at BAMPA, and paid for a variety of academic and music scholarships in both establishments. The project has also helped to support the outreach projects we are helping to set up: to

provide musical instruments to BAMPA and sports and science equipment to JRT. As ever we are grateful for any support from parents and the community to help keep this wonderful project alive!

As well as The Event on the Lawn, we took part in the Wells Festival of Running and cycled, ran, walked and climbed our way through 3030 miles, the distance between Wells and Freetown.

Left: Ms Desmarchelier with an academic scholar-nowonhisway toengineeringschool.

Working hard behind the scenes

The Wells Cathedral School Enterprises Team has been very busy; over the summer they organised and helped run our international music summer schools, expanding our previous summer school offering (Wind, Brass and Percussion, Jazz, Piano and Strings) to introduce two new courses for 2022: Composing for Media and Vocal. They also hosted the Wells Theatre Festival in July and provided swimming lessons and family swims in August. The boarding houses were full of visitors including choirs who sang in the Cathedral, as well as children from the Wells Orchestral Weekend Festival. Activate Camps continued to provide its holiday courses and these will run again in 2023.

Since the summer, they have been organising and running a full and varied programme of concerts and events in Cedars Hall - which included several external hires, such as a fundraising concert with Jack Bessant from Reef which raised over £2,000 for the Wells Skatepark Appeal. Cedars Hall also sponsored the music

Christmas cards for care homes

In Advent Term, pupils across the School created Christmas cards for residents in local care homes.

Hundreds of cards were collected by former Mayor of Wells, Philip Welch, on behalf of Wells Dementia Action Alliance. Mr Welch expressed his gratitude towards the pupils and their efforts, explaining that, “Christmas can besuchadifficulttimeforpeoplewithdementiaand other mental health issues.

“Pleasewarmlythankyourpupilsforthewonderful Christmascardstheymadeforourthreelocalcare homes.Therewere273cardsintotal,andevery residentatFletcherHouse,CrandonSpringsand Torrwoodhasreceivedone.Therewerealsoenough leftoverfortheclientsatHeadsUpandTheLawrence Centre,twolocalcharitiesthatsupportpeopleliving with dementia and other mental health issues.

"Yourpupilshavemadearealdifferencetoahuge numberofvulnerablepeopleinourcommunityat Christmas,bringingfestivecheeratadifficulttimefor somanyofthem,notleastbecauseofthepostalstrikes.”

section of local primary school St Joseph and St Teresa's recent PTFA quiz which helped raise over £1,000 to build a new playground for the children at the school.

In October, the team was delighted to once again host the Wells Festival of Literature in its 30th anniversary year - record numbers attended and many of the talks sold out. It was lovely to see so many people back in Cedars Hall. It was also very exciting to be asked by BBC QuestionTime to be their venue for the programme aired last November. It was fascinating to watch them erect the QT set in Cedars Hall, and you can watch the programme on BBC iPlayer.

Two new Easter music schools - International Composition and International String will be running in 2023 - please see the Schol's website for more information. You can find the Spring programme of events in Cedars Hall by visiting cedarshallwells.co.uk

Save the Children sponsored walk

Thank you to everyone from across the School community who took part and supported our sponsored walk last September to raise money for Save the Children – we had a great day and the weather was fantastic!

Approximately one third of the pupils in the Senior School, as well as many families from the Prep School, walked either five or ten miles over the Mendip Hills to experience the glorious views from the top of Bristol Hill and Ebbor Gorge. The sun shone throughout the morning and we all enjoyed being part of a community event. The aim of Save the Children is to give every child a chance at the future they deserve; by 2030, they aim to ensure that no child dies from preventable causes before their fifth birthday, that all children learn from a quality basic education, and that violence against children is no longer tolerated.

Wilamena’s Leadership Academy experience

Wilamena Dyer (Lower Sixth) travelled across the pond to attend the New Jersey Centre for Tourette’s Syndrome (NJCTS) Tim Howard Leadership Academy. Wilamena was able to take part in a Zoom Q&A with Tim, a former Manchester United and Everton goalkeeper who is on the NJCTS board of governors. She also met doctors who specialise in Tourette's Syndrome and visited the Rutgers University laboratory to learn about the latest scientific studies into the genetics of Tourette’s Syndrome. The Academy’s programme left lots of room for fun to be had too; Wilamena was able to take part in a range of activities, from painting sunflowers on shoes to learning to play Yahtzee (and winning)! You can read all about Wilamena’s trip on her blog, TicTastic!, which also contains a YouTube video of her journey to the USA.

Senior Maths Challenge

In October, 33 pupils from Year 11 and the Sixth Form took part in this year's Senior Mathematical Challenge, run by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT). The challenge takes the form of a 90-minute, multiplechoice paper that encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems that are designed to make pupils think. The top-scoring 66% of participants are awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates in the ratio 3:2:1.

This year pupils from Wells achieved seven Gold, eleven Silver and ten Bronze awards. The UKMT invite around 1,000 of the very highest performers to then take part in the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1, which is an entry point to the training and selection programme for international competitions, and around 6,000 to take part in the Senior Kangaroo Competition.

One of our pupils, Chris Chan (Year 11), has been invited to attempt the BMO1 paper and another six - Luca Ng (Year 11), Bonnie Liu (Lower Sixth), and Joseph Hardin, Oscar Ho, Jason Kong and Ethan Turnbull (Upper Sixth) have been invited to sit the Senior Kangaroo. Congratulations to all of our budding mathematicians on their Senior Mathematical Challenge success.

Primary Maths Festival

We welcomed teams from nine local primary schools to compete in the annual Maths Festival. The day began with a poster competition with the theme of '2D shapes & 3D solids' and some very creative modelling took place. Teams were then involved in a relay race, problem solving stations and pairs challenge work. A great deal of mathematical fun was had by all and after a very hard fought contest, Wrington C of E Primary School came out on top. Pupils enjoyed "thebestschoollunchtheyhadeverseen" and all their efforts were rewarded with a tube of Smarties for the way home. Many thanks to the Maths department for organising the day, which was so enjoyed by all.

Be a Mathematician for a Day

In November we welcomed Years 5 and 6 pupils from our Prep School as well as local primary schools who have a keen interest in Maths for a day of Mathematical magic, searching for very large prime numbers and algebraic proof. All pupils worked incredibly hard and enjoyed their discoveries!

Community service litter picking

Community service volunteers Hana Wong (Year 11), Emily Ng (Year 11), Jimena Oliva Boesch (Upper Sixth) and Sofia Barbera Montero (Lower Sixth) did a wonderful job of litter picking around Vicar’s Close, St Andrews Street, Cathedral Green, the Market Place and Bishop’s Palace. Every Wednesday afternoon the group will be litter picking around Wells and the surrounding villages as part of the School’s community service scheme, which also includes helping with after school clubs at Stoberry Park School and assisting in local charity shops such as the British Heart Foundation.

Think Tank challenge

Pupils in Years 7 and 8 enjoyed a poetry/Lego challenge during Think Tank. In pairs, they wrote a poem that included a list of given words, linked to the theme of a childhood memory, that incorporated a mythical creature. They also had to engineer an interactive Lego model that linked to the poem. Much fun was had by all!

Buoyancy Workshop

The Academic Scholars in Years 7 to 9 and Year 9 Navy Cadets took part in a STEM Buoyancy Workshop. Richard Quin from the Marine Society and Sea Cadets led the pupils through some fun, interactive challenges, introducing them to marine engineering. The engineering challenge was a particular highlight of the session; pupils were given materials to engineer miniature cargo ships which were tested to see how many marbles they could hold before capsizing. Theo Riley and George Murray (Year 8) won with 140 marbles!

German Language Day scavenger hunt

Congratulations to Grace Lancaster and Alice Beattie (Year 7) who were the winners of the German Language Day scavenger hunt.

Pupils were asked to find 13 pictures displayed in different parts of the School, each one with a word that only exists in German. Every word had a letter highlighted in pink; pupils had to write down all of the letters in order to spell out a German word and complete the scavenger hunt. The answer was of course Mrs Alabiso’s favourite word in German: Schmetterling, the word for Butterfly! Well done, Grace and Alice.

European Day of Languages

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the European Day of Languages, the School’s MFL department invited all year groups in the Senior School to enter three celebratory competitions. The first challenge was to bake a cake that represents the day, a country or a landmark. Carson Grevatt-Simpkin (Year 8) came first, Oliver Naylor (Year 8) came second and Archie Blee (Year 9) came third. Michael Dey (Year 7) and William Durrant (Year 10) were the winners of the building category; they were tasked with the construction of

a famous landmark using items they had at home. Michael reproduced the Louvre using glass and small ropes, whilst William recreated the Burj Khalifa using marshmallow sticks. Belinda Gifford-Guy (Year 7) won the singing competition with renditions of Ridente La Calma by Mozart, sung in Italian, and AnDieNachtigall by Brahms, sung in German. Mrs Dine’s Year 8 tutor group receives a special mention for decorating biscuits with European flags, and Milo Brown (Year 9) won the tutor quiz with a top score of 20/20 on the first attempt!

Fireworks!

In November, the School was delighted to put on its annual firework display. Pupils, their families and members of the local community enjoyed a fantastic evening.

Refreshments were provided with the help of the Wells Parents and Friends' Association.

Pre-Prep activities

Pre-prep pupils enjoyed their Incredible Inventions topic, during which they learned about aeroplanes and hot air balloons. They visited Fleet Air Arm Museum, had visits from pilots and learned about engineering. They also took part in a space STEM day where they learned about the space race and the solar system. This has been such a valuable topic that led beautifully into fireworks and then Christmas. Pupils also celebrated a dress up day to mark the end of their topic.

Music outreach

Reception class has been joining a local group called SingingfortheBrain run by Somerset Arts Well. This wonderful group allows people living with dementia, memory problems and Parkinson's Disease to reconnect with music, and our Reception Class has been lucky to join in with them.

It was utterly wonderful to see the adults' faces light up as the children joined in with them, singing songs, playing instruments and dancing to music. Every single person in the room had a huge smile on their face, and we were lucky to have been a part of it.

Biscuithenge

Year 3 took their history learning on a delicious detour by recreating Stonehenge...out of biscuits! 'Biscuithenge' if you please! The children's history topic of The Stone Age has seen them take on the role of archaeologists to study mysterious artefacts, explore Stone Age settlements such as Skara Brae and even learn how to create spears by flint knapping. Next stop... The Bronze Age.

Year 4’s trip to the Somerset Rural Life Museum

Year 4 enjoyed a trip to the Somerset Rural Life Museum, taking part in two workshops run by the Museum’s education officer. The first workshop, SomersetMyths&Legends, allowed pupils to explore local myths and legends (such as the Gurt Worm of Shervage Wood), and investigate museum artefacts, which inspired them to write their own short stories. They also learned about hunky-punks and made their own grotesque mini-monsters. The second workshop, Saxon Somerset, rounded off the group's Anglo Saxon history topic. The children recapped their learning about King Alfred and re-enacted the Battle of Edington (King Alfred vs the Vikings), and painted their own versions of a replica of Alfred's Jewel. The day finished with clay creations of their very own Saxon rune stones.

Oliver attends KSW class seminar

Oliver (Year 4) attended a Kuk Sool Won (KSW, a type of Korean martial arts) seminar near Yeovil. He was one of only 50 invited and was the only attendee aged under 9 to stay for the full three hour adult class (the rest of the under 9s finished after 90 minutes). He had the opportunity to train with four British Masters and two (out of only five in the world) 9th dahns Grand MastersJohn Ives and Alex Suh, the founder’s eldest son. A great masterclass in kicking, grappling and break falls saw Oliver pushed to his limits but he represented himself well and passed the class. Well done, Oliver!

World Mental Health Day

The School community donned items of green to show their support for World Mental Health Day. From green bows and ribbons, to green socks and tights, this gentle reminder was evident across the school. Children in year groups across the Prep School carried out activities to mark this day and raise awareness, including a mental health BINGO!

Walking and reading with Rio Club

Over the past two Terms, pupils in Years 4 and 5 have enjoyed our WalkingandReadingwithRio Club . Each week, pupils enjoy an energetic walk with Rio, the Pets as Therapy (PAT) dog. As well as getting to know some beautiful local walks, the children enjoyed learning facts about responsible dog ownership. The club is every Thursday after School and if the weather is particularly bad, Rio also enjoys listening to the children read him stories instead. Katie (Year 4) explained why she enjoys the club, saying; “It'sverycalmingandI enjoywalkingaroundWells”, whilst Elizabeth (Year 4) exclaimed, “I think it's the best club because I love Rio!"

Anti-Bullying Week (AKA Kindness Week!)

Pupils took part in Anti-Bullying Week, or as it has been named in the Prep School, KindnessWeek.Wilamena Dyer (Lower Sixth) spoke to our younger pupils in assembly. She read from the book Tariq,ATortoiseWithTourette's and used a piece of paper to demonstrate that once you've said something unkind to someone and the paper crumples up, it never smooths out quite as it did before, to encourage the children to think about the effect of their words. Pupils also reflected on the kindness shown towards them by others, writing post-its on the Kindness Tree. Year 3 families received a thoughtful thank you card in the post. Years 4 and 5 chose to share books about kindness with their reading buddies, and pupils across the School wore odd socks to celebrate what makes us all unique.

Architecture workshop

The architecture workshop for Reception to Year 6 was a wonderful experience, allowing the children to see what they can achieve in such a short space of time when they all work together. Each child started making a triangle which ended in an enormous structure, showing them the true power of collaboration and how each one of us, no matter how small, is significant.

Trip to Sevington

As part of Year 6's History topic on the Victorians, pupils enjoyed an exciting start to the Epiphany Term by visiting Sevington Victorian School in Wiltshire to experience life as a Victorian schoolchild.

The school was founded in 1849, and the schoolroom has been left untouched, which made for a wonderful experience for Year 6 pupils. Just like a child in the late 19th Century, boys and girls were separated on arrival at school, both for lessons and at playtime. The boys made candles whilst the girls learnt how to make lavender bags to ward off moths. The discipline of the Victorian classroom was in evidence, and you could have heard a pin drop as the children practised their copywriting, using ink, quills and blotting paper. The trip really did bring history to life, and it was a fascinating day for pupils and teachers.

Baylab

This term we ran a science enrichment whereby a small group of pupils from Year 6 had the opportunity to go to the Bayer Pharmaceuticals Company in Reading to experience a working laboratory with access to high definition microscopes and other stateof-the-art equipment. The learning for the day was based upon the human heart; pupils learned about the various components that make up our blood: plasma, enzymes, and red and white blood cells. Pupils were then able to recreate the components of blood using

confectionery, which was fascinating. During the afternoon, the group designed an experiment focusing on the veins and capillaries of the body and how an unbalanced diet can reduce blood flow. Children were able to go on a guided tour of the top floor to discover the range of jobs at Bayer, including marketing managers, doctors and scientists. The entire day was a massive success and the company was extremely impressed by the pupils.

National Children’s Orchestra

Congratulations to four Prep School musicians who successfully auditioned for the National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) and gained places on the NCO Projects Programme 2023. Emily and Tessa (Year 6) will be playing the cello and Shanna (Year 6) and Henry (Year 5) will be performing on percussion instruments.

Skern Lodge!

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 had glorious sunshine when they travelled to Skern Lodge this year. The adventurers enjoyed rafting along the River Torridge, captaining their rafts with a sing-song and abandoning ships to jump joyfully into the river and capture other Wells rafts. The children needed to support each other to overcome their nerves and achieve their monumental personal goals when tackling challenges such as the high ropes and jumping off the leap of faith. Other notable activities included kayaking tag; a team assault course that involved group problem solving and leadership; archery; crate stacking; and surfing and bodyboarding where the North Devon waves were as wild as the excited screams of the children!

The night's activities of quizzes, roasting marshmallows by the campfire and a disco finished off the trip.

Children in Need

Children in Need was a huge success, raising a whopping £438.35 from many different activities including a cake sale, a Pudsey Hunt and the return of the stocks, which saw some ‘willing’ members of staff soaked by flying sponges!

Instrumental and Vocal Performance Platform

With over 30 solo performers from Years 3 to 6, there was a wonderful variety of repertoire performed on a wide array of instruments, including the harp, French horn, saxophone and double bass. It was exciting to hear from some of our young singers, and there was a performance of one pupil’s own piano composition.

Art Enrichment

A group of children in Year 6 have been taking part in the Prep School’s Art Enrichment sessions. They have been learning new skills and exploring a range of techniques. The first project this academic year was to create a picture based on images of Wells Cathedral. The children had a limited palette of colours but could experiment with texture, line, shape, space and a variety of media.

Christmas art challenge

The Prep School and Senior School art departments teamed up again this year for the annual Christmas competition at the Bishop’s Palace where a piece of art had to be made up of predominantly recycled materials. The theme was titled AChristmas Carol. Pupils worked together to create a wall hanging out of denim jeans, off cuts of fabrics, candle wax and newspapers. Entitled OnceinRoyalDavid’sCity, pupils cut out buildings, stars and letters to create an image of Bethlehem.

Head to Head exhibition visit

In November, Lower Sixth Art pupils visited the Head to Head exhibition at local gallery GBS Fine Art in Wells. Pupils were inspired by the eclectic mix of ninety-six individual works by artists as diverse as Francis Bacon, Albrecht Dürer and contemporary artists such as Kelvin Okafor and Julie Cockburn. They were also able to view work by artists Jemimah Patterson and Rachel Schwalm as part of their collaborative exhibition, Bottom Drawer.

Art scholars in Years 7, 8 and 9 created the Christmas window display at Ask Italian in Wells.

Cedars Hall Arts Talks Series (CHATS)

Our A level Art, History of Art and English Literature pupils benefitted from a rare opportunity to listen to Rachel Campbell-Johnston (former chief art and poetry critic of TheTimes and a renowned biographer) talk about the life and work of the visionary artist Samuel Palmer and the influence that an ageing William Blake had upon him. Rachel's talk brought the work of Palmer vividly to life and provided the pupils with an eye-opening glimpse into the times in which Palmer lived and worked. A number of our pupils have decided to investigate his work further within their studies.

In November, GCSE and A level Art pupils enjoyed a highly informative CHATS Talk with artist Olivia Bax in conversation with the art historian and writer, Jo Baring. Olivia, a contemporary British sculptor, discussed a range of topics including her views on modern and contemporary sculpture, and the processes involved in the creation of her own work.

Art workshops

In September, Year 10 GCSE Fine Art pupils had the opportunity to work alongside contemporary artist Ian Murphy and take some brave creative risks, whilst exploring a range of his techniques and processes. Ian, who has become somewhat of a regular visitor to the School, helped provide a perfect start to the GCSE Fine Art course by encouraging pupils to work outside of their comfort zones in experimental drawing. Pupils also had an opportunity to look through his sketchbooks and view his large-scale work.

Local artist Mike Rennie led a practical art workshop with Lower Sixth Fine Art pupils, focusing on experimental drawing, collage and assemblage. Mike helped to enhance pupils' understanding of the connection between two dimensional drawings and three dimensional form whilst also encouraging them to recognise the aesthetic qualities inherent in everyday objects and mechanical forms. Pupils had the opportunity to discuss Mike's work and gain insights into the study of Art and Design at Foundation level.

Art of the Week

Since July, we have celebrated a fantastic range of creative experiences and achievements in the Art Department as featured throughout the term via Art of the Week, and you can find these on Instagram: @artatwells.

Art and photography trips

Sixth Form pupils visited Tate Modern, London, to see the Cézanne exhibition. Pupils made sketches of the work that inspired them and, in doing so, gained an insight into the style and vision of an artist that transformed the world of modern art. Pupils also made the most out of touring the wider galleries and exhibitions of the Tate Modern, viewing a wide range of exciting and challenging contemporary work.

Photographers visited the Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey. Talbot, who lived at the Abbey in the 19th century, was the inventor of the photographic negative. Pupils had the opportunity to learn about how photography has evolved since. They also viewed the work of award-winning photographer Mandy Barker

whose project Soup is exhibited at the museum. The group was inspired by her work with scientists to create images of debris found in coastal areas, raising awareness of marine plastic pollution.

A level photographers visited Paintworks in Bristol. During the morning they viewed the current exhibition at the Martin Parr Foundation; they were given a guided tour of the archives and found out how exhibitions are curated and how photographers plan photobooks. They also had the amazing opportunity to meet Martin Parr himself and speak to him about his work! In the afternoon, they visited the current exhibition of alternative printing processes at the Royal Photographic Society and participated in a cyanotype workshop.

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Chicago:Teen Edition for their spectacular production which spanned five shows at Strode Theatre. It took a team of 90, eight weeks of rehearsals and three days to set the production to wow a total sell-out audience of 3000, including Years 7 and 8, our boarders and local schools, who hopped on a coach to show their support. The show was phenomenally well-received and makes us all the more excited to see which production our budding actors take on next!

Stage Combat workshop

Approximately 56 pupils studying GCSE and A level Drama and Theatre Studies were treated to an action-packed and inspirational Stage Combat workshop from Squire Theatre’s Mark Ruddick.

Mark is a hugely experienced stage combat professional who has choreographed fight sequences for the films CaptainAmerica and War Horse, as well as for the recent Game ofThrones spin-off House of the Dragon. After beginning the session by learning how to safely execute hand-to-hand combat techniques such as parrot punches, chokeholds and roundhouses, the excited group then moved on to swordplay!

Although the skills learned were invaluable and provided fascinating insight into the industry and creative processes, the group beneffited even more from the human skills developed such as communication, collaboration and confidence.

Bigny Cup

Congratulations to Haversham House who won this year's Bigny Cup for their performance of The TimetravellingTextBook. Cedars Hall was filled to the rafters with supporting pupils and teachers, and there was no shortage of talent, inventiveness or creativity on show as Houses battled for the coveted prize. Pupils were thrilled that Old Wellensian Emily Eavis, organiser of Glastonbury Festival, and Lily Sobhani, producer of US Comic Relief, judged the competition! Well done to everyone for their hard work and contributions towards a very entertaining evening.

Netball Pathway opportunities

Heidi Ashton and Dior Adekola (Year 8) have secured places on the first stage of the England Netball Pathway, and have been selected into the Somerset Satellite Academy, which is for girls who demonstrate good skills and understanding at U13 level. Heidi and Dior trialled against over 80 other girls to secure their spot and will train each week with the Somerset county coaches. It is an exciting first step on the Pathway, and we wish the girls the best of luck with the new opportunities.

Sylvie Burrows and Ada Horsman (Year 10) have been selected into the second stage of the Pathway and have secured places in the Somerset County Academy. Sylvie was up against some talented girls from across the county and trialled for a place in a small group of just 20 talented athletes. Ada was late to trial and after joining two training sessions with the already selected girls, was offered a place. They will train weekly with the Somerset county coaches to develop their game.

Holly-Claire Denegri (Lower Sixth) has been selected in one of the Team Bath Netball Athlete Development Centres. This prestigious opportunity is for girls who show fantastic skills and understanding in their netball, with the potential to progress into age group National Performance League Netball for Team Bath. Holly will train once a week in Bath and is following a conditioning programme which runs from September to May next year. This is a brilliant opportunity and is stage three of the England Netball Pathway.

Mrs Williams, the School's Head of Netball, said; "I am soexcitedandproudofthesegirlsandtheirsuccesses! Itisacredittothemandthehardworktheyputin duringthenetballseasonandbeyond.Thesefivegirls deservesuccess;theyaresopassionateabouttheir netballandarealwaysstrivingtoimproveboththeir skillsandunderstanding.Icannotwaittoseewhere theseopportunitiestakethem!"

Army netball

Mrs Williams has been announced as the Tactical Coach for Army Netball. Alongside her role at Wells, she will be involved in a training weekend once a month and friendly matches against Superleague teams in preparation for the Inter Services competition taking place in March.

Excited to get underway, Mrs Williams said; “Iamthoroughlylooking forwardtotheopportunitytoworkwithArmyNetball.Workingwitha groupofexperiencedcoachesandavarietyofathletesatdifferinglevelsof abilityisgoingtogivemeevenmoreexperienceandexpertise.Inturn,this willhelpustofurtherenhancethenetballprogrammehereatWellsand improveourpupils’understandingandskilldevelopmentevenfurther.”

Madison on Team Bath

We are pleased to announce that Madison Lewis (Upper Sixth; back row, second left) has been selected into the 22/23 season U18 squad for Team Bath Netball. Madison has worked her way up through the England Pathway, having trained in the Somerset County Academy before gaining a place in an athlete development centre for Team Bath, which was followed by a year playing for the Celtic Dragons U19 squad.

U14 county tournament

The U14 netball team attended the regional qualifiers in October, playing six matches against other schools. Winning comfortably against King’s College gave the girls a great boost at the start of their campaign, but they then battled hard against Wellington finishing a few goals behind. Two more tough games followed against Millfield and Taunton School, the eventual qualifiers. They then faced King’s Bruton, going goal for goal with the opposition but just missing out in an exciting contest. Congratulations to Ella Ashman (Year 9), Alex Murray (Year 9) and Dior Adekola (Year 8) who were named players of the tournament.

Eboni Usoro-Brown

The Sports Department was delighted to welcome Commonwealth Games Gold medal winner Eboni Usoro-Brown to Wells in January. Eboni was on the England netball team for its thrilling 52–51 win over Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 and was capped 117 times before her international retirement. Alongside playing elite sport, Eboni trained and practises as a lawyer. Pupils from Years 7 to the Upper Sixth attended netball sessions with Eboni in the Sports Hall throughout the day, and she gave a talk followed by a Q&A session in Cedars Hall after School.

Boys' netball

Well done to the Boy's 1st team who played their first ever netball game against Millfield, who also made their boys' netball debut. The two teams went head-to-head in our Sports Hall in an exciting and extremely fast match. Our side showed off some fantastic athleticism and skill and enjoyed making Wells history. The Sixth Form 1st team will continue running a boys' netball session on a Friday lunchtime (to which all ages are welcome) with support from Mr Trick. This is an exciting time for the development of netball with the men’s game becoming increasingly popular.

Hockey selections

Congratulations to many of the School’s hockey players after a number of selections into Talent Academies on the England pathway and county teams. Archie Mycock (Lower Sixth) and Alex Morris, Linsey Mitchell, Tilly Matthews and Georgia Chappell (Year 10) have been selected as some of the highest potential 15-18 year old hockey players in the country, joining one of 17 Talent Academies across the country that offer weekly training sessions and competitive tournaments against other Talent Academies. There have also been an astonishing 22 pupils selected into county teams.

Linsey, Georgia, and Tilly, along with Dimity Williams (Lower Sixth), who also plays in the National League for Bath Buccaneers and Florence Gummer (Lower Sixth) were selected for the England Hockey Challenge Cup. There are 16 Regional Performance Centres in the UK, each of which selected their best 16 players out of a training squad of 24 to play against the other centres in a tournament-style competition at the Nottingham Hockey Centre. Linsey, Georgia and Tilly represented the Taunton U15 Girls Centre. They won their group, beating Manchester, South Midlands and Bury, ensuring qualification for the top four where they played a

further three matches, eventually being placed third out of 16. Florence and Dimity played for the Taunton Girls U17 Centre. They came second in their group and eventually came 8th out of the 16 centres. Both girls played exceptionally well in a very high standard competition.

Mr Mayes, the School’s Head of Hockey, said it was, "Afantasticachievementbyallsixpupils,whichreflects theirhardworkthattheyhaveputinbothinsideand outsideofschoolwiththeirhockey!"

Congratulations also go to Oskar Edwards (Upper Sixth) who made it into the England U18 squad. He competed for the Bristol Performance Centre where each squad consisted of 18 boys, and the Cup’s most promising players were chosen to attend a series of England U18 assessment camps. Oskar impressed the selectors at his assessments and secured a place in the final 26 man squad for the 2022-2023 season.

Mr Webley, Head of Sport, said: “Gettingselectedforthe EnglandU18sisanextraordinaryachievementbyOskar. We’reextremelyproudofhimandareexcitedtosee himplayinthefirstinternationalmatch.”

National tournament successes

The First XI performed brilliantly in the the England Hockey Cup. They defeated a strong Taunton School team by 2-1, followed a week later by a game against a very experienced Blundell’s side which they defeated 4-1. They then beat Dauntsey's 2-1 and went on to the quarter finals where they were unfortunately beaten 4-3 by RGS Worcester. The RGS Worcester hockey team thanked them for a brilliant game, which is testament to how they conducted themselves on the pitch; the Wells girls put their hearts and souls into the match, and we are so proud of them for getting into the final eight of this national competition.

The Girls U14s were crowned T2 County champions, winning three of their games and drawing one, and went on to perform strongly in the Regional Finals.

Ralf’s rugby selection

Following Ralf Warner's (Year 11) performance at the Bristol Schools Rugby Tournament in October, he has been selected to step up to the next level of the Bristol Bears Rugby Academy (the ‘Excel’ group). This is an outstanding achievement and everyone in the School is absolutely delighted for him!

Four Wells rugby players represent Somerset

Well done to Josh Moore, Dan James, Charlie Rowley and Christian Jennett-Butcher (Upper Sixth) who represented Somerset at Hartpury University in a game against Berkshire as part of an event for counties in the South and South West. Although they didn’t get the result they’d hoped for, the Wells boys acquitted themselves well and had a positive impact on the match; Charlie captained the side and Josh scored Somerset’s try. The group should be very pleased with their efforts.

Pupils vs staff: touch rugby

Pupils and staff took to Cedars Field for a head-tohead battle of touch rugby recently. Commiserations to the staff team who narrowly lost the hard fought contest against the pupil team who were jubilant in their victory!

ESSA Relay Championships 2022

The School entered the English Schools Swimming Association (ESSA ) South West Secondary School Team Relay Championships for the first time at the end of September.

The ESSA Relay Championships form part of a prestigious national swimming competition comprising both state and independent schools from all across the country. Both the boys’ and the girls’ teams competed in the 4 x 50m freestyle relay and the 4 x 50m medley relay over the course of a thrilling afternoon at the Millfield swimming pool. Leading into the event, our squad swimmers had been staunchly preparing by consistently attending training sessions, collectively displaying a willingness to improve and showing that crucial team spirit. Traditionally, the South West boasts the strongest swimming set up nationwide, making the efforts of our swimmers even more admirable.

The first session for our swimmers was the freestyle relays. The Junior girls - Emma, Petra, Olivia and Ariane - launched the School’s efforts (and didn’t show any nerves whilst waiting to get the event underway)! They got the School off to a flying start, posting a 13 second personal best (PB). This was quickly followed by our Junior boys - Colby, Thomas, Ted and William - who also gave their all, posting a 15 second PB. Next up came our Intermediate girls (Alex Murray, Ariana Hamlin,

Josie Jefferies and Tui Ashwell), who did themselves proud swimming another PB. The Intermediate boys (Reuben Ashton, Milo Brown, Archie Blee and Michael Turner) quickly followed, posting a brilliant time and recording a 16 second PB. Last up were our Senior squads: our girls (Maddie Wilkins, Mia Coakes Santamaria, Lara Keirle and Xanthe Knott) kicked things off with a competitive display, almost winning the heat but finishing 3rd with a seven second PB. The Senior boys (Alfie Stevens, Ian Leung, Aidan Li and Devon Mycock) posted another competitive time against some strong opposition and produced a ten second PB.

Following a short lunch break, the second session, consisting of medley relay races, got underway. Our Prep girls were first up again, posting an impressive 8 second PB. The Prep boys then took to the blocks to secure another PB, followed by the Intermediate girls and boys, who both achieved PBs as well – the boys took an impressive 28 seconds off their previous time! The Seniors then stepped up to round off the day with the girls beating their PB by 14 seconds and the boys knocking 20 seconds off of theirs.

It was a really positive day of racing with some impressive performances at a very memorable event. We look forward to competing again next year!

Ariane’s silver medal

Congratulations to Ariane Lynn-Jones (Year 7) who won a silver medal at the U16 British Taekwondo Championships, a huge achievement in its own right but especially impressive given Ariane’s younger age. She competed in the red belt middleweight division, claiming her medal in the tag team competition. Well done, Ariane!

MUGA plaque

We are thrilled to have installed a plaque at our Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) thanking the generosity of donors to last year's Annual Fund for Sports, with particular gratitude for support from The Parents and Friends’ Association, the Wellensian Association and an anonymous donor. Sited at the top of Cedars Field, the MUGA is a fully enclosed all-weather sports facility. It offers four cricket lanes for bowling and batting practice, alongside a further open area that can be used for multiple activities, including skills practice for all main sports as well as activities such as boxercise and fencing, and general fitness training. The MUGA is for all ages and is used by the whole School.

Bath University PE trip

In November, PE pupils in Years 10 and 11 enjoyed a trip to Bath University. The visit included a tour of the sports facilities, an activation and mobilisation session with a strength and conditioning coach, sports fitness testing and a Q&A session with an elite athlete. It was a great opportunity for the pupils to see what it takes to perform at the highest level in sport, and an eye-opening insight into the commitment and lifestyle needed to get there. We thanked Bath University for hosting the day and showing our young athletes what life is like at one of the top sporting universities in the country.

Ski trip

Pupils enjoyed a ski trip to Les Menuires in France over the Christmas break. They enjoyed fantastic conditions ranging from -15°c and sunny, to days of powdery snow. Everyone worked hard with their instructors to improve their ability, and it was clear that they enjoyed every moment.

When the pupils weren’t skiing or taking part in arranged activities such as a quiz or karaoke, they enjoyed themselves at the resort’s many shopping outlets, treating themselves to goodies such as French chocolate and sweets.

Geography field trips

Pupils from the Lower Sixth travelled to Dartmoor to study the granite landscape at Hay Tor and compare Tor outcrops at Cox Tor and Great Staple Tor. The group was fortunate to have great weather which allowed pupils to make accurate field sketches and collect data for consideration upon their return. The trip proved to be a long day but a great success, culminating in a walk up Lydford Gorge where they witnessed an impressive array of spectacular river landforms.

Upper Sixth geographers spent a day in Bristol studying its urban geography. The trip, led by Mr Boot and Mrs Murdoch, featured a boat tour around the harbourside to view the urban regeneration taking place. This was followed by visits to the city centre including its covered market, St Paul’s in Bristol’s inner city, Aztec West and Cribbs Causeway on the northern edge of the city.

History trip to Berlin

Pupils from Years 10 and 11 spent a memorable few days in Berlin to reinforce their learning as part of the History GCSE syllabus. They also experienced an extraordinary city with so many stories to tell. The trip included two guided tours of West and East Berlin with a focus on the Second World War and the Cold War. The tours incorporated historical landmarks such as Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall and the stunning Reichstag and Bundestag parliament buildings. The pupils also walked through Brandenburg Gate and took in the 2,711 concrete slabs that are known as the Holocaust Memorial. Much of the content of the trip was sobering and not least the afternoons spent in the Stasi Prison and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp which operated from 1936-1945. However, there were also plenty of lighter moments, and an evening out that encompassed a light show and a game of ten pin bowling was great fun! It was a thoroughly worthwhile venture and particular thanks go to Mr Eldridge for setting up the trip.

German trip to the Christmas market

16 pupils from Years 8 to the Lower Sixth, all studying German, travelled to Birmingham in November to visit the Frankfurt Christmas Market, the biggest in Europe outside Germany and Austria. The trip, organised by the MFL Department, included a Photo Scavenger Hunt aimed at exclusively looking for traditional German food like Frikadeller or Knoblauchbrot. Pupils then had time to buy and taste some of these German specialties, and they definitely got the most of this German Christmas Market food experience!

Year 7 Mill on the Brue trip

The annual outdoor adventure trip to the Mill on the Brue centre offered the new Year 7s the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities, from canoeing and crate stacking to zip wire and water slide.

It was fantastic to see so many pupils challenge themselves and get out of their comfort zones, thanks to the wonderful support and encouragement of their peers. They spent the night under canvas, strengthened friendships and, with teamwork to the fore in the activity sessions, once again proved to be excellent ambassadors for the School.

Silver DofE qualifying expedition on Dartmoor

Pupils in Year 11 and the Lower Sixth working towards their Silver DofE Award moved a step closer after an adventurous exeat weekend spent on Dartmoor in glorious weather. The four groups worked brilliantly together and despite some challenging navigation (and a number of blisters!) they all successfully completed the expedition. All that remains is the sign off of their remaining sections to achieve their awards.

Osmington Bay

53 pupils from Year 9 travelled to Osmington Bay near Weymouth for a weekend of exciting activities including kayaking, air rifle shooting, archery and much more. The group had a brilliant time trying out new things together.

Wells remembers

Seeking an appropriate way to observe Remembrance, it felt right that an occasion marked officially at 11 o’clock on 11th day of the 11th month should include 11 different trumpeters from the School performing The Last Post around Wells and the surrounding villages. On Remembrance Sunday our drumline led the Royal British Legion and our CCF parade from St Cuthbert’s Church to the Harry Patch Memorial as part of the Civic Parade. In the afternoon a full Cathedral heard a devotional performance of John Rutter’s Requiem by the Wells Cathedral Choir and the Wells Cathedral School Chamber Choir, accompanied by a wonderful group of School instrumentalists: Lily Owens (Year 11), Harold Lee and Kit Cookson (Lower Sixth), Sonia Sung, Markus Hoppe and Will Peutherer (Upper Sixth) performed under the direction of Alex Hamilton, the Cathedral’s Assistant Director of Music.

It was important too that the School was able to hold two more intimate services to remember those lost from our own community. The weekend was full of reflection, devotion and poignancy.

The Last Post was sounded by Amelie Thrale (Year 10) at the School fountain on Cedars Lawn, by Cole Craggs (Year 8) in Cedars Hall as part of the Prep School’s Remembrance Assembly and by Wilkie Heath-Ourakov (Year 10) in the Town Hall at 11.00am on the Friday, to remember the fallen of the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts. This was followed by a two minute silence.

Pupils performed across the community to mark their respects in Wells and beyond. Gabriel Colegate (Year 10) played in Ditcheat, Erin Davies (Upper Sixth) in Meare, Hannah Acworth (Upper Sixth) in Wells Cathedral, Emma Lane (Year 11) at the School’s Service of Remembrance, Joshua Knott (Year 10) in Coxley, Grace Davies (Upper Sixth) at St Cuthbert’s Church as part of the CCF Parade, Milo Brown (Year 9) at Wookey Hole Church, Cole Craggs (Year 8) in Winscombe, George Wareham (Year 11) in Doulting and Charlie Ballamy (Year 11) in Maiden Bradley.

Hitting the right note in practice

This article, written by Mr Laing, our Head of Music, appeared in Wiltshire Life's IndependentSchoolsGuide last Autumn. Here he has some advice for parents of musicians when it comes to rehearsing...

Anyone reading this article has already subscribed to the now well-established idea that music and music education are not only good for ‘serious musicians’, but are positive influences on all human beings. Increasing numbers of scientific studies indicate that singing actively releases happy hormones. When someone takes the further step of learning a musical instrument, they use parts of their brain and body that forge new neural pathways. These specific music practice pathways help to create a more engaged and intelligent human for every other activity they undertake. Essentially, music is good for us.

‘Instant gratification’ is the muchlamented mantra of our age. We are concerned that many children spend increasing amounts of time on screens; at the same time, we are

also conscious that there appear to be increasing pressures on them to succeed at school. Music and music practice can seem to add to these stresses as another burden of expectation. Instead, it should and can be an invaluable tool to help relieve them.

Music is best when it is a joy to do. It is so helpful for music teachers if parents are able to engage with the positivity of music practice. First and foremost, parents should understand that it is usually unhelpful to view success in music as gaining high marks in a music exam. That can too often lead to an attitude that perfection is not only attainable but necessary. On the contrary, mistakes are fine – in fact they are great! Mistakes can make a performance more interesting and the whole experience more authentic and real. They can

also indicate that being note perfect is not the ‘point’ of music. Communication, commitment and engagement are what matter. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard musicians, who have achieved high marks in top level music exams, perform without connection or understanding of the music despite being mechanically “correct”.

So what can parents do to help? The best support for a musician is being in an environment where they are surrounded by the most enjoyable and creative parts of making music. There are some simple and practical things that can facilitate this at home. One of the problems that can block enjoyment at an early stage in learning an instrument is the physical barrier created by having to pack and unpack it each time practice is to be done.

This can turn the idea of practice into a chore. Interestingly, this is not so much of a problem for budding pianists. A piano is always available and a decision to stop and play can occur every time a musician walks past it. It makes sense to try to create the same advantage for other instruments. My son’s bass practice really took off when we found a safe way to stand the instrument so that next to no “administration” was required. There are affordable stands for most instruments available; or simply find a safe table, shelf, or piano (!) on which an instrument can live, at least during periods when daily practice is a realisable goal.

The value of active parental engagement with music practice cannot be underestimated. My father drove me to my wonderful violin lessons each week and, as a result, was able to help me remember what my teacher had asked me to prepare and why. I was fortunate that he was a fine violinist in his own right, but inexperienced musician parents can be incredibly helpful too. Since music is communication, someone needs to listen and be engaged in the listening. As listeners, parents can hear things in the practice that they will recognise as not wonderful playing. The best way to support and improve this practice is not to point out any perceived failures but rather reinforce positivity. So, rather than saying “that sounded wrong” or “that bit in the middle was horrible”, try asking some constructive questions like “what is happening in the story at that point?” The answer received may be ridiculous or non-existent. This really does not matter. The important thing is that the young musician feels listened to, not

criticised, and is also being asked to engage with the most important part of the music making process –creativity and storytelling.

Encouragement and engagement with the creative storytelling elements of music can also be practised. Helping a young musician to develop reactions to and opinions about music they hear or play can be amongst the most rewarding experiences. This shared development can be educational and fun for the parents too. In recent years I have been bowled over to hear poetry written in reaction to a piece of music, to see entire comic strips and even short motion pictures created. These imaginative reactions to the music might not be obviously linked or similar to the composition, but invariably they capture something of its atmosphere. The important thing is that they are all valid responses. This shows us that even music, which itself may have been composed with specific intentions, can move an audience creatively in many different ways.

As a parent, you may be lucky enough to experience such creative responses in your own young musicians and be similarly bowled over. But reactions to music need not be so detailed or overtly impressive. One former student’s family used to listen to a short piece or movement of classical music each evening while they were doing the washing up. It was a pleasure each week for me to hear stories and feelings associated with what they had heard. I was then able to ask more leading questions and the curiosity of the pupil (and their supportive family) grew and grew.

Listening to (any) music actively is a wonderfully supportive way to develop a young musician. In performance classes I have run, I have often been reminded that some of the best musicians are not necessarily the best exponents of the instrument. After each student performance, I always ask the listeners for positive comments first, followed by constructive and helpful things for the performer to think about. Invariably, amongst the best or most interesting reactions come from those performing at a ‘lower’ level. This type of shared response has helped to lessen feelings of competition, has given every young musician fresh thoughts about their own practice as well as that of others, and has also created strong support networks amongst them all. It has been lovely to hear reports of my pupils practising and creating music together, and often with support from families, at weekends and during holidays.

In summary, a supportive parent does not need to sit with their child pointing out right and wrong notes. Also, they should not feel that they must be there every second to ensure that hard work is happening. A supportive parent needs only to help foster an environment where great practice is possible. Great practice is the gradual development of the ability in a young musician to teach themselves and to expand their musicianship in between their lessons. Spending even small amounts of time listening to them play and encouraging the creative elements, or actively listening to music as a family, will go a long way. Listen, celebrate and share; music practice can be a family endeavour full of joy.

BBC Young Musician 2022 category finals

The BBC Young Musician of the Year category finals, featuring violinist Dawid Kasprzak (Lower Sixth) and French horn player Imogen Moorsom (OW 2022), were broadcast on BBC Four in October.

Simon de Souza, Imogen’s horn teacher, recounted her success as a pupil at Wells: "Inalmostfortyyears teachingatWellsI’vebeenprivilegedtoteachmany exceptionalpupilsandImogenstandscomparisonwith anyofthem.It’sbeenadelighttoteachherandtosee herblossomintothematureandvirtuosicperformer wesawontheYoungMusicianoftheYearstage.Having madethemostoftheopportunitiesavailabletoher atWells, I don’t doubt that shewill do the same as shemovesintothenextstageofherstudyingatthe Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She should be asproudofherselfasweareofher.”

Dawid, accompanied by Ms Walker, performed in the strings category final. Simon Smith, the School’s Coordinator of Strings Studies, described Dawid’s journey to this impressive stage: "Since his arrival at WellsinYear9,Dawidhasbeenanexemplarypupil.

Hehasworkedincrediblyhardundertheguidanceof histeacherCatherineLordtodevelopaspectacular techniqueandextraordinarymusicianship,andit wasadelighttohearthisbeingshowcasedagainin theBBCYoungMusiciancompetition.Heisafantastic inspirationtoallthetalentedStringplayersatWells.”

Alex Laing had high praise for Dawid and Imogen, remarking that; “Wearesoproudofthesetwo exceptionalyoungmusicianswhoarebothnotonly wonderfulplayersbutalsosuperpeople.Theyboth inspirethenextgenerationofpupilsandthestaff atWellswiththeirskillsandalsowiththeirjoyand creativitythroughmusic.”

Dawid recently gave a polished performance at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, as part of a celebration of the 30th anniversary of a study abroad scholarship scheme.

Let’s dance!

The Symphony Orchestra gave four brilliant concerts of dance music from around the world. The Prep School joined the musical journey discovering the dances of Scotland, Spain, Austria, Russia and North and South America.

The following day they were joined by pupils and staff from Chewton Mendip, St Joseph and St Teresa and Stoberry Park Schools. Senior School pupils guided us with engaging and entertaining links between the pieces and the enthusiasm and curiosity of the audiences was a real delight to behold. The evening concerts saw a packed Cedars Hall with an extended programme, adding music from France and Czechia as well as a complete performance of Bernstein's SymphonicDances from WestSideStory. Not only did the Orchestra bring terrific energy to the dance music on the programme, but they also rose to the immense challenge of having a last minute change of conductor.

Wellbeing talk

As part of our commitment to the wellbeing of our pupils and of our young musicians, Dr Sarah Upjohn visited the School to give a talk in November. Dr Upjohn is a physiotherapist who specialises in musicians; her work focusing on helping them to reset physically

and mentally. Her approach encourages and allows musicians to play, practise and perform in a healthy and free way, which can lead to greater awareness of the body and its habits (good and bad), and reduce physical discomfort, anxiety and stress.

Stuttgart exchange

The Music Department was delighted to welcome 44 pupils and four members of staff from the EberhardLudwig-Gymnasium in Stuttgart, a Specialist Music School very similar to our own. Their pupils engaged in workshops, tours and a Gala Concert in collaboration with our own pupils. It was a particular delight to see pupils from both schools interacting at our regular Jazz intheFoyer jam session.

Rotary success

Congratulations to Amelia Wise (Lower Sixth) and Josh Milton (Upper Sixth) who won their Rotary Competition heats, for which entrants prepare a 10 minute program, gaining places in the final in January, where they each performed for 15 minutes.

Heads Up coffee concert

Josh Milton, Freya Hyde and Ben Johnson (Upper Sixth) performed at a coffee concert for dementia patients and carers at HeadsUp, a local charity that works with individuals who are affected by mental health issues and other difficulties. They were terrific ambassadors for the School. The audience, which included the Mayor of Wells and his wife, was delighted.

Both schools belong to the Young Music Talents Europe, which is an association of specialist music schools from across Europe, that enables the exchange and sharing of ideas between pupils and staff from all of the schools. It was a wonderful week of sharing music and ideas. We are looking forward to a return visit to Stuttgart in the next academic year.

Musicians celebrate national recognition

A large number of musicians will be representing Wells in national-level ensembles and choirs this year, both in the UK and beyond.

Morgan Bland (Year 10), Lily Owens and Teagan Craggs (Year 11), and Wilamena Dyer and Defne Anar (Lower Sixth), have obtained places in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYO), the country’s flagship orchestra for talented young musicians. Among the five Wells pupils, particular congratulations must go to Defne, who has been appointed Principal Harp and will be a member of the orchestra for a second year.

Across the channel, violinist Hannah Krekel (Year 10) has been given a place as the youngest member of the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands. Earlier this year she played in front of the Dutch Royal Family in the Amare, the new concert hall in the Hague.

Beatrice Pooley, Bird Collyer, Belinda Gifford-Guy and Michael Dey (Year 7), and Cole Craggs, Katie Messenger and Harrison Ashurst (Year 8), have been offered places in the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain (NCO), while a further four pupils from the Prep School: Henry (Year 5), and Shanna, Emily and Tessa (Year 6), have all been invited to join NCOProjects, an initiative that provides an excellent training ground for the older age-banded orchestras.

Wells singers are also finding their voice in some of the UK’s top choirs. Belinda Gifford-Guy, Michael Dey and Zino Zigan (Year 7) have been invited to join the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, while Emily Oxtoby and Lydia Grace South (Lower Sixth) have been offered places within the prestigious Rodolfus Choir, which helps talented singers aged 16-23 bridge the gap between school and university.

Trinity ATCL Diploma successes

Congratulations to Lucille Raynal (Year 9) and Elizabeth Massey (Year 11) on completion of the Trinity ATCL Diploma Examination on the Piano. Lucille was awarded a high distinction and Elizabeth was awarded a pass.

Clarinet Day

Over 30 clarinettists from across the UK came together for the Clarinet Day last term. Workshops, masterclasses and ensembles were led by Wells Tutors Marie Lloyd (Head of Wind at RCM), Anna Hashimoto (NYO clarinet tutor) and Head of Woodwind Edward Leaker. Sessions covered performance skills, improvisation, clarinet technique and how to prepare for auditions. Mr Leaker said; "Itwaslovelytoseesomanyclarinettistsfrom suchawidegeographicalareaandfromallwalksoflife! Thestandardthisyearhasbeenhigherthanever."

Wells winds

The Vicar’s Close Wind Quartet and Wells Double Reed Ensemble performed in Cardiff alongside ensembles from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama for their Whirlwinds festival. Many thanks to their Head of Woodwind Rob Plane for inviting us and to the pupils for some really stunning performances and professional level presentation.

Cory Brass workshop

In November, members of The Cory Band, European Brass Champions 2022, were joined by over 50 young brass players from 29 different schools for a free sideby-side playing workshop in Cedars Hall.

Led by their inspirational conductor Philip Harper, the players worked on several pieces for Brass Band, and after a visit to the Prozone Music stand to check out the latest in Brass instruments, the afternoon culminated in an informal performance to family and friends. Later that day six Wells Brass ensembles entertained a packed foyer of concert goers before the evening concert, given by the full force of The Cory

French Horn Day

36 enthusiastic horn players gathered in Wells for a fun day of horn playing activities, where they were tutored by Wells specialist horn teacher Simon de Souza and two of his former Wells pupils, Ed Griffiths (co-principal Horn at Welsh National Opera) and Dave Oxley (a principal West End player).

Activities included performance clinics, maintenance classes, warmups and masterclasses. It was a delight to be back in person after missing two years and we’re looking forward to having them again next year!

Band, which was entertaining, inspiring and thrilling in equal measure!

Ross Brown, the School’s Co-ordinator of Brass Studies, said: “Itwas such a thrill to see and hear so manyyoungBrassplayersfromschoolsaroundthe countrysharingtheirpassionformusictogether inCedarsHall,undertheinspirationalguidanceof oneofthetopBrassBandconductorsintheworld, PhilipHarper,andalongsidethesefabulousplayers fromCory.I’mverygratefultoLyndonChapmanand BessonInstrumentsfortheirfinancialsupportwhich allowedustoofferthisopportunityfreeofcharge.”

Elizabeth joins Glyndebourne Opera Youth Academy

Congratulations to Elizabeth Burdge (Year 10) who auditioned in London for the Glyndebourne Opera Youth Academy. Competing against conservatoire pupils, Elizabeth successfully made it into the final 25 and is onto the programme.

Choral Fanfare

The Choral Fanfare concert in early November gave the music department an amazing opportunity to celebrate two important milestones: the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great British composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams and the 10th anniversary of the founding of our immensely successful girls choir, Choralia.We were delighted that a number of Old Wellensians came back to celebrate during this weekend of fantastic music. They joyfully reminisced about tours, concerts and recordings from the past and had an opportunity to reconnect with friends and the wider Wells community.

Choralia continues to go from strength to strength and build on the international successes of the former generations of the Choir. The concert also involved singers from our superb Year 7-9 Choir - the future members of Choralia! It was a joy to welcome our former pupils back to Cedars Hall and we are immensely grateful to them for inspiring the next generation of Wells singers. The performance was a triumph and rumours abound that we may have the opportunity to run a similar OW Choralia weekend again in the future.

Sophia wins at Kingston Music Festival

Congratulations to Sophia Gonzalez (Year 11) who has won the Advanced String Class at Kingston Music Festival and has been invited to perform in the competition’s Prizewinners' Concert.

Dame Evelyn Glennie hosts percussion workshop and concert

We were delighted to welcome Dame Evelyn Glennie to Wells as part of a percussion workshop and concert in November. Dame Evelyn is the first person in history to create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. Throughout her career she has worked with diverse artists from the worlds of pop, jazz, folk, classical and contemporary music. She collaborated with director Danny Boyle in her prominent role in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Dame Evelyn was awarded an OBE in 1993 and has over 100 international awards to date. She is president of HelpMusicians and is the third person to hold the title since Sir Edward Elgar and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Fifty young percussionists came to the School for the joyful and uplifting workshop. The day celebrated Women in Percussion with our Graduate Music Assistants Emily Quick, Emma Shield and Meg Glover and Old Wellensians Jas Kayser (2014) and Kizzy Brooks (2012) coaching alongside Jayne Obradovic,

Co-ordinator of Percussion Studies, to inspire the next generation of young players. What was achieved in six hours was nothing short of remarkable!

One parent noted that they were “struckbythe sensitivityandmaturityofthestudentperformers” and “EvelynGlennie’sdiscussionswithAlexLaingand herreflectionsonarangeoftopicswerestimulating, challengingandthought-provoking–itmadefora perfectevening.”

Pupils at Wells said it was an incredibly inspirational day working alongside a living legend; a day they will never forget.

Mycareerandmylifehasbeenaboutlisteninginthe deepestpossiblesense.Losingmyhearingmeant learninghowtolistendifferently,todiscoverfeaturesof soundIhadn’trealisedexisted.Losingmyhearingmade me a better listener” – Dame Evelyn Glennie

Wells Cathedral choristers excel in Edinburgh

On the last day of half-term, 28 of our Prep and Senior choristers (aged 9-15 years), accompanied by School and Cathedral staff, flew to Edinburgh for their first tour since The Netherlands in 2019. After months of anticipation, the choristers enjoyed a three-day nonstop schedule.

On the Saturday, the choristers started bright and early with a visit to Edinburgh Castle, followed by a lunchtime performance in St Giles’ Cathedral - a beautiful musical walk through the church’s year, beginning with Hildegard von Bingen’s Osapientia and Stanford’s Song ofWisdom. The children’s voices filled the beautiful cathedral which delighted the local and international audience. After the concert, the choristers headed off to explore Edinburgh, Harry Potter style, with a tour of the

The choristers did an amazing job fundraising for their tour - between them they raised over £7,000! Each Chorister was given £20 with the challenge to turn it into as much money as they could over the summer holidays.

various sites that inspired J.K.Rowling’s magical books, followed by an intensely competitive round of crazy golf which revealed the pro-golfer potential of a couple of our choristers with many a hole in one!

Sunday morning started with a rehearsal and the choristers singing the Sunday Eucharist service at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. This was followed by an exploration of DynamicEarth, a walk up the Royal Mile with a spot of shopping and dinner at Cosmo, for the well-earned ‘all you can eat’ buffet.

The tour was a wonderful opportunity for the choir; they sang beautifully and were brilliant ambassadors for Wells Cathedral, the School and the City of Wells.

Life as a chorister

In November, Wells Cathedral hosted a fabulous, free, ‘behind the scenes’ day, during which children were able to experience the life of a Cathedral chorister.

Forty girls and boys aged between seven and nine came from schools across Somerset and beyond for the annual BeaChoristerforaDay event where they met the Cathedral choristers and participated in fun singing workshops.

The day culminated in singing choral evensong in the Quire of the Cathedral with the award-winning and world-renowned choir. The children performed the anthem TheLordismyShepherd by Howard Goodall and helped the choir to lead the two hymns in the service. There were also events for the children’s parents, including a tour of the School and tea in the historic Vicars’ Hall.

Oliver sings for Netflix

One of our choristers, Oliver Jenkins (Year 8), made his Hollywood debut in December with the release of Scrooge:AChristmasCarol on Netflix, to which he lent his singing voice in the role of Tiny Tim. Oliver travelled to London in April last year to record his songs after Mr Cole put him forward for the role and helped him to prepare for the auditions. The film was released in December and the trailer is available to watch on Netflix and YouTube - Oliver can be heard singing at the beginning of the clip!

Mila’s Pie Jesu EP

Congratulations to Mila Tsoneva (Year 11), runner up of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2021, on the release of her new EP Pie Jesu. Mila recently recorded the five-song EP with organist David M. Patrick at Buckfast Abbey, and it has been released digitally by Willowhayne Records.

The EP includes the world premiere recording of Buckfast monk Dom.

Sebastian Wolff’s LullabyCarol as well as some betterknown pieces.

Founders and Benefactors’ dinner

The Founders and Benefactors’ dinner is the School’s way of acknowledging and thanking those who have contributed to the School and its development whether through financial means, support of its operations or through external expertise which they contribute to our pupils. We were very happy to be able to award four Foundation Fellowships in recognition of excellence achieved by either an Old Wellensian or by a person's significant contribution to the life of the School. This year our four recipients were Bryan Carter, OW Colston Gay (1978), OW Alexia Inge (1995), and David Strange.

Bryan Carter:

Following some fortuitous meetings in Hong Kong with former Director of Foundation Tony Bretherton and former Director of Music Dorothy Nancekievill, Bryan was invited to join the board of the Wells Music Society of Hong Kong and later became its Chair. In the subsequent years the Hong Kong Charity’s Board helped to coordinate fundraising events, host numerous groups of musicians from Wells (including a wonderful tour of Beijing with the full Wells Cathedral Choir), and has helped to support places at the School financially for four Hong Kong pupils, even during the recent pandemic and the associated difficulties with holding fundraising events. Bryan himself would be the first to say that this has been a team effort from the whole of the Hong Kong Charity Board, but Bryan’s

own wholehearted commitment to the cause and to the broader School community at Wells cannot be underestimated. He has been a generous benefactor, an ever-present attendee of numerous concerts given by WCS in Hong Kong over the years, a generous host of receptions and gatherings for visiting Wells musicians and a regular visitor to the School while in the UK.

Colston Gay:

Colston Gay comes from a family steeped in Wellensian association. As well as being a Wellensian himself, Colston’s father, uncle, and two sisters as well as his three children and now five grandchildren all went to Wells. Having left School in 1978, Colston helped manage and run the farm which has been in his family for about 500 years. Situated close to the Chew Valley Lake in one of Somerset’s most stunning landscapes, Colston has helped oversee the transition of the farm to being entirely organic and it now includes accredited organic lands with dairy, beef, lamb, pigs and arable assets. He has also expanded the farm’s remit as an agricultural endeavour, with the farm currently comprising four units, 400 acres of which are arable, alongside a herd of 400 organically managed dairy cows who are milked in the farm’s new state of the art milking parlour. In addition, he has overseen the expansion of the farm as a business, opening tea rooms and a shop in 2022 which sell high quality organic and free range produce. He has invested in an anaerobic

digester which uses gas from farm and dairy waste to create electricity – which in turn supplies fuel for the farm and the village, and Colston is committed to creating a sustainable working farm powered by green energy. Ever the entrepreneur, Colston has also set up Chew Valley Dairy which supplies milk from Colston’s and other farms to outlets across the South West. In addition, Colston also runs the Highgrove Estate in partnership with his son, Henry James.

Alexia Inge:

Alexia Inge is also an Old Wellensian and her old Head Master, John Baxter, has described her – and her sister –as “stars” who contributed wholeheartedly to everything they tackled. Alexia herself feels that our ethos of being who you are coupled with our encouragement and appreciation of creativity alongside a touch of eccentricity have stood her in good stead as her career has developed.

After graduating with a BA Hons in Fashion Design at Westminster University, she worked as a model and fashion journalist at TheDailyTelegraph before moving into PR, working at GAP’s International Press Office and Mission PR agency. Alexia co-founded Cult Beauty in June 2008, and became co-CEO in 2014. The web-based platform was built on a lifelong passion for beauty, with the mission to become the most trusted beauty retailer in the world. Cult has also used its social media platform of two million followers and seven million newsletter subscribers to raise money for charity and campaign for social change. A moment of great pride for Alexia was a campaign that led to the UK government changing its policy, support and services for women going through the menopause in 2021. In 2019, Alexia was listed by Women’s Wear Daily as one of the 50 most forward-thinking executives shaping the future of the beauty industry and was awarded the CEW Achiever Award in December 2020. Cult Beauty was on the leader board of TheSundayTimes Fast Track 100 and International Track 200 for many years and also bagged the coveted WWD ‘E-tailer of the Year’

title. In 2021 Alexia sold Cult Beauty to THG and left the business this May to pursue new adventures in Kenya.

David Strange:

David’s musical pedigree is outstanding and he is both a distinguished orchestral musician and an educator. He is a former principal cellist of the London Philharmonic and Royal Opera House orchestras, as well as playing for many others; he was a founding member of the Nash Ensemble and, having taught as cello professor for many years at the Royal Academy of Music, he is now Professor Emeritus of Strings there.

It was therefore an enormous honour when Wells secured his services as Artistic Adviser to our MDS Specialist Music Scheme in the early 2000s, soon after he had been awarded an MBE for his services to music. There have only been two Artistic Advisers since the Specialist Music Scheme started in Wells in the 1970s –Yfrah Neaman held this responsibility for 30 years and David has followed in his footsteps brilliantly.

David’s own standing and experience has helped give us here at Wells a truly invaluable international perspective, and, more tangibly, he has personally nurtured our own musicians by attending the main Specialist Music Auditions every year for many years, leading regular cello masterclasses and conducting the string orchestra. He has given wise counsel and acted as a confidante to many of our own Directors of Music as well as numerous Heads of Department, all of whom have valued his time and advice.

We are indebted, therefore, to David for his advocacy of the Wells Specialist Music Programme both nationally and internationally, as well as for his practical support and assistance in a whole host of ways. His ability to question decision making when required, to bring a new perspective to complex musical debates, and to get the best out of the people he works with (both young and old) is second to none. He is a man of integrity, wisdom and experience – but also has an infectious sense of humour, which is appreciated by all.

Old Wellensian reunion

We were delighted to see so many Old Wellensians at our London Christmas Drinks Social in November. OWs were joined by Alison Armstrong (recently retired Deputy Director of Music), Lawrence Plum and Jayne Obradovic who loved the chance to catch up with former pupils and hear about life after Wells.